necker island looks horrid

[southeastastra]

just looks like its lacking something

The location is stunning but the place itself and the ethos is tacky beyond belief. Sushi off a kayak or a naked woman ? Disco wigs ? Heinous. Like Butlins for the super rich. Just proves that money can't buy you class, eh?

Necker’s party island reputation is probably down to the fact that Branson loves a party as much as anyone else.

“The staff are good looking. There are high-adrenalin activities. Parties are encouraged. And there are condoms in the vanity kit along with lip salve and sun lotion.

“It’s not selling itself as the Connaught or a place to show off and get dressed up. When I was there, was there sleaze? Not a hint. Richard may have mooned us from the beach when we were leaving - which was pretty unexpected - but it was all in the spirit of high jinks.”

God, it's barftastic.

Did they mention staff salaries at all? Or is it as I suspect and the staff work for not a whole lot because they get to live a luxurious Caribbean lifestyle and have their face pressed up against the window of the lives of the super rich.

I could not believe it that the head of finance happily told the sushi from her body story - it sounded beyond awful!

I'd hire the island ,with friends. All inclusive,and with great food. Richard wasn't pimping out the staff. He was simply ensuring that they felt included and had a social life,or they wouldn't stay long,when they were living there too.

squoosh my feeling is that there's a basic salary supplemented by 'gifts' from the happy holidaymAkers ?

Certainly if I were a mum proudly telling the neighbours over the garden fance that my daughter had landed a dream job working for RB in the Caribbean, and they watched this programme.....well, think I might be using the all-night launderette for a bit

There was an odd bit. Did anyone else notice. At the staff BBQ, a guy walked in stressed out, with his back to the cameras. He was clearly upset and talking about his day, but the staff looking at the camera were winking and saying "wasn't it the best day of your life? I'm sure it was" wink wink (there's a camera behind you).

Lots of strange things in that documentary.

Oh I never thought of the tips they must get from the well heeled guests!

I don't expect the staff are well paid. They live on site, and can party with the guests. I think working on necker is so highly prized, I expect they earn a small amount.

They work 6 days a week as well.

The head of finance and the sushi thing was really grubby.

They guy coming back to the staff barbecue had the air of having completed an obligatory mission of some kind.

The Head of Finance was rather pleased about having a job where a stranger got to lick soy sauce out of her navel asking how many jobs could you say would entail that?
My question would be how many Heads of Finance would welcome it as part of their duties?

I wouldn't expect the pay to be up to much, after all living expenses, including 'partying' are all found and there's nowhere much to go and spend any money. The endless opportunities to drink, socialize and even have relationships with paying guests must be seen by some as a great opportunity for the future.

The cost is all inclusive, but you have to add 2.5% for gratuities not that DH and I immediately googled it, oh no so if its 40k per night, that's £1000 per night between 100 staff so £100 in tips per night - that's not bad...

I thought the nearby island where the local staff lived looked much nicer - all the same natural beauty, beaches, views, but with a bustling village community to get involved with.

Plus, you could get away from the knobheads and arse lickers and get to know the normal people.

Yep, I'd much rather go there

Surely that makes tips of a tenner a night, which you might make in a local restaurant

The tips probably aren't distributed evenly between the 100 staff though are they. They probably pool all the tips and then staff are allocated a percentage depending on their role. I imagine someone who serves cocktails when shirtless by request, or who allows guests to eat from their body will receive more than someone who cuts down and shapes coconuts or sweeps the floors when guests are elsewhere

Cormoran that would be £10 a night for everyone who works there, not just £10 a night in tips (£1,000 between 100 staff) which you wouldn't do at your local restaurant surely?

Agree with bobbles that the neighbouring island where the 'common workers' live seemed much more attractive and one I'd happily visit, rather than getting necked on bloody Necker.

Wouldn't it be lovely if that chambermaid lady could ever fulfill her dream and build her own house-with her own bedroom upstairs? She works on Necker, think she said she's got her own clothes shop on the other island, but I was sad that she's probably never going to be able to have her own dream home.

just watched this on catch up

even if I could afford it ten times over I wouldn't go. Definitely picked up a sex party/swinging vibe.

All that joining in. It was like billionaire's Butlins

Just watched it as well.

Honestly you couldn't pay me enough to go there. All that communal enforced fun I would hate it. All those plonkers trying to pitch ideas to Richard, the networking, the socialising.

Oh well I least I can take it off the bucket list.

Yes, just watched it too. Awful. Just...bleugh.

And RB photo of him windsurfing (or something) with a naked woman on his back-yuck.
Why were all the professional roles taken up by white 'beautiful' people? I much preferred the domestic staff with their down to earth,non arse licking personalities.

branson has a history of mostly employing very attractive blondes. make of that what you will

We watched this last night, posh Butlins meets 18-30 was what sprung to mind

DH pointed out that whilst the more 'prestigious' roles were almost exclusively white westerners, it seemed the more manual roles were taken by locals. Something very disturbing about the whole set up.

re; the lady who inherited. I was hoping her DP wasn't a cocklodger. big age gap between them.

The moonies turning tricks. Nice flamingos though.

I think he's a nice bloke though. Was certainly generous to my friends when we were student nurses. They wanted to do some research, wrote to him and he paid for it upfront. Fantastic.