Sale questions

Question 1

Why Virtual Pursers?

Answer 1

We are in the business of saving you time & money; a shorebased cost-effective solution, we are your purser, without the overheads, and we take care of your administration so you can focus on the guests and running the ship.

Question 2

We already have a purser -why would we use you?

Answer 2

We are a shore-based solution to alleviate stress. Perhaps you are on charter or have the owners on-board, and you don’t have the time to get to the daily important administrative task; you’re often in the red on your HOR, stress levels are high - well, that’s where we come in.

Question 3

How are you better than having a Purser onboard?

Answer 3

Ultimately, we are the Purser you will never lose. Virtual Pursers are in the business of saving you time & money; a shore-side cost-effective solution, we are your purser, without the overheads.

Question 4

We don’t have room onboard for a Purser

Answer 4

Great! We don’t take up any room. No need to make space for us; whether that be a bed or a desk.

Question 5

We don’t have the need for a full-time Purser

Answer 5

Great! How many hours do you currently spend per day on admin? 1-3? That adds up! Whether it be 8 hours or 30 hours a week, Virtual Pursers are in the business of saving you time; we take care of the administration so you can focus on your guests and running the ship.

Question 6

What happens if we need you after working hours? Are you available 24/7?

Answer 6

Our general business hours are Monday - Friday AEST 9am - 9pm (BST 12am - 12pm), however, we understand yachting and the need for flexibility. We will establish your requirements during consultation.

Question 7

Do I get my own dedicated purser?

Answer 7

One of our team members will be dedicated to assisting you

Question 8

How do you protect our documents?

Answer 8

All documentation is stored in a secure cloud-based system, either DropBox or G-Suite. We recommend DropBox for ease of use. Any documents that we work with on our devices are protected by anti-virus software. Where necessary we have two-factor authentication with Yubi-key, which means your most important documents are completely locked and only accessible with a physical key.

Question 9

What about privacy?

Answer 9

As trusted Pursers, we understand the importance of privacy when working with extremely sensitive data and high profile clients. We ensure a Non-Disclosure Agreement or a Confidentiality agreement is in place for your protection.

Question 10

How do you handle cash accounts whilst not being onboard?

Answer 10

The physical cash will be handled onboard. Virtual Pursers will take care of all the cash administration that goes with it.
Receipts are easily scanned to us and, working with whatever accounting system the yacht uses we will reconcile weekly to ensure the totals match for both sides.

Question 11

How do you work with a contractor? And how does that affect privacy?

Answer 11

We have a strict hiring process that includes security screening. We only hire trusted industry professionals. For privacy we ensure a Non-Disclosure Agreement or a Confidentiality agreement is in place for your protection. They will only have limited access to documentation.

Question 12

How are you better than having a Purser onboard?

Answer 12

Ultimately, we are the Purser you will never lose. Virtual Pursers are in the business of saving you time & money; a shore-side cost-effective solution, we are your purser, without the overheads

Question 13

How do you handle staff issues or if things aren’t running well if you aren’t on-board?

Answer 13

The Captain & Senior crew are in complete control of managing their departments and running the vessel; We simply take care of the onboard administration they don’t have time for.

Question 14

How can you help us in an emergency if you’re not on board?

Answer 14

We are your shore-side support all administrative services and put communication measures in place to ensure you’re always able to contact us during any emergency situations.

Question 15

DO YOU HAVE ANY YACHTING EXPERIENCE?

Answer 15

Yes, we do! We have a combined experience of over 20 years, working on numerous different sized yachts, all with great reputations.

We are extremely proud to say we have many wonderful industry contacts and relationships that we have maintained throughout our time at sea; enabling us to put you in touch with trusted industry professionals for all of your needs.

Question 16

HAVE YOU GOT WORLDWIDE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE?

Answer 16

Yes, we do! All of the wonderful yachts we have supported over the years have been world-cruisers.
We´ve spent time in every continent with and without guests; overseeing all of the yacht operational logistics, as well as the guest itinerary planning and execution.

Question 17

HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO OVERSEE PORT CLEARANCE / CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION IF YOU ARE NOT PHYSICALLY PRESENT?

Answer 17

We can successfully and very easily put together all the required paperwork via e-mail.

Communication is the key to success as per normal operation. Passports and physical certificates will be handled onboard, but Virtual Pursers can take care of the rest.

Working within your preferred way of management; using your local contacts/agents as ours.

Question 18

DO YOU HAVE ISM / ISPS EXPERIENCE?

Answer 18

Yes we do! We have worked on numerous commercial vessels and have cruised to many ISPS ports throughout the world.
We have also completed the Nautical Institute recognised Designated Person Ashore training.

Question 19

ARE YOU ABLE TO ASSIST WITH CHARTER / YACHT BROKER ADMINISTRATION?

Answer 19

Absolutely! We have many years´ experience with charter administration and can fully assist with all relative paperwork to alleviate onboard pressures.
As industry professionals, we understand the level of clientele, and that discretion is of the utmost importance when working for the elite.

Question 20

HOW WILL YOU ASSIST WITH LAST MINUTE BOOKINGS SUCH AS GUEST TRANSPORT OR RESTAURANT BOOKINGS IF YOU ARE NOT ONBOARD?

Answer 20

We are fully available to perform all Purser tasks from anywhere in the world. Communication will be set up from start to finish to ensure each task is performed effectively and efficiently.

Question 21

HOW WILL YOU OVERSEE CREW MEDICAL BOOKINGS?

Answer 21

We can easily make appointments for the crew in any country, communicate directly with the relevant crew member, or with your chosen contact point; this is a very easy task to perform remotely.
We can also oversee crew medical insurance and claims to alleviate the additional administration onboard.

Question 22

HOW DO YOU PLAN TO KEEP RECORD OF CREW HOLIDAYS / ROTATIONS?

Answer 22

Our services are designed to be tailored to suit your standard operating systems. We also have systems that we can put in place to keep track of crew disembarking / embarking and would keep your HOD´s up to date as per the normal operating procedure.

Question 23

How do you work out your pricing?

Answer 23

Tailored to your bespoke service plan we base it on the size of the vessel and the approximate amount of hours you’ll require.

Question 24

How do you plan to oversee communications?

Answer 24

We can have an email set up with your vessel so we’re operating as though we’re right there next to you. We can set up weekly / bi-weekly video or conference calls with you or with your HODs. We’re available across all communication platforms and are always only a phone call away.

Question 25

How do access our files to complete the work?

Answer 25

Set up completely to your preference, we can set up a folder on DropBox or Share dive on G-Suite or if you’re interested in discussing a yacht Management software, we can highly recommend Deep Blue Soft as an all encompassing system.

Question 26

What is stop me from outsourcing my current Purser/a Purser I have used in the past?

Answer 26

Virtual Pursers has a pool of knowledge and support and we don’t cost as much as a full-time Purser. We are flexible with your needs so you get more for your money and we don’t come with any of the costs or responsibilities of a full time employee such as insurance.

Question 27

How can you ensure that the work for our vessel will be prioritised?

Answer 27

As experienced Pursers we are dedicated to ensure all of your administration deadlines are always met. **Just like your yacht agents, we have a member dedicated to assisting you to ensure you remain a priority.

Question 28

We don’t have a purser, never have - why would we use you?

Answer 28

Our service allows ALL vessels to have the use of a Purser - todays administrative tasks have grown hugely over the years. With us, we don’t need to be a full-time crew member on board, you can trust our services to assist in alleviating all administration stress. Whether it’s for a few hours, a week, or full time - the hours add up and we’re here to assist.

Question 29

How do you manage the remainder of the accounts? Such as CC’s, Invoices etc.

Answer 29

It’s really easy, it’s already operating virtually! Scanned receipts & invoices, we’ll reconcile and correlate.

Question 30

WHAT IS A PURSER?

Answer 30

A Purser is the central administrator and logistics coordinator for a vessel. They are responsible for:

Overseeing the financial matters, such as accounts, budgeting and financial planning.
All crew administration including immigration, visa applications and certificate management.
All guest administration and concierge, including itinerary planning and execution.
Vessel logistics and movement administration including port disembarkation and clearance.
Procurement and provisioning.
They are the main point of contact for shore-side parties.
A Purser has knowledge of ISM and ISPS protocols and superior communication skills. They assist the Captain and guests to ensure that all logistics run smoothly

Question 31

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED IN ITINERARY PLANNING?

Answer 31

Absolutely; we’ve created many exciting itineraries world-wide, all bespoke to the clients preferences.

This is a particularly important part of our services; also one of our more favourable to offer.