Below Deck

Captain McGillis, who has been in charge of running charters on luxury yachts ever since he obtained his captain’s license almost two years ago, sat down with us before he and his crew set sail to answer some of our questions.

Vacation Fling is unlike any other luxury yacht, in that the crew quarters down below offer the same beautiful opulence as the guest quarters up top.

“I want my crew to know they’re just as important. I want them to be comfortable and not feel like they’re any less deserving of the things offered to the guests. I want them to love their jobs, and I want them to keep coming back every charter season,” Captain McGillis told us.

Also unlike any other luxury yacht, Captain McGillis was given cart blanche on all the changes made to the refurbished ship before its first charter, and he doesn’t shy away from shooting down the naysayers who think he was only hired as the captain because of who the owner of the yacht is.

“I know people think I had it made considering my father-in-law owns the ship, but Mark Armstrong doesn’t let anyone walk all over him. He’s been through a lot, and he’s one of the strongest men I know. He didn’t hand me this job just because I’m married to his daughter. I had to work my ass off and prove myself, just like any other captain, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Mark Armstrong, making national news two years ago for filing bankruptcy after his wife of one year was found to have stolen the majority of the fortune he’d made in the software application industry, paid a hefty price for his error in judgment, by not only losing all of the money he’d made developing one of the world’s most popular dating apps, but by also losing the company he built from the ground up.

Luckily, Mr. Armstrong’s talents with computer programming weren’t stolen from him as well, and he made double the amount he did selling his first app, when he sold the rights a year ago for a new app, Digging for Gold. This dating app is unlike any other on the market, in that it’s geared specifically to individuals in a certain tax bracket, who are looking for a love that will not bleed them dry and make them fall victim to financial ruin, like Mr. Armstrong.

When asked why the ship was named Vacation Fling, Captain McGillis shared a smile with his wife, Mackenzie McGillis, and told us it was an inside joke. It’s hard not to feel like a third wheel watching the two of them sit side-by-side at the formal dining table on Vacation Fling, constantly smiling at each other, reaching for the others hand or seeing them whisper in each other’s ear and laugh together. Love is in the ocean air on Vacation Fling, and the stress of starting a new charter season doesn’t seem to be affecting either of them.

Mr. and Mrs. McGillis have worked side-by-side on luxury yachts ever since they met two years ago when Mackenzie’s father chartered the boat Captain McGillis worked on. As a ship photographer, capturing all of the guest’s moments on board, and as well as the activity planner making sure the guests enjoy every moment during their charter and ensuring the excursions they take off the ship run smoothly, Mackenzie McGillis says there’s nothing else she’d rather do than spend her time on a boat, traveling the world with her husband.

“I was a little lost and unsure of my future when I got on board my first yacht two years ago. And then I met Declan and everything changed. I fell in love and I found what made me happy. Watching his dreams come true, being a part of it and being there every step of the way…I’ve never been more proud of him than I am right now. I’ve never been happier that he asked me to stay, and I did.”

The couple married exactly one year ago today, on another luxury yacht called the Helios, the same ship where they met, fell in love, and proceeded to work together.

“It just seemed right that we get married out in the middle of the ocean where we first met. Mackenzie once told me she wasn’t looking for a white picket fence or for me to throw away all my hopes and dreams. So, I gave her a white deck railing and I made her part of my hopes and dreams. And now we get to spend our first anniversary doing what we love, on a ship we poured our heart and soul into making perfect for everyone who gets on board.”

We asked Mackenzie if she had any contact with the women who left her father’s life in ruins and she shook her head and shrugged.

“Last I heard, Allyson did her time in jail, and now she’s working a crappy job that makes her miserable just to pay the bills. Her daughter was cleared of all charges back then, and rumor has it she tried to follow in her mother’s footsteps and land herself her own wealthy man, but her reputation was ruined by that point, and no one wanted anything to do with her. Other than that, I don’t really care what they’re doing or where they are. My father has moved on, he’s rebuilt his life and now he’s dating a wonderful woman, the same age as him, who has her own money and spoils him rotten. As long as he’s happy, I’m happy.”

When asked about the struggles of being married and working together, the couple laughed, and Captain McGillis pointed to the t-shirt he wore.

“We have our moments, just like any couple. But my wife had this shirt made for me before we got back on board the Helios two years ago and I convinced my captain at the time to let her stay and work. This shirt is all the reminder I need to never take anything for granted and to appreciate how lucky I am that Mackenzie decided to stay.”

The white t-shirt Captain McGillis wears, has the words “You’re right. I was wrong. I’m sorry.” printed across the chest in dark blue ink, and we can only assume it’s another inside joke the happy couple shares as we watch them wrap their arms around each other and share a kiss, and we bid them good luck on their maiden voyage on the Vacation Fling.