Standards & Operations
How the office actually operates — captain and crew vetting, NDA defaults, security protocols, medevac and medical, communications discretion, dietary and religious provisioning, language coverage, insurance, provisioning, crisis response, sustainability, records. Published for the members who want to know before they book.
Short answer
Aurelius Society is a Swiss-headquartered private members' collective with explicit operational standards: every captain has STCW certification, 5+ years of command and clean record; every crew and supplier signs the Aurelius standing NDA before they meet you; standing relationships with two worldwide air-ambulance operators and three vetted close-protection firms (Swiss, Israeli, UK); native office languages English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian; engagement records retained 7 years under Swiss data protection rules, deletable on request. Single on-call number through every engagement; response targets under 15 minutes for safety, under 60 minutes for operations.
Twelve standards
01
Every captain in the operated fleet has 5+ years of yacht command experience, an STCW certification current to within 5 years, a clean MCA / RYA / USCG record, and at least three written references from prior charter principals. Crews are background-screened by an independent investigator before joining; criminal record checks renewed every 24 months. Drug & alcohol policy is zero-tolerance during the charter; chartered yacht weeks are random-tested if requested.
02
Every captain, mate, deckhand, engineer, chef, photographer, videographer, security agent and supplier the office introduces signs the Aurelius Society standing NDA before they meet you. The NDA covers your name, your party, your itinerary, and any communication conducted during the engagement. It is a written, dated, counterpart-signed document — not a verbal expectation. We retain copies; you can request copies on request.
03
For charters above an internal risk threshold (public figures, families with security mandates, regions with elevated travel advisory) we coordinate with three vetted close-protection firms — Swiss, Israeli and UK. Advance teams for residence assessments, secure ground transfers, communications screening, on-water vigilance and post-engagement debrief. Booking is by direct introduction; no white-labelled subcontracting.
04
Standing relationships with two air-ambulance operators (Switzerland-headquartered, EASA-certified, worldwide reach including the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and South-East Asia). Maritime evacuation coordinated with the captain and local Coast Guard / sea-rescue authorities. Travel medical insurance recommendations made before every charter; for members, a standing medevac membership is available through a partner programme.
05
Default communication is encrypted: WhatsApp end-to-end, Signal on request, email PGP available. The office never shares your itinerary, your party or your photographs with anyone outside the engagement. Press requests are forwarded to you for decision, never answered by the office on your behalf. Social-media policy of crew is contractually no-share, no-tag, no-geotag.
06
Detailed brief taken at confirmation: allergies (life-threatening separately flagged), preferences, religious calendar (kosher, halal, Ramadan, Yom Kippur, Lenten), child ages and feeding stages, mobility, prescription medications that need cold storage. The brief is read by every chef, steward and crew member assigned. Provisioning sourced accordingly — kosher provisioning has a 96-hour lead in the Mediterranean; 7-day lead in remote regions.
07
The office speaks English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Russian natively. Arabic, Mandarin, Portuguese, Greek and Turkish are supported through a small vetted translator panel for full charter weeks. Captains and senior crew are required to speak working English; member preferences for additional crew languages are honoured at the assignment stage.
08
Every operated yacht carries P&I, hull, third-party liability and crew accident cover well above the regulatory floor — minimums verified by the office before each charter. Aviation operators are EASA / FAA / GCAA certified, with current cabin and cargo insurance. Member-side travel insurance is recommended (not sold by the office); for high-value private cargo, jewellery and watches, we introduce specialist underwriters.
09
Fresh fish daily from licensed local merchants; meat from named butchers (Lyon, Madrid, Milan, Athens, Dubai depending on region); produce from morning markets where available. Allergen separation in the galley is enforced by the chef on every charter where required. Cellar provisioning sourced direct from château or domaine where allocations permit. Cold-chain integrity documented from collection to galley.
10
Single on-call number through the engagement: missed connection, lost passport, child unwell, sudden weather, security incident, family emergency at home. Office hours 09–23 CET; out-of-hours via the on-call line for engagement-active members. Response time targets: under 15 minutes for an immediate life-or-safety issue; under 60 minutes for an operational issue.
11
Posidonia-friendly anchoring is enforced fleetwide in the Balearics and across the Mediterranean reserves. Single-use plastic eliminated on the operated fleet by 2024. Provisioning sourced within 100km of the marina where possible. Fuel-burn disclosed on every invoice; offsetting available via partner programmes on request — never sold as a default add-on.
12
Every charter generates a sealed file: contract, crew NDAs, provisioning manifest, fuel log, chef's notes, photo gallery, itemised invoice. Retained for 7 years under Swiss data protection rules. Member access on request; full deletion on request at the end of the relationship.
Response targets
< 15min
Life or safety
Medical, security, weather-trapped, child or family in distress — the on-call line is answered by a named office member within fifteen minutes, 24/7 for active engagements.
< 60min
Operational
Missed flight, restaurant cancellation, weather routing, chef change, supplier substitution — the office returns with a worked solution within the hour, 09–23 CET.
Questions members ask
Yes. Every captain, mate, deckhand, engineer, chef, photographer, videographer, security agent and supplier the office introduces signs the Aurelius Society standing NDA before they meet you. The NDA covers your name, your party, your itinerary, and any communication conducted during the engagement. Written, dated, counterpart-signed — copies retained, available on request.
Single on-call number through the engagement. Response targets: under 15 minutes for a life-or-safety issue; under 60 minutes for an operational issue. The office holds standing relationships with two air-ambulance operators (worldwide reach including the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and South-East Asia) and three close-protection firms (Swiss, Israeli, UK).
Every captain has 5+ years of yacht command experience, current STCW certification, a clean MCA / RYA / USCG record, and at least three written references from prior charter principals. Crews are background-screened by an independent investigator before joining; criminal record checks renewed every 24 months. Zero-tolerance drug & alcohol policy during charters.
Yes — headquartered in 8004 Zurich, Switzerland. Office hours 09–23 CET; out-of-hours via the on-call line for engagement-active members. Operations are global: yacht fleet across Ibiza, Marbella, Dubai and Miami; private aviation flown from London, Milan, Munich, NYC, LA, Dubai, Bangkok and Zurich; concierge worldwide.
Engagements are governed by Swiss data protection rules. Every charter generates a sealed file retained for 7 years (contract, NDAs, provisioning manifest, fuel log, chef's notes, photo gallery, itemised invoice). Member access on request; full deletion on request at the end of the relationship.
Native: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian. Supported through a vetted translator panel for full charter weeks: Arabic, Mandarin, Portuguese, Greek, Turkish. Captains and senior crew speak working English; additional language preferences are honoured at the crew-assignment stage.
Begin
Send the trip. Reply within the hour from the Zurich office. All standards above apply by default — you don't need to ask for them, but you can ask any of them in detail.