A winter season on the ski slopes, a summer being a camp counsellor, a few months scrubbing decks in and around Antibes.

These are all popular gap year getaways, but it’s the latter that has come under scrutiny in an investigation by the Guardian.

I know your friend’s Instagram looks sick, because they’re popping in at some of Europe’s hotspots, but ask and they’ll usually tell you all about the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.

Then there are the gruelling hours, pandering to every whim of the super rich, but that’s nothing compared to the suffering of this mother.

Via the Guardian’s YouTube channel:

The Guardian is granted exclusive access to some of the latest superyachts in Monaco. But what is life really like for the young people serving billionaires in the sun? We hear from a mother whose son died while he was working onboard a luxury yacht.

Toes in the water time:

Everyone’s experience is different, and many of the crew love the work that they do, but there’s no doubt that it’s not all glitz and glamour.

[source:youtube]