There are destinations that exist for the postcard, and then there are those that demand participation. Portofino, naturally, falls into the latter camp. The pastel waterfront is every bit as perfect as Instagram insists, the cocktails at Splendido come with a view that could silence even the most demanding guest, and the whole place hums with a sort of theatrical glamour.

But here’s the thing: glamour has logistics.

This summer, The Purser Desk had a front-row seat to it all – luxury yachting in Portofino. Not from a café terrace or a boutique dressing room (though tempting), but in our role as virtual purser, smoothing the edges of a season that was, at times, anything but smooth.

Because while guests wandered cobblestones and perfected their “effortless” holiday stride, we were behind the scenes making sure tenders ran on time, reservations materialised without a raised eyebrow, and last-minute whims (yes, including that private driver to Amalfi on a Sunday evening) appeared as effortlessly as the Ligurian sunset.

It’s a curious perspective — part narrator, part air-traffic controller. The guests leave with memories of gelato and glossy piazzas. We leave with the knowledge that a week in Portofino is a masterclass in logistics disguised as leisure.

And that’s the point. The magic of a destination like this doesn’t come from the scenery alone — breathtaking though it is. It comes from the quiet choreography behind it, the unseen work that transforms a harbour full of yachts into someone’s most “relaxing” week of the year.

At The Purser Desk, that’s our role. To make sure luxury yachting in Portofino remains, for those lucky enough to stroll its piazzas, nothing more complicated than pastel houses, Campari spritzes, and perhaps the faint sense that Italy really is showing off. Because for every flawless guest experience, there’s a purser quietly making sure the story unfolds exactly as it should.

Aperol anyone?