For Owners, Captains & Management
Hire a Steward/Stewardess
Looking for a steward or stewardess? Interior crew live closest to your guests, so personality and discretion carry as much weight as service experience.
A steward or stewardess looks after a yacht’s interior — housekeeping, table service, laundry and guest care. It is one of the two main entry points into yachting alongside deckhand, and requires STCW basic safety training and an ENG1 medical rather than prior experience.
What a steward/stewardess does on board
- Guest service, table setting and beverage service
- Cabin housekeeping, laundry and detailing
- Interior stock rotation and flower arranging
- Supporting deck during guest movements
What separates a good steward/stewardess from a qualified one
Reliability and temperament over experience. Ask about a time they were criticised for something small and how they took it, because that is most of the feedback in this job. Prior high-end hospitality transfers well; prior yachting is not a requirement if the attitude is right.
Certification and experience
Every steward/stewardess we put forward has current certification checked before you see them, and references taken directly with previous captains or owners rather than read off a page.
- STCW
- ENG1
- Food Safety Level 2
- Silver service training (desirable)
Typical experience sought: entry level — first season considered · Reports to Chief Stewardess
The mistake we see most often
Hiring on appearance and presentation. It is a service role, not a front-of-house one, and the crew who last are the ones who are unbothered by the unglamorous three quarters of the work.
How we find the right steward/stewardess for your boat
- Understand the yacht. Programme, crew structure and owner style, and how the steward/stewardess will work with your chief stewardess.
- Search and screen. A small number of genuine candidates, each spoken to individually, with STCW and ENG1 confirmed before you see them.
- Reference in person. Direct conversations with previous chief stewardesss and captains, not a form sent by email.
- Introduce and follow through. Introductions, then contact once they are aboard — first-season crew need checking on early.
Frequently asked
Hiring a steward/stewardess: common questions
What does a yacht stewardess actually do?
Guest service, table setting and beverage service, cabin housekeeping, laundry and detailing, interior stock rotation and flowers. On smaller yachts they also support deck during guest movements.
What qualifications are needed?
STCW basic safety training, an ENG1 medical and Food Safety Level 2. Silver service training, barista skills and floristry help considerably, particularly for candidates entering without yachting experience.
Does hospitality experience ashore transfer?
Yes, and it is a common route in — luxury hotels, fine dining and private household service all translate well. What has to be learned is living on board, and the pace of a charter week.
What predicts whether an interior hire settles?
How they fit the existing team. Interior crew work in close quarters through long seasons, and personality alignment with the chief stewardess is usually the deciding factor.
How does the interior career path progress?
Typically third stewardess to second, then chief stewardess, with routes into purser or head of housekeeping on larger yachts. Specialising in service, housekeeping or spa is also common.
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