Everything You Need to Know About Becoming a Yacht Stewardess

Learn how to set sail on a beautiful yacht and get paid for it

Co-authored by Finn Kobler

Last Updated: December 21, 2022 References

If you’re social and love to travel, yacht stewarding might be the perfect career for you! Spending months at a time exploring exotic locations, helping out on the boat, meeting and working with lifelong friends all day long. It’s a job as rewarding as it is exciting. Keep reading and we’ll teach you everything you need to know about becoming a yacht stewardess.

Section 1 of 6:

Yacht Stewardess Job Requirements

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Complete your STCW Basic Safety Training. To work as a crew member on a yacht, you must pass the SCTW (Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping) course which teaches five key principles of staying safe at sea: personal survival techniques, fire prevention, first aid, personal safety and social responsibility, and proficiency in security awareness.^{[1]
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- SCTW certificates are valid for up to five years. After five years, you must take a fire fighting and sea survival refresher course.
- Make sure your course is certified by a national maritime organization in the country where you complete it.
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Get your ENG1 Medical Certificate. Working on a yacht also requires a “seafarer’s medical certificate.” To obtain one, you must pass a medical fitness test ensuring you do not have any medical conditions that would prevent you from your day-to-day duties.^{[2]
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- Medical conditions that may inhibit you from receiving your ENG1 include, but are not limited to: epilepsy, heart disease, kidney failure, color-blindness, and history of drug/alcohol addiction.^{[3]
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- If you are working on a small boat operating 60 miles from shore or less, an ML5 will suffice as a substitute for an ENG1.
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Ensure your travel documents are up to date. Since you’re traveling to different countries, make sure you have your passport with all the necessary paperwork to avoid any complications.

Section 2 of 6:

How to Find a Job as a Yacht Stewardess

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Travel to a yachting hub. To get a job on a yacht, you need to go where the yachts are. The major spots people dock yachts/hire for yacht work are Antibes, Fort Lauderdale, and Palma de Mallorca. Once you’ve arrived, talk to locals, wander the docks, and see if there are any positions open.^{[4]
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- Living near a yacht hub between jobs can be expensive. Look into a crew house - a privately-owned, budget-friendly accommodation where yachties and former yachties live - to stay while you network, complete your training and look for work.^{[5]
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Network with other yachties. Talk to other yacht workers to find out who’s hiring. The most-highly suggested methods of getting your resume seen are talking to people near the docks and marinas, visiting agencies for yachting crews, and regularly stopping by the local pubs and cafes that yachties frequent.^{[6]
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- Make sure you look presentable while you network. Yacht stewardesses are extremely clean and well-groomed. Dress for the part you want by wearing deck shoes and an appropriate yacht shirt.
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Work through a recruitment agency. Like with other jobs, there are agencies that help yachts recruit staff. Once you’ve gotten your certifications, working with a yacht recruitment agency can make finding your next job a lot easier. Just be careful: in exchange for their services, they’re likely to take a percentage of your pay.
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Get some experience. To pad your resume and prepare you for a yacht stewardess job, you should get some experience in both boating and hospitality.^{[7]
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- Jobs like bartending, nannying, customer service, and cleaning all look good as these types of duties will be performed on the yacht.
- Look into doing free day work on boats to help build your sea legs and make connections with captains and crew.
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Create a memorable CV. Your resume is your best chance at a first impression on a captain or chief stew. Make sure it highlights your experience and helps you stand out from the pile.^{[8]
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- All yacht CV’s list certifications, work history, nationality, spoken languages, body modifications, references, and relevant skills. Some are even more in-depth with details like smoking habits and overall objective.^{[9]
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- There are several free yacht CV templates online to help ensure yours fits the industry norm.
- Don’t be afraid to play around with the formatting. Your CV should be professional but also as unique as possible.
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Deliver a good interview. Being a good yacht stewardess requires you to gel well with your prospective yacht crew. Your interview is where the captain or chief stew will test you on how well you fit in. They want to make sure you have a keen understanding of the ship you’re working on, its organizational structure, and its overall vibe. Do your research beforehand!^{[10]
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- Most interviewers are also looking for excellent presentation, leadership, and communication. Make sure to highlight these attributes when you answer their questions.^{[11]
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Section 3 of 6:

You’d Make a Good Yacht Stewardess If…

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You’re comfortable being away from home. Working on a yacht means you’re away from home (and likely without service) for months on end. If you’re comfortable being away from friends and family for long periods of time, chances are you’d make a great yacht stewardess.^{[12]
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You’re okay living in tight quarters. Yacht stewardesses live in cabins while working onboard the ship. Cabin sizes vary depending on boat size, but they’re rarely spacious. If you pack light and don’t mind a compacted living situation, you’ll work great on a yacht.^{[13]
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You’re good at multitasking. Yacht stewardesses do a dozen jobs at once. They’re customer service representatives, waitresses, servers, entertainers, mixologists, interior decorators, nannies, occasional nurses, and cleaners. If ever-shifting duties and a fast-paced work environment excite you, you’ll have a blast as a yacht stewardess.^{[14]
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Section 4 of 6:

Benefits of Being a Yacht Stewardess

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It gives you a chance to see the world. Becoming a yacht stewardess isn’t for everybody, but if you have wanderlust, this career path gives you the opportunity to travel the high seas and visit faraway countries. And you get paid to do it!^{[15]
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You make lifelong friends. Making a yacht run smoothly is a team effort. Being a yacht stewardess, you’ll be working with people from all over the world and your long hours at sea will bond you in ways you never might have imagined!^{[16]
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You’re never bored. While working on a yacht is hard work, it’s also incredibly stimulating. You’re juggling multiple roles, no two days ever look the same, and you cater to some unique and unforgettable guests (including the occasional celebrity)!^{[17]
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Section 5 of 6:

A Day in the Life of a Yacht Stewardess

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You’ll have lots of different jobs day-to-day. Yacht stewardesses have several responsibilities onboard their ships including delivering food and drinks to guests, attending cocktail parties, performing first aid during medical emergencies, helping with deck work, maintaining inventory, greeting guests on arrival and departure, and making sure cabins are clean and orderly at all times. Plus, many more!^{[18]
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The work days are long. Most yacht stewardesses work at least 10 hours a day, with some pulling 16-18 hour shifts. While the work is rewarding, the schedule is demanding.^{[19]
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Time off is spent traveling. While there aren’t a whole lot of breaks working as a yacht stewardess, the time off you do get allows you to immerse yourself in the culture of wherever your ship is visiting. During the day, yachties have gone jet skiing in the Caribbean, tried unique lunches at Croatian restaurants, all to get back on the ship ready to work for the cocktail party in the evening.^{[20]
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Section 6 of 6:

Yacht Stewardess Pay

Yacht stewardesses are paid well. The general base pay for a yacht stewardess is $2,500 a month with higher wages for higher positions (like senior stewardesses and chief stews) and higher ships. Stewardesses on yachts larger than 55 meters can make well over $4,000 a month. And that doesn’t include tips!^{[21]
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- Yacht stewardesses also have no living expenses since food, housing, electricity, water, even toiletries are provided on the ship.^{[22]
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- Depending on the countries you sail out of, this can sometimes be tax-free!
- Tips are usually divided evenly among the crew.