All roles/Interior/Laundry Steward / Stewardess
Interior
Laundry Steward / Stewardess
The laundry steward or stewardess runs the laundry on a large yacht, washing, pressing and returning every guest garment, linen set and crew uniform to a five star standard without loss or damage.
- Department
- Interior
- Reports to
- Chief Steward / Chief Stewardess
- Yacht size
- 60m to 150m+
- Contract
- Seasonal or permanent
- Starting pay
- €2,800 per month
What the job is
The laundry steward or stewardess owns the laundry on a large yacht. On boats of 60m and over, guest clothing, bed linen, towels and crew uniforms can fill several machines from morning to night, so one person takes charge of the whole process. You wash, dry, press and return every item. You are the one who knows how to treat a silk kaftan, a cashmere jumper and a set of fine cotton sheets without shrinking, fading or creasing any of them.
Most of the day is spent in the laundry room, usually low in the hull near the crew mess. Guest laundry comes first, then bed linen and towels, then crew uniforms. You read care labels, treat stains before they set, press shirts to a hotel standard and fold everything to the boat's own system. Items go back to cabins on hangers or in tissue, and each one is logged so nothing goes missing or ends up in the wrong cabin.
You are still part of the interior team. On a busy charter you may help with turndown, cover a lunch service or set the breakfast table. The chief stew will expect you to keep stock of detergents and spares, keep the machines and lint filters clean, and report faults to the engineers early. The job suits someone tidy, patient and calm, who takes pride in detail that guests only notice when it goes wrong.
What makes a good one
- Fabric and care label knowledge
- Stain removal
- Pressing to hotel standard
- Organised laundry logging
- Stamina for long shifts
A day in the life
- 07:00Start in the laundry. Unload the dryers left running overnight and get the first guest wash on before breakfast service begins upstairs.
- 08:00Collect guest laundry bags from the cabins as the stews make up the rooms. Check pockets, note each item on the laundry list and sort by fabric and colour.
- 09:30Spot treat a red wine stain on a white linen shirt and a sun cream mark on a swimsuit cover-up. Hand wash two silk dresses that cannot go in the machine.
- 11:00Press guest shirts and trousers, then fold and tissue the delicates. Return the first batch to cabins on hangers before guests come back from the beach club.
- 13:00Crew lunch. Afterwards, strip and rewash the master cabin bed linen, which the owner's party likes changed daily, and run beach towels from the swim platform.
- 15:00Iron and fold the master suite linen to the boat's standard and help the housekeeping stew make up the bed. Restock the towel cupboards on each deck.
- 17:00Wash and press crew uniforms for the evening shift. Clean the lint filters, wipe down the machines and update the detergent and stock sheet.
- 19:30Cover turndown on the guest deck while the service team runs dinner. Lay out robes and slippers and collect any last laundry for the morning.
- 21:30Load the final dryer, check the laundry log is complete and finish for the night.
Pay by country
Monthly salary for crew on yachts of 60m and over, usually paid in EUR or USD, with food and accommodation on board. Charter tips are shared with the crew and can add a month's salary or more over a busy season.
- France and Monaco
- €2,800 – 3,600
- Spain
- €2,800 – 3,500
- Italy
- €2,800 – 3,500
- United Kingdom
- £2,400 – 3,100
- USA (Florida)
- US$3,000 – 3,900
- Caribbean
- US$3,000 – 3,900
- UAE
- AED 11,000 – 14,000
- Australia
- A$4,600 – 5,900
- New Zealand
- NZ$5,100 – 6,500
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- PDSD (Proficiency in Designated Security Duties)
Recommended
- PYA GUEST interior courses
- Food Safety Level 2
- Previous hotel or dry cleaning laundry experience
- WSET Level 1 Award in Wines
Visas
- Schengen visa
- US B1/B2
- US C1/D
Where it leads
Laundry Steward / Stewardess jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need laundry experience to get this job?
Not always, but it helps a great deal. Hotel housekeeping, dry cleaning or a previous yacht where you handled the laundry will put you ahead of other green stews.
Will I be stuck in the laundry room all season?
Much of your day is there, but on most boats you also help with turndown, cabins and the odd service. Showing you can do more is how you move up to housekeeping or third stew.
Do laundry crew share in charter tips?
Yes. On almost every yacht tips are split evenly or by rank across the whole crew, so you share in them like any other stew.