Sommelier

You own everything that is poured on board. That means the wine cellar, the spirits store, champagne, sake and often the cigar humidor. On a large yacht the cellar can hold several thousand bottles worth well into seven figures, and the owner expects you to know every one of them. You build the list, track stock, manage temperature and humidity, and make sure the right bottle is ready when the chef finalises a menu.

Service is the visible half of the job. You present and pour at lunch and dinner, run tastings on the aft deck, suggest pairings for each course and read the table so guests get what they enjoy rather than what is most expensive. Outside of meals you will usually work as part of the service team, helping with bar set ups, afternoon drinks and events ashore or on the beach. Most sommeliers also stand interior watches and muck in during busy charter turnarounds.

Behind the scenes there is a lot of admin. You source bottles from merchants in Bordeaux, Monaco, Florida or wherever the yacht is cruising, arrange bonded deliveries and customs paperwork, and keep the inventory software accurate to the bottle. You work closely with the head chef on menus, the purser on budgets and the chief stew on table settings. Only bigger yachts carry a dedicated sommelier, so the role suits someone with real restaurant or hotel wine experience.