All roles/Dual roles/Steward / Cook
Dual roles
Steward / Cook
You run the galley and the interior on a smaller yacht, cooking for guests and crew while keeping cabins, service and laundry to a high standard. On a boat with four to six crew, you are the guest experience.
- Department
- Dual roles
- Reports to
- Yacht Captain
- Yacht size
- 20m to 40m
- Contract
- Seasonal or permanent
- Starting pay
- €3,500 per month
What the job is
A Steward / Cook covers two departments on a yacht too small to carry both a chef and a stewardess. You plan menus, shop for provisions and cook three meals a day for guests and crew. Between meals you clean cabins, turn down beds, wash and press laundry, set tables and serve drinks. It suits someone who can cook well and does not mind switching from a hot galley to a white glove interior within the hour.
Most of these jobs are on motor and sailing yachts between 24m and 35m, with a crew of three to six. You usually work alongside a captain, a mate or deckhand and sometimes an engineer. There is no chief stewardess to hand jobs to, so you own the whole interior: stock, budgets, inventories, guest preferences and the provisioning plan for each trip. Owners and charter guests often judge the boat on your food and your service.
The hours are long when guests are on board, often 14 hours a day, and quiet when they are not. Charter yachts in the Mediterranean and Caribbean expect restaurant quality plates from a small galley with limited storage. Private yachts may want simple family cooking, dietary menus or plenty of entertaining. You need to be organised, calm under pressure and able to cook from what the local market has that morning.
What makes a good one
- Confident cooking for guests and crew
- Menu planning and provisioning on a budget
- Cabin housekeeping and laundry care
- Silver service and bar service
- Time management across two departments
A day in the life
- 06:30Put coffee on, bake bread or pastries and lay the breakfast buffet on the aft deck. Set out fruit and juice before the first guests appear.
- 07:30Cook eggs to order and serve breakfast. Feed the captain and deckhand in the crew mess between guest requests.
- 09:00Clear breakfast, then strip and clean the guest cabins and heads while guests swim. Start the first laundry load.
- 11:00Prep lunch: a salad, grilled fish and a cold dessert. Check the dinner provisioning list against the fridges and message the captain about a market run.
- 13:00Serve lunch at anchor, top up drinks and clear. Wash up and reset the galley.
- 15:00Take the tender ashore with the deckhand to buy fresh fish and vegetables. Back on board, iron linen and restock the bar.
- 17:30Start dinner prep and set the table. Serve sundowners and canapés as the yacht moves to the evening anchorage.
- 20:00Serve a three course dinner, then do turndown in the cabins while guests have dessert. Clear and clean the galley.
- 22:30Final drinks service, write tomorrow's menu and log spending against the APA. Lights out.
Pay by country
Monthly salary for a Steward / Cook on a 24m to 35m yacht, usually quoted in EUR or USD. Charter yachts add tips, often 10 to 15 per cent of the charter fee shared among crew, which can add €1,000 to 3,000 a month in season.
- France and Monaco
- €3,500 – 4,800
- Spain
- €3,400 – 4,600
- Italy
- €3,400 – 4,600
- United Kingdom
- £3,000 – 4,100
- USA (Florida)
- US$3,800 – 5,200
- Caribbean
- US$3,800 – 5,200
- UAE
- AED 14,000 – 19,000
- Australia
- A$6,000 – 8,000
- New Zealand
- NZ$6,500 – 8,800
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- Food Safety Level 2
- PDSD
Recommended
- Ship's Cook Certificate (MCA)
- PYA GUEST Introduction to Yacht Interiors
- WSET Level 2
- Medical First Aid
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
Visas
- Schengen visa
- US B1/B2 or C1/D
- Australian MCV for Australian cruising
Where it leads
Steward / Cook jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need to be a trained chef to get a Steward / Cook job?
Not always, but you need to cook confidently for guests every day. A culinary course or restaurant experience and a few sample menus will make your CV far stronger than housekeeping experience alone.
Do I need the MCA Ship's Cook Certificate?
It is required on yachts carrying more than ten crew, which most Steward / Cook yachts do not. It is still recommended, as many captains prefer it and it helps you move into a sole chef role later.
How much time is cooking versus interior work?
With guests on board it is usually around 60 per cent galley and 40 per cent interior, though it varies by owner. Off charter you spend more time on deep cleaning, inventories and maintenance.