Interior

Steward / Stewardess

A steward or stewardess keeps the yacht's interior spotless, serves guests at meals and drinks, and handles laundry and cabins. You are the crew guests see most, so standards here shape how the whole trip feels.

See Steward / Stewardess jobs Register as crew

Department: Interior
Reports to: Chief Steward / Chief Stewardess
Yacht size: 30m to 150m+
Contract: Seasonal or permanent
Starting pay: €3,000 per month

What the job is

You look after everything inside the yacht that guests touch, sleep in or eat from. That means turning cabins down at night, cleaning heads to hotel standard, polishing brightwork and glass, and keeping every surface free of fingerprints and salt. On most yachts the interior team splits into service, housekeeping and laundry, and a steward rotates through all three. On smaller boats you might do everything in a single day, plus help the chef and run the crew mess.

Service is the visible part. You lay tables, serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, mix cocktails, pour wine and run drinks to the sundeck in 35 degree heat without spilling a drop. You learn guest preferences fast: who takes oat milk, who wants the cabin at 19 degrees, which child hates tomatoes. Good stewards notice things before guests ask. The chief stew plans the service style, and you deliver it calmly, even when the owner brings twelve extra people for dinner.

Behind the scenes the work is physical and detailed. You wash and press linen to a crease, fold towels the same way every time, keep inventories of amenities and stores, and look after delicate fabrics, marble and lacquered joinery that cost a fortune to repair. Charter days often run fifteen hours, with breaks taken in shifts. Between trips you deep clean, receive provisions and prepare for the next guests. It is demanding, but the pay, tips and travel are strong for an entry level role.

What makes a good one

Silver service and table setting
Cocktail and wine service
Laundry and pressing to hotel standard
Attention to detail in cabins
Calm, discreet guest manner

A day in the life

Folded towels and housekeeping detail — A charter day, 55m motor yacht, Côte d'Azur

06:30Start on the early shift. Set up the coffee station, wipe down the aft deck furniture and lay the breakfast table before the first guests wake.
07:30Serve breakfast, taking egg orders to the galley and keeping juice and coffee topped up. Note any new requests for the chief stew.
09:30Move to housekeeping while guests are on deck or ashore. Make beds, clean heads, restock amenities and vacuum each cabin to the agreed standard.
12:00Switch to laundry for an hour. Wash and dry guest clothing, press shirts and fold towels ready for the afternoon change.
13:30Help serve lunch on the sundeck, then clear and reset. Grab your own lunch in the crew mess in turns with the team.
15:00Take a two hour break while the late shift covers drinks and snacks for guests on the swim platform.
17:30Return for the evening. Set the dinner table with linen, flowers and glassware, and chill the wines the chief stew has chosen.
19:30Serve canapés and cocktails, then a four course dinner. While guests eat, a colleague does turndown in every cabin.
23:00Clear the dining area, polish glasses, reset the bar and hand over to the night watch before finishing.

Pay by country

Monthly salary for a steward or stewardess on a 40m to 80m yacht, usually paid in EUR or USD whatever the flag. Charter yachts add tips, often 5% to 15% of the charter fee shared among crew, which can add several thousand a season.

France and Monaco: €3,000 – 4,000
Spain: €2,800 – 3,800
Italy: €2,800 – 3,800
United Kingdom: £2,600 – 3,400
USA (Florida): US$3,300 – 4,400
Caribbean: US$3,300 – 4,400
UAE: AED 12,000 – 16,000
Australia: A$5,000 – 6,700
New Zealand: NZ$5,500 – 7,300

Required

STCW Basic Safety Training
ENG1 medical
PDSD (Proficiency in Designated Security Duties)

Visas

Schengen
US B1/B2 (or C1/D)
Australian MCV for Australian cruising

Where it leads