HOW TO BECOME A SUPERYACHT STEWARDESS

WHAT IS A SUPERYACHT?

• Superyachts can be either sail or motor yachts and can range in size from 25 meters up to 180 meters. Generally, these yachts are owned by incredibly wealthy individuals (top 1%) whose identities you will be expected to keep completely confidential.
• A superyacht will not stay in one place during season time and therefore does not necessarily have a home. They normally have a permanent berth (mooring) for winter, but in season, they will be traveling from port to port based on the owner/guest’s itinerary.
• Yachts do, however, need to be registered with a country and most choose ‘Tax free havens’ such as Cayman Islands, Marshall Islands and Malta to mention a few.

PRIVATE OR CHARTER

Yachts can either be private or charter.

• A private yacht will be used only by the owner and his family and friends.
• A charter yacht will be used by the owner, family and friends but it will also be available to rent. The people who generally hire the yacht are high net worth individuals that expect luxury service. Hiring a charter yacht can cost anything from €40,000 a week to over €1 million a week. The guest hiring the yacht would also pay for food, drinks, fuel, berthing costs and a discretionary tip for the crew on top of this, often at a minimum fee of 10%.

YACHTING SEASONS

Two key seasons you need to know about:

• Mediterranean (Med) Season: May to end of September.
  (Some yachts start early April and finish October)
• Caribbean Season: November to April

Many yachts are ‘dual season’ meaning they do both seasons and either travel across the Atlantic Ocean for the season or are shipped over on a larger transport vessel.

WHAT IS IT LIKE WORKING ON A SUPERYACHT?

• You will be living on board with 5-80 people of all ages, nationalities and cultures, catering to the guests or owners every need.
• To be a successful yacht crew member you will have to be tolerant and diplomatic. Yachts are obliged to feed the crew and, in addition to meals, cold drinks, water, beer, wine, sweets, chocolate, savoury snacks, fruit etc. are freely available.
• Basic toiletries are also supplied.
• All general medicines are supplied. You will be given bed linen and towels and all your laundry will be done on board. You will be issued with full uniforms.

ACCOMODATION

• The crew accommodation is generally small. Crew share a cabin with one person, however, on bigger boats there can be up to four girls sharing.
• You will typically share with a female, but in some instances, it may be with a male.
• The crew members usually sort out a system amongst themselves regarding the use of the bathroom and shower.
• There will be bunk beds, some cupboard space and perhaps a desk. There is typically one shared bathroom per cabin.

There are certain mandatory certifications needed to work on a superyacht.

1. STCW Basic Safety Training

The STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) is an internationally recognized certification standard required by all seafarers working on commercial vessels above 24 meters (79 feet). These courses are designed to give you a well-rounded knowledge about safety on board a vessel and is designed to keep crew and guests safe. The STCW Basic Safety Training consists of five courses or modules: :

• Elementary First Aid (EFA)
• Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities (PSSR) Personal Survival Techniques (PST)
• Marine Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting (MFF)
• Proficiency in Designated Security Duties (PDSD)

3. Food Safety and Hygiene Level 2

Level 2 Food Safety is the minimum acceptable level for any crew processing, handling or serving food on board a yacht. As a stewardess you will be working very closely with the chef and serving food to your guests. It is therefore crucial to obtain this certification.

3. Seafarer Medical Certificate

Although not a yachting certification, it is mandatory to complete a seafarers medical examination to prove you are fit to work at sea. This examination has to be done by an approved doctor and applicants must get issued with either an MCA ENG1 Medical Certificate or equivalent, such as the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) medical certificate. This is a health check involving height, weight, eyesight, hearing, questions of medical history, urine sample, blood pressure and a gentle overall physical check for any abnormalities. It is suggested that you go for your medical before you book the rest of your courses, just to make sure you have the “all clear”.

4. Stewardess Course (not compulsory, but highly recommended)

• Majority of the time chief stews are looking for experienced crew that can hit the ground running. Your chief stewardess will not have the time to train you and there will be certain expectations that you can handle any instruction that comes your way. This can be extremely overwhelming if you don’t have any formal training or prior experience.

This is where we come in…

The Stewardess Co. yacht stewardess course will teach you first class service with a ten-star attitude. Whether you already have experience in the hospitality and customer service industry or are looking to move into that area, this elite yacht crew training course will provide beginners through to advanced students with the necessary skills adapted specifically to a shipboard environment. The course is designed to equip you with multiple skills and professional knowledge of your role on board as a superyacht stewardess, so you are able to confidently accept any stewardess assignment anywhere in the world.

• Try get some hospitality experience under your belt. Waitressing, bartending and barista (coffee shop) experience all count. The more hospitality experience you have, the better your chances.

• See where you can daywork locally in your area (The Stewardess Co. offers a daywork programme to its best performing students, complete with a captain’s reference).

• Continue to practice and implement everything that you have learned on your stewardess course.

• This is your first opportunity to market yourself. The format of your CV is the first impression that the Captain or Chief Stew has of you. Make sure it is a good one.
• A Yacht CV is quite different to a land CV and should include some particular information.
• Captains often look at a lot of CVs, so your main objective is to make sure your CV stands out from a very crowded desk.
• Captains not only want competent, well presented crew but also crew that “shine”. Crew that have something special. You NEED to make your CV highlight this for you.
• The Stewardess Co. provides a professional yachting CV template to all its students.

• Be positive and friendly, no one likes a Debby downer.
• Have a willingness to learn, you have never arrived in life and there are always ways to improve yourself.
• Follow directions and instruction well.
• Know your place, hierarchy on a boat is an essential part of how things operate.
• Be professional at all times, you might be exposed to things that you are not used to, and it is essential to keep a professional attitude at all times.

SIGN UP WITH SELECT CREW AGENCIES

There are many crew recruitment agencies across the globe. They advertise a lot of vacancies on their websites, and it is their job to match the right candidate with the job advertised. Once crew are qualified, it is recommended to sign up with these various agents and complete their online registration forms.

GET YOURSELF TO ONE OF THE YACHTING HUBS

Europe: Antibes, France, Palma, Spain.

USA: Fort Lauderdale, Florida (You cannot dockwalk here, it is illegal) Chat to crew agents and visit various local websites for opportunities.

These Yachting Hubs are home to MANY Superyachts. Most marinas in Europe are accessible for dock walking, however, some have strict security measures in place.

GO ONLINE

Many yacht owners and captains post vacancies on Facebook and Facebook groups. Make sure to join a couple of FB groups.

DOCKWALK

Essentially, dock walking is exactly that: walking along a dock where Superyachts are moored, looking for work on board. The overall aim is to be able to secure day work, permanent work or simply to leave your CV.

CREW HOUSES

The advantage of staying in a crew house is that the owners are generally ex-yachties and will assist you in your job search. This is a place to meet fellow yachties that are literally in the same boat as you. Make friends with your flat mates and neighbours. You never know when someone will get a call for day work and if they are already working, they could recommend you for the job instead!

NETWORK

Reach out to anyone you may know in the industry, use all your contacts. There are also various bars and hangouts once you are situated in one of the yachting hubs. Be sure to network and do so responsibly.