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Steward / Stewardess
Job Description:
The most important aspect of the Steward/ess role is his/her attention to detail. This type of position requires the ability to think ahead, provide a service before the guest makes the request and to anticipate events before they happen. Most importantly, you must exhibit the ability to discreetly serve guests in a luxury 6-star manner.
Guest service is of the utmost importance. A good Steward/ess will provide an “invisible” service to a guest, for example by replacing the towels before the guest notices that you have been there, refilling drinks before the request is made, tidying the cabin while the guests are having breakfast, and so on. You must possess the ability to “serve with a smile” and to tend to a guest or owner’s every need, no matter the time of day or night.
It is necessary to eliminate the idea of “work hours”… work can come at any time, day or night. Days are often long and hard, but your time off will be well worth the wait. Be open minded, flexible and ready to accept new and varied challenges each day.
A typical day’s tasks will include:
- Food service, including providing silver service
- Drink service and bar tending
- Cleaning and polishing
- Cabin preparation
- Washing and ironing of guest clothes, bedding and crew uniforms
- Flower arranging
- Assisting on deck
- Assisting the chef
- General yacht operations
On larger yachts where many stewards and stewardesses are employed, the duties may be split into Service and Housekeeping, or there may be additional House Keepers or Laundry staff employed.
On some smaller yachts where there are 3-5 crew members in total, you may find that the position of Steward/ess is combined with the role of the Deckhand, commonly known as a Deck-Stew. On some larger yachts, this position may also be recruited, in addition to Stewards and Deckhands, and used to provide assistance to both teams. In some cases a Captain or Owner may hire someone new to industry in this role so that they can easily be trained in both areas. In addition to the duties listed above, a Deck-Stew would be expected to get involved in the external maintenance of the yacht including wash-downs, painting, varnishing and carpentry.
Required Skills and Experience:
A Steward/ess will normally have some experience in either the hotel industry (for example as a receptionist), in food and drink, hospitality and catering or in a customer service role. Bar work or waiting, possibly including silver service would also be advantageous.
There are no specific qualifications, but any of the following areas of knowledge, skills and experience would be beneficial:
- Some knowledge of boats and general yacht operation
- Yachting or sailing courses
- Experience of food/drink service, hospitality and/or customer service
- Silver service and formal etiquette/service
- Bar tending
- Flower arranging and creativity in table settings and interior décor
- Cooking experience
- First aid experience
- Languages
For Deck-Stew positions, experience in carpentry, painting, varnishing or woodwork would be an advantage.
Required Certification:
Although not officially mandatory, the MCA STCW Basic Safety Certification is generally viewed as a pre-requisite for a Steward/ess role.
Salary Range:
You will note that the salary will vary greatly among stewards and stewardesses. For entry-level candidates, the salary is likely to be between £1,250 and £1,500 per month. With experience, this figure could rise to approximately £2,500 per month.
Career Progression:
Superyacht Crew:
Stewards and Stewardesses would normally progress to the role of Chief Steward/ess.
Marine Industry:
Cruise Liners employ people for Steward/ess roles, and experience on board a superyacht would be advantageous. In the Leisure sector, holiday and charter companies need stewarding crew for flotillas.
Other Industries:
There are many links between working on superyachts and working in hotels. Reception/Front of House, House Keeping and other operational roles in hotels make a good match.
Other opportunities exist within the wider hospitality industry, including travel and tourism and leisure.