How to become a Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess
You can start as a Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess with no yacht experience. You need the right tickets, a CV that shows work that transfers, and to be where the yachts hire. This page sets out each step.
Where you startAnd where it leads. A typical path, not a rule.
Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess
Year 0. Pay from about US$3,200 a month. Entry-level interior crew on a superyacht, handling cabins, laundry and guest service under the chief stew while learning yacht interior standards.
Steward / Stewardess
Year 1. Pay from about US$3,000 a month. Stewards and stewardesses keep a superyacht's interior immaculate, serve guests and run laundry and housekeeping to five-star standard.
Third Steward / Third Stewardess
Year 1-2. Pay from about US$3,200 a month. Third stew on a superyacht: housekeeping, laundry and guest service under the chief and second stew, usually on yachts from 45m upwards.
Second Steward / Second Stewardess
Year 2-4. Pay from about US$3,800 a month. The second steward or stewardess is deputy to the chief stew, running service, housekeeping and the junior interior team when the chief is off.
Before you applyWhat a Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess needs, from the Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess guide
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
Gets you hired
- STCW PDSD
- Food Hygiene Level 2
- GUEST Introduction to Yacht Interior
- WSET Level 1 or 2
- Silver service or barista course
Visas
- B1/B2 US visa
- Schengen right to work or valid visa
What counts instead of yacht experienceOur advice
Captains hire a Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess for cabin housekeeping standards, laundry and pressing and silver service basics. With no yacht job behind you, show the same skills from work ashore. A background in five-star hospitality is the closest match, for example work as a front of house team member.
Write each job on your CV as what you did, with numbers: how many guests, how many boats, how many covers. Then list every skill below that you can prove.
- Cabin housekeeping standards
- Laundry and pressing
- Silver service basics
- Table setting and styling
- Attention to detail
- Stamina on long shifts
- Discretion with guests
Your first stepsIn the order we suggest
Get the tickets a Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess must hold
You need STCW Basic Safety Training and ENG1 medical certificate before a yacht can put you to work as a Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess.
STCW and ENG1: what they are and what they cost →Write a first Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess CV
Keep it to one page. Put your tickets and your start date at the top, then the work that transfers: five-star hospitality.
See a Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess CV example →Create your crew profile
Upload that CV and we build your profile from it. Your name and contact details stay hidden. Captains and recruiters contact you. It is free.
Create your crew profile →Apply and look for daywork
Apply to open jobs and to crew agencies, and take daywork: a few paid days on a yacht is how most first-time crew get a reference.
Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess guide →Step up to Steward / Stewardess
The usual path puts Steward / Stewardess at year 1. Pay starts from about US$3,000 a month.
How to become a Steward / Stewardess →
QuestionsMore in the green crew guide
Can I become a Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess with no experience?
Yes. Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess is a first job on yachts. You need STCW Basic Safety Training and ENG1 medical certificate, and work that transfers, such as five-star hospitality, puts you ahead of other new crew.
How long does it take to become a Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess?
It is a starting role, so the time is what it takes to get the tickets and find the first job. From there, the usual path puts Steward / Stewardess at year 1.
What does a Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess earn at the start?
From about US$3,200 a month, by our Junior Steward / Junior Stewardess guide. Charter tips are shared equally among the crew on most yachts and can add several thousand dollars a month in a busy season. Permanent jobs usually come with 30 to 45 days' leave a year and flights home.
Other paths from Junior Steward / Junior StewardessAll roles
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