How to become a Steward / Massage Therapist
Steward / Massage Therapist is a role people enter from work ashore, not from a junior yacht job. You need no yacht experience. You do need the qualifications and the background below.
Where you startAnd where it leads. A typical path, not a rule.
Steward / Massage Therapist
Year 0. Pay from about US$3,800 a month. A stewardess or steward who also gives qualified massage treatments to guests, combining interior service with a small onboard spa offering.
Steward / Spa Therapist
Year 1-2. Pay from about US$3,800 a month. A qualified therapist on the interior team, giving guests massages, facials and nails while also covering service, housekeeping and laundry.
Spa Therapist
Year 2-4. Pay from about US$3,500 a month. Spa therapists give massage, facial and beauty treatments to owners and charter guests aboard superyachts, often alongside stew duties.
Spa Manager
Year 5+. Pay from about US$5,500 a month. Runs the onboard spa on large yachts: treatment menu, therapist team, bookings, stock and hygiene, usually reporting to the interior manager.
Before you applyWhat a Steward / Massage Therapist needs, from the Steward / Massage Therapist guide
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 Medical Certificate
- Recognised massage qualification (ITEC or VTCT Level 3, or equivalent)
Gets you hired
- Food Hygiene Level 2
- GUEST Introduction to Yacht Interior
- WSET Level 1 or 2
- Sports massage or reflexology diploma
- PDSD
Visas
- US B1/B2 for Caribbean and Florida
- Schengen right to work or visa for the Mediterranean
What counts instead of yacht experienceOur advice
Captains hire a Steward / Massage Therapist for swedish and deep tissue massage, silver service and table setting and housekeeping and laundry care. With no yacht job behind you, show the same skills from work ashore. For a Steward / Massage Therapist, that means your qualifications and the years you have worked in the profession.
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.
- Swedish and deep tissue massage
- Silver service and table setting
- Housekeeping and laundry care
- Treatment room hygiene
- Guest scheduling
- Discretion with principals
- Wine and cocktail basics
Your first stepsIn the order we suggest
Get the tickets a Steward / Massage Therapist must hold
You need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 Medical Certificate and Recognised massage qualification (ITEC or VTCT Level 3) before a yacht can put you to work as a Steward / Massage Therapist.
STCW and ENG1: what they are and what they cost →Write a first Steward / Massage Therapist CV
Keep it to one page. Put your tickets and your start date at the top, then your qualifications and your work ashore, with dates.
See a Steward / Massage Therapist 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. 1 Steward / Massage Therapist job is open on SuperyachtRoles.com now.
See open Steward / Massage Therapist jobs →Step up to Steward / Spa Therapist
The usual path puts Steward / Spa Therapist at year 1 to 2. Pay starts from about US$3,800 a month.
How to become a Steward / Spa Therapist →
Steward / Massage Therapist jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com. Some ask for experience, so read each advert.
QuestionsMore in the green crew guide
Can I become a Steward / Massage Therapist with no experience?
With no yacht experience, yes. With no professional background, no. Steward / Massage Therapist is a role people enter from work ashore, and you need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 Medical Certificate and recognised massage qualification (ITEC or VTCT Level 3, or equivalent).
How long does it take to become a Steward / Massage Therapist?
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 / Spa Therapist at year 1 to 2.
What does a Steward / Massage Therapist earn at the start?
From about US$3,800 a month, by our Steward / Massage Therapist guide. Expect a few hundred dollars a month more than a standard stew at the same level. Charter tips of 10-20% of the charter fee are shared among the crew, and some guests also tip for treatments directly.
Other paths from Steward / Massage TherapistAll roles
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