How to become a Steward / Spa Therapist
Steward / Spa 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 / Spa Therapist
Year 0. 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 2-3. 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 4-6. 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.
Interior Manager
Year 8+. Pay from about US$8,500 a month. The Interior Manager runs the whole interior department on a large yacht, leading service, housekeeping and laundry teams, the budget and owner relations.
Before you applyWhat a Steward / Spa Therapist needs, from the Steward / Spa Therapist guide
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- Level 3 beauty or massage diploma (CIBTAC, CIDESCO, ITEC or VTCT)
Gets you hired
- PDSD
- GUEST Introduction to Yacht Interior
- Food Hygiene Level 2
- Spa brand training such as ESPA or Natura Bissé
- Reflexology or lymphatic drainage certificate
Visas
- Schengen visa where required
- US C1/D visa
What counts instead of yacht experienceOur advice
Captains hire a Steward / Spa Therapist for swedish and deep tissue massage, facials and skin care and gel nails and pedicures. With no yacht job behind you, show the same skills from work ashore. For a Steward / Spa 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
- Facials and skin care
- Gel nails and pedicures
- Silver service
- Housekeeping and laundry
- Spa stock control
- Guest discretion
Your first stepsIn the order we suggest
Get the tickets a Steward / Spa Therapist must hold
You need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 medical and Level 3 beauty or massage diploma (CIBTAC, CIDESCO, ITEC or VTCT) before a yacht can put you to work as a Steward / Spa Therapist.
STCW and ENG1: what they are and what they cost →Write a first Steward / Spa 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 / Spa 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. 2 Steward / Spa Therapist jobs are open on SuperyachtRoles.com now.
See open Steward / Spa Therapist jobs →Step up to Spa Therapist
The usual path puts Spa Therapist at year 2 to 3. Pay starts from about US$3,500 a month.
How to become a Spa Therapist →
Steward / Spa 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 / Spa Therapist with no experience?
With no yacht experience, yes. With no professional background, no. Steward / Spa Therapist is a role people enter from work ashore, and you need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 medical and level 3 beauty or massage diploma (CIBTAC, CIDESCO, ITEC or VTCT).
How long does it take to become a Steward / Spa 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 Spa Therapist at year 2 to 3.
What does a Steward / Spa Therapist earn at the start?
From about US$3,800 a month, by our Steward / Spa Therapist guide. Charter tips, typically 10-15% of the charter fee shared among crew, can add USD 1,500-4,000 a week in high season. Some guests also tip personally after treatments.
Other paths from Steward / Spa TherapistAll roles
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