Daywork Steward / Stewardess
Daywork is how most stewardesses get their first foot on a yacht. You are hired by the day, sometimes the week, to help an interior team clean, detail and set up a boat in port. The pay is modest and nothing is guaranteed. If you work hard and fit in, a daywork job often turns into a full-time offer.
The jobWhat fills the day
The work is almost all cleaning and preparation. You detail cabins after a refit, wipe down every surface after the contractors leave, unpack and log linen, polish brightwork and silver, clean wardrobes and heads, and help put the interior back together before guests arrive. You might spend a full day on one guest cabin. Expect to be on your knees, up ladders and in lockers. Charter service and guest contact are rare, because dayworkers are brought in when the boat is quiet or getting ready.
On a 35m yacht you may be the only dayworker, working alongside a sole or chief stew and learning their standards directly. On a 70m or 90m boat in a shipyard such as Lürssen, Amico in Genoa or MB92 in Barcelona, you join a group of dayworkers under the second stew, with tight timetables and plenty of dust. Spring in Antibes and Palma, and October to December in Fort Lauderdale, are the busiest times, as yachts get ready for the Mediterranean and Caribbean seasons.
Chief stews hire dayworkers who turn up early, in neat plain clothes, with their tickets ready and a printed CV. Most daywork comes from walking the docks, crew houses and the WhatsApp and Facebook groups where boats post urgent needs. Hotel housekeeping, hospitality or nanny experience helps. A good attitude counts for more than a long CV. Chief stews notice who checks their own work, asks sensible questions and stays off their phone.
Progression is simple. A few weeks of reliable daywork gives you yacht references and a name on the dock. Many boats offer the full-time junior stew job to the dayworker they already know, so they avoid an unknown hire. From there you move into a steward or third stew role within a season. Some experienced crew keep doing daywork between contracts or on rotation weeks to cover gaps in their pay.
Skills captains look for
- Cabin and surface detailing
- Linen and laundry care
- Silver and brightwork polishing
- Taking direction quickly
- Careful with fine finishes
- Reliable timekeeping
- Discretion on board
A day aboardPre-season detail, 48m motor yacht, Port Vauban, Antibes
Arrive at the passerelle in plain navy shorts and a white top, shoes in hand. The chief stew gives you a cabin list and shows you which products are safe on the marble and lacquer.
Start in the master cabin. Vacuum vents and headlining, then dust every surface from top to bottom with microfibre cloths.
Coffee in the crew mess with the deck team. Keep it short.
Clean out guest wardrobes and drawers, line them with fresh paper and log the hangers and spare linen into the inventory sheet.
Crew lunch cooked by the chef. Dayworkers usually eat with the crew, which is a good time to listen and learn how the boat runs.
Detail two guest heads: grout, glass, taps and the toilet base. The chief stew checks each one with a torch before you move on.
Unpack a delivery of new towels and bathrobes, wash them first, then fold to the yacht's standard and stow by cabin.
Polish the silverware and glassware for the owner's arrival next week. Clean your products away and report what you have finished.
Sign off, collect your cash or confirm the bank transfer, and ask if they need you tomorrow.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Daywork is paid per day, usually EUR 120 to 170 in the Med and USD 150 to 200 in Fort Lauderdale. Figures above assume about 20 days' work in a month, which is never guaranteed, and there are no tips, leave or food and lodging unless the boat offers them. See the Stewardess & Interior Crew salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
Gets you hired
- Food Hygiene Level 2
- GUEST Interior Introductory course
- Silver service or housekeeping course
- Basic barista or wine course
- Proficiency in Designated Security Duties (PDSD)
Visas
- Schengen right to stay or EU passport for France, Italy and Spain
- B1/B2 visa for US-based yachts
Where it leadsA typical career path
Stewardess & Interior Crew jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
How do I find daywork as a new stewardess?
Base yourself in Antibes, Palma or Fort Lauderdale at the start of the season, stay in a crew house and register with crew agencies. Walk the docks in the morning with printed CVs and watch the local crew WhatsApp and Facebook groups, where boats often post daywork needs the night before.
Do I need yacht experience to get daywork?
No. Daywork is the usual way new crew get their first yacht reference. You will still need STCW Basic Safety Training and an ENG1, and hotel housekeeping or hospitality experience will put you ahead of other new crew.
Is daywork paid in cash and is it legal?
It varies by boat and country. Some yachts pay cash at the end of the day, others pay by bank transfer through the management company. Make sure you have the right to work or stay where you are. Rules in France, Spain and the US are stricter than many newcomers expect.
Can daywork turn into a full-time job?
Often it does. Chief stews would rather hire someone they have already seen working than an unknown CV. Show up on time, work carefully and keep in touch, and you will be near the top of the list when a junior stew position opens.