Head of Service
The head of service is responsible for everything guests see at the table, at the bar and on deck. You run the service team and set the standard for every meal, which leaves the chief stew free to manage the wider department. The role only exists on bigger yachts, usually 70m and up, where service is a team of its own.
The jobWhat fills the day
Your day revolves around meals and guest moments. You plan each service with the head chef and chief stew, brief the team, set the tables and run the floor from breakfast to the last nightcap. You need to know the guest preference sheet by heart: who drinks what, who wants eggs at 07:00, and who should never be seated together. You manage wine and bar stock and train new crew in silver service and table settings. Often you are the crew member the principal knows by name.
When guests are aboard you are on the floor. Shifts are long, and you decide when the team rotates so that service at 23:00 is as good as lunch. Between trips the work changes. You count china, crystal and linen, place wine orders, run training sessions, write service manuals and plan tablescapes for the next charter. On a 70m yacht you may still help with housekeeping. On 100m and above you lead a dedicated service team of three to six, working alongside butlers and a sommelier.
Most heads of service come up through the interior, usually from second stew or a service stew post on a large yacht. Captains and chief stews look for three to four years on yachts, solid wine knowledge and references from busy charter programmes. Experience in five-star hotels, private butler work or fine dining helps a lot, and some people move across from land after a season or two on board. A WSET certificate and a calm, organised manner under pressure count for more than a polished CV.
The usual next step is chief stew, often on a slightly smaller yacht where you run the whole department. Some move sideways into head butler or private estate roles, and a few use their wine training to become yacht sommeliers. Expect two to three years as head of service before a chief stew job on a 60m+ yacht comes up. Keep a record of the events you run and the crew you train, because that is what interviewers ask about.
Skills captains look for
- Silver and butler service
- Wine and cocktail knowledge
- Team training and rotas
- Guest preference management
- Tablescaping and florals
- Bar and inventory control
- Calm under pressure
A day aboardCharter day, 90m motor yacht, anchored off Ibiza
Walk the dining areas to check the night stew's reset. Brief the breakfast team on today's guest preferences and dietary notes.
Breakfast on the aft deck, served as each guest appears. Pass coffee and egg orders to the galley and keep tables cleared.
Quick breakfast in the crew mess while a service stew covers the deck.
Meet the head chef and chief stew to agree the lunch menu, wine pairings and tonight's dinner theme.
Long lunch on the sundeck. Manage the floor, pace the courses with the galley and keep the rosé cold in the heat.
Two hours off in your cabin while the afternoon team covers drinks and deck service.
Lay the formal dinner table with florals, polished crystal and place cards. Decant the reds and brief the team on each course.
Run dinner service, calling plates with the chef and keeping glasses topped across eight courses.
Set up the sundeck bar, hand over to the night stew and log preference notes for tomorrow.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Charter tips, usually 10 to 15 percent of the charter fee shared among the crew, can add several thousand dollars in a busy month. Permanent contracts usually include 45 to 60 days' leave, and many 90m+ yachts offer rotation. See the Stewardess & Interior Crew salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- Food Hygiene Level 2
Gets you hired
- WSET Level 2 or 3 Award in Wines
- GUEST Intermediate or Advanced Interior
- Butler or silver service training
- PDSD
- Floristry or tablescaping course
Visas
- B1/B2 US visa
- Schengen visa if non-EU
Where it leadsA typical career path
Stewardess & Interior Crew jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
How is head of service different from second stew?
A second stew is usually the chief stew's deputy across the whole interior, including housekeeping and laundry. A head of service focuses only on guest service, dining and bar, and leads a dedicated team. It is a specialist post that only exists on large yachts.
Do I need wine qualifications?
They are not legally required, but most captains and chief stews expect at least WSET Level 2. You will be pairing wines, managing a cellar worth a great deal of money and answering detailed questions from guests. WSET Level 3 makes you a stronger candidate on 100m+ yachts.
Can I join straight from a hotel or restaurant?
Sometimes, if you have run a fine dining floor or worked as a private butler. Most yachts still want at least one season at sea first so you understand crew life, safety duties and working in a small space. A season as a service stew is the usual way in.
Is head of service a rotational role?
On 90m and above it often is, commonly with a matching head of service on the opposite rotation. On 60m to 80m yachts the post is usually permanent with annual leave. Rotation sometimes comes with a slightly lower monthly salary.