Second Steward / Second Stewardess
The second stew is the chief stew's deputy and the senior person working on the floor. You still serve, clean and polish every day. You also train juniors, run shifts and take charge of the interior when the chief is in the office or on leave. It is the role where you start being judged on how well your team does, as well as your own work.
The jobWhat fills the day
The second stew deputises for the chief stew. You run lunch service while the chief does accounts, train new juniors, check the standard in guest cabins and take over when the chief is off or ill. On a 50m yacht with four interior crew you will still make beds, press linen and polish glassware every day. What changes is that the result is now yours. The chief should be able to hand you a task, such as a dinner setup or a cabin turnaround, and not have to check it.
With guests aboard, the day is split into service and housekeeping shifts. The second stew often takes the late shift and closes the bar after the last guest goes to bed. On charter you are the face guests see most at the table. Between trips the work turns to inventory, deep cleaning, the laundry backlog and silver. On 80m+ yachts the role is narrower. You may be second stew for either service or housekeeping, with a head of service or head of housekeeping between you and the chief.
Captains and chief stews hire second stews who have two or more seasons behind them, usually including one as third stew on a yacht of similar size. They want clean references, decent time in each job, solid silver service, good wine knowledge and proof that you can train people without falling out with them. WSET Level 2, a barista course or GUEST Interior modules will help you get shortlisted. Charter seasons in the Med and the Caribbean count for a lot, because they show you can keep standards up through back-to-back trips.
Most second stews do two to four years in the role. The usual next step is chief stew on a smaller yacht, around 40m to 50m, then moving up in size. Some stay second stew on a large yacht because the pay and rotation are good. Others move sideways into purser work if they like admin and accounts. Take the GUEST Head of Department course. When your chief goes on leave, cover the interior accounts, crew rotas and stock yourself. That gives a hiring captain the evidence they look for.
Skills captains look for
- Silver service and table setting
- Wine and cocktail service
- Training junior crew
- Guest cabin housekeeping
- Interior inventory control
- Laundry and fabric care
- Shift and rota planning
A day aboardCharter day, 55m motor yacht, Costa Smeralda, Sardinia
Brief with the chief stew over coffee. You agree the day's shifts, guest preferences and the menu for the beach lunch.
Breakfast service on the aft deck. You run the table while the third stew handles the pantry and coffee orders.
Cabin turnarounds while the guests are at the swim platform. You check every cabin after the juniors finish and fix pillows, towels and amenities to the yacht's standard.
You set up and serve lunch on the sundeck, with rosé on ice and the table laid for twelve. You time the courses with the chef over the radio.
Two-hour break in your cabin while the chief covers the afternoon. Most people sleep.
You restock the bars, sort out the laundry backlog and fill in the wine and spirits log for the chief's inventory.
Aperitifs and a formal dinner in the main saloon. You lead the service team and pour the wine pairings.
Late shift. You look after the bar until the last guest turns in, then reset the saloon so the morning crew start with a clean room.
Handover note left for the chief, then bed.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Charter tips usually add 10-15% of the charter fee, split among the crew, which can add thousands a month in a busy season. Rotation is rare below 70m, so expect annual leave of around 30-45 days. 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
- PDSD
- GUEST Interior Operations modules
- Food Hygiene Level 2
- WSET Level 2 in Wines
- GUEST Head of Department course
Visas
- US B1/B2
- Schengen visa or EU right to work
Where it leadsA typical career path
Second Steward / Second Stewardess jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
How long before I can apply for second stew jobs?
Most crew get there after two to three seasons, with at least one as third stew. Captains want to see that you stayed in your jobs and have references from a chief stew who can vouch for your service and housekeeping.
Is a second stew a supervisor?
Yes, in practice. You give the juniors their tasks during your shifts, check their work and train them on the yacht's standards. You are still doing a full share of the physical work yourself.
Should I take a second stew job on a big yacht or chief stew on a small one?
Second stew on a 70m+ yacht often pays as much as chief stew on a 35m yacht, and you learn large-yacht systems. If you want to be a chief stew on a big yacht later, head of department time on a smaller yacht usually counts for more.
Do I need wine qualifications?
They are not mandatory. WSET Level 2 is common on second stew CVs and helps on yachts that run formal dinners. Owners and charter guests expect you to talk confidently about the wines you pour.