Steward / Nanny
A steward/nanny is part of the interior team and looks after the children of the owner or charter guests when they are aboard. Yachts hire for this role when they need childcare for part of the season but cannot give a full-time nanny a cabin all year. Expect to move between laundry, lunch service and a toddler's nap schedule several times a day.
The jobWhat fills the day
When there are no children aboard, you work as a stew. That means housekeeping, laundry, service, detailing and inventory. When the family arrives, the children become your main job. You plan their day, agree their meals with the chef, supervise them on deck and in the water, and run bath and bedtime. You keep them safe around tenders, water toys and open transoms. You take direction from the parents, sometimes work alongside the family's own shore nanny, and report to the chief stew on everything else.
On a 35m to 45m yacht you may be one of two or three interior crew. You will still turn cabins and serve lunch while the children nap. On yachts of 60m and over, the job is mostly childcare during owner trips, often alongside a travelling nanny or governess, and most stew duties are covered by others while guests are aboard. Charter yachts take on steward/nannies for family charters in the Bahamas and the Mediterranean. Private yachts owned by young families often keep one year round.
Captains and chief stews want real childcare experience. That could be a CACHE Level 3, a Norland diploma, early years teaching, or several years with a private family. Paediatric first aid is close to mandatory, and an enhanced background check such as a UK DBS is expected. You need to be a strong, confident swimmer. Interior experience helps, but many people join from land nannying with STCW and a GUEST interior course. Families prefer calm, discreet people who stay for several seasons, because children get attached to familiar faces.
There are two main routes. You can stay in childcare and move up to a dedicated yacht nanny or governess post on 70m and above, where pay rises and the stew duties stop. Some also move to the family's travelling team ashore. Or you can build interior hours and work up to second stew and then chief stew. A few move into childcare specialist roles running kids' programmes on large charter yachts. A second language and teaching qualifications earn the best rates.
Skills captains look for
- Paediatric first aid
- Age-appropriate activity planning
- Water safety supervision
- Housekeeping and laundry
- Silver service
- Discretion with UHNW families
- Clear communication with parents
A day aboardOwner trip with two children aged 4 and 7, 48m motor yacht, Sardinia
Crew breakfast, then a briefing with the chief stew on the day's plan and the guest lunch.
Children wake. You run breakfast in the family cabin and get them dressed and into sun cream before the parents come down.
A morning swim off the swim platform, in life jackets, with a deckhand watching the tender traffic. Then a craft activity on the sundeck.
Children's lunch with food the chef has adjusted for the younger one's nut allergy, then a quiet hour and a nap for the four-year-old.
While the little one sleeps, you help the team clear guest lunch and turn the children's cabin, with the baby monitor on your belt.
Beach trip ashore at Cala Brandinchi with the parents. You manage snacks, shade and the sandcastle.
Children's supper, bath and stories. You confirm the evening handover with the parents, who are dining on the aft deck.
Children asleep. Laundry for the children's clothes, notes for tomorrow, and you stay on monitor watch until the parents take over.
Off watch. Shower and bed in your crew cabin.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Family charters usually pay tips of 10-20% of the charter fee, split among the crew, and this can add several thousand dollars a month in season. Private family yachts rarely tip, but some pay a bonus at the end of the season and offer longer paid leave. See the Spa, Wellness & Childcare salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
- Paediatric first aid
- Enhanced background check (DBS or equivalent)
Gets you hired
- CACHE Level 3 or Norland childcare diploma
- GUEST interior course
- Food Hygiene Level 2
- PDSD
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
Visas
- US B1/B2
- Schengen visa if non-EU
Where it leadsA typical career path
Questions crew ask
Do I need yacht experience to get a steward/nanny job?
No, though it helps. Many people who are hired have years of land nannying and only STCW, ENG1 and a short interior course. Captains care most about childcare references and water safety.
What do I do when the children are not aboard?
You work as a normal stew in housekeeping, laundry and service, and you also help the team when charter guests are aboard. Make sure the contract states this, so the split of duties is agreed before you join.
Will I sleep in the children's cabin?
Usually not. Most yachts give you a crew cabin and a baby monitor. With very young children, some families ask for night cover in or next to their cabin, so agree this and any extra rest time at interview.
Can I move to a full-time nanny job on a bigger yacht?
Yes. Once you have a couple of seasons and strong family references, dedicated nanny and governess posts on 70m and above become realistic. Teaching qualifications and a second language make you a stronger candidate.