VIP Guest Relations Specialist
The VIP Guest Relations Specialist is the guests' main contact on board. You learn what they want before they arrive, keep track of every request while they stay, and arrange anything that happens ashore. The role is found almost only on yachts over 70m, where the guest list is long and the expectations are high.
The jobWhat fills the day
The work starts weeks before guests board. You collect preference sheets from the charter broker or the owner's office, then turn them into a guest profile the whole crew can use. That means allergies, pillow types, newspapers, children's routines, birthdays, and which guest hates being disturbed before ten. You book restaurants, helicopters, cars, beach clubs and excursions, check every detail, and pass timings to the captain, chef and tender team.
With guests aboard you are the person they ask, and the person who quietly fixes things. You track the day's plans, confirm reservations, brief tender drivers, and meet guests at the swim platform when they come back from shore. On a 75m yacht you may still serve lunch or cover a pantry shift. On a 120m yacht the job is full time, often with a dedicated office and a phone that never leaves your hand.
Yachts hire people who have worked a guest-facing interior role for several seasons, usually second stew or head of service level, plus people from five-star hotel concierge desks, private aviation and family offices. Languages help a great deal, especially French, Italian, Russian, Arabic or Mandarin, depending on the owner. Captains want calm judgement, discretion, tidy admin and a contact book in places like Monaco, Saint-Tropez, Mykonos and St Barths.
Most people move on to Head of Service, Chief Stew or Interior Manager, where guest relations is one part of running the department. Others go ashore to charter management, family offices or concierge companies serving yacht owners. The role trains you in planning, owner liaison and handling difficult requests without fuss, and those skills carry well into senior interior positions.
Skills captains look for
- Guest preference management
- Shoreside bookings and logistics
- Discretion with UHNW guests
- Second or third language
- Itinerary and timing coordination
- Silver service fallback
- Clear crew briefings
A day aboardCharter week, 95m motor yacht, North Malé Atoll, Maldives
Check overnight messages from the guests and the charter broker. Update the day sheet with a changed dive time and a new dinner request.
Brief the chief stew, head chef and bosun on the day's plan, guest moods and the two guests skipping breakfast.
See the principal party onto the tender for a sandbank picnic. Confirm the resort spa booking for the afternoon group.
Coffee and a quick lunch in the crew mess while the guests are ashore.
Arrange a seaplane transfer for a departing guest and his luggage collection, then send confirmations to the captain and deck team.
Hour off in the cabin, phone on, while the second stew covers the main deck.
Meet the returning tender, note feedback on the picnic, and set up a surprise birthday cake with the pastry chef.
Look after the beach dinner from the edge, checking timings with the galley and dealing with requests as they come.
Write up guest notes and tomorrow's plan, then hand the radio to the night stew.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Charter yachts add tips, often 10-15% of the charter fee shared among crew, and you may receive a larger share given how much you deal with the guests. Private yachts usually pay a little more in base salary and offer rotation, such as 3 months on, 3 months off at 100m+. See the Stewardess & Interior Crew salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
- PDSD (Proficiency in Designated Security Duties)
Gets you hired
- GUEST Interior Level 2 or 3
- Food Hygiene Level 2
- WSET Level 2 Award in Wines
- Second language qualification
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
Visas
- Schengen right to work or visa
- US B1/B2 visa
Where it leadsA typical career path
Stewardess & Interior Crew jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
Can I get this job straight from a hotel concierge desk?
Sometimes, on very large yachts that want luxury hotel experience. You will still need STCW, an ENG1 and a willingness to live on board. Most captains prefer at least one season on a yacht first, so expect to join as a stew if your yacht experience is thin.
How is this different from a purser or chief stew?
The purser handles money, crew admin and port paperwork, and the chief stew runs the interior team. Guest relations is all about the guests: their preferences, plans and requests. On smaller yachts the chief stew does this work, and the separate role only appears once guest numbers and budgets justify it.
Do I still do service and housekeeping?
On yachts around 70-80m, often yes, especially during busy dinners or turndowns. On 100m+ yachts the role is usually dedicated, though you should still be able to step in for silver service when needed.
Which languages are most useful?
It depends on the owner and charter market. French and Italian help in the Mediterranean, and Russian, Arabic and Mandarin have all been in demand on large private yachts. Fluent English is assumed.