What To Look For In A Chief Steward/ess
After the Captain, the Chief Steward or Stewardess is the most visible of all yacht crew jobs and the person who will have the most contact with the yacht’s owners and all-important charter guests. Charged with overseeing the yacht’s interior, housekeeping standards, and a wide range of guest services, when it comes to finding a yacht crew, the Chief Steward or Stewardess is one of the most important positions you’ll need to fill.
How to fill this most important of yacht crew jobs?
The primary role of the Chief Steward/ess is to oversee all guest services and dining and to ensure that the yacht’s interior always looks impeccable. Behind the scenes, their role involves interior inventory, budgeting, accounting, and overseeing housekeeping and laundry. They will also write and update all internal interior manuals and guest-information documents. As one of the most important yacht crew jobs, what are the key details to look for on a CV?
Three Years Experience
A Chief Steward/ess should typically have at least three years of experience in the superyacht industry and professional training in event organisation, flower arranging, and butler service. Ideally, they should be multi-lingual and have strong verbal and written communication skills, as well as yacht crew management and fiscal administration abilities. They will also be responsible for certain onboard safety tasks in an emergency.
Guest Services
Following the Captain, the Chief Steward/ess is the front person onboard a superyacht, so of all the various yacht crew jobs, they need to be personable and discreet. They should also have a thorough knowledge of international etiquette and protocol.
Key duties include collaborating with the executive chef on meal planning and guest culinary requirements and organising the creative planning of theme dinners, elegant table settings and guest events – from children’s birthday parties to sophisticated celebrations. They may also be required to arrange daily guest activities, such as well-being treatments onboard and restaurant bookings or guided tours onshore.
Yacht Crew Management
The Chief Steward/ess is responsible for the yacht crew management of the interior staff, which will involve delegation, scheduling rotational duties, training and overseeing, and implementing any necessary human resources procedures and guidelines.
Certificates and Training
While a background in hospitality and customer service is a clear advantage, there are several certificates to look out for on a Chief Steward/ess CV, such as yacht crew management and leadership, basic safety training, food and hygiene, and any advanced medical and first aid certificates.
Additional Skills
Ideally, a Chief Steward/ess should possess knowledge of bartending, silver service and cigar service, as well as wine presentation and service. Additional skills include knowledge of all the various activities, highlights and restaurants in the yacht’s cruising areas and the ability to converse in any relevant language.
When it comes to yacht crew recruitment, there are so many issues to consider that the easiest and most reliable way of finding yacht crew of the highest standard is to work with an experienced yacht crew recruiter. A superyacht crew recruiter will be able to select qualified and vetted Chief Steward/ess, arrange interviews, and handle any contract negotiations, not only ensuring that you find an ideal candidate but saving time by offering a seamless yacht crew recruitment process from start to finish.
