Interior
Florist
The florist designs, sources and maintains every floral arrangement on board, from cabin posies to dinner tablescapes, so the yacht looks finished and personal for the owner and guests at all times.
- Department
- Interior
- Reports to
- Chief Steward / Chief Stewardess
- Yacht size
- 70m to 150m+
- Contract
- Seasonal or permanent
- Starting pay
- €3,500 per month
What the job is
On larger yachts, usually 70m and above, the florist owns every arrangement on board: guest cabins, saloons, the dining table, the sky lounge bar and the main entrance. You design to the owner's taste and the charter preference sheet, source flowers in each port, condition them and keep them fresh in air conditioning, salt air and motion. On most yachts you are also a working steward or stewardess, so floristry sits alongside housekeeping and service shifts.
The hard part is logistics. Fresh stems have to be ordered days ahead through local wholesalers or the yacht agent, checked for import rules when crossing borders, and stored in a cold room or spare fridge with very little space. Vases must be secured for passages with museum putty, non slip mats or fitted holders. You learn which flowers last a fortnight at sea and which drop petals in a day, and you design around that.
Captains and chief stewardesses hire a florist because flowers are one of the first things an owner notices. A busy programme means themed dinners, birthday tables and beach set ups, often at a few hours' notice. You also manage a budget, keep an inventory of vases, tools and foam free mechanics, and dispose of green waste properly under MARPOL rules. Strong candidates combine a floristry qualification or shop background with solid interior experience.
What makes a good one
- Floral design and colour sense
- Flower conditioning and care
- Sourcing in unfamiliar ports
- Budget and stock control
- High end housekeeping and service
A day in the life
- 06:30Walk the guest areas before anyone is up. Top up water, remove tired stems and turn vases so the best face points into the room.
- 07:30Meet the provisioning van on the quay at Porto Cervo. Check the order against the invoice, reject bruised roses and get everything into the cold room within twenty minutes.
- 08:30Condition the delivery in the florist room: strip leaves, recut stems under water and leave hydrangeas and peonies to drink for a few hours.
- 10:00Join the interior team for cabin turndown and service cover while guests are ashore. Floristry shares the day with housekeeping on most yachts.
- 13:00Brief with the chief stewardess on tonight's dinner. The owner wants a white and green table for twelve on the main deck aft.
- 14:30Build the long low centrepieces and cabin bud vases, keeping heights under eye level so guests can talk across the table.
- 17:30Place the table arrangements, fix vases with putty in case of swell and photograph the set up for the preference log.
- 19:30Work dinner service as a stewardess, watching the flowers under the lights and the breeze.
- 23:00Clear the table, move centrepieces into the cold room overnight and note what needs reordering for the next port.
Pay by country
Monthly salary for a florist or florist and stewardess on a 70m+ yacht, usually paid in EUR or USD whatever the flag. Charter yachts add tips, typically 10 to 15% of the charter fee shared among crew.
- France and Monaco
- €3,500 – 4,800
- Spain
- €3,500 – 4,800
- Italy
- €3,500 – 4,800
- United Kingdom
- £3,000 – 4,100
- USA (Florida)
- US$3,800 – 5,200
- Caribbean
- US$3,800 – 5,200
- UAE
- AED 14,000 – 19,000
- Australia
- A$5,800 – 7,900
- New Zealand
- NZ$6,300 – 8,600
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- PDSD (Proficiency in Designated Security Duties)
Recommended
- Level 3 Diploma in Floristry
- PYA GUEST Introduction to Yacht Interior
- Food Safety Level 2
- WSET Level 2 in Wines
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
Visas
- Schengen visa
- US B1/B2 or C1/D
- Australian MCV where cruising Australia
Where it leads
Florist jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Will I only do flowers?
Rarely. On most yachts floristry is part of a steward or stewardess role, and only the largest yachts with heavy owner programmes carry a dedicated florist.
Do I need yachting experience to get hired as a florist?
A strong floristry background gets you noticed, but captains prefer candidates who have done at least a season as interior crew. If you are new, start as a stewardess and offer your floristry as an extra skill.
Where do the flowers come from on long passages?
You stock up before departure, choose long lasting varieties and plants, and arrange deliveries through agents at the next port. Good conditioning and cold storage can keep arrangements going for one to two weeks.