Service Steward / Service Stewardess

A service steward or stewardess runs food and drink for the guests. On larger yachts the interior splits into service, housekeeping and laundry, and you sit on the service team. That means breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails, afternoon tea and every coffee in between, served the way the principal likes it. You lay tables, polish silver and glassware, run the bar, and stay close enough to guests to notice an empty glass before they do.

You work closely with the galley. Before each meal you agree timings with the head chef, learn the menu and allergens, and brief the team on courses and wine pairings. Service style varies by yacht: silver service, plated, family style or a barbecue on the beach. Between meals you restock fridges and bars, set themed tables, track wine and spirit stock, and keep the pantry and dining areas spotless. On a charter week the hours are long.

Most service stews come from hospitality: restaurants, hotel bars, private clubs. The role exists mainly on yachts of 50m and up, where the interior is large enough to specialise. On smaller boats the same work falls to a general steward who also cleans cabins and does laundry. Good service stews remember names, drinks and preferences, read a table without hovering, and stay calm when the owner moves dinner from the aft deck to the sundeck ten minutes before guests sit down.