Interior
Valet
A valet looks after the owner's or principal guest's wardrobe and personal effects on board, so every outfit, shoe and accessory is ready, pressed and in the right place before it is needed.
- Department
- Interior
- Reports to
- Interior Manager
- Yacht size
- 70m+
- Contract
- Permanent or rotation
- Starting pay
- €4,000 per month
What the job is
A valet is personal service crew for one or two people, usually the owner and their partner. You manage their clothes, shoes, accessories and personal items on board. That means unpacking on arrival, pressing, steaming, minor repairs, laying out outfits for each part of the day and repacking when they leave. On the largest private yachts the valet is one of the few crew allowed into the owner's suite while it is occupied.
The work is detail heavy. You keep an inventory of every garment on board, often with photographs, care labels and notes on how the principal likes things folded or hung. You know which fabrics go to the laundry, which you hand wash and which must never get wet. You plan outfits around the programme: a tender trip to a beach club, a formal dinner ashore, a helicopter transfer. Shoes are polished, watches wound and jewellery logged.
Discretion is the whole job. You see private correspondence, medication and family life, and you say nothing. You work closely with the laundry team, the Head of Housekeeping and the owner's shore staff, such as a house manager or personal assistant who may send wardrobe ahead. When the owner is away you do deep care: storage rotation, dry cleaning runs, moth prevention and preparing the wardrobe for the next season or the next residence.
What makes a good one
- Garment and fabric care
- Pressing, steaming and minor tailoring
- Packing and wardrobe inventory
- Absolute discretion
- Anticipating personal preferences
A day in the life
- 06:30Check the day's programme with the Interior Manager and confirm timings for the owner's swim, lunch ashore and dinner. Note the forecast, as wind changes the choice of fabrics and shoes.
- 07:15Lay out morning swimwear, cover up and deck shoes in the owner's dressing room. Steam yesterday evening's linen shirt and return it to the wardrobe.
- 08:30While the owners breakfast on the upper deck, service the suite wardrobe with the housekeeping steward. Collect worn items, check pockets and sort for laundry, hand wash or dry cleaning ashore.
- 10:00Hand wash and dry cashmere and silk in the laundry, then press tailoring for the evening. Log a loose button and repair it.
- 12:00Pack a tender bag for lunch at a beach club: hat, sunglasses, a change of clothes and spare sandals. Hand it to the tender driver labelled for the owner.
- 14:30Polish shoes, wind and store watches, and update the wardrobe inventory with two new pieces bought ashore yesterday, including photos and care notes.
- 17:30Run a bath and lay out the evening outfit, cufflinks and jacket for a dinner ashore in Porto Cervo. Brief the second stewardess on any changes to turndown.
- 19:00Assist with dressing if asked, then check the suite once the owners leave. Hang clothes worn during the day and set nightwear out.
- 23:30Return to the suite after the owners come back, collect the evening's clothes for morning care and finish notes for tomorrow before signing off.
Pay by country
Monthly salary on a 70m+ private or charter yacht, paid in EUR or USD regardless of flag. On charter you share in the crew tip pool, typically 10 to 20 per cent of the charter fee split across crew. Experienced valets on large private yachts can earn above these ranges.
- France and Monaco
- €4,000 – 5,500
- Spain
- €4,000 – 5,500
- Italy
- €4,000 – 5,500
- United Kingdom
- £3,400 – 4,700
- USA (Florida)
- US$4,300 – 6,000
- Caribbean
- US$4,300 – 6,000
- UAE
- AED 17,000 – 23,500
- Australia
- A$6,500 – 9,000
- New Zealand
- NZ$7,200 – 9,900
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- PDSD (Proficiency in Designated Security Duties)
Recommended
- PYA GUEST interior courses
- Professional butler or valet training
- Food Safety Level 2
- Medical First Aid
- Previous valet or butler experience in private service
Visas
- Schengen visa
- US B1/B2 visa
- C1/D visa
Where it leads
Valet jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need to have worked on yachts before applying as a valet?
Not always. Many yachts hire valets from private households, luxury hotels or butler schools, then put them through STCW and an ENG1. Some yacht interior experience helps you settle into life on board faster.
Will I do general interior duties too?
Usually yes, when the owner is not on board or at busy times you help with housekeeping, laundry and service. On the largest yachts the valet role can be close to full time with the principal.
Is this role only for men?
No. Yachts hire valets of any gender, though some principals prefer a valet of the same gender for dressing. The job advert or recruiter will normally say if this matters.