Yacht Interior & Galley
All yacht interior and galley roles are company-standard titles — no STCW CoC is attached to any of them. Every crew member holds STCW safety Certificates of Proficiency (Basic Safety Training mandatory; Security Awareness required). Beyond the statutory safety baseline, the GUEST Programme is the industry-standard interior training framework.
One key distinction for galley: the ship's cook certificate is an MLC 2006 instrument (Regulation 3.2) — not an STCW Certificate of Proficiency. These are two separate regulatory frameworks.
Mandatory for every crew member.
Interior and galley crew are seafarers. The STCW safety CoPs apply to everyone regardless of department or role title.
STCW Regulation VI/1 · Mandatory for all crew
Basic Safety Training (BST)
Personal survival, fire prevention and fighting, elementary first aid, personal safety and social responsibility. From 1 January 2026, the PSSR module includes training on prevention of and response to violence and harassment at work (IMO Manila 2010, updated).
CoP · STCW Regulation VI/1 · Table A-VI/1
STCW Regulation VI/6 · Mandatory for all crew
Security Awareness
Basic security awareness training for all seafarers not designated with security duties. Introduced by Manila Amendments 2010.
CoP · STCW Regulation VI/6 · Table A-VI/6-1
V/2 passenger-ship crowd management and crisis management certificates do not apply to yacht interior crew — V/2 scope is passenger ships, not yachts.
Industry training framework for interior crew.
The Global Unified Educational Standards and Training (GUEST) Programme is administered by the Professional Yachting Association (PYA) and the International Association of Maritime Institutions (IAMI). It establishes a three-tier interior training standard specific to superyacht crew. It is not an STCW certificate — it is an industry framework, recognised by MCA and many flag states as evidence of interior competence.
GUEST Foundation Level
Basic service standards, etiquette, interior maintenance, table setting, cabin turndown. Target: Junior Stewardess and new entrants.
GUEST Level 3
Advanced service, silver service, wines and spirits, event planning, chief stewardess administration. Target: Second and Third Stewardess with experience.
GUEST Management Level
Department management, budgeting, owner preference management, crew training delivery. Target: Chief Stewardess and Purser candidates.
Purser and Chief Stewardess.
Company title · Reports to Captain · Larger yachts
Purser
Owner and guest administration; provisioning and budget management; crew payroll and contracts; immigration and port clearance documentation; interior department management on larger yachts. The Purser function is carried by a dedicated person on large superyachts — smaller vessels typically do not carry a separate Purser, and the Chief Stewardess absorbs these responsibilities.
Recommended credentials: GUEST Management Level · BST mandatory · MCA ENG1 medical
Company title · Reports to Purser or Captain
Chief Stewardess
Interior department management; owner preference book maintenance; service standards setting and delivery; crew training and rostering; provisioning; linen and china inventory; floral decoration. On vessels without a Purser, reports directly to the Captain. The Chief Stewardess is typically the most owner-facing crew member on a superyacht.
Recommended credentials: GUEST Level 3 or GUEST Management Level · BST mandatory · MCA ENG1 medical
Second, Third and Junior Stewardess.
Company title · Reports to Chief Stewardess
Second Stewardess
Service assistance; bar and beverage service; laundry supervision; cabin responsibilities. Deputises for the Chief Stewardess.
Recommended: GUEST Level 3 · BST mandatory
Company title · Reports to Second Stewardess
Third Stewardess
Guest service and housekeeping duties as assigned. On smaller vessels this role may not exist — the stewardess team is typically scaled to vessel size.
Recommended: GUEST Foundation Level · BST mandatory
Entry level · Reports to Third Stewardess
Junior Stewardess
Entry-level interior position. Must hold STCW BST before joining. Working towards GUEST Foundation Level. Assists with all interior duties under supervision.
Laundry Steward
All onboard laundry and dry-cleaning; linen management; guest clothing care. A separate role on larger superyachts (>50m). On smaller vessels, stewardesses handle laundry duties. Reports to Chief Stewardess.
BST mandatory · No additional STCW CoC
Butler, Spa Manager, Nanny.
Butler
Yacht onlyCompany title · Reports to Chief Stewardess · Luxury superyachts
Personal valet service to the owner and principal guests; formal and silver table service; wardrobe management; owner preference implementation; guest transport coordination. On smaller vessels the Chief Stewardess performs butler functions.
Qualifications: Guild of Professional English Butlers or equivalent · GUEST Management Level preferred · BST mandatory
Spa Manager / Therapist
Yacht onlyCompany title · Reports to Chief Stewardess
Spa and beauty therapy treatments; hair salon on vessels where combined; spa product inventory. May be employed directly by the yacht owner or via a spa concessionaire contract — the same model as cruise ships. Spa Therapist reports to the Spa Manager on larger vessels.
Qualifications: ITEC, CIDESCO or equivalent beauty/spa therapy qualification · BST mandatory · MCA ENG1 medical
Nanny / Governess
Yacht onlyCompany title · Reports to Chief Stewardess · Owner-specific
Childcare for the owner's children; education and activities; children's meals and routines. Not a standard position on all yachts — owner-specific addition, often employed as personal staff rather than yacht crew. Enhanced background checks required.
Qualifications: Norland College or CACHE Level 3 NVQ Childcare · Paediatric First Aid · BST mandatory · Enhanced DBS / background check
Executive Chef, chef hierarchy, Crew Chef.
Certificate note: The ship's cook certificate that galley crew must hold is an MLC 2006 instrument — issued under Regulation 3.2, Standard A3.2 of the Maritime Labour Convention. It is not an STCW Certificate of Proficiency. Do not confuse the two regulatory frameworks when reading job adverts or certificate requirements.
MLC Reg 3.2: commercially operated large yachts carrying ≥10 seafarers must carry a qualified cook. Many yacht flag states accept equivalent culinary qualifications for private or charter yachts where the vessel carries fewer than 10 crew.
MLC-qualified · Reports to Chief Stewardess or Captain
Executive Chef
Responsible for all owner and guest meal preparation — typically at a standard equivalent to a Michelin-level private chef or chef de cuisine — and crew meals to MLC Reg 3.2 standard. Provisioning and ingredient sourcing; menu planning incorporating owner preferences and dietary requirements; galley HACCP compliance.
Certificate: Ship's Cook Certificate (MLC 2006 Regulation 3.2; Standard A3.2) — an MLC instrument, not an STCW CoP
Additional: culinary arts degree or equivalent · HACCP · STCW BST · MCA ENG1 medical
MLC-qualified · Reports to Executive Chef · Larger yachts
Head Chef
Used on larger yachts with multiple chefs. Responsible for a specific galley section or all operations in the absence of the Executive Chef.
Company standard · Reports to Head Chef
Sous Chef
Assists with guest cuisine preparation; may lead a galley station. Found on yachts large enough to carry a brigade of three or more chefs.
Company standard · Reports to Executive Chef · Yachts >50m
Pastry Chef
Dedicated pastry and dessert preparation. A separate role on larger yachts (>50m); on smaller vessels pastry duties are handled by the Head Chef.
Crew Chef
Yacht onlyMLC-qualified · Reports to Executive Chef · Entry path to Executive Chef
On large yachts where the Executive Chef focuses exclusively on owner and guest cuisine, a separate Crew Chef prepares crew meals to MLC Reg 3.2 standard. This is a yacht-distinctive entry-path role — no merchant equivalent. The merchant Chief Cook serves all crew; on a yacht the roles are separated by cuisine standard, not by quantity.
Recognised career progression: Crew Chef → Sous Chef → Head Chef → Executive Chef.
Certificate: Ship's Cook Certificate (MLC 2006 Regulation 3.2) — same instrument as Executive Chef. BST mandatory.
Entry level · Reports to Crew Chef
Galley Hand
Food preparation assistance; dishwashing; galley cleaning; stores handling. Entry-level position on larger yachts. Working towards Crew Chef qualification.
Solo Chef Pattern
Yacht onlyOn yachts typically under 40m with 5–10 crew, a single chef handles all galley functions: owner/guest cuisine, crew meals and provisioning. Significant workload during peak charter seasons. Must hold ship's cook certificate (or equivalent accepted by the flag state) if the vessel carries ≥10 crew. No merchant or cruise equivalent — merchant vessels always have at least a Chief Cook plus messman; cruise ships operate galley brigades of 100–200+.
Entry points for interior and galley.
For interior crew, the entry requirement is STCW Basic Safety Training (BST) and a sea medical (MCA ENG1 or equivalent). The GUEST Foundation Level is the recognised first interior qualification. For galley, a ship's cook certificate or recognised culinary qualification (flag-state-dependent) is required for vessels carrying ≥10 crew.
India and the UK are among the principal seafarer entry routes.
Talk to yacht interior and galley crew.
The Career & Recruitment category on the Marine One forum covers yacht interior and galley questions — from Junior Stewardess first contracts to Chief Stewardess and Executive Chef routes.