Top 10 tips for being an excellent Steward / Stewardess

By Miracle Saez

What is a steward? Or a stewardess for that matter, apart from being a female version of the former?

A dictionary defines the word 'steward' as:

Someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else

A ship's officer who is in charge of provisions and dining arrangements

Stewardship - Origin of the word (courtesy of Stewardship.org)

The steward, or “keeper of the hall”, was the official in a medieval household responsible for its management. Under the feudal system, it was the lord who had all of the legal authority. The steward had only a delegation of that authority, and a mandate to administer the estate. His stewardship of the estate was all-inclusive, from the broadest policies to the most trivial details. For the estate to function properly, the steward needed to hold himself accountable for all that took place in the household.

He might delegate; but he would maintain an interest in all happenings, make it his business to know all of the operational details, and know when to intervene and when to concentrate on other matters.

He would need to gather information, both from reports by the staff and from actual inspection of the estate.

He would need to ensure that the staff was properly trained, and would understand their tasks as much as possible, to the point of being the primary instructor for all household tasks. It was, of course, an enormous responsibility.

But the best steward would be the one who felt the responsibility on the deepest level, who identified with the role and carried it out with devoted industry.


I could not have said it better. Swap the words 'medieval household' for 'yacht' and you find things have changed very little. Here are ten top tips that will ensure you do the job of steward to very highest standard and help you get a reputation for excellence in your field. Excellence brings it's own rewards, an innate sense of satisfaction in a job well done, respect from your peers and the ability to demand excellent remuneration.


A steward is likely to have more one on one dealing with the guests and owner than any other crew member on board. In order for that relationship to be successful here are a few commonsense approaches and some nifty little tricks

1. Do your homework. Know your guests. Before they arrive on board. Know that Peter wont eat read meat, Sally loves gladioli, Marion likes Belgian chocolate, Arnold like green tea with a dash of vanilla and Martin likes a cigar in the evening after dinner. Do your homework take two: Know your desitination. If you can tell your guests that restaurant is the best for fish, this boutique has the best deals, Madonna shops here, this church was where so and so witnessed a miracle it will make their enjoyment of their holiday all the more effortless for them. One of the biggest problems on a holiday - apart from catastrophe is - 'What shall we do today?' Do your homework take three: Know you boat, know your crew. Know your chefs speciality, know that the deckhand is a first class windsurf instructor, know that the captain has the right contacts for them to meet the local prince/chief etc  Knowledge is power.
   
   
2. Be utterly discreet. We are all human and have our failings. As a stewardess you will be in a position to observe more of those failings than almost anyone else. I know things about famous people that would utterly appall them if the knowledge went into the public domain. Utter trust in your discretion is paramount.
   
   
3. Be organised. If you know your guests like gin sours at 11.30 in the morning have all the ingredients ready by 11.15.
   
   
4. Think ahead. Your 12 guests are going ashore. If it's raining make sure there are 12 umbrella's sitting at the top of the passarelle waiting for them before it even occurs to them to ask. Your guests are sun tanning - have cooled atomisers offered.
   
   
5. Be a leader. You may have a stewardess or two or three or thirty working under you. You have to be able to teach them how to do the job to your standards without offending or reducing them to tears. You have to lead by example and if you expect standards to be high, your standards have to be just as hig.
   
   
6. Social skills. While you may not be required to interact socially with your guest there will be times where you are required to make conversation. If you can do this in such a way that puts everyone utterly at their ease it will stand you in good stead.
   
   
7. Play fair. Treat each guest the same way. Polite, deferential but not subservient. A teenager, a child, a grandfather, the owner, his PA. Each person has their own value and power, mentally dsimiss the PA or the teenager and you might find yourself looking for a new job.
   
   
8. Be cheerful and postive. The ability to greet with genuine smile is an enormous asset."Every person is surrounded by a thought atmosphere... Through this power we are either retracting or repelling. Like attracts like ... we attract just what we are in mind." - Ernest Holmes
   
   
9. Be reliable and consistent. To both guests and fellow crew.
   
   
10. Remember: Remember names, remember favourite foods, favourite drinks, birthdays, significant others... And finally two bonus tips
    
    
11. Say yes. Within reason. You are on board to work and nothing should be too much trouble and it should all be done with a smile.
    
    
12. Clean. Be the clean queen. Everything must be spotlessly clean