To combine travel and work is becoming more common and popular around the world, and as the world gets more global, the possibilities for working while traveling are increasing as well.
One of the exciting travel jobs that allow you to travel and explore the world while you make money, is to be working on a Yacht.
This is not something that I have had the chance to try yet, but I had a chat with the experts from Yachting Sweden who gave some great insights on what it’s like to work on a yacht.
What is it like to be working on a Yacht?
Working on a Yacht can be a fantastic experience that many times also feel surreal. You’ll work hard but will always see yourself in amazing places that you might otherwise not afford to visit.
You’ll be working for wealthy people, and get to be somewhat “behind the scenes” of the wealthy and famous people. Your coworkers will most likely have a similar mindset as yourself, and the crew becomes like family, which you develop a unique relationship with.
You work together, live together and spend your days off together. As said, you’ll have to work hard on a Yacht, sometimes for weeks, but it’s still worth it since you receive both a paycheck and get to see fantastic places around the world.
How can a regular be like?
Depending on your position, you’ll have different regular days, but a Yacht is somewhat like a floating hotel with few guests. On a regular yacht, you’ll have around 10-12 guests, and on the bigger yachts, only the crew can be as many as 30 people.
The guests have full-service 24/7, and there are stewardesses who make their beds, iron clothes, cleaning the cabins, serving food and mix their drinks.
Then there are the deckhands who will take the guests in smaller boats from the yacht to land back and forth. They also assist with water activities such as jetskis, seabobs, paddleboards, flyboards etc, and they always make sure that the Yacht is clean.
A big Yacht will often have many “water toys” and smaller boats that are used for various things. There will also be chefs cooking all the food, and serve whenever the guests whishes. And then there are mechanics working on the Yacht as well to fix everything electrical, sewage and all the various systems.
The Captain and officers take care of the safety onboard and navigation. Depending on your position, you will take care of a certain area on the Yacht. However, Stewardess and deckhand are the two most common starting positions if you want to work on a Yacht.
A typical day, the guests will be served 3 meals, and the guests will have various activities on and off the yacht. There will always be crew members around them to make sure that they always have what they need and wish for.
Photo: Shutterstock
How do you get a job on a Yacht?
To get a job on a yacht, you can contact recruiters, use social media or just be at the place where the yachts are to get direct contact with the crew. For your first job, it’s even more important to network, and it’s a good thing if you have friends or someone else that can recommend you.
Are there different types of Yachts where you can work?
You can work on sail yachts or motor yachts, and then you can work on charter yachts or private yachts. On a charter yacht, the boat is rented out by the owner to other families and guests.
There are also various sizes on the yachts with everything from 30 meters to 180 meters big yachts. It can differ a bit on what it’s like to work on a smaller yacht than a bigger yacht.
Photo: Shutterstock
Photo: Shutterstock
Do you need education?
As for the starting positions stewardess and deckhand, you’ll need a 5 days security education to legally work onboard. Then there are other courses that you can attend that are qualifying or mandatory for many yachts.
On the 5-day security course, you’ll be doing fire drills, first-aid, survival in water etc.
How much money do you make?
You can make a lot of money when working on a yacht, and a starting salary is often around 2500 USD. Then you can make a lot more as you get more experienced. Also keep in mind that your accommodation, food, and insurance is already paid for.
If you work on a charter yacht, you can also get tips for 1-2 weeks up to 3000-4000 USD, on top of your salary.
What working hours is to be expected?
When you don’t have any guests, you’ll probably work somewhat from 08-16, with weekends off. With guests, the days will be longer with a break during the day.
However, with guests, you’ll most likely not get much free time, so when you get that 2-hour break during the day, you’ll be resting.
What are some benefits of working on a Yacht?
The biggest pros are that everything is paid and that you have chefs cooking the food, and the fact that you get paid to travel to some of the most beautiful places on our planet.
Not as much as if you were a guest of course, but being a crew member on a Yacht is still an incredible experience, and you get to see and experience things you might otherwise not be able to.
It’s a great job for people who love to travel. The yachts will often travel far and many of them have worldwide itineraries.
What are the cons?
The downside of working on a yacht is that it’s not always flexible, and sometimes it can be difficult to control your free time and working hours. It can also be challenging to work and live with the same people, and sometimes it can feel difficult to get some alone time.
The work on a yacht can also be physically demanding, and conflicts can arise since there is a strong hierarchy system onboard that can sometimes be frustrating if you’re in the lower ranks.
Which are the most popular destinations?
The Mediterranean and the Caribbean are popular destinations and the Pacific ocean as well. Yachts are everywhere though, and after 1-2 seasons onboard, you’ll likely be able to choose where you wish to work on a yacht.
Do you have any personal favorites?
Helena’s favorite is Virgin Islands in the US, and Newport, Rhode Island. Lisa loves Capri in Italy, and Corfu in Greece.
Want to work on a yacht abroad?
If you’re curious or want more info on what it’s like to work on a yacht abroad, you can always contact Yachting Sweden. Then you get direct contact with experts who have years of experience from working on a yacht.
You can contact them on Instagram or Facebook:
- Yachting Sweden (Facebook)
- Yachting Sweden (Instagram)
Have more questions about what it’s like to work on a yacht? Leave a comment below!