Is 51 years old too old to start a career as a Yacht stewardess?

Kate:
I sent you a PM recommending you also look into being a stew on a private jet.
With your background as a Flight Attendant, you already have the initial qualifications and you get to travel and stay in 5 star hotels.
(But watch out for the pilots)
This board has a sister-forum dealing with high end Private Jets.
Check it out and Bon Voyage.

That is a very good suggestion Dag

Spoken in your best Paul Harvey voice…

It is more difficult being in Canada to find that kind of work .. I am assuming that is where you are currently? Having said that, Victoria BC does HUGE cruise ship business .. massive boats (some with 2,800+ guests) with a lot of job opportunities .. maybe there are senior positions that would suit you ?

J.

K1W1 and Mr.YF are both right, in a kind of funky way.

The Purser route maybe a good idea but another track could be as a Crew Cook. We had one called Wendy, we all loved her.

She cooked the crew's food, made the little buggers tidy-up, made sure they looked tidy and gave us all a hugg when needed.

Like being a Camp Mom type, Wendy was also my Mom's friend, nothing, but nothing got by her. Keeping the boys and girls on the straight and narrow.

After 30 years, she's still a good mate.

Everyone needs a Wendy in their lives.

Dave, When you see crew cook jobs advertised these days they often want Culinary trained chefs with every possible course under their belts. Yachting is not what it used to be unfortunately.

It depends. You're right, more and more do want that, but not all. I see people all of the time looking for someone right now and don't have time to wait for the right certification one, and get hired all of the time.

Here is one that just popped up, I can't see a 4th chef in a brigade of 4 on a yacht doing much other than crew food.

Rotational 4th Chef urgently needed for a 100+ m high profile new build M/Y currently located in Med to complete a strong galley team consisting of 4. We are looking for an experienced and creative culinary trained individual with experience on busy large motor yachts, experience in 5 star hotels and/or cruise ship industry a plus, who has strong world cuisine background as well as modern/traditional western cuisine. Qualification: ENG1, STCW95, Security Awareness, advanced hygiene and food preparation certificate, valid Shengen visa, Seaman’s book. Long term position

I worked on a yacht that had 4 chefs in rotation. Many years ago I worked on the Gallant Lady for a brief period of time. They had 2 yachts a 160' and a 172' and then they had 2 other chefs, each chef would go on a yacht for a few months, then would be a chef at the corporate companies restaurant/cafeteria when not on the yacht. The yachts always had a chef on board, but they'd rotate them out to the corporate, so they'd be on land sometimes and on a yacht sometimes.

Hi Judy,

Since several posts mention the Twain quote I of course google it and found this: http://quoteinvestigator.com/2011/09/29/you-did/ which includes the bottom line of, "In conclusion, QI has located no evidence of this saying before 1990, and believes that it is not connected to Mark Twain. The writer H. Jackson Brown, Jr. published it and credited his mother. QI has found no reason to doubt this attribution."

I have had many adventures in my life, several of which began after I was 50, so I would encourage Kate to follow her heart and try becoming a Stew or any of the other ideas suggested in this thread as her positive attitude will carry her a long way!!!!

Carl, I wish you would share more of your back story at some point as I found what you posted to be fascinating!

As Tennyson once wrote "Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

Cheers, David

Kate, Just Do IT! 4 yrs ago, my husband and I (originally from NZ) didn't know we would be buying a motor yacht in the USA , living aboard, and cruising the waters around the east coast. We were too old to be employed (mid and late 50's) we were told, and life has to have a purpose. We jumped at the chance to do something different, and couldn't be happier. I am writing this from Paris, France, where we have just spent 6 weeks on a work vacation in Brittany, at a Chateau. Work in exchange for Accommodation! It is called Opportunity...take it by the hand and go for it! None of us know what tomorrow will bring, but we can sure help it on it's way by just going for it!

Judy,
You are the best. Thanks for sharing and being here. You make Yachforums better.
Cheers,
Greg

I am in EXACTLY the same position.
What is the best training to complete to become a stew? I am in Brisbane, Australia.

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