Interior and service training — from your first GUEST unit to chief stew — ranked and explained.
Interior crew keep the guest experience running, and the industry standard is the IAMI GUEST framework — a ladder of units from basic food and beverage service up to senior and chief stewardess level. Alongside GUEST you'll often add wine, barista, floristry and housekeeping training. Whether you're a brand-new stew or stepping up to chief, here are the schools we'd recommend for interior training, led by Flying Fish.
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My own starting point — I trained with Flying Fish back in 2018. Purpose-built superyacht training base on the water in Cowes, RYA Training Centre and MCA-approved, with one of the widest course ranges in the UK: STCW, deckhand and interior packages right through to Yachtmaster. Book online and hold a place for 48 hours.
Major Fort Lauderdale training campus, MCA / USCG / RYA approved — the main US hub for crew training either side of the Atlantic.
Barcelona interior specialist, PYA/GUEST and IAMI accredited — focused on stewardess and service training.
Monaco and Antibes, RYA and IAMI accredited — particularly strong on interior, galley and Ship's Cook training.
Online IAMI GUEST interior training you can start from anywhere, with mental-health first aid alongside.
Phuket-based, MCA and IYT approved — the leading superyacht training hub in South-East Asia.
Sydney academy, IYT / MCA / AMSA approved — the established pathway for crew starting out in Australia.
Large charity-run academy in Cowes, MCA-approved and an RYA Training Centre, also running full cadetship pathways for crew who want the professional route.
This is our shortlist. See every accredited provider offering Interior / Stewardess / GUEST in the full Interior / Stewardess / GUEST directory →
It's not always legally required, but a GUEST interior course makes you far more employable as green crew and is expected on most professional yachts.
GUEST (Guidelines for Unified Excellence in Service Training) is the IAMI-run interior training standard, made up of stackable units from basic service to chief stewardess.
Yes. Interior crew need the same STCW Basic Safety Training as deck crew, as it is a legal requirement for everyone working on board.
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