Charter Guide
The Crew and Service on a Charter
The measure of a fine charter is rarely the yacht alone. It is the crew, who anticipate what you need before you ask and withdraw the moment you would rather be left in peace. Understanding who is aboard, and how good service works, makes the experience easier to enjoy.
In short
A charter crew typically includes a captain, a chef, a chief stewardess and interior staff, deckhands, and an engineer on larger yachts. Numbers rise with size, from two or three on a small yacht to a dozen or more. They run a discreet daily rhythm of service, aiming to be attentive without being intrusive.
On this page
Who is aboard
Even a modest charter yacht carries a small professional team, each with a defined role. On a larger vessel the department structure becomes more formal, but the principal figures are consistent.
The principal roles
- Captain. In command of the yacht, responsible for safety, navigation, itinerary and the conduct of the crew. Your main point of contact for anything to do with the voyage.
- Chef. Runs the galley and all provisioning and cooking, working from your preference sheet. On larger yachts a sous chef may assist.
- Chief stewardess. Heads the interior, overseeing service, housekeeping, table settings and the guest experience indoors. The person who most shapes the feel of daily life aboard.
- Stewards and stewardesses. Interior crew who serve meals and drinks, keep cabins immaculate and attend to guests throughout the day.
- Deckhands. Handle the exterior, mooring, tenders and water toys, and keep the decks pristine. They also drive guests ashore and set up water sports.
- Engineer. On larger yachts, responsible for the engines, generators and technical systems that keep everything running quietly in the background.
On the largest vessels you may also find a bosun leading the deck team, a purser managing accounts and logistics, and specialists such as a masseuse or dive instructor. The exact complement is listed for each yacht in our fleet.
Crew-to-guest ratio
A generous crew-to-guest ratio is one of the clearest signals of the level of service you can expect. As a rough guide, the figures below hold across most well-run charter yachts.
| Yacht size | Typical crew | Guests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 m | 2 to 4 | 6 to 8 |
| 30 to 40 m | 5 to 7 | 8 to 10 |
| 40 to 50 m | 8 to 12 | 10 to 12 |
| Over 50 m | 12 and above | 12 and above |
On many larger yachts the ratio approaches one crew member per guest, or better. This is what allows service to feel effortless: there are simply enough hands for someone always to be ready, without any sense of hurry. Guest numbers are capped by the yacht's certification, a point we cover in the etiquette guide.
The daily rhythm
Good service has a rhythm, gentle and largely invisible. Early in the morning the deck crew wash down and prepare the yacht while the interior lays breakfast, which is usually relaxed and served over a long window rather than at a fixed hour. As the day unfolds the crew respond to your plans, whether that is a passage to a new anchorage, a morning of water sports, or simply reading on deck.
Lunch is often informal, taken on deck or at anchor, and the afternoon belongs to you. Evenings can be as quiet or as elaborate as you wish, from a simple supper under the stars to a considered dinner ashore or aboard. Throughout, the crew keep to the background, turning down cabins, tidying discreetly, and refreshing the yacht so that each part of the day arrives ready. You set the pace; they follow it. Our guide to provisioning and the preference sheet explains how meals are planned around your tastes.
The chef and galley
The chef is central to the pleasure of a charter. Working from your preference sheet, the chef provisions from local markets and suppliers and cooks to the standard of a fine restaurant, adapting daily to the weather, your plans and your appetite. A single chef on a smaller yacht manages every meal alone, which is a considerable feat, while larger yachts carry a galley team.
You are welcome to talk with the chef about menus, to ask for favourites, or to leave the choices entirely in their hands. Many guests find the latter the greater luxury. Dietary needs and allergies are handled with care, provided they are declared in advance, and celebrations are marked with a cake or a special menu when the crew are told in good time.
The finest service is the kind you barely notice, present when wanted and absent when not.
The captain
The captain carries ultimate responsibility for the yacht, the crew and everyone aboard. Beyond navigation and safety, the captain shapes the itinerary with you, advises on anchorages and weather, and coordinates everything from berth bookings to shore excursions. It is worth spending a little time with the captain at the start of the charter to share your hopes for the week and to agree a loose plan, which can then flex with conditions and mood.
On matters of safety and seamanship the captain's word is final, and this is entirely as it should be. A change of anchorage for shelter, or a delayed departure for weather, is always in your interest even when it disappoints a plan. A good captain explains such decisions plainly and finds an alternative that keeps the spirit of the day intact.
Privacy and discretion
Discretion is a professional discipline, not merely good manners. Charter crews are accustomed to guests who value their privacy, and the best of them are practised at being present without ever intruding. Cabins are serviced when you are elsewhere. Conversations are not overheard, or if overheard, never repeated. Photographs of guests are not taken, and social media is not a place a professional crew would ever mention your presence.
This confidentiality extends beyond the charter. What happens aboard stays aboard, as a matter of course. If you have particular concerns about privacy, they are best raised quietly at the outset, and you can note them when you make an enquiry. A well-run yacht will simply absorb them into how it works.
Communicating with the crew
Charter guests sometimes worry about how to speak to the crew, when to ask, and how much to explain. The answer is straightforward: be direct, be courteous, and let the chief stewardess and captain carry your wishes to the rest of the team. You need not repeat a request to everyone. Tell one person, and it will be known where it needs to be.
A few gentle pointers
- Speak to the captain about the itinerary, timings and anything to do with the voyage.
- Speak to the chief stewardess about meals, drinks, cabins and the daily routine.
- Say clearly what you would like, including when you would prefer to be left undisturbed.
- There is no need to apologise for asking. Meeting your wishes is the point of the crew.
- If something is not to your liking, say so early and quietly. It will be put right.
Clear, kind communication is the single thing that most improves a charter. The crew cannot read minds, only preference sheets and gentle words.
What excellent service looks like
Excellent service is quiet. A drink refilled before you noticed it was low. A cabin restored while you swam. The right towel, the right temperature, the favourite dish that appears without being requested a second time. It never crowds you, never performs, and never makes you feel watched. When it is at its best, the yacht simply seems to run itself, and you are free to forget that a dozen people are making that possible.
It is also warm. The finest crews are not stiff or remote; they are professional, easy company who understand exactly how much presence each guest wants. Some parties enjoy a friendly rapport with the crew, others prefer a lighter touch, and a good team reads the difference within a day. To see how this translates across a charter, read more in our journal, explore the charter experience, or consult the glossary for the vocabulary of life aboard.
Common questions
How many crew will be aboard?
It depends on the yacht's size. A yacht under 30 metres usually carries two to four crew, while a vessel over 50 metres may have a dozen or more. Larger yachts often approach one crew member per guest, which is what makes service feel effortless.
Who should I talk to about the itinerary?
The captain. They plan the route with you, advise on anchorages and weather, and coordinate berths and excursions. Spend a little time together at the start to share your hopes for the week and agree a flexible plan.
How do I ask for something without troubling the crew?
Simply say what you would like to the chief stewardess or captain, and it will be carried to the rest of the team. There is no need to repeat a request or to apologise for it. Meeting your wishes is the purpose of the crew.
Will the crew respect our privacy?
Yes. Discretion is a professional discipline. Cabins are serviced when you are elsewhere, conversations are never repeated, and photographs of guests are not taken. Confidentiality extends beyond the charter as a matter of course.
Can I dine informally rather than at set times?
Absolutely. Most charters are relaxed, with flexible breakfast and lunch and evenings pitched to your mood. Tell the chief stewardess how you like to eat, and the routine will be shaped around you rather than the other way around.
What if the service is not to our liking?
Say so early and quietly, to the chief stewardess or captain. A good crew would far rather adjust on the first day than have you endure a week of something not quite right. Small corrections are made willingly and without fuss.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. To plan a charter, make an enquiry or browse the yachts.
If you work the deck
Read from the other side of the passerelle: the service standard described above is what a well-run boat expects of itself, not folklore. On joining, ask for the preference sheets before the guests arrive, not after; a chief stew who can recite the principal’s coffee order at the gangway has already won the week. Rotation, salary bands and reference culture vary by flag and management company — the terms in the glossary are the ones that appear in SEAs and crew contracts, and they mean exactly what they say there.