Two seasons in, you can turn a cabin and you can carry three plates. The chief stew starts asking you to run the laundry programme unsupervised, prep the service brief and cover the cabin for a returning owner with strong opinions about linen. That step — from doing the task to owning the standard — is what the GUEST Advanced level is built around.
The Advanced Units
| Unit | Title | The step up it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 34 | Yacht Interior Administration | Inventories, provisioning lists, records, systems, handovers |
| Unit 05 | Advanced Food & Beverage Service | Complex services, dietary management, menu knowledge, event service |
| Unit 07 | Advanced Laundry Services | Delicate and technical fabrics, guest wardrobes, stain science |
| Unit 08 | Advanced Housekeeping | Deep cleaning programmes, surface and material care, schedules |
| Unit 09 | Advanced Valet Services | Packing, pressing, wardrobe management, personal guest service |
Complete these with an IAMI-approved Training Provider, alongside the supporting requirements, and you are eligible for the Yacht Senior Steward(ess) Certificate of Competency.
What Advanced Asks For Beyond the Units
Advanced is where the non-course requirements start to bite. In principle you will need:
- a completed Introduction level (or accepted prior competence)
- meaningful, logged sea service and guest-service days at a level above entry
- a maintained Interior Training Record Book with signed evidence
- Medical First Aid (a step beyond basic STCW elementary first aid)
- a powerboat or tender ticket — increasingly expected, since senior interior crew are often the ones running guests ashore
State this as principle, not gospel: the exact day counts, the accepted first aid course and the tender qualification required are set by IAMI/GUEST and change. Figures published on provider sites are indicative. Confirm the current progression chart before you commit money.
Unit 34 Deserves a Paragraph
Interior administration is the unit that most often surprises people — and the one chief stews most wish their seniors had done. It is the difference between a crew member who cleans well and a crew member who can hand over a functioning interior to a stranger. Note that in older progression charts interior administration appeared under a different number (Unit 04); if you see that, you are reading a historical chart.
Onboard Notes
- Advanced units are worth doing in the order that matches your boat. If you are on a heavy-charter programme, Unit 05 first.
- Do not let the record book lag. Advanced eligibility is evidence-based and evidence must be signed at the time.
- Preparatory study only. Assessment and certification come from an approved GUEST Training Provider, never from an app.