The owner is a cigar man. The charter broker keeps sending guests who want a proper flat white at 0630. The new boss wants fresh arrangements in every cabin, every week, and nobody onboard can do it. Specialist units exist for exactly this: the parts of the job that are nobody core competence until suddenly they are your entire month.
The Specialist Units
| Unit | Title |
|---|---|
| Unit 06 | Cigar Service |
| Unit 10 | Floristry & Plant Maintenance |
| Unit 11 | Barista & Hot Beverages |
| Unit 12 | Advanced Wine Appreciation 1 |
| Unit 13 | Advanced Wine Appreciation 2 |
| Unit 14 | Advanced Bartending & Mixology 1 |
| Unit 15 | Advanced Bartending & Mixology 2 |
How Specialist Units Behave Differently
They are stackable and can generally be taken at any stage — you do not have to wait until Advanced to do a barista unit. They do not, on their own, produce a Certificate of Competency; they sit alongside the main progression as evidence of depth. Think of them as the answer to the interview question "what can you do that the other three candidates cannot?"
Choose them by boat, not by fashion. A private boat with a wine-collecting owner makes Units 12 and 13 the highest-return training you will ever buy. A busy charter boat with a cocktail-heavy programme points to Units 14 and 15. Floristry pays for itself on any boat where the interior budget currently goes to a florist in Palma every week.
Note that WSET Level 1 and Level 2 are recognised equivalents for Units 12 and 13 — covered properly later in this course. If you already hold WSET, do not pay twice.
The Purser Stream
Alongside the hospitality units, GUEST recognises a Purser stream — the administrative and financial spine of a large yacht. The purser handles accounts, budgets, crew administration, travel, provisioning contracts, compliance paperwork and the interface with the management company. On vessels above roughly 50-60m the role is often separate from the chief stew entirely.
The purser path leans on the same management-level competences — administration, accounting and budgeting, HR and crew wellbeing, leadership — and it is a genuine alternative career direction, not merely a promotion from chief stew. If you are the person who enjoys the spreadsheet more than the silver, this is your lane. Confirm the current purser requirements with GUEST administration, as this stream has developed over time.
Onboard Notes
- Audit your boat before you book: what does the programme actually need next season?
- Two specialist units done well beat five collected like stickers.
- Specialist units do not shortcut sea service or the record book, and no xplor lesson certifies you in any of them.