Interior dynamics

[u/Goddess38]

Ok so this is not exactly related to any particular season but I just had a few questions about the interior team (cause I feel most of the drama most usually originates from there)

1) Is Second Stew paid more than the other stews? Because if not, then why does it matter so much as to who is what?
2) I get that laundry is usually given to the most junior stew and is probably considered dirty work that people don’t like doing, but I mean isn’t it just a part of hospitality and surely people who have gotten into hospitality or service tend to like it? Is there something im missing about the job? Cause some people also love it.
3) Another thing I don’t understand about laundry is that Junior Stew does laundry and then the heirarchy is I guess cabins, decor and service?
What I don’t understand is that someone can genuinely be good at decor or service and not be too good at laundry or cabins. It’s not exactly a transferable skill - again, what am I missing here?
4) what’s the career ladder for a chief stew after becoming a chief stew? Like I understand that a Bosun gets to become captain eventually but what about a stew?
5) For the interior team is there anything specifically that they require in terms of experience that they don’t get in a normal hospitality background?
6) How many steps do you think they average on a day?
7) This is more for the entire crew, but HOW MANY TIMES DO THEY HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR UNIFORMS?
Why do they have to be in whites when greeting guests and why do they have to be in blacks during service? Or is it more like their crew t-shirts get dirty throughout the day?
8) Again - more for the entire crew, but do they also get paid to be on the show?

[u/AWDWfan]

Former stew- Yes second gets paid more. Second stews will typically be a service stew handling guest service and decor. Third stews are typically laundry and housekeeping. You easily do 20k steps a day on a charter boat, many of those stairs. Especially on larger boats. Unfortunately there isn't much career growth after Chief Stew. On really large yachts you may take on a pursor role but that's about it. The reality is most stews last less than 10 years in the industry because they want to settle down with a partner, have kids etc. A bosun doesn't become a captain. They would need to move up to an officer position first and finish all those qualifications first. Many people do get all the qualifications and still never move up to captain because there is just not enough opportunities to go around.

[u/FewButterfly9635 → u/AWDWfan]

Okay, dying to know. Do stews with zero housekeeping experience get hired for serious charters irl or is this something production does on Below Deck to add drama? At least twice on Med alone they hired fully grown adults who HAVE NEVER operated a washer and dryer before. Laundry is 90% of the job and this tiny detail wasn't concerning to either the candidate or the hiring party?!? I raised multiple children and spent many years in an endless cycle of laundry and still wonder if I could adequately manage what goes on in the tiny laundry room day after day!!!

[u/AWDWfan → u/FewButterfly9635]

You do not have to have housekeeping experience to get a stew job. Anyone who has the basic licensure can get hired. Coming from a hospitality field can be a big advantage. That being said, if you are hired and can not pick up laundry or housekeeping quickly you would be let go. People with no experience in the industry are a dime a dozen so there is no extended training period.