Certified Yacht Chef
Take Your Culinary Career to Sea.
A specialization for Certified Chefs who want to run a galley at sea — provisioning, plating, and delivering fine-dining service on superyachts around the world.
Applications open soon.
Coming soon 2026Get notified when enrollment launches.
Become a Certified Yacht Chef
A yacht galley is unlike any other kitchen — confined space, motion, remote provisioning, and guests who expect Michelin-level plates at anchor.
This specialization builds on your Certified Chef foundation, refining your craft for galley service: provisioning logistics, dietary catering, plating under motion, and crew coordination.
It's not just cooking at sea.
It's a career that travels the world.
Program Overview
Duration
Complete in 4 weeks
Self-paced within 3 months
Format
- AI-powered online learning
- Live galley masterclasses
- Provisioning & logistics modules
- Plating-under-motion drills
- Final practical assessment
Level
Specialization
Certified Chef + 1 year full-time work required.
Tuition
Application Deposit
€50
Refunded if your application is not accepted.
Tuition
€490
Payable after acceptance.
OfficialInstructor
Inca Paatela
Lead Instructor
Inca leads the program curriculum, mentoring, and certification standards across the European Chef Academy.
inca@europeanchefacademy.comWhere you'll work at sea
Yacht chefs follow the fleet — the strongest opportunities cluster around Mediterranean cruising grounds in summer and the Gulf and Caribbean in winter.
France — Côte d'Azur
MediterraneanThe superyacht capital. Antibes, Cannes, and Saint-Tropez are the main hubs for seasonal galley crew placements.
Italy
MediterraneanGenoa, Viareggio, and the Amalfi coast — refits, charters, and a steady rotation of yacht chef roles.
Spain
MediterraneanPalma de Mallorca and Barcelona — major yachting bases with year-round charter and private placements.
Greece
MediterraneanThe summer charter fleet — high demand for yacht chefs from Athens through the Cyclades.
Monaco
MediterraneanThe flagship of luxury yachting — premium salaries for certified galley chefs.
UAE — Dubai & Abu Dhabi
GulfA growing fleet of private yachts and charter vessels, plus luxury hospitality crossover roles.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
United StatesThe yachting capital of North America — the world's largest concentration of superyachts, marinas, and crew agencies, and the main gateway for Caribbean charter work.
Caribbean
Winter charterThe winter cruising ground — the Bahamas, US & British Virgin Islands, and St. Kitts demand yacht chefs for the peak December–April charter season.
What certification gets you
ECA graduates don't just leave with a certificate — they move into better-paid roles and find work faster. The figures below are indicative outcomes from our graduate cohort.
Salary increase
+100%
€2,400 → €4,800 / month
Employment rate
92%
within 6 months of graduating
Time to first role
8 weeks
median, after graduation
Yacht chefs typically earn tax-free salaries plus accommodation and provisions, so take-home pay is higher than the gross figure suggests. Roles are filled through crew agencies before each season.
Certification is the fastest way to move up the kitchen ladder — employers hire trained, certified chefs first, and pay them more.
Apply now