Description

The Crew Academy’s IAMI and GUEST-accredited Flexible Purser Course allows students to study at their own pace in order to gain the essential knowledge and skills needed to excel in leadership and administrative roles onboard.

We also offer 2-week intensive Purser courses both in-person at our Residential Program and remotely with our Online Program. 

Whether you’re looking to progress towards the Purser role, or you already occupy the position and would like to formalise your existing experience, our GUEST-accredited Purser Program is for you.

Our Purser Program was the first of its kind when we created it 15 years ago, and it continues to lead the industry with more than 700 graduates having passed through the courses. 

The program provides an understanding of a vast range of practical skills that may be required of pursers in their role on board including yacht operations, destination management, VAT, accounting, crew management, HR and more. 

For further inquiries contact info@yachtcrew.uk.

To find out more about our Purser course read our Purser brochure.

Course Format

With our Flexible Purser Program, students can fit their study around them, joining online from whichever time zone and country they find themselves in.

Flexi students must complete all lectures taught in our standard two week course. Choose from a series of live lecture dates scheduled at regular times throughout the year and have up to 12 months to complete your studies.

• Access to our schedule of live lectures at various times throughout the year. 

• Self-study at your leisure through our state-of-the-art 4th generation Virtual Learning Environment

• 3 written assessments

• Online format allows students to join from any time-zone and location

Flexi students can join any 2 week program, or join for one or more of the lectures during our 2-week online courses.

2025 dates:

• 6 January to 17 January
• 17 to 28 February (Pacific timezone course)
• 19 to 30 May
• 16 to 27 June 
• 21 July to 1 August
• 11 to 22 August
• 8 to 19 September
• 29 September to 10 October
• 1 to 12 December 

Key Takeaways

You will leave the course with all the knowledge and tools to launch or progress your career as a Purser.

After completing the course, you will officially be part of our Alumni community and will have free access to our Mental Health courses for free as well as discounts on other courses such as Management & Leadership for Crew.

If you would like to obtain your GUEST Purser Certificate of Competence, we recommend also taking our Advanced Leadership Program to fulfill the IAMI GUEST requirements for this certification.

Modules

The Purser course is broken down into eight modules over 2 weeks which cover the core GUEST / IAMI learning outcomes. 

Our program contains Units 18 - 21 GUEST Purser Program.  

1. The Role of the Purser

• Administration
• Port Bookings
• Port Agents
• Yacht and Crew File Management
• Software Systems
• Introduction to Checklists/Templates

2. Destination Management

• Research & Reconnaissance
• Itinerary Planning
• Event Planning
• Safety & Security considerations
• Guest logistics

3. Maritime Organisations

• MARPOL
• STCW
• MLC 2006
• SOLAS: ISPS & ISM
• Crew: POEA, Visas, Discharge Books
• Medical

4. Port Clearances

• Certificates/Documentation
• Immigration & Customs
• Sanitation
• Port State Control

5. Charter & VAT

• Types of Charter Contracts
• Responsibilities of owner and client
• APA Management
• European VAT legislation

6. Legal Framework

• United Nations
• IMO
• ILO
• Flag States
• Port States

7. Muster duties & Ops

• Destinations (Culture, Safety, Provisions)
• Muster Duties
• Guest Safety Inductions
• Pre-Departure Checks
• PWC Operations
• Diving Operations

8. Accounting & Budgeting

• Terminology
• Management/Owner Expectations
• Bookkeeping & Payroll
• Purchase Procedure Systems
• CC, Cash, Float and Receipt Management

Testimonials

"This is a fabulous course for those wishing to step up from being a Chief Stewardess - it gives you the tools, knowledge and insights needed to become a Purser; the confidence to transition into that role with ease. I would highly recommend Julia as the instructor - she made virtual learning a breeze with a lot of interaction and engagement throughout despite the endless pages of compendiums!"

- Chloe, Flexible Purser Graduate 

" If you want to take your job seriously, and be seen as a professional, even if you don't want to become a Purser, I would recommend this course. You'll understand all of the factors that go into making the decision making onboard from your HODs and Captain. And you will understand your rights and the questions to ask when looking for a new job."

- Laura, Flexible Purser Graduate

"My favourite part was generally being able to gain a stronger grasp of the purser role, there were many elements of the course I have not come across before or else I have seen onboard which I didn't understand but now makes sense. I have loved getting to know all of the other pursers on the course and hope to stay in touch with everyone."

- Emma, Flexible Purser Graduate

" If you want to step up into a Purser role with more confidence and knowledge about the position and what would be expected of you, I highly recommend you do the course to gain that knowledge." 

- Liezl, Flexible Purser Graduate

"Just do it! You won't regret it. Best money I have ever spent on a course. You will learn so much about yourself and about things you wouldn't normally get taught in the industry. Doing this course has solidified my knowledge as a Chief Stew and have given me that extra push to be above the rest."

- Chantelle, Flexible Purser Graduate

" Doing the purser course was a real milestone for me. Out of all my yachting courses, I am always the happiest and most impressed when I'm doing them with The Crew Academy and I would go do all their courses if I could 🙂 "

- Lisa, Flexible Purser Graduate