Crew member
Landed her first contract
And here I am. I landed the job on board. I am enjoying it. Keep it up guys.
On camera
Maitre D Leadership Course
Two leadership roles in one course. First the assistant Maitre D: safety, sanitation, training and the numbers. Then the Maitre D: the whole room, the VIPs, the hardest complaints and a multicultural team.
- Videos included
- Audio in every lesson
- 15 lessons
- Certificate of completion
- Study on your phone
- Lifetime access
Filmed on boardWatch crew who trained with us50% off, Founding intake offer
R 3 500R 7 000
You save R 3 500. Once off. Lifetime access, including every future update.
Robin, our co-founder, enrols you personally on WhatsApp.
Offer ends in 12 days, 17 hours and 38 minutes
- 15 lessons covering the whole Maitre D role
- Knowledge checks, a 32 question final exam and your certificate of completion
- A 95 page course manual to download and keep
- The Cruise Interview Guide for the Maitre D role
We never charge you to get a job. Legitimate cruise lines pay you. Refund policy
All courses 50% off
Ends in
12days
17hrs
38min
43sec
- Real global and SA expertsYears at sea and in top SA hospitality
- Training videos insideWatch how the job is done
- Audio in every lessonListen on the go
- Real crew on cameraFilmed on board
- Certificate of completionWhen you pass the final exam
- Interview guide includedThe questions to expect
- Study on your phoneSelf paced, with lifetime access
- Free career plannerSee what the role pays
- A real officeV&A Waterfront, Cape Town
- Registered companyReg. 2025/360318/07
- We never sell jobsPreparation, not recruitment
- Real people to talk toOn WhatsApp or by email
What you get
Watch it, hear it, then prove you know it
Training videos show you what good looks like before you try it yourself. Every lesson comes with a short narrated summary you can listen to on the go. Every lesson ends with a knowledge check. Here is exactly what you get in the Maitre D course.
Videos included
See the work done before you try it
Short training videos sit inside the lessons, right where the skill is taught. Watch them on your phone, pause on the detail, and replay them as often as you like.
- 15Lessons with audioA short narrated summary in each
- 75Quiz questionsA knowledge check in every lesson
- 120Flip cardsTest yourself on the key terms
- 32Final exam questionsPass it to earn your certificate of completion
- 95pagesCourse manualDownload it and keep it
- 33pagesInterview guideThe questions to expect, and how to answer them
Filmed on board
Crew who trained with us
Short phone clips from July and September 2026, in their own words.
Swipe, or use the arrows, to browse our students
The outcome
What you will be able to do on board
- 1Step up as assistant Maitre D, then run the room as Maitre D
- 2Hold safety, sanitation and the standard on every shift
- 3Own the room, the VIPs and the hardest nights
Who this is for
Dining room leaders on the way up, from a first post as assistant Maitre D to running the room as Maitre D.
Our honest promise
We will not promise you a job, because no honest academy can. We promise real preparation that makes you a serious, ready candidate, and a CV builder that puts it on paper the way cruise lines want to read it.
- Built from real cruise experience
- STCW is done at a SAMSA approved centre, and we show you the route
- You never pay anyone for a job
The curriculum
What you will learn, lesson by lesson
The full Maitre D course, in the order you study it: 15 lessons, 75 quiz questions, 120 flip cards and a 32 question final exam.
Part 1: Assistant Maitre D
Lesson 01The assistant Maitre D: your role, and the line you representThe bridge between the floor and its leadership, and the philosophy you model.5 quiz questions · 8 flip cards
Lesson 02Safety, muster and the assistant Maitre D's dutiesThe daily check, the briefing tip and the muster station you learn cold.5 quiz questions · 8 flip cards
Lesson 03The sanitation program, and your place in itUSPH, the outbreak prevention plan and the equipment standards you verify.5 quiz questions · 8 flip cards
Lesson 04Training and development: how crew get better because of youBriefings, tests, role play and the one on ones that grow a team.5 quiz questions · 8 flip cards
Part 2: Maitre D
To finishA 32 question final exam, then your certificate of completion
The student portal
What you see when you log in
This is the portal where your course lives. Learn on your phone, check your progress on a laptop, and carry on from your next lesson.
Your dashboardYour progress at a glance
Real screens from the live portal, on an account with no progress yet. The dashboard shows the Waiter course; the lesson is from the Bartender course.
Lessons with training videos
On your phone the lesson and its training video sit side by side, so you read a step and then watch it done.
Your progress in one place
Your rank, XP, streak, scores and badges at a glance, and one tap takes you back into your next lesson.
A one minute welcome from Jean Jacobs, Founder. Tap to play.
Who built this course
Taught by people who have done the job
I have hired and led crew from all over the world. South Africans belong on those ships. My job is to get you ready to prove it.
- Luxury hotels, top restaurants and the world's largest cruise line
- DoubleTree by Hilton, Harbour House Group, international cruise operations
- Chosen to lead high profile launches and operations
Our students
A wall of real momentum
Our students, on camera and in writing. Crew cards are backed by the clips above; written reviews come straight from our students.
Vencesla
Restaurants · Madagascar
Thank you Cape Marine Academy for the training, and Jean. You guys are the best. Thank you for giving me this training.
On camera
Siya
Working on board now · South Africa
Cape Marine Academy changed my life in so many ways. I bought courses online, and then here I am on the ship, earning in dollars. Don't hesitate. Try it.
On camera
NP
Nicole P.
I expected a few basic videos about cruise ships. I was completely wrong. The training actually shows you how the role works, what the standards are and what you are expected to know before you ever step onboard.
Written review
ZN
Zanele N.
The Assistant Waiter course taught me that there is much more to the job than clearing tables. Mise en place, service sequence, table setup, guest interaction and hygiene standards were all explained properly. I feel much better prepared now.
Written reviewAssistant Waiter
BF
Bianca F.
I thought the course would mainly be about serving guests. I was surprised by how much it covers about ship life, hygiene standards, teamwork, guest expectations and the reality of working long hours onboard. It gives you a much bigger picture.
Written review
DB
Dylan B.
The CV section was a wake up call for me. I thought my CV was fine because I had hospitality experience already, but I realised I was not presenting that experience in a way that made sense for an international cruise application.
Written review
CI
Cameron I.
The Bar Server training was much more detailed than I expected. Wine, spirits, beer, cocktails, garnishes, taking the order correctly, serving and presenting the bill. It takes something that looks simple from the outside and shows you the proper standard.
Written reviewBar Server
MH
Megan H.
I originally came here because I wanted to find a cruise job. Somewhere during the training my thinking changed. I stopped looking at it as one job and started looking at where the career could take me over the next five or ten years.
Written review
AV
Anika V.
I would recommend this even to someone who already works in hospitality. I have experience and still found plenty of things I either did not know or had never been properly taught.
Written review
CB
Chloe B.
The whole experience feels modern. Lessons, quizzes, progress tracking and career preparation are all together in one place. It does not feel like one of those online courses where somebody sends you ten PDFs and wishes you luck.
Written review
AM
Amahle M.
I have not even left South Africa yet, but mentally I already feel like I am in a very different place compared to when I started. I finally feel excited about my career again.
Written review
RJ
Reece J.
I found the academy online and was quite sceptical at first because there are so many people selling cruise ship dreams. Once I started using the platform I could see there was real structure behind it. It feels like somebody has actually thought about what a first time applicant needs to know.
Written review
Crew member
Landed her first contract
And here I am. I landed the job on board. I am enjoying it. Keep it up guys.
On camera
Vencesla
Restaurants · Madagascar
Thank you Cape Marine Academy for the training, and Jean. You guys are the best. Thank you for giving me this training.
On camera
Siya
Working on board now · South Africa
Cape Marine Academy changed my life in so many ways. I bought courses online, and then here I am on the ship, earning in dollars. Don't hesitate. Try it.
On camera
NP
Nicole P.
I expected a few basic videos about cruise ships. I was completely wrong. The training actually shows you how the role works, what the standards are and what you are expected to know before you ever step onboard.
Written review
ZN
Zanele N.
The Assistant Waiter course taught me that there is much more to the job than clearing tables. Mise en place, service sequence, table setup, guest interaction and hygiene standards were all explained properly. I feel much better prepared now.
Written reviewAssistant Waiter
BF
Bianca F.
I thought the course would mainly be about serving guests. I was surprised by how much it covers about ship life, hygiene standards, teamwork, guest expectations and the reality of working long hours onboard. It gives you a much bigger picture.
Written review
DB
Dylan B.
The CV section was a wake up call for me. I thought my CV was fine because I had hospitality experience already, but I realised I was not presenting that experience in a way that made sense for an international cruise application.
Written review
CI
Cameron I.
The Bar Server training was much more detailed than I expected. Wine, spirits, beer, cocktails, garnishes, taking the order correctly, serving and presenting the bill. It takes something that looks simple from the outside and shows you the proper standard.
Written reviewBar Server
MH
Megan H.
I originally came here because I wanted to find a cruise job. Somewhere during the training my thinking changed. I stopped looking at it as one job and started looking at where the career could take me over the next five or ten years.
Written review
AV
Anika V.
I would recommend this even to someone who already works in hospitality. I have experience and still found plenty of things I either did not know or had never been properly taught.
Written review
CB
Chloe B.
The whole experience feels modern. Lessons, quizzes, progress tracking and career preparation are all together in one place. It does not feel like one of those online courses where somebody sends you ten PDFs and wishes you luck.
Written review
AM
Amahle M.
I have not even left South Africa yet, but mentally I already feel like I am in a very different place compared to when I started. I finally feel excited about my career again.
Written review
RJ
Reece J.
I found the academy online and was quite sceptical at first because there are so many people selling cruise ship dreams. Once I started using the platform I could see there was real structure behind it. It feels like somebody has actually thought about what a first time applicant needs to know.
Written review
Thuto
Restaurants · South Africa
Cape Marine Academy, I met them online. I take all my courses from them. They are one of the best. Give them a try.
On camera
Pedro
Restaurants · Brazil
Thank you Cape Marine Academy for giving me the best training. Appreciate you guys, you're the best.
On camera
Manele
Working on board now · South Africa
I highly recommend Cape Marine Academy. If you want to come on board, join and do the courses online. And here I am now, on board, because of Jean. They highly assisted me.
On camera
SD
Sipho D.
What changed most for me was my confidence. I already had hospitality experience, but cruise ships felt like a completely different world. After doing the training I feel like I can walk into an interview and actually understand the questions being asked.
Written review
JW
Jason W.
Straightforward, practical and actually useful. No unnecessary fluff. I now understand what cruise lines expect from someone applying for the role.
Written review
SM
Sibusiso M.
The Waiter course completely changed how I look at the position. It is not just taking an order and bringing food. You are managing a station, working with your assistant, selling, serving wine correctly and creating an experience for the guest.
Written reviewWaiter
PM
Palesa M.
Interview preparation helped me a lot. Before the course I would probably have gone into an interview and tried to improvise everything. Now I understand what they are actually trying to find out about you and how to prepare without sounding rehearsed.
Written review
LM
Lerato M.
I already had experience working in restaurants, which made me think I was ready. What I did not understand was how different cruise ship standards can be. The course helped me connect the experience I already had with what is expected onboard.
Written review
MH
Musa H.
I liked that the Restaurant Supervisor training deals with situations that actually happen. Complaints, special requests, staff issues, service problems and pressure on the floor. It feels relevant to real hospitality work.
Written reviewRestaurant Supervisor
ID
Imraan D.
I work full time, so being able to study around my schedule made a big difference. Some days I did one lesson, some days I did more. I never felt pressured to rush through it just to finish.
Written review
YI
Yusuf I.
I was very careful because there are a lot of cruise job scams around. The academy was very clear about what they can help with and what they cannot promise. Nobody told me to pay for a job or guaranteed anything. That was important to me.
Written review
RP
Ruan P.
Sometimes in South Africa it feels like there is only so far you can go financially, especially when you are young and working in hospitality. Learning about the opportunities available internationally really opened my mind. It made me realise my current situation does not have to be permanent.
Written review
NG
Nosipho G.
When I first started looking into cruise ships I was sitting at home trying to piece together information from TikTok, Facebook and Google. Eventually I completed my training, improved my CV and prepared properly for the application process. The academy did not hand me an opportunity, but it helped me become much more prepared to go after one.
Written review
Thuto
Restaurants · South Africa
Cape Marine Academy, I met them online. I take all my courses from them. They are one of the best. Give them a try.
On camera
Pedro
Restaurants · Brazil
Thank you Cape Marine Academy for giving me the best training. Appreciate you guys, you're the best.
On camera
Manele
Working on board now · South Africa
I highly recommend Cape Marine Academy. If you want to come on board, join and do the courses online. And here I am now, on board, because of Jean. They highly assisted me.
On camera
SD
Sipho D.
What changed most for me was my confidence. I already had hospitality experience, but cruise ships felt like a completely different world. After doing the training I feel like I can walk into an interview and actually understand the questions being asked.
Written review
JW
Jason W.
Straightforward, practical and actually useful. No unnecessary fluff. I now understand what cruise lines expect from someone applying for the role.
Written review
SM
Sibusiso M.
The Waiter course completely changed how I look at the position. It is not just taking an order and bringing food. You are managing a station, working with your assistant, selling, serving wine correctly and creating an experience for the guest.
Written reviewWaiter
PM
Palesa M.
Interview preparation helped me a lot. Before the course I would probably have gone into an interview and tried to improvise everything. Now I understand what they are actually trying to find out about you and how to prepare without sounding rehearsed.
Written review
LM
Lerato M.
I already had experience working in restaurants, which made me think I was ready. What I did not understand was how different cruise ship standards can be. The course helped me connect the experience I already had with what is expected onboard.
Written review
MH
Musa H.
I liked that the Restaurant Supervisor training deals with situations that actually happen. Complaints, special requests, staff issues, service problems and pressure on the floor. It feels relevant to real hospitality work.
Written reviewRestaurant Supervisor
ID
Imraan D.
I work full time, so being able to study around my schedule made a big difference. Some days I did one lesson, some days I did more. I never felt pressured to rush through it just to finish.
Written review
YI
Yusuf I.
I was very careful because there are a lot of cruise job scams around. The academy was very clear about what they can help with and what they cannot promise. Nobody told me to pay for a job or guaranteed anything. That was important to me.
Written review
RP
Ruan P.
Sometimes in South Africa it feels like there is only so far you can go financially, especially when you are young and working in hospitality. Learning about the opportunities available internationally really opened my mind. It made me realise my current situation does not have to be permanent.
Written review
NG
Nosipho G.
When I first started looking into cruise ships I was sitting at home trying to piece together information from TikTok, Facebook and Google. Eventually I completed my training, improved my CV and prepared properly for the application process. The academy did not hand me an opportunity, but it helped me become much more prepared to go after one.
Written review
Free career planner
What it costs, what it pays
Before you commit, look at the money. Our career planner works out what the Maitre D role earns at sea in rand, and how quickly you earn the course back once you hold the role. If you are not at sea yet, it also counts your STCW, medical and visa.
The bottom lineMaitre D
At Maitre D pay, you earn the course back in under a week.
A role the lines fill with experienced crew. Based on the middle of the Maitre D range, if you save 90% of it, once you hold the role.
- Monthly earnings at sea
- R 49 300 to R 74 000
- About USD 3 000 to 4 500, fixed pay
- Earnings with tips, as at October 2026. They vary by cruise line, ship and itinerary and are not guaranteed.
Earnings sources, as at October 2026: Cruise Critic (opens in a new tab), CruiseCareer Pro (opens in a new tab) and SHIPLIFE (opens in a new tab).
- This course, once off
- R 3 500
- Crew at sea already hold their STCW, medical and visa. Coming from a shore job? The planner adds them.
Week 1Week 30
- Earning back the course
- Yours to save
Food and your cabin are free on board, so most of what you earn can be saved.
Work out your numbers
Opens the planner with the Maitre D role already set. Change the contract, the tips and your costs to fit your plans.
Want everything coordinated? Set Sail on the restaurant leadership path brings one of the Head Waiter, Restaurant Supervisor or Maitre D courses, SAMSA accredited STCW, your police clearance and Crew Ready together, for R27 072,82 in total.
These figures are honest estimates, not a promise of earnings. Earnings include tips, as at October 2026, and vary by cruise line, ship and itinerary. STCW is at the training centre's published prices (1 April 2026, VAT included), which can change without notice. The medical, passport and flights are estimates. Rand figures use the live rate of R16.43 to the US dollar, updated 16 October 2026.
Enrol with confidence
Everything you need, one price
Check us before you pay
Do this with any academy, including us. Everything you need is right here.
- Registered company
- Cape Marine Academy (Pty) Ltd
- Reg. 2025/360318/07
- Office
- The Pavilion
- Corner Portswood & Dock Road
- V&A Waterfront
- WhatsApp, a real person
- +27 72 204 4490
- Nobody can sell you a job on a ship. If someone asks you to pay for one, walk away.
- STCW certificates come only from SAMSA approved training centres.
- Only pay a registered company, never a personal account.
- Look up a company's registration number with the CIPC.
Maitre D Leadership Course
50% off, Founding intake offerR 3 500R 7 000
Once off. No subscription.
- 15 lessons covering the whole Maitre D role
- Knowledge checks, a 32 question final exam and your certificate of completion
- A 95 page course manual to download and keep
- The Cruise Interview Guide for the Maitre D role
- The CV builder, with cruise ready templates
- Lifetime access, including every future update
Robin, our co-founder, enrols you personally on WhatsApp.
Changed your mind? If you have not started the course, ask within 7 days of buying and we refund you in full. The details are in our Refund Policy.
Optional upgrade
The course teaches you the job. Crew Ready gets you interview ready.
Everything in your course stays exactly as it is. Crew Ready adds the part no video can do for you: a real person at Cape Marine Academy who reads your CV, sits through a mock interview with you, and answers your questions on a direct line.
Your CV read by a CMA expert
A mock interview with real feedback
A direct line to our experts
The employer network list
R 1 999
One payment, added to your Maitre D course when you enrol. It covers every course on your account, now and later.
Enrol and add Crew ReadyYour CV feedback comes back within 5 working days, with one rewrite included. Your mock interview is booked within 10 working days, and messages on your direct line are answered within 24 hours on working days.
Planning the whole route to the ship? Crew Ready is already included in Set Sail and Set Sail Light, our full career packages. See what Set Sail includes
Honest answers
Questions about the Maitre D course
Every honest question we get asked, answered straight. If yours is not here, message us and we will tell you the truth.
Will the Maitre D course get me a job?+
No honest academy can promise a job, and anyone who does is a red flag. What this does is prepare you to apply as a serious, ready candidate through the official channels, which is exactly where real hiring happens.
What if I change my mind?+
If you have not started the course you have a 7 day cooling off right, and we refund you in full. Once you begin the lessons that right falls away, because the content is delivered digitally. Our Refund Policy sets this out plainly, with no fine print games.
Which two roles does this course cover?+
Both rungs of dining room leadership, in order: the assistant Maitre D first, holding safety, sanitation, training and the numbers, then the Maitre D proper, owning the whole room, the flow, the VIPs and the hardest complaints. It is one course because the two roles are one career.
Do I need to be a head waiter first?+
On real ships, Maitre Ds are promoted from within, usually through head waiter and supervisor. The course teaches the full ladder so you know exactly what each rung requires, and it prepares you for the interviews that come at each step.
What is the chain of command in a cruise dining room?+
Assistant waiters under waiters, waiters under head waiters, head waiters under the Maitre D, and the Maitre D under the restaurant manager and F&B director. The course draws the whole chain and teaches you to lead through it, not around it.
What does a Maitre D earn?+
Roughly USD 3 000 to 4 500 a month as at October 2026. It is fixed pay rather than a share of the service pool, with food and cabin free, and it varies by line and ship and is not guaranteed. The course puts the numbers on the role honestly, along with the six to eight month contracts and the hard side nobody advertises.
Full Career Package
STCW and documents, coordinated for you
Set Sail includes one of the Head Waiter, Restaurant Supervisor or Maitre D courses on the restaurant leadership path, and Crew Ready. It books your SAMSA accredited STCW in Cape Town at the training centre's own price, times your police clearance, and has your Seaman's Book application ready to lodge if you are offered a contract, with an academy member guiding you from the day you enrol.
Want your STCW and documents handled too? Choose Set Sail instead of a single course.
R 27 072,82in total
R15 500 to Cape Marine Academy, R11 382,82 to the training centre (invoiced to you directly at its published price), R190 to SAPS through our agency. Your medical, passport, visa and flights are paid separately.
Related roles
Roles that work beside this one
These roles share the same guests and the same standard. Knowing how they work makes you better at your own.
Explore more roles
Not sure this is your role?
Every course is built to the same standard. Find the one that fits where you are now.
