Who Can Work On A Cruise Ship
A cruise liner is a separate community on the water that provides the highest level of service, following the international standards of hospitality for several thousands of passengers. Therefore, it needs an impressive number of workers for all the onboard hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, casinos, beauty salons, swimming pools, gyms and so on.
Working on a cruise ship can be divided into several departments:
The large number of available vacancies shows that anyone can find a job within their skillset on a ship.
Working On A Cruise Ship
Opportunities for progression and the chance to see the world are just some of the reasons why life on the water could be for you
With travel and holidays currently banned under the COVID-19 restrictions, cruise ship recruitment is on hold. Keep checking the websites of employers of interest to keep up to date with latest developments and to find out when applications reopen.
Cruise line companies constantly strive to build bigger and better ships, which means that there are an ever-increasing number of opportunities for those who’d like to work at sea. These opportunities are available in everything from accommodation, bar work and fitness to entertainment, childcare and retail.
Paid Work On A Cruise Ship: How To Get Hired
Paid cruise ship work is available worldwide, here in Scandinavia.
If you are looking to change careers or just for a change of lifestyle, now is a good time to get a job on a cruise ship. According to the most recent statistics, over 25 million people have taken cruise vacations during the past year , supplying over 480,000 jobs. Getting hired by a cruise line requires making sure that the right person sees your carefully put together employment package.
Crew agencies are generally a waste of money. Even if the agency tells you it will guarantee you a job or your money back, it will require rejection letters from the cruise companies to prove that you haven’t been hired. But cruise companies don’t send rejection letters.
To get hired, you first need to know what positions or jobs are available that fit your qualifications. Then, you need to know the right places to send your resume.
Americans and Canadians are generally hired for jobs that require passenger contact such as jobs at the front desk, boutiques, casinos, salons or spas, and work in entertainment, photography, or as youth counselors. Positions in the galley, restaurants, bars, and technical departments are usually filled through agencies outside of North America.
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The Cruise Ship Hiring Manager Interview
Bernard Stolberg worked as the manager of vessel services at Glacier Bay Tours and Cruises in Seattle. He began working in the cruise line industry as a waiter many years ago and has worked his way up the corporate ladder. Bernard took some time out of his busy schedule to reflect on what it takes to succeed in this industry and what it’s like working for a small cruise company such as Glacier Bay.
I interview and hire a lot of young people, and I see a lot of people who are looking for the experience of being away from home. They want to travel-that’s a large percentage of our applicants. People want to travel and experience Alaska, or experience the Pacific Northwest, or wherever the vessel operates.
When I’m interviewing job candidates, I look for someone who has met challenges before, someone who is outgoing and a go-getter. Especially in our sector of the cruise industry, with the small ships. It is vital that people can talk and are willing to get along and meet new people. The cruise industry right now is really competitive, but I think it’s still fairly easy to get a job, especially if you have background experience. A lot of times the background experience is in the hospitality industry-working for a restaurant or hotel. Those industries are key because of the customer service and guest experience you learn.
Adventure cruising, eco-tourism – we keep expanding because that whole niche is expanding. So there are many opportunities in the cruise line industry!
Is It Hard To Get A Job On A Cruise Ship
Its always been hard to get a job on a cruise ship, but the global pause in cruising has made it so much harder as there are thousands of experienced cruise ship workers that are now out of work.
The easiest way to get your dream cruise ship job is to take an entry-level job to get your foot through the door and then you can work your way up to the job that you aspire to do.
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Job Boards And Career Websites
Start building profiles on various job boards. Look for suitable jobs and start applying.
Nowadays job boards and career websites are a great way to search jobs in cruise lines.
Many jobs boards have moved toward a virtual format.
If you are looking for most reliable hospitality job boards, look nowhere else and just go through these hospitality job portals.
So get online and start exploring the oceans of opportunity.
Apply For A Cruise Ship Job Through A Recruitment Agency
This is one of the most common ways to apply for cruise line jobs. Large cruise companies have their official licensed recruitment agents and hiring partners worldwide in charge of receiving and processing job applications, and arranging individual and group job interviews.
Cruise companies dont have agents in every single country in the world, so sometimes one recruitment agency covers the whole region and neighboring countries.
For example, I come from Belgrade but I applied through the Croatian agencyUspinjaca: for the position of Shore excursions staffonboard Royal Caribbean International. There is also another recruitment agency in Belgrade that I contacted: Safe Cruise, but this agency was only hiring for Princess Cruises and a few other cruise lines I wasnt interested in. Also, it wasnt possible to apply for the position that I wanted , so I gave up on them and went for the Uspinjaca recruitment agency.
So, if you want to apply for a cruise ship job through a recruitment agency and you are not sure if there is one in your country, my advice is to contact our best friend Google, type in the information you search for and Google will pop up the list of cruise ship job recruitment agencies websites where you can apply.
You can check out the websites of a few recruitment agencies recruiting worldwide: and and check out the vacancies. Once you contact them, they will direct you on what to do next.
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Apply Online Find A Cruise Ship Job Or Employment Application
Do you love the open sea? Does hopping from port to port and experiencing exotic food, cultures, and locations sound like a dream to you? Well, your dreams have just come true. Cruise lines offer an extraordinary prospect for independent people to earn money, see the world, and profit from considerable and varied work experience.
Cruise Ship Jobs: A popular segment of the travel industry, cruise lines may expect a 13 percent business increase throughout the next ten years, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than 80,000 employees work within the water transportation industry, and many provide cruise ship services. With an average wage sitting generously at about $25.00 an hour, captains and deckhands often must hold bachelors degrees from merchant marine academies to gain employment consideration. Other crew workers may receive an average of $35,000 annually. Cruise ships often collect a diverse set of employees to provide guest services, as well. Casino, child care, entertainment, food and beverage, management, and retail jobs also exist on most excursions. Pay rates compare to wages received on land within each field.
Cruise lines now hiring
Popular Cruise Ship Job Descriptions
A List Of Cruise Jobs That Dont Require Experience
- Galley cleaner Cleaning the kitchens
- Potwasher Washing dishes
- Bar utility Cleaning and restocking bars
- Cleaning deck areas and stacking deckchairs
- Ordinary seaman General cleaning and maintenance
- Cabin steward Cleaning passenger cabins
- Bell staff Moving luggage, running errands and cleaning
- General cleaner Cleaning public areas
- Laundryperson Washing and ironing clothes, bedding and towels
- Engine wiper Cleaning machinery and equipment
If you want to work on a cruise ship with no experience or qualifications, one things for sure, youd better like cleaning! A cruise ship cleaning job, whether youre cleaning the kitchen, the cabins or the engine room can get your foot in the door so that you can work your way up to a better-paid and more exciting position.
Alternatively, you look to gain qualifications and work experience in the area that youre interested in. Look for jobs in large hotels or on smaller ships or sailboats as a way to gain the experience that you need before applying for your first cruise ship job.
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Where To Send Your Application Package For A Cruise Job
One of the first steps in applying for a cruise job is deciding who you want to work for. Which cruise line are you going to apply to first? At the same time, you are deciding which job on a cruise ship you are most suited for. Now you need to figure out who is the recruiter for that particular position.
Most cruise lines have employment pages on their website that will give you the information you need in order to apply for a job. Many cruise lines use recruitment agencies to assist with the screening of job applicants. On the other hand there are some cruise jobs that are recruited and employed by cruise ship concessions.
Get to know the method that an employer prefers you to send your application package and follow their instructions. You may have to complete their online application or they may prefer you to email your resume and cover letter to a specific address. Getting your resume and cover letter to the right hiring manager is crucial to landing a job.
Show Dancer Job Description And Duties:
The duties and responsibilities of a Production Show Dancer aboard a cruise ship include, but are not limited to:
– Reports to the Cast Performance Manager and to the Cruise Director
– Perform the required shows approved by the Director of Entertainment of the cruise line or by the Production Company Manager
– Due to the nature of the job the Show Dancer must maintain weight restrictions according to his/her contract
– Performs in Production Shows specifically created by or for the cruise line
– Perform any of the production segments during a cruise as scheduled by the Cruise Director
– Responsible for cleaning and maintaining all companys production shows costumes
– Maintains a cleaned and organized dressing room and backstage area
– Meets and greets guests at the ship’s theater entrance during non-production show evenings
– Have photographs taken with the guests when requested by the and approved by the Cruise Director
– Leading and escorting passenger tours of the Bridge and ship’s theater backstage area
– Must arrive backstage 15 minutes prior to all rehearsals and 30 minutes prior to all shows in order to allow sufficient time for dressing and warm-up
– Some cruise lines require Show Dancers to perform Guest Activities duties during the day or non-production show evenings as well as meeting and greeting passengers during embarkation, Show Dancers aboard ships of other cruise lines do not perform any additional duties, except professional dancing
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How To Get A Job On A Cruise Ship And Travel The World For Free
If you are 21 or over and would love to travel the world for free and get paid to do it then working on a cruise ship is for you! You can apply to work with any of the numerous cruise lines worldwide. Read through and implement the following steps and you could be well on your way to a life at sea within a few short weeks!
- How to get a job on a cruise ship:
6.Get your first offer of contract, celebrate, and join your first ship!
Paid Travel And Adventure
Looking for travel jobs and adventures? Searching for employment on board cruise ships? You have come to the right place. Cruise ship jobs enable you to travel the world and get paid for it. Spend your winters in the Caribbean and your summers in Alaska or travel to remote and exotic ports in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South America and all over the world aboard a luxury cruise ship. Passengers pay between 900 and 5000 U.S. dollars per week to live on the same cruise ship and visit the same places. You can do that for free plus earning in most cases tax free salaries that only maritime jobs could offer. Cruise jobs offer fabulous opportunities to save money, travel the world and meet people from many different cultures. They are a great adventure for college and university students who have just graduated or are taking time out from school.
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Cruise Ship Jobs Pay And Cost Of Living
One of the best things about working onboard is that the cruise line provides you with your room and board. As a result, your living expenses are pretty much zero save for the minimal cost of crew Internet and satellite phone cards as well as your crew bar tab.
Working on a cruise ship is one of the quickest ways that I know of to save nearly ALL of your earnings! You just dont have the type of bills that most people on land have. Youre not paying for rent, food, cable, gas, a car the list goes on! Many crew who make working at sea their career pay off MASSIVE amounts of student debt in short amounts of time and buy homes and businesses outright upon their return to land life.
It doesnt cost you anything to work onboard. I loved it! I spent 7 years out there. I travelled the world and met my fiancé! Working on ships bought me a house! James Taylor, Casino Dealer/Manager for both Carnival and Royal Caribbean International
Cruise ship jobs: The pay
Most new-hire crew will start in the $1000-$1,500 USD a month range. To those working on land this may sound like a low monthly starting salary, however, if you take into account that you will actually be SAVING MOST, if not ALL, of this amount per month then working at sea starts to make a whole lot of sense.
If candidates question the starting salary during the interview process I usually ask them this simple question:
Most of the time the answer is NO.
The Costs Docs & Uniform
How Cruise Lines Hire New Workers
Cruise jobs are extremely suitable for those who have a passion and a drive to work on Cruise ships. Can be Students, Retires, and career changers.
In order to answer how to apply for Cruise line jobs, it is equally important to know the process of hiring at cruise ships.
The hiring process is not as simple as that of the hotel industry and Cruise ship jobs are not actively advertised on social media platforms and job portals.
Cruise companies always hire such peoples who have experience in, tourism, hospitality, entertainment, Bars & restaurants, childcare, sales, teaching, gaming, customer realities, fitness, beauty, health, Healthcare & medicines, and financial management.
In the below video you can learn more about how the application process works in Cruises
If you want to work in cruise ship line then your number 1 priority as a cruise line worker is to provide a fun, safe as well as a memorable vacation experience to customers.
Cruise companies always hire dependable competent workers with positive and outgoing attitudes.
They do follow due diligence but mostly communication, personality and passion outweigh experience and knowledge.
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Watch Out For Cruise Ship Employment Scams
While it’s true that some cruise line companies hire directly and some use third party companies to recruit for specialty positions, there are also for-profit companies selling tip and tricks to ensure employment aboard a ship. Such companies are not official representatives of cruise lines, and any that claim to offer a guarantee of employment are scams.
While it is up to you to decide if you want to pay for this type of information, you should realize that it will not substitute for applying with cruise lines and/or the third part companies they use for recruiting services. Employers and reputable third party staffing companies never charge an application fee, nor do they sell information on how to apply for jobs.
As an example, Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD, posts a warning about online scams to letting prospective employees know that they never ask for credit card information as part of the online application process. Be smart about online companies and research carefully before providing personal information to anyone on the web.
Helpful Advice For Starting Your Cruise Career
After you have decided on the kind of job you want, you need to take the right actions to maximise your chances of finding a cruise ship job. This could mean ensuring you have the right education or professional qualifications and it may also mean making changes to your CV. Alternatively, it could involve things like improving your interview skills.
Take a look at Cruise Careers: Tips to Start Your Career at a Cruise Ship for more information on these steps and several others besides so you can improve your application and begin your career in the cruise industry.
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