Wednesday, April 3, 2024

What Working on Cruise Ships is Really Like: Pros & Cons

working on a cruise ship

In my three years onboard, I’ve been woken four times in the early morning hours between 2-5 a.m. To my emergency call, which I then had to run up 10 decks and the entire length of the ship to reach my response station. While this varies by company and possibly by job, ships generally pay for crew flights. But there were also many times in my three-year career at sea where it honestly felt like a living nightmare. You have to remember to leave out everything you will need on your final morning, including travel documents, passports, and the clothes you want to wear home.

I work on a cruise ship. It's a strange job but the perks are great. - Business Insider

I work on a cruise ship. It's a strange job but the perks are great..

Posted: Fri, 02 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

I Spent 7 Days on My First Adults-Only Virgin Voyages Cruise

With modern cruise ship internet access (especially Starlink), you should be able to participate in Zoom meetings, stream video, etc. But even the best ship internet can be spotty at times, so if you need the ability to do these things at specific times, it might not be the best choice. With the cruise industry continuing to expand, the opportunities for people looking for a career at sea are not going to dry up any time soon.

Latest Cruise Ship Jobs

It’s a good idea to be specific about what position you are looking for on the cruise ship. Putting “Any” under career objectives is a big no-no when applying for cruise jobs. The cruise lines generally want you to understand your strengths and apply for specific positions within the crew, even if you plan to move up later on.

working on a cruise ship

Onboard departments

He has been travelling and working abroad since 2008 and has more than 10 years of experience in online business, finance, travel and entrepreneurship. Cindy actually had interviews in Amsterdam and London with a rep from the cruise line. The interview won’t last long and you’ll be asked questions about your experience, plus they’ll be checking your English language ability. According to Indeed.com, Cindy’s job would currently pay just under $70,000 USD per year, which is a pretty amazing wage, especially considering that during work, everything is free on the ship. The Hotel Services Engineer is responsible for all aspects of Hotel maintenance utilizing the services of the tradesmen within his/her sub-department, as well as the electrical and ventilation departments.

This position supports a minimum of different restaurant and beverage outlets that contain exciting menus designed to match our numerous itineraries. Our Cruise Entertainment and Guest Program departments are multifaceted and incorporate a variety of teams that work together to create a captivating entertainment experience. We offer everything from lavish production shows to organized activities, games shows, and informative presentations. We encourage high-quality entertainers, accomplished musicians, skilled production technicians, and knowledgeable lecturers to pursue opportunities to travel the world and delight our guests.

Therefore, as a company we strive to help give you all the necessary resources and comforts to enable you to take care of our guests – and yourself. For many crew positions, you won’t be able to request a specific ship or itinerary for several years. While guests might deal with seasickness by laying down in their cabins, crew members still need to be at their work areas operating the same as usual no matter what the weather or sea conditions are. Side note, if you’re a guest anywhere, please be a decent human to people providing you with services. I honestly don’t know what it is that makes some cruise guests the worst types of customers I’ve ever encountered, but it’s definitely helped me build up my patience and Resting “Are You Done” Face. As I mentioned above, some ships have separate messes, one for officers and staff and another for crew.

Main Cruise Ship Job Duties

I quit Disney Cruise Line because of burnout and long working hours - Business Insider

I quit Disney Cruise Line because of burnout and long working hours.

Posted: Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The shipboard medical department prides itself in delivering high quality, patient-centered, evidence based healthcare to guests and crew. Within this diverse and welcoming environment, our medical staff perform a broad range of medical care, supported by a skilled medical team in a modern, well-equipped shipboard medical center. Visit our website for more information on cruise ship medicine, and working at sea as a doctor, nurse, paramedic or healthcare assistant. The 24 hours before you disembark your cruise -- the point at which you get off the ship -- comes with a flurry of instructions. That includes everything from assigning you a time to leave the ship to breakfast options on disembarkation day and luggage rules. For the staff and crew, disembarkation begins their turn-around day between one cruise and the next, making it one of their most difficult work days.

Cruise Ship Job Board Websites

If you're curious about what my job is like, here are four fun facts about working on a cruise ship. Before landing a job like this one, I was working a normal 9-to-5 at a day care, and I was teaching, too. I'd just graduated college around the time of COVID, and I felt miserable. While not revealing specific figures, Royal Caribbean Group says its employee retention record is above the industry standard and crew members choose to stay with the company rather than jump ship to another line. These courses are held at a variety of land-based training centers that are focused on different aspects of crew training. For example, Royal Caribbean sends some staff to a dedicated training center for safety, hospitality and catering courses that is situated close to Manila.

In this role your goal is to help the Cruise Staff provide a premium entertainment package and make our guests’ vacations memorable. You contribute to these memories by actively participating in all events with enthusiasm and dedication. Our Cruise Staff make a dramatic impact on each guest’s cruise experience by conducting a variety of onboard activities for them to enjoy. Activities range from trivia games and contests to themed parties and dance lessons. This team is also responsible for hosting an array of special events onboard, including guest performers, group exercise classes, and even the occasional conga line.

What often takes the most time is getting down to the appropriate deck with your carry-on bags (or all of your bags if you opted for self disembarkation), since the elevators are always crowded on the final morning. Occasionally, an issue with clearing the ship delays passenger disembarkation and can create lines. That's why you should never book a flight too early on disembarkation day. Getting off the ship is more complicated, as you must follow a set of sometimes byzantine procedures. You cannot simply leave your cruise ship at any time on disembarkation day. However, like at a hotel, you will need to settle up financial matters on the last evening or first thing the next morning (more about that below).

During the course, they take part in individual exercises, activities in groups and in pairs, group discussions and role-play exercises. Junior Assistant Purser is the entry-level position into the Pursers department. This position offers excellent career development and promotion opportunities in hotel management. The Housekeeping department is responsible for maintaining the highest level of cleanliness and service in guest staterooms, public areas, and open decks as well as providing laundry services to both guests and crew members. This department is also responsible for the movement of baggage on and off the ship and making sure the ship is ready for new guests each and every cruise. Entry-level positions within this department include Utility Cleaner, Accommodations Attendant, and Laundry Steward.

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