How To Get a Job on a Cruise Ship With No Experience

Table Of Content

• Criminal Background Check
• The Majestic Size and Scale of Modern Cruise Ships
• Food & Beverage Administration
• What happens if I get sick while working onboard?
• Why you should get your cruise cabin serviced in the evening instead of the morning

While onboard, all crew are medically covered and can visit the Medical Clinic for health concerns. If you need to be medically disembarked during your contract, Princess will provide transportation to a land-based medical facility and repatriate you back home. Requirements Applicants must have a minimum of two years’ experience in the hotel/hospitality industry performing junior management duties and front desk responsibilities at a large hotel. Applicants must also be computer literate, have experience with large volume cash handling, possess mathematical and analytical skills, and have excellent customer service skills. Secretarial skills and foreign language fluency are also preferred.

Criminal Background Check

By starting directly with the cruise line’s website, you may get a feel for pay scales and benefits that can help you narrow your focus before you turn to agencies. We found direct links for jobs on most of the mainstream cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, NCL, Princess Cruises and Holland America. Jobs within the U.S. on Viking Mississippi are also posted directly with the cruise line. Cruise ship jobs are also posted on online job sites like Glassdoor, Indeed and LinkedIn. That’s where we found postings for Virgin Voyages and luxury line Silversea, among others. We have recently been made aware of fraudulent entities around the world claiming to represent Princess Cruises as recruitment partners.

The Majestic Size and Scale of Modern Cruise Ships

Each watch is supported by a Junior Watchkeeper in the rank of 3rd Officer. In addition to the regular Cruise Staff responsibilities, the Assistant Cruise Director-DJ provides entertaining, engaging, and memorable DJ and emcee services throughout various shipboard venues. For me personally, it was the fact that working on board wasn’t just a ‘job’ or ‘career’ – it was a way of life! Contact your country’s official hiring partners and speak with a Cruise Ship Employment Specialist. These specialists have not only worked onboard but have also been involved with recruitment as well.

Food & Beverage Administration

The agencies listed below are the only agencies authorized by Princess Cruises to recruit on our behalf, and their activity is monitored by our corporate office. Be sure to join my email list for my best cruise tips and handpicked deals each week.

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Junior Assistant Cruise Director

However, the Staff captain does not navigate the ship, but is in charge of most of the operations onboard. S/he is also responsible for making sure that crew members are doing their duties and behaving responsibly. The downside to this, is that they hardly have any time to enjoy the ports. On a positive note, time as sea is pretty relaxed, they have a lot of privileges, and the money can be extremely good.

Princess Cruises cooperates with a world-wide network of recruiting agencies to select only the most qualified crew. Resumes may be forwarded to the agency that is nearest the applicant’s residence. Once received, candidates will be processed based on current available positions. We've explored the ups and downs of life on board, revealing the perks (travel and new friends) and the challenges (limited time off and long hours) that come with the territory. Social events and gatherings are often organized for crew members, providing the perfect setting to forge lasting connections and share memorable experiences.

What happens if I get sick while working onboard?

However, when you need to go on and check out excursions and work with tour operators, you have great experiences, and also make awesome connections. There are usually between 1-3 trainers on a ship, and they have very long hours. They not only help maintain the fitness facilities, but are in charge of giving seminars and hosting a variety of classes. There are many different areas that revenue covers, and most of them are ones that need to be applied to through its connecting company.

It's time to embark on an exciting journey as we explore the vast array of cruise ship job opportunities that await you on board these floating cities. Before I went on my cruise, a lot of people said they wouldn’t cruise because of their poor labor practices. I’ve heard about the long hours and low pay that most cruise workers endure, but rather than assume, I turned to my friend Wandering Earl, who for a number of years working on cruise ships as a tour director. Earl and I spoke about what it’s really like to be a member of the “crew” on a cruise ship. Some job listings for a cruise ship can look too frightening for those candidates who believe they do not have enough experience and qualifications.

Why you should get your cruise cabin serviced in the evening instead of the morning

This position works as a middle man between the bar manager and the rest of the bar team, since cruise ships have between 12 and 30 bars onboard. They are in charge of overseeing the whole bar operation and report to the bar manager. One inspiring example is that of a Cruise Hotel Director, who started their journey as a humble waiter. Over the years, they advanced through various positions, gaining valuable experience and skills along the way.

Make a wise decision after considering all the advantages and disadvantages of working on a cruise ship. If you feel you are ready, then your cover letter and CV need to perfectly present your relevant skills to impress the potential employer. Working on a cruise ship is quite hard, and not everyone is ready for it. But there are many advantages that encourage people to sign contracts and spend, on average, six months at sea. 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.

We are working closely with our Security department and local police authorities in various countries to prevent individuals from wrongly representing themselves as Princess' recruitment partners. We strongly suggest that you only discuss employment opportunities with the agencies/partners listed below. For South Africa, for all beauty related job (Beauty & Massage Therapists, Fitness Instructor, hairdressers, assistant SPA manager and SPA manager) the SA Cew team can help you finding the right position. They can help all cruise job seekers with CV, STCW and VISA application, and the best is they are an amazing team. By meeting these requirements, you'll be well on your way to starting an exciting and rewarding career on the high seas. No to worry, the successful candidate will get help from the cruise business before the start of their employment in order to get ready for their new careers.

The IT Officer works closely with the shoreside IT group to ensure all onboard systems perform at optimum levels. Senior Watchkeepers are responsible for safe navigation of the ship, maintaining a 24-hour watch by working a four-hours-on/eight-hours-off rotation. Every ship employs three Senior Watchkeepers in the ranks of 1st Officer, Senior 2nd Officer, and 2nd Officer to cover the three watches.

This could include the embarkation/disembarkation process, helping with wheelchairs, life guarding duties, and many more. This position is pretty much the middle man, and needs to have knowledge of every single department. It is the equivalent of being the front desk of a hotel, but with a lot more responsibility. This is one of the only operations that is running 24 hours a day. This part of housekeeping is generally the entry level position, with a lower salary than most.

What are the Requirements to Work on a Cruise Ship? Step by Step

Table Of Content

• Diving into Entry-Level Positions: No Experience Required
• Adapting to Life at Sea: Embracing the Unique Work Environment
• The Majestic Size and Scale of Modern Cruise Ships
• Is It Hard To Get a Job on a Cruise Ship?
• International Recruitment Partners
• Awesome Things to Add to Your Bucket List
• What Cruise Ship Jobs Are Available?

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. Some fraudulent recruiters may pose as legitimate companies, promising high-paying positions and benefits, but their actual goal is to swindle money or personal information from unsuspecting job seekers. In your downtime, you can take advantage of recreational facilities available for crew members, such as gyms, lounges, and sometimes even crew-only swimming pools. These spaces provide a perfect opportunity to unwind after a long day of work. Depending on your job, you may be free to go ashore to enjoy ports or join a shore excursion without paying the normal fee.

Diving into Entry-Level Positions: No Experience Required

Getting a job in a large hotel, on a yacht or developing your language skills will all help you to prepare to apply for your dream cruise ship job. There are several fraudulent companies in the world that claim to represent cruise lines’ human resource departments. To check that any company that you are working with is legitimate, look at the official cruise line’s website for a list of authorised recruitment partners. Some cruise lines require you to apply directly via their head office and some require you to apply via their preferred agency or hiring partner. You’ll find the application instructions in the careers section of each cruise line website.

Adapting to Life at Sea: Embracing the Unique Work Environment

This position is mostly salary based, but can come with a bit of a bonus commission, which is always nice! The positions are shore excursion staff, Assistant shore excursion manager, and Shore excursion manager. Being an engineer is a job that is only for those who are extremely experienced in the field. Due to this, salaries are very high, and contracts are very short (with good reason).

The Majestic Size and Scale of Modern Cruise Ships

She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer. Cruise lines also recruit through agencies, particularly when searching for entertainers. If you're hoping to dance your heart out on stage in front of a live audience at sea, make sure that your cover letter is up to date. If you're accepted by the agency, they'll inform you about any openings. For RCG, their jobs are divided into three different sectors — hotel, marine, and private destination — each of which has numerous sub-categories.

Youth Department

You can make serious money doing acupuncture, and you must be certified, of course. The shops can not be opened while in port, meaning that people that work in the shops are almost always off in the ports! Money may not be very stable, but you will definitely be able to enjoy the ports of call. The life guards don't have it quite as easy as they do on land unfortunately. With several different pool areas, the guards are in charge of working usually 10 hours watching different pools, for a pretty low salary.

Remember, interviewing for a cruise ship job is your chance to demonstrate not only your qualifications but also your personality and passion for the industry. By preparing well, showcasing your skills, and maintaining a positive attitude, you can increase your chances of landing the job and starting an exciting career working on a cruise ship. This level of preparation and knowledge will make you stand out as a candidate during the application process.

Jobs like cabin stewards, deckhands, and servers are going to be more attainable. The Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card is issued to US Citizens and immigrants in certain immigration categories. You are required to have this credential visible when transiting around port facilities, exiting and entering the port. There are crew laundry facilities where the washers and dryers are free of charge—you just provide the soap.

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As part of your research, explore the job opportunities available on different cruise lines’ websites. They often provide detailed information about available positions, including job descriptions and requirements. Once you’ve identified the type of job you want to pursue, it’s time to research cruise lines and job opportunities.

They only take care of the top of the top, such as the guests in the luxury suites. They are on call 24/7, so don't have a lot of flexibility in their schedule. However, if they do a good job, they have potential to make some really great money in return. The GDO is basically responsible for all embarkation and disembarkation processes onboard.

These staff work very hard to clean, fold, press, and iron all items. The tailor is in charge of making all of the adjustments to the crew uniform onboard. They also accept personal items, free of charge, but it is important that the crew tip them, for their extra efforts.

Also, don’t forget that you will have to work hard but the payoff is worth it. You will be required for the majority of cruise lines to obtain a C1/D Crewmember/Transit visa. This visa is a non-immigrant visa for people transiting the United States as a passenger or crew member to join a vessel or aircraft. The cruise lines will provide you with a letter of employment for you to take to the nearest US Consulate in your home country to apply for this visa. The visa is valid for up to ten years and it costs approximately $160 US dollars and most companies will not reimburse you for this expense.

Eventually, they were promoted to the prestigious role of Hotel Director, overseeing all aspects of the ship's hotel operations. With these additional specialized roles, you can see that the cruise ship industry offers diverse opportunities for those with a wide range of expertise, making it an attractive career choice for many. Some of the largest cruise ships in the world can carry over 6,000 passengers and 2,000 crew members, making them floating cities in their own right. With multiple decks filled with a vast array of amenities and facilities, these ships offer endless opportunities for both passengers and crew to create unforgettable memories.

However, we highly suggest sunscreen and aloe, as they are a must in most of the hot cruise destinations. An umbrella may not be something you would think to bring, but if you go out in the port and it rains, you will definitely be thankful. When it comes to electronics, the outlets are American and European. Check the ports you are going to as well, and get adapters accordingly. Also get travel adapters that convert the energy, as the voltage on the ship may be different than what your electronics can handle.

From the initial steps of researching cruise lines and job opportunities to completing the hiring process and starting your new job, the journey to working on a cruise ship requires careful preparation and dedication. The Restaurant department is responsible for the operation of dining services in all Food & Beverage venues. Providing excellent customer service to our guests is a key function in this position and requires interaction with multiple departments and levels of management to ensure the operation functions smoothly. The Restaurant department includes a variety of positions that require differing skill sets, so applicants will be considered for positions suitable to their level of experience. The growth and training opportunities within this fast-paced and dynamic department are vast. As a member of the on board medical team, you will have the opportunity to travel the world and practice your medical profession at sea in an exciting, challenging and unique environment.

You are still required to complete the STCW certificate but it has to be at an approved US Coast Guard facility. If you will be working with kids, you will be required to have your immunization records. Crew members who meet specific length-of-service criteria have the option of requesting "relatives travel," a benefit that allows family members to sail onboard for a limited period of time. Experience with children of several ages is strongly preferred, as counselors must be willing to work with any age group to which they are assigned. Requirements Applicants must have a minimum of three years' professional work experience operating and maintaining Tait Towers Navigator systems and Stage Technologies Acrobat/Chameleon systems. A good understanding of rigging principles and practice is required.