After three and a half years of cruising the world, mainly on the Queen Elizabeth 2, I ended up traveling to over fifty countries and six continents around the world. If you've ever wondered how to get a job on a cruise ship, keep reading so I can share with you the secret to doing the exact same thing.
Many people wonder what it's like to work on a cruise ship, and even more wonder how to get a job on one. You might think it's like an insider's secret! In a way it is, but it won't be by the time you finish reading this article. My first job on a cruise ship came when one of my friends contacted a friend of mine who couldn't work, so my friend told him to contact me and the rest is history. I also have work for a few friends who ended up traveling the world, but for people who don't know me, that's okay because I'll show you how to do the same thing in a different way.
Here's exactly how it works. For every department on the ship there is someone who oversees that department. This person reports to someone on land at the cruise line offices, be it Princess, Royal Caribbean or Carnival. Here's a hooker. This person in the corporation works with an agency or contractor that hires people by qualifying them before they board the cruise ship. This happens in 70% of cases. 20% are hired through companies that are on-board suppliers. These could be on-board shops, art auctioneers, photographers or other third-party revenue sellers. The remaining 10% are people who contact cruise ships directly for certain positions, such as sales specialists, printers, disc jockeys and people who have jobs that involve only one or a few people.
When people are hired through an agency, there is a fee that is paid by either the cruise ship or the employer. Usually this fee is paid by the cruise ship. It's a way to hire a third-party HR department to take care of all the logistics and coordinate with the corporate office and employers on board. This only makes sense because there are many logistics of recruiting, ticketing and travel instructions. From there, a third-party agent or administrative assistant from the corporate office will be just a phone call away for anything you need until you connect.
With the number of ships at sea, there are plenty of jobs to choose from these days. For example, one cruise line will have more "entertainment" jobs when it comes to where another ship may have more "hotel service" positions to choose from. Of course you will work, but you will also travel. Make plans with your work colleagues to get days off in ports and spend as much time ashore as possible. You might think this sounds like a daunting task, but trust me, it's no big deal and takes about thirty seconds to make everyone happy. If you work in certain departments, such as the entertainment department, your department creates its own schedule. Other departments such as casinos and shops are not allowed to work in the port (not a bad job)!
If you can, try to get a job on a ship that has a large fleet or that has many destinations. When I was with Premiere Cruise Lines, I transferred Cruise Lines three times in four months, so instead of going to just two countries, I went to ten. Another example is Princess Cruise Lines, which has several ships that all follow a similar protocol. The crew can thus easily and confidently move from one ship to another.
You would be quite surprised how many resources and agencies can help you get a job on a cruise ship. You're probably thinking, "How would I get a job out of the thousands of people applying?"
Okay, here's the secret. Thousands of people you're thinking about are thinking the same thing, so it doesn't even apply! You wouldn't believe what a shortage of cruise ship staff the companies always have. If there isn't a job right away, one will open up within three months because that's how multi-ship contracts work. There has NEVER been a day when all jobs were filled in ANY department. Department heads ALWAYS ask agencies if they have found someone to fill the position. In many cases, the position will not even be filled! Many team members have to EXTEND their contracts because agencies can't find the right people because everyone wonders, "There must be a few people who got the job before me," or they just don't know the people to turn to. .
Many people ask me every day how to get a job on a cruise ship, after all I achieved my dreams at twenty four and have seen several others do the same. What I always tell people is simple. Get a database and resource guide to contact these recruiting agencies and corporate offices directly. Of all the resource guides I've seen, nothing compares to the one I came across a while ago, which was the Neil Maxwell Key resource. He also previously traveled the world on cruise ships, but took it a step further to gather all the resources anyone could need to land a job on a cruise ship.
If you want to do what your friends and family only dream of, then get a job on a cruise ship. People are fascinated by this concept and will always ask you what it's like to travel the world and get paid for it.
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