If you love salt water and do not suffer from seasickness, if you can be away from home for long periods of time, if you enjoy traveling and meeting people from all over the world, then jobs on a cruise ship might be for you. After going through a remarkable crisis during the Covid period, the sector is now in a great recovery phase.
In this article, I will explain how to find jobs on a cruise ship and what requirements you need to meet in order to work on such a ship. I will also point out a great list of websites where you can find job offers and other interesting news.
The cruise tourism industry is constantly growing, so the search for personnel also follows this trend. The work on cruise ships is quite well paid, but it is not easy, because you have to be used to working under pressure and in a tight environment.
The work shifts are demanding with very long hours, even 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will spend long periods of time on the ship without disembarking, and you will have to live in a confined space in a cabin with other people. Unless you have an important assignment, in which case a single cabin is available.
Of course, there are positive aspects: You will have fun, you will meet a lot of people from many countries around the world and with different cultures, you will have the opportunity to improve your English, and you will see places you would never have seen otherwise. Also, as a crew member you will have access to the gym, crew bar, pool, spa, fitness classes, some shore excursions and other benefits.
Jobs on a cruise ship – requirements
The requirements for working on a cruise ship vary depending on the company. However, these are the basic requirements that almost all require:
1. Knowledge of foreign languages
Knowledge of English is essential, (usually level B1). However, the level of language required depends on the type of work performed on the ship. Knowledge of other languages is an advantage: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish. Many companies also offer English courses on board for those who want to improve their level.
2. Certificates
- Maritime logbook, issued by the port authority, official document authorizing embarkation
- Medical certificate of psychophysical fitness
- You are capable of swimming and rowing
- Basic training, which includes the courses required by law
Basic training courses are necessary to work on a cruise ship and are usually offered by the same companies.
3. Education
If you are applying for a position aboard cruise ships, you must submit your CV, which includes information about your previous education and experience. It should be noted that the requirements vary depending on the position.
4. Experience
Some work that is particularly delicate requires some experience.
5. Availability
On average, a work availability of at least 6 months is required.
6. Medical examinations
You must pass tests that certify your good health and rule out the presence of communicable diseases.
If you imagine that a cruise is like a small city, you will understand that the jobs offered by the companies are very numerous, since they have to cover all the needs of the passengers: Musicians, hostesses, cooks, masseurs, cleaners, personal trainers, lifeguards, educators. musicians, hostesses, cooks, cleaners, personal trainers, maintenance workers, waiters, hairdressers, photographers, electricians, bakers, cooks, pastry chefs, entertainers, interpreters, medical and paramedical staff, DJs, croupiers and many others.
Jobs on a cruise ship – crew
Let us take a look at the jobs on board:
- Personnel responsible for running the ship (engines, plumbing, and electrical systems)
- Deck officers and technical officers
- Catering personnel and cabin crew
- Shop assistant and personal services
- Entertainment personnel
- Auxiliary personnel
If you don’t like the sea, don’t forget that these companies also have offices on land, so you can always try to apply.
There are many courses that prepare you to work aboard cruise ships:
- Private companies organize paid courses for working on cruise ships. You can find them on the Internet
- The same shipping companies organize these courses, you can find more information on their websites
Once you have found a job opportunity, you must apply by sending your resume along with a cover letter to cruise ship placement agencies or directly to the cruise lines through their websites. If your CV is suitable, you will receive an application form that you will need to fill out and return along with your cover letter and resume. If everything is in order, you will be invited for an interview and if you pass, you will be hired.
Jobs on a cruise ship – wages
Salaries vary depending on the position. However, there are two major groups:
- Staff who receive tips, staff who work in direct contact with guests and whose salary is composed of a fixed rate and a variable part resulting from tips
- Staff who don’t receive tips, staff with a low level of English who perform a low-skilled job (cleaners, dishwashers, etc.). The amount of their salary is fixed and ranges from $ 300 to $ 500 per week
I show this website full of very useful information. Cruiselinejob, for those who want to approach the world of work in this sector.
How to work on cruise ships
To find a job in the cruise industry, you can use the Internet:
- Use job search engines,
- Create a good Linkedin profile and search for vacancies
- Search for jobs on specialized websites using keywords
- If you are looking for a job in the shops on board, you must contact directly the companies that operate these activities
Job search websites:
- All Cruise Job, contains thousands of job postings for jobs aboard cruise ships
- Cruise Careers In, contains many job postings organized by category
- Cruise Job Finder, contains many job postings
- Cruise Ship Job, contains numerous job postings
- Star Board, operates 90 cruise ships worldwide and offers numerous job opportunities
- Viking Cruise, employment agency for cruise ships
- V Group, job listings aboard cruise ships and more
- Air Borne, India’s cruise ship employment agency
- Ligabue, offers catering for ships, aircraft and oil platforms, hotel services, store management on cruise ships, ferries and airports.
Job search websites for shop, spa and gym
- Steiner, recruits staff for luxury spas, including those aboard cruise ships
Casino job search websites
- Oceancasino, works on many ships
- Casinoaustria, operates casinos both on land and at sea
- Century, operates casinos both on land and at sea
Websites of the main cruise companies:
Carnival, (Carnival Corporation) is the largest company that, through its subsidiaries, owns more than 100 cruise ships with a total of more than 226,000 beds and carries more than 2 million passengers annually. They are part of the group:
- Carnival, which operates in North America
- Princess Cruise, operating in North America
- Holland America, operating in North America
- AIDA, operating in Germany
- Costa Crociere, operating in Italy
- P&O, operating in Australia
Royal Caribbean, a very famous company that owns the largest cruise ships in the world.
- Royal Caribbean International
- Celebrity Cruises
- Azamara Club Cruises
- CDF Croisières de France
- MSC Crociere, very well known company
- Regent, specialized in luxury cruises with ships that can only accommodate a limited number of passengers
- Silver Sea, another company specializing in luxury cruises
- Oceania Cruises, an American company that specializes in luxury cruises
- Hurtigruten, organizes cruises through the fjords and beyond
- NCL, Norwegian cruise company
- Disney Cruise, Disney cruises
- Avalon Cruise, American company that organizes river cruises around the world
