Working on cruise ships is a dream for many people. The idea of travelling around the world and being paid is very appealing. Cruise ships are also, unlike any other ships; these are luxury vessels with all the lavishness you can imagine. The people whom you serve on a cruise ship are not surly people going to work or travelling due to grim unavoidable circumstances, these are people out to have fun, and this makes the work much more exciting! Working on a cruise ship is a great way to meet new people and to see the world.
Cruise ships provide a lucrative salary with many cruise ship lines paying a starting salary that averages $1,500 to $2,500 per month. Working on a cruise ship is a great way to save money since you are out in the sea most of the time working and not using much of your money. Most of your substantial daily life expenses are covered including; food, medical care, accommodation, and even the airline ticket to and from work no matter the place in the world. In addition to saving lots of your earned salary, most countries do not charge taxes on the salaries of people working out in the sea. Some cruise ships also provide their staff with discounted tickets for their travelling relatives.
There are many job opportunities on cruise ships. Some of the most common jobs are; hospitality jobs, entertainment jobs, food and beverage, medicine and health care, health and beauty, fitness coaches, administration jobs, banking jobs, accounting jobs, financial managers, gaming jobs, security, videographers, child care jobs, shop attendants, and many other assorted kinds of opportunities. Entertainment is usually the first priority in a cruise ship and as such, entertainers will always win the day when it comes to bigger paychecks and more employment opportunities for entertainers.
Today the chances for getting your dream career working on a cruise ship have significantly increased compared to years back. Several new cruise ship lines have come up in recent times and this means more ships and the need for more staff. The nature of cruise ship jobs also makes for a scenario where there is always room for new staff. This is because people do not really work for a very long time on cruise ships. The contracts are usually for 3 – 9 months and while there is an option for extending the contracts, many people who have worked for some time will opt for new experiences while some will go back to studying.
Getting a job on a cruise ship is not as hard as some people are lead to think. One thing you definitely have to consider is if you love serving other people. The true employers of any cruise ship staff member are the passengers on board the cruise ship. These are the people who need maximum attention from you and you have to make them feel as comfortable as possible. You also need to have some love for travelling, as this is all you will be doing. Cruise ships travel all over the world and you will travel to many exotic ports. Luckily, cruise ships chase the sun so you will not have to suffer much of bad weather. When working on a cruise ship, you will have to be away from those you love, such as your family, for many months at a time. You should be ready for this and not let emotions of missing your loved ones affect your work. Seasickness is also something to consider, though, with time, many people come to adjust to the sea conditions.
There are many entry levels for the different kinds of job opportunities on cruise ships. Some jobs will definitely demand high qualifications, especially jobs in management, such as the Captain and his crew members. Anyone who has qualifications in a particular onshore work that is related to the opportunity offered on a cruise ship can get a job on a cruise ship. The most important thing is that they should have some hospitality skills. Different cruise ship lines, however, have different criteria for hiring staff for different kinds of positions. One should leave their options open to many different kinds of jobs on a cruise ship to better their chances of being hired.
It is best to look for opportunities at the most successful cruise lines first. These are more likely to be hiring. Some of the big players in the industry are Royal Caribbean International, Princess, and Carnival cruise lines. One could also find out which cruise lines are making new cruise ships. These will definitely be hiring staff for their new ships and they could provide one with a great opportunity to start their career on a new ship as part of the pioneer staff! Before applying to work on any cruise ship, try to find out who the ship’s customers are. It helps a lot to be fluent in the language spoken by majority of the passengers. Knowing multiple languages is a huge advantage when applying for job opportunities on cruise ships.
