| Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 | |
Cruise Ship Jobs - NetworkingInterest forums / Life on the Ocean | ||
I have read every page of this forum (all 65 of them, some going years back!) and I see a lot of questions about jobs on cruise ships, and it seems there aren't many answers. I am really trying to get a job on a cruise ship as either a server or a bartender. I have years of experience, from serving and bartending mid-range, to bartending at one of Canada's top hotels. A week ago I sent my resume out to some free agencies, and I was wondering if anyone had any other avenues to try. As well, I thought I could share the email addresses of the companies I tried as it may cut down on research time for others interested in applying to work on a cruise ship. I have researched fairly thoroughly, but you never know what you might try that comes through! Anyway, these as the places I sent my resume to: Cruise Services International Just Cruis'n Recruitment Page Marine Crews Cast-A-Way As well, I applied directly to Princess (careersatsea@princesscruises.com) and Norweigan (shipboardresumes@ncl.com) It is my hope that by posting this information, it can be used by other cruise job seekers, and also hopefully other people can add to this list and maybe someone else knows of an agency or a direct email that would be helpful in my job hunt. Cheers! | ||
Also, I have another question I forgot to ask. I know that the hours are long on ships, and I also know that it's not uncommon to work 7 days a week. My question is about the work rotation. I haven't been able to find a definite answer, but how does this work? If a contract is 6 months, do you work 6 months straight and then have time off, or is it like other types of work where you work something like 6 -8 weeks without days off and then have a week off? Also, are you sort of "stationed" anywhere? (for example, Vancouver or Miami) | 1 | |
Unless you're working at the professional/officer level aboard a cruise ship you will need to be ready to work in excess of 12 hour days. When you get shore leave it varies from company to company and cruise to cruise. Some companies will give you shore leave between cruises, some will keep you aboard for anywhere between 3-8 weeks. Some companies will not guarantee you on-going work after shore leave. Some companies ask you to be based out of a city of their choice for their own convenience others will fly you home or to a place of your choice within their country of port. Many of these recruitment agencies are very slow to respond and require some basic maritime safety qualifications. They will let you know but be sure you know everything they expect of you before embarking on this venture. And don't forget, staff on cruise ships are expendable. | 2 | |
I work for Princess Cruise Lines in the youth entertainment dept and was hired thru Page Marine Crews. There are no Canadian bar tenders or waiters working for Princess. They are all from The Phillipines, Mexico, Thailand, and Eastern Europe. I'm not sure about the other cruise lines, tho. | 3 | |
You would most likely be hired for a minimum of 6 months, meaning you will be away, onboard for 6 months. You could work up to 12 hours in one day but you prob won't work that every day. My guess is you would work 50-70 hours per week. It's a fun job, tho. Working on cruise ships is a great life, for the right person. | 4 | |