Sailing on the Deep Blue Seas!

A cruise ship is really a floating vacation resort.  So what jobs are required to staff and operate such a resort?

Here is a list of jobs that I can identify:

Housekeeping: room attendants, laundry

Food and Beverage: executive chef, maitre d’, cooks, waiters

Purser and hotel staff

Casino: dealers, cashiers

Ship’s Officers: captain, engineer, electro-technology, safety

Guest services: cruise director and staff, entertainers, lecturers, art           director, shore excursions, Internet, future cruise sales, spa, medical center - doctors and nurses, boutiques, photo and video, bridge director

 

Most cruise jobs are based on employment contracts which typically range between 3 and 11 months in length. Many cruise lines use employment agencies to recruit for their job openings.  One Internet site that lists jobs openings by category is www.cruiseplacement.com.  Salary offered depends on many factors including job type, experience, and length of contract.    

 

I observed that there are very few USA citizens working on the cruise ships on which my wife and I have traveled.  Perhaps since the cruise lines recruit internationally, there are many applicants from lower cost of living areas who are willing to accept lower wages than wages paid in the USA.  In addition USA employment laws place more obligations on employers than many countries.

I have a friend, a practicing dentist, who in the past sailed with a cruise line as the crew’s dentist.  He told me that recently this service to the crew had been discontinued. 

If sailing in to many ports of call throughout the world appeals to you, perhaps you are ready for a job on a cruise ship. 

If you know someone who is working for a cruise line or have comments about cruise ship employment, please post them in this blog or email me at glynjordan@gmail.com.

Thanks!

Glyn