How to get a job on a cruise ship

The prospect of working on a luxury cruise ship that travels around a multitude of exotic destinations has a certain appeal. A total of 471 cruise ships were in operation around the world in 2015, and this figure is expected to rise to somewhere near the 500 mark by the end of this year. Demand for cruise holidays is rising sharply year-on-year, which could be great news for jobseekers who are looking for an exciting new challenge, as the need for onboard staff inevitably rises.

But what does it take to be a cruise ship worker? Online cruise retailer Cruise118.com employs a number of people who have previously worked on ships, and here they share their experiences to help you decide whether or not a career at sea is for you.

It’s not a holiday

It’s a common misconception that life as a cruise ship worker is just one big holiday. Regardless of the role you take, expect to work hard. Lauren Stewart, who once worked as a guest relations officer for Celebrity Cruises, says: “One of the biggest myths is that you are on holiday for the whole time. It’s not uncommon to work in shift patterns and you’ll maybe have a maximum of two to five hours off in each port.”

Make the most of your time in port

Cruise ship workers’ time in each port can be limited, so make every second count. Have a plan of action before you dock and immerse yourself in the culture of each location. Nicola Read once worked as a deputy food and beverage manager for P&O Cruises. She suggested that although time in each place can be of the essence, the fact that you are able to sample so many wonderful destinations is a major perk of this line of work. “You get to visit the places you dreamed of and get paid for it. I made friends from all over the world and now I can go and visit them. Always make the most of the place you visit as you never know if you will go there again,” she says.

Don’t give up hope

As with any dream job, competition is intense, but you shouldn’t rule yourself out of the running. Some of the former cruise ship workers at Cruise118.com found it easier to secure a role than others, and it’s often the case that persistence pays off. Read found the recruitment process to be straightforward. She adds: “I went on the P&O website and went on to the Careers section. I sent my CV off and within two months of applying I was on my first cruise ship experience.” However, Mark Saxton, who worked as a bar steward and then a junior purser on Norwegian Dawn, Grand Princess and the old Regal Princes, thinks that those who secure a job onboard a cruise ship are still part of an exclusive club. “I think the majority of the roles are getting harder to find, I certainly wouldn’t class it as easy. When I joined I wrote to all the major cruise lines and I only ever got a response from Princess. I had one interview, a full medical and was then on my first ship a fortnight later,” he says.

Hone skills that can be transferred to cruise ship roles and gain as much relevant experience as you can. Above all else, don’t give up the chase!

Be sociable

The best thing about this career is the people you meet along the way – your colleagues become your family. Saxton says: “[The social aspect] was great, we had our own crew bar and often had corridor parties. We always knew which bars were open late if we ever had an overnight stay somewhere.” Read adds: “You live, sleep, work and socialise with the people on the ship for around six months, so be sociable.”

Go through the right recruitment channels

As with any job, people who have ambitions of finding a role on a cruise ship will inevitably come across a plethora of recruitment agencies. Unfortunately, where there’s huge demand for something, it’s inevitable that chancers and con-artists will rear their ugly heads, so make sure you go through the right channels.

Stewart says: “Use reputable recruitment agencies – there are some scams out there! The cruise lines have agencies that they work with specifically, and they should not charge you. I’ve heard some horror stories of agencies charging, and it turned out they weren’t actually associated with the cruise lines at all.”