Hard Work Required On Cruise Ship Jobs

With an extremely high turnover rate, there is a constant need for people to fill cruise ship jobs. While this may sound exciting and worldly, the positions often require six or more days working and often 10 or more hours per day.

Since a cruise ship is basically a floating city, there are numerous positions available on a regular basis. Most offer a four to six month initial employment, and if the person does well, that period can be extended. However, for the most part, six months is about the average span for cruise ship jobs.

Since there could be representatives from as many as 30 or more countries on any given cruise ship, getting one of the cruise ship jobs is sometimes time consuming and difficult. As openings are usually filled quickly, there is no steadily maintained master list and no one agency that has an inside track on providing candidates.

Jobs Varied Like On Dry Land

Pay varies with position requirements and experience as an able seaman, entry level, may earn from $1,500 to $1,800 per month while he learns ship’s maintenance and other types of seamanship. An assistant head chef, on the other hand, can make as much as $4,000 to $4,600 per month creating and updating menus to keep passengers happy and full.

From casino managers and bar supervisors to accountants and cashiers, there are numerous cruise ship jobs that do not require experience as initial training is provided. However a person with experience in a position may earn more upon starting and someone with a background that includes experience on a cruise ship is likely to earn even more.

Along with highly touted and some short-term cruise ship jobs come the inevitable scam artists. Especially in cities where major cruise lines have offices, there will be fly-by-night operators who set up shop, offer to put your application into the right hands for the major lines for a fee. The next day, they may or may not still be in business.

Some cruise lines have their own employment offices in port cities where they fill the majority of their cruise ship jobs but they will have offices all over the world. There are some reputable crewing agencies that have an official relationship with cruise ship companies, but they only fill a certain type of cruise ship jobs. For singers and entertainment, agents usually handle their appearances, but for all others, the personnel office offers the best chance of landing one of the cruise ship jobs.