Requirements to work on a cruise ship

Cruise next to the beach

In ours there are many different jobs, both on land and at sea. Many people see cruise ships as an opportunity to be able to work and earn some decent money. The only thing that if you are thinking of working on a cruise ship, you should bear in mind that it is not a job like the ones you may be used to until now.

When you agree to work on a cruise ship, it is not an 8-hour job and then you can go home to be with your family or to lead a normal life outside of work. When you work on a cruise ship, your life during your working time is on the cruise ship and it can last from a few weeks to a few months, and it will always be 24 hours a day, even if you have shifts and rest times, of course. But on your break, you'll be on the cruise.  

The good thing about working on a cruise ship is that in addition to working, you can have a good time with your colleagues, meet many interesting people and even enjoy new places that perhaps otherwise, you could not have had access to go ... and also you they pay for it.

Work on a cruise ship

cruise ship crew

Finding a job on a cruise ship, as I mentioned above, seems like the ideal job for many people. This type of work has a glamorous image, you navigate through oceans and seas and visit many different countries ... you live aboard a ship full of luxuries where everyone dresses up at dinners and you can enjoy them all. entertainment activities. And also, if you get paid to be there and do a job while you have this rewarding experience.

AlsoIt is a seasonal job and that is why there are many people like students or people who take a sabbatical year who are attracted to this type of work. But you should know that all jobs have pros and cons and working on a cruise ship is no different.

Most - but not all - job offers on cruise ships are usually four to six months and the people who aspire to the job must be over 21 years of age, although this may vary from one company to another.

The biggest demands

The greatest demand for professionals in any shipping company is that of cleaner, porter, waiter -with hospitality qualifications-. In many cruises when they ask for workers they look for people with experience, with a solid training and even if they hire them they prefer that they receive a course from the company so that they know how they should attend on their cruise. Although these courses also usually include important safety notions to take into account on board.

What is required to work on a cruise ship

These are the minimum conditions or qualities that are usually requested to fill the positions of workers on a cruise ship:

  • Be of legal age
  • Have the nationality requested by the shipping company
  • Speak several languages ​​-especially English-
  • Pass a medical exam
  • Have social skills and people skills
  • Be able to do teamwork
  • Have the legal documentation in order
  • Be willing to work hard on intensive work hours

In addition to the waiters on a cruise ship, waiters or cleaners, many other professionals are also needed, who would be asked for the corresponding academic accreditation and experience, such as: cooks, masseurs, fitness teachers, beauty and aesthetics personnel and any another professional profile that the great floating city demands.

Is it a good job for you?

cruise ship stewardess

If you really want to work on a cruise ship, it's not just enough that the jobs come out, you have to be sure that this is what you want. For the service on board to be excellent, the employees must be happy and therefore, you must really want to work on that ship.

Are you ready to travel?

When you work on a cruise ship you will be traveling for several months and at the same time you will be working. You will not be able to choose the ship or the route there is, but you will have to be prepared to travel and to work anywhere in the world. This is a happy thought for some people, but maybe not so much for others.. If you can be flexible about this, then your chances of landing a job aboard a cruise ship will increase.

Are you qualified?  cruise inside

If you want to try to get a job on a cruise ship, you should know that you will have a lot of competition to get it and also, it will be tough competition. No official title or all your experience will be better than that of others, some will have better qualifications than others or more experience, but at the end of the day We are talking about people and how you are will also be very important to get the job.

But to access, for example, a job that requires an exact qualification, that will be what you will be asked to access that job. Find the job you want and see if you have the training they require, if you do… go ahead! You have nothing to lose by trying.

Are you the right person for the job?

Just because you have the qualifications and experience they ask for does not mean that you should be the right person for the job. While the idea of ​​working around the world while browsing and earning money at the same time sounds almost dreamlikeRemember that you will be there to work and that you must have a correct personality for it. Do you have the confidence and the outgoing necessary so that the passengers can enjoy having you there?

Do you like meeting new people all the time and making new friends? Are you able to work as a team and follow orders from superiors? If you are a withdrawn or very shy person, you should be honest with yourself and think if this can really be a good job for you. To take this job you don't have to think only about money, but you have to think if you will really be happy doing this type of job.
Maria Jose Roldan