Do You Really Want a Cruise Ship Job?

Cruise ship jobs may seem appealing, but in reality working on a cruise ship can be very demanding.  Here are some facts about what you can expect.

Title: Cruise Ship Jobs: do you have what it takes?

Author: Captain Jack Storms

People tend to think a job on a cruise ship is a 24/7  vacation - just annoyingly interrupted by work. The brutal truth
is: it's 100 percent the other way around. It's a 24/7 job -  every now and then interrupted by some hours off. And it's a job  hard to escape. There is no going home after a long day.

A job on a cruise ship is a job with greater impact then most
people think. Not just because of the long hours and hard work.
It's a job that is hard to get away from. How many people sleep
in the office or the factory after a hard days work? That's
exactly what cruise ship employees do. Home is work, work is
home. There is no 9 to 5. There even aren't any weekends. But
there are always passengers. It takes a special kind of people
who are able to cope with that.

Don't get me wrong: for those special people who can deal with
the fact that their office is home and their home is the office,
working on a cruise ship may be a perfect career choice. Let's
face it. How many people wake up in a different country every
morning? How many people can tell the difference between a
sunset in Aruba and and a sunset in Antigua by personal
experience? When you are up to the challenges, a career on a
cruise ship is a dream come true.

Let's put your dreams into perspective and find out whether you
are ready for life and career on board. This is what it takes:

EXPERIENCE A modern cruise ship is a small town on its own.
There are carpenters, hair dressers, mechanics, nurses, managers
and… well, you name it. But remember this: you will never ever
be a nurse (or what ever) on a cruise ship without experience
back on land. It's that simple. Well, actually, it's even worse.
Most cruise liners hire only the best nurses, the best
carpenters, the best… well, I guess you get the picture. There
is a very good reason their policy on hiring people is as strict
as it is. Once at sea you are on your own. Both co-workers and
passengers rely on your know-how and experience.

FIVE, no: SIX STAR SERVICE Working on a cruise ship, makes you
part of a team that has just one goal: five star service to the
passengers. Six stars where ever possible. If your attitude is
different, you'd better take an anonymous on shore job, where
you can hide from the customer.

PROFESSIONALISM While it's not always easy to maintain it
through long hours of work, the management will expect you not
only to take pride in your work but also to excel in your
service every day.

RELIABILITY Reliability is of the greatest concern to cruise
owners who have to usually deal with dozens of employees who get
attracted to cruise based jobs mostly as a fad quotient. Your
credibility needs to convince them that you will not desert the
ship in some exotic locale once the initial novelty is lost, and
will last at least the tenure of your contract (usually six
months) with them. Most cruise owners get cold feet at the
thought of replacing staff at some unknown port and hence are
cynical about recruiting individuals who give the impression of
giving the job at a cruise ship a go just for the heck of it.

PRESENTATION You don't mind a loose button? You like to shave
once every three days? Get a job somewhere else. Like the rest
of the hospitality industry, presentation is of utmost
significance to your employers. You will be expected as an
employee of the ship to be well turned out every single day of
the tenure of your contract. Especiall if you are to be in
contact with the passengers.

HARD WORK and ENTHUSIASM Maybe you don't wane hear this, but old
school qualities like hard work and enthusiasm fetches you
points everywhere but especially on a cruise ship. Working on a
cruise ship is NOT a 9 to 5 sort of job.

SMILE (and keep smiling) Long hours and back breaking jobs not
withstanding, you will be required to provide service with a
smile. A BIG smile. Your duty as a staff member on board
includes making the passengers feel welcome and a cheerful face
and pleasant attitude are its basic ingredients.

DEVELOP A THICK SKIN Believe me: not every passenger seems to
enjoy their cruise. Don't ask why - accept it. And keep smiling.

HOMELESS I always felt living on a cruise ship is quite
adventurous. But be prepared for feeling lost every once and a
while. You can't be there when a relative celebrates a birthday.
You won't be at your sisters graduation. You might even be
thousands miles away when your firstborn makes its first steps.
The cruise ship is your home and the crew is your family as long
as the voyage lasts. For some people that's not enough.

GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER The biggest mistake you can make, is to
get a job on a cruise ship trying to escape on shore problems.
You will get away the moment the ship sets sail, but the
problems wont. They will haunt you. All the way to the Caribbean
or where ever the ship takes you - making it almost impossible
to live up to your on board duties. Even on the biggest of all
cruise ships, on shore problems will make you feel trapped. So
get your act together before you apply for a job on a cruise
ship.

If I didn't scare you enough, you probably have what it takes to
work on a cruise ship. That's cool! Go for it. Call every cruise
company you can think of and see what openings they have. Proof
them you are the kind of employee they are looking for and get
ready for the time of your life.

About the author:
Captain Jack Storms is a retired cruise ship captain. He runs a website called CaptainJacksCruise.info and a blog where he provides information on cruises, cruise destinations and how to prepare for a  memorable cruise.

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