How to Travel the World on a Cruise Ship to Over Fifty Countries Like I Did

How to Travel the World on a Cruise Ship to Over Fifty Countries Like I Did

After three and a half years of sailing the globe, mostly aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2, I had visited over fifty countries and six continents. If you've ever wondered how to obtain a job on a cruise ship, stay reading because I'll reveal the keys to doing just that.

Many people are wondering about what it's like to work on a cruise ship and how to acquire a job on one. You could be thinking it's an insider's tip! In some ways, it is, but not after you finish reading this essay. When a cruise employment representative called a friend of mine who was unable to work, my buddy urged him to contact me, and the rest is history. I've also worked for other pals who ended up traveling the globe, but that's good because I'll teach you how to accomplish the same thing in a different way.

Here's how it works in practice: Every department aboard a ship has a department head who controls the operation of that department. That individual reports to someone on land at the cruise line's corporate headquarters, whether Princess, Royal Caribbean, or Carnival. Here comes the hook. That corporate employee works with an agency or contractor that employs personnel and qualifies them before they join the cruise ship. This is the case 70% of the time. 20% are employed via onboard contractors' firms. Onboard stores, art auctioneers, photographers, and other third-party income suppliers are examples of this. The other 10% are persons who approach cruise ships directly for specific employment, such as sales specialists, printers, disk jockeys, and those who only work with one or a few people.

When personnel are employed via an agency, either the cruise line or the employer pays a fee. This charge is usually paid by the cruise liner. It's a method of hiring a third-party human resources department to handle all of the logistics and communicate with the corporate office and employers aboard. This makes sense since there are many employment, ticketing, and travel rules. From then on, the corporate office's third-party agent or administrative assistant will be a phone call away for everything you need until you join.

With so many ships at sea today, there are lots of career opportunities. For example, one cruise line may have more "entertainment" employment available, while another ship may have more "hotel services" roles available. You'll obviously be working, but you'll also be traveling. Work up plans with your coworkers to have days off in ports and spend as much time ashore as possible. You may think it seems like a difficult assignment, but believe me, it's not, and it takes around thirty seconds to do. If you work in specific sectors, such as the entertainment department, you get to choose your own timetable. Other sections, such as casinos and stores, are not permitted to operate when in port (not a terrible job to have)!

If possible, attempt to find a position on a ship with a large fleet or several locations. I moved cruise lines three times in four months while working for Premiere Cruise Lines, so instead of seeing two countries, I visited eleven. Another example is Princess Cruiselines, which has multiple ships that all follow the same pattern. The crew may thus easily and confidently shift from one ship to another.

You'd be surprised at how many services and organizations are available to help you acquire a job aboard a cruise ship. "How would I get a job out of the thousands of people who apply?" you're presumably wondering.

Okay, here's the deal. Those hundreds of individuals you're considering are all thinking the same thing, so they're irrelevant! You would not believe the constant scarcity of crew on cruise ships. If there isn't a position available right away, one will be available within three months since that is how contracts operate with numerous ships. There was never a day when all of the positions in any department were filled. Department heads always ask the agencies whether somebody has been found to fill the vacancy. Many times, jobs are not even filled! Many crews have to extend their contracts because the agencies can't locate the correct personnel, since everyone is thinking, "There must be several people who would get the job before me," or simply because they don't know who to call.

Many people ask me every day how to acquire a job on a cruise ship; after all, I accomplished my goals by the age of twenty-four and have seen many others do the same. What I usually tell people is straightforward. Get a database and a resource guide so you can immediately contact these employment agencies and business offices. Nothing compares to a resource guide I stumbled upon a while back, Neil Maxwell Key's resource guide. He used to work on cruise ships as well, but he went above and beyond to collect all of the materials somebody might need to obtain a job on a cruise ship. I definitely suggest his resource guide if you are serious about working aboard a cruise ship.

If you want to do something that only your friends and family can do, get a job on a cruise ship. People are not just captivated by the notion, but they will always want to know what it's like to travel the globe and get compensated for it.