Cruise into a new career

Jobs galore

A cruise ship is basically a floating city and as you would expect, this provides a huge array of roles that you can choose from. While many are hospitality related, you can also find positions in areas such as information technology, photography, technical production, and human resources. The one thing that all the roles have in common is that you can travel the world while doing them and get paid to do so. While training for each role on a cruise ship is carried out by the company operating the ship, holding a relevant qualification such as a certificate 3 in hospitality or a diploma of event management can be of assistance. Working on a cruise ship will give you many desirable skills for employment back on land, as the training you will receive for your job and the experience gained in customer service are exemplary.

Examples of jobs on a cruise ship include:

• Barista: Becoming a barista on a cruise ship normally requires you to have some previous experience as a barista. You must have a strong customer focus, have a strong knowledge of coffee, tea, and other coffee related beverages, be able to communicate quickly and efficiently, and maintain the ability to multi-task. Holding a qualification in hospitality can be of advantage when applying for a barista position.

• Bartender: As a bartender you will be expected to provide excellent customer service, a sound knowledge of all the different drinks and cocktails that you can make and provide, while also managing the daily operations of the bar such as producing order lists for bar supplies. You will need relevant training in the responsible serving of alcohol and other safety regulations.

• Event coordinator: Working as an event coordinator on a cruise ship is an important and highly skilled role. You and your team oversee providing personalised, quality service to guests and making sure they have the best experience possible. To be suited to this job, you need excellent customer service skills, limitless energy, and the determination to always go that extra step for the customer. Previous experience in a customer facing role is desired and undertaking a relevant qualification is also helpful in attaining the role.

Further job opportunities can be found on major cruise companies websites, such as with Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruises. Additionally, cruise ships have a relatively high retention rate for their employees at upwards of 80%.

Future tech and private islands

Like many other industries in the world, cruise lines have had to adapt and diversify their services to continue to operate. These adaptions include those required to make cruise ships a healthier place to holiday and work. For example, customers are being required to check in online, use touchless entry to their cabins, and use an electronic device or wristband to pay for drinks, services, and food. Some cruise lines are also implementing artificial intelligence which can be interacted with to answer questions and requests that would otherwise require touching a phone or walking to find a staff member.

Further emphasis is also being put on visiting private islands owned by the cruise line companies, such as Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay in the Bahamas. Islands such as these, while providing an amazing experience for guests and a fantastic place to find yourself working, also help control the spread of covid compared to other more typical ports of call. Using private islands allow cruises to operate without being at the mercy of countries opening and closing due to covid outbreaks. Another experience that cruises are making use of is the small scale, expedition cruise. These are designed around ships of limited capacity; some take only 350 passengers compared to the 5,000 some ships take. They offer a more decadent and adventure-based experience which travel to places such as Antarctica and Greenland, that follows a post covid trend of people wanting to spend more time in the outdoors.

Life aboard the boat

No doubt one of the most appealing things about wanting to work in the cruise industry is the fact you get paid to travel all over the world, and all over the world is not an exaggeration. From the Arctic Circle to South America, and many parts of Asia, the opportunities to experience different cultures and ways of life are basically endless. Working on a cruise ship requires hard work and dedication. You will spend anywhere from 4-10 months onboard and will be working shifts 7 days a week that could be up to 13 hours long. At the end of your contract for that period of work, you will be given a substantial amount of time off, for example a worker on a Princess cruise ship gets 60 days of leave post contract.

While onboard, living conditions vary depending on your position. People with managerial roles will normally have their own room, while most of the other workers will share with 1 to 3 people. Being in such proximity simply means more opportunity to make friends with that, when it comes time to go ashore on periods between shifts, you will have a blast with. Cruise companies generally take very good care of their employees, with facilities like crew only gyms, pool, and bar available for use. By taking care of their employees, this means that they can provide the best possible service and experience to the guests.

Anchors up

On a cruise ship, you will work hard but you will also play hard. You will be able to travel and get paid at the same time, with the bonus of making friends along the way. Finally, with a post-covid employment boom in the industry on the horizon and countless roles to choose from, there has never been a better time to start a career in cruising.