Cruise Ship employment.
 

Hey Family of TFPer's, here's a dandy of a question.

I want to change up my life a bit. I just got put on a waiting list for a pretty incredible theatre program in T.O. and I'm looking to find work for the next little while; I don't want to commit to another program because it looks good for this one. After speaking with my "mentor" she and I spoke about traveling the world; or at least leaving my little bubble and getting some life and world experience.

So, my father just suggested maybe finding work on a cruise line. I don't want to do entertainment work and I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this. If you do and you want to give a suggestion then it is appreciated. If you need particulars about me then PM me if you could give me some further help. Like I said I have no idea and I'd love to do this. Thanks.

-Tay

Hey PMF-
My best friend worked for Holland America for a couple years... she was first a "cruise director assistant"- on a team of about 5 people who worked with the cruise director and basically their job was to keep guests on the ship happy.Organizing games, talking to guests, buying drinks ect.... She worked literally everyday ...and the job was not easy, however the money was good.

Second ship job she had was doing excursions with kids... she enjoyed that far more and had alot more time off. Pay is usually in US dollars, and since you live and eat on the ship, its typically really easy to chuck some money away (for future school or whatever).

Your resume usually needs to include a photograph.... I would just do an internet search for cruise ship employment or go directly onto the various cruise ship websites to try and apply.

Good luck!

My high school band director did this. I think he was playing in a jazz band or something. It was over 20 years ago, but I seem to recall him saying that it was a good time if you are single and like boats.

I don't have personal experience but recently met a friend of a good friend. He teaches wind surfing for one of the major lines. He talked about it like it was the best job on the planet. He's young, in good shape, Latin. I'm thinking he gets laid twice daily.

thats a nice job perk

I struck up a conversation with one of the event/activity organizers on the cruise I took last summer. One of the only employees on the entire boat who was from the US, actually. She loved the job, but it's basically 4ish months of working every single day. No days off, no weekends, etc. You then get about a month off, before you get called into duty again.

Sounds like a pretty good way to build up some cash though -- free room (though probably with a fellow employee, and the crew's quarters are pretty spartan, I bet) and food, and you get to travel the world! I'd do it, if I wasn't married already...

No kidding! We're having lunch and he's talking that of the downsides is "they all hit on you, even the chicks that aren't that attractive." Oh, you poor bastard you have to turn down ladies you're not attracted to have sex with the ones you do. Yeah, life's rough all over.

My friend Jorge, who owns a hotel here, immediately asked "so, how you'd get this job?"

Talk to Lucifer, although he may be hard to track down right now. I know he's done extensive research on cruise lines and has considered working on one in the past. There's a thread about a year ago where he proposed a TFP meetup onboard whatever cruise ship he got work on where he could use an employee discount for all of us. I think he's current on a ship somewhere in the Great Lakes, so you may wait a bit for an answer, but if anyone on TFP knows more, I don't know who they are. Not that there hasn't been some good advice already in this thread, but it's direct access to an expert.

i say do it..

what would be better would be setting sail on one of those old ships that you see in movies like 'Bounty' and all those pirate of carribean type movies.. i was this close to doing it a few years ago... sometimes i wish i had.. but fate would have me travelling the world anyways.

follow your dreams... enough said

first of all, never call a cruise ship a "boat". they don't like that.

secondly, yeah, it's a ton of work. you'll have to do some research with different cruise lines as most hire almost entire non-American/Canadian crews. They usually have "white" people in the face-to-face roles on the ship, but most of the dining room, bar, kitchen and hotel service staffs are non-americans.

my dad spent a year on the Statendam (Holland America) waiting tables.

I know some guys who worked as stage and lighting techs for the onboard shows. The only real caveat they offered is that you may be given other duties during off hours in customer service positions. In other words be sure of your entire job description.

Otherwise, the ships have been very good to them.