Before you apply for a job on a cruise ship, or take your application any further, you should think carefully about exactly what it is a potential cruise line employer is looking for.
This has two benefits: firstly, it will help you decide if the job is really for you and secondly, it will help you decide how to put over your own personal skills and qualities to best effect.
Let's take a look at exactly what cruise line employers are looking for in a potential candidate.
* Experience Don't worry, this isn't always a necessity! There are plenty of positions onboard where you don't need any experience whatsoever. But having some kind of land-based experience in your desired job is always going to be an advantage. Cruise line employers especially like people who can show a broad range of experience. For example, if your job involves contact with the public then experience of serving the public in several ways will be an advantage.
* High Standards of Service All functions on board cruise ships are carried out to a high standard. So it is important that you can carry out your work to a high standard. For example, service in the Hotel, Catering and Bar Department is usually similar to that in a four or five star hotel.
* Professionalism It is important to be professional about your work. That is, you need to take pride in your work and in achieving excellent results every time. This is not always easy when you are working long hours in a fast paced environment.
* Reliability This is a big concern for most cruise lines. Interviewers are very wary of recruiting new crew members whom they suspect might 'jump ship' in an exotic port when the novelty wears off! They need to satisfy themselves that you will stay for the full duration of your contract (typically 6 months).
Obviously, once you have joined a ship you cannot easily be replaced in a foreign port, and the expense and hassle involved is something they really don't want. You must give the clear IMPRESSION that you are highly reliable and have every intention of sticking out your contract. And preferably intend on making this a long-term career move. In other words, don't make them think that you are just going to 'give it a go'.
* High Standards of Presentation It is very important that you are immaculately turned out when you work onboard a ship. This applies particularly to crew who have contact with the passengers but also to behind-the-scenes crew too, to a lesser extent. Again, if you consider that many cruise ships operate to the same standards of service as a top-class international hotel then you will get an idea of the sort of people the employer is looking for.
* Enthusiasm You really do need to show that you are hard working and energetic. Shifts onboard can be much longer than on dry land. In particular, you certainly wouldn't want to give the impression that you are a nine-to-five type person and couldn't bear the thought of working weekends!
* A Cheerful Personality You may find this a strange quality for a cruise ship employer to place much importance on, but they do. Obviously, working in the confines of a ship - and living onboard too - can be quite stressful and demanding. But since many of the passengers have paid a lot of money for their cruise, it's very important that the crew are pleasant and professional with them. It is equally important that you are fairly cheerful and easy going off-duty so that you can do your job professionally when you are on duty.
If you bear in mind what the employer is looking for at all stages of your application - then you will be doing a great deal to boost your chances of getting a cruise ship job.
Opportunities for cruise ship jobs are on the increase if the findings of a recent report compiled by Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) are anything to go by. According to them, 12 million people enjoyed a cruise holiday in 2006, up 7% from the previous year. Companies within the industry made over $35 billion and employed over 348,000 crew members, who were paid $14.7 billion in salaries.
A study by Seatrade shows that this is massive business. They have predicted 20 million passengers by 2010, with companies focusing on new destinations in and around the Pacific Ocean, Asia, Fiji and Europe.
This is excellent news for anyone seeking cruise line employment. Most liners employ somewhere in the region of 500 - 1500 members of staff so this increase in passengers will mean an additional 10,000 crew will be recruited. If you don't want to miss out, now is the time to begin getting your resume together and begin applying for these jobs.
Whenever more staff are needed, the industry tends to design bigger and better ships, with new and improved facilities, so there is a guarantee these jobs will be secure for the next few years at least. As the CLIA study shows, a cruise vacation is more popular than ever and the current demand shows no sign of slowing down.
As many companies are beginning to offer cruises to new and exciting destinations, the crew members will get to see even more amazing places than ever before. There has never been a better time to start searching out those cruise ship jobs!
The busiest time for hiring staff is December and January. The main reason is that going on a cruise vacation during the Festive and New Year periods has become very popular. With liners packed full of passengers, sufficient staff are required to look after them and run the many onboard facilities and amenities. As well as this, the World Cruise season begins in January each year so opportunities for cruise ship jobs, which visit the entire globe are high. Fantastic for people who have a desire to travel the world!
There aren't many jobs that will pay you whilst you visit Europe, the Caribbean, USA, Australia, the Far East, or even the Arctic! The time to start looking for cruise line employment is today, because these positions will get taken up quickly.
There are normally at least 11 new ship launches each year, so those applying now will be among the lucky ones who gain employment aboard some of the largest and most extravagant liners in the world.
It doesn't matter if you want a one off experience or plan to make a career out of it, the opportunities for cruise line employment have not been better than right now. Just a few years ago, itineraries were fairly restricted. Now you can have the chance to visit some truly exciting destinations just by applying for cruise ship jobs!
Neil Maxwell Keys has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cruise Ships, Small Business and Cruise Ships. Neil Maxwell-Keys is THE cruise ship jobs expert and best-selling author of ?Get a Cruise Ship Job: How to Get a Job on a Luxury Cruise Ship ? Quickly and Easily!? You can get his FREE mini-course by visiting:. Neil Maxwell Keys's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.