Forget you've ever watched a single episode of "The Love Boat". Block out those fond memories of Gopher, Isaac, Julie and even that kid that was on for a while. Erase all mental images of Captain Stubing's socks. Don't even THINK about playing the Love Boat theme song in your head.
As engaging as the seagoing sitcom might have been, it should not be used as a point of reference for anyone considering a cruise ship job. Our happy-go-lucky heroes might have been world class party animals but there was one important element missing: work. Most crew members work seven days per week. Contracts usually last at least six months. You don't get to go home on the weekends. You have to work the holidays.
Are there really opportunities? You bet! Compared to other industries, cruise lines have a high employee turnover rate. Many people work on ships as a means to see the world, save money and have some fun. They don't do it with the intention of developing a lifelong career (although it can be addictive!) The cruise industry is booming away at an all time high with over 190 ships and 17 new ship buildings scheduled over the next two years. That's about 130,000 jobs.
Most cruise ships employ a multi-national crew. Sometimes there are as many as 80 different nationalities on one ship. In many cases nationality influences job opportunities. It is not uncommon to find each department on one ship is comprised of the same nationality unique to the other departments. That helps prevent culture clashes where they live, work and play together.
Crew for many of the behind the scenes jobs are recruited from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Caribbean islands. Even though these jobs might pay less than U.S. hourly minimum wage, the salary represents a substantial income in these countries where the U.S. dollar is strong and the exchange rate is great.
Since the cruise lines do not have offices in these countries, they enlist the assistance of local crewing agencies who mainly place crew on cargo ships and offshore oil rigs.
If you are American, Canadian or European and you are interested in a hotel department or entertainment department job, your best plan of action would be to apply directly to the cruise line or concessionaire.
The beauty salon, gift shop, photography service and casino are almost always concessionaires. These companies set up and maintain facilities onboard and share the profits with the cruise line. They hire their own employees.
To apply, send a cover letter, resume and photograph. The cruise line will use your photo to get a sense of how well you present yourself. A personal interview is not always required. It is very important that the materials you submit look as professional as humanly possible. The cruise lines receive gazillions of submissions. In order to reduce them to a manageable amount, the first step in the hiring process is the elimination process. If your materials are sloppy, incomplete or sent to the wrong department they will be trashed immediately.
Watch out for rip-offs. Never pay a fee up front unless you are given a signed contract for a job. There is no such thing as an "official" application form that all of the cruise lines use. Never pay a security deposit. There are no centralized hiring facilities for all the lines. Posting your resume online is a waste of time. If you plan on buying a "How to Get a Job on a Cruise Ship" book, then make sure that you check out the authors credentials. Have they even worked on cruise ship before? Is their information up-to-date and accurate?
Some of these expensive "books" are actually a handful of photocopies stapled together, produced by an enterprising cruise passenger who's objective is to con you and a hundred other unsuspecting souls into paying for their next cruise. The real problem is not the money it cost you to buy the book - it's the time and effort that you wasted by following their incorrect instructions and out-dated information.
There is no quick and easy way. As with any job search, you have to have to correct information to hand, work hard at it, do it right the first time and compete. Try to make it as easy as possible for the person on the other end. Who would YOU hire; someone that made your job difficult or someone that made it easy?
Hopefully this information will give you the "big picture" and get you pointed in the right direction. On my first attempt at cruise ship employment, I was misguided by one of those expensive handfuls of photocopies and I applied for a job that did not exist. The result was a frustrating waste of time effort and money.
Now that you have an idea what that "something for everyone" is that the Love Boat theme song promises, go ahead and play it in your head.
As soon as the interview has finished, don't rest for a second because there are a few effective tactics you can apply that will greatly improve your chances of getting cruise ship jobs. These top tips will set you apart from your competitors and give you that leading edge. Send the recruiting company a post interview cover letter It's a nice idea to send a letter after your interview, saying 'thank you' to the recruiter. This is a rarely used but very effective technique and applying it correctly can get you hired. You can rest assured no one else interviewed has even thought to send a letter such as this. In the post interview cover letter, re-affirm your enthusiasm and desire to gain cruise line employment. Say how interested you are in working for the company and restate your availability. If your interview went really well, mention that as well. Keep this letter short and to the point - only a few paragraphs are necessary. Be enthusiastic and friendly when you're writing and don't forget to actually ask for the job! Be sure to personalize your letter to the person who interviewed you. Sending a post interview cover letter will ensure you have a great advantage over the other applicants, who more than likely will be sitting at home just hoping to hear back from the employer. This re-instates your passion and determination for cruise line employment and makes you stand out from the crowd. Respond to a rejection letter This may sound unusual if not a bit crazy but believe it or not, it can actually land you cruise line employment! Hardly anybody would ever think to do this and it will give you the edge over your competition and could even secure you the job. An example of this is a girl who recently had an interview with one of the leading cruise lines and unfortunately received a rejection letter the following week. Of course, she was extremely upset by this, as she badly wanted the job. The majority of people would dwell on this disappointment and maybe even give up the idea of obtaining cruise ship jobs but not this girl. With great determination she sent a letter straight back to the company, thanking them for the interview and their time. When she replied, she also reiterated her desire to secure a position with them. Less than a week later the recruiter contacted her. The winning candidate for the vacancy had changed her mind and no longer wanted the job. The interviewer was phoning to offer her the position! She has since found out she was amongst several other applicants short listed for the job but after receiving her response to the rejection letter, the hiring staff made the decision she was just the person for the job. She's now enjoying a six-month cruise round South America and the Caribbean - and getting paid for it! This is an excellent example of where persistence and determination will pay off in the end. You can almost guarantee no other applicants thought to respond to their rejection letters. When you ooze energy and purpose like this, you're displaying to potential employers just how desirable you are as a candidate. Persevering, whilst remaining polite, will really show how big an asset you will be to any cruise ship job.
Both Neil Maxwell Keys & Mary Bush are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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 ?How to Get a Cruise Ship Job Quickly & Easily!" You can get his FREE cruise line employment mini-course by visiting:. Neil Maxwell Keys's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.