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! Address the letter personally to whoever conducted your interview.

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! Very few people would think to do such a thing and it will set you apart from your competitors and incredibly even land you that job.

A good example of this is a lady who had an interview with a cruise company but received a letter of rejection a week later. 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 recruiter was calling to give her the job!

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. It's almost guaranteed that no other job seeker would send a reply to their letter of rejection.

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.