1. You should create a list of any previous positions you've held before, paid and voluntary. Write down any certificates you've gained from school, training or higher education. Don't forget to add any training courses you've taken part in and skills you have acquired.

2. After you have completed your list, rewrite it with your best strengths listed at the top all the way down to your 'least' strength. Be honest about your strong points and weaknesses.

3. Now it's time to find out what cruise ship vacancies are presently available. The majority of cruise lines will place advertisements with the leading job websites online, so spend some time looking through these. Use a search engine to locate the top employment sites.

4. Consider the available positions and weigh up which vacancies are best suited to your experience, your qualifications, your skills, your personality, and your aspirations. Take some time to consider what cruise ship employment is the best fit for you.

5. After you've chosen which cruise ship vacancies to apply for, start building your resume. Check it carefully to ensure no spelling mistakes and make sure it looks professional i.e. typed correctly with proper spacing and aligned margins, etc. Try to make your resume as imaginative and interesting as possible to stand out from other applications.

6. Write confidently! Select powerful words that portray you as a confident person with a strong belief in your own abilities. Never over-estimate your capabilities but at the same time don't undervalue yourself either. Just be honest and choose words that sound right for you.

7. If you are applying for more than one cruise ship job, optimize your resume accordingly for each vacancy. Change it a little to target the positions you're writing your application for, ensuring that any relevant abilities and skills you have in this field are highlighted. This point is essential in the cruise ship industry.

8. Once your resume is polished and sparkling, give it to family and friends to critique. This is a good way to spot any errors you may have overlooked and get an honest opinion on its appearance and content.

9. Now your resume is out of the way, its time to concentrate on your cover letter. This part is crucial so spend extra time getting it just right. Your cover letter is the key to enticing the recruiter to read your resume; and your application should invite the hiring manager to call you and practically beg you for an interview!

10. Once everything is completed, it's now time to send it. Don't spend days or even weeks drafting copies until its perfect. If you can, start right now and get your cruise ship employment application ready as soon as possible. Concentrate on nothing else until it's ready, you want to secure that interview within the next week.

That's it! Now just sit back and wait until that interview letter pops through the door. While you're waiting, here are three bonus tips to improve your chances even more.

Bonus Tips

1. Ensure your application is addressed correctly. Have you spelt the receiver's name correctly? Did you make sure you got the correct position for them? Always double check because the last thing you want is to make a mistake at this important part!

2. Whilst you're waiting to hear from the company, brush up on your interview techniques. Consider the questions you may be asked and think how you will answer.

3. Keep a record of all cruise ship jobs you have applied for. Write down which companies you have applied to, which positions you applied for, the date you applied, the name and position held by the recruiter, the name of the agency, and their physical and website address.

By following this advice you should be well on your way to a successful application for cruise ship employment. Remember, if it doesn't work out this time, keep persevering and polish your application next time until it stands out from the rest. Good luck!