Cruising 101

Q. What kind of employees are the cruise lines looking for?

A. The cruise lines are looking for individuals who have excellent communication skills and enjoy working with the public. They are looking for staff who are enthusiastic, friendly and outgoing. It is important to make a positive and lasting impression with the passengers. Appearance is important. Employees must be clean and well groomed at all times. In short, they are looking for hardworking individuals who enjoy people and take pride in themselves and their work.

Q. How long are the contracts?

A. Contracts vary, but are normally 3-6 months. Contracts can be renewed.

Q. What will I earn?

A. Salaries are competitive with those in the marketplace.

Q. Who will I work with?

A. You will work with crew members who represent nationalities from all over the world. Appreciating and understanding other peoples' differences and values will make your job more rewarding and create some lasting friendships. You will report to your Hotel Manager and your Department Head. However, the Captain is the Master of the ship and is in authority at all times. All shipboard employees must abide to strict Master's Rules and Regulations.

Q. What will my responsibilities be?

A. Your responsibilities will depend on the position you are hired for. In addition to these duties, you are required to participate in training/safety drills. Team work is important and vital.

Q. What are some of the policies I will have to follow?

A. Officers are responsible for the smooth sailing and operation of the ship. There are rules and regulations that are set out for all employees as these policies are necessary to maintain the safety and well being of all on board. The public facilities are for the passengers to enjoy. Use of these facilities are limited or not permitted. Usually, staff status allows access and use of the public rooms and bars/lounges. Crew (usually) are not permitted in these areas when off duty. You are expected to behave and dress professionally on and off duty. Excessive drinking or socializing is not tolerated either on or off duty. You are not permitted to mingle with the passengers when you are off duty, though this varies from line to line...some encourage the staff to frequent the nightclub to give it atmosphere!!

Q. If I am hired, what documentation will I require?

A. If you are Canadian or US citizen, you require a valid passport. If you hold another international passport, you also need to obtain a C1-D Visa. You will be required to have a complete pre-employment physical prior to joining the vessel. The cost is at your own expense, though some concession companies will foot the bill if you are employed by them.

Q. Am I responsible for my airfare to join the ship?

A. Some companies will pay your transportation to meet the ship, others expect you to cover the cost of your transportation. In the event that you break your contract or are terminated, the cruise lines will deduct the expenses they incurred for your transportation.

Q. What benefits will I receive?

A. Benefits include your room, board and all meals. Most companies also provide you with emergency medical insurance when you are signed on the ship as an employee. You have access to the ships Doctor, and they have special hours for the staff and ships crew. Dental is often not covered.

Q. What expenses will I incur on board?

A. Your expenses are minimal, making it possible for you to save a considerable amount of money. Of course the amount you save will depend on your own spending habits. Generally, the expenses that you incur are gratuities to the waiter and cabin steward ( approx. US $10.00 each per week ); laundry, dry cleaning, alcoholic beverages and items of a personal nature. Employees may be required to purchase a uniform.

Q. What taxes will I be responsible for?

A. No taxes are deducted from your salary if you are not a US resident/citizen. Canadian residents are obligated in reporting their income to Revenue Canada.

Q. What hours will I work?

A. Working on board a cruise ship is not a holiday. You can expect to work seven days a week. Your schedule will vary from day to day. Some days you may not work at all, others you may work a lot!! It all depends on your position, the ships itinerary and your dept.head.

Q. What will my living quarters be like?

A. The ship is a floating hotel and space is limited. Cabins are small and simple. You will share accommodations with 2 - 4 crew members. It is important that you get along with others and that you exercise patience and diplomacy. If you value your private time and enjoy being alone, ship board life is not for you, however, a lot of fun can be had in a cabin!!!

Q. How will I spend my off duty time?

A. When you are off duty, you can relax in your cabin or socialize with other crew members in designated areas. Staff and crew are not, on the most part, permitted to socialize with the passengers. Staff and crew have limited, if any, access to public areas. When the ship is in port, and you are not on duty, then you should be able to get off the ship and go exploring!

Q. Will I visit the ports?

A. Visiting exciting destinations is only one of the many benefits of working on board a luxury cruise liner. When the ship is in dock and you are off duty, you will have some shore leave.

********************************************************

Interview With A Cruise Ship Employee

Special Thanks To Scott Anderson

What is it like to work with an international staff?

It's excellent - your room mate may not be from your country, and its almost certain that someone in your department is foreign to you, so you get to learn a lot about other countries cultures, languages, religions and traditions. On one ship my cabin steward was from Jakarta and I ended up staying with his family when I went backpacking to Indonesia. Also I have stayed with friends from USA that I made on board. You have to be very open minded and tolerant of other peoples beliefs to make it on board.

What kinds of perks do employees get (such as discounts, duty-free shopping, gym use, etc.)?

Most crew and staff will get a discount in the gift shops, this will vary from line to line from 5% to 20%. Sometimes they can go on the tours for free too. A lot of modern ships have crew gyms and crew bars (cheap beers for $1.00! ) On some lines staff can use the passenger gyms, and have access to the public rooms and lounges. Crew must go below decks once their duty is finished. Most lines will throw a Crew Party every now and then. Other perks include free room and board, free food and travel! Staff get discounted drinks at the bars (usually)

How often are employees paid and is it tax-free?

It depends, at the end of each cruise or once/twice a month, and yes, it's Tax Free if you are working for a company that is not from your country of origin. I.E I worked for a US company and being British did not pay tax on my earnings, however it is the employee responsibility to check with their own tax office to see if they need to make payments

What personal items would you recommend bringing and how much should you pack?

Well cabins are small, and you don't get much storage! Take a CD walkman or tape walkman and a selection of your favorite CDs/tapes. This is small and can be easily stored, and having your favorite music can help with the initial homesickness, your favorite toiletries or course, and creams and tablets you may need. Your uniform will be provided (in some cases), either on board or you may get it before you join the ship. You will need casual clothes too, so if you are joining a ship in the Caribbean, some shorts, tees etc would be good, beach shoes etc. If you are staff a formal evening outfit too, but the employer can advise on how many you may need. Some ships will have theme evenings, and you may need a special outfit (Hawaiian Shirt for example) Shoes, and underwear of course. Crew and staff tend to buy a lot on their first contract i.e. souvenirs etc so you will need space in you case for these! Or send them home ahead of yourself! Oh and take photos of your family/loved ones with you! Take a camera too, maybe a laptop if you have one for entertaining your self or writing a journal etc

How is the experience of interacting with the guests?

All staff and crew interact with the guests in some form or other, and must be professional and courteous at all times. You are NOT allowed to get too friendly with them, and invite them into crew/staff areas - this is instant dismissal, however you are encouraged to talk to them!
The guests are great, if it were not for them you would not be there after all, and its great to chat to them about where they are from etc.

How is the experience of working with the cruise management staff?

Unless you are an assistant manager or manager, you probably wont have too much interaction with the ships management, however the Hotel Manager, Cruise Director, staff Captain and Captain must all be treated with respect, as well as all senior officers. Sometimes they are great and personable, other times they can be a bit surly!

Are any concessions made to allow spouses onboard?

Once you have completed a probationary period, you are allowed to get family on board for a discounted rate. This will vary from line to line.

Where do employees eat? Do laundry? Socialize?

Crew will eat in the Crew Mess. Staff will eat in the staff mess, officers mess or the dining room or passenger buffet areas. Crew and staff can have their laundry done by the ships laundry, or do it themselves. Staff will have their own cabin steward who can get their laundry done for them - sometimes free of charge.
Crew can only socialize below decks, either in their cabins or in the crew bar. Staff often have access to the public bars and lounges (usually with a discount on their bar bills) where they can watch the entertainment, go to the disco etc or they can go to the crew bars too.

Do musicians work in other capacities on the ship when not performing?

No! Musicians will only ever perform - they rarely have other duties ( other than lifeboat and safety duties). They may have to go to rehearsals for new acts etc but as far as I am aware they don't have to do anything else!

General thoughts?

Musicians, Casino and Gift Shop staff have the best jobs on board! Plenty of time off and you only work when you are at sea! Musicians only tend to work in the evenings or late afternoons - sailaway parties etc. They may work slightly more on sea days, as all passengers will be on board and need entertaining! And on embarkation day too as passengers are boarding.

I can recommend the life at sea to anyone - its a great character building experience, you meet people from all walks of life from all over the world, get to travel for free, don't have to make you bed or clean your cabin, free food and a great lifestyle. It can get a bit like a soap opera at sea, but also you forge friendships much quicker and deeper as you spend so much time with your workmates/cabin mates, its a very social experience so if you are not a people person you may find it hard going. I would not recommend it if you are running away from some problems back home - they will come with you, and it can be a hard time to adjust. I would say it took me 3 weeks to settle in and start enjoying it, I was so homesick initially, mind I only just turned 19!

When you do work you tend to work hard, sometimes late nights too, and you are 'on' whenever in a public area, no day off or weekends, but you get time off in port.

If you are joining a ship I would say keep fairly quiet to start with, get to know your fellow work mates and your way around the ship, and as you get more familiar with the routine then come out of your shell! It can be very daunting to start with, however your workmates/cabin mate will always look after you and show you around!