How to Get a Job On a Cruise Ship, Travel Around The World, and Get Paid to Do It!

How to Get a Job On a Cruise Ship, Travel Around The World, and Get Paid to Do It!

It wasn't until I spent three and a half years aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 that I visited more than 50 countries on six continents. If you've ever wondered how to get a job on a cruise ship, then keep reading to learn all the details.

A lot of people are wondering about what it's like to work on a cruise ship and how to acquire a job on one. Some of you may be thinking this is a well-kept secret! As long as you don't finish reading this post, it will no longer be true! As it turned out, a cruise employment agency had reached out to an acquaintance who was unable to work at the time and asked if he might refer him to me, and the rest, as they say, is history. Several of my friends ended up traveling the globe, and I'll teach you how to achieve the same thing in a different way if you don't know me.

Here's a step-by-step explanation of how it all works. Every department on a ship has an individual in charge of it, and they all work together. Regardless of whether it's Princess, Royal Caribbean, or Carnival, this individual answers to someone at the cruise line's land-based headquarters. The hooker is here. This corporate employee collaborates with an agency or contractor that recruits passengers once they have been pre-qualified. 70% of the time, this is what occurs. On-board contractors account for 20% of the workforce. For example, they may be the ship's on-board boutiques, art auctioneers, or photographers. The remaining 10% are those who apply for jobs directly on cruise ships, such as sales specialists, printers, disc jockeys, and others who only employ one or a few people.


The cruise liner or the company pays a fee when employees are recruited via an agency. The cruise line usually foots this bill. Third-party HR may be hired to handle everything from logistics to coordination with the corporate office and employers on-board, making it easier for everyone involved. This is only logical due to the many employment, ticketing, and travel complications. After that, you'll be able to contact a third-party agent or administrative assistant from the company's headquarters for any assistance you may require.

With the increasing number of ships in the oceans nowadays, there are several work opportunities. There may be more "entertainment" employment available on one cruise ship than there are "hotel service" jobs available on another. You'll be working and traveling, of course. Plan your schedules with your coworkers so that you can take days off at ports and spend as much time on land as possible. Although it may seem difficult at first, I assure you that it is a piece of cake and takes no more than thirty seconds to get everyone on board. Certain industries, such as entertainment, allow their employees to choose their own work schedules. Other businesses, such as casinos and retail outlets, are prohibited from operating while the ship is docked (a nice job to have, by the way)!

If at all possible, seek employment aboard a ship with a large fleet or several ports of call. With Premiere Cruise Lines, I was able to see more than 10 countries in four months by switching cruise lines three times. Among Princess Cruise Lines' fleet are numerous ships that all adhere to the same design principles. It's easier for staff to move between ships if they can do so with confidence.

How many organizations and organisations can assist you in getting a job aboard a cruise ship may surprise you. Because of the hundreds of applicants, you're undoubtedly asking yourself, "How can I obtain a job here?"

Okay, now you know the truth. It doesn't matter what anybody else is thinking, since they're all thinking the same thing! You wouldn't believe the chronic scarcity of crew members experienced by cruise ship operators. A position will open up within three months if there isn't one immediately because of the way contracts operate with numerous ships. There was never a time when every position was filled, no matter what the department was. Every time a new post opens up, the department heads check with the agencies to see whether somebody has been identified to fill it. Positions are often left unfilled. As a result, a large number of crew members have to extend their contracts due to a lack of suitable candidates or because the agencies either don't know whom to contact or don't know how to approach them.

At twenty-four, I fulfilled my lifelong ambitions and saw others do the same. Many people ask me how they can do the same. Basically, what I tell folks is straightforward. If you'd want to approach these employment agencies and corporations directly, compile a database and resource guide. This resource site by Neil Maxwell Key is by far the best one I've come across in all my research on resource guides. If you have a desire to have a career working on cruise ships, you'll need all the information you can get your hands on.

If you want to live the life that only your closest friends and family members can imagine, get a job on a cruise ship. Inquiring minds want to know what it's like to travel the globe and get compensated for doing so.