Cruise hospitality staff
When you get a call from your overseas recruitment agency about a cruise line job, what should you expect? Life at sea is certainly hard and very different from anything jobs on land can offer, but it is also equally exciting and rewarding, in terms of both money and experience. One of the main things to expect with cruise ship jobs are long working hours and seven day weeks. This might sound harrowing at first, but remember, 900,000 people working on cruise lines around the world could not all have made a bad choice. Depending on the line you’re in, you will work shifts and have several hours off to sleep and enjoy yourself. Living quarters also vary depending on where you are on the cruise line job scale. Some such as restaurant and housekeeping staff spend all their off-duty hours when the ship is sailing in the crew-only areas. Others including entertainment and guest relations staff interact regularly with cruise ship passengers. Work begins based on shift timings, and may not always be a straight-hour shift. When the cruise liner is sailing, the entertainment and hospitality – and indeed overall experience – of the guests are entirely in the hands of the staff. It will require you to be courteous to passengers at all times, immaculately dressed in your uniform and report to work on time. As with all hospitality jobs, there will be good and bad days, and you might encounter unsatisfied guests. But for the most part, passengers are well-informed about cruise etiquette and tipping staff is the norm. A significant portion of your earnings, say as part of housekeeping, could come from tips, so being polite and doing a good job will only earn you more. During time off, you will experience ‘ship life’ that is quite unforgettable. Most cruise line employees live in shared quarters, usually two to a cabin, sharing a bath and toilet, a television and a steward who cleans your room. Cruise ship jobs are the best ways to forge lasting international friendships that stretch across the continents. Cruise lines also provide entertainment areas, fitness areas and a crew store with discounted products for staff. There is usually also a bar that most crew frequent during time off with cheap food and beverage, and lots of dancing. And when the cruise liner gets to port, it’s the easiest way for you to see an exotic place, almost for free!
Porting at NZ