Cruise ship jobs require certain capabilities, and not just those pertaining to the technical aspects of the position. To be successful, you will need to work on a number of soft skills. Here are a few qualities that are important when working on a cruise ship.
Team work
Hundreds of people work on board a cruise ship at any given time. And more than 99 per cent will work as part of a team. To be successful at your job and provide efficient service you should be proficient in working well with others. This means learning how to control your anger, being diplomatic when necessary, covering for others if needed, accepting and taking into consideration constructive criticism.
One of the best examples of teamwork is cruise ship chefs jobs. Without the help and skill of everyone from the provisions assistant and line cook to the utility help and waiter, no chef will be able to place a high quality meal before a guest. Everyone works in tandem for the best result.
Perseverance
Persistence can help a great deal in learning skills on board. There may be times when you are placed in a new team or expected to learn a new cuisine on the job. You may make mistakes as you go along, but the key is to keep at it.
This quality will prove to management that you are a go-getter and that you will not rest until you are perfect at your job. It is a quality they are looking for when promotions open up.
Attention to detail
Cruise vessels follow a certain standard set by the owning company. For example, executive chefs set the menu down to the last detail – how a dish should be made and plated and what the final product should look like. The housekeeping department will have a certain way bed spreads are laid out, where the toiletries are kept and what shapes the towel origami will take.
Making sure everything is perfect is important as it shows consistency of quality to guests. This capability is evident after the first couple of months into your contract when you are used to the process and start doing things mechanically. This is when staff are likely to slip up if they are not careful. So pay attention every time.
Adaptability & flexibility
Working on a cruise ship places a lot of demands on crew. Issues crop up all the time and you should be able to think on your feet. If peaches are getting overripe, cruise ship chefs should be able to whip up a quick dessert to add to the buffet to avoid waste.
It also means you should be able to work with different types of people with varied personalities and nationalities. Someone is always at the end or beginning of their contract which means that teams get switched up all the time. You should be able to adapt to a new person on your team and perhaps even in your cabin.
Patience
Working with varied personalities from around the world and in big teams can test your patience. You will need to give new team members extra time to grasp the intricacies of cruise ship jobs and learn the ropes of working on a sailing hotel.
If you are in guest relations positions, you will need to have a lot of patience with guests. You may be asked the same question multiple times a day or have to deal with a rude guest. Keeping your patience will help diffuse the situation and lower the risk of negative feedback for you and your team.
Time management
Cruise ship jobs also demand excellent time management capabilities. Crew join with prior knowledge of the long hours involved in their position. This proves that time management is vital to completing tasks and perhaps even gaining some extra time to yourself.
Time management involves being proactive and attempting to get the job done perfectly the first time, every time. It means thinking ahead and being prepared for the steps to come, correctly following hygiene and safety rules – particularly in the galley, and reporting to superiors before a situation gets out of hand.