To know how to work on a cruise ship, is the question of many people, because being a city in the middle of the sea that crosses several territories, there are several departments on board in which it is possible to find a job, if you apply to occupy that position and comply with the the requirements that are requested.
How to work on a cruise ship: requirements
Meeting certain requirements makes the dream of being able to discover possible how to work on a cruise shipBecause beyond the cruise agency and the availability of jobs, there are common requirements that candidates must meet.
Age:
Although most cruise agencies establish the age of 21 years as a minimum to work on board, some jobs admit the hiring of personnel of 18, 19 or 20 years old, since it all depends on the area that needs to be occupied.
In this sense, if the job refers to the casino or food and beverage department, you should know that this sector requires a minimum age of 21 years, since gambling or drinking alcoholic beverages are not allowed to those under 21 years of age.
However, other sectors such as those that deal with shows that may need singers or dancers, admit the hiring of persons under 21 years of age, since in these cases the responsibility and maturity of the applicant who may be 18 years old and be hired.
In the same way that there is a minimum age to work on a cruise ship. There is also a maximum age of 35 for many jobs.
In fact, only some such as the position of manager, that of an event planner or a shopping and port guide can admit a mature age in the applicant.
Establishing this maximum age is not arbitrary, because although the idea of working in a floating city may seduce you, you should also know that the working day extends beyond 11 hours and there is also no possibility of free days and even many jobs are so demanding that require you to stand all day, making the requirement related to the maximum age of 35 years to fill some jobs is obvious.
Language:
For example, in addition to the age of the applicant, speaking the English language is a priority, since it is a language that allows you to communicate with tourists from all over the world, but in addition to English, it is also useful to know other languages such as French, German and Italian and even the more languages you master, the greater the possibility of being accepted.
In addition, it is also important that you do not have a police record, as this is a determining factor for you to be able to occupy an independent job in the cruise sector.
In fact, it is important that the applicant’s level of English is high, since you must know how to speak and understand English fluently, since this is the language spoken by the crew and almost all travelers, because you should also think that on the cruise Exercises and training are carried out in English, which is why fluency in oral English is necessary, since also as a cruise ship employee you will receive instructions for you to address passengers in English or speak in this language when passengers are present so they can understand the conversation.
Oral comprehension of the language is easy to verify after submitting the cover letter and the curriculum vitae, but in addition to that, although you could have made the curriculum and the cover letter in perfect English, the human resources staff of the Cruise will be in charge of interviewing you and it will be in that interview when they will check if you really can speak and understand English fluently.
However, the needs of one language or another may vary depending on the job position, since, for example, when it comes to butlers, guest service or youth staff, it is generally necessary that when applying, you give importance to your knowledge of the English language, as it can be portrayed as an indispensable requirement in many cruise agencies.
However, some of them, in addition to requiring a high level of English, also require knowledge of another language such as German.
Criminal record:
Most cruise agencies will require a police clearance stating that you have no criminal record.
You can request this official document at the government agency or the police department of your country of origin, therefore, it is necessary that you confirm through this document that you have not been detained and that you do not have criminal proceedings.
How to work on a cruise ship as a crew member
If you want to know how to work on a cruise ship As a crew member, above all, the assistants, captain and officers are not the only job positions of the crew, as there are many others that you can fill if there are vacancies,
For example, you can be part of the maintenance staff or deck and engine room job, which generally requires different professions and knowledge.
You can also fill a job position as a plumber, electrician, or head of safety.
And even within the crew, you can occupy a fun-oriented job position depending on your profession, as you can work as a tour guide, an artist, a gym trainer or a swimming instructor or a casino worker, but it is about a category within the crew that requires that the English language be native.
You can also become part of the crew by taking a job in the kitchen, as long as you have experience and knowledge of English.
Anyway, if your level of English is not high but you can at least define yourself with a basic level of English to work on a cruise ship, it is enough if you are part of the cleaning staff, which known as dishwater only requires experience and a basic level. of English.
But if you do not have experience but have a good level of English, you can be part of the staff of the cafeteria, bar and dining room, because you will not have contact with travelers and therefore by not communicating with them it is not necessary that your level of English be tall.