How do you get a job working on a cruise ship ? and do they pay more than minimum wage?

Show all answers

TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

You need to look on the cruise ship web sites for the link that will take you to their employment page. Each cruise line web site (I listed them below) has a link for jobs, employment, or human resources that will take you to a page where their jobs are listed and the types of positions they are searching for people to fill.

Cruise ship jobs are no party, not easy. The hours are long and the pay is low, not even minimum US wage because the ships are registered in other countries, except the NCL ships that cruise Hawaii. People in the service positions like waiter, assistant waiter and bar service people get a minimum salary but most of their income comes from tips (these are now pretty much standard and automatic). Many positions require you to sign a contract committing to stay for 6, 8 or 9 months and you work 7 days a week during that period and long hours. If you are on the wait staff, for example, you may be up at 5:00 AM to set up the main dining room for breakfast and then your day is not done until after the last dinner seating about 9:30 PM. If you are a room steward you will be cleaning 10 or 15 cabins twice a day and you will start 8:00 or 9:00 AM and not be done until may 9:00 PM at night.

There are some positions on ship that are not filled by the cruise line and these are the ones that run concessions on ship; the gift and clothings shops. One of these may be your best bet if you are just looking for summer work.

You should also know that some of the cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean have their headquarters offices in Miami, Florida. And Carnival also owns Princess and Cunard Cruise lines so when you contact them you can inquire about all three lines. Also, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean are owned by the same company so the same goes when contacting them. In addition, Celebrity has launched a new class of ships called Solstice for which it will be recruiting staff. AND, Royal Caribbean has a new cruise line called Azamara cruise lines which will have lots of itineraries in the Pacific. These new lines and ships should provide plenty of opportunities for a position on a ship.

cryxander

I am sure that pay is not high, but you must remember too that you get all your meals free and a room. you are at sea for long periods of time, and also make tips. no rent, no utility bills. sounds good to me, but I am married, so its not the life I want.

Cruise ship jobs are no vacation. Most of them are 10 hours a day, 7 days a week for months at a time. This is why very few Americans work on cruise ships.

That said, Americans, especially college kids, do work summers in cruise line youth programs. Basically, all cruise ships have a big influx of kids over the summer, so they essentially need camp counselors.

I don't know what these positions pay, but while they probably aren't super-lucrative, they do probably pay better than minimum wage. Also, your costs of living will be really low: food, lodging and uniform will be paid for. But you'll share a room, and you won't have much space. Like I said, it is NOT a vacation.

Check out the cruise lines' websites, they usually have employment links.

travelbug

I was on a celebrity cruise line and got talking to the staff apparently the cleaners and waitstaff only get paid $50 a month and live off tips....... i am Australian so we had to prepay tips $2-$3 a day per staff member that regularly severed us..... the way that the cruise ship gets away with it, if that they don't register the ship in the USA they register in the Bahamas.... this is what a few people told me... also the staff can pick as many tables or rooms as they want to clean or wait so they can make as many tips as they can........ i do not know if all cruises do this, but it wouldnt surprise me, how else would we get cheap prices??

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: