How to Find Employment on Cruise Ships

If you enjoy traveling, a job on a cruise ship may be a good option. While many job search websites such as Monster, Career Builder and Yahoo! Hot Jobs can be a great starting point, heading directly to a cruise ship's company website is the best option for searching. Armed with a resume and an Internet-capable computer, it is not a hard task. Here are a few places to start your search.

Things You'll Need

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Computer
• Internet access

Instructions

1. Carnival
   Jobs available at Carnival include a wide range of entertainment positions, such as production singers, dancers and a variety of band member jobs. Additionally, the entertainment departments are often hiring supporting staff, such as audio and visual controllers. Auditions for entertainment positions are hosted in different cities throughout the United States each year. Alternatively, the cruise line offers unique positions such as "destination shopping specialists" to direct guests on where to head when docked at ports. Other necessary staffing includes casino staffing, golf experts, medical staff, spa, beauty and fitness directors and photographers. To apply for specific open positions, visit the website at www.carnival.com.

2. Norwegian Cruise Lines
   Positions open for locations all over the world are posted on the Norwegian's Web site. The company asks for a resume in an email along with a cover letter and salary requirements to be sent to [e-mail]. Persons applying should state the position of interest in the subject line of the e-mail. Norwegian conducts both personal and webcam interviews for its positions. Resumes are accepted in Microsoft Word (.doc), Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) or Plain Text (.txt) documents. Recruitment agents, located in 24 different countries, are listed on the website, including contact emails for different locations. Frequently asked questions about on-board life can also be answered online. For more information, visit www.ncl.com.

3. Royal Caribbean International
   Royal Caribbean offers positions on its website for a variety of departments, including casinos, financial services, guest services, housekeeping, medical, security, entertainment and food and beverages. Applicants to open positions must register online with the company's website. A required (req.) number is listed for each position. By clicking on that open title, a separate window will open the Web browser. Step-by-step instructions will follow, outlining the required application process to interested searchers. For more information, visit www.royalcaribbean.com.

4. Disney Cruise Lines
   Disney offers employment on its website for its cruise lines for those ages 21 and over who are conversant in English, able to obtain a United States passport and are willing to commit to a six-month contract. Employees work seven-day weeks, for 10-hour shifts each day. Positions are available in the hotel, food and beverage, deck, engineering, human resources, third-party vendors and shore-side departments for the line. Descriptions for open positions are available online. For more information, visit www.dcljobs.com.

5. Other Resources
   A variety of websites are dedicated to the industry of cruising. It may be worth a check on the following websites, many of which allow you to post a resume or desired position. Posting to such sites can make it possible for cruise lines to find you when looking for employment. Sites offering cruise line positions of all varieties include:
   www.cruiselinejobs.com
   www.cruisejobfinder.com
   www.shipjobs.com
   www.cruisejobline.com
   For more information, visit each individual site to see updated postings, application processes and resume posting abilities. It is recommended to check each company's direct website to verify an open position and review unique application process requirements.

Tips & Warnings

• Review each company's policies and requirements for application on the individual websites. Many sites offer Frequently-Asked Question sections that may answer inquiries about job specifics. Review prior to applying for a position.

• Verify a job posting that is not directly on a cruise line's website. Many fraudulent postings have been reported online and in newspapers. Using a company's direct application process is the way to get the most accurate and updated information available.

References

• Royal Caribbean
• Norwegian Cruise Lines
• Carnival

Resources

• Google