Summer Employment on Cruise Ships
According to the Cruise Ship Jobs Network, most cruise lines prefer to hire long-term employees but they will hire seasonal staff during the high season. This is especially true for those cruise lines that Smarter Travel website identified as predominantly summer lines, such as Alaskan cruise lines that only operate in the summer and European cruise lines that largely operate in the summer.
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Types of Jobs
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On board cruise ships, there are jobs for servers, bartenders, casino dealers, retail shop clerks, youth counselors, entertainers who draw passengers into games and activities, deck hands, fitness instructors and others. People who have previous experience will be given preference when applications are considered. Pay ranges from $1,500 to $3,000 a month for assistant servers and bartenders up to $4,000 for servers, including tips, according to February 2011 numbers on Cruise Ship Jobs website.
Alaskan Cruise Lines
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As of February 2011, 17 cruise lines were operating in Alaska during the cruise season from May to September. Most lines start and/or end in Seattle, Washington, or Vancouver, Canada, and sail southeast Alaska. Royal Caribbean, Princess and Carnival are the biggest players in the cruise industry. New ships being launched provide opportunities for new employees. Jobs can be searched on Alaska Summer Jobs.
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European Cruise Lines
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Many European cruise lines operate during the summer months, though their sailing season is longer than a traditional summer holiday in North America. According to the website Jobs Monkey, it is difficult for a North American to land a job on a European cruise ship. But Transitions Abroad reports that jobs involving passenger contact including shops, salons and photography are often filled by English speakers from the U.S. or Canada, while other jobs are filled by Europeans. Again, cruise lines with new sailing routes provide more opportunities for new employees. This and other job information is available on Cruise Ship Job Finder.
Life on Board
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Cruise ship jobs can offer travel and wages with no living expenses. On the other hand, cruise ship employees often work 10 hours a day, seven days a week. There are strict rules about who can fraternize, both between staff and guests and between staff of different ranks. Cruise employees often have to share small living quarters with other employees.
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References
- Alaska Summer Jobs: Alaska Summer Job Opportunities
- Cruise Ship Jobs Network: Summer Cruise Ship Jobs
- Smarter Travel: When to Cruise and How to Save
- Cruise Page.com: Cruise Travel -- Cruise Jobs
- Job Monkey: Cruise Ship Jobs in Europe
- Transitions Abroad; "Cruise Ship Jobs -- The Right Way to Get Hired"; Renee Ruggero
Resources
- Photo Credit cruise ship image by Kate Jones from Fotolia.com
