Im looking to get out of the rat race and get work on cruise ships but my repeated searches on the net keep turning up scammers out to get money or companies that have no real connection with jobs at sea.
Im a U.K. based but prepared to work just about anywhere in the world just so long as the employer is legit.
I do realise that the work can be hard and involve long hours.
Are there any Dopers who have experience or useful tips that can help me out on this ?
Cheers.
Here’s a thread from last year that has some advice from people who’ve worked on a cruise ship.
Here is the website for Disney cruise lines:
Here is NCLs:
http://www.hcareers.com/seeker/employer-profiles/norwegian-cruise-line
Royal Carribeans:
http://royalcaribbean.hire.com/index.html
Pick a line, type in the line name and the word jobs or careers into google, hit search.
Yeah, as a former DCL employee, I really wouldn’t bother. I had some interesting experiences, but it was overall a fairly painful six months that I’m pleased to have behind me. I worked in Youth Activities - my field is science communication, and the Disney 8-12yr old program is billed as ‘science activities’ and take place in the Oceaneer’s Lab. In reality, it was two or three hours of craft activities dressed up as science, per cruise. The other hours were filled with fairly standard childminding, of (no offence to cruisers!) rather entitled American kiddies.
If you’re interested in specifics, feel free to ask in this thread, or PM.
Mods the T.P.Wombat thread of the same name was actually mine ,didnt notice that theyd not logged off ,thought Id stopped the post but it seems that I was unsuccessful .
My apologies to all concerned.
Once again, the username/post content combination is delicious. Doesn’t one of the cruise lines use “Lust for Life” in their commercials?
I used to work in an audit job that would sometimes mean working for a week or two on cruise ships. My impression is that it’s likely to be something you’ll already really like, or will hate and find impossible to adapt.
My perception was that it’s a peculiar and intense culture - hard-working, hard-playing, very close-knit, usually quite friendly and supportive, socially (and sexually) liberal, but with all sorts of tensions and urgencies - leading to the sorts of interesting situations/alliances/standoffs I’ve only seen elsewhere in reality TV shows such as Big Brother.
We’ve cruised Disney twice. The kids counselors do a great job - but it isn’t a job I’D want to do. Long hours, bratty kids, no time off and you constantly need to be “on” - no crappy mood days. Plus the complete lack of anything resembling decent compensation for the job. And sharing a room that is functionally a closet with bunks. On the plus side, in the lab you saw the sun more often than just on Castaway Cay days - the club side they are stuck in that low ceiling dark room seven days a week for six months - I’d probably kill myself.
Anyway, you have my appreciation for a difficult job - from one parent of those entitled American kids…
If you are good looking and fairly young you can go down to Antibes, France and see if you can work on one of those private yaughts that launch from Antibes in the summer and Ft. Lauderdale in the winter. All you need is a cover sheet with photo and a broker.
My sister and her friends did it for several years and its hard to get out of the yaughtie lifestyle but sounded alot of fun if you liked working on a boat for really rich people.
There is a facebook group called yaughties for life that might have more info if you wanted to go the yaught way rather than a cruise ship.
eta: She had to take some ship courses to get certified to work on a boat as well. One job required her working for a Saudi prince and the other boat she was one was for somebody who owns a publishing company in NY. Other peoples goals were to be in port when Octopuss the boat owned by the other Microsoft owner was in town because that was a pretty good boat to work on as well. She spent her summers in Europe and winters working in the Carribean. She basically went to Antibes with doing some legwork before and landed her first job.
This link might give you more info to that area of working on boats.
Beat me to it!
It looks like next Tuesday evening’s episode of Dirty Jobs will be focused on cruise ships.
Its a little bit overdue but thanks to everyone for your help,I do appreciate it and if I can ever return the favour I will do my very best to help you .
Once again ,thanks guys and lasses!