The good news, for me, though is that I don’t dread my job. In fact, I rather enjoy it! Which makes Sunday evenings not-too-terrible. What about you? Are you looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow, or are you fed up with the daily grind?

If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, maybe it’s time to throw some adventure into your life. Of course, adventure is great, but going bankrupt to pay for it? Not so much. That’s why travel jobs are such a great gig — you get to have your adventure, while earning a buck or two to support your lifestyle. So for your Sunday night enjoyment, here is a look at one of the most awesome travel/adventure/fun jobs out there: Working on a cruise ship.

Unlike many cool travel jobs, which are seasonal, cruise ship jobs are available year-round. When you think of cruise ship jobs, you may instantly think of Julie McCoy. But there are actually a wide variety of cruise ship job positions beyond the cruise director. In the entertainment department, there are casino staff, disc jockeys, entertainers and dancers, but that is just the tip of the iceberg (er, maybe not the best choice of metaphors when talking about cruise ship jobs!)

Did you know that major cruise lines employ between 500 and 1,500 crew members? Last year, 81 new cruise ships were launched — and there are plans to introduce 24 more by 2012 — that means somewhere in the neighborhood of 24,000 new cruise ship jobs. Plus, with high personnel turnover rates, established cruise lines are always looking for new crew members as well. In short, despite the recession, there has never been a better time to be looking for work in the cruise line industry.

Did you know that in addition to their salary, crew members receive free room and board, free air travel en-route and homeward bound, and free medical insurance (as required by maritime law). Even their laundry is free!

Considering this a little appetizer to whet your appetite (sorry, no more bad eating or cooking puns!)

Executive Chef on a Cruise Ship
An executive chef heads the cruise ship galley. He or she must have extensive experience (read: at least eight years) in restaurants or hotel kitchens. Responsibilities include supervising the entire galley staff, planning all food and coordinating beverages, and maintaining quality control. Executive Chefs earn between $4,300 and $5,200 per month. Not bad for sailing the seven seas with a spatula in hand!

Prison Cooks
It’s not exactly working on a cruise ship, but cooking for the prison population presents challenges and opportunities all its own. Prison cooks must make the menu and oversee the kitchen staff. You will need to get creative, since budgets are notoriously low for prison food and you will be working with a very limited palate of ingredients. Salaries don’t compare with five-star restaurants, although they are competitive with the dining industry at large. I’m just not sure how much crossover there is to the “general population” eateries after you’ve “done your time”.

Grocery Store Baker
You know all those lovely fresh bagels, breads, donuts and cakes at your local grocery store? Guess who is responsible for them? The grocery store baker! You can’t be afraid of early hours to be a grocery baker. Most have to arrive before dawn to prepare freshly baked goodies in time for the store to open. In addition to standing over a giant Kitchen Aid, bakers are also responsible for ordering and maintaining ingredient stocks, overseeing hygiene and cleanliness, and supervising staff.

Check out more cool chef jobs at the JobMonkey.

At the end of March, Carnival reported earnings per share of $.33, up 10% from the first quarter of 2008.

Is it because so many people are throwing financial caution to the wind and taking week-long Caribbean cruises? Not exactly. Although slashing fares has helped Carnival to keep its numbers from completely sinking. In actuality, the real push toward being in the black for the cruise line came from the steep fall in oil prices. Cheaper fuel has let Carnival keep its costs low — low enough to turn a profit despite the recession.

If you want to land a job with Carnival Cruise Lines — or any one of the other dozens of cruising companies in America and abroad — visit JobMonkey’s section on cruise jobs.

According to this article from Time Magazine, it’s true that the cruising industry is swimming upstream, but they are fighting hard to stay afloat. (Okay, no more water analogies, I promise!)

The Time piece reports that Royal Caribbean saw a 98% drop in 2008 fourth-quarter earnings and that onboard traffic during the winter months (typically the busiest season of the year) is down on some lines by 25%. That’s the bad news. The good news is that lines are enticing would-be cruisers with rock-bottom fares. And rolling out sexy new ships to stay at the top of their game.

All of which means that despite the sinking economy (oops), there are still opportunities for hard-working, talented people looking for jobs on cruise ships. If you are the adventurous type looking for an exciting career opportunity, check out JobMonkey’s section about Jobs on Cruise Ships. Especially helpful to newbie sailors is this descriptive list of common typical cruise jobs. Ahoy!