Here it is, Sunday evening. The kids’ lunches are packed and I’m facing the inevitable start-up of the week tomorrow morning.
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!
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
My husband & I love cruising so much, that we’d love to quit our jobs and work on ships in the Gift Shops. We know it’s not much money, but a great way to connect with people and see the world. Problem is, we don’t know what our chances are of being hired?
We are very youthful 48 & 51 years old. We’ve been told by ship staff & actual gift shop managers that we’d be great hires, as we are outgoing & want to make a long-term commitment. Although we haven’t had much retail experience, we’ve been told it’s easy to pick and it’s all about sales.
So, 1.5 years ago we interviewed at Starboard cruise company in Miami. Basically, within the first 5 minutes we knew that our chances were slim. The interviewer asked us if we liked to party and we said basically no and that we were professionals, etc. And he basically said, “Wrong answer! We love staff that party and do things together, etc.” He also said that getting a gig as a couple was hard, etc.
We were very disheartened and would welcome the chance to interview again. Any ideas on how to do this face-to-face, rather than submitting a resume that gets lost in the hundreds of applications they get daily? I’m a USA citizen and my husband, Australian. It seems as if they didn’t want USA employees because of the taxes, etc. Again, I know the $$$ isn’t great, but the perks far outweigh the minuses…
Any hopeful tips would be welcomed!
Thanks very much!
Valerie DEC 9th 2009 comment…..try Harding Brothers in Bristol UK. They have the shops on over 60 ships around the world. I work for them now and I did work for Starboard for 10 years. I’m almost 40 and I am not into the party scene every night either, I love my job and the people I work for are great!!!
Good luck with your search.