There are cruise ship jobs that have more perks than others. I spent a year working on cruise ships and during that time I learned a lot about the ins and outs of various ship jobs, their responsibilities, and which ones come with the biggest perks. To help you find the best cruise ship job for you, this post will suggest 5 of the best onboard jobs and break down their pros and cons so that you can decide which one is the best.
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FAQs About Cruise Ship Jobs
What is an entry level job cruise ship job?
A entry level job is one that you can apply to with little to no experience. There are tons of entry level ship jobs because companies will train you when you board the ship.
How do you get a job on a cruise ship?
You can get a job on a cruise ship by applying directly to a cruise line, using a recruiter, or attending a cruise ship job fair. For a step by step guide, check out: How to Get a Job on a Cruise Ship.
What makes a cruise ship job the “best” one?
The best job is the one that meets the goals you have. If you are reading this post, your goal is probably to travel and have a great experience. That means you want a job that provides you with the most time off at port and the best perks when you are on the ship.
What other factors effect the job?
The same type of job can look different depending on the company you work for, the specific ship you are on, and your manager’s expectations. Unfortunately job rank can sometimes feel like a class system when it comes to your accommodation, how many hours you work, what you can or can not do, and even where you are able to be seen on the ship.
What is it like working on a cruise ship?
To learn all about living and working on a cruise ship, check on; Everything You Need to Know About Working on a Cruise Ship.
5 of the Best Entry Level Cruise Ship Jobs
5. Bar Tender
All cruise lines need bar tenders to make and hand out various beverages to the guests. To be a bar tender onboard a cruise ship you need to be 21 year of age or older and have bar tending experience.
Pros
- Not as many bars open during the day, giving bar tenders time to get off the ship.
- When things are busy, it makes work hours past by fast.
- The job is straight forward and you do not have to deal with entertaining guests or creating solutions to crazy problems.
- If you are stationed at the crew bar, it can be a lot of fun interacting with friends and other shipmates.
- Tips can be great, especially when alcohol prices are high and the majority of people are buying drinks.
Cons
- If you are positioned at a location that has bar only access, you may be working long hours by yourself.
- You can’t always count on tips. When working an all-inclusive cruise, guests leave their cash in the room since everything is paid for.
- You most likely will not have access to the majority of locations on the ship that the guests do.
4. Shore Excursion
The shore excursion team are the people who sell, set up, and send the guests off on excursions and activities that take place at port. To be on the shore ex team means that you will be working with people so hospitality experience is very helpful to have.
Pros
- On most ships, Shore Ex staff are encouraged to participate in all the tours that their ship offers so they can prepare the guests for the experience. This means free international tours.
- They are able to pull strings regarding what tours they, and fellow crew members, can to join.
- As staff member, they have access to the majority of the ship. Thus they can take guest passageways to get to work, dine in guest areas during certain times, and participate in some guest activities.
Cons
- When tours get cancelled or go badly, usually shore excursion employees are the ones that take the heat. Guests do not care how much control the staff do or do not have, they assume they can fix anything when it comes to shore excursions.
- This is a role that calls for lots of smiles, organization, and group facilitation which means a lot of emotional labor.
- It can feel repetitive as you give the same information about the same tours over and over again.
3. Cruise Staff
The cruise staff are the people that you see running the majority of shipboard activities. They introduce and promote events, make sure guests know the activities available to them, and ensure things run smoothly during those experiences. Hospitality or event experience will be helpful to have when applying for this role.
Pros
- Cruise staff often have the opportunity to participate in the events that they organize, and are encouraged to do so in order to create buy-in and excitement for the guests onboard.
- Since this is a guest facing position you have access to more guest perks such as seeing shows, eating in guest areas, and using guest passageways.
- These staff members have many opportunities to get off the ship because most events take place while the ship is at sea, and planning for evening activities can happen in advance.
- Your accommodations are nice and you have the possibility of only having one other roommate.
Cons
- Dealing with upset guests is not fun and it happens often.
- It is a lot of work having to coordinate activities for everyone onboard and can get really repetitive since you are doing the exact same activities each week.
- This is a job where you are encouraged to always maintain a smile and exude positivity, so it can be emotionally exhausting.
2. Youth Staff
Any cruise ship that welcomes kids most likely has a youth center or kids zone onboard. This is where you will find the youth staff who run games, activities, and crafts for kids of (almost) all ages. To apply, you should have some experience working with youth.
Pros
- Since you are working with kids the stakes can feel a lot lower. Kids are usually understanding if you make a mistake or need to switch up an activity.
- Since only a small amount of staff are needed to run the kids center while at port, as the majority of families take their children off the ship, you have many mornings to explore port and ample time off the ship.
- You have access to a lot of things the guests do such as numerous restaurants, guest buffets, or the ability to go see a show.
- You tend to only have one roommate.
Cons
- When working with kids you need to be positive and energetic, but with the long hours you work on board this means it can be very emotionally exhausting, especially during high times when you are running activities for up to 30-40 seven year olds for 5-10 hours.
- Dealing with upset parents is not fun. Even when things are out of your control, such as their 12 year old can’t be apart of the 18 year old age group, they still tend to take their frustrations out on the youth staff.
1. Performer
A performer can consist of many different roles; singers, musician, dancers, DJs, etc… This is an entry level job for those who are musically talented or have theater experience.
Pros
- These staff members are seen as the stars of the ship and are usually treated like royalty by the guests.
- They have access to the majority of things that the guests do, such as unrestricted restaurant/guest buffet access and are usually welcome to be seen in all of the guests locations in hopes they will interact with people and make the cliental happy.
- A lot of them tend to have some of the best crew accommodations on board (after the managers and the ‘higher ups’) and since performances do not happen during the day while the ship is docked, they have ample time off at port.
Cons
- This is not an easy job. You have to understand that performers put a lot of energy into what they do. The “theater group” alone trains for up to 3 months together before they even board the ship.
- They tend to travel as a group since they are trained in special performances and in specific roles, so if they get sick of each other there is no running away.
- I have seen performers be forced volunteers to assist other departments on days when there are no shows, so they sometimes feel like they are thrown into a job they are not super comfortable with.
Conclusion
There are tons of jobs you can do on a cruise ship and a lot of them do not require experience. Of course, job responsibilities can differ across companies and specific ships. Hopefully this post gave you a look into some of the fun jobs you can apply to if you are looking to work on a cruise ship. Have you worked one of these job? What was your experience working on a cruise ship like? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
