ROYAL CRUISE JOBS CAREERS
Employees on Cruise Ships:
Job Descriptions
Below are brief descriptions of various jobs available in the cruise industry:
Office Jobs
If you want to work in the cruise industry but do not want to have a nomadic lifestyle, you can work in the headquarters of a cruise company. Employees of such companies get certain travel benefits. Office experience can help you if you decide to get a job on a cruise ship later.
It is extremely difficult (but not impossible) for most non-US citizens to get office jobs in the USA.
Entertainment Jobs:
These positions deal with anything related to passenger entertainment and are the most popular among job-seekers: host and hostesses, cruise directors and staff, disc jockeys, performers, swimming instructors, shore excursion staff. These positions are usually filled by native English speakers.
Service and Hospitality Jobs:
These are positions in the restaurants, bars, passenger cabins and retail: waiters and waitresses, bar tenders, cabin stewardesses, cooks, bakers, cleaners, gift-shop assistants etc.
Personal Care Jobs:
These employees deal with the spa facilities, beauty shops and health care: salon operators, beauticians, medical staff, massage therapists and fitness instructors.
Deck and Engine Room Jobs:
These departments are responsible for maintaining and running the ship:
Office Jobs in Cruise Industry:
If you prefer working onshore but would like to experience the benefit of cheap travelling on board cruise ships, onshore based office work might be a good way of doing so. These positions can be a good start if you would like to get an onboard position later.
Office based positions within the cruise industry are mainly found in the following departments: bookings, administration, information technology, sales, human resources, customer services and marketing.
Cruise industry office based work requirements are generally the same as in other industries. Any experience from a similar position is always a plus.
Most cruise lines have headquarters in Florida, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and some European cities as well. They also have branches in all major cities in North America, Western Europe and Asia.
Unlike onboard positions, onshore job salaries are subject to income tax.
Office-based Positions
Office Staff
There is always a demand for clerical staff within the cruise industry in various departments including sales, finance, administration, customer services, etc.
Knowledge of basic office skills is required, such as typing and computer literacy.
Most of these positions are at entry level but there is a possibility of promotion in most divisions.
Salaries start at around $3200 per month.
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Reservations Agents:
Some customers who wish to buy tickets or holidays on cruise ships do so by contacting cruise lines directly. Reservations agents take care of holiday bookings for them. They must have a good telephone manner and be able to answer questions related to cruise lines and holidays.
Previous experience in travel agencies would be an advantage.
Because most cruise holidays are sold through travel agencies, there aren't as many job opportunities in the reservations departments of cruise lines as one might expect. Many of these positions are part-time.
Sales Representatives
Sales representatives of cruise lines are responsible for good relationships with the travel agencies that sell most cruise holidays to customers.
Previous experience in the travel industry, customer services or sales is required. Salaries for these positions are often commission-based.
Marketing, Public Relations
Similar to marketing and public relations positions in other industries, employees are responsible for promoting their company to business partners and potential customers.
Marketing / PR positions include: Account Executive, Brand Managers, Field Representative, Marketing Research Analyst, Media Relations, Purchasing Agent, etc.
Education and previous experience in this field is usually required. Salaries start at around $4200 per month
Wages / Salaries
The cruise ship staff is divided into two main groups - tipping personnel and non-tipping personnel.
Tipping personnel
Tipping personnel are the staff with direct contact with the guests who pay them "tips". There are specified amounts of tips per particular positions which are advised to guests prior to embarkation and which vary from one cruise line to another. Such personnel are waiters, busboys /assistant waiters, bar waiters/waitresses, bartenders, cocktail waitresses, etc. Tipping personnel have a small base salary. Most of their earnings are tips. Approximate sample earnings in this group are (in U.S. Dollars per month):
Waiter from $3500 to $5000
Busboy / Assistant Waiter from $2500 to $4000
Bar Waiter / Waitress from $2500 to $4000
Bartender from $2500 to $4000
Applicants must have a good command of English or French or Spanish, good work experience and appropriate education to qualify for this group (the latter is not obligatory if the applicant has enough experience).
Non-tipping personnel
Applicants who do not have enough experience or do not have a very good command of English tend to be hired as non-tipping staff. They have a good chance of being promoted to tipping personnel later.
The non-tipping personnel on cruise ships are those who serve the crew, i.e. the lower positions in the passenger area - Staff Waiter/Waitress, Snack Steward, etc. They have fixed salaries without tips and their earnings are from USD 350 to USD 500 per week.
Income Tax
Salaries earned onboard cruise ships are not subject to income tax. However, citizens of some countries are eligible to tax all their income earned abroad. Read more about tax free income of cruise line employees.