Cruising Experience Today-The Crew

Life Aboard a City at Sea The Ships Ships at Port Cruising Guidelines

THE CREW

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Each ship has a crew of approximately three quarters the number of its passengers. So for a large ship carrying 3000 passengers, there will also be approximately 2250 paid staff. Cruise ships this large are basically a cross between a ship and a five star hotel. That means the employment opportunities cover a vast range, both in terms of the actual work and certification required, to the pay and working conditions. The cruise ship industry in British Columbia and western Canada employs 4,500 people, paying out wages of approximately $147,000,000 annually.

Cruise ship employment is divided into two distinct categories. Departments further organize each of these main categories:

1. Those responsible for sailing/operating the ship,
2.Those directing or indirectly involved in servicing and/or entertaining passengers.

SHIP OPERATIONS:

The deck department consists of captain, staff captain, a first, second and third officer, as well as safety officer and security officer. There are also seamen, a bosun and security personnel.
The engine department consists of chief engineer and 1st, 2nd and 3rd engineers, a chief electrician, as well as motormen, fitters, wipers, and plumbers.

SERVICING/ENTERTAINING PASSENGERS

The hotel operations department requires a chief purser, purser, assistant purser, and various assistants, a crew purser, shore excursions manager and receptionist.
The food and beverage department has standard restaurant positions: a food and beverage director, maitre d’, waiters, busboys, bartenders, bar and buffet stewards, etc.
The gGalley Ddepartment needs a variety of chefs and cooks as well as dishwashers, and butchers.
The housekeeping department requires cabin attendants, room service attendants, utility cleaners, laundry staff, floor supervisors, and pool attendants.
The beauty salon/spa department requires beauticians, aestheticians, and massage therapists.
The casino department has jobs for a casino manager, dealers, cashiers, slot technicians, and accountants.
The cruise staff department requires a cruise director and assistant, cruise staff, youth counsellor, aerobics/fitness trainer, instructors in golf and , scuba diving.
The entertainment department offers employment for guest entertainers, lounge performers, comedians, singers and& dancers, musicians, stage manager, stage staff, sound and& light technician, and a disc jockey, etc. Special topic lecturers often work for just one or two trips, rather than a season.
The medical department requires a physician and registered nurse.
The photo department hires a photographer and photo manager.
The gift shop Department needs a shop manager and various shop assistants.
The information technology department has employment for a computer system manager, a computer systems hardware technician, and Internet manager.

Obviously larger ships require more personnel and have a much wider range of very specific jobs (e.g. lighting technician or beauty shop operator); smaller ships can require greater flexibility. Most companies want employees to sign on for a cruise season, committing to work on board for three to six months at a time. That said, staffing a vessel, regardless of its size, is an ongoing process, so people are hired whenever positions need filling, although there are often more opportunities during peak times.

It’s important to note that working on a cruise ship is considerably different than taking a holiday on one! Employment requires a great deal of discipline and hard work; team players who are comfortable living in and sharing relatively small space and who are comfortable being away from home for a period of many months should do well. On board a ship, ensuring remarkable quality of service is everyone’s priority—this means the customer is always right.

Crew quarters and facilities are not like those for paying guests. While ship employment does mean free food and accommodations and discounts for shipboard purchases, there are no paid vacations or pension plans. Crewmembers can visit ports of call when not on duty, but leisure time varies with the job and employees do get paid to work on the ship. Note that all cruise ships have a strict zero tolerance policy regarding the use of drugs and narcotics.

Most cruise ship companies list employment opportunities on their website. Any website search will also yield several companies that offer to tailor your application and find placements, however, they do charge for this service. Some cruise companies report an employment scam that involves an advertisement for shipboard job positions. Applicants are then contacted and advised that they have been hired but must wire money to cover a “uniform deposit.” Avoid this type of fraud by applying on line directly to the company.

Here are some suggestions for applying for cruise work:

Get as much information about the job as you can and ensure that you have the experience, training or credentials required.
Seriously assess the amount of time you can commit to. If you can’t handle a six month contract, consider smaller or regional cruise lines that often have shorter seasons and accommodate seasonal employees.
Many cruise ship jobs have parallels between resort and land tour employment, so experience is this sector is a significant plus, if not a requirement.
Target your job search to the right company and the right job.

LINK TO BCIT/NWCA SITE

Jobs in the deck department and engine department require crewmembers that are trained and licensed for the type of work they perform. Most of this training involves a combination of schooling and on-the-job training at sea, before passing a series of exams to qualify for various levels of work. Work at sea on bigger ships often requires being away from home for long periods of time, followed by equal stretches off ship or time off. Second mates and third engineers on vessels can expect to make $70,000 to $80,000 a year, depending on the industry. Overtime pushes those figures even higher. Offshore industry vessels, rig supply boats, captains and chief engineers can easily make $100,000 to $150,000 a year.

On Canada’s Pacific coast, training in nautical science and marine engineering is focused at BCIT’s Pacific Marine Training Campus in North Vancouver. Contact the British Columbia Institute of Technology (www.bcit.ca/about/marine ) or call the Pacific Marine Training Campus at 604-453-4111 for course and registration information. Most applicants begin with some background/experience on the water.