It might be an exotic dream to work aboard a cruise liner but can be just as exhausting. Among the 300 or so liners, the minimum crew is a couple of hundred. Some liners have crews of 500 or more. However, with this many employees working together at such close range, you will get to know many people very well over a period of time this way.

There are a variety of employment opportunities on cruise ships. There are positions available in the many entertainment venues on board including singers, dancers musicians, comedians and photographers. Competition is tough because the cruise line look for only the best in their fields in order to guarantee passenger satisfaction. Positions are also found in the ship’s casinos and shops and eating facilities. These consist of waiters, waitresses, hosts, chefs, security, card dealer, slot attendants, clerks, etc. All luxury yachts need crews (marine and deck jobs) to maintain and operate the vessel, and health clubs, spas and salons are always looking for experienced staff. Openings are often found for engineers, technicians, and other crew positions.

A medical staff is also hired for the general well being of passengers and in case of emergencies. There is at least one physician and a nurse, and on some liners there are also massage and physiotherapists as part of the ship’s staff.

Basically, people in all fields can apply for marine jobs. They pay well and a vacation is an added bonus. Applying and getting the job is the toughest part. The rest is, as everyone says, a breeze.

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Getting a job on a yacht is easier than you think. It requires no previous boating experience and there are always opportunities for individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 who are available to travel. Being a yachtie is a unique opportunity. It is not like any other job. Working on a yacht provides an exclusive, exciting, and often magnificent lifestyle. Salaries start at $35,000 with free room and board. Besides entry-level positions there are also opportunities for those who have worked on tour boats, cruise ships, or have specialized training as a chef, marine engineer or massage therapist. Working on yachts is also a wonderful opportunity for recent college graduates!

THERE IS ALWAYS GREAT DEMAND FOR YACHT CREW!

There are over 10,000 luxury yachts around the world, and more yachts under construction than ever before. Each yacht has to employ an average of 8 full time crew members to keep the yachts operational. However, some mega yachts have as many as 40 crew members. As you can imagine, yachts are always actively hiring new crew.

FINANCIAL BENEFITS OF BEING A YACHTIE

As a yachtie all your expenses, including travel, meals, health insurance (even your toiletries!) are covered by the owner. In addition, the crew earns thousands of dollars in tips on top of their regular salary. Plus yacht crew qualify for unique tax write-offs. You literally have a life without bills! No rent, no car payment, and all your meals are free and prepared by a professionally trained chef! Imagine a work environment where you’re always barefoot, tan, wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and surrounded by beautiful scenery! That’s what life is like when you work on an immaculately equipped, multi-million dollar yacht! Great food, exotic travel, with the opportunity to save all your earnings — what other industry provides that?

ENTRY-LEVEL POSITIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN

I want to stress the fact that this is not an industry just for the guys. Half the crew on yachts are women. There are even yachts with all women crews! The steward departments of yachts are primarily filled by women. Deckhands and stewardesses are entry-level positions which are both consistently in high demand. The point is that there are remarkable opportunities for both guys and gals in yachting.

As I stated above the majority of these positions are entry-level deckhand and stewardess positions. These positions are rarely advertised. Mainly it is a matter of security and confidentiality! Yacht owners are wealthy, high-profile individuals who cherish their privacy and safety. The industry has established a very selective set of guidelines that have to be met in order to be considered.

The thing about getting a job on a yacht is that it is very important to go about it in the right way. Yachting is an exclusive, specialized industry and you need to understand the industry culture and expectations. Of course there are any number of ways that someone might end up working on a yacht. So do your research and seek out the advice of those in the industry. You should immerse yourself in the yachting industry and go about your job search in a respectable and industry-specific manner, that way the hiring process goes as smoothly and quickly as possible. Doing that will ensure that you will soon be working on an amazing yacht, traveling to extraordinary ports, and getting paid exceptionally well for doing what many people only dream about.

Captain Chase has extensive experience in the yachting industry. He has worked in the maritime industry for 24 years, and knows the ins and outs of working on yachts. He currently works full time as a maritime recruiting consultant. He is the author of The Yachtie Guide and provides free unlimited one-on-one consultation.

A cruise trip has always been a very special and romantic experience. For the passenger is almost a dream but, have you ever wondered what it takes to make that dream possible?
Have you ever seen people who are part of the crew and wondered where they sleep or the kind of life they have on that elegant ship?

A cruises job is not always as good as it seems to be. Just read some pros and cons and judge for yourself if cruises jobs are as sweet as they appear.

Pros of a Cruise Job

Of course, the first thing that everybody would love is the travel. Usually, the employees get contracts from 4 to 12 months. All this time they will be enjoying the world for free. There’s a different place to discover every day!

The second great thing is that crew members don’t need to worry about the bills. Food and shelter is free for them during the time they work on the ship. Do you get that? No need to worry about electricity, rent or phone and of course no traffic to deal with in order to get to work. How is that for an advantage? And even though a cruises job doesn’t pay that much, you can easily save some good money thanks to these advantages.

And what about the friends you can make? Usually, on a cruise ship, there are employees of many different nationalities. And, thanks to that, crewmembers have the opportunity to know different cultures and share some aspects of each other’s life styles which sometimes help to make friends for life. Just think, what other job in the world allows you to share your room with someone from other country for a number of months?

Cons of a Cruise Job

Reading how great some aspects of cruises jobs are, it’s difficult to imagine that there are disadvantages in this kind of job. But, as in any other job, there are always downsides.

One of the first problems is homesickness. It doesn’t matter how good your life on a cruise ship may be, you’ll probably get homesick more than once during your time working there. Being away from family and friends for long periods of time is sometimes too hard for some crew members, and it’s even worse for those who are married and have kids.

Also, since a ship might have a limited number of employees, sometimes some crew members will have to cover many tasks which could be too tiring. Crew members call these side jobs. These side jobs take most of their free time not allowing them to get off the ship and enjoy the exploration and discovery of the port where they arrive as they would have loved to.

In addition crew members have to follow some very strict rules and regulations that are set according to the maritime regulations, and one of those rules is that one third of the crew needs to be available all the time onboard in case of an emergency. For this, crew members are chosen by rotation and of course sometimes everybody would love to get off and enjoy the exploration.

In conclusion, all jobs have their “goods” and “bads” depending on how you look at them. As in all phases in life, if you want to get something you will need to give something up too.

Victor C. is an Engineer in Computer Systems who loves to read and write about any subject, as long as it’s interesting and useful for the reader.