Archive for August, 2008

Want to work on a cruise ship? Which cruise lines should you apply to?

Cruise Job Tips | Posted by Renee Ruggero
Aug 27 2008

Want to work on a cruise ship?  

Which cruise lines should you apply to?

This is a popular question.

While it’s a good idea to apply to as many cruise lines as you can, your chances of finding work on a cruise ship are much greater if you really focus your efforts on applying for positions with the "Big 10", which include:

Carnival Cruise Lines 
Celebrity Cruises
Costa Cruises
Crystal Cruises
Cunard Line
Holland America Line
Norwegian Cruise Line
Princess Cruises
P&O Cruises
Royal Caribbean Cruises
 

Here’s why:


1. They employ 85% of all the people who work on a cruise ship right now…

2. They are constantly adding bigger, better, more extravagant ships to their fleet – with many innovative facilities onboard (one even has its own Surf Park!)

3. They visit more destinations than any other cruise line (so you can get a job that pays you to visit more exciting places than you thought possible!)

4. They have the most crew working aboard each ship (so you get to meet and enjoy friendships with more people from every corner of the globe!)

5. There are more positions onboard each ship, which means there are more chances for you to get hired – and more opportunities to build a long-term career onboard.

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What to do after a Job Interview with a Cruise Line

Cruise Job Tips | Posted by Renee Ruggero
Aug 18 2008
This week several members of Work On Cruise Ships had telephone interviews for Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCCL) for various positions onboard, which included: Sports Staff, Excursion Staff, Youth Staff and a few others.

Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the SeasHere’s one of the tips we gave to help applicants set themselves apart from all the competition and get the job on a cruise ship.

Send a "Post-Interview" Cover letter!

After an interview with a cruise line, send the recruiter who interviewed you a "Post-Interview Cover letter" that says "thank you" for the opportunity. Restate your passion, enthusiasm, availability and interest in being hired for a job with their cruise line… and if your interview went particularly well, comment on that too in your letter.

Address your Post-Interview Cover Letter by name to the person who conducted the job interview. Keep this cover letter personal, friendly, enthusiastic and very brief (one or two paragraphs max). And while you’re at it, make sure you ask for the job!

 
This is a completely overlooked and incredibly effective technique that can single-handedly land you a job on a cruise ship – and I bet that not one other person interviewed by RCCL this week thought to send out a Post-Interview Cover Letter! 

By sending post interview cover letters to cruise line recruiters (while your competition are sat at home with their fingers crossed, waiting and "hoping" for the call) you will have given yourself a huge advantage by separating yourself apart from every other job seeker out there and reminding the recruiter that you’re passionate about a job on a cruise ship. 
 
And when you show so much energy for landing a job, you’re also becoming an irresistible candidate. How can a cruise line possibly resist taking a chance on hiring someone like you?

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Getting your cruise ship job applications opened and read

Cruise Job Tips | Posted by Renee Ruggero
Aug 11 2008

cruise ship job applications

When it comes to emailing your CV / resume application for a job on a cruise ship, you need every possible advantage to ensure that it is your job application that gets opened and read and stands out from the crowd – because as you probably already know, the cruise line industry is one of the most intensely competitive industries in the world!

Here’s a great tip that was shared by a member of  http://www.WorkOnCruiseShips.com recently that will help you to get your cruise ship job applications opened and read…

Creatively title your CV / resume document!

When emailing CV / resumes to cruise employers, most people use a title like "resume.doc" or "fullname.doc"…

This does nothing to capture attention.

Instead, use a title like…

"Jane Doe – Experienced Beauty Therapist.doc"

or

"Mike Smith – IT Specialist.doc"

Or, include the title of the ship job that you’re applying for…

"Katrina Hughes – Internet Cafe Manager.doc"

or

"Matthew Jones – Gift Shop Sales Assistant.doc"

Be creative. Think about the words that would grab the attention of a cruise line employer (in a positive way!) and then use those words in the title your resume document.

 
Your resume attachment will stick out from the crowd before it’s even read!

This one little tip could make a BIG difference to the success of your emailed job applications by simply getting them opened and read in the first place.

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Jobs on cruise ships come to those who wait!

Cruise Job Tips | Posted by Renee Ruggero
Aug 05 2008

There’s no doubt, getting a job on a cruise ship can be one of the toughest types of jobs to get. If a job on a cruise ship was easy, then you would not be reading this newsletter right now – instead you’d be getting paid to cruise around exotic islands like the Caribbean, the Bahamas or perhaps the whole world – and having a blast at the same time!

Sure, some people get a job on a cruise ship at their first attempt. But amost, it can take a little bit of determination and persistence (and the right information) to get hired in this industry.

It takes the ability to shrug-off rejection
It takes the ability to pick yourself up from disappointment
It takes the ability to correct your course from time to time
It takes the ability to just keep on going until you finally land the job you really want.

Unfortunately, most people do not have the determination that’s needed to get a job on a cruise ship. In our experience, most people send out a few un-focused job applications, get knocked back (or don’t hear anything back at all) and then give up on the whole idea of a job on a cruise ship.

And that’s a real shame, because this week we had a prime example of how determination and persistence really pays off in the end. One of our members has just landed her "dream job" after months and months of rejection, disappointment and frustration (not to mention total despair, at times!)

There were MANY occasions when she was close to giving up and times when she felt that her chance would NEVER come… but she still refused to give up… and as a result she has finally landed a job aboard a luxury cruise liner with one of the world’s leading onboard duty free retailers!

Sure, she knows the the lifestyle, the varied working hours and the enclosed living and work environment might sometimes be difficult and will certainly take a bit of getting used to … but she also knows it will be an amazing, life-changing adventure and she will get paid to see the world. 

Her refusal to give in (long after most people would have thrown in the towel) has finally paid off!

You can read her story in our discussion forum here. You’ll find it highly inspiring!
 
So, when applying for any job on a cruise ship (as Churchill famously said), never, never, never give up!

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