Archive for October, 2009

Cruise Line Employees Enjoy Quick Careers

Cruise Job Tips | Posted by Renee Ruggero
Oct 24 2009

This past week, a member of WorkOnCruiseShip.com, wrote on the Main Discussion Forum:

“I started my 2nd contract with Harding Brothers on the Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas in March of this year as a Trainee Assistant Manager…I was about 2 months away from the end of my contract when I was asked to transfer to Azamara Quest as an Assistant Manager….Last cruise was the Manager’s last cruise…Guess who the new Manager is?  Me!!”

This crew member is not alone in finding that the cruise industry is a great way to enjoy a fast career, (although being in the right place at the right time helps, too).  

In many cases, a crew member’s first cruise ship job is below their actual experience level.  Generally speaking cruise lines promote from within and rarely hire crew members directly into management positions.  

Consider that some staff have been assistant managers of land-based retail stores before being hired as a Shoppie, while others have been in a management position at a hotel before joining a cruise line as a Junior Purser.

Once onboard is your chance to shine.  You may be working alongside other crew members that have done more contracts, but if you show to be management material, you WILL be promoted.  

For more info on getting promoted within the cruise industry, read Turning a Cruise Ship Job into a Career.

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How to Customize Your Cruise Ship Resume

Cruise Job Tips, Cruise Jobs Resumes and Cover Letters | Posted by Renee Ruggero
Oct 17 2009

The reason most people fail to land a job on a cruise ship comes down to their CV/resume.

Using the same resume for each job application is one way to lower your chances of getting hired.  Cruise lines can tell if you’ve sent the same resume to all the competing lines by the way you’ve failed to customize each resume.  

So how do you customize your cruise ship resume so that your resume stands out from the other applicants?

For starters, you must target the specific position you are applying for.  For example a Junior Assistant Purser with one cruise line might be called a Guest Services Officer with another line.  Get the title right and state it in your Career Objective.

The Career Objective must stand out from the rest of the other applicants’ resumes. Don’t sound desperate and say you’ll do anything. Have a career objective that clearly defines the position you are applying for, the cruise line you are applying to, and your experience that makes you an ideal candidate for the job.

Next, you need to look for specifics in what the cruise lines are looking for.  To do this, study the cruise ship job descriptions. Have a clear idea of the position that you are applying for and use similar terminology in your resume to clearly match the skills and experiences of the job requirements listed.

Each  resume needs to be specific to each cruise line and cruise ship job you are applying to.  But just make sure that you send the right resume to the right cruise line!

You’ll find a library of step-by-step resume advice specific to the cruise industry inside the members area of www.WorkOnCruiseShips.com.



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New Cruise Ships Mean More Cruise Ship Jobs

Cruise Job Tips | Posted by Renee Ruggero
Oct 03 2009

Last week, Carnival Cruise Lines launched Carnival Dream, their biggest cruise ship to date and Royal Caribbean is set to launch their largest vessel ever, in December of this year. 

Those two ships alone will have generated more than 3,000 cruise ship jobs.

In fact, by the end of the year, an extra 10,000 jobs will have been created by the launching of new ships during 2009.  

But don’t worry you haven’t missed the boat (ship) yet!  The building boom is continuing for 2010 with another 12,000 jobs needing to be filled – positions such as guest services officers, gift shop staff, spa and salon staff, photographers, deck officers, IT personnel, cruise staff, youth counselors and many more.

The first ship to be launched for 2010 will be the Costa Deliziosa in January, and there will be more than a dozen more cruise ships to debut throughout the year.  Norwegian Cruise Lines will introduce their largest ship to date in June 2010 and Royal Caribbean will be launching the sister to the Oasis of the Seas in December 2010.

Although www.WorkOnCruiseShops.com provides its members with a listing of current cruise ship vacancies, members are also encouraged to send their resumes and cover letters to cruise lines in anticipation of the vacancies being posted.  

Tip:  When writing a cover letter (or follow-up letter), mention the fact of the cruise line launching a new ship.  This demonstrates your specific interest in the cruise line you are applying to.

To read more about all of the exciting new ships being launched next year and the job opportunities that come with it, check-out our latest article:

New Cruise Ships and Job Opportunities for 2010

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