cruise concessionaire should not be confused with a cruise ship recruitment agency, although many cruise applicants make this assumption. So how do you know when you should use an agency and what’s the difference in the application process?
The fact is that a concessionaire is a third party vendor that sells services or merchandise on board. For example spa, gift shops and the photography department are all departments that the cruise lines use concessionaires to handle the recruitment.
In fact, you work for the concessionaire and not the cruise line.
On the other hand, cruise line agencies qualify potential crew members for positions with a cruise line. For this service, the cruise lines pay the agencies a fee for each crew member that is successfully hired and placed on board.
Most agencies cover a wide range of cruise lines, departments and jobs for their cruise line clients. And, some agencies are even referred to as an official hiring partner for the cruise line. (Be careful of Cruise Ship Recruitment Scams, though).
Neil Maxwell-Keys