Are you interested in working on a cruise?
In this article, we have specified some of the basic requirements for a cruise ship job. The tips we’ve discussed here will help you harbor your passion of working on a cruise.
Carry reading on and find the basics and eligibility criteria to get yourself a sea career.
Basic Requirements to Seek a Cruise Job
Here are the basic requirements you need to have to get a job on a cruise ship.
Experience – This is about the experience you need to seek a career in a cruise line.
Education – Though we have explained about this in detail in the section below, what you need to understand is that you should satisfy the basic requirement that is advertised for a specific job that you may be interested in.
Minimum Age – You should be a minimum of 18 years of age to apply for any kind of job on a cruise liner.
Medical Requirements – You should be physically fit and submit relevant paperwork about your medical condition to the cruise liners, when you are asked for it. The details of medical conditions are explained in the later sections.
Security Requirements – There shouldn’t be any legal complications when the cruise liners conduct a background check on you. We have explained more about this under security requirements.
You may also like:Â Sea Ship Nurse Job Description and Duties
Experience
One of the basic job requirements for any job is experience. To get a travel ship job, one has to have adequate experience in the work they seek in a cruise line. The experience one has and the way they market it is what stands between them and the job as cruise staff. The better you market your experience the more edge you have over other applicants.
Education
Anyone who aspires to work as a staff in a cruise line should have a command over the English language, that is, they should have good verbal and written command over the English language. This requirement for the staffs to know English is because most of the passengers might be comfortable speaking in a language, which is universally accepted by all.
Many jobs in the cruise ship need a formal educational certificate.
Some of the popular jobs that require educational certificates are:
1- Captain of the Ship and Safety Officer
A cruise ship captain would require Diploma from an accredited Maritime Training School and National Certificate of competency.
2- Chief Engineer
A National Certificate of Competency, Master’s Degree or Poly-Technical Degree of Technical Ship’s Operation
3- Entertainment Technicians
Extensive Technical and Practical Education
4- Food and Beverage Manager
Minimum High School education or equivalent. A Diploma in Hospitality Management and Business Administration.
5- Beauty Salon Manager
Extensive Beauty Salon or Spa Managerial Training and relevant experience
6- Chef or Cook
Culinary School Degree or Approved Certification. Five to Six years of Progressive Managerial experience in a cruise ship or a 4 or 5-star hotel also needed.
7- Guest Services Manager
A Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management. A Business Administration or a related field from an accredited College or University would also work.
8- Human Resources Manager
Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration and Psychology. The degree must be obtained from a recognized institution.
9-Â Training and Development Manager
Bachelor’s Degree or International equivalent from a renowned university or college.
10- Crew or Staff Administrator
High School Degree from a renowned school or educational institution and a college degree would be a plus.
11-Â Financial Controller and Crew Payroll Manager
Degree in Hotel or Hospitality Management, Accounting and any other financial degree.
Height
While there is no specific height requirement, you have to fulfill the requirements that are specified for US Navy candidates.
In USA, men and women should be anywhere between 60 and 80 inches tall to apply for a navy job. The same rules apply to most of the cruise jobs as well.
Minimum Age
The minimum age to work on a cruise ship as a staff is 21 years. However, some jobs may be given to applicants who are of age group 18, 19 and 20, provided they show maturity and responsibility. The jobs that are given to 18 – 20 years age grouped applicants are in the entertainment section of the ship. These include actors who can play as extras or chorus singers in a music band, etc.
As long as one is young at heart and bear the 11 plus hours of shift every day, they can work on a sea ship. Yet some positions do not recruit people above the age of 35 as their co-workers might be much younger than them. This could lead to disharmony among them.
Medical Requirements
Seasickness
For a sea ship job, it is mandatory to get your medical examination passed. It is crucial as long hours on the sea might cause seasickness in some people. While going for medical examinations, one must carry their passport and vaccination records. The person should have had vaccination up to date.
Glasses or Contact Lens
If the person wears glasses or contact lenses, he is supposed to wear glasses while appearing for the examination. This is important for a proper vision test.
Body Mass Index
The body mass index will be calculated by measuring the person’s height and weight.
Blood and Urine Tests
Before getting you on board, cruise liners would also ask you to provide with blood and urine reports.
Most of the cruise employers would surely ask you to provide with blood and urine samples.
They will try to find out if there is any substance abuse in the person or any other underlying illness.
Some of the questions to be expected during the medical examinations are:
- Do you wear glasses or contacts?
- How much do you drink per day/week?
- How much do you smoke per day/week?
- Are you a diabetic patient?
- Do you suffer with asthma?
- Do you have any STD?
- AIDS patient?
- Do you suffer from sleeping problems?
- Do you suffer from sea sickness?
- Have you had seizures?
- When was your last seizure?
- Do you get nose bleeds?
This article tells you how to get a medical certificate.
Security Requirements
A security clearance is a must for any job as it would make the applicant trustworthy. Cruise jobs also require the candidates to present a police clearance certificate. This helps ascertain that the applicant have no criminal records against their names.
Security Clearance from Police
A security clearance is a must to get into a cruise ship as part of the cruise staff team. Any criminal records, even a minor one, would make the applicant lose the job. Having a clean record is one of the most important prerequisites for a job candidate.
DUI
Cruise lines are very particular about the integrity and ethics of the employees. If the candidate has been guilty of DUI (driving under the influence) in the past, it will take him non-eligible to apply for the job.
Basic Requirements for a Cruise Ship Job: Conclusion
Yes, you have to satisfy a lot of requirements before getting a job on a cruise line. However, once you get it, you will know it was well worth the time and effort that you put it. If you love to travel, learn new things every day in your career and mingle with people from different cultures, a cruise job is the dream job for you. The hours may be long, but you will not feel the strain at all, because you will start loving what you do. You will get to visit exotic places while you are at work and you will also get paid for it. Isn’t that quite lovely, indeed?
When you work on a cruise, your travel, food and accommodation arrangements are sorted. Therefore, you get to save a major chunk of your earnings as well. The facts that you can make good money on a cruise job attracts many.
On a sea ship job, you can also improve your overall personality each day. This all makes the cruise job an exciting opportunity that you shouldn’t hesitate to explore.
