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What are some career options for working on ships, specifically large ocean liners or cruise ships?

How can I get involved and what experience would I need to start?

Public Comments

1. Bus boy, room claner, food prep, bar tender, host, go to a cruise line and apply for a job
2. you gotta get applications for all the major cruise lines and see if they can give you an entry level position. for the longer term, if you like ships in general and the ocean and all that, you can become an engineer (all you need is your bachelor's). they work on ships in the engine room and that kind of stuff. they get to travel around a lot and see lots of places.
3. Just think what would you be doing if you went on a cruise? What would kids be doing? They would be basically babysat all day by adults who sort of supervise and help them have fun. I end up in the spa, there's a lot of people working for the spa, what you don't want to do is end up in maintenance, they work during the night only and it looks pretty lame. You might as well join the Navy as a deck seaman if you're going to go into maintenance. In fact, why not just join the Navy anyhow? I had fun, met thousands of great people, lived for free, traveled, and the ships are ugly but so are your quarters if you're a worker on a cruise, trust me. Good Luck! Follow your heart!
4. I have to contradict the last person- night washdown was the best job I ever had on a ship. Got every day off after tieup until an hour before the ship left port. Was only sleeping 3-4 hours a day, but was fun to see all the sights. A cruise ship is basically a large floating hotel/restaurant complex that's completely self contained. Electrician, plumber, power plant, room steward, bar tender, dishwasher, security..... too many jobs to list. Look into NCL.com for a list of jobs you can apply for. They will send you to school for free and get you a job on a ship with transportation, room, board paid for.
5. I am a marine engineer myself, and work on ships. I've been working on tankers, cruise ships and am currently working on offshore supply vessels. Your career options depend on your background. To become a bridge officer, engineer or electrician, you need the right schools for those careers... However lots of people apply for work on cruise ships just for the experience and fun... I was working with many canadians in RCCL. Lots of them where "shoppies" (working in the onboard shops.) Other examples are casino (dealers/cashiers), dancers/entertainers, pursers, spa etc etc. Check out the different companies online for infor regarding recruiting etc. It should tell you where to apply. Remember that lots of the positions have low salaries... Especially waiters, cleaners etc. And it's hard work - mostly seven days a week and long days. Good luck!