Jobs - Working On Board
The Hotel Department Food and Beverage Housekeeping The Cruise Department Musicians and Entertainers Medical Services Childcare / Youth Care Casinos Tax Free Shops Health and Beauty Services Photography and Video Deck and Technical Crew Charter and Super Yacht Crew
The
Hotel Department
onboard, under the guidance of the Hotel Manager or Passenger Director,
provides all of the same services one would expect to find in a large hotel ashore. Positions are therefore available in Food and
Beverage Management, Housekeeping and Administration. Some jobs may be available in non-supervisory
positions.
The hub of the ship from a guest viewpoint is the Reception Desk which functions in a similar way to any hotel or similar Reception Desk. Guests can change money, pay accounts, seek information and make their complaints, so those staff working behind the desk need to demonstrate an exceptional quality of interpersonal skills.
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Food and Beverage
services are provided around the clock in many ships these days so good supervision is
essential to ensure that standards are maintained. The
kitchens onboard provide thousands of meals a day under the direction of the Executive
Chef and his team who are also responsible to the Food and Beverage Director
for hygiene and cleanliness in the food preparation areas.
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Housekeeping services
are provided, once again, over 24 hours in many cases, with cabins being cleaned and made
up daily. As well as the passenger cabins,
Officer and some senior crew cabins are serviced by the Housekeeping Department as well,
within a sub-department called Internal Services.
The
entry rank for supervisory positions within the Hotel Department generally carry
Junior or Petty Officer status, which allows certain privileges onboard. Details of these will be explained when you join a
ship. All Hotel Department positions are
involved in the Emergency Response Organisation.
As
the hotel function onboard makes up a large part of the cruise experience staff applying
for supervisory positions need to be qualified and experienced in whichever field is
chosen.
Administration
staff need to have experience in Hotel Reception / back office work and be able to deal
with people at the frontline.
Food
and Beverage staff need to have experience in food preparation and delivery, bar work and
good hygiene practices.
Housekeeping
staff require experience in room preparation, cleanliness and have the ability to
understand the individual needs of the guests they are looking after.
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The Cruise Department
under the direction of the Cruise Director provides all the passenger entertainment
and activities designed to ensure that a full program of enjoyment is available to guests
each day. As well as organising activities
the Cruise Staff are also required to socialize with guests and participate in the
various events they are involved in. Cruise
Staff also play an important role in guest control in the event of an emergency.
The
Cruise Department provides a large part of the whole cruise experience, memories of which
guests take away with them and pass on to other prospective passengers. For this reason teamwork is essential along with
the ability to react quickly to changing situations caused by weather, equipment failure
or program amendments brought about by unforeseen causes.
To
become a member of this department you need to have good public relations skills and have
a talent, which will support the rest of the team ie. singing, dancing, comedy, fitness
instruction, stage-management, water sports instruction etc.
Positions
which fall within the Cruise Department: Cruise
Staff, Musicians, Entertainers, Audio Visual Technicians, Shore
Excursion Co-ordinators, Sports Staff, Craft Instructors, DJs.
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Musicians
and Entertainers are part of the on board
entertainment employed by cruise ships. Musicians are normally employed by the
shipping company and are signed on as members of the crew, whereas entertainers
are not. It is
not unusual for the line up of musicians in a band or orchestra to change regularly so it
is necessary for any musicians employed top be able to read music and be quite versatile.
Some instruments ie piano / keyboard and amplification are normally provided on the ship
but musicians are normally expected to bring their own instruments if they can be hand
carried. All musicians are required to participate in the Emergency Response Organisation
of the ship as well as the In-Port manning roster. Entertainers are contracted
independently and generally travel as passengers with a ticket. They normally provide
their own props and costumes.
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Medical Services
are available on all cruise vessels. Depending
on the size of the vessel, cruise ships are required to carry qualified Medical Staff to
manage and operate the onboard hospital and clinic. Most
ships carry at least one Doctor and one or two Nurses and they all have
Officer status.
The
medical facilities on cruise ships are equal to many small hospitals ashore and have the
full range of equipment required to support the health and well being of both passengers
and crew.
Doctors
and nurses require valid, recognised qualifications and applicants will go through a
strenuous selection process to ensure that all criteria are met.
As
the medical services on board are charged for, it is not unusual for the medical staff to
work for a basic salary plus commission based on the number of consultations.
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Childcare / Youth Care
is an important function on some cruise ships. Many
ships carry a large number of children and it is important that they are kept occupied
during the cruise. Most shipping companies
employ trained staff to carry out this function and their duties include organising games,
supervising sports, teaching crafts and other varied activities, encouraging their charges
to participate and make new friends.
Child/Youth
Care Co-ordinators are required to be trained in professional child-care either as Teachers
or Day Care providers and have experience in working with children from infancy to
adolescence.
Some
companies provide the opportunity for short-term employment in this area in a Workaway
role whereby the cruise, meals and accommodation are provided in lieu of payment for
working for several hours a day.
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Casinos onboard range from
large fully equipped gaming rooms to small, exclusive high roller rooms or simply slot
machines.
Casino positions encompass Dealers, Inspectors/Supervisors, Cashiers, Pit Bosses, Head Cashiers and higher management. They carry out exactly the same role as their counterparts ashore with all the same security and control requirements. In addition, however the casino staff are required to be part of the Emergency Response Organisation whereby they provide assistance to guests in the event of an emergency.
Casino
staff must be experienced in all aspects of game rules, dealing and security procedures
and customer service. For Dealers, ideally a
minimum of two games must be dealt with a minimum of two years table experience. Cashiers should have at least one year’s work
experience in a Casino Cash Desk.
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Tax Free Shops
allow for the purchase of souvenirs, exclusive goods, like perfumes and designer label
clothing, watches and jewellery, as well as those small items that guests might have
forgotten to pack. In addition some ships
have an electronics shop selling hi-fi equipment, cameras, video games equipment along
with a range of small, consumer goods.
Some
companies run their retail operations through a Concessionaire so it is possible that
successful applicants may work for them rather than the shipping company direct.
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Health and Beauty Services
give guests the opportunity to relax and be pampered, which is very much a part of the
cruise experience. A range of Health and
Beauty services are generally available which include hairdressing, massage, beauty
therapy, aromatherapy, spas and saunas.
Candidates
for positions providing these services must be qualified in their area of application and
have considerable experience in their field. Many
companies provide these services through an onboard Concessionaire so it is possible that
successful applicants may work for them rather than the shipping company direct.
As
with other departments staff members working in this area onboard are required to
participate in any emergency response.
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Photography
and Video play an important role in any
holiday. Although most guests who cruise
carry their own cameras to record the sights and memories they experience, cruise ships
generally carry one or more Photographers and Videographers and all of the
equipment necessary to process film and edit tape so that professional photographic
services can be offered.
Photographers are present at all the main activities onboard and the photos taken are displayed in a prominent position and offered for sale. The types of photos taken cover things like embarkation, port calls and day-to-day events, as well as formal portraiture and a picture with the Captain. There is no obligation for guests to buy.
Many
cruise companies provide photographic services through a Concessionaire who may pay staff
on a commission basis whilst providing victualling for the term of the contract.
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There are a limited number of positions for specialised activity staff
who provide a variety of additional programs for the benefit of passengers. These
positions cover such diverse activities as yoga, tai-chi, lectures on
various subjects including wine and art, art auctioneers, craft
experts and cruise industry experts who are employed to promote cruising and
secure repeat business. The status of these positions varies but in most cruise companies
they have passenger privileges.
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Although SeaPeople focuses mainly on staff in
the Hospitality, Entertainment and other Passenger Service areas we
are pleased to hear from applicants in the other marine specialisations such as Deck
and Technical with a view to assisting them find employment in the cruise/marine
leisure industry. Anyone with a marine
qualification and/or the relevant experience in either of these areas is invited to
contact us and we will match experience with available positions.
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SeaPeople frequently receives enquiries regarding
availability of crew and staff for charter vessels and private motor yachts.
We endeavour to place applicants in positions including Deck, Wheelhouse and
Engineering positions, as well as Service Staff on board both commercial and
private vessels. Masters, Engineers, Coxswains, Deckhands, Stewards,
Stewardesses, Chefs and other F&B experienced people are
encouraged to utilise our on line application form.
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