Working On Cruise Ships

Many people who are stuck in their daily grind dream of adventure and fun. Many decide to go backpacking, from place to place. However their are many taking advantage of working for the many different cruise ship operators. Whilst backpacking usually entails staying in one spot and earning enough to move onto the next destination, working on cruise ships means you are getting paid to travel.

The impression that most people have of working on a cruise ship is that for the length of the contract (which is usually around 6 – 8 months) they live a life full of adventure, fun and allot of alcohol and sex. For the most part I can tell you that it is true. Life on a cruise ship is full of those things on a daily basis.

Being part of a cruise ship crew is an adventure where you sleep, eat and breathe the life of being on the seas. The advantages of being part of the crew is for the most part, you get free travel and get to go to some of the most exotic locations in the world and get paid for it, copious amounts of alcohol are consumed and is very cheap (as little as 1 dollar a drink), and you are travelling with allot of like minded individuals who more or less want the same thing fun and great times. Not to mention that there is a hell of allot of room swapping and sleep over’s with crew and passengers alike.

Another advantage of working on a cruise ship is that you are paid in cash and depending on what you are doing on the ship as part of your job you can return home at the end of a contract with quite a fair bit of money in your pocket. People who have been doing it for a number of years quite often have bought and paid off houses outright and if you choose to make a career out of it which quite a number of people do, well most cruise directors are often quite wealthy and live the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle.

It must be mentioned that cruise ship life is not always for everyone and there have been people who have signed on only to catch the next plane home again. Yet those that are more willing to give things a go and get along with people, find that they have the time of their lives. As part of working on the ships, you end up making friends with people from all over the world. One thing to keep in mind that cruise ship life can be intense. Allot of cruise ships operate 24/7 and therefore you could find yourself having time off rather than whole days. However the people I have come across do not find this to be an issue as the work they do is totally an enjoyable experience.

Another important thing to remember when looking at which cruise company to work for is that different cruise companies allow their workers different privileges or freedom when working on their ships. For instance Disney as they are mostly a Christian Family values type company can be quite restrictive when allowing their crew to do certain things on the ship. For instance I believe that you must be a non-smoker to be employed by Disney and the consumption of alcohol by crewmembers might be very restrictive. As far as I’m aware, the cruise ship that allows the most freedom and privileges as well as the best pay rates for crewmembers are Princess Cruises.

If you find yourself thinking that working on cruise ships might be for you either for the money or adventure. It’s not a decision one should take lightly. You must weigh up the fact that there is an initial expense that includes getting a full medical, sea safety training as well as travelling expenses to meet up with the cruise ship, after this initial expense, the company generally pays all these expenses including flights to your home country and back if you choose to do another contract. You must remember that signing on means being separated from your friends and family for 6 – 8 months. (Although most cruise ship companies offer very cheap deals for family members to visit). If it still sounds enticing and you decide to take on the experience then you will surely have an experience of a lifetime.

Travel by Working on Cruise Ships

There are many who are craving adventure and wanting to take off from their daily grind. A lot decide to go backpacking, working their away fruit picking or dong bar work. Whilst others are taking advantage of working for the many different cruise ship operators. A major difference is that rather than earning enough money in one destination to go onto the next, people who work on cruise ships are being paid to travel.

Working on a cruise ship often invokes images of adventure, fun, alcohol and lots of sex. Speaking as one who has done it all this and more is all true.

When you work on a cruise ship you eat, sleep and breathe life on the seas. A major bonus of being part of a cruise ship crew is that you are being paid to have fun and adventure. Alcohol is cheap as chips (as little as a dollar a drink), and you’ll find yourself amongst likeminded people who all want the same things. Not to mention that there is a lot of room swapping and sleepovers.

One of the great advantages of working on a cruise ship is that everything is paid for; your food, your board and the pay can be quite substantial. Individuals who have done it for a few years often one there houses outright and people who have made careers out of it could be considered quite wealthy.

It must be mentioned that cruise ship life is not always for everyone and there have been people who have signed on only to catch the next plane home again. Yet those that are more willing to give things a go and get along with people, find that they have the time of their lives. As part of working on the ships, you end up making friends with people from all over the world. One thing to keep in mind that cruise ship life can be intense. Allot of cruise ships operate 24/7 and therefore you could find yourself having time off rather than whole days. However the people I have come across do not find this to be an issue as the work they do is totally an enjoyable experience.

Another thing to consider is that different cruise ship companies allow different levels of freedom or privileges for crew on the ship. Disney for instance, as they are a Christian Family values type company can be quite restrictive on what crewmembers are allowed to do whilst living on their ships. For example I believe that you must be a non-smoker to be employed by Disney and the consumption of alcohol by crewmembers might be very restrictive. As far as I can tell, the best cruise ship to work for at this stage is Princess Cruises where they allow crewmembers the most freedom and the best pay rates.

If you are considering working on cruise ships for an adventure or simply for the money. It is not a decision that one should just jump into. You must consider that there are things such as an initial expense to get on the cruise ship that might include a full medical, training in sea safety as well as travelling expenses to meet up with the cruise ship, all of which thereafter is generally paid for by the company. You must be committed to the lifestyle for the next 6-8 months and you will be separated from current friends and family only being able to communicate via email and letters or phone calls when in port. (Although most cruise ship companies offer very cheap deals for family members to visit). If you do decide to take on the challenge and embrace the culture then you will surely come away with an experience of a lifetime.