Other Anyone got experience working on cruise ships/resorts abroad?

Seriously considering doing one from about Feb/March onward. Looking to hear from people who've done it and hopeful to get some hints and tips and just experiences good and bad.

Why did you do it? Did you enjoy it? What's the money like? etc. etc.

 

Never done it myself (but I probably will after I finish uni for a bit). From what I've heard from people that have done it, it's a lot of fun if you get the right crew, but obviously it's a bit of a claustrophobic atmosphere, and the pay isn't amazing (although you don't really get much of a chance to spend it). What were you thinking of doing?

 

I know a guy who's a pianist on a boat.

Good fun by all accounts.

*Apparently* the ships bed posts has lots of notches in it ;-)


1) Wages are not great, but board/food is free, and shore leave rocks....

2) Having your own place is a drag, he has to keep renting it out. He now rents while he is at home, so his house is on a long term rent. ?!?

 

Well I'm currently the guest relations manager of a small self-catering resort in Cornwall. But really, my job is just to make people comfortable and sort out problems. So I figure there should be plenty of call for that on either boats, or the continent (or both). My French is basic, but there is some. I also have a very rudimentary understanding of Spanish, but I've actually been to France and practised, so that's better.

Was thinking of just starting with a summer job for 2011 and then see where things go from there. Looking for experiences, and ideas of how to get into it...

 

A friend of mine works on a cruise line...he spends the summer as a ships engineer, and they sponsor him through uni. And he gets a cabine with a window and all. Seems the ultimate lifestyle, apart from being away from home all the time...

 

The engineers get paid quite a lot, but apparently the waiters and shop workers get paid something like £40/month...

 

Thats sound like it would be per day, which isn't so bad when you get free board and food.

 

I spent three years working on small cruise ships on the West coast and Mississippi river.

The pay isn't for crap, but the hotel staff make it up in tips. Deck and Engineering usually do a little better on base wage, but no tips.

Rotations are usually something like 6-8 weeks on and 2 off. If you're going on a boat a long ways from home ask about transportation to and from the boat.

Put your stuff in storage and move in with your folks. You won't be home enough for it to be a problem. Most of the time you will be on the boat and the rest of the time you will want to be out doing things. The time off is nice, but realize that you won't be able to do anything but work as long as you're doing this job. You can't really hold a relationship or a hobby.

Expect to work 12+ hours a day, 7 days a week

Beware of "boat eyes". After a couple of weeks people get lonely and get into all kinds of bad relationships. This is even worse than you're usual work relationship because you literally can't get away from the person. Also, expect a lot of drinking to be going on. Typically, boat people aren't the most psychologically healthy bunch.

As the 2nd mate on one of the boats I worked on put it, "Everyone on a boat is running from something". For some it's boredom or debt or bad relationships or a dead end existance at home.

All that said, I enjoyed the time I spent on the boats. I got to go to some really cool places and had experiences I would have never have had otherwise. It was a neat time in my life, but one that I was ready to be done with.