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Cruise Ship Workers

Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits

Cruise ships are like small cities, with a variety of jobs to match. Some are related to the function of the boat itself, such as the engine room workers, navigators, deck hands, and of course the captain. Others are concerned with day-to-day operations, such as human resources, financial services, housekeeping, and kitchen. And others are there for the safety and entertainment of their guests, such as the medical staff, social staff, instructors, photographers, and entertainers. These different jobs make it difficult to point to any one body of experience or traits. Number one, you must be comfortable at sea, and you must not mind a lack of privacy. You should be interested in people and willing to enhance the quality of their experience. Working in the service industry prior to embarking on this career will be good experience for working on a cruise ship. Knowledge of a foreign language will also come in handy.

Besides having the proper education, experience, and credentials, employers look for applicants who have excellent communication skills, are outgoing, hardworking, friendly, and enjoy working with people. It is important to make a positive impression with the passengers, so cruise ship workers should always be properly groomed, neatly dressed, and well behaved at all times. Inappropriate contact with passengers is not tolerated.