All your questions answered
Crew Ship Life
Cruise liners operate seven days a week. It is HARD WORK. You will be required to be on duty every day, working an average of approximately 70 hours per week.
However, you won’t be expected to work 10 hour shifts continuously. Your shifts will be broken up, allowing you time to rest, explore, or participate in crew activities.
Contracts typically last around six months onboard, followed by two months of vacation. Cruise liners renew your contracts before you complete your current one, providing job security and the opportunity to work onboard for many years.
There is significant growth potential while working onboard. Most companies offer numerous opportunities for training and career development, allowing you to switch departments or advance in your onboard career if desired.
That said, there will be challenging days. Balancing your work with a social and exploratory life onboard will be essential to maintaining a positive experience.
Is it Right for you?
Are you Hard Working?
Working abroad a cruise liner means long hours. You will work 7 days a week onboard for approximately 10 hours per day.
Do you enjoy to Travel?
If you have a love for seeing the world, this is the golden opportunity!
Are you a people Person?
You will be engaging and sharing your space with over 70+ nationalities from all around the globe. Crew Cabins are comfortable but they are compact spaces that you would share with at times 3 crew mates.
How do I get paid?
- Onboard most cruise liners you will get paid monthly via Ocean Pay card. This is a bank card that you can use to make purchase as well as internet banking.
- This means you have full control of your hard earned money as and when you need!
Does my contract get renewed?
Cruise Liners renew your contracts prior to signing off from your “current” contract, so they do provide job security and you can work onboard for many years!
Is transport provided?
- 99% of the time, the Cruise Liners organize and pay for your travel to/from the ship.
- If this is not the case, the recruiter will inform you.
What is included in the package?
- All food, travel, boarding and basic medical expenses are covered while onboard.
- Food is served in a large Crew Mess/Cafeteria, about 4-5 times a day, with food catering for people all over the world.
- A crew nurse and doctor are always available to assist you, should you get sick/injured onboard. If need be, they will pay for you to see a land-based doctor/specialist.
What is the accommodation like?
- Crew cabins are very basic. They comprise of a bed, cupboards + drawers, basic bathroom, aircon, TV and workstation.
- Space is very tight.
Are uniforms and laundry supplied?
- Crew uniforms will be issued to you onboard. Crew uniforms and work clothes are cleaned free of charge.
- There are disignated crew laundry facilities onboard for crew to wash their off duty clothing items.
- You will be required to use non-slip safety shoes while on duty.
- Shoes are not provided, you can purchase the approved brand/style before joining or onboard the vessel.
- Open toe shoes/flipflops/etc. are not permitted onboard in crew areas.
Can Couples Apply?
This is one of our most common questions.
Generally, this is not suited for couples, unless both applicants have very similar qualifications and can therefore be grouped in the same department, keeping in mind that couples may not be assigned to the same vessel or at the same time.
Applicants need to be aware that if they are both successfully hired, it is not possible to expect to be assigned to the same ship and at the same time as crew are assigned according to crew rotation, readiness and need onboard the various vessels year round, by the cruise line.
We often get candidates who are successfully hired and later inform us that they are partners of another successful candidate and want to be placed together on the same ship and join date together.
If they are hired in the same department such as waiters then we can possibly put in a request to assign them to the same ship, one will often be scheduled before the other and the wait time between can be long, but requests to be assigned to the same ship are not guaranteed.
Due to this it is generally not suited for couples to apply.
Gourmet Recruitement International
During your application process, it is important to know that we at GRI DO NOT Charge any agency/placement fees. For our process to be free, you as the candidate have the responsibility to complete and obtain certain documents/processes before joining. This will come with your financial input.
All applications are strictly processed through our online portal: