A day on board
Your day depends on your department. Restaurant teams work split shifts around breakfast, lunch and dinner; housekeeping does morning and evening cabin rounds. On port days you can often go ashore after your shift.
There are no weekends during a contract, but with housing, meals and often travel covered, most of what you earn can be saved.
Which positions are there?
Most crew work on the hotel side:
- Food & beverage: waiters, bartenders, baristas, sommeliers, supervisors
- Galley: chefs, cooks, pastry, kitchen helpers
- Housekeeping: cabin stewards, laundry
- Front desk and guest relations
- Spa, hair salon, fitness
- Entertainment, music, kids club
- Deck and engine crew, electricians, security, medical staff
Which documents are needed?
Requirements vary by company and flag; the most common are:
- Valid passport
- Seaman's Book
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- Seafarer medical (PEME or equivalent)
- C1/D visa for ships calling at US ports
- Professional certificates and references for your role
Who is it for?
Candidates who can be away from home for months, handle a fast pace, work well in a team and enjoy multicultural crews grow quickly at sea. Experience matters; hotel or restaurant background is a strong advantage.
Pay varies widely by company, ship and position. Every offer states salary, tips and contract terms in writing; read them carefully before you decide.