Frequently Asked Questions

In order to find your job on a cruise ship, all employees must meet these basic requirements:

• Be at least 21 years old
• While some candidates over the age of 18 are accepted for certain positions, such as childcare, this varies between each cruise liner.
• Hold a valid passport
• Have the relevant visa or work permit. You will usually apply for the necessary visa after you receive a job offer.
• Hold a valid medical certificate. Each employee must have an ENG1 or ML5 seafarer medical fitness certificate to work at sea.
• Have a valid STCW Basic Safety Training certificate. In some instances you will get an opportunity to take the training after you join your ship. However, candidates who already have valid STCW certificates are usually prioritised.
• Meet the language requirements relevant to your position. English is required by all crew members. German hugely advantageous and any other European language is a bonus.

Our cruise partners success is based on trust that guests and employees place in them. The safety and health of everyone onboard the ships and in the global destinations is always a top priority. In addition to the high hygiene and health standards already in place, our Cruises partners have developed enhanced health and safety protocols in conjunction with the relevant national and international authorities and implements a wide range of preventative measures to protect against Covid-19. This includes making full COVID-19 immunisation (including booster vaccination) mandatory for all our crew members when working on board the fleet.

A cruise ship is essentially like a floating town or city and as such, there is a wide range of different job roles available to ensure each cruise sails smoothly. Every ship needs a huge variety of staff, both behind the scenes and customer facing, right through from technical roles, to food & beverage, accommodation, entertainment, medical, sports & fitness, guest services, office, and many more.

Typically, a cruise ship salary will range between $1500 and $8000 a month, depending on your position and your experience. This is just a guideline and the size of the ship, the cruise company, position onboard will all affect this. If you are in a guest facing role, you can expect to earn more than your salary due to receiving tips.

When you work on board, you receive a fixed seasonal contract. The term of employment may vary based on the position on board and the department. Generally, you can assume an employment term of 4-6 months.

Prerequisite for employment on board is relevant training or studies and initial work experience. In addition, all employees on board require a Seafarer Medical Fitness Certificate and a current criminal background check. Once the contract has been concluded, various training courses prepare employees for their work on board.

The best part about working on a cruise ship is that they sail all over the world, from the UK, to Europe, The Mediterranean, across the Atlantic to the Bahamas, Caribbean ,Asia, South Africa and Alaska. The list is really endless but the itinerary will depend on your cruise line.

Getting hired as a couple or with a friend can be difficult, although it is not impossible.

Special arrangements are more commonly made for married couples, however, there are no guarantees. The process is the same for a couple or set of friends as it is for an individual. You need to apply separately and progress through the interview process as such. Once you are in the later stages of the interview process you can let your recruiter or the HR department know of your request to work on the same ship. If there is a position available for both of you aboard the same cruise line, most employers will do their best to accommodate requests of this kind.

Married couples will request to share a room on board and if you have both been hired then typically the cruise line will be happy to accommodate this. You can also request to share with a friend if you have both been lucky enough to be hired on the same ship, but there is no guarantee.

Physical and mental fitness are important prerequisites for employment on board. Before starting work on board, every crew member of a cruise ship must present a national Seafarer Medical Fitness Certificate, which only certain doctors may issue after a medical examination. Here, certain illnesses such as epilepsy, type 1 diabetes, vision problems, hearing problems, or a BMI of over 40 may result in the individual being deemed as not fit for service at sea.

Generally, there is a 7-day work week. Working hours and rest periods are set in accordance with the established standards and regulations of the internationally binding Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) and depends on the type of employment on board.

For regular embarkation and disembarkation of crew, our cruise partner bears the costs for transportation from the home airport to the ship and back. The crew member bears the costs for transportation to/from the airport.

A variety of meals and beverages are offered that can be selected according to preference. The meals are well-balanced and are geared toward the diverse requirements of our international crew.

We employ an international crew on board. English language skills are therefore essential. The onboard language for interaction with our guests is German.

On board the ships, the crew has its own crew mess hall, a crew sundeck, a crew sauna, a fitness studio, and a recreational room including a crew shop. The crew can watch TV and video films in German or English. Internet access is offered on board our ships. The crew may, of course, take shore excursions in their free time.

All crew members receive uniforms on board our vessels. Shoes and socks must be brought by the crew members.

The contract with each cruise line employer will be different so it is difficult to outline the specific outcome of breaking your contract. Typically, you would incur any costs to return home and may lose aspects of your benefits package as well. You would also be blacklisted by the employer so you will find it very difficult to find another job on board. We do not recommend breaking your contract.

You are covered medically for any injury or sickness you sustain for the duration of your employment. There is a doctor and medical facilities onboard that all staff members have access to for free (there will be specific crew opening hours).

If you are on any medication, it is recommended that you take enough with you to cover one contract as you may not be able to get the same medication when you are away at sea, and that you inform the medical centre in the first few days after you sign on.

It is always wise to investigate the company’s health insurance policy before you embark, and if comprehensive coverage is not available seek out independent or traveller’s health insurance for yourself.

Get Onboard is currently recruiting for Ambassador Cruise Liners. It is a European based company. If you are interested in working for Ambassador, you are welcome to email your CV with a recent colour photo on it. A member of our team will then assess your working experience to establish whether we can try and assist you with a suitable placement. If your experience matches what our clients are looking for or may look for in the future, we will be in touch with you with information of how we suggest you proceed with your application. Suitable candidates will be invited to attend a free presentation and pre-screen interview, which are currently only held in Cape Town for cruise ship employment.

If you are invited to a free presentation, we will provide you with a list of the application requirements (please see information below). Try and put these items together and bring them with you on the day. Online applicants will be asked to email their requirements to us, and these may differ from the requirements below. The sooner we have your application requirements, the sooner your CV and other requirements will be placed on our database and we can start looking for a suitable position for you.