Princess Cruises: Cruise Ship Employment FAQ (2023)

FAQs

How do I pass a cruise interview? ›

Will I have my own room? Accommodations vary depending on the ship and position. Those in non-management positions generally share a cabin with one to three other roommates whereas those in most management positions are entitled to a single cabin. Cabins include a storage space, TV, and DVD player.

“I should be hired for this role because of my relevant skills, experience, and passion for the industry. I've researched the company and can add value to its growth. My positive attitude, work ethics, and long-term goals align with the job requirements, making me a committed and valuable asset to the company.”

We offer exceptional facilities and extensive learning and recreational programs for our crew. Join our inclusive and welcoming team, and you'll enjoy a truly adventurous career with excellent incentives, unlimited growth, and ports of call that will leave you breathless.

Answer “what is your greatest weakness” by choosing a skill that is not essential to the job you're applying to and by stressing exactly how you're practically addressing your weakness. Some skills that you can use as weaknesses include impatience, multitasking, self-criticism, and procrastination.

Do cruise ship employees get free food? A majority of cruise ship lines offer their employees free food throughout the duration of their contracts. There's typically a special kitchen on the boat that prepares food for staff members. Employees may eat in separate dining areas, depending on their classifications.

Full-time contracts are usually 6 months in duration. At the end you will have a break of around 6-8 weeks before returning to ship. Full-time staff are generally expected to work on ship for more than one contract so if you want to do a one off cruise, a seasonal contract may be more suitable.

Can cruise ship employees bring family? ›

Yes, you can work onboard a cruise ship if you have a child. A huge percentage of people working on cruise ships have kids. Most of those kids are not onboard though. The majority of crew member that have children have family members at home taking care of them while the crew member works onboard.

Apart from sleeping, eating or making a phone call home [link to phones and internet], crew can use the crew internet cafe, crew gym, crew pool (select ships), crew bar or crew recreation area. Additionally, special events are routinely scheduled for crew to enjoy their time onboard.

While the difficulty of the utility galley job exceeds all others on a cruise ship, waiters and room stewards, who clean passenger cabins, also have some of the most difficult jobs, Guilford said.

Your answer to the "tell me about yourself" question should describe your current situation, your past job experience, the reason you're a good fit for the role, and how you align with the company values. Tell the interviewer about your current position and a recent big accomplishment or positive feedback you received.

Mention any skills or work experience that makes you a unique, strong candidate for the job. If possible, use numbers to express how you can add value to the business. For example, if you saved your previous company a certain amount of money, mention this, and say that you want to do the same for this company.

For example, you might explain that you are particularly motivated, or that you are known for going above and beyond for your employers. A second way to answer is to emphasize your unique skills. If you have skills that make you a strong candidate (especially if not many people have those skills), mention these.

The average Princess Cruises salary ranges from approximately $25,035 per year for Production Worker to $300,000 per year for Server. The average Princess Cruises monthly salary ranges from approximately $1,588 per month for Junior Associate to $8,945 per month for Captain.

Is working on a cruise ship worth it why? ›

On cruise lines, the answer is: A LOT! The pay on cruise ships is actually one of its best benefits. You might think you could be earning around the same amount in a similar job on land, but as all of your needs for your life at sea are catered to by the cruise line, there are next to no expenses for you.

The Carnival website states: “100 per cent of your gratuities are distributed to the crew who you interact with, such as your stateroom attendants, dining, bar and culinary services staff, as well as others who work behind the scenes to enhance your overall cruise experience.”

What are the cruise industry tipping standards? For a seven-night cruise on the major lines, the "auto-gratuity" currently has a wide range starting under $20 a day, per person, up to over $100 a day, per person. Passengers staying in suites will usually pay a bit extra per day, per person.

All Cruise Lines offer internet access for crewmembers by using Wi-Fi access and access from the onboard crew internet cafés. Unlike before when crew members had only access per minute, today cruise lines offer various packages such as Social media package and all internet access charged by Megabytes.

Seafarers Earnings Deduction (SED) is a piece of tax legislation that exempts Seafarers from paying income tax on overseas earnings. Basically, the Seafarer can claim 100% tax relief on the amount you earn.

Do cruise ship workers get breaks? ›

As cruise ship vessels are manned around the clock, crew members have access to food and drink 24/7. The terms of their contracts specify break and meal times, so even the busiest crew members will always have set rest breaks when they have time for a snack or main meal.

Q: Is there age limit? A: NO! There is no strict age limit; however there are certain guide lines related to recommended age of applicants for shipboard employment. All applicants with no exception must be at least 21 years of age at the time of application.

The hiring process for working on a cruise ship can be very different than other jobs. On land, you can expect to apply for a job, get an interview, and start right away. In the cruise industry, it can take as long as 6 months to a maybe even a year to get put onboard!

Most cruise lines offer minimum four to six months contracts, depending on the cruise line or/and position, contracts could be extended or employees could take time off and then go back for another contract.

Passengers and crew aren't allowed to date. And cruise employees aren't allowed to hook up with passengers. Sorry, Doc from The Love Boat, you would have been fired many, many times. Seriously, this is not worth getting fired over.

What is this? Cruise lines cover the cost of food and a place to stay for crew members working onboard. On top of their pay, crew members on a ship can expect to receive a variety of benefits, such as: Accommodations.

There are many examples on different cruise ships where a husband-wife team or common-law partners work onboard together covering the same cruise job. Some of the most popular options are the Art Auctioneer, Port Shopping Guide, Guest Lecturer or Cruise Sales Manager.

You'll Gain Transferable Experience and Skills

Working on a cruise ship is a great way to gain experience and skills that you can use in any career. Whether you're looking to move up within the cruise industry or start a new career altogether, you'll be able to add your time at sea to your CV.

They work long hours, with no days off until their contract ends, demanding guests, small living quarters, and little or no privacy. Most crew members also agree that being away from loved ones is the hardest aspect of working at sea, especially when homesickness hits them.

Do Cruise Ship Employees Live on the Ship? Since cruise ship employees work around the clock, they've got to live on the ship and adjust to cruise ship life. But that doesn't mean that it's the typical “room and board” experience. Incredibly, many cruise ship employees share tiny cabins on the boat.

Can cruise ship workers use the gym? ›

Sometimes referred to as the weight room or gym, crew members can find free weights and even some machines to use so that they can exercise. The crew gym does not have as many machines or frills as guest gyms, but some crew members with a higher rank are able to use the guest fitness center.

A cruise ship crew member for Carnival, Royal Caribbean, or Norwegian Cruise Line can earn an annual average between $16,000 to $20,000. For leadership staff onboard cruise ships, the annual salary can be much higher from $30,000 to $100,000.

Your daily work schedule while onboard will depend on your particular position, but you can expect to work seven days a week and anywhere between 10-13 hours per day.

You want to be as close to the pivot point as possible to feel the least movement. Avoid cabins near the front (bow) or back (stern) and on decks higher than the middle deck of the ship. So, on a ship with fourteen passenger decks, your best options are below deck seven.

Ordinary seaman

The lowest ranking personnel in the deck department. An ordinary seaman (OS) generally helps out with work that able seamen do. Other tasks include standing lookout, and generally cleaning duties.

When asked in an Indeed survey about the difficulty of their interview at Carnival Cruise Line, most respondents said it was medium. Indeed's survey asked over 184 respondents whether they felt that their interview at Carnival Cruise Line was a fair assessment of their skills. 92% said yes.

The hiring process for working on a cruise ship can be very different than other jobs. On land, you can expect to apply for a job, get an interview, and start right away. In the cruise industry, it can take as long as 6 months to a maybe even a year to get put onboard!

For example, you might explain that you are particularly motivated, or that you are known for going above and beyond for your employers. A second way to answer is to emphasize your unique skills. If you have skills that make you a strong candidate (especially if not many people have those skills), mention these.

My strength is, I am a quick learner, a hard-working and active person. My weakness is I am not felling good until I completed my work on time. My strengths are I'm self-motivated, Hard-working, a quick learner and I am a good team player. My weakness is I'm an overthinker and kind-hearted person.

Why do you want this job? ›

“I see this opportunity as a way to contribute to an exciting/forward-thinking/fast-moving company/industry, and I feel I can do so by/with my …” “I feel my skills are particularly well-suited to this position because …” “I believe I have the type of knowledge to succeed in this role and at the company because …”