Which companies are hiring? What positions? When will new hires start? What if I've already been selected?
I'll get it out of the way and say
It's always a good time to apply for cruises. The sooner the better.
Why?
Mainly because it can sometimes take a long time from the time we apply to when we finally make it onboard, either because they receive many applications they need to go through, or because the position gets filled for the time being and you won't be called until there's an opening. In any case, there's no doubt you are better off having a head start on that list, the sooner you apply the sooner you will be called, considering there might be others before you already waiting.
Which Companies are Hiring?
(Skip ahead if you've already been contacted by a cruise line)
These are the some of the active job offerings I found today (Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean land-based positions included), keep in mind many other cruise lines don't show their current vacancies on their sites, simply offer the possibility to apply, either directly on their portal or through third party recruiters in each country.
Royal Caribbean Group shows 100+ on board offerings for both Royal Caribbean Cruises and Celebrity Cruises, plus 70+ offers for Azamara Cruises.
TIP: Keep an eye out for other companies' sites for new openings as they resume operations. Some accept you sending them your cv through email despite not being current openings, for future consideration.
Some messages regarding the current situation in some cruise lines:
Full guide on where & how to apply to cruise ship jobs, coming soon!
Sadly some cruise lines are suffering from losses, cuts in their personnel, selling ships, and so on. Obviously having a smaller fleet calls for fewer job opportunities and it seems counter-intuitive to apply to a company that is currently letting people go, but I would say it depends on your area of expertise and specific skillset.
Probably they might not be needing more applicants for basic positions like cleaning and serving, but other more specific roles might have openings since they are necessary and sometimes the applicants more scarce.
When will New Hires go On Board?
Most job listings are clarifying that these offers are not immediate, those chosen to board will be called sometime in 2021.
Crew members work on a rotation basis to ensure there's always someone covering all positions onboard while others are on vacation on land, but now with the no-sail order we are all home and waiting to go back, and clearly we won't all be able to go back at once, not only because not all ships will be sailing in the beginning (needing less crew fleet-wide) but even if they were, as I explained, there are always more workers than positions allowing us to take turns in the rotation. And as I explained in a previous post, more experienced crew members will be prioritized before new hires.
On the other hand, cruise ship jobs have a fast turnover rate, meaning workers come and go a lot sometimes people see it as an adventurous thing to do once, or they find it overwhelming, and with recently many sailors taking the chance to retire and find new careers on land, some openings might be available sooner. So again, nothing to lose in taking the chance.
Please always watch out for shady recruiting companies trying to get your money, no recruiters can charge applicants for their opportunity to apply. A couple of institutes will charge for English classes, interview practice, paperwork assistance, just make sure you are only paying for what you need or wish to be helped with.
Read how to spot a scam job offer here.
- I have all my paperwork, is it wasted money?
Absolutely not! I'm sorry you were so close to boarding and didn't make it but fear not, having all your paperwork up to date is a great way to be strongly considered by cruise lines when we return since you've already been through the most complicated part of the hiring process they won't throw that away! Just wait patiently, your contract will come!
- I had a contract and it got canceled, am I still considered?
Yes indeed! Same as on the previous case, if you had a green light to go they will take that into consideration since you are clearly ready to board and they will appreciate that!
As a matter of fact having recent paperwork could even give you and advantage over more senior sailors since some are not able to renew their documents in the current situation and we are required to have documentation valid for up to 6 months past our sign-on date. [Passports, visas, medical exams, etc]
The industry is certainly slowly returning, some companies have taken a greater toll than others, but while it's never a bad idea to apply for any job, it's realistic to assume we need to look at other more present possibilities on land, even for us seasoned sailors, at least for now.
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