resume for a cruise ship job - true or false?

Question

This is for people who have worked or are working on a cruise ship,
Was there a 'special' way you set out your resumes? or was there a template you used?
I have seen on those sites that you have to pay so they help you get a job, that they will help with specific resumes that cruise lines are after, is that true? are they after something specific or did you just use your plain old every day one to get your jobs?
If there is a specific way, would someone be able to help me out at all?

Thanks

Answer 1

There are lot´s of sites and agencies, for my own personal experience they are mostly money scams and crooks.
I´ve worked 10 years on cruise ships, first as a receptionist with Carnival, then as a sales rep with Hardings (shop concession), and then as a Shop Manager. Between the 2 I had 2 other jobs at the pursers dept with smaller companies.
On all occasions I went directly to the company itself.
If you are interested in working onboard my opinion to you is:
go to the concessions, it´s a lot easier to get in, you are staff, rather than crew (and that means a lot, better cabins, better onboard status, better deck priviledges, etc).
There are a few depts that are concessions and my favorite is the Shops (the others are Casino, Spa, Photo and sometimes Shore Excursions).
Some companies still control those depts, like Princess controls the shops, Carnival and Royal run the Casinos, it depends.
The advantages of working for the shops are:
95% of the ships, the shops are duty free, hence dont open while on port, that gives you days off.
Since they are 3rd companies (Hardings and Starboard) you get to go to different cruise lines all over the world.

Now Hardings and Starboard hold 90% of the shops onboard.
www.hardingbros.co.uk
1- easier to get in, interviews over the phone, pays more (160pounds a week, plus commission), has some 50 ships, from the more luxurious like Crystal, Silverseas and Cunnard, to the cheapest like Island Cruises.
Its all in need of personnel, the company has grown a lot lately and promotions are easy.
www.starboardcruise.com/
its bigger, 90 ships or so, also it has the bigger companies like Carnival, Royal, Celebrity, Costa...
Pays less, 500USD a month + commision.
There are individual targets with makes the work place not very friendly, also they have incentives for employees to rat on each other about stealing. (I didnt like it at all).

I see the shops are easier to get in due to the fact that you dont really need to know a trade to sell stuff. Its not like being a casino dealer or a haidresser. To sell stuff is really easy, specially when people are on vacation and the prices are better that back where they live (duty free).

The only advice I could give is: if you dont have retail experience, LIE. They dont check. Preferably experience with jewellery or cosmetics or perfumes.
You have to be polite, have a proper way with passengers, be patient etc... go looks dont hurt either.
I´ve worked with people who didnt speak English well, people who didnt know the products, all that... trust me, ITS SO EASY.
if you need more info, email me.
Good luck, its a cool life.
Be very careful with this so called cruise jobs sites.
Go directly to the source.
Also, if after you start you are not happy with working for the shops, what a career with a cruise line, etc, once you are in, its a lot easier to change departments.

Answer 2

False

Answer 3

Hi;

I have not worked nor am working in a cruise ship BUT 2 years ago I helped my friend make a resume because NCL was hiring and she wanted to submit her resume.... she had no idea how to do it so I helped her get a template from Microsoft Office.... something not to crowded, but that would give all the information she wated for them to have.....

She send in her resume and they did call her!
She worked with NCL for 6 months then later we included her NCL experience for Carnival and they hired her too.....

and we didnt use a specific template or got someone to help her....

anyway good luck

Answer 4

The following site offers some suggestions for a resume ...

http://modena.intergate.ca/business/jobship/rccl/

Answer 5

It really all depends on the type of job you are looking for. The link here is for entertainment jobs and has new postings all the time.

Answer 6

start at a career center to help you with resumes.
also go directly to the cruiselines.
good luck

cruiseclues.com

Answer 7

Tell them you can't swim. That way you couldn't quit in the middle of a cruise.
.