Ah, the cruise ship life. Travel to far-flung destinations, sample exotic cuisines and cultures, make friends with people from all over the world, and actually get paid for it!
There are definitely a lot of great things about working on cruise ships. But the truth is, reality doesn't stop just because you're working on a cruise ship.
It may be a different form of reality, but it's still reality!
I worked as a Musician, Band leader and Assistant Conductor on 4 different cruise ships over 2 years, so I will cover some of my experiences over several articles in the hopes of making your cruise ship career more pleasant and rewarding.
See The Sights!
One of the greatest things about working on cruises is getting paid to travel all over the world! I've been to so many beautiful places. I've traveled through Alaska and the Arctic Circle during their summer, and what a lovely, surprising experience it was to be on deck in a light pants and sweater! I thought I'd have to wear a parka!
On the flip side, I can remember touring the Caribbean islands from about January to April. I was getting so used to it that I couldn't understand why the Canadian news said it was snowing in my hometown during March! Duh!
I've been to so many exciting and vibrant cities, including:
- St. Petersburg, Russia,
- Oslo, Norway,
- Helsinki, Finland
- Istanbul, Turkey
I've toured exotic, and picturesque countries like:
- Italy
- Romania
- France
- England
I've explored ancient biblical cities like Ephesus, and strolled the thoroughfares of the legendary city of Pompeii. I felt like Indiana Jones.
Sorry, now I sound like I'm bragging! But I will always have these adventures to cherish, no matter what.
Investigate Beforehand
I would recommend buying a few good tour and travel books, way ahead of time. That way, you will have time to go through them and make out a list of what you really want to see. Get the most current editions, because things are always changing. If you use older editions, you may disappointed to find an interesting restaurant or shop or something that you planned to visit is no longer there, for example. Watching travelogues is a pretty good idea, too.
Remember that you are usually only in a given port for one day. Of course, because you are working on the ship, and the circuit you are traveling tends to repeat itself every 7 or 10 days (normally), you will be in that given port almost once a week, so you can try and spread out your touring plans.
When I was in St. Petersburg, it was an overnight stay, but initially we only got there once a month, then later on it was about once every two weeks.
Volunteer As A Tour Escort
You can, of course, go wandering off by yourself (but not alone…I wouldn't recommend that…always travel with a group for safety), but one of the most effective and safest means of touring is to volunteer as a Tour Escort with the Shore Excursions department.
Basically, you are required to "babysit" the passengers on tour, make sure that they are ok and no one gets lost, perhaps answer questions if you can, etc. I had a knapsack filled with supplies like wet naps, Kleenex, bandages, etc. that was given to me by the Shore Excursions Dept.
Just remember you are NOT a doctor or tour guide! Tour guides know the places you are visiting like the back of their hand; that is their job. Sometimes passengers will ask you the ancient history of the land…how are you supposed to know that?
However you are an ambassador of a sort for the cruise line…so be polite, and give people a good impression of you. You may not have to wear your uniform while on tour, but you still have to wear a name tag. I never had any trouble during my experiences.
You may also have to fill out a report form, basically giving your opinion and rating of the tour. Kind of like being a judge on American Idol!
Try to find out as early as you can about volunteering…there is usually a waiting list for the really popular tours, and also a seniority thing going on. Those who have been working on the ship longer than you, or are perhaps more "important", will probably have first choice. Put your name in anyways, because you never know.
Being a Tour Escort is a great way to be part of a professional tour, one that has been researched and planned by the cruise ship, so you may get to see things in a way that you wouldn't if you just went off by yourself (again, which I wouldn't recommend doing alone).
Hope this was helpful for you! I will have more articles, so check in often!
