WANTED: People interested in traveling all over the world while watching their bank account grow by thousands of dollars every month.
If you want to take advantage of such a life-changing opportunity, you owe it to yourself to consider working on board cruise ships. We can honestly say that working on board ships has changed our lives in incredible ways, most importantly giving me the freedom to live life on my own terms.
Get started today! Step-by-step instructions on how to apply to every major cruise line plus never-before offered details to guide you through the entire process are only a couple of clicks away.
Want to learn more? Continue reading below…
(Read at your own risk. May cause extreme excitement.)
WORKING ON BOARD A CRUISE SHIP IS NOT AN ORDINARY JOB
Once you walk up the gangway of your first ship, your life will never be the same.
Why? Your life will instantly be full of…
WORLD TRAVEL – Explore (yes, you will have free time to explore) every corner of the globe, from Alaska to the Caribbean, Europe to the Middle East, the South Pacific to Southeast Asia!
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY! – Earn up to $6000+ USD per month, depending on position. And with almost ZERO expenses (room and meals are provided!) you can save $10,000 – $20,000+ in a few short months!
AMAZING SOCIAL LIFE – Live the good life with access to crew bars, crew lounges, internet cafes, hot tubs, swimming pools, a crew gym, crew-only sunbathing decks and endless crew parties and other events!
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES – Spend your evenings socializing in passenger bars, night clubs, lounges and theaters when you’re not working. Get paid to attend exclusive parties and dine in five-star restaurants!
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIPS – Build friendships with crew members from dozens of countries around the world, and when you’re on vacation, you’ll have plenty of money to visit your new friends overseas!
LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES – Network with crew members, local residents in every port of call and thousands of passengers and you’ll discover opportunities you simply never imagined! (Through networking on ships, I’ve been offered jobs in Greece and Costa Rica and a business partnership on the stunning Caribbean island of St. Kitts.)
2-4 MONTHS OF VACATION! – Enjoy up to 4 months of vacation per year, which you can spend anywhere in the world you wish. You’ll actually work less and save more money than if you were working on land!
HOW TO LAND A KICK ASS JOB ON A CRUISE SHIP
Applying for a cruise ship job is not the same as applying for a job on land. The rules are different, the process can be complicated and without any guidance, it’s nearly impossible to do on your own. Without knowing how to navigate the specific steps involved, cruise lines will never even notice your application. In fact, you’ll have trouble simply trying to get an application if the first place.
THIS GUIDE PROVIDES EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GET HIRED BY ANY CRUISE LINE
When you purchase this guide…
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING…
- Katie Hart, North Carolina, USA —————————————— |
- Leah Bolton, Vancouver, Canada —————————————— |
- Santana Mackline, USA —————————————— |
- Xander McGrouther, USA —————————————— |
- Jan Kerekes, Vancouver, Canada |
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
The low, one-time cost for this detailed 175-page guide is only:
$37 USD
That’s all you’ll ever need to spend in order to land a cruise ship job that will allow you to save $2000, $3000 or even as much as $5000 per month.
When that first pay check comes in, we guarantee you’ll laugh at how little you had to spend in order to land a job that offers so much!
Pay with Paypal or Credit Card: Just click on the “Checkout with Paypal” button on the checkout page & you’ll be able to choose your payment method.
Instant Access!: As soon as your order is placed, you’ll immediately receive your guide via email so that you’ll have instant access to all of the material. (Your guide is in Adobe PDF format.)
Works For Everyone: The information in this guide works for EVERYONE, no matter what country you live in. Cruise lines hire people of all nationalities and the only requirement to apply is that you are at least 18 years of age and not a convicted felon.
Also, every order of this guide comes with my personal guarantee…
60-Day Money Back Guarantee: If you don’t believe the information you receive will help you find a rewarding job on board a cruise ship, you have a full 60 days to ask for a refund. Just send us a quick email and we’ll refund the full amount without any questions asked.
ONE FINAL BONUS…
Once you order your guide, you’ll be able to contact us directly with any questions you may have along the way. You’ll find our direct email address on the last page of the guide and we encourage you to use it! We guarantee you that we’ll do our very best to help get you working on board a cruise ship as quickly as possible.
Bon Voyage!
Earl & Liz
Pingback: How To Get A Job On Board Cruise Ships | Wandering Earl
Pingback: 3 days til departure | Pursuing Travel
Hi.
Does this apply to people outside USA? I live in New Zealand.
Thanks (:
Hey Karis – Yes, this guide does apply to people outside of the USA! In fact, almost 50% of the people who have used this guide are from outside the US, including several people from NZ
Awesome, thanks!
Hi Earl;
What if someone is over 50?
Cheers,
Hey Suzanne – There are definitely plenty of crew members over the age of 50 on board cruise ships. In the end, it all depends on the position(s) that might be the best fit for you and whether or not those are positions that a cruise line prefers to fill with younger applicants. But in general, I’ve seen crew members up to the age of 65 working in almost every department on board ships!
Hello Earl, good for you! Again!
I am ordering this for my 16 year old!
I believe in traveling as a Masters college degree of LIFE!
All the best,
Linda
Hey Linda! That’s excellent and I hope your son gets excited about such an opportunity
And I couldn’t agree with you more about the educational value of travel. After all, that’s why I’ve found it impossible to stop traveling myself!
Hey,
I live in Egypt and I’m 19. Do you think I can find a Job ?
Thanks
Hey Salma – Naturally, I cannot tell you for certain if you could get a job on board cruise ships. It depends on several factors, including any work experience you might have, educational background and which positions you would be interested in applying for. But in general, anyone can apply to work on cruise ships and every cruise line is full of crew members of all ages and from dozens of nationalities, including Egyptian!
Just to say that as a CORF (Certified Old Retired Fart) here in Argentina, I sure wish this kind of information and activity had been around when I was a certified younger person!
It also seems like it would require a good deal of personal discipline and focus to really save a lot of money and manage one’s life in a shipboard environment. I commend you both for obviously having what it takes.
Cheers and continued good luck,
Peter in BsAs
Hey Peter – Ha! Well, I’m sure you’ve found your own unique adventures in life considering that you’re now living down in Argentina
And it does take a little discipline to save up money on board ships, although not too much considering that free time for crew members can be quite limited!
Interesting. If I ever get laid off again I may try this. Can you please address taxes and medical?
Hey Todd – The taxes situation depends on your home country and whether the cruise line you work for is based in the US or overseas. In general, US citizens pay taxes on their income and non-US citizens usually don’t pay taxes but there are a handful of exceptions. However, depending on how long US citizens stay outside of the US in any given year, you may not have to pay taxes either. With medical, you are fully covered during your contracts. Some cruise lines also offer packages to officers and department heads in which they continue to earn money and have medical coverage while on their vacations in between contracts as well.
So basically, it all depends on the cruise line, position and one’s nationality. If you ever have any more questions about working on ships, just send me an email and I’d be more than happy to respond!
Hi Earl!
Great blog, really inspiring!
I will try this beginning 2012. Every thing sound great.
Just a couple of questions. How long are the working contracts normally?
Any cons or ugly stuff I should prepare for?..nothing is perfect anyway.
Have a great day!
Hey Gloriana – Thank you for the comment! The contracts depend on which position you get and which cruise line you work for. In general, you can expect a contract to last 4 – 8 months with the majority being around 4-6 months long. As for cons, the biggest thing is that you won’t have a full day off during your contract. You will work every day. However, you will have time off so it’s not like you’ll work 18 hours every day for 6 months but some people don’t like the fact that there are no full days off. Also, for most positions, you will have to share a cabin with 1 or 2 other people and the cabins are usually on the small side. But as you move up the ladder and get promoted, your cabin situation improves and you may end up with a single cabin depending on your position. Apart from that, it all depends on the cruise lines again. Some cruise lines treat their crew members much better than others!
Thank you for the answer! Really look forward to this experience!
Hello! This job opprotunity seems to be very much up my ally!! I am wondering though, what is the age limit to work on a cruise ship? I am going to be 20 in October. This seems like a dream job based on the travelling alone !
Hi Earl,
Your story is quite interesting–I seem to be backing into a similar lifestyle, although for different reasons. I am Tibetan Buddhist, and have been spending a lot of time in India, with occasional forays to Nepal, Malaysia, and Taiwan. I could tell an interesting story about landslides and Spiti…..
But regarding work on cruise ships, do you think there’s much available for someone who is (slightly!) over fifty (but doesn’t look or act it). The problem I run into with job prospects is that by my age people expect you to have racked up a lot of experience with just one or two things, and frankly my resume doesn’t look like much. You mentioned that crew is of all ages, but they may have very different backgrounds from mine…..so please don’t just give me a pat answer without looking into it a bit. (“I’m not really sure” is an acceptable answer, just no BS please)
Thanks,
Carla
Hey Carla – Thank you for commenting! In terms of working on board cruise ships, it is a fact that ships hire people of all ages. Without knowing your specific background, I can tell you that cruise lines are basically interested in people who can show that they are able to adjust to life at sea, which is a lifestyle that involves living and working with a diverse group of people in a challenging environment. Generally, being able to prove this is much more important than any direct work experience as the majority of people who quit their jobs on board cruise ships do so no because they can’t handle the work, but because they can’t handle life at sea.
Of course, any work experience related to any position on board is beneficial, and I would imagine that your diverse job history would give you experience in a couple of different departments that one would find on board cruise ships. Just your travel history alone should prove quite valuable for work in the Shore Excursion Department, especially if you have any experience at all that brought you into contact with tour operators or any tourism related companies, even if for only a short time.
One example I can give is on the last ship I worked on. The cruise line hired a 55 year old guy to be one of my Tour Staff in the Shore Excursions Department. The main reason he was hired was because he had traveled for a few years and had spent six months working as a Tour Guide assistant in London. And that was enough to get him hired.
Also, I didn’t have any work experience at all when I was hired for the first time except for six months teaching English in Thailand and a few temp jobs during college!
Feel free to send me an email as well if you have more questions. I’d be more than happy to respond and offer any further information I can.
Hi Earl,
Thanks for your answer, it was very helpful. I’m wondering whether cruise ships ever hire people for more than one job description–there are somewhat fewer things that I could see doing 40 or more hours a week. But anyway, my work experience goes something like this: category A (things that I can’t imagine being useful on a cruise ship) include growing veggies, milking goats, cutting firewood, and light carpentry. Category B is things I’d rather not do again, and includes personal care for seniors, running a printing press, and any kind of sales. Category C includes 1) Traditional Chinese Medicine (broadly defined; I know a fair amount about Western Medicine, nutrition, and general healthcare) 2) Massage (would need a bit of retraining to do anything but deep tissue 3) Qigong 4) Have a MS in Sociology, focus on environmental/sustainable agriculture issues 5) Am pretty comfortable teaching (lots of teaching assistantships) 6) Have cooked for groups, and a little bit in restaurants, but prefer to fill in rather than doing food service full time (especially of the gourmet sort I expect of cruise ships) 7) Have no real experience with operating tours, but I could really see myself doing that (talking about something I know and love, ie travel and other cultures, is something I really enjoy).
Have to go pack now, and continue this fascinating conversation later–I fly Kathmandu to Delhi tomorrow, and take a night bus up to Manali, then on to Spiti–maybe I’ll take a rest day to sit in hot water in the Manali area, though.
More later,
Carla
Hey Carla – That is quite a varied work history! Cruise ships generally don’t hire people for more than one position/duty as every department is run quite separately and each hires their own staff. As for working in the Tour Office, the main criteria for landing such a job would be travel experience, an ability to adapt/live/work in challenging environments and with a diverse group of people and some work experience that involves interaction with customers in some way. In addition, getting a job on a cruise ship has a lot to do with knowing how to present your work history and how to make sure that everything you give to the cruise lines (CV, resume, etc.) is formatted in a way that will get your application to the top of the pile. And that’s basically what we offer with the eBook…all of the advice and tips you need to stand out. Of course, I can’t guarantee you get a job, but you will be given the best chance possible.
Is it still a worth while thing to apply for it you only have a high school diploma and limited work experience? I know you said the only requirements are being 18 and no felonies but is there a real chance of getting hired? Thanks! I look forward to reading this book!
Hey Brittany – In your case, it will all come down to how well you present yourself and how well you can convince the cruise lines that you have what it takes to survive and succeed on board cruise ships. There are definitely 18 year olds working on ships, so you do have a chance. With that said, it will be somewhat more challenging to get hired if you’re competing with others who have more work/education experience.
But again, it is definitely possible and the book will certainly help you out a great deal in terms of making sure you present yourself in the best way possible!
Hello, I have one question: are these ships sailing to specific parts of the world? I am interested in the Middle East…
Hey Layla – There are over 300 cruise ships in the world and they all sail to different places. There aren’t any cruise lines that I know of that sail only to the Middle East but many cruise lines do visit that region two or three times per year. However, you generally can’t choose which itinerary you want to work on. Once a cruise line hires you, they place you on whichever ship they need you to work on and that ship could be anywhere in the world.
How much is it for over seas shipping? (to Denmark) Or is there an e book version?
Hey Hanna – Thanks for the comment and actually, the book only comes in an eBook form so as soon as you make the purchase, you will instantly receive your personal link that will allow you to download the material!
Hello from South Africa Earl,
A colleague of mine is enquiring regarding her 18yr old daughter wanting to work onboard cruise ships, will it be possible for her to apply.
Also I noted above you mentioned that there are people that are mature, who are also employed onboard the cruise ships. I am considering doing something like this.
Your response is appreciated.
Best regards,
Chanel
Hey Chanel – It’s definitely possible for her to apply as the minimum age requirement is 18 years of age. So as long as she is able to present herself and her resume in as favorable a way as possible (which the guide will help her do), there shouldn’t be any problems. As for more mature crew members, there are plenty of opportunities as well. Cruise lines prefer to hire crew members of all ages and they often want to make sure that they have mature, experienced people to fill many positions.
Hey Earl,
I just wanted to share an unlikely, but extremely pleasant, turn of events that has recently taken place in my life. It also pertains to your guide, which I’ll be buying up very soon.
I interned in Turkey as an English teacher in late 2009 and met many other foreigners doing the same thing. There was a Colombian girl that I grew very close to in the six short weeks we were there. We continued to remain sporadically in touch until this summer. I was headed abroad for my first long-term job abroad as a certified teacher and the distance separating us was too much to get around in the end.
What do you know, I’m back in Turkey and I’m avidly reading your blog and others great travels. It turns out, the very same Colombian intern from two years ago met a boy embarking on his first long-term contract with a cruise line. And the ship he was placed on had an itinerary to land in Istanbul several times before the end of this year!
Upon hearing this, my intern friend decided to pack up all the things she had been saving to mail to me one day into a little brown bag and send them along with him, hoping in good faith that they would be delivered. However, after several failed attempts at connecting with each other (cruise line workers do indeed have very little free-time, as you say!) prospects at me ever receiving her letters seemed bleak.
On his cruise liner’s last overnight trip into Istanbul, though, I finally got word that he was waiting for me to meet him in a cafe on the beautiful Bosphorous straight. We shared stories of our mutual friend (an old one, to me, while relatively new to him) and exchanged thoughts about working on a cruise ship.
“How incredible.” I thought. I had just heard the “short list” of the countries his liner had passed through and was floored. I have to do this. It fit. I’ll be whatever I need to be. I’m right in the same position you were at your start, only most likely with a lot more gracious help! I can’t wait to see what this might turn into for me and I have you, among others, to thank!
All the best,
Angelo P
Hey Angelo – That is quite an unreal tale! I’m not sure what to say…but I hope that you will soon be able to get a taste of ‘ship life’ yourself and see first-hand how unique that world really is. And let me know if you have any free time tomorrow to meet up here in Istanbul!
Hi Earl,
I just wanted to drop and and say after reading your stories and book which I just recently purchased, I am more than inspired to get a career started in the “ship life”. Before I graduated high school, I knew traveling was one of the many things I found beautiful in this world and aspired to do. I think providing my people skills along with technical skills will be a perfect fit in the ship life, while I am doing what I love, in traveling. I am eager to get applying this minute and hope for the best, while taking so much from your book and implementing it to myself. Although I haven’t been able to travel much, as I recently graduated from college, I hope to be along the path you have gone with your expansive explorations. Thank you again for the hope and dedication that you gave me to inspire to see everything this amazing world has to offer!
Wish the best,
Aaron O
Hey Aaron – I appreciate the comment and having technical skills is definitely an asset in terms of applying for cruise ship jobs. There are many technical-oriented positions that you could probably apply for. And once you start to put your resume together, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!
Hi Earl,
So I’ve ran into one question only, and I am not sure what to do. Thanks for being open to questions by the way. When it comes to resumes, I have always tried to implement my graphic design knowledge into creating the best looking and aesthetically pleasing resume I could build. So far, this has been successful for me. I have created two separate resume’s, one being a standard looking one, and one with my incorporated art skills, both having the same exact content. In your opinion, do you think I should submit my standard resume, or the one created with a touch of “me” on it? I know some companies don’t like art-styled resume’s so I wanted to get your opinion before I made my final decision. Thank you in advance!
Hey Aaron – I would say that incorporating your art skills would be fine as long as it isn’t over the top. But in the case of cruise ship employment, the art isn’t going to make much of a difference as they just want to see how your education/skills matches up to the requirements of ship life. So keep it low-key and you should be all set!
Hey Earl, while I’m sure this is too much to hope for. My long-term girlfriend and I have been looking into applying to work on cruises, and i was wondering if there was any way/chance that we would end up on the same ship.
Hey Paul – That’s not too much to hope for, it simply depends on the cruise line you are hired by. Some cruise lines will not hire couples while others are more than happy to do so. There actually is a small section in the eBook that explains which cruise lines you should apply to if you are trying to get on board with a partner.
My wife and I are interested in working together on a boat. How many companies/boats do you think offer jobs to couples?
Also, is it possible to be in a cabin together or is that asking too much?
And she’s Japanese, does that matter?
Hey John – There are several cruise lines that will hire couples, especially the smaller, luxury cruise lines. I actually include a small section at the end of the eBook that discusses how couples should go about applying together. As for getting a cabin together, that probably won’t happen as crew accommodation is divided by department and chances are you wouldn’t end up working in the same department. However, if one of you ends up as an Assistant Manager or a Manager of a department, that person would most likely end up with a cabin of their own, which you could naturally live in together. And as for your wife being Japanese, that doesn’t matter at all…if the cruise lines thinks she can do the job, they’ll hire her, regardless of nationality!
Hi Earl,
I’m a 21 year old IT professional with no travel experience other than around australia. Are there a lot of IT jobs on cruise ships? or would that help me in whatever other positions on a cruise ship?
Hey Sam – Having an IT background is a great way to get into ‘ship life’. Every ship generally has 1 IT Manager (some have 2) and at least 2 Asst. IT Managers. It all depends on the size of the ship of course. But these are great positions with very good pay, privileges and living arrangements!
Hi Earl! I’m a cook and I was wondering something….i heard that on cruise ship, they hire only people that they can pay not as much as they…deserve. I mean, they hire cheap labor . Also, that cook’s have bad workings conditions…..have you heard anything about that?? Do they hired lots of cooks, or they don’t need a lot?….I’m kind of confused about that….
merci
Hey Jay – What happens on cruise ships is that they do pay certain positions less money than people in the west might be used to. But with these positions, such as cooks, most of these crew members come from countries where they would earn much less. So for them, they are earning a very good salary.
But there are a lot of available cook positions as every ship has so many restaurants that preparing food is a non-stop 24 hour operation!
Dear Earl,
I have been looking around on the internet for a while and can’t seem to find an answer to my own question, which is slightly different from what you talk about in your book.
I actually would like to take a lift on a cruise ship, from Europe to North Ameria and then back after a few weeks. I am definitely willing to work in order to pay for the lift, but I am not really interested in a permanent job onboard. Do you think this is possible to find or should I quit searching?
Thank you very much for your help.
Rossy
Hey Rossy – Unfortunately, what you’re looking for is not possible. That just doesn’t happen these days as every cruise ship has enough permanent crew members so they don’t need to take on anyone else. Also, the strict regulations that cruise ships must follow would not allow for such an arrangement either.
Hey Earl,
I’m really liking and respecting the fact that you have responded to all those who have asked you a question. I can imagine the amount of work that went into that, so please keep it up.
Next: MY QUESTION. Basically I wanted to know if it was possible for a disabled person to work on a cruise ship. I am in a wheelchair and cannot walk at all. I know there are employment laws around this but that does not mean that it necessarily means anything (especially since its at sea and so the cruise liners can flaunt the laws).
Let me give you a brief background into myself. I have actually been quite active. I went travelling to Thailand for 3 months, where I lived with the Tribes (Lisu), worked in an orphanage, and lived in a monastery for one month in Chiang Mai (which was HUGELY challenging being locked in a room for 30 days meditating and not able to leave the building, which I guess may demonstrate that I am able handle tough environments). Also, I’ve done stand up comedy (yes ironically while being in a wheelchair), and am acting now too. My background is very different, having studied maths for my undergrad and accounting for my postgrad. I don’t really care what job I do in a cruise liner, as long as it gets me a job there.
Thanks mate, and please dont worry about offending me with any answer, I’d rather have the truth (for better or for worse), rather than an untrue fantasy.
Thanks Earl, hope to hear from you soon buddy, you have an amazing blog here. (check mine out if you want too, its called http://www.pimpingonwheels.com)
Hey Thiru – I appreciate the comment and you certainly have done some amazing things on your travels. I’m actually looking into doing a 30-day meditation retreat this year myself and haven’t met many others who have done such a thing as well.
As for you cruise ship question, the cruise lines are generally all registered in places such as Panama and Liberia strictly so that they don’t have to follow normal employment laws. With that said, my guess would be that they would not hire someone in a wheelchair. The reason I say this is because official maritime law states that every crew member on a cruise ship must have a safety duty in the event of an emergency. And while I’m certainly not saying that you wouldn’t be able to perform these duties, there might be challenges involved. When the emergency signal is heard, the elevators are turned off and crew members must go from their work areas to their cabins (on Deck 1) to get their life jackets and then up to their emergency stations, which could be as high as on Deck 15, within a span of five minutes. So for this reason I think that cruise ship employment might be difficult to obtain.
But if this answer leads to any other questions, please let me know. I would certainly be more than happy to answer anything!
And I’ll certainly check out your website. I can only imagine it will make for quite an interesting read!
Hey,
I appreciate the early reply and the honesty, you seem like such a cool and interesting person who I would love to meet sometime. I really appreciate your honesty even though it may be hard to say it.
In the mean time, keep up the blog, it is truly amazing, carry on writing up all the amazing adventures you have had and are having.
In terms of the meditation retreats I would certainly recommend “Wat Rampoeng” in Chiang Mai (if you go back to Thailand anytime soon), and I would recommend Goenka’s 10 day Meditation Retreat (usually available in most countries) if you haven’t been there yet either.
Take care bro, keep up your adventures and I will hopefully see you on your travels soon..!!
Hey Thiru – I’ve actually done two of Goenka’s retreats so far and really enjoyed both. They’ve both had such positive effects on my life. Now I’ll look into Wat Rampoeng as well, thanks for the information!
Hi,
I was just wondering, is it required that I have completed high school?
Oh, by the way, I am 17 now but can I apply now and then start working (if I’ve got a job) when I turn 18?
Hey Marianne – One of the requirements for working on board cruise ships is a high school diploma. Also, you wouldn’t want to apply too far in advance either in case you get hired right away as cruise lines generally won’t wait many months until you’re ready
Pingback: Do You Need A University Degree To Travel Long-Term? | Wandering Earl
hi earl..i would like to know is it possible to work on a cruise ship for only a month or two?!during the summer vacation
thanks
Hey Leen – There are certain cruise lines that do hire extra summer staff but the minimum commitment would usually be 2 months. So if you can manage 2 months, then there are definitely opportunities for you to jump on board during the summer