Age, gender, nationality

  • Age: Minimum age limit is 21+ for the US based cruise companies
  • European companies however do accept 18+ candidates
  • Cruise companies do not have maximum age limits. However, you must meet ALL other requirements for the chosen position including medical fitness.
  • Gender: All cruise companies hire both male and female applicants. However, it can be openings for a particular gender. It happens as cruise companies support diversity and gender equality, thus they must keep the balance including gender ratio.
  • Nationality: Cruise companies hire ALL nationalities, and there is no age, gender or nationality discrimination when working on cruise ships. However, the appointed by cruise companies manning agencies are authorized to recruit only particular nationality candidates in their own region. Our area or responsibility are citizens of European Union – Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and other. Also we process citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.

For applicants

Personality

    • Cruise companies are looking for talented people that are interested in customer service and professional growth. In order to get a job on board you shall go through the job interview where you need to prove that you are the right candidate to take the position as you possess the following:

  • Hospitable and sincerely friendly, smiling and positive even under stress

  • Team player always ready to help others

  • Highly motivated to get this particular position and grow within the company

  • Open-minded and flexible, able to work hard and long hours when needed

  • Attentive to details and seeking to achieve perfection in every assignment

  • Proud about what you are doing and enjoy making customers happy

It is possible to train any person to speak better English or to set up the table. However it is impossible to force anyone to start loving people, smile and be happy.

For applicants

Language knowledge

  • Conversational English language is needed to work on cruise ships with international guests. Intermediate English level is sufficient for entry positions such as buffet server, facilities cleaner, assistant cook, ordinary seaman etc.  Advanced level is needed for management and specialty positions such as bartender, receptionist, cabin attendant, shore excursion staff, casino dealer, sales specialist, photographer, animator etc.
  • Additional languages knowledge may be required or beneficial when considering your candidacy for front-of-the-house positions (most demanded languages: German, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch, Mandarin, Japanese).

For applicants

Work Expierence

  • Some cruise companies may accept candidates with short-time seasonal job experience for entry positions, whereas other cruise companies may demand 2-3 years of recent work experience in the same or above roles.
  • There are strict requirements to education and qualification documents for certain positions (for example Youth Counselor, Accountant, Motorman, Nurse etc.), whereas for most positions only the experience and skills matter.
  • We as your Hiring Agent are well aware of the cruise companies’ requirements, thus we need to make sure that candidates are suitable, and if needed we guide you on how to improve your knowledge in order to successfully pass the job interview.

For applicants

Education

  • Diplomas and certificates proving qualification may be required by certain cruise companies for particular positions such as youth staff, accountant, children animator, financial specialists, nurse, electrical engineer, navigator, welder etc.
  • During application process your Hiring Agent will provide you with the Job Description for the position you would be considered for. There you will see all the requirements towards education and experience needed to take this role on board the ships.

For applicants

Not Acceptable

    • There are certain limitations for successful employment on board cruise ships that may vary depending on cruise line or position on board. Some of them are common for all cruise companies such as:
      • = History of criminal record
      • = Disrespectful behavior towards Hiring Agent
      • = Contacting the employer directly or creating duplicate accounts in the employer’s database
      • = Fraud during application process

Ask your Agency for more details on the above restrictions.

For applicants

Medical Examination

    All joining crew members must undergo Seafarer’s Pre-Employment Medical Examination (PEME). In order to join the ship cruise company must be sure that you are healthy and can perform your duties. Each cruise company may have different forms and list of approved medical centers/doctors where you can perform medical exam.  Sometimes such medical facility may not be available in your home city or even country. You will get the instructions, forms and the approved doctor’s list from your Hiring Agent, and may need to discuss the detailed information with your agency manager before passing medical exams.

For joining crew

Safety Certificates

Crew members of all ocean cruise ships unlike river ships are governed by International Maritime Organization (IMO) and STCW (Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping), and so respective procedures are set and observed by cruise companies. Some of them arrange safety training on board whereas others require safety certificates to be obtained in the approved training centers ashore before joining.

These might be Basic Safety Training, Crowd and Crisis Management Training, Security Awareness Training. You may also need to hold Seaman’s Book in order to join. The Hiring Agent will provide you with needed information on procedures of obtaining these documents if required.

For joining crew

Proper Documentation

During whole employment process you will have to fill in a lot of forms, questionnaires, Once you get your ship assignment and start preparing to join the ship, you will need help in preparing your documents properly. For example, documents translation into English language, collecting and properly prepare document package for visa application, etc.

For joining crew

Visas

To work on board ocean going cruise ships crew members do not need work permit or work visa. Only river vessels may require work visa D type as they sail in inner waters.

United States visa(s) of certain type C1 (transit) & D (crew member’s visa) are often needed with very few exceptions when vessels sail in Asia or Europe only, and you have to obtain such visa at the nearest U.S. Consulate in person before starting your contract. Note that this visa does not grant you the right to work, travel or study in USA, so you would break the law if you decide to use it for the purposes other than joining the ship.

Other visas might be needed depending on your nationality and your ship’s itinerary, such as Schengen, Australian entry or crewmember’s visa, Brazil crew visa etc.

Your Hiring Agent will provide you with the instructions on visas needed in order to join. Note that joining visa consular fees are reimbursed on board if you provide cash receipt.

For joining crew

Joining Ticket

Depending on cruise company the first joining ticket may not always be provided by the employer, however all cruise companies usually pay for the repatriation and returning crew tickets. Therefore the initial joining costs may get expensive for some new hires if they need to cover ticket costs – in such case the airline tickets at marine fare are booked by your Hiring Agent and entered to the employer’s system, so that all entry and travel arrangements are done by the cruise company and respective port agent in advance. Marine fare tickets may be not the cheapest option, but they allow last minute cancellations at no fee and in most cases include additional luggage items. Your Hiring Partner is fully responsible for your first joining to be timely and orderly, therefore taking risks is not acceptable.

For joining crew

Joining the Ship

Your joining port will depend on the assigned ship’s itinerary, and it may be any place in the World. You have to strictly follow your Hiring Agent’s and cruise company instructions in order to safely and timely join the ship. Travel arrangements will be sent to your email several days prior to joining. In some cases cruise company will require to join the vessel same day upon arrival, whereas in other cases you will be required to overnight before joining.  Port agents may be assigned to meet you at the airport and transfer to the hotel / vessel, however in many cases shuttle bus or taxi may need to be used. Note that joining instructions should always indicate an emergency contact phone number or email for all unexpected situations during your travel.

For joining crew

Not Acceptable

    • There are certain issues that may lead to losing your ship assignment on the placement stage:

      • = Not enough funds for joining expenses
      • = Visa refusals or travel bans set by your national law
      • = Health problems or BMI above 30 that would not allow you to obtain fit for duty certificate
      • = Making your own arrangements or purchasing own joining tickets
      • = Not following the due dates and instructions provided by Hiring Agent or cruise company
      • = Communication problems when you are not replying to Hiring Agent emails or calls

Ask your Agency for more details on how to prevent the above situations.

For joining crew