i am with WORDPRESS now: cruise ship jobs

Today, I got a very nice surprise in my inbox. It's an email from a long lost friend. We were both Front Office Receptionists in my first ship assignment. That was some 10 years ago. Yep, you guessed it right, I used to work onboard a cruise ship.

So I thought of writing about finding work onboard a cruise ship. There are literally hundreds of positions available in the cruise industry. One only has to know exactly what those positions require in terms of skill and capability before applying for the job.

The good thing about jobs onboard a cruise ship is that there is a very big possibility that you have had previous experience of those jobs while working on land. They include: hotel jobs, casinos, restaurant jobs, bars, clubs/discos (for performers and lights and sound technicians), gift shops, boutiques, health clubs, beauty salons, coffee shops and any hospitality related jobs.

In most cases, agencies do not require previous Cruise Ship experience but manning agencies prefer applicants with previous hotel job experience. In my case, I didn't have any when I applied. I was just at the right place and the right time I guess.

I've seen manning agencies conducting job hunts in malls, universities and even in barangays. This is I guess because of the stiff competition among manning agencies and the fast turnover of crews. This is healthy since it means employment for many of our countrymen especially the fresh graduates who for some reason are unable to find work in the Philippines or some are employed but under paid.

There are a number of requirements applicants will have to comply with before being able to step on a ship's gangway. I will try to be as accurate here but will be providing links to manning agencies for your wider source of information. Manning agencies usually have their own accredited training institutions where applicants can undergo the trainings they need for the job.

Requirements:

1. One must obtain an STCW - 95 (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping)

*** please note of a recent amendment

2. For one to obtain an STCW - 95, one must undergo the following:

1.a. Basic Safety Training (BST) which includes 4 courses - Basic Firefighting, Personal Survival, Personal Safety and Social Responsibility, and Elementary First Aid.

3. Manning agencies might put applicants under training for a month or so to ensure readiness and equipping them with the knowledge for their onboard jobs. There might be trainings for housekeeping jobs, bartending jobs and food service. All these will be facilitated by the manning agency.

4. Applicants will also have to pass medical exam requirements. Manning agencies usually have their own accredited hospitals and Physicians. This is to comply with IMO International Maritime Organization's requirements to ensure that applicants are physically fit for the job onboard and to ensure the health of those already onboard, both crew and passengers.

5. Applicants will also be required to receive vaccines.

It's not a very easy road to get that cruise ship job but it's all worth it.

http://www.mtc.gov.ph/index.html
http://www.stcw.org/training.html

http://www.poea.gov.ph/

http://www.magsaysaycareers.com/mco/homepagenewlook.aspx

http://www.cfsharp.com/manning/