Gill’s Cruise Centre, the Cardiff-based independent travel company, has ceased trading following the firm’s ejection from ABTA. Apart from the hundreds of staff facing redundancy, tens of thousands of holidaymakers are also likely to get dragged into the fray although there is happily unlikely to be a repeat of the infamous Court Line crash which…
In the first part of this blog, we looked at what you should do before you leave home. In this second and final part, we tell you about what life at sea will be like. At sea You will be asked to work hard and for long hours at a time – possibly up to…
Are you thinking about applying for a job on a cruise ship but are not sure what you are letting yourself in for? After all, there is no shore-based job like it and going to sea has historically been a romantic dream for many. We take a look at what life is like on a…
The crew of a cruise ship consists of officers and trades staff who, together, control the running of the ship and its engines, the operation of the radio, navigation, repairs, legal matters and emergency procedures. The various crew roles on a fully-staffed cruise ship are as follows: Captain The captain has the full control of…
The Purser’s department is the administrative heart of the ship and it takes overall responsibility for the smooth day-to-day running in respect of such matters. There is close contact between the Purser’s staff and the Hotel staff since many of the Purser’s functions overlap with theirs. All aspects of the ‘paperwork’ side of the ship…
A cruise ship presents a captive market of passengers who are exposed daily to the goods on sale in the various shops and boutiques. As passengers mill around with time on their hands, sales conversions become much higher than would be expected on shore and, with an absence of competition and often a relaxation of…
Accommodation on-board a cruise ship may, of necessity, be a bit on the cramped side but what there is has to be to the highest standard. Passengers spend far more of their time in their cabins than they would in conventional hotel rooms and, with nowhere else to go, will protest vociferously if all is…
Food, along with entertainment, is a hugely important aspect of the hospitality side of life on a cruise ship. A well-fed passenger is, generally speaking, a happy passenger, thus the ship’s chefs are regularly called upon to prepare a massive variety of dishes from à la carte and haute cuisine right through to fast food…
We continue our look at entertainment jobs on cruise ships. To read part 1 of this blog, click here. Entertainment Assistants If you have a moderately good standard of education, are outgoing and personable, then you can apply. Your job is to help out as and where required and, as such, this is a good…
If you are just starting out on your career in the entertainments section of a cruise ship then, there are a multitude of possible positions as long as you don’t mind ‘mucking in’. For example, you can expect to be asked to do the following with passengers: Socialise with them – on and off-duty Play…
