Cruise Line Job Help (Los Angeles, Long Beach: sales, how much, hotel)

[ClemsonTi9er]

Hey all.

I have recently moved to western Washington to live temporarily until I land a job on a cruise line. I have applied with several different liners and am now playing the waiting game.

I don't know anyone who works(ed) on a cruise ship.

I have a bachelor's degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, with two years of experience giving historical tours in Charleston, SC.

I have a preference for living in Southern California because I love the weather and fast pace, not to mention a girl I am fond of lives there.

How do I land a job on a cruise line? I am new to the industry and need some help / advice.

All thoughts are welcome! Thanks for the replies...

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by ClemsonTi9er

Hey all.

I have recently moved to western Washington to live temporarily until I land a job on a cruise line. I have applied with several different liners and am now playing the waiting game.

I don't know anyone who works(ed) on a cruise ship.

I have a bachelor's degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, with two years of experience giving historical tours in Charleston, SC.

I have a preference for living in Southern California because I love the weather and fast pace, not to mention a girl I am fond of lives there.

How do I land a job on a cruise line? I am new to the industry and need some help / advice.

All thoughts are welcome! Thanks for the replies...

Are you trying to work in management for a cruise line or on the ship? Most crew members on the ships, unless it is NCLA (which is a branch of Norwegian cruise lines, out of Hawaii) are not Americans. In fact it is rare to find an American working as a crew member. If you are talking land based management, most companies are based out of Florida. As far as I can think, only Princess is based out of the Los Angeles area. There may be a few of the upscale smaller lines that would work.

The only advise I can give would be to log onto each of the mass marketed lines, at the bottom there will be a referance to how to apply for employment. I don't know how much this will help, but it is a start.

Nita
Nita

[silverkris]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Are you trying to work in management for a cruise line or on the ship? Most crew members on the ships, unless it is NCLA (which is a branch of Norwegian cruise lines, out of Hawaii) are not Americans. In fact it is rare to find an American working as a crew member. If you are talking land based management, most companies are based out of Florida. As far as I can think, only Princess is based out of the Los Angeles area. There may be a few of the upscale smaller lines that would work.

The only advise I can give would be to log onto each of the mass marketed lines, at the bottom there will be a referance to how to apply for employment. I don't know how much this will help, but it is a start.

Nita
Nita

I took a cruise (to Alaska, ex-Seattle) on Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) and most of the ship crew, whether the technical/ship area or the hospitality/hotel section, are non-American - probably the largest nationality represented are Filipino. The cruise director & some sales people are Americans.

I would check with the lines itself where they are HQ'd. Ports of origin/termination are usually as follows:

For Alaska cruises - Seattle, sometimes Vancouver
For Caribbean cruises - Miami, sometimes San Juan
For Mexican Riviera - Los Angeles/Long Beach

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by silverkris

I took a cruise (to Alaska, ex-Seattle) on Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) and most of the ship crew, whether the technical/ship area or the hospitality/hotel section, are non-American - probably the largest nationality represented are Filipino. The cruise director & some sales people are Americans.

I would check with the lines itself where they are HQ'd. Ports of origin/termination are usually as follows:

For Alaska cruises - Seattle, sometimes Vancouver
For Caribbean cruises - Miami, sometimes San Juan
For Mexican Riviera - Los Angeles/Long Beach

yes, most lines are 80% or more foreign, but the management is a mixture. NCLA is the only line (one ship now) flagged in Armerica so they are required to have 80% of their crew Americans.

Nita

[silverkris]

Originally Posted by nmnita

yes, most lines are 80% or more foreign, but the management is a mixture. NCLA is the only line (one ship now) flagged in Armerica so they are required to have 80% of their crew Americans.

Nita

thanks for the info, that would make sense. Most cruise ships are usually flagged in the usual nations of convenience such as Panama, Liberia, Bahamas, etc.

[ClemsonTi9er]

Thanks for the information you all. I went to Seattle today to talk to someone with Princess Cruises about employment advice.

They said almost verbatum what I got from here. Most of the cruise staff is foreign because of the strict U.S. Labor laws. They do hire Americans and you can get on. The key to landing employment, like anything, is persistence.

Following up is one way to show your interest. Most companies take on crew members through on-line applications. They no longer talk with potential candidates on the phone because of high call volume pertaining to interest in working.

I really want to live in the Southern California region. I know it is expensive, and I am trying to think of things that I could do down there in the meantime to get by until something on a ship opens up.

Any ideas / areas of interest I may want to pursue? Thanks!

[SeattletoMaui]

I may actually be alot of help. i worked on the Pride of Hawaii for NCLA and it was amazing. I also live in charleston and have a friend here who worked on the ships for about 3 years. NCLA is the american owned ship and they have to pay american wages and all the crew is between the ages of 18-30 for the majority. It was the time of the life and now i'm moving back to hawaii in march. If you have any questions feel free to find me on facebook. my email is smashley852003@yahoo.com. Your best bet to get a job is seeing if they are doing in person interviews (usually at a hotel). I got hired in june, left for training in october and was on the ship a month later. Good Luck!

[Inter441]

Originally Posted by SeattletoMaui

I may actually be alot of help. i worked on the Pride of Hawaii for NCLA and it was amazing. I also live in charleston and have a friend here who worked on the ships for about 3 years. NCLA is the american owned ship and they have to pay american wages and all the crew is between the ages of 18-30 for the majority. It was the time of the life and now i'm moving back to hawaii in march. If you have any questions feel free to find me on facebook. my email is smashley852003@yahoo.com. Your best bet to get a job is seeing if they are doing in person interviews (usually at a hotel). I got hired in june, left for training in october and was on the ship a month later. Good Luck!

Can you please give me some advice too i just graduated from Florida and i need a marketing jobs on the cruise line