Entertaining department on board the cruise ship

Entertaining shows are one of the cruise ship's highlights. Many passengers choose which cruise ship to take based on the shows performed on the cruise. These performances can include singing, dancing, acrobatics, or all of the above.

If you love entertaining and have strong people skills, this job could be great. This job is excellent if you have a music or live theatre background.

People working in the entertainment department must practice a lot before their performances. They also have hundreds or even thousands of eyes watching them. A single mistake can wreak havoc on the whole presentation.

But the experience and friendships you can gain as a cruise ship entertainer outweigh these drawbacks. The sense of accomplishment and pride is priceless whenever the curtains close at the show's end. Most entertainment staff on board the ship come from England, Australia, or Canada.

Shore Excursions Manager

A job as a shore excursion manager is the best fit for adventurous people. If you are curious about exploring specific popular tourist destinations and learning in dept knowledge about those places, this could be a perfect job for you. You get the chance to try the shore excursion packages you are offering. You will experience them first-hand before the customers as a trial service. In return, you have to ensure that these tour packages are conducted in a way that is true to the sales package.

As you must present these various packages onboard before reaching port, you must convince them you know what you are selling. Imagine people are paying thousands of dollars for these tour packages, and you get to try them out for free. You are receiving your salary and at the same time experiencing exciting tour activities as one of the job requirements.

Of course, you have to ensure you offer something that sells. You need to choose shore excursion outings and events that the cruise passengers will enjoy and appreciate when it comes to price and value. This is the important part because you are basically choosing the fun itinerary for thousands of passengers on board the ship.

This is one of the best jobs on a cruise you can get. You can have fun in the different cities you visit while making money.

Youth Counselor

Are you great with kids and able to keep them occupied with various activities? Well, this is the job for you. Synonymous with babysitting and childcare, this job requires you to accompany children aged 3-17. You need to make programs and games to keep them from getting bored while their parents enjoy more mature activities.

Often similar to being a nanny or babysitter, you might need to clean after the kids or serve them meals. Since kids can only join cruises during summer or winter vacations, this is ideal for college students with childcare backgrounds.

If the parents wish to take their child with them during shore excursions, it will surely be your lucky day. No kids mean no one to care for, so you can take this opportunity to rest or walk around the cruise ship.

If the parents give permission to accompany them for onshore excursions, you can explore the tour packages with them for free. You will have to look after the children while onshore, which can be even more work, but visiting the different destinations will be an experience. 

Not all areas are accessible to crew members. But this rule doesn't apply to you if you're with passengers. So, you can go and try things out because you are with the kids. If they go swimming, eating, dancing or watching the cinema, you can try these activities also!

Social Hosts and Hostess

Those who have strong people skills will surely like this job as they are constantly in the public eye. You will regularly socialize with people and serve as the ship's mouthpiece. Duties involve:

Greeting the passengers as they board and disembark.

Acting as masters of ceremonies.

Assisting shore excursions.

Port Lecturer

I'll tell you right away that this is a demanding job. You need to be available whenever passengers need your service. It means working long hours during the day or even at night. This job practically never ends when you are on the ship. However, you can meet different people, including occasional celebrities. You can even make friends with them.

You'll enjoy the experience of meeting acquaintances boarding the same cruise line again. Not only that, but you'll also have the opportunity to attend special events that are only exclusive to a few passengers.

If rest time makes you think twice about having this job, there is good news. You will have your day off while in port as passengers go onshore. This is your chance to sleep well and relax before the passengers board the ship again.

Cruise Director

You are one of the most visible crew members as a cruise director. The job involves mostly administrative tasks, including managing and supervising the rest of the cruise staff department.

This job offers extreme pressure and, at the same time, utmost satisfaction if done well. You must have strong organizational skills in coordinating people and events. It means being busy all day before, during, and after events. You have to ensure deadlines are met, and everything is prepared before events.

Being a cruise director might be a nerve-wracking experience, but I'm confident you'll find this fulfilling with the right staff on your team. As a leader, you'll set the mood of the whole department. You can make friendships as you work with your team daily. 

After each rigorous practice and successful show, people mainly inquire about the name of the crew director. So you'll be the one who will meet interested well-known people as a representative of the whole department. This will be your chance to build a great portfolio if you want to climb higher in the entertainment industry. You are responsible for making all important announcements on the ship's loudspeaker, informing the passengers about different things throughout their cruise journey.

Bartender

What makes bartending fun on a cruise ship? Aside from mixing drinks, you also get to listen to your customers. You need social skills to converse with your clients while covering all aspects of the beverage service set by the cruise line.

This cruise ship job will teach you to manage time and multitask. Sometimes, you must continuously work long hours to serve your clients. Despite this, you will meet hundreds of people from different countries and cultures. You will briefly glimpse the world as you meet guests from all walks of life. So this job can help you make many friends as you try to put a smile on their faces.

It also lets you go ashore and see beautiful places during your day off. Also, you can earn tips and save money as the cruise line covers your daily expenses for your basic needs. I was a bartender for ten years, and I can tell you that this is one of the best jobs on cruise ships. Your only responsibility is to make guests smile and provide friendly service. 

Fitness Instructor 

While helping, motivating, and guiding others to stay fit, you can see different places simultaneously, as most cruise lines position gyms on decks with panoramic views.

The process of becoming fit should not be boring. Therefore, it is also your task to make different workout programs. You need to be creative and stay abreast of the latest fitness developments to keep your clients returning.

More cruise ship passengers want to stay in shape while on the cruise. This is why more cruise lines are recruiting plenty of fitness instructors. Unlike other cruise jobs, this cruise ship job is available for people ages 18 to 40 or even in their golden years, as long as they stay fit and healthy.

Remember that each job offers a different experience for each person. We all have different skill sets, and I hope you will find the best job for your cruise ship career... Good luck with everything!