General Information Regarding Shipboard Employment

In most cases the cruise line provides uniforms. In some cases such as the food and beverage department you may be required to provide part or all of your uniform. Room and board is provided at no expense to you. Accommodations are according to ship and position policy. They could be single, double or multiple. Medical insurance is provided under the protection and indemnity insurance provided for cruise vessels. Vacation time will vary with length of employment, position and cruise line.

VISA INFORMATION : If you are not a U.S citizen or alien resident and will be boarding a ship in a American port you will need a seaman's visa ( C1/D1 visa). This visa will be issued at the American Consulate in your own country. You will need to bring a " letter of employment ". If you will be boarding the vessel in another country but your flight itinerary requires that you stop in the U.S than you will also need a C1/D1 visa for this purpose. Once onboard the crew purser will retain your passport for U.S. custom purposes.

TRAVEL INFORMATION:  There are two possibilities: 1 The company pays for you flight to the vessel or you pay for the roundtrip ticket open for one year yourself. In some cases the company that requires you to pay for you flight will reimburse you either for the entire cost or part of the ticket upon completion of your contract. Contracts are usually anywhere from 6 months to a year.

MOTIVATION/ATTITUDE: Working on a ship is not an easy job. It means maintaining motivation all day throughout the entire contract period. Attitude is the main factor to being successful onboard. If you are not determine to complete your contract you will not be successful in your job.

ROOM AND BOARD:  Room and board (food) are provided free of charge by the Ship Company

CREW QUARTERS AND THE CREW AREA:  There are specific decks reserved for crew, all other areas are reserved for passengers. You are only permitted in passenger areas when your job requires you to be there. Passengers are not allowed in crew areas. If you are caught in a passenger area you may be dismissed. Smoking is not allowed in passenger areas when on duty. When off duty smoking is not allowed in bed or in the elevators. Most passenger ship have some type of recreation facility for crew although some of the older vessel may have none.

CREW STORE:  Most passenger ships have a crew store where you may purchase necessity items and souvenirs at discounted prices. If there is no crew store on board then you may be allowed to purchase items from the ships gift shop during certain hours.

DISCIPLINE PROCEDURES:  In order for ship operations to run properly you must have discipline. One form of discipline is written warnings. Three warnings are grounds for dismissal. In some cases involving bad behavior you may be dismissed immediately. Some of reasons would include fighting and drugs.

PERSONAL PROBLEMS:  You are to maintain a pleasant attitude while on the job, you must be service minded. Personal problems are not to be brought into the work place. Passengers did not pay to be served by an employee who is not in the mood due to personal problems.

SERVICE LEVEL:  The service level onboard is of much higher standard than ashore. The reason for this is mostly to keep up with the competition. People who take a cruise have money and spare time so it is important that a high standard is maintain in order to assure that passengers return for many years.

CREW PARTIES:  On most ships it is normal to have a party for the crew during holidays and special occasions. It is important to remember that you have to work the following day.

WORK HOURS:  A normal workweek for crew is at least 70 hrs per week. You do not work 10 hours straight but instead in 3-4 hour shifts. A good example of this is a waiter works the breakfast shift, then after breakfast he’s off. The same goes for the dinner shift.

TELEPHONE USE / MAIL:  It is best to call home when you are in port because it is very expensive to call when you are at sea. Sending mail is not a problem. You may deposit onboard or ashore. In order to receive mail you need to give friends and relatives the following information…… Your name Crew number Department Name of the ship Company name

GOING ASHORE:  Once onboard you will receive a crew-pass. When returning from going ashore you will put your pass into a box next to the number corresponding with the number on your pass ( this is your crew number ). This is the way the crew purser keeps track of who is onboard and who is ashore. Always make sure you take your crew pass with you when going ashore. You may only leave the ship when it has been cleared by customs. You must be onboard one hour prior to departure unless of course you work shift starts prior to this time.

MISSING THE SHIP:  If you miss the ship for an invalid reason you will be terminated. A police report must be presented if you have had an accident or were robbed. You will not be permitted back onboard without this. Remember always report back onboard

LAUNDRY:  Uniforms are usually cleaned free of charge. Personal clothes can be cleaned onboard at your own expense, usually for a nominal charge.

ELEVATOR USE:  Elevators are not to be used by crewmembers unless required by their job.

GAMBLING ON BOARD:  Gambling onboard is not allowed. This is reason for dismissal.

DRUGS / WEAPONS:  Never be in possession of drugs or weapons on board. The captain and his officers will always cooperate with the local authorities in a case of drug possession. Frequent drug inspections on board are quite common. If you are caught in possession of drugs onboard you will go to jail. If you are caught with a weapon you will be dismissed. If someone uses drugs in your cabin report it to an officer.

MEDICAL:  A pre-employment medical examination is required before signing on a vessel. The company can refuse employment if you fail the medical. It is advisable to have a medical exam conducted in your country of origin to avoid any problems. Once onboard you are usually covered under the ship P&I Insurance. Insurance does not cover pre-existing conditions, dental or optical.