If someone offered you a job where you could see far-flung destinations, kaleidoscopic sunsets and sprawling ocean vistas each day; where you could forge meaningful connections with colleagues, and meet a new cast of customers every couple of weeks; and where you could participate in a host of recreational and entertainment activities – would you do it?
Read more: Have You Ever Wondered How To Become A Cruise Ship Bartender?
Have you ever looked around during a cruise and thought, "Wow it would be fun to live on a cruise ship and sail from one exotic location to another while constantly engaging with new and interesting people?" Well first off ... it isn't as glamourous as you might think at first. However, for many people - both in the United States and from various places around the world, a cruise ship job can be a highly rewarding experience. For many crew it can even be a career that spans numerous contracts, ships, and even different cruise lines over decades. Let's take a look at what it takes to get a job like this and if you have what it takes to get a job on a cruise ship!
It's been a weird past 14 months for cruise fans. When we started this site in January last year it was our hope to be able to spread joy and share fun cruise ideas for those of you who love cruising from the West Coast of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Well, flash forward a year and here we are at our first cruise event in more than a year. It was a weird experience being in San Diego's B Street Cruise Terminal without any luggage and no lines to get through security. However, it was an exciting time too, since it means that cruising from California is one GIANT step closer to becoming a reality as 118 crew from Holland America Line's Koningsdam came ashore for the first time in months and recieved their first doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Read more: We Were On Hand As Holland America Line Koningsdam Crew Received First Vaccine Doses
Many people enjoy exploring open water and desire the freedom to live their life on the sea. For these reasons, individuals are drawn to being a cruise ship captain. In order to have this job, it requires a lot of work and training. Cruise ship captains seem to have a glamorous job and this is another reason why people aspire to have this vocation. However, the reality of being a cruise ship captain is far less glamorous and involves a lot more work.
We see a lot of discussion around how much cruise crew get paid - or realistically, how little. However, one of the other major questions we get asked is, "How much do cruise ship captains make?" The simple answer here is that it can vary based on a number of factors including the length of service, cruise line, education, and size of the ship. Let's take a look at what goes into a cruise ship captain salary ...
