How I got hired to work on a cruise ship?

The hiring process was probably one of the easiest procedures in regards to job roles I have had, ever. From the research I did online, or tried to, I assumed this process would be very hard, and tedious (boy was I wrong). It has actually encouraged me to try and pursue recruitment for cruise lines, which I didn’t set my sights on prior to applying for the positions I did. I applied through Kings Recruit which is a UK based charity that enlists the support of major companies, such as Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Kids Camps UK & USA. It is a great platform and the support is very good.

The application process was extremely simple and the representatives do help you as much as they can via email. I had, through my process, an interview with the hiring partner themselves (Kings) & then one interview with Norwegian. Both interviews were relatively short (20 minutes) and done through Skype. You are given information regarding the job roles by Kings prior to the interview and it is very informative.

For the interview with NCL, I was asked to prepare an activity schedule as I applied for the Youth Staff role. This was extremely cool as it gave me the opportunity to be creative. The interviewer really liked my ideas and was very impressed. It was interesting as I got offered two positions with the company, one being a permanent role of Recreation Staff and the other temporary Youth Staff. I had chosen the recreation role as I had experience with ropes courses, and rock climbing working at the summer camps and it was a permanent role. I felt it would benefit me as I would be more comfortable in this position as I was qualified and had prior knowledge.

After receiving the offer, the paperwork comes into play. One thing I would mention is that medical conditions are not specified on the application/job advertisements, and there is no information saying that you can’t apply. This eventually became an issue for me, even after being completely honest with both interviewers it is something you need to admit straight away. You are then required to pay for your medical exam. The prices flux every year so they differ now, but I originally paid £475 which included a full medical exam at Harley Street London. They are they sent to the hiring company HQ and examined, and sent back if they are good. After that a C1/D visa is required and this was very simple to apply for, you do need to visit an embassy for this.

THEN - You are then on your way!

Throughout my experience it took a while to get everything sorted but always be honest, and have faith.