By: Natasha Archary

Thomas recounted how a few of his school friends took jobs on a cruise ship straight out of matric while he passed up that opportunity.
Now feeling like he missed out, and wondering whether it’s too late to take a job on a cruise ship, Thomas wanted to know if listeners ever wondered what working on a cruise ship for a year would entail.
Lucky for Thomas, who was contemplating the move, a listener called through to share that his wife had once worked on a cruise ship for 8 months, and it’s not all pina coladas and “pool-side chilling” vibes.
Bursting Thomas’ bubble the listener shared that working on a cruise ship is far from glamorous, especially if you’re waiting on people because there are hardly any breaks during shifts.
One can forget about spending that time sightseeing and enjoying the “experience” of a cruise because when you’re working on a cruise you don’t get the same experience as a paying patron.
If you think you will have luxury accommodation and get to enjoy all the on-board perks, forget about it.
“My wife worked there for 8-months and what really happened is that her contract meant she couldn’t go out, she had to stay inside the cruise ship at all times.
That side there’s no off, like here you work Monday to Friday, there if you work 06h00 to 18h00 you work 06h00 to 18h00 every day.
You only get a day or something here and there.
There’s no seeing the world because you’ll be in the middle of water.”
Cruise ship workers live in close quarters with up to 3 people, and have really long shifts. There’s also the added risk that your place of work could crash into an iceberg and sink.
If you don’t mind those working conditions and are considering working on a cruise ship for a year, to gain experience or earn Dollars there are two ways to get a job on a ship:
- Apply to a cruise line for a job on one of their ship, or via one of their agencies.
- Apply to a concessioner for a job on a ship. A concessioner is a company contracted to operate a spa, retail shop, or entertainment on the ship.
Listen to the conversation on Kaya Drive:
Also read: “My girlfriend is still getting an allowance from her ex”: The Blind Spot



