The cruise industry is in rude health, with new CLIA statistics estimating that 30 million people will embark in 2019, a 6% rise from the previous year. With more demand comes more employment opportunities, so it’s a great time to get into the industry. Cruise ships require a diverse range of roles that will cater to most educational and employment backgrounds, but prospective employees should be aware of certain important factors when looking for cruise ship employment.

Financial management is important

Cruise ship work demands that you look after your finances for two reasons. Firstly, some employers will conduct credit agency checks prior to offering employment. Understanding your credit score and ensuring that presents a good picture to employers will help with ensuring you receive a job offer. Secondly, your tax and income situation can become cloudy when spending months at sea; CNN noted that if the IRS decide to audit your file, the process can be costly and time consuming as they will request evidence of every single hour spent offshore. Keep rigorous logs of your time at sea and manage your finances in an organized way.

World class customer service

Many of the roles found on a cruise ship will demand that you go face to face with customers. Even behind-the-scenes roles, such as being a cook, will sometimes find you in contact with the customer. This is why, according to employment website JobMonkey, top of the line customer service skills are important. It may well be that this will be assessed in your interview, so come prepared. Train your body language to send the right message and use open communication to show the interviewer why you’d be a good fit on a ship.

Be down to earth

A cruise ship is a wonderful way to see the world, but working on one means that you are, ultimately, at work. Work on a cruise ship can be tough, as you will need to work 7 days a week, endure split shifts and frequently be called on to cover. Furthermore, you will share your cabin with up to three other people. In an interview with a cruise worker in Womans Day, the responses given highlighted the need to be down to earth and to be ready to work hard. Having that attitude will give you the endurance you need to complete the entire trip.

Cruise ship work is difficult but rewarding. It can be the experience of a lifetime and anyone can get into the industry. All you need is good organizational skills and the right attitude.