According to Daniela Fahr, CEO of Connect, Germany's largest recruitment agency for cruise ships, the cruise industry will need some additional 100,000 new employees over the next three years. Therefore 15 major cruise lines and recruiting partners will present their job offerings at the "Cruise Jobs & Hotel Career Lounge" in Berlin on February 28, 2019. The cruise boom is creating jobs boom and the recruiters are looking for not only qualified crew for the galley, bar, reception, restaurants and the entire hotel area, but also staff for shops, sports or spa facilities. Daniela Fahr, adds that it is increasingly difficult for cruise companies to find crew members for all positions and there are significantly more vacancies than applicants. Therefore cruise newcomers are welcome in the cruise sector. At the Berlin job fair, for example, applicants can even sign contracts for jobs that start just a few weeks later. If you are interested to join Cruise Fair in Berlin you can find more details here.

Considering the fact that for choosing the right people for the jobs, the recruiters will need at least 200.000 candidates, this will be a huge challenge. Therefore the cruise lines will turn over to their traditional recruiting partners in Indonesia, India, South America, and the Balkan states, but the main focus will be on the Philippines. Back in 2016 Richard D. Fain Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said they will hire 30,000 Filipino crew over the next five years. This country has been one of the main sources for recruiting highly skilled workforce. Filipino crew members are hard workers, always at the top of their job, great professionals and hardly complaining. So no wonder cruise lines primarily focus on the Philippines.

Just recently a Filipino candidate interested in applying for a job on a cruise ship has posted several photos in the Facebook group “Buhay Sa Cruise Ship” showing just how many young candidates there are in one recruiting session. Holding the number 524 in hand she says:

“I left home earlier at 5 am, I arrived at 8 am then 500 + n the registered. The wait is worth it. Let's just apply, apply, no one will give up. Just pray and persevere. Just trust. We will be able to get together and we will be able to fulfill our dreams for the family God bless you all!”