Transitioning into a leadership role within the cruise industry can be an exhilarating step forward. This move will likely bring a fresh job title and an increase in compensation. Your responsibilities will shift from day-to-day "grunt work" to being a part of the cruise ship's larger strategic vision, bringing you closer to your ultimate career goals.

Cruise ships have workers from up to 70 countries working on each vessel at a time. This means that we're used to work with people from different culture, and thus means, we all have an international mindset. We have to work and live with people from very different backgrounds, and in doing so, we learn about their cultures and ways of doing things and become more open in general. This flows into every aspect of life and work attitudes.

I have been working on the cruise ship for a long time, and I can guarantee that the crew members are the most resilient, hard-working, and committed employees in the world. Therefore, I would sincerely recommend any business owner to consider employing a former crew member, as that will certainly boost overall business operations. 

In response to growing concerns about mental health on cruise ships, there have been several recent additions to the small body of research on seafarers' mental well-being, which has sought to examine the prevalence of mental health issues among seafarers, review the support that exists and offer recommendations on how to protect the mental health of seafarers.

I remember one funny story when I was working on a cruise ship sailing out from Galveston, Texas. It was 2 am, and there was some emergency signal on the ship. Just because there is an emergency does not mean it involves you as a crew. One lady, a crew member, was running with her carry-on baggage at the muster station. Other crew members and officers were looking at her in disbelief; she thought the ship was sinking, packed her luggage, and kept running to her Muster Station.

The Human Resources position plays a vital part in any business organization. This position is maybe the most vital in the cruise ship industry since crew members are away from their families for 6-10 months.

Generally speaking, if you are an extrovert, you will adjust much easier to the culture on the cruise ship. The ability to seek every opportunity to talk and create conversations is crucially important on the ship, especially when working in front of the house and dealing with guests.

Working on a cruise ship has many visible advantages and disadvantages compared to working on land. As they always say, the grass looks greener in the neighbor's lot. I have spent nearly ten years working on a cruise ship, and I always tried to focus on the positive aspects. One of the main differences between working on the cruise ship and working on the land is that you don't need to commute to work. That is a huge advantage; you don't have to spend 1 hour traveling to get to work.

When the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, which resulted in the confinement of a large part of the world’s population, a string of consequences not seen since the Second World War shook the social and economic structures of most, if not all, countries, prolonged confinements, limited mobility, and border closures affected all economic sectors to varying extents, however, hospitality and tourism were possibly the hardest hit of all despite their years of steady growth.

Stress is sometimes good. Even when you work in an extremely difficult environment like a cruise ship, pressure can help you stay focused, energetic, and able to meet new challenges in the workplace. It keeps you on your toes during a work performance or alerts to prevent ship accidents or costly mistakes. But in today's hectic world, and especially on the cruise ship, the workplace too often seems like an emotional roller coaster.