Taperman articles

Because a vessel used for a cruise is a cross between a five-star hotel and a ship, its personnel are generally divided into two classifications.  There are those who are responsible for entertaining the passengers and giving them various services and those people who work for the smooth sailing of the ship and its operations.  Under these two classifications, cruise ship jobs are mostly under departments.

ƒÜ The Deck Department ¡V The jobs of the deck officers, which include the captain and the staff captain, the first to the third officers as well as the safety and security officers are under this department.  The bosun, seamen and security personnel are also included here.

ƒÜ The Engine Department ¡V The engine officers like the chief electrician, the chief engineer and the officers under him are under this department.  Other jobs under this also include those of the wiper, motorman, plumber and fitter, among others.

ƒÜ The Hotel Operations Department ¡V The hotel personnel are, if course, under this department and they include all the pursers and their chief as well as the manager for the shore excursions and the receptionist.

ƒÜ The Food and Beverage Department ¡V Jobs under the restaurant are in this department and these includes the maitre d', the F&B director, the waiters, the busboys, the bar staff, the bartenders and the bar stewards, among others.

ƒÜ The Housekeeping Department ¡V Those responsible for the maintenance of the rooms and suites of the cruise ship are under this department like the cabin attendants, pool attendants, laundry staff, utility cleaners, room service attendants and the floor supervisors, etc.

ƒÜ The Beauty Salon Department ¡V Beauticians, masseurs and masseuses, hairdressers, nail technicians, and cosmetologists, among others are under this department.

ƒÜ The Casino Department ¡V The casino manager, cashier, croupier, casino accountants and slot technicians are included here.

ƒÜ The Cruise Staff Department ¡V The cruise director, his assistant and staff, the fitness and sports instructors and the youth counselors are under this department.

ƒÜ The Entertainment Department ¡V Guest entertainers, different performers like singers, dancers and musicians as well as the sound and light technicians and the disc jockey are among those employed here.

ƒÜ The Medical Department ¡V The physician and the nurse are under this department.

ƒÜ The Photo Department ¡V This is for the photo manager and the photographer.

ƒÜ The Gift Shop Department ¡V The jobs here include those of the shop manager and his assistant.

ƒÜ The Information Technology Department ¡V The computer system manager, Internet manager and computer systems hardware technician are under here.

ƒÜ The Galley Department ¡V The jobs under this department includes those of the executive chef and the chefs under him, the cooks, the dishwashers, the butcher and others.

While most of the higher cruise ship jobs are attained through working your way up the ranks, it is expected that most of the people applying for specialized jobs should have the necessary educational attainment, special training and other requirements before they apply for the job. 

Those people who are aiming to work in serving and entertaining the cruise passengers are also expected to have pleasing personalities.  Most cruise ship jobs are offered on 4-month contracts with a usual break of  four to six weeks between contracts.