Sunday Evening Musing: Working on a Cruise Ship

Here it is, Sunday evening. The kids’ lunches are packed and I’m facing the inevitable start-up of the week tomorrow morning.

The good news, for me, though is that I don’t dread my job. In fact, I rather enjoy it! Which makes Sunday evenings not-too-terrible. What about you? Are you looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow, or are you fed up with the daily grind?

If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, maybe it’s time to throw some adventure into your life. Of course, adventure is great, but going bankrupt to pay for it? Not so much. That’s why travel jobs are such a great gig — you get to have your adventure, while earning a buck or two to support your lifestyle. So for your Sunday night enjoyment, here is a look at one of the most awesome travel/adventure/fun jobs out there: Working on a cruise ship.

Unlike many cool travel jobs, which are seasonal, cruise ship jobs are available year-round. When you think of cruise ship jobs, you may instantly think of Julie McCoy. But there are actually a wide variety of cruise ship job positions beyond the cruise director. In the entertainment department, there are casino staff, disc jockeys, entertainers and dancers, but that is just the tip of the iceberg (er, maybe not the best choice of metaphors when talking about cruise ship jobs!)

Did you know that major cruise lines employ between 500 and 1,500 crew members? Last year, 81 new cruise ships were launched — and there are plans to introduce 24 more by 2012 — that means somewhere in the neighborhood of 24,000 new cruise ship jobs. Plus, with high personnel turnover rates, established cruise lines are always looking for new crew members as well. In short, despite the recession, there has never been a better time to be looking for work in the cruise line industry.

Did you know that in addition to their salary, crew members receive free room and board, free air travel en-route and homeward bound, and free medical insurance (as required by maritime law). Even their laundry is free!