Cruise Travel Tips - Do Not Travel Without Them

 Darlene Berkel

Travel Articles | December 23, 2006

Cruise ships are a means of travel with some substantial benefits. The key advantage of a cruise ship is that it does the "getting around" for you. They make it easy to visit several places in a single trip without the need to pack your belongings each time.

You've seen the commercials, vast blue oceans, beautiful white ship, and people laughing. What a wonderful vacation, sailing the deep blue sea and visiting exciting ports of call. This is certainly a dream vacation, especially as you sit in your office cubical in the dead of winter and shiver while you answer complaint calls from clients.

Cruise ships are a means of travel with some substantial benefits. The key advantage of a cruise ship is that it does the "getting around" for you. They make it easy to visit several places in a single trip without the need to pack your belongings and sit in a car/train/bus/plane to travel to each one; your hotel room comes along with you, and even provides the transportation. Additionally, most meals are usually included in the price of the cruise.

Timing is EverythingThe most important cruise line tip is to ensure that you get to the dock on time. Although cruise ships sail from an increasing number of cities, most people still have to fly to get to and from their port of departure. If you are flying from another city into the location of your cruise line, make absolutely sure that your flight lands with enough time for you to disembark, travel to baggage claim, find your luggage and then locate a shuttle or taxi to the dock of departure. The cruise line will not wait for passengers. They are on a strict schedule of departure and arrival; the boat waits for no one. If you miss the boat, you miss your vacation.

Another important and valuable cruise line travel tip is to read all documents provided by the cruise line and your travel agent. Unless your ship's itinerary is confined to a single country, you need to prepare for a cruise like you would any other international trip, including passports. Prior to booking flights or making any other travel plans, thoroughly read all documentation provided in regards to your cruise.

There are important contracts, guidelines, requirements and procedures that must be followed prior to boarding, and during the cruise. Again, the cruise line does not care if you didn't read your documents and forgot your passport or Visa. They only care that your travel documents are in order, you've taken the time to comply with their travel requirements and that you enjoy your stay once on board.

Safeguard your LuggageNothing could be worse than going on a cruise and losing your luggage, before or after the cruise. What a nightmare! It is essential to do everything possible to ensure that your luggage does not get lost. At the cruise terminal, baggage is given to the porters for loading to the ship Make sure that your suitcase is uniquely marked so that someone does not take your luggage by mistake. Identification tags are a must, so even if your luggage ends up in the "wrong"' hands, it can easily find its way back to you.

Similar preparations are essential when leaving the cruise ship. On large ships you put a colored tag on your luggage and place it outside the cabin the night before you reach your final port, and pick it up ashore in the terminal. Some cruise lines are now offering an option where passengers can be first off the ship if they carry all their luggage off with them.

What about motion Sickness?Some people experience queasiness on cruise ships. Many people find relief from special wristbands that stimulate pressure points that are believed to counteract the nausea of motion sickness. You can also get pills that will alleviate any discomforts caused by motion sickness. Make sure to get your supply in advance and don't forget to pack them in your hand baggage. You may never need them, but it is best to have them available just in case.

Don't Overlook the DetailsIt is especially important to review the cruise summary and travel itinerary to ensure that no errors exist. This cruise line travel tip is the one that will insure you get to spend your actual vacation time doing what you planned rather than sorting out a mistake and wasting valuable time. Most of the excursion arrangements are made through your travel or booking agent prior to your arrival at the boarding gate. As you prepare to board the ship, you will be given an outline of your activities to review as you wait in line. An essential cruise line travel tip is to take the time to scrutinize these items now, as they are the outline for your entire vacation. It is easier to correct any mistakes that might have been made now, while standing in line rather than once you are one board the boat. If you wait, you will lose precious hours of you vacation.

Cruise vacations are fabulous, but this type of vacation takes a considerable amount of preparation. If you heed the advice of these cruise line tips, you will not only get onboard, but you will also have the vacation of a lifetime!

Article Tags: Cruise Line Travel, Cruise Ships, Cruise Line, Line Travel

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For more cruise travel tips and cruise information visithttp://www.cruise.every1loves2travel.com . We also recommend http://www.on-a-cruise.com for exciting cruise adventures and helpful cruise reviews.

Using the Right Approach to Get Cruise Ship Jobs

 Neil Maxwell Keys

Other Articles | November 24, 2008

This article discusses why online cruise ship resume blasting services are a waste of time and money and reveals what job seekers really need to do to get hired by a cruise line company. Includes little-known tips and technique for success.

A mistake we see a lot of people make when trying to get cruise ship jobs is to use an online resume distribution service. On the face of it they appear to be a quick, easy and effective solution. But the simple matter is nearly all cruise companies hate this approach.

This type of service works by sending copies of your untargeted resume to hundreds of companies in the industry, in the hope of getting you hired for any available vacancies. All for a fee, of course.

What's more, blasting your resume to several hundred cruise line recruiters in one go is not only certain to NOT get you hired, but it's also likely to get your details permanently blacklisted by their junk email systems.

This type of tactic is known as the 'Shotgun Approach,' and is a particularly ineffective method of promoting your talent when looking for work on cruise ships. Mailing hundreds of resumes, all of which are not focused for any specific position, is not giving you the most beneficial chance of gaining employment. You haven't targeted your skills to any particular job or given a good impression of your desire to land that job.

This technique is unlikely to bring you any success. If it was a guaranteed method of landing cruise ship employment, everyone would be doing it and the companies would never need to advertise for staff ever again!

A much better tactic is the 'Rifle Approach.' This involves creating a resume and cover letter that are targeted to a particular vacancy and mailed to only one company at a time. This type of approach is much more likely to catch a recruiter's eye than an unfocused application that has been sent to hundreds of companies.

If you are having difficulty obtaining cruise ship jobs or are uncertain of some aspects of industry requirements, the following points may guide you in the right direction.

* If you aren't having much success in getting replies to your applications, check you meet the minimum requirements for the job you are applying for. Try creating a dazzling resume and a powerful cover letter, designed to catch the attention of the recruiter. Remember too, companies receive hundreds of applications each week from applicants looking for employment and neither have the time nor the resources to respond to each one individually.

* Just because you've had a letter of rejection back, it doesn't mean that you can't apply to the same cruise line again. Check over your initial application once more. Do you meet any minimum requirements? Do you have a dynamic resume? An effective cover letter? Do these show off your skills and talents to your best advantage?

If not, spend some time redoing them, not forgetting to ask a friend or relative to proofread and give an honest opinion on them. Have you included everything asked for such as references, photographs and certificates? Once you have all the necessary information and a powerful resume, there is nothing to stop you reapplying.

* The minimum age for being accepted for any position is usually 18-21, depending on which job you are applying for. In particular parts of the ship including the restaurant, bar and duty free shops, you need to be 21 years and over to secure a position. This is due to legal requirements when alcohol is being sold or served to the passengers onboard.

The starting age for entertainers, spa staff and youth staff is typically 18 years old, but be sure to check with each individual cruise line you're applying to as this varies from company to company. Whether you're just below these ages, it is still a good idea to start applying. Often the hiring staff will review an application from somebody who will be old enough shortly.

* Don't worry if you cannot swim, as this is not usually a job requirement.

* It's a good idea to include two photos in your resume - one passport sized and one full-length. Always ensure you look well groomed and cheerful in these photos! You can include these in both posted and emailed resumes, not forgetting to keep the image file small in size when sending by email.

Taking the right approach, ensuring you meet all requirements, and creating a sparkling application will certainly set you well on your way to getting cruise ship jobs.

Article Tags: Cruise Ship Jobs, Right Approach, Cruise Ship,Ship Jobs, Cruise Line, Cover Letter

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Neil Maxwell-Keys has hired thousands of crew for the biggest cruise lines in the world. He has written a popular *free* step-by-step e-book which shows you how to get cruise ship jobs, quickly and easily. Get your copy from => http://www.WorkOnCruiseShips.com

Top Tips for Preparing a Winning Cruise Ship Job Application

Neil Maxwell Keys

Other Articles | March 14, 2007

This article reveals several great tips and techniques that anyone looking to get employed onboard a luxury cruise ship can use to create a winning application that gets them the job.

It is important when seeking a job in the cruise industry to do lots of research.

The Internet is a great tool with lots of information available for the job hunter. You need to learn how to apply, where to apply, what jobs are available, and what skills or experience are needed for the jobs onboard.

When doing your research, determine which job appeals to you. Don't just send in an application for "any position available". The cruise line will think that you are only doing this for "fun" and they probably won't take your application seriously.

Instead always begin your resume or application with your job objective clearly defined. In other words, let them know right away what position you're applying for.

For example, if you want to go and work on a ship in the onboard duty-free gift shops, then you will state this job objective at the beginning of your cover letter and at the top of your resume. The same applies for Bar Tender, Social Host, Dancer, Hair Stylist, etc. Do not put "any", you must be clear and right to the point.

Always remember that ideally cruise lines want serious, committed people who will hopefully stay around for a few contracts. It's okay if this job is only for a year or two whilst you save a bit of money, see the world and have some fun. But don't mention that to the cruise line because it costs good money to keep finding and training new hires that only stay for 6-months!When writing your resume, try to make sure that all of your skills and experience are targeted and worded to meet the requirements of a specific job. For example, if you apply to one cruise line for a job as a Casino Cashier, then everything on your resume should be tailored to back your application up.

If at the same time you also apply to a different cruise line for a position as Youth Counselor, then you should adjust your resume by re-arranging and re-wording it slightly to back this different application up.

Also consider that if your resume or application package is inaccurate, incomplete, poorly written, or goes to the wrong person, then you may have wasted your time. Go through and check for any typing or grammatical mistakes and get someone else to check it for you. A misspelling or grammatical error will get noticed before the point you're making is.

On this notes, also be sure to have your correct and current address including your postal code and country of residence. Your phone number, area code and country code should also be included, along with an alternate number for messages. Include your email address only if you have regular access to it.

In summary, finding a job on a cruise ship can require a lot of research, time and effort to seek out the position and company that's right for you and to prepare a winning job application. But many crewmembers find that the initial time and effort put into getting such a job is well worth it. After all you do get PAID to see the world, have fun and meet lots of new people of all different nationalities!

Article Tags: Cruise Ship, Cruise Line

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Neil Maxwell-Keys is THE cruise ship jobs expert and best-selling author of "Get a Cruise Ship Job!" Each week he sends out a FREE tip, technique or strategy about how to get a job on a cruise ship quickly and easily. For further information visit:http://www.WorkOnCruiseShips.com

Cruise Ship Jobs: Endless Opportunities to Work in this Industry!

Neil Maxwell Keys

There has never been a better time to get cruise ship jobs. This article shows how rapidly the cruise industry is growing and why you need to act now if you are interested in getting a job that pays you to travel the world.

The opportunities to get cruise ship jobs have not been better than they are right now. Last year over 14 million people chose to take their vacation on a cruise ship, which generated over $35 billion for the industry. According to the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) this is up 7% on the year before, which means the industry is growing quickly. This is great news for people interested in working at sea because over 348,000 people were hired to meet this demand.

This is seriously big business as another study by Seatrade shows. They have predicted 20 million passengers by 2010, with companies focusing on new destinations in and around the Pacific Ocean, Asia, Fiji and Europe.

This is excellent news for anyone seeking cruise line employment. Most liners employ somewhere in the region of 500 - 1500 members of staff so this increase in passengers will mean an additional 10,000 crew will be recruited. If you don't want to miss out, now is the time to begin getting your resume together and begin applying for these jobs.

Whenever more staff are needed, the industry tends to design bigger and better ships, with new and improved facilities, so there is a guarantee these jobs will be secure for the next few years at least. As the CLIA study shows, a cruise vacation is more popular than ever and the current demand shows no sign of slowing down.

As many companies are beginning to offer cruises to new and exciting destinations, the crew members will get to see even more amazing places than ever before. There has never been a better time to start searching out those cruise ship jobs!

December and January are perhaps the most hectic time for recruiters. This is because Christmas and the New Year period are particularly busy with cruise vacations. With liners packed full of passengers, sufficient staff are required to look after them and run the many onboard facilities and amenities. As well as this, the World Cruise season begins in January each year so opportunities for cruise ship jobs, which visit the entire globe are high. Great for those who want to see the whole world!

There aren't many jobs that will pay you whilst you visit Europe, the Caribbean, USA, Australia, the Far East, or even the Arctic! The time to start looking for cruise line employment is today, because these positions will get taken up quickly.

There are normally at least 11 new ship launches each year, so those applying now will be among the lucky ones who gain employment aboard some of the largest and most extravagant liners in the world.

It doesn't matter if you want a one off experience or plan to make a career out of it, the opportunities for cruise line employment have not been better than right now. Just a few years ago, itineraries were fairly restricted. Now you can have the chance to visit some truly exciting destinations just by applying for cruise ship jobs!

Article Tags: Cruise Ship Jobs, Cruise Line Employment,Cruise Ship, Ship Jobs, Cruise Line, Line Employment

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Neil Maxwell-Keys is an ex-crewmember, hiring expert and best-selling author of "Get a Cruise Ship Job!". Claim Neil's popular *free* e-book TODAY which shows you how to get cruise ship jobs, quickly & easily. Available at: => http://www.WorkOnCruiseShips.com

Getting a Cruise Ship Job Made Easy!

 Neil Maxwell Keys

Other Articles | June 21, 2007

This article reveals how applicants can dramatically increase their chances of getting hired by a cruise line company by applying to some of the little-known concessionaires and agents that work for many luxury cruise line companies. It also tells why anyone of any nationality can work onboard a luxury cruise ship.

Don't limit your chances of success by only applying directly to the cruise line companies themselves. You might be surprised to know that concessionary companies and staffing agents are actually responsible for hiring a large percentage of cruise ship employees.

Too often job seekers miss this opportunity because they mistakenly assume that applying through a hiring agency or concessionary company is not the best way to get hired. For this reason the applicant 'pool' tends to be much smaller.

You can use this knowledge to your advantage and greatly increase your chances of success by making sure that you apply to as many concessionaires and staffing agents as you can, as well as applying directly to the cruise line companies.

If you're unsure what the difference is between a cruise line, concessionaire and staffing agent, then here's a quick overview:

The cruise line is the company that actually owns and runs the cruise ship. However an onboard concessionaire has a contract with the cruise line company to operate a particular service across their fleet of ships (e.g. the onboard beauty salons and the onboard gift shops, etc).

This is similar in the way that a large shopping mall will have lots of retail stores inside. The retail shop provides the particular service and the mall provides shoppers and the outlet.

It's important to know that if you're employed by a concessionaire, then you are employed and paid by that company and not the cruise line (although you still follow the same rules and regulations and get the same privileges onboard as all other staff members).

A staffing agent is someone who works on behalf of the cruise line company (or concessionaire) to provide staff for usually a wide range of departments onboard. Once you have been placed by a staffing agent, their job is usually done and all the rest of the details are handled directly between the cruise line and the employee.

Cruise Ship Jobs for International Staff?

A question I get asked quite a lot by cruise ship job seekers is:

"Is it more difficult for a non-American to get a job on a cruise ship?"

The answer of course, is a resounding "NO!"

And if you've ever been on a cruise ship and met some of the staff who work onboard, you would probably laugh at this question! For non-American cruise ship job hunters this seems to be a fairly common concern.

In fact, sadly, some people actually write and tell me that they're giving up on the idea of working on a cruise ship because they're not American...

Cruising is one of the fastest growing leisure sectors. It's a huge industry worth billions of dollars - and the biggest cruising market is... yep, America!

For this reason most of the world's cruise line companies at least have a presence there (mainly Miami). And of course, it's fairly close to the Caribbean which is the most popular cruising destination.

But does this mean that it's mainly Americans who get to work onboard and have all the fun?

Nothing could be further from the truth!

The cruise line industry is an international industry that employs tens of thousands of staff from the world over. What's more, this is probably one of the few industries that employs people from virtually any country you can think of. And many more from Countries that you didn't even know existed!

On my first ship (Carnival Fascination) there were SEVENTY TWO different nationalities of people working onboard ONE ship. This was split over about 900 crew (which also gives you a little glimpse into how much fun it can be working and socializing with all these different people from so many different backgrounds!)

And this is fairly typical.

There are tens of thousands of staff from English speaking countries working on cruise ships right now, including; Americans, British, Irish, South African, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand.

Not to mention the tens of thousands of staff from Europe, the Far East, the Middle East, South America & the Caribbean, Russia and many more.

So I'm always amazed when people tell me that they can't get a job onboard a cruise ship because they're "not American"!

I hope this has dispelled that "myth" and will prevent you from giving up and missing out on a fantastic and life-changing opportunity.

Article Tags: Cruise Ship, Cruise Line, Staffing Agent, Staff From

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Neil Maxwell-Keys is THE cruise ship jobs expert and best-selling author of "Get a Cruise Ship Job!" Each week he sends out a FREE tip, technique or strategy about how to get a job on a cruise ship quickly and easily. For further information visit:http://www.WorkOnCruiseShips.com