Waiter
Applies to Restaurant Waiters and PRS (Public room stewards). Long hours divided into shifts and few public room privilages allowed but a full crew life is the life of a PRS. You will get to meet many interesting passengers and can make superb tips rotating between bars every few weeks. Good ones can make well in excess of US$3000 per month.

Barman
PRSs often get promoted into this position. A barman will normally be in charge of PRSs. Senior barstaff will be in charge of the bar they are on.  Junior barstaff will be on a regular rotation between bars on the ship. Basic pay is much higher than that of a PRS but the scope to earn tips is not usually as great.

Chef
It's fair to say that food is an integral part of any cruise experience. However, crew, staff and officers need to eat too so there are no shortage of chef positions needed on board any cruise ship. Chef positions are normally crew based. Often chefs will move up through the hotel department toward Maitre'D positions involved in running the restaurant.

Deck staff/Below deck staff
There is a lot of open space on most cruise ships which are well used during those sunny days at sea that require maintanance, as do life boats and the exterior mechanical working parts used to anchor the ship. Exterior and deck appearance is crucial to maintaining the image of the vessle so there are lots of deck positions on ships. Simarly there are hundreds of posts from carpentry to laundry etc. that will always need filling. Pay is not always the highest and these are strictly crew positions, but no contact with passengers has its advantages.

Hotel staff
If you imagine a cruise ship to be a very large floating hotel then you can imagine how many staff there are involved in running it and how many different posts there are. Pursers are front desk staff taking care of passenger issues such as cabin problems and other complaints, and back office staff taking care of bills etc. These posts have the nearest you will get to set hours and start from US$1500 a month upwards. it's worth considering that the highest post in this department is hotel manager which is bettered only by four stripe officers positions. On some ships pursers and other hotel staff are of officer rank and therefore enjoy high standard accomodation and all officer benefits.

Cabin steward/stewardess
These people take care of Passenger, Officer and Staff cabins. Cleaning out cabins may seem unpleasant to some, but it is expected of people to tip their steward so stewards can make a fortune on tips alone. I worked on one ship where the stewardesses were earning well in excess of US$3000. Some nearly 4. This may have been an exception to the rule, however, this is possible on the right ship.

Tour staff
Tours are a huge revenue maker on ships as most people like to be looked after on shore the way they are on board and it is the easiest way to see more of any port. Dedicated staff on some ships are there to sell the various tours, organise tickets and see the passengers off and back on the ship again. Although this can be challenging, this can also be a rewarding job for those with the right personality, and there are huge perks, from free tours and locations to gifts from shore staff etc. On some ships tour staff are part of the cruise staff. This means you might have other duties to contend with but will in return get help dispatching tours in the morning.

Cruise staff
This is a department of individuals covering entertainment positions such as Dj/Dancer/Daily activity host etc. through to Translaters, Daily programme editer, Public relations and Press officer and Social hosts/hostess. The boss of the department is the Cruise Director who is a compere for shows, runs all entertainment and puts together the daily programme. (the bible to all in the department). Not for the shy or narrow minded. You must be game for anything. All cruise staff are the public face of the cruise and there's nowhere to hide. On the plus side pay for most positions is good. Most cruise staff work short hours comparitively and are the envy of most Crew and Officers as these positions look fun. Probably the best blend of crew and passenger privilages.

Entertainer
If you already have a skill in some kind of entertainment, whether you are a Singer, Dancer, Juggler, Magician or Musician, there may be a place for you within a ship's entertainment programme. The evening entertainment is the often considered the key to a ship's ratings. If the entertainment isn't up to scratch, people will complain and book elsewhere next time. Permanent positions available are usually for the resident musicians from band members who play in the ballroom, nightclub or shows, to cocktail pianists and harpists. Also dancers and singers who are usually part of a production company and perform up to 4 shows regularly. Dancers often perform some cruise staff duties as mini celebrities of the ship's overall entertainment package. This is actually a positive thing as once shows have been learned, they will have days with nothing else to do. Solo entertainers with their own act make the big bucks and live the life of a passenger between shows. They often have to constantly swap ships to keep in work though! Pay varies from roughly US$2000 a month for dancers (depending on production company), or band musicians, up to US$2000 per week plus for one off acts. Agents are crucial to making these positions work out. To find out more about entertainer positions, visit my dedicated Entertainer Site FREE

Croupier
Casinos are huge money spinners on most ships and they need good casino staff to make it happen, from Croupiers too Cashiers.
Some cruise lines have their own casino whilst others contract a casino company. Can be rewarding both in pay and tips as well as the fact that international law means onboard casinos cannot open in port or within a certain distance from land. Lots of time off and a real chance to see the world.

Hairdresser and salon/Shops at sea
Hairdressers usually work for a major chain contracted to that particular cruiseline. Although not the highest paid staff on a ship, they are still paid better than in the UK and tend not to work when in port, which means plenty of spare time. Hours can be long at sea though. Other positions usually found are Spa attendents, Massousses, and Fitness instructors. Shops are a similar experience though more shops are cruise company based now. 

Officer                                                                                                           

Officer positions range from Purser, sorting passenger issues on the front desk to Hotel manager, Electricians and "Officer of the watch" on the bridge, to Captain. Responsiblity grows with pay. Obviously captain holds the most responsiblity as he is charge of everyone on board. Cadet officers are trainee officers who will hopefully fulfill bigger posts in future. Wages range from US$1000 dollars or so for cadet. Junior Purser $1500. Higher end officers around $3500 upwards. The real bonus of being an officer apart from access to officer areas, is pay when on leave. You are employed by the ship and rarely through an agent. The major drawback is having to return back to the ship anytime required, as well as limited passenger privilages and no crew privilages.

Contractor
We mentioned that a lot of posts are by contract. There are other contractors who get to work on board and see the world from Builders and Painters through to Lecturers. Even asbestos experts. These positions may be short term but carry many passenger privilages and/or good pay.

 Attention: Want to know all about the various individual crew and officer positions? Fancy becoming a Ship's Doctor, Nurse, Port and Shopping Lecturer, Youth Coordinator, Art Auctioneer, Librarian, or how about a Concierge or Butler? These positions do exist on board ships. I'll tell you all about them and the best ways to get these jobs in my e book; "Greg's job's in cruising". Get it here!

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