a job on a cruise? good or bad?
hey is there any one that has worked on a cruise b4? i know it is hard work and long hours but would i enjoy it?
im thinking of going for a photography job, would they take me on with no qualifications or experience?
im from ireland so i would love to work on a cruise that travels around usa, mexico etc.. i want to be able to see these places.
would i make money, i have researched the job and it is based on commission plus a wage... a photographer hardly gets tips?
and finally can my boyfriend come and visit me?
Anja has given you a response based on "first hand" experience. I have not worked on a cruise ships but have been on many cruises with several cruise lines and observed how the photographers work.
First, there are photographers at the port by the gangway to photograph every passenger (or group/couples) who board. The boarding period is normally between about noon and maybe 4 to 5:00 PM. Sometimes longer and/or other times when a cruise may depart earlier or later in the day/evening.
Then the photographers have to get those photos printed and displayed in the ship's photo gallery. Boarding photos and most other photos are generally displayed the next day. So you will spend quite a bit of time after the ship is moving getting ready for the next day when passengers will come to see and purchase photos.
There will be for sure photos taken when/as the ship is leaving the departure port as there is normally a sail-away party on the pool and/or upper decks. So photographers get many candid shots of the passengers. Most ships also now do a video that is for sale at the end of the cruise.
On the formal nights on cruises the photographers really work. They set up for portraits before and after dinner at various locations, usually in the atrium. Many times on formal nights there is a "captain's" cocktail party before dinner and a photographer is there to take photos. In addition, they also go in the dining rooms and take individual and group photos. So on formal nights the photographer may be busy constantly from early afternoon setting up until well after the last dinner seating and then getting the photos ready for the next day.
The photographers also take photos of passengers as they exit the ship in each port, and sometimes also take photos of them on excursions and at beach activities. For example, when we did a Princess cruise of the Panama Canal several photographers got off the ship before we entered the locks and took photos of passengers standing on their balconies and on decks as the ship went through the locks; the photographers walked. Then all then have to be printed and made available by the next day.
In my opinion you will be plenty busy. You will most likely have down/leisure time on at sea days that are not formal days. On port days you may get time off after photos are taken of exiting passengers.
As far as life on board, you will likely share a cabin with 2 or 3 other staff members, have a crew/staff dining and recreation area on ship, and have time to socialize with the other crew. And, you will also enjoy talking with passengers from a wealth of backgrounds and countries. It will be very interesting.
But are are not likely to get a job as a photographer without some experience. But there may be a related job in that department that you could qualify for and do. like printing and displaying the photos and/or working as cashier. There are a couple of companies that do the hiring for concessions on ships. Concessions would be things like the gift shops, other stores, photo shop, and people who work in the spa as hair dressers and doing nails and/or doing massages. Here are some links. Go for it!!!
Below are links for you.
http://www.steinerleisure.com/
and
http://www.hardingbros.co.uk/
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