Working on a Cruise ship?
Discussion
Some good stuff posted here, some absolute rubbish.
I worked on cruise ships for 8-9 years (Engineering Officer) and would be happy to answer any specific questions.
OP - Will you be involved in the maintenance/operational side, or teaching pax how to email home?
If the former, you will come under the Engineering Dept umbrella but will be largely left on your own. If the latter the then the job is pretty easy but ultimately much less rewarding.
If you are 26 and single I can whole heartedly recommend it. You can always quit if you don't like it but give it a couple of years and I guarantee you will be looking with pity at all those 9-5ers staring through the same office window, dreaming about their two-week vacation and dreading the commute home.
DO IT!
ETA - Paulrussel - The only company I really know employing British Engineroom Ratings is the RFA. Maybe look at them to gain the experience and do the Rating-to-Officer course before looking at the cruise lines? Especially as some of their troop carriers are built to pax-ship class rules (though sadly the social life is not quite the same).
I worked on cruise ships for 8-9 years (Engineering Officer) and would be happy to answer any specific questions.
OP - Will you be involved in the maintenance/operational side, or teaching pax how to email home?
If the former, you will come under the Engineering Dept umbrella but will be largely left on your own. If the latter the then the job is pretty easy but ultimately much less rewarding.
If you are 26 and single I can whole heartedly recommend it. You can always quit if you don't like it but give it a couple of years and I guarantee you will be looking with pity at all those 9-5ers staring through the same office window, dreaming about their two-week vacation and dreading the commute home.
DO IT!
ETA - Paulrussel - The only company I really know employing British Engineroom Ratings is the RFA. Maybe look at them to gain the experience and do the Rating-to-Officer course before looking at the cruise lines? Especially as some of their troop carriers are built to pax-ship class rules (though sadly the social life is not quite the same).
Edited by LimaDelta on Tuesday 10th January 02:30
Gaspowered said:
LimaDelta said:
Not with any of the big companies, but there may be some older, smaller ones still kicking around. P&O Australia had one not that long ago IIRC. Pretty much all are diesel-electric these days.
That's what I thought. Oh well, better stick to gas tankers I suppose.
Gaspowered said:
Don't know too much about cruise line ships, not my field. But what I do know is that, as an engineer, the work scope is very specialised. One guy I did know looked after jacuzzis, and that was pretty much it. Imagine cleaning filters of body hair for your job. He left soon after.
let us not confuse engineer with technician. a valid distinction at sea.Gaspowered said:
Out of interest, are there any steam powered cruise ships around?
I'm fairly sure the Norway(ex-France) was the last steam liner, she was retired in 2003 after a boiler explosion killed 8 people and scrapping at Alang commenced in 2007; most of the others went to the beach to get turned into razor blades in the mid-ninties, the Canberra went in 1996. Steam is seriously expensive, even a good steamer is little better than half as efficient as a diesel powered ship.Other than that there's really only the Waverley and a bunch of gas carriers still on steam.
shirt said:
Gaspowered said:
Don't know too much about cruise line ships, not my field. But what I do know is that, as an engineer, the work scope is very specialised. One guy I did know looked after jacuzzis, and that was pretty much it. Imagine cleaning filters of body hair for your job. He left soon after.
let us not confuse engineer with technician. a valid distinction at sea.
You are correct in a sense, there are many Technician roles - possibly the job the OP is after, as I'm fairly sure he doesn't hold an MCA CoC.
aspender said:
Heh. Was going to say this. Careful you don't die!You could train up to sail and get a job sailing rich people's yatchs to them. That would be a mint job.
LimaDelta said:
Gaspowered said:
Out of interest, are there any steam powered cruise ships around?
Not with any of the big companies, but there may be some older, smaller ones still kicking around. P&O Australia had one not that long ago IIRC. Pretty much all are diesel-electric these days. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Oceanic_%281965%29
Saw her last year in Gran Canaria - she ain't looking too good these days!
Re: Ratings schemes; Foreland Shipping had a recruitment drive for British ratings last year for their MOD-chartered ro-ro ferries - no information yet if they're doing the same again this year.
LimaDelta said:
The only company I really know employing British Engineroom Ratings is the RFA. Maybe look at them to gain the experience and do the Rating-to-Officer course before looking at the cruise lines? Especially as some of their troop carriers are built to pax-ship class rules (though sadly the social life is not quite the same).
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is probably the only remaining operator of ships crewed entirely by British Merchant Seamen (and women). The pay for a Motorman Grade 1 (MM1) or Seaman Grade 1 (SG1) if you want to go the Deck route, is probably up to around £30,000 pa by now. Not too shabby for pushing a mop and wielding a paintbrush! There are opportunities for advancement via the RTO scheme as previously mentioned or you can be promoted to Leading Hand, Petty Officer, Chief Petty Officer with the necessary experience and appraisals. Also, I believe the RFA were gradually improving the work / leave cycle to something like 4 months at sea, followed by 3 months off.
coogy said:
I'm 26, recently single
Do it. One of my mates went off working on the boats as a DJ / entertainer in his early 20's, this was 8-9 years ago. He had a great time. I'll never forget getting a text off him at some stupid time one night saying "I just shagged a dancer right up the arse". He went on to marry the girl too.theboss said:
Do it. One of my mates went off working on the boats as a DJ / entertainer in his early 20's, this was 8-9 years ago. He had a great time. I'll never forget getting a text off him at some stupid time one night saying "I just shagged a dancer right up the arse". He went on to marry the girl too.
Good to see romance isn't dead.Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff