Dream Job or Shipwreck? The Pros and Cons of Caribbean Cruise Employment

It’s a romantic idea, for sure, to travel the world on a cruise ship; meeting lots of interesting people from all around the globe, visiting dozens, if not hundreds of sea ports, all as a part of the mysteriously tightly knit crew.

Caribbean cruise employment consists of enjoying a bit of paradise day in and day out, right? Or does it?

Getting a job on a cruise ship can, indeed, be an ideal way for the right person to make a decent living and see the world at the same time.

It’s a great way to expand your horizons as you intermingle with different cultures and explore many different places that others never get the chance to see.

And the fact is, a cruise ship job is ideal for all these reasons…for the right person.

There are a few things about working on a cruise ship, even a cruise ship traveling the many tropical paradises of the Caribbean, which can turn this seeming dream job into more of a shipwreck for someone who’s not prepared for the reality of cruise ship living.

I like to get the bad news out of the way first, so let’s start with the “cons.”

Cruise Ship Cons

The following “cons” will vary in degree from cruise line to cruise line, and even from ship to ship, but can be fairly consistently counted upon for cruise ship staff:

• Tight living quarters

• Shared living quarters

• Demanding schedules while on board

• The possibility of seasickness (you will be traveling in all types of weather)

• When you’re in, you’re in; in other words, if you get out to sea and change your mind, you really don’t have a lot of options.

Pros of a Job in Paradise

All that being said, there are plenty of perks to working on a cruise ship; especially one stationed primarily in the Caribbean:

• Minimal living expenses; room and board are typically included.

• Adventure; every day is a new adventure when you work in the tourist industry.

You just never know who you’re going to meet or what’s going to happen.

• Travel; the major bonus of Caribbean cruise employment, you get to travel dozens upon dozens of ports for free.

• While you’re schedule will be demanding while you are on board, you will have blocks of time-off, as well, when you come ashore.

• You may enjoy cruise ship discounts for friends and family.

• You may enjoy discounts for on shore activities as a part of the cruise ship staff.

Caribbean cruise employment can be a very rewarding career choice.

If nothing else, you will have many adventures, see many, many exotic places, meet hundreds or even thousands of new people, and have great stories to tell when you eventually decide to return to land for awhile.

Working on a cruise ship can live up to that romantic idea you started with—as long as you know and are prepared for the realities of cruise ship life.

Dream Job or Shipwreck? The Pros and Cons of Caribbean Cruise Employment

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