australian cruise ship jobs

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Free emails with tips and advice on how to get a job on-board a cruise ship.

Cruise Ship Jobs - Australia

• 29 January 2013

Welcome to Free Guide to Cruise Ship Jobs, a popular and trusted web site, aimed at giving the information needed to help you secure employment on board a cruise ship. The advice we give is comprehensive and professional, and will help you, Australian job seekers, realise your dream of working on a cruise ship.

Are you suited for Cruise Ship Work?

Designed and built to run like a floating 5* hotel, every Department on board a Cruise Ship therefore requires thousands of qualified, dedicated, hard-working employees, many of them from Australia. Actually it is predicted that there with continue to be an increase in the number of cruise ships operating over the next few years, which will naturally increase the number of jobs available. This, together with the usual high turnover rate of on board employees means an on-going requirement for new personnel from Australia.

All positions on board Cruise Ships are subject to contract. Therefore before signing, you are strongly advised to consider all the plus and minus sides to the job before formally accepting.

It is hard work on board a cruise ship. As all positions are on shifts, with long hours, you will find it is not like being on vacation! In fact workers are not permitted to use the leisure/dining facilities etc which are only for use by paying passengers.

There are, however, many pluses to the job. Naturally you will travel around the world for free, earning a salary. Also, for the duration of your contact you will be entitled to free accommodations, medical care, accommodation and meals.

The experience/qualifications required for Australian candidates can differ greatly depending on which cruise line you work for. You can expect, though, that native English speakers from Australia are usually required for management positions, ships photographers, entertainers, receptionists, retail staff and chefs , entertainers, retail staff, photographers, receptionists etc.

Who do Cruise Ships hire?

Please see below some examples of the positions currently being advertised, to give you an idea of the work available.

To access the full job descriptions and apply for any of the vacancies, you just need to register for free on All Cruise Jobs .

For advice and information to prepare for the recruitment process, eg how to perfect your resume, click on Cruise Job Guide .

Cruise Ship Recruiters in Australia

We have the most comprehensive list of Australian based cruise ship recruiters. These can be contacted directly with a view to gaining employment. Please see our full list of Australian recruiters .

Professional Advice

At Cruise Job Help we have Cruise Career Consultants waiting to advise job seekers from Australia how to begin searching for suitable employment on board a cruise ship.

They will assess your qualifications and experience, together with your current resume, and give professional feedback in the form of a Comprehensive Assessment Report. This will detail the positions and cruise lines most suited to you.

Set sail on a sea of job opportunities with the Free Guide to Cruise Ship Jobs!

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Welcome to P&O Cruises. This website presents a main menu on the left hand side from where you can browse our cruises, and a toolbar menu at the top page with search, live chat, support, and profile settings.

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• P&O Australia Careers

P&O Australia Careers

Work at your happy place

We have some of the happiest employees in the world, or at least we try our very best to! We have a range of great careers at P&O, so whether you would prefer to be on land or out to sea, we might have the perfect job for you.

Working on a Cruise

Work around the world

We love people who love people. That’s why our onboard staff are warm, customer-focused and give guests a cruising experience like no other! Does this sound like you? Search P&O Careers – you might be able to travel the world on one of our five ships, and get paid for it!

Land-Based Employment

Work close to home

Want to love what you do? We’re always on the lookout for smart, talented and customer inspired people who want to make great holidays happen, every day. As part of the world’s leading cruise holiday company Carnival Corporation, P&O Australia offers great perks for great people. Come and join the team!

Our Customer Service department is open Monday to Friday 7.00am to 8.00pm and Saturday 8.00am to 5.00pm AEDT.

Talk to our team

Arrivals & Departures Information Line

P&O Cruises Australia

We have a range of careers at P&O, so whether you prefer to be on land or at sea, we might have the perfect job for you.

Jobs at P&O Australia

Land-based employment.

Working on a Cruise Ship

Current Opportunities

Don't worry if you don't see any roles you want to apply for now. Register your interest to allow us to contact you when a suitable role meeting your criteria comes along.

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Start Your Cruise Ship Job Search in Australia

There are plenty of cruise industry job opportunities down under! If you reside in that part of the world, jobs can be obtained directly through cruise lines or the cruise recruitment agencies and cruise line concessionaires that help fill open positions seasonally and year round. Australians are highly sought after to work on cruise ships, and those who know of the opportunities flock to the industry. Australia's cruise industry is steadily growing with between 465,000 and 470,000 people taking a cruise holiday every year. With rising demand comes more and more job opportunities in Australia.

No matter where you are in Australia, you will find a harbor where cruise ships - big and small - frequently berth. Look for jobs in these areas, towns, and cities:

• Cid Harbor (Great Barrier Reef)
• Hobart in Tasmania
• Kimberley Coast
• Perth (Fremantle)
• Port Douglas

Cruise Companies Departing from Australia

Carnival Australia is the largest cruise ship company in the region comprised of 5 well known brands, including Cunard, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Seaborne. Carnival forms part of the worldwide Carnival PLC and is in the process of establishing 2 more brands in Australia, namely Holland America and Carnival Cruise Lines.

P&O Cruises offers 3 ships (Pacific Dawn, Pacific Pearl, and the Pacific Jewel) that one can work on departing from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Newcastle, and Perth (Fremantle). Each ship has between 600 and 700 crew members, and to become one of them, you must know how and when to apply. We describe the process in detail in our Members Section .

Princess Cruises operates several of its fleet out of Australia including the Diamond Princess, Dawn Princess, Sea Princess, Ocean Princess, Sun Princess and more. The main embarkation ports for Princess Cruises are Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney.

Silversea Cruises offers Australian and New Zealand cruises aboard the Silver Shadow.

Royal Caribbean's high class, elegant ships, the Radiance of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas, depart from Perth and Sydney, with Rhapsody of the Seas also departing from Sydney.

Regent Seven Seas and MSC Cruises also operate out of Australia.

Small Cruises

Aside from the huge luxury liners, there are also plenty of job opportunities on smaller cruise vessels that operate around the Australian Coast taking visitors to the Great Barrier Reef and other tourist hotspots. These companies include Coral Princess Cruises, which is the longest running small cruise line in Australia, offering tours of the Kimberley Coast and Great Barrier Reef among other coastal trips around the country as well as tours to New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. They have 2 ships in their fleet - the Coral Princess and the Ocean Discoverer.

River Cruises

River cruising is popular in Australia, so don't overlook applying for jobs with companies working within this cruise niche. People are needed for shipboard and land-based positions throughout the year.

Plenty of cruise jobs are available on either the huge luxury liners or on the smaller cruise ships. Depending on the itinerary, you can get to know the entire Australian coastline, or travel internationally. So how do you go about getting a cruise line job?

Good question! When you become a member, you will gain access to all the latest job postings, profiles of small and large cruise lines in Australia, Australian recruitment agencies, and concessionaires. You also gain access to in-depth interviews with directors and CEO's of top recruitment companies and both current and former employees, who share tips and advice for job seekers.

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Cruise Ship Jobs - P&O Cruises Australia

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The global pioneer of cruising, P&O has operated cruise ships from Australia since 1932, when the 23,000-ton liner Strathaird sailed on a five-night round trip from Sydney to Norfolk Island. More than 70 years later, P&O Cruises Australia’s fleet and itineraries have expanded considerably. The company now offers Australians the choice of three cruise ships sailing from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Fremantle and Adelaide, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand to approximately 40 destinations in Australasia and the South Pacific.

In 2000, after various changes in the organisation of the P&O Group, the company de-merged all of its cruise ship operations. A new company was created, P&O Princess Cruises, which was independent of P&O and consisted of P&O Cruises, P&O Cruises Australia, Princess Cruises, AIDA Cruises and later A'Rosa Cruises and Ocean Village. Later in 2003, P&O Princess Cruises merged with Carnival Corporation to form Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest cruise company, with a portfolio of eleven cruise lines, including P&O Australia.

In 2008, Carnival Corporation & plc announced the closure of their United Kingdom-based Ocean Village brand. Coinciding with this closure, both Ocean Village ships were transferred to the fleet of P&O Cruises Australia. Ocean Village Two joined the P&O Australia fleet in December 2009 as Pacific Jewel. Ocean Village followed in late 2010 as "Pacific Pearl"

Cruise ships and itineraries:

FinanceBuzz

15 Incredible Cruise Ship Jobs (Get Paid To Travel!)

Posted: October 16, 2023 | Last updated: October 16, 2023

Traveling the world while getting paid to do it might sound like a dream, but it can be a reality if you take a job on a cruise ship.

Of course, this type of work isn’t for everyone — the hours can be long, and it may mean a lot of time away from home. But there are plenty of benefits as well.

If working for a cruise line sounds ideal, there are plenty of career opportunities on board. Here are 15 jobs that can help  boost your bank account  as you travel the world.

Editor's note:  All salary figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

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Activities coordinator

Even short cruises are packed with activities for travelers to engage in. Among other things, you'll find games, happy hours and live music.

An activities coordinator is similar to an event planner. In this role, you oversee things like recreation on board and coordinating shore excursion activities. The BLS does not offer wage information for this position.

If you want to start traveling more — and get paid to do it — this can be a good role to consider.

Get expert advice on making more money - sent straight to your inbox.

It’s no secret that people on cruises like to drink. Many cruise lines offer a food and alcohol package as part of the booking process.

The amount of money you can make working as a bartender on a cruise ship varies greatly, depending on whether guests are expected to tip. But the average salary for bartenders is $29,380 annually.

Casino dealer

Working as a dealer at a cruise casino can be an exciting gig. These workers may oversee poker, blackjack, roulette, and more games.

Gambling service workers make $31,290 a year. However, as with tending bar, the actual wages for casino workers on a cruise can vary.

Many cruise ships have cafeterias and restaurants for when guests are in the mood for fine dining.

Cruise ship chefs may be involved in cooking and planning menus for guests and staff. Chefs or head cooks make $56,520 on average annually.

Deckhands help maintain the cruise ship. They may be involved in keeping these massive ships running, including cleaning and maintaining equipment, loading cargo, and getting passengers safely on board.

The experience required to work as a deckhand can vary greatly depending on the job description. The BLS does not offer salary information for this position.

Entertainer

Cruise lines hire all sorts of entertainers, from dancers to cover bands and magicians.

Working on a cruise ship can be a great way to hone and improve your craft or even take it in a different direction. The average wage for entertainers and performers is $29.67 an hour, which equates to about $61,713 annually.

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Entertainment director

Cruise ships also need people to manage their entertainers, particularly if the ship has a lot of shows and performances scheduled.

Entertainment directors may be involved in scheduling staff, planning performances, and doing administrative work. The average salary for entertainment/recreation managers is $67,220 annually.

Fitness instructor

Many cruise ships also offer various fitness classes, including yoga, Zumba, spin, and more.

For qualified instructors, this can be a great way to stay healthy, make money, and travel the world all at the same time. The average fitness instructor makes $45,380 annually.

Hair/makeup artist

On cruise ships, hair and makeup artists may work in spas, providing services to guests looking to get pampered while on board, and may be needed to work with the ship’s performers.

The BLS groups barbers, hairstyles, and cosmetologists together and states an average of $33,400 annual salary for these workers.

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Hotel director

Since a cruise ship is essentially a floating hotel, many employees with experience working in hospitality are needed.

Hotel directors ensure that guests are comfortable and enjoy their experience. They may also be involved in planning and coordinating cruise activities.

The average salary for lodging managers is $61,910 annually.

Some cruise ships also hire nurses to provide care to passengers and cruise staff.

The amount of money nurses make on average usually depends on the type of nurse. Registered nurses (RNs) make $81,220 annually. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) make $54,620 a year.

Massage therapist

Many cruise passengers opt to take advantage of spa services. Massage therapists may work in a spa or travel to guests’ rooms with their equipment to provide massages.

Licensed massage therapists make just under $49,860 annually on average.

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Cruise ships also frequently employ security staff to ensure the safety of guests and crew members. These workers may patrol the ship regularly and respond to any issues that come up.

The average salary for security guards is $33,030 annually.

Eating often and well is a big draw for many cruise passengers. Ships often have several restaurants on board and employ experienced servers to staff them.

Pay for these workers can vary, depending on the cruise line’s tipping policy. The average salary for a server in the U.S. is $29,120 annually.

Sales associate

Part of the beauty of the typical cruise ship is that it’s kind of like a floating mall, filled with gift shops and retail stores galore. Ships often need many sales associates to staff these stores.

Again, depending on the cruise line and the job, the pay for these gigs may vary. However, BLS data puts the average salary for a retail sales worker at $30,750 annually.

That’s not huge money, but perhaps it's enough for students to get ahead financially during breaks between school years.

Bottom line

Working as a cruise crew member is certainly not for everyone — lodging for staff can be cramped, days can be long, and you might be away from home for weeks at a time.

But for those looking to tap into a new source of income as they travel, it just may be a win-win situation.

More from FinanceBuzz:

• 7 things to do if you’re barely scraping by financially.
• 12 legit ways to earn extra cash .
• Can you retire early? Take this quiz and find out.
• 9 simple ways to make up to an extra $200/day

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