Cruise Ship Hospitality Careers
Imagine a work environment where the sun is always shining, your customers are always happy to see you and the view from your office never fails to take your breath away. If that sounds too good to be true, you probably haven't explored cruise ship hospitality as a career option.
OK, maybe working on a cruise ship isn't all sun, fun, and games. But it does offer a wide variety of employment opportunities for people working in the hospitality industry--and it's an industry that's growing.
In 2014, record-setting 22.1 million passengers enjoyed vacations and holidays aboard cruise ships (according to the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association). A year later, that number increased by nearly 1 million more passengers--and all of them relied on the experience, expertise and professionalism of the ships' hospitality staff for fun, safety and relaxation.
Here's a look at some of the cruise ship hospitality careers that are as exciting as they are rewarding:
Food and Beverage
Dining is a critically important part of the cruise ship experience. Passengers pay handsomely to enjoy some of the best food and beverages available on the open seas. Cruise ships offer a variety of hospitality career opportunities for professionals interested in specializing in food and beverage:
- Food and beverage managers are responsible for quality control, inventory, cost containment, and overall customer satisfaction.
- Maitre d's are the face of the cruise ship's restaurants. They greet customers, ensure that their needs are being met and supervise the restaurant staff.
- Dining room managers oversee the wait staff and overall operation of the dining room. They serve as mediators when things go wrong and traffic managers when things get busy.
Hotel and Accommodations
Cruise ships are essentially giant, high-end hotels that float around the world. As with any hotel, success is measured by how full the rooms are--and the happier the customers, the more likely it is that rooms will remain full. As you can imagine, running a hotel on the open seas requires a talented hotel staff:
- Hotel managers are responsible for making sure that customers receive the highest quality service and handling customer concerns and complaints. They also often manage staffing and scheduling.
- Chief cabin stewards have the incredibly important role of supervising the housekeeping department. Guests aboard cruise ships expect their rooms--and the entire ship--to be clean at all times. This can be challenging, especially when you consider that ships are essentially floating cities.
- Laundry supervisors help to ensure the smooth operation of the laundry department. With thousands of towels and sheets being used every day, keeping them clean and fresh for the guests can be a challenge.
Purser Division
At the end of the day, operating a cruise ship is all about making a profit. And the people in the purser division are responsible for managing the money, reconciling revenue and expenses and ensuring that employees are paid. With thousands of customers and hundreds of employees, it's a big job that requires a highly qualified staff:
- Chief pursers are senior staff (actually they are senior officers) members responsible for all of the accounting that takes place aboard the ship. They supervise the other purser staff members, manage crew members' visas and work permits and oversee the currency exchange program to ensure that passengers have money to spend during their excursions.
- Pursers are also officers and they report to the chief purser. Pursers are responsible for all of the day-to-day financial transactions that occur on the ship. This includes managing the accounting from bars, restaurants and gift shops; overseeing immigration issues related to the crew and doing audits to ensure that operations are functioning as efficiently and profitably as possible.
Activities and Entertainment
For most people who book cruises, it's all about fun. Sure, they want time to relax, but they are also looking for activities, adventure, and entertainment. With thousands of passengers who have varied interests, it often takes a large staff to make sure all passengers have the times of their lives:
- Cruise directors oversee all of the on-board entertainment. They manage the daily activity schedule, act as Master of Ceremonies at events and book professional entertainment.
- Event managers plan and execute daily events, which could include games, tours and contests.
- Activities managers are responsible for keeping the youngest passengers entertained while on the ship. This can include planning activities during the day and at night, planning off-ship excursions and even booking entertainment for young people.
Set sail on the career of a lifetime
Are you interested in working around sun-soaked skies, breathtaking office views and customers who can't help but smile? If you're curious about earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Hospitality Management, consider ECPI University for your educational needs. With accelerated courses and year-round scheduling you could be setting sail in as little as 2.5 years. Contact an ECPI University admissions advisor to discuss your future.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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Gainful Employment Information – Hospitality Management - Bachelor’s
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