Do I need a passport to work on a cruise ship?

What do I need to do to work on a cruise ship?

• I'm 17 and a junior in high school, but one day I would love to work on a cruise ship! It's been my dream to travel the world and I see working on a cruise ship as an exciting ...show more

• Answer:

  You can not work on a cruise line unless you are 21 years of age or older. Every staff member working aboard a cruise ship (minus dancers and musicians employed by the line for entertainment purposes) is also a crew member and must be able to assist passengers in an emergency situation. Many of these situations can prove to be life threatening if an emergency were to arise, and crew members must agree to make sure all passengers have been boarded into the lifeboats before they are allowed to abandon ship if it so came to an abandon ship order. For this reason, the cruise company requires that all crew members be adults in the eyes of the law (aka 21 years or older) as you give permission to place yourself in a situation that may result in the lose of your life. You must also be properly trained and have experience working in the job you wish to do on board the ship. Cruises operate at a 5 star hotel level, and only hire the best applicants. They do not hire anyone without experience. Most employees that are hired must go through a rigorous full time training course before they are allowed to serve on board, and must go through crew training and various safety certifications as well. The training alone would take a very long time to complete, maybe more than your entire summer.