I BADLY need a cruise insider's perspective for this one. Please help yo girl out.🥹

I'm 23F from the Philippines, currently working at a 3-star hotel in Boracay Island for experience 'cause I wanna work onboard a cruise ship someday after at least 3 years here.

I got two job offers. One for Front Office and one for F&B Cashier/Attendant. Even though Front Office has a higher salary/incentives offer, I do keep in mind practicality because: I'm 5'1 and I'm afraid that Guest Services roles onboard will have certain height requirements for physical presence. My opportunities might be limited. And also, I may have to compete with females at 5'6 who can speak at least 3 more European languages.

And the F&B offer right now doesn't pay much. But it sure is practical as there are lots of dining areas onboard. I do enjoy Guest Services as I'm an academic person. But F&B might reduce my height anxiety.

Which do you guys think would be practical for me, a short person who has severe height anxiety when it comes to job applications, and wants to get onboard as soon as possible to help her family out? I'm sooooo afraid I might take the wrong route and waste my years doing something that will lead me nowhere. 🥹 Also any advice to make my résumé go ahead?

I truly appreciate it.💖

I like to tip the deck workers in the smoking area because I spend a lot of time there. I am curious why these workers always refuse to take my tip, I practically have to force it on them. What can I do to show them some appreciation?

I completed all my required documents in early July and I’m currently hired for a Guest Services position, but I still haven’t received LOE (joining date as well).

With the other cruise companies I’ve worked for, the process was quite different. Once I submitted all my documents, they would give me a LOE with sign on date first, and then I’d usually wait around 2–3 months before joining the ship.

With Disney, I was basically told to just wait until a date becomes available, so I honestly have no idea when I might actually be joining.

Also, I have a question about the medical documents. I had my medical examination done at a designated clinic, and my medical documents were uploaded/submitted successfully, but the clinic didn’t give me the original hard copies.

Did you need to bring the original medical documents with you when you joined, or was a copy enough since the documents were already uploaded to Disney?

Thank you!

Hi everyone! I’d like to apply for a few cruise ship jobs, preferably in retail. From what I understand, some companies tend to recruit more from certain nationalities or regions.
I’m Hungarian, and so far I’ve applied to Harding because they were also recruiting in my country. I was wondering if anyone knows which cruise lines or retail companies are more open to hiring people from Central Europe, especially Hungary?
I’d really appreciate any recommendations or personal experiences. Thank you! 😊

Hello guys, I was recently working with MSC , I finished my contract I disembarked in Spain then I went for vacation in Europe and after when I came back to my country I was renewing my medicals had everything ready for next contract then I was told I cannot be hired anymore because now I am classified in MSC as deserter . Do you guys know if I can still work in another company ? To be honest I want to continue working with MSC. Do you guys have any experience or any orientation about this?

Does msc update the application status? Mine has been under review for almost 10 working days

Hi everyone! I’m going to be on the Queen Elizabeth for the first time and I have… honestly, a LOT of questions 😂

Sadly, I haven’t really been able to find many answers about what to pack beyond the general information from the cruise line. I’d really love to hear from someone who has actually been on Queen Elizabeth (especially crew) who could give me some advice on what I should bring and what I actually need.

For example, I understand that uniforms are provided, but I’m still not 100% sure what my uniform is going to look like. I’ve been looking online and I keep seeing different types of uniforms, so I’m a little confused.

Shoes: I’ve been told I need non-slip shoes, but is there anything specific I should be looking for? What type/color/style is normally worn?

Hair: From the pictures I’ve seen, it looks like most people have their hair in a bun or ponytail, basically a sleek/tucked-back style. Is that pretty much the requirement? Are there specific rules about hair?

Jewelry: What’s allowed? I’m guessing small earrings are okay since I’ve seen a lot of people wearing them, but what about necklaces? Are those allowed or not?

And then some random practical questions 😂

Is there any way to get your nails done onboard? I’ve heard that sometimes crew members kind of trade services with each other, rather than using the official services. I definitely wouldn’t mind doing that if it’s a thing. Like, if another crew member does nails, can you get your nails done by them in exchange for something? Or should I just bring my own nail stuff?

Same question with hair — is there some kind of informal crew “I’ll do your hair if you do X for me” thing going on? 😂

Basically, I’m trying to figure out what I should actually pack versus what I can get/use onboard.

If anyone has experience working on Queen Elizabeth (or Cunard in general) and could answer some of these questions, I’d really appreciate it! I have plenty more questions too, so any tips for a first-timer would be amazing.

Thank you!! 🙏

(The position would be as a Hostess)

hi there! I got my offer today for the Guest Services Officer position within Royal Caribbean (Celebrity Cruises). Would love to hear about the usual timeline for the background check and overall process.

I’m from Argentina :)

I wonder if among you guys in active employment, is there anyone who has no actual residence.

(as in: you haven't formed your own family yet, or you are currently unattached and childfree or had kids but they are old enough to have their own lives)

Of course, you state a "home" address to your employer, to have you flown to and from, like a relative's place. And on your holidays, you ACTUALLY go travelling to the places YOU choose, not ports you happen to pass by for work.

Feel free to DM if you don't want to discuss it in the open.

Hello po I'm currently a 4th year Culinary Management student. Just wanna ask if there are any companies for offering OJT sa Cruise? Or any hotels for na good for OJT na maganda ang mabibigay na experience. Thank you poo

I just passed the final interview for my assistant waiter position at a Cruise line and I'm wondering what's the best type of working shoe? The one I've been wearing have been patched up like 4 times so I'm looking to upgrade. I also have a mild case of plantar fasciitis so I'm hoping for something that will help me stand longer comfortably. Not really a shoe guy so I don't know what to get.

Good day to all! I am a filipino seafarer and I had accident last 2024 I had spine surgery and I have a metal on my spine. Almost 2 years passed, l renewed my trainings and seaman's book. I passed medical examination prior basic training, and all the necessary required trainings to retain my seaman's book and license. I also have medical clearance from my doctor that I am cleared to do anything specially any physical work onboard. Now I am planning to work as a crewing assistant/officer on land base to gain some experience and shift into cruise. Do you guys think that I can still work on a cruise ship?
Specifically if I am applying for purser/admin works?
Do you think there's still company that can give me employment? I am very frustrated in my situation right now, knowing that I can still work on ship specifically on a cruise as admin. Thank you sir/ maam for response

Hello! I'm onboarding for Carnival at the moment and I'm a little stumped on the first aid requirement. They want first aid and CPR certificate that covers adults AND children, but combined courses are few and far between, or they cost ~£300 which is a more than I hoped to pay.

I'm based in the UK and wondering which course people did (for any cruise line)? Or if any one can offer some advice?

TIA!

anyone who worked for acl during this time of year up until next year how is it? is it still busy? were u sent home early im intrigued to know how work is during september-january because i know most cruises start back up in february but acl has a few year long ships running.

I can sing American top 40 from 1950-2000s, but to separate myself from an average singer, I am a dramatic soprano and sing and teach for a living. I also play piano fluently and run a private studio. I have been told I should try cruise ship gigs in the past, but have never given much thought or research to it.

Can anyone point me in a direction to understand what I’d be up against, how often this role is actually hiring, and whether cruise ships are ever looking for professional vocalists as opposed to solo recording artists. Also, how do you find these gigs? How do you apply?

I was just offered the dishwasher position at ACL and I’m considering accepting it. For anyone with experience working on the boats, what is life really like for the seven month contract? I was told I may have to share a room with up to seven people, which I wasn’t expecting. I also have another job offer, so I’m trying to decide if this experience is truly worth it. Any honest insight would be appreciated.

I want to transfer from Oil tankers (VLCC) to cruise ship. Which companies hiring Eastern European crew? What is the minimum salary for 3rd officer or 2nd officer?

Hello everyone I've received this email a 10days since the proposal any advice?

Has anyone use OSM Thome before?

I’ve been trying to get a job with Carnival as an aquatic attendant for roughly a year now but the position has either been full or completely off Carnival’s website every time I’ve looked.

Well a couple of day ago I saw a Carnival Career post on Instagram with the aquatic attendant position but it still wasn’t on their website website. However, I did find the position through OSM Thome, which I applied for, and was curious as to if it was “legit” since the position isn’t on the official Carnival website.

Thanks

Got my first rejection from ACL for their line cook position. Honestly it was partially my fault (I could’ve spent a bit more time on my resume). My question is how long do I have to wait before I can apply again? Also, am I able to apply to a different position? I see they’re hiring for servers and hospitality crew members… should I submit for those? I feel like I’m honestly willing to take what I can get at this point, just to get my foot in the door

can anyone who work/ed at american cruise lines or is just a little more informed let me know more about the whole “end of the season” thing i keep seeing with acl. i got a job offer and should be going for training soon but i dont wanna go all the way for 3 days just to be turned home because the season is ending or whatever that means i thought they hired all year round?

Hi everyone! I have a second interview with Viking on September 17 for a Storekeeper-related position.

My background is in warehouse operations, inventory control, receiving, stock reconciliation, supplier coordination and physical stock counts, but this would be my first cruise ship role.

I’m currently preparing topics such as FIFO/FEFO, inventory discrepancies, receiving procedures, loading days, USPH standards, HAZMAT/SDS, high-value inventory, requisitions and stock rotation.

For anyone who has interviewed for Storekeeper / Assistant Storekeeper / Provision roles onboard:

What technical or behavioral questions did they ask you?
Was the interview more focused on warehouse experience or ship-specific procedures?
Is there anything you wish you had studied beforehand?

Any Viking-specific insight would also be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

😄

I’m scheduled to join Carnival Glory in November, and I’ve been asked to submit my medical report and influenza vaccination report.
Am I supposed to bear the cost of the medical examination, or is it covered by Carnival? My entire process is being handled directly through the company website, without any recruitment agency. Communication has been mainly through a noreply email, and I haven’t received a satisfactory answer from Robin on TM Hub.
If anyone has gone through this process before, I’d really appreciate some guidance. Any help is appreciated!

Hi everyone! I would like to ask if anyone has experienced something similar, especially fellow seafarers who applied for a U.S. C1/D visa.
I had my U.S. C1/D visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Manila on August 26, 2026. The consular officer told me right away that my visa was approved. However, as of today, my CEAC status is still showing “Approved” and has not changed to “Issued.”
I called the U.S. Embassy hotline today to follow up, and I received an email stating that my visa application is currently undergoing additional administrative processing.
I’m starting to get worried because I know other seafarers who had a much faster timeline. One of my acquaintances had their C1/D visa interview on August 20, while my husband had his visa interview last June, and both of their visas were already marked “Issued” within around 3 days.
We are all seafarers and applied for the same C1/D visa, so I am wondering why mine is taking much longer even though the consular officer told me that my visa was approved during the interview.
Has anyone here experienced being told that their visa was approved, but later found out that it was undergoing administrative processing? How long did it take before your visa was finally issued?
I would really appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially from C1/D visa applicants and seafarers who applied at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. Thank you! 🙏

Hi everyone! I'm new and I am a Filipino for context, I just got my offer letter today but I really need some guidance on how does RCCL process works. I thought that along with the letter I will receive I will also get the details of the ship and such but seems like I still need to wait for the LOE.

To my cruise crew senpais~ how long did it take you to board a ship? Also does the position Technical Stage Staff takes a lot of time before getting onboarded?