Cruise Talk: Captian of a cruise ship

Cruise Talk

Cruise News

Welcome to Cruise Talk the Internet's most popular discussion forum dedicated to cruising. Stop by Cruise Talk anytime to post a message or find out what your fellow passengers and industry insiders are saying about a particular ship, cruise line or destination.

>>> Reader Reviews
>>> CruisePage.com Photo Gallery
>>> Join Our Cruise Club.

Latest News...Norwegian Cruise Line celebrated the official christening of the all-new Norwegian Aqua in Miami and unveiled its plans to reimagine Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's idyllic private island in the Bahamas, with new experiences debuting in the fourth quarter of 2025, including an expansive pool area with a dedicated bar and kids splash zone and so much MORE. With a history of delivering guests ...

Latest News...MSC Cruises officially named its highly-anticipated new flagship, MSC World America, in a dazzling ceremony on April 9 at the line's new state-of-the-art MSC Miami Cruise Terminal, the largest cruise terminal in the world. MSC World America's Godmother, Drew Barrymore officially named the ship at the glamorous event with the maritime tradition of cutting a ribbon and triggering the breaking of a champagne...

Latest News...Seabourn, the leader in ultra-luxury cruising and expedition travel, celebrated the maiden arrival of Seabourn Encore to the continental United States on April 9, 2025, marking a major milestone as the ship docked for the first time in Long Beach, Calif. The visit offers a rare opportunity for guests and local travel advisor partners to see the award-winning ship up close..

More Cruise News...

my profile | register | search | faq | forum home

»	Cruise Talk » Cruise Ships » Captian of a cruise ship

UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!

Author

Topic: Captian of a cruise ship

Beezo
First Class Passenger
Member # 1505

posted 08-19-2000 01:42 PM

hey,
what kind of degree and what age do you have to be if you want to be a captain of a cruise ship? Also, what does your experiance do you have to be if you want to be a SOCIAL HOST? i am interested in being a social host because during the summer of when i will be going into my sophmore year of college, my parents have to go on this trip to australia and they want to go for 6 weeks and it will interfere with school. soo the best thing for me would working on a cruise ship. how much do you get paid? is it worth it? thanx!

Beezo

Posts: 865 | From: Massachusetts, USA | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

2kewl4u
First Class Passenger
Member # 1421

posted 08-19-2000 02:48 PM

Beezo,

I'm not exactly sure about this, but I think if you want to be a captain of a cruise ship, or something else, you're gonna have to start from the bottom and work your way up. For example, out waiter last year wanted to become the restaurant manager. He had to earn that position by having some experience and get some good comments from the people he was waiting on. Depending on the cruise ship, I'm assuming it might even take some training to get a job.

Not sure if any of this is correct, but since you will only be a sophomore in college, it might be too much. Some workers stay on the same ship for months, even a year. Hope this helps.

Posts: 52 | From: USA | Registered: Jul 2000 | IP: Logged

vulcania
First Class Passenger
Member # 822

posted 08-19-2000 02:54 PM

to become Master of a cruise ship you must have your Master's ticket - license. You need to become a licensed Deck Officer then get your Master's papers. In the US you usually need to graduate from one of the five merchant marine academies. Some have "worked their way up through the hawsepipe" but with the very few ships under the US flag and 2500 licensed deck and engine people graduated every year, that route is almost closed.

Posts: 182 | From: Baltimore, MD USA | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 08-19-2000 03:09 PM

Beezo - what do you mean by a Social Host? Do you mean Social Dance Host. HAL has Social Hosts, but they are retired gentlemen, who usually know how to dance and converse with the single female passengers. You would be too young to be one of these.
I, personally, don't think you would get a job on a cruise ship for 6 weeks. Cruise staff, under the direction of the Cruise Director, have to sign up for at least 6 months and it is a 24-7 job - it's not all fun, fun, fun. If you are really interested contact some of the cruise lines.
To be a Captain, you do have to have your Master's papers (a lot of them worked on Cargo ships first) and again work your way up from the bottom. I have friends who have been on HAL ships for years as 1st and 2nd officers, Navigators, Chief Officers and they still are not Captains.

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Ryndam
First Class Passenger
Member # 1315

posted 08-19-2000 04:22 PM

Beezo,
time and licences to become the Master of a cruise ship may vary slightly from a country to another, even if there is an International Regulation called "STCW 78/95" which gives the basic guidelines. In Italy the career starts with a five-year long Nautical school; after the final exam you can work on board a ship as a Deck Cadet Officer. When you have 18 months of sailing time (on board Cargo, Passenger and usually Navy ships, since the Military Service is compulsory in Italy) and some specialization courses (firefighting, survival craft man, radar, etc.) you have to take another exam with the Italian Coast Guard; if you pass it the Authority issues you a "Watchkeeping Office Licence" (with some limitations) and you can be promoted to 3rd Officer and 2nd Officer (on board most of the cruise ship you will be the assistant of another Officer). After 48 months of sailing time and other specialization courses you have another exam with the Coast Guard; if you pass it they are issuing you a "Master Licence"; now the Company you are working for can promote you to 1st Officer, Safety Officer (an Officer in charge of the safety of the ship), Staff Captain (the 2nd in command)) and finally Captain. If you start sailing at about 19 years old you can became the Captain of a ship when you are 33 - 37 years old (if you have been working always with the same company your career is faster).
The proceures to become a Social Host is easier since you don't need a special degree; you may need to be be able to speak two or more languages (if the ship carries international passengers).

Posts: 260 | From: Genoa (Italy) | Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged

Gerry
First Class Passenger
Member # 168

posted 08-28-2000 01:40 PM

For the British Merchant Navy, most Captains have started on the same system I did. At 16 you go to see as a deck cadet for a 4 year apprenticeship. At the end of this time, providing you pass the multitude of exams, you will obtain a 2nd mates license or what was a Class 3. Then after 24 months sea time serving as a junior watchkeeper (which may take 3 or 4 years to finish) you go back to college for a year to sit exams for a Class 2 or Mates certificate. After a further 24 months sea time serving as a middle to senior ranking watchkeeper a further year in college to finish with a Masters or Class 1 License. Nowadays it has changed slightly in that the written part of the Masters cert. is taken with the Mates certificate.
It is only when you have obtained your Masters License that you can wait for promotion to the senior ranks and eventually Captain. It took me nearly 14 years to get my British Masters.
I know it varies from country to country a great deal.
The Social Host option is definitely quicker...

Posts: 315 | From: Miami, Florida, (originally from UK) | Registered: Jun 99 | IP: Logged

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 08-29-2000 12:36 AM

Social Hostess is not an easy job, but it can be fun and rewarding. The cruise lines usually don't just hire a social hostess with no experience. Usually Someone who wants to become a social hostess will have to start out as Cruise Staff, then after proving to the cruise director and the shore-side management that you will make an excellent Social Hostess, you might be able to move into that position. Social Hostess is like an assistant cruise director in a way, or an assistant to the Assistan Cruise director. Gracefulness, charm, wit, maturity, and the ability to socialize with nearly anyone with ease are generally the characteristics of a Social hostess. I know of many women who were Miss Iowa, or Miss Tennessee or some other state....they could sing and were very beautiful...they were able to easily blend into the Social Hostess position, but generally the cruise lines like to see that you can work on a cruise ship first, before they give you the position of a Social Hostess. The cruise lines will not even consider hiring you if you tell them you only want to work for six weeks or so....there are too many other people standing in line who will work a committed 6 months on for their first contract. I would say forget about it if you think you will only work for 6 weeks and then sign-off. It just doesn't work that way. When you are a passenger you don't see all of the work that goes behind the positions that even the cruise staff have to endure. Cruise Staffers make it look easy, when in fact they often have grueling hours, 7am gangway duty for 2 hours, then a break for an hour, then Library duty for 2 hours, then a half hour break, then there's Ping-pong to host, then ice carving on deck, then put-put golf on deck, then pool games, then shuffleboard, lunch-time, then an hour break, then you're stuck with ship duty, where you have to have the beeper or radio, cause you're the only cruise staffer on duty while the others go ashore, then there's gangway duty again as you welcome the passengers back onboard, then you have bingo in the show lounge, then you have a couple of hours before dinner (this is where you take a nap) then after dinner you have to stand at the doors to the showlounge to greet the passengers as they go into the show, then there is the singles party after second seating dinner in the disco which you need to be at till 11:00pm, then you there's the midnight buffet which you may have to do crowd control, (you might be able to squeek in and have a bite after everyone else), then there's dancing under the stars on deck till 1:30am. Whew.....then you get to go to bed, but you need all the sleep you can get because tomorrow's a sea day, which is even busier than a port day.

If you're serious about working on a cruise ship, you WILL have to start out as Cruise Staff unless you can prove to shore-side management in the entertainment department that you are extremely gifted as an entertainer and people person. And even if you can prove that you the person they should hire...get in line...the cruise lines get THOUSANDS of resumes and letters EACH WEEK from people wanting to work on a cruise ship. I don't mean to put a damper on your idea to work on a cruise ship, I'm just telling you the way it is. I started out as Cruise Staff, then entertainer, then Shore Excursions Manager, then Assistant Cruise Director, Stage Manager, then finally Cruise Director, over a period of two years straight. Hope this helps you out and good luck.

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

All times are ET (US)

Ultimate Bulletin Board^TM 6.1.0.3

VACATION & CRUISE SPECIALS

Check out these great deals from CruisePage.com

Royal Caribbean - Bahamas Getaway from $129 per person

Description: Experience the beautiful ports of Nassau and Royal Caribbean's private island - CocoCay on a 3-night Weekend Getaway to the Bahamas. Absorb everything island life has to offer as you snorkel with the stingrays, parasail above the serene blue waters and walk the endless white sand beaches. From Miami.

Carnival - 4-Day Bahamas from $229 per person

Description: Enjoy a wonderful 3 Day cruise to the fun-loving playground of Nassau, Bahamas. Discover Nassau, the capital city as well as the cultural, commercial and financial heart of the Bahamas. Meet the Atlantic Southern Stingrays, the guardians of Blackbeard's treasure.

NCL - Bermuda - 7 Day from $499 per person

Description: What a charming little chain of islands. Walk on pink sand beaches. Swim and snorkel in turquoise seas. Take in the historical sights. They're stoically British and very quaint. Or explore the coral reefs. You can get to them by boat or propelled by fins. You pick. Freestyle Cruising doesn't tell you where to go or what to do. Sure, you can plan ahead, or decide once onboard. After all, it's your vacation. There are no deadlines or must do's.

Holland America - Eastern Caribbean from From $599 per person

Description: White sand, black sand, talcum soft or shell strewn, the beaches of the Eastern Caribbean invite you to swim, snorkel or simply relax. For shoppers, there's duty-free St. Thomas, the Straw Market in Nassau, French perfume and Dutch chocolates on St. Maarten. For history buffs, the fascinating fusion of Caribbean, Latin and European cultures. For everyone, a day spent on HAL's award winning private island Half Moon Cay.

Celebrity - 7-Night Western Mediterranean from $549 per person

Description: For centuries people have traveled to Europe to see magnificent ruins, art treasures and natural wonders. And the best way to do so is by cruise ship. Think of it - you pack and unpack only once. No wasted time searching for hotels and negotiating train stations. Instead, you arrive at romantic ports of call relaxed, refreshed and ready to take on the world.

Holland America - Alaska from From $499 per person

Description: Sail between Vancouver and Seward, departing Sundays on the ms Statendam or ms Volendam and enjoy towering mountains, actively calving glaciers and pristine wildlife habitat. Glacier Bay and College Fjord offer two completely different glacier-viewing experiences.

More Vacation & Cruise Specials...