Working on Cruise Ships

You got the job and you think this is it, huh? Well, think twice because it’s just starting. I’ve got a big question for you: “How do you fit your life in 2 pieces of luggage?”. Yes, your life, because 6 to 10 months you’ll be living on the ship and only 6 to 9 weeks you’ll be home. It’s not an easy task, but it can be done and I am here to help you out.

The secret is to pack only the necessary things and the rest you’ll find it on the ship or in the places you’re going to. So here is the list of things you need and whether to bring them from home or not.

1. Clothes – Bring only the necessary because, if you’re a girl, for sure you’re going to shop a little bit and when you’re going back home you won’t have enough room in your luggage for all of it, and trust me, you won’t have time to wear all of them anyway since you’ll be working at least 10 hours a day. Caribbean islands and USA are cheap when it comes to clothes, buy all your brand clothes from there because Europe is much more expensive. Also, when you choose your clothes, don’t think of the time of year, think where you’re going to be at that time ( even though is December, what’s the point of buying/bringing warm clothes if you’re going to be somewhere in the Caribbean?). One more thing should be mentioned here and that is that you should bring one or two formal dresses for the parties (Christmas, Easter etc.) and shoes to match. Royal Caribbean Cruiseline’s policy on shoes is pretty strict, meaning that no open toe or heel shoes are allowed onboard unless you’re on your way out of the ship, so remind yourself about that if you got a job with them.

2. Shoes – All the above applies to shoes as well. Bring a pair of snickers, a pair of formal shoes, a pair of flip flops and a pair of casual shoes and that’s enough. You don’t need work shoes since the company policy requires you to use their own shoes.

3. Cosmetics and make-up – It all depends on where you’re going. If it’s Europe, you better bring most of it from your home because there it can be pretty expensive. If your ship does the Caribbean then bring only the necessary things and buy the rest from there as everything is cheap. And by everything I mean really everything: from cotton pads and tampons to shampoos, shower gels and any type of make up. You can find pretty good deals for brand cosmetics in the USA and Mexico.

4. Medication – You don’t really need to bring anything with you because you’ll find everything that you need in the medical office free of charge.

5. Electronics – Both 110 and 220 voltage outlets are available in your room so you can bring any piece of electronic you want. What I found very useful to have with you is: laptop, mobile phone, ipod or any other MP3 player, hair dryer, photo camera and speakers. Anything else is just optional and if you ask me and if you don’t have enough space in your luggage don’t bring it. If you don’t have it, you can always wait until you get in the USA and buy it from there since is so much cheaper.

6. Books, music, and movies – Each ship has a library for its crew so no need to bring books or magazines with you unless it’s something you really want to read. Bring music and movies from home, it’s a great way to socialize and make new friends by sharing it.

7. Towels, linen – This is nothing you should be worrying about since they are provided by the company. Bring just one big towel for when you’re going to the beach, but you can also take the company towels as well if you don’t have your own. Some bring their own blankets and pillows too just to feel more at home, but you don’t really need it and they take up a lot of space. If you really want one of your own, buy one in one of the ports your ship is sailing from. Did I stress enough that USA is cheaper than Europe? It is when it comes to this as well.

8. Accessories – They make or break the outfit. In my opinion, you better bring more accessories and less clothes because, even though you’re wearing the same clothes, the entire outfit looks totally different depending on what accessories you’re wearing. Same like everything else, if you are in Europe, bring most of them from home, if you’re in the Caribbean islands, you can find better and cheaper there.

9. Personal stuff – Bring your teddy bear or your mini fountain garden with you, or anything that reminds you of home. It’ll make you feel less lonely onboard. Bring a few photographs of your family or boyfriend/girlfriend, it’ll help you stay on course and remind you you’re there to make some money so you can provide for them.

So this is it, time to pack your bags now. Just remember 2 things:

1. don’t pack your bags full since you need some space for presents when you’re coming back

2. check the airline company weight limit ( as a seaman, you are entitle to bring more luggage than the usual airline costumer – call and ask)

Labels: ship life