Below are just a few things that a resume of a crew member won't tell you, but nevertheless make them more valuable than you can ever imagine in your organization.
As a crew member:
You’ll work the hardest you ever have, but it’s very rewarding.
You learn to be punctual as event windows are very tight. Arriving 15 minutes early is the equivalent of arriving on time. Always plan 30 minutes in advance.
People who have never worked on board a ship can’t imagine what it’s really like.
No, I am not on vacation for 6 months straight. I work every day extremely hard for our passengers so that they have great vacations.
You don’t know stress. I eat, sleep, and breathe stress.
If I had a dime for every time I had to deal with change, I would be a millionaire.
Adapting is not a lifestyle. It’s a way of life. I adapt to survive.
You would like me to give you an example of how I overcame a challenge? How about getting into a full fireman’s uniform in 3 minutes with a breathing apparatus and all, running across a ship, clearing the area, taking an assessment and putting out the fire, because lives are on the line. Now that’s a challenge I know I can overcome.
Time zones are like doors to me. I can pass through 10 without an issue, and work just as well as if I never went through 1 at all.
Communication to me is like my beating heart. I can’t stop it. It’s who I am.
I can deliver great customer service, control crowds in the thousands, instruct people on life saving appliances, put out fires, perform CPR, drive vehicles other than cars, lead teams to greatness, all in a day’s work.
I really do care about the environment. I sort my trash every day.
I can tell you, working on ships is not what I ever imagined it would be like.
Am I OK occasionally working nights and weekends? I’m used to working 10 to 15 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 6 to 8 months straight.
Cruise ships employees actually have a term for working on land, “Land Speed”, which is much slower than ship speed. It’s so challenging to adapt to, it often takes us months, even years, to slow down and match the pace.
Many people would label us as overachievers. We just work at a more efficient pace.
Other than military personnel, most people have no idea what it’s like to wear the same uniform every day for months.
Only exceptional individuals last a long time on ships.
I have traveled to so many places. It’s easier for me to name the ones I haven’t visited.
I may only speak 1 or 2 languages, but I can communicate with almost anyone effectively.
Planning ahead is what I do. You don’t see supermarkets, shops, or gas stations in the middle of the ocean.
Leaders aren’t born. They are made on cruise ships.
Arriving on time to work is a non-issue. I am used to time changes (hour forward/backward) on a daily basis.
All customers are the same to me. I thrive to deliver the best experience every day to both internal and external customers (my peers & passengers).
Size does not matter. I’m used to living in a 6x6 space, no window, with just one suitcase, for 6 months straight. Could you do that?
Once a crew member, always a crew member.
Safety is everyone’s business.
I don’t just know my job, I know every member of my team’s job and I can do it without delay.
There is no task to big or to small.
We work so hard, we often have no idea what day of the week it is.
I LOVE diversity! It’s amazing what we can accomplish when we all work together.
Everything I’ve done on ships till now, has prepared me for anything you can throw at me.
Cruise ship crew members, both former and existing, are a unique breed. In their world, there is no such thing as failure, but instead learning from challenges and seeking every opportunity to push beyond their own limitations.