Requirements for the job on board

The basis for a job on board is completed vocational training or, depending on the position, practical experience in the desired area.

There is a special exception for career changers: cooking training on board the Mein Schiff® fleet. There you will learn the profession of a cook “from scratch”. You can find more information in the respective job advertisements.

In your first contract you will usually be on board for about 5 months (ocean-going cruise ships) or about 9 months (river ships). This differs from cruise line to cruise line and depends on your position on board. Depending on the department, for example in the Tourism Staff area (Hapag-Lloyd Cruises) or in child and youth care, a shorter duration of 8 to 10 weeks is also possible.

Do you have a lot of passion for your work and perseverance and do you enjoy being around people? On board you not only spend a lot of time with your team at work, but also privately. As a crew member you have less privacy than on land. In return, the cohesion among the international crew members is incomparable. Your working day on board will average ten hours, seven days a week, which is not to be underestimated. Take an active part in shaping your work environment and show commitment and initiative. Are you ready for the best time of your life?

Your time to shine! Inspire the guests with your skills and personality. As part of our World. Class. Team. you prepare unique holiday experiences for guests every day. With a lot of commitment, friendliness and respect for your team and guests you contribute to what distinguishes us: excellent service, a great team spirit and numerous #WorldClassMoments!

1 crew - 15,000 colleagues. What makes a World. Class. Team: Good, collegial cooperation is essential. On board, crew members from over 50 nations work hand in hand. Tolerance and adaptability, but above all openness, are a basic requirement for this. We attach great importance to the fact that the cooperation not only works within individual departments, but is also lived across departments – because here everyone is literally in the same boat. Since you also spend a large part of your free time with your team, you can quickly make friends. Unique friendships develop from unique experiences around the globe. Discover the world with us and experience your #WorldClassMoments!

The minimum age to work on board is 18 years. Depending on the fleet and position, this can be 21 years or more (e.g. in supervisor and management positions). There is no maximum age. Before you go on board, however, you have to prove your fitness for sea service, which selected doctors can issue for you. As long as this is given, nothing stands in the way of your career as a seafarer. Further information on fitness for sea service can be found below.

The official onboard language of the crew is English. The crew members on board come from different countries around the world. Good English skills are essential for mutual understanding and for security reasons. No worries: We do not expect perfect Oxford English, but you should be able to communicate in English and, in an emergency, be able to implement instructions without further questions. This knowledge, like your specialist knowledge, will be checked by our recruiting team in an interview before you are hired. In order to be able to look after our guests in their mother tongue, German is the second official language on some ships.

As a crew member, you not only wear a uniform, but also have great responsibility. Changes to plans and unexpected tasks can occur on board at any time. Therefore, even under stress, you have to be aware that you are not only responsible for the well-being of the guests, but also for the safety of the ship. Since all departments work together, another department may also need your support – that is why we count on your flexibility.

Every real seafarer needs a seaman’s book. In the welcome email you will receive after hiring, you will find all the information on the so-called Crew Check Portal and you will be asked to send us a digital passport photo. The Seaman’s Book costs a certain one-time charge, which is deducted from the first salary. We will apply for the Seaman’s Book for you and, depending on the cruise line, send it to you in advance by post or give it to you on board. For this we need your medical documents and the Basic Safety & Crowd Management certificate in advance, which are absolutely necessary for the issue. If you are already an experienced seafarer, scan it and send it to us in advance so we can check it. If you do not receive the Seaman’s Book in good time before embarking, it will be delivered to you or to the Crew Purser / Chief Purser on board. However, in some ports it is essential in order to embark.

With your work on board, you are automatically insured for health and accidents. In the onboard hospital, our onboard doctors will be there for you for medical cases. Therefore, please check before you embark whether you can interrupt your existing health insurance. You can then claim this again between your contracts on board.

All crew members are required to wear uniform when on duty. The work uniform is either provided by us or partially organised by you – this depends on the respective position and fleet. Your uniform needs to be clean, tidy and ironed at all times. This is usually done free of charge by the laundry on board – so you do not need any ironing skills. Always show your best side: Depending on the cruise line and position, there are individual guidelines regarding appearance. You can get more detailed information from the subpages of the respective cruise lines.

Having a credit card is mandatory on some ships. You will then receive a crew card or an onboard pass on board. This card is usually both your cabin key and your means of payment (e.g. in the crew bar and in the shops on board). A private credit card is recommended for your first shore leave at the latest.

You need a US visa (C1/D visa) to work on board ocean-going cruise ships. C1/D visas are required for the crew on the cruise ships docking in the USA. When the time comes, we will tell you whether you need one and how you can get it.

An extended police clearance certificate is required for some positions on board. We will explain whether this applies to you during your application interview.