Great Jobs for the Winter Season

2. Cruise Liners

The nitty-gritty: If you've got your sea legs and are up for a little adventure, a cruise line job can be swell. Some cruise ships hire married couples, so if you're escaping the cold with your partner, you both can set sail. Leading cruise lines such as Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise Lines hire across a full array of jobs, including host and hostesses, cruise directors and staff, disc jockeys, performers, swimming instructors and shore excursion staff. Also needed:  pursers, photographers and videographers, waiters and waitresses, bartenders, cabin stewardesses, cooks, bakers, cleaners, gift-shop attendees, beauticians, medical staff, massage therapists, fitness instructors and engine room technicians. Tight quarters for accommodations can be a squeeze. If you're solo, you may share a small cabin and a bathroom. Plus, you will be afloat in all types of weather. If you suffer from severe sea-sickness, perhaps you can land one of the liner's landlubber jobs.
The hours: Long hours can be a drawback — 12 or 14 hours a day, 7 days a week, typically for a period of six months.
Median pay range: Tipping personnel like bartenders and wait staff, can earn $1,500 up to $4,000 per month (including the tips), according to CruiselineJobs.com. The non-tipping personnel earn from $350 to $500 per week. You get free accommodation and food and book some great gratis travel to boot.
Qualifications: Experience in the hospitality industry is essential for many of these openings. If you have an expertise in a particular area, say personal finance and investing, or are an author, journalist or college professor, you might be able to land a gig as a lecturer. Most employees will be required to pass a course on work safety and first aid. However, the most important job qualification is good language skills — you must speak English effortlessly; if you're multi-lingual, even better. Your passport must be current. When applying, it's best to target a specific job. Check out the cruise lines web site career sections for more details; apply directly to the cruise line by following the instructions on the web-site for the specific position being offered to avoid scams. Bon Voyage.

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