Top Cruise Ship Jobs that provide Excellent Career Opportunities

Most people associate shippingjobs with engineering and technical profiles, long periods away from home, erratic work hours and lonely lifestyles.

However this is not necessarily the case, especially if one applies for a job on a cruise ship. Cruise ships jobs offer plenty and highly lucrative opportunities; moreover, most of them are far from technical. They often require other specific skills like hotel management, bartending and even dancing.

If you are interested in being a part of the shipping industry but do not have the education, expertise or aptitude to secure conventional shipping jobs like those of mariners, sailors, engineers etc, it is best to opt for an unconventional job on a cruise ship instead. The opportunities are varied and you can pick any one that suits your skills and interests best.

• Cruise Directors- Some of the cruise director’s responsibilities include providing guests with information, assisting them with shore tours, coordinating on- board events and being the on-ship concierge.
• Hotel management- Cruises are like moving hotels on water. A hospitality or hotel manager is thus important to oversee all operations pertaining to stay, food and comfort of guests.
• Housekeeping- Just like hotel rooms, cruise cabins need housekeeping and there are plenty of housekeeping jobs aboard ships that need filling by deserving persons.
• Waiters and Bartenders- The dining areas and restaurants require well trained waiters and bartenders to keep the guests entertained. The ship is in the middle of the sea and all the entertainment is restricted to the inside, it is thus important to hire such persons that will ensure the guests are well looked after.
• Chefs- Food is a significant part of all cruise holidays and good chefs are required in large numbers on cruise ships.
• Dance instructors and DJ’s- Dance instructors and Disc jockey’s are important to entertain guests who enjoy shaking a leg or simply working up an appetite. Others like fitness trainers, spa and salon managers, masseuses and babysitters are also often hired on cruise ships.

Cruise ship jobs offer great salaries, free airfares, free luxurious food and accommodation and ample off duty time for the employee and his immediate family, thus making them an equally great option to consider besides other conventional shipping jobs.

Best Jobs in the Shipping Industry

Some of the best jobs in the shipping industry involve keeping track of the goods received, inputting them into inventory, and shipping them to customers. Jobs in shipping can be in United States or they may be abroad, depending on the company. These jobs can be anything from delivery drivers to truck drivers to warehouse workers and people working at ports.

Shipping clerks ensure that all goods shipped and received go to their proper storage facility or final destination. They prepare shipping documents, verify numbers and destination, and make sure orders have been filled correctly. They record items taken from inventory, replenish shelves, and make notes when orders are filled. They manage large databases and handle issues with customers as they arise. They must also handle damaged packages and ensure nothing hazardous leaks from the site of damage.

Following customs procedures are an important legal aspect of the shipping jobs. The clerk must verify that the contents of the package can enter into the U.S. legally. If a product is on its way out, they must fill out the proper documentation and ensure packages are sealed and ready for shipment.

They also address and label packages, look up and compute freight or postal rates, and record the weight and cost of each shipment. In addition, shipping clerks may prepare invoices and furnish information about shipments to other parts of the company, such as the accounting department.

Traffic clerks maintain destination records. They record the destination, weight, and applicable charges for all freight. They verify rate charges by comparing the classification of materials with rate charts. They also manage claims dealing with damaged goods.

Some of these clerks may use forklifts to move boxes around, so knowledge of operating heavy equipment is a plus.

Employment of shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks is expected to decline moderately by 7 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. As companies increasingly use computers and high-technology scanners to store and retrieve shipping and receiving records, fewer clerks will be needed to oversee these activities.

Stock clerks and orders fillers are two more important jobs in the shipping industry. These workers receive, store, and issue sales floor merchandise, materials, equipment, and other items from stockroom, warehouse, or storage yard to fill shelves, racks, tables, or customers' orders. They mark prices on merchandise and set up sales displays.

One major job in the shipping industry is done by delivery drivers. Drivers carry freight to and from destination sites. They load freight, secure it, and drive sometimes thousands of miles to deliver it to warehouses, clients, or other locations. They verify shipping labels to ensure each work order is correct. If an item is damaged, they put it back on the truck and make arrangements to ship another.