Remember that you are a little fish in a big pond. Whether you are interviewed over the phone, or in person, you need to be well prepared. You may be presented with some difficult and challenging questions, therefore practice selling yourself. Demonstrate your ability to work in a team environment by providing examples. Do not give one-word answers, because you may be selling yourself short. This is your time to shine, and you may be only given one opportunity, so seize that moment, and show your assessor why you should land a job at sea.

Standard Questions

• What makes you stand out from others who have applied for this position?

Mention your personal attributes that are specifically related to a position on a cruise ship, e.g., have an adaptable personality, willing to try new things, have a passion for culture and learning about places. Also, mention whether you speak another language, or if you are trying to learn another language, and mention a unique characteristic that not many other people possess.

• What do you know about the cruise ship industry?

Discuss the fact that it is such a rapidly growing industry, and give statistics. Also, discuss major ports, different cruise lines, and how there are different types of ships to accommodate different individuals, and give examples.

• What do you know about _____ cruise line?

Ensure that you have done your background research. Mention how many cruise ships in the cruise line’s fleet, mention names of the cruise ships, capacity, itinerary, clientele, and destinations to which they travel.

• Describe the coping mechanisms you will use in order to deal with being away from home for a long period of time.

If you are a people-person, mention that you will make an effort to meet people from all over the world, and interact with them, and learn things about their culture. Also, discuss hobbies that you have, and how you will incorporate these into your cruise ship life in order to keep you occupied, e.g., you love to play chess and cards, therefore you will bring these along with you.

If you enjoy your own company, mention that you are an independent person, and you do not have a problem with creating your own fun, and doing things on your own. Mention hobbies that you can engage in by yourself. If you have a passion for learning Spanish, therefore point out that you will bring along your Spanish books to read in your spare time, or if you enjoy writing, mention that you will bring a journal to write about all your experiences.

• Describe your personality characteristics that enable you to work effectively in a team environment.

Describe traits that involve getting along with others, such as being enthusiastic, friendly, trustworthy, and understanding.

• What did you not like about your previous job?

Don’t say “nothing” and don’t say “everything”. Outline things that you think could have been done better, for example, the organization needed to be improved. Also, mention something specific to your position that may be not related to the position that you are applying for on a cruise ship. Don’t forget to indicate what you did to overcome the problem in your job. For example, I found my previous position to be monotonous at times, and as I enjoy variety, I would try and break my day up and alternate my tasks.

• Describe yourself in three words.

Refer to the Personal Qualities checklist. Try and use strong, positive words, such as Passionate, Innovative, and Energetic, rather than Calm, Diligent, and Tolerant. In order to work on a cruise ship, you need to be able to demonstrate that you have the energy, the passion, and the drive.

• What are your weaknesses?

Do not say that you don’t have any weaknesses. Mention a weakness, that may work in a positive way also, for example, sometimes I tend to take on too many tasks at once, and then mention what you are doing to overcome this weakness, for example, I therefore try and prioritize my workload so that I do not get bogged down.

• What are your short-term goals?

Indicate that you have a passion to work with other people from all over the world, learn about different cultures, perhaps study another language, have the opportunity to travel, and to learn new skills in an environment different to at home. Be sure to outline the fact that working on a ship has been a major goal of yours for ___ years.

• What are your long-term goals?

If you plan on working on cruise ships for the majority of your life, then say so. Cruise lines have such a high turnover, and therefore do not expect a lot of crew members to make a career out of their job, so you do not have to say that you would like to stay with their company for years. If you are unsure of what your long-term goals are, mention something to do with the position for which you are applying, and also mention that even though you may be a little unclear of what your long-term goals are at this stage, you hope that you can look back in the future and feel that you have been successful at whatever you have done.

• What will you do if you are not enjoying working on a cruise ship?

You may not have thought of this question before, as most people think cruise ship life will be a blast. But what if you aren’t enjoying the work, or you don’t like the people you are working with, or you feel homesick? An interviewer doesn’t want to hear that you will walk the plank, or fly back home. Let them know that you are prepared for this and have thought about this in-depth. Mention the fact that there will be so many different crew members to make friends with and therefore you will not have a problem in making friends. Also, discuss the fact that it is contract work and you know that you will not be stuck in it for a long period of time, and you will need to give it a few months before you will actually be able to determine whether you really do not like it. If you have been away from home for long periods, mention this, as well as the fact that you will keep in contact with friends and family by phone and email.

• What do you expect to earn in the cruise industry?

There is not much room for negotiation with cruise ship positions, as cruise lines have such a huge pool of candidates to choose from. Don’t forget that in most cases, you do get paid in TAX FREE US $$$!

• What are your hobbies? How do these relate to cruise ship jobs?

Discuss hobbies that generally involve team-work and also travel, since you will be around people the majority of the time, and you will also be going to new destinations. Mention team sports that you may play, clubs that you belong to, or community work that you may be involved in. Also discuss the fact that you have an interest in travel, perhaps anthropology, ancient ruins, architecture, sailing, photography, etc. Also, if you enjoy reading, mention books related to travel that you may be reading.

• What does “team-work” mean to you? Apply this to working in a team on a cruise ship.

Use words such as interaction, adapting, goal-setting, decision-making, patience, tolerance, understanding, and fitting-in. Identify the fact that you look forward to interacting with different nationalities and having the ability to learn from others.

• Did you present any innovative new ideas to your last employer? What were they? How do you think you can be innovative on a cruise ship?

Indicate whether you found solutions to problems, and how you went about these, whether you created faster ways of doing things, and what the results were.

Behavioral Questions

You may also be asked behavioral questions. These are used to predict future behavior, by examining how you have behaved in the past. You should answer these questions by giving the Circumstance of the situation, the Action that you took, and the Result of the situation. In order to remember these, just remember the acronym CAR. At the conclusion of the interview, there is usually an opportunity for you to ask questions. Ensure that you have at least five questions prepared, because some may have already been answered during the interview. Ask open-ended questions, where the assessor needs to give more than a yes/no answer, and ask questions that show that you have taken the time to research the company, and which give you an opportunity to convey your knowledge of the cruise ship industry. Below are some examples of what you may be asked:

• Describe a time when you have used imagination or initiative to solve a problem.
• Describe a time when you have done more that you should have in a job.
• Describe a time when you have had to deal with a difficult customer.
• Give an example of a time where you have had to cope under pressure.
• Give an example when you have taken on a leadership role.
• Describe a time when you have been given a demanding task at short notice, and how did you handle this?
• Describe a time when there was a crisis in the workplace, and what did you do to cope?
• Tell me about a time when you made a wrong decision in the workplace.
• Give an example of how you have resolved a dispute with a colleague in the past.
• Tell me about a time where you have sought to take on new challenges.

Questions To Ask Your Assessor

• What are the exact duties to be performed on the cruise ship?
• Is there a position description available specific to your cruise line?
• What is the uniform that is required on the cruise ship?
• Who will I be working with on the cruise ship?
• How many people will be in my team on the cruise ship?
• I am aware that your cruise line accentuates the need for staff to be trained in aspects of safety. Will I be provided with this training onboard? Is there anything I can do to prepare for this?
• Will I be provided with any onboard training in this particular position?
• Who will I be reporting to on the cruise ship?
• What are the steps for your selection process to get a job on the cruise ship?
• Are there possibilities for a promotion on the cruise ship?
• I have been informed that your cruise line travels to _______. If I am successful, will I need any specific immunizations?
• Is there anything else that I could do to prepare for this position aboard the cruise ship?
• What kind of notice would I be given before I am required to board the cruise ship?
• If I am successful, am I sent an employment contract before I board the cruise ship?
• Where would I be boarding the cruise ship from?

What to do in an Interview

• Take in a folio consisting of your resume, cover letter, two passport photos, and any transcripts or certificates relevant to the position
• Reread your resume and notes while you are waiting
• Introduce yourself
• Project personality
• Maintain eye contact (if more than one interviewer, ensure to look at all the interviewers when responding to questions)
• Nod your head to show that you are listening and that you agree
• Speak from experience at every opportunity - try to avoid talking about what you could, should, or would do
• Display interest and passion
• Use clear and concise language
• Write down any names that are pertinent, i.e., the interviewer(s)
• At every possible opportunity, use your knowledge of cruise lines in your answers to questions

What NOT to do in an Interview

During the course of an interview, the employer will be evaluating your negative attributes, as well as your positive attributes. Listed below are some possible attitudes and actions that may lead to rejection:

• Poor presentation
• Failure to look interviewer in the eye
• Rambling on too much about the one topic
• Identifying negative traits
• Lack of knowledge on cruise lines
• Lack of appreciation for the value of experience
• Inability to express ideas clearly, and giving yes/no answers
• Lack of enthusiasm
• Continuous fidgeting
• Failure to ask questions
• Condemnation of past employers
• Constantly looking at your watch