In this section you can follow the description of all the positions, with their advantages, disadvantages, functions, etc, which serves merely as a parameter, in that the positions and the wages vary from company to company.

Some crew members are hired by on board operators or concessionaires: the casino, the gift shop, the art auction.

There are two forms of contracting:

CREW – Tipping Personnel: the terms of the contract where the crew member depends solely on tips, gratuities and/or on commission to receive a good monthly wage. The salary is only about US $50.00 a month - for example: waiter, assistant waiter, bar waiter, bartender, and cabin steward. Don't get disappointed! A bar waiter, with an estimated monthly salary of US $50.00, initially makes US $1,200 to US $1,500 with tips and could, after he/she gets experience in sales, make US $3,500 to US $4,000. Anyway, don't worry, the ships are always full.

OFFICERS AND STAFF – Non-tipping Personnel: the terms of the contract where the crew member receives a salary without depending on tips or gratuities, such as: entertainers, security personnel, pursers, among others. Some also have a commission as with the casino staff and the gift shop sales associates.

Wages variables:

- Commission;
- Gratuity;
- Tips;
- Itinerary;
- Season;
- Lay out of the ship;
- Management on board.

Benefits:

- Free accommodation;
- Free meals;
- Free airfare, depending on the position held;
- Free laundry (self service);
- Health Plan (required by the IMO);
- Discounts for the crew in the stores, bars and restaurants on land;
- Retirement plan, depending on the contracting firm;
- Promotional visit rates for friends and family members.

Learning on Board:

- Guest Relations;
- Sales;
- Contact with people from various countries and cultures;
- Activities carried out in the sector - for example: a bartender will learn how to prepare drinks and know more about each one of them;
- Acquire efficiency and agility in the day-to-day work.

A Few More Details:

The Companies don't hire just professionals from the hotel sector. They desire people to fill spots for baby sitters, sales associates, doctors, nurses, accountants, naval engineers, air-conditioning technicians, musicians, carpenters, locksmiths, upholsterers, English teachers, etc.

The positions in the deck department are offered to those that have the same first language or one similar to the one spoken by the officials on board: English, Italian, Greek and Norwegian, although not so for some Croats, Hispanics and Filipinos.