Technical engineers on cruise ships work with a team of officers in the engineering department including the chief engineer, staff chief engineer, chief electrician, service managers, electrical engineers, and communications engineers. Technical engineers must have a bachelor’s degree or higher in engineering, plus experience. A strong computer background is required as well in order to navigate the complex technical systems on today’s sophisticated cruise ships.
Future technical engineers may obtain a bachelor’s degree or higher from a technical school, a four year college or university, or a specialty school. Many business schools also offer engineering degrees and many accredited online colleges. It is important to note that most cruse lines prefer a degree from an accredited school. Before enrolling in an engineering program, check with the U.S. Department of Education www.ed.gov to make sure the school is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency.
Once you have obtained a degree, you may qualify for an entry-level position on cruise ships. Try securing a position with a small cruise line first. American Cruise Lines, Cruise West, and Windstar are just a few small ships/small cruise lines. After obtaining the skills and experience needed to work with large cruise lines such as Carnival, Disney, or Norwegian, you may begin the application process.
You should begin by locating the official website for the cruise line you are interested in. It is important to search for positions through the cruise line as many websites that claim to have job listings for cruises are inaccurate or they charge a fee for using their “service.” Most cruise lines list job openings for free. Depending on the cruise line, you may fill out an online application or you may have to send a resume via snail mail.
You may locate the cruise lines’ OFFICIAL website by visiting the Ships and Cruises Directory at www.shipsandcrusies.com. Once you have located the official website, poke around for job postings. The jobs tab might be located at the bottom of the home page or on the menu at the top of the page. Once you have located job listings, be sure to follow the application procedure to the letter. Applicants that do not follow directions usually don’t make it past the front door.
If a cruise line does not list job openings on its website, you may send a polished cover letter and resume to the cruise lines’ Human Resources Department. The Human Resources Department is typically located at the cruise lines headquarters. This information is usually listed on the cruise line website. It is important to include the position you are interested in so that it can be directed to the appropriate department manager.
For more information about jobs on cruise ships visit Cruise Ship Jobs online. Here, you can download the 2010 cruise ship employment guide; you can read through cruise line profiles; you can find out which ships are hiring and for what positions — and you can even apply for a cruise ship job right online. Please note that this website charges a fee. You can apply for a job on your own, free of charge, sign up with a placement agency, or use Cruise Ship Jobs’ service.
Salary and Job Perks for Technical Engineers
Technical engineers on cruise ships earn a minimum starting salary of $30,000 per year with annual increases. In addition, technical engineers receive free travel to exciting destinations, free accommodations, and free meals. Technical engineers will also receive health insurance and free air travel to and from the ship.