:: Get a Cruise Ship Job Mini Course: The Very Best Time to Apply for a Job on a Cruise Ship

One question I'm often asked is "How much time-off do we get in port?"

Good question. The only problem is, I'm afraid I can't give you the answer! You see, asking a question like this, really is like asking...

"How long is a piece of string?!"

How much free time you get in port often depends on a number of factors:

1) The itinerary of your cruise ship: Where it goes and how often the ship is in port. The more "sea days" a ship has, then the less time you'll get off in port...and the more hours you will work!

2) How long the ship actually stays in port for. This will vary. Sometimes you'll only be in port for half a day (until 2:00 PM), other days your ship might stay until quite late (10:00 PM up until midnight). But a typical leaving time would be around 5:30 PM. Remember, the longer your ship stays in port, the more free time you would normally have!

3) Which 'department' you work in. Generally those in

'staff' positions get more time off in port than those in

'crew' positions. This is because crew usually do jobs that are always needed onboard, even when the ship is in port (cooking, cleaning cabins, general maintenance, etc).

Whereas a 'staff' member working in the Entertainment Dept, Gift Shop Dept, Casino Dept, etc DO NOT usually work in port! This is because the gift shops and casinos don't open until the ship leaves - and the entertainment doesn't start until all the passengers are back onboard. There are other departments like this too.

Hmmm, guess which departments I'm going to recommend that YOU work in?!

What's also important is how you choose to use your free time in port.

Here's what a typical day in port might consist of...

A few friends might jump into a taxi for a day at the beach, stop off for lunch, do a little shopping and phone family at home. You might rent a jeep for a drive up into the mountains of Puerto Vallarta to swing from ropes into the river.

Later that evening you might dine on fresh tacos and salsa. You might get up early and take a hike to the waterfalls or boiling lakes of Dominica. Or a group of you might take a helicopter ride to the top of an Alaskan glacier!

And unlike the passengers (who are only on board for one cruise), crew members get to visit these exciting ports of call week after week. So you can see that it doesn't take long before you get to know where all the best places are!

This is of course the greatest benefit of working on a cruise ship. This is most people's *sole* reason for wanting to do this - and probably yours too.

It enables you to see the world safely and securely without having to worry about finding work, running out of money and living in not-so-nice accommodation! All the things you would normally associate with other popular methods of traveling, like back-packing.

It is important for you to know that you WILL get time off in port and you WILL get chance to do all those exciting things we've just talked about.