Cruise Ship Lifeguard

Live Life Less Ordinary
Be a Cruise Ship Lifeguard
By: Jill Martin

If you’re looking for a lifeguard job that’s far from ordinary, here is one area you may want to jump in and explore – cruise lines. Working on a cruise ship is not for everyone, but for those who love adventure, are adaptable, and are open to many different challenges, it could be a dream job.

Cruise lines offer a host of benefits from health insurance to a generous salary, and the experiences you’ll have while on board are fantastic too (and we haven’t even mentioned the travel perks, like seeing the world and becoming an expert in geography). What’s more, the cruise industry is growing. Many cruise lines are building bigger ships year after year that offer more amenities for passengers than ever before. Some of those amenities include larger swimming pools, “extreme” slides, and children’s splash parks. That’s good news for lifeguards.

In addition to on-board aquatic playgrounds for all ages, many cruise lines have their own private island that they offer as a port on certain Caribbean itineraries. Cruise passengers can spend the day swimming, snorkeling, and diving, which may offer more opportunities for a lifeguard to use his or her skills.

While not every cruise line employs lifeguards, those that do are looking for individuals who can bring more to the table than just standard lifeguard qualifications. That’s because a lifeguard on a cruise ship juggles more than one role. They may also work the water slides, welcome guests to the nightly shows, help out on the rock climbing walls or zip lines, lead guests to and from their shore excursions, help with guest services, and more. Since guest interaction plays such a large part, those lifeguards with resumes that list any previous work in the hospitality industry will have the advantage.

Time On, Time Off.

Positions onboard are typically a four to six month contract – that’s four to six months on the ship and six to eight weeks off the ship. The contract will vary depending on the cruise line, so will the salary. Disney Cruise Line lifeguards generally work 4.5 months on and six weeks off. Norwegian Cruise Line contracts are 6 months on and two months off. Salaries are typically $1600-$1800 a month.

One big advantage to this type of contractual work is that while you’re on board, you don’t have to pay rent, water, electric or cable bills! With little free time provided, salaries can be almost entirely saved.

To find job listings for onboard employment, visit the websites of each individual cruise line. The top three are Norwegian, Carnival, and Disney. Openings are constantly updated so be sure to check back often. Lastly, if you don’t already have a passport, you’ll need one.

Find out how to apply at https://travel.state.gov/passport. Good luck and hopefully, bon voyage!