*All photos are copyright to Sally Grimes & must not be copied or used without permission
Hi everyone! We had a brief hiatus from the tuesday travel interview series last week for the inspiration feature on the Top 10 Inspiration Travel Bloggers to Follow on Twitter but this week I am glad to introduce Sally for some work and travel inspiration!
As I know a lot of you, including myself(!), are looking for the ultimate travel job that can you take you around the world and leave you with some savings at the end of it all! Sally went for the dream job…working on Luxury Cruise Liners! This is something I know nothing about so I am super grateful to Sally for helping you guys with all the information she’s offered! Enjoy!
Tell us about yourself and how you ended up working on cruise ships?
A little introduction to me, I am Sally 26 years old and originally from Essex (no TOWIE jokes please!). I grew up on a working farm with my parents, Nan and older brother on the outskirts of a remote village called Burnham On Crouch. My childhood was spent helping my mother collect chicken eggs, playing make-believe games with my brother in the farm barns and riding the combine harvester with my father – a million miles away from the world I have since lived.
I never went on holidays as a child (apart from the odd caravan trip to Clacton-On-Sea) so it’s hard to gauge where my passion for travel came from, maybe it was from the feeling of the unknown. After finishing school I was so determined to learn about this industry and the next thing I knew it was my first day at South East Essex College completing a diploma in Travel & Tourism. My instinct was definitely right as this course only furthered my love for our fascinating planet.
After a short stint in an office role in London, I remember spending hours looking at planes in the sky and sifting through travel magazines and I knew I was in the wrong place. A few other roles including working in airports just didn’t suffice my love for travel, so soon after my 21st birthday I took the plunge, packed my bags and waved goodbye to England for what has been the most incredible journey.
Although I only planned to do one six month contract onboard cruise ships to gain some travel experience and see some amazing places, it did not work like this – I was hooked! My first contract was working as a Guest Services Officer on the smallest ship in the fleet and it was here my career grew. After a couple of contracts I changed roles to the onboard Loyalty Ambassador. During my time at Royal Caribbean I worked on various ships and travelled to all corners of the world. No words can ever put this experience into perspective and I feel in the five years I was at sea I have lived one crazy life!
Soon after turning 25 I felt the time was right for me to get my land legs back and I am now living and working in London for an online cruise and ski company, bringing all of my knowledge and passion to land. Has my travel bug gone? Of course not! I would not be able to cope if I wasn’t working in this industry and still using every single one of my 21 days leave on travel!
Why did you choose to work on cruise ships and how long were you away from home for all together?
This is a question everyone asks me – why did I choose to work on cruise ships? Honestly – I don’t really know!
From as long as I can remember all I wanted to do was travel and I didn’t really care how! I had never been on a cruise but I remember talking to one of my father’s friends who had just returned from a cruise and ‘bingo’ this seemed like the passport to my dream! I rushed home and spent all night researching cruise ship jobs, applied to Royal Caribbean (I was attracted to this line as they had such large and innovative ships that travelled all over the world). The next couple of months were a blur and before I knew it, I was on a flight to Miami!
My ship contracts were normally six to eight months long with a six week to two month vacation and I did this rotation for about five years.
[Hostel Girl Note: wow! 5 years is a long time!]
Do you have a tip for readers looking to work on cruise ships?
My first tip would be to tell people what a fantastic experience working on cruise ship is; yes it is long hours, yes you are away from home for long periods of times and yes it can be hard but there are so many positives that outnumber this.
Before applying for cruise ship jobs work out what you would like to do. There are so many different roles onboard from youth staff, bar work, entertainment staff, customer service and sales. Do not just go with any job because you want to get to sea (even though that is what I did!). You need to know what you would be good at and what experience you have.
I would also advise to look into the different cruise lines as they are all so different. There are luxury, family, adult-only, smaller and larger lines. Research into what cruise line you think would suit your personality.
We all want to know…how big was your suitcase for seven months away at sea?
I love when people ask me this question as everyone thinks the crew gets unlimited allowance – this is not true. We had just the same as a travelling guest. Normally, one bag for European flights and two for international.
However what’s harder than the low luggage allowance is the amount of wardrobe/drawer space you have to keep your clothes for the six months you are onboard! For those who have travelled, you know when you go travelling your fashion style has to somehow slip. I used to love shoes and bags but after travelling, they are not as important to me anymore. My wardrobe space was no more than 40cm wide and I had all of two small drawers!
Despite this, it is completely manageable. Spending every day in your uniforms means you do not have to pack lots of everyday clothes. Different crew members have different uniforms but I only had to pack my daytime t-shirts, two formal suits and formal dresses (these were the heaviest!).
I remember packing for my first contact I was completely unaware of what to pack and took so many things I didn’t need but after a couple of contracts I now have award-winning packing skills!
What was the hardest thing for you about being away from home for so long?
I guess like anyone who travels, the hardest thing for me was being away from my family and friends. I do not have a huge family but I missed my mum and dad tremendous amounts. I remember telling my mum I would not go away unless she learnt how to email, which she did and we had regular contact through email, skype, phone calls and letters. Going at a fairly young age also meant I missed most of my friends 21st birthdays which was hard at the time.
Sometimes the feeling of coming home after six months made up for all the lonely times – the excitement I had the night before I was flying home for vacation is a feeling I can’t put into words.
Being on board a ship has its restrictions and I really missed being able to drive a car and cook for myself.
What experience so far are you most proud of doing?
Without sounding too ‘pretentious’, there are so many moments of my travels that I am proud of, it’s hard to pin point one. Here are a few that come to mind:
*Stepping out of ordinary life and following my dream to travel. From never even going on holiday and only just turning 21, to then boarding a plane to the other side of the world by myself to reach a completely unknown world was the most daunting experience of my life. I am proud that I never let myself feel scared and I let my feelings of excitement take over any negative thoughts.
*After completing only one contract I was chosen to be part of the Oasis of the Seas take out team (A brand new ship that was built in 2009 and is the biggest ship in the world). This was a huge achievement as most other people that were chosen had worked on ships for years.
*My ability to become independent. Although there are hundreds of crew working onboard, it can be a lonely environment and you often find yourself spending time alone. Much of the exploring I have done has been alone or with someone I had only met that day.
*After returning from my time at sea I have learnt not to take anything for granted. Any type of travel (unless staying in luxurious hotels – which we all know is not proper travelling!) opens your eyes to other cultures and lifestyles. From working with an international crew from all over the world I learnt how some nationalities have to work onboard to provide for their family back home and they have a very different lifestyle to most of us, but always remain happy. It has enabled me to try and see the positive side of any situation.
[Hostel Girl note: this is so true! With hostels it is the time you spend with struggling locals who have to work themselves to the bone in the tourist industry to support their families – it’s very humbling!]
What has been your funniest moment on the road?
Again this is so hard to answer as there are so many! In-fact when I think about my time at sea, it appears I was laughing 90% of the time. A few that stood out when I had a thought about funny moments are…
*When we played a prank on my friend Chris. At the time he was new to sea and in traditional ‘new hire’ style, a prank was needed, although this one went further than most. The bridge staff called him and said they needed help to search for whales (a crew member would not need to do this, but when an officer is telling you I guess you could believe it!). They made him wear a high visibility jacket and make whale noises through a megaphone on the bow of the ship as we all gathered on the bridge to watch him. We eventually radioed for him to turn around and look up…he was a good sport!
*One day in San Juan Puerto Rico, myself and my friend Lisa went ashore and strolled around the old town exploring and seeking adventures. On the way back the ship we decided to grab an ice cream and Lisa said to be ‘’quite a few people are heading back to the ship, what time do we have to be back onboard?’’ With sheer panic I looked down at my watch and in shock realised we had TWO minutes to get back. Crew or not, the ship will not wait and the pier was about a mile long. We literally screamed and ran so fast, still firmly holding our large ice creams! I was so scared of missing the ship, my legs went into complete overdrive and I screamed to Lisa to ‘just throw the ice cream’. I was slightly ahead of her and as I threw my ice cream it landed flat in her face but we didn’t have time to stop. Picture this – a ship full of people all watching two young girls sprinting up the pier covered in cream…it was so funny! It only now that I can look back at laugh because at the time I have never been so worried.
*During an extreme zipline adventure in St Maarten, myself and two friends had our adrenalin pushed to the max as this is an exceptionally high zipline that has you dangling thousands of feet over Caribbean jungles. I was pretty nervous but none the less went for it and just as I got to the middle, I stopped and I was just hanging by myself in the middle of this jungle. I am laughing as I write this, as I can only image how I must have looked, stationary on this rope in the middle of nowhere and looking back at my two friends practically crying with laughter! The guide soon shot down and rescued me, but I did find it extremely funny.
What one piece of advice would you give someone who is getting ready to set off on their first travel adventure?!
Step out of your comfort zone – ‘’The most exciting things in life happen just outside of your comfort zone’, a saying that I can defiantly relate to. Stepping out of your comfort zone is not easy for anyone, that’s why it is called a comfort zone and I feel unless you step out of it, you will never really experience a real adventure.
I had never been on holiday, on a plane or hardly been outside of my tiny village and due to taking that ‘step outside of my comfort zone’ I am now a 26 year old who has travelled to every continent of the world, experienced adventures that most people only dream of and have hold stories you couldn’t even make up.
In the end we only regret the things we didn’t do, so if you dream of travelling then take that step and follow your dreams.
Quick Travel Tips!
1. Hostel or Hotel?
Hostel for the true travelling experience.
2. Train or Plane…or Cruise?!
Cruise, ok that was obvious! But minus that – plane.
3. Backpack or Suitcase?
Backpack definitely
4. Card or Cash?
Cash (tip – don’t keep it all together, have a couple of wallets).
5. With Friends or Solo?
Solo, there is more opportunity to meet new and interesting people this way.
Hostel Girl note: Thanks Sally for providing such great answers – if any of you out there are looking for work on a cruise ship you’ve definitely got the inspiration sorted this Tuesday!
Follow Sally on Twitter!
Check Out Sally’s Writing!
Sally currently features on the Iglu Cruise Blog (an online cruise agency) where you can read her reviews on destinations, cruise tips and what to expect onboard!
How many of you are now inspired to search for work on a cruise ship?!
Let Sally know on Twitter or leave a message in the comments section below!
Lots of love,
