First of all, working on a ship requires work experience in catering, good knowledge of English and/or German language, willingness to work in a team, and a multicultural environment.
It happens that companies send inquiries for candidates without work experience, but these are less common situations. In general, candidates without prior work experience need an EU passport in order to attend training. For example, Viking River Cruises company organizes training for EU candidates.
Non-EU candidates without prior work experience are most often recruited to work on the “season” on the coast, and after gaining the necessary work experience, they are chosen to work on a ship.
Because it is a multicultural setting, your language skills will be determined not just by who the company’s guests are, but also by where your coworkers are from. In most cases, knowledge of English and/or German language is required.
The level of language proficiency required varies depending on whether you applied for a position that involves direct communication with guests. For example, a fluent conversation is required for positions such as receptionist, hotel manager, maitre d hotel, waiter, bartender, and lower language proficiency is required for chefs, pastry cooks, maids.
Regardless of the qualifications themselves, what company representatives always appreciate in a job interview is the positive attitude of the candidate and knowledge about the company you are applying for.
