Season heats jobs on cruise ships
Diamond Princess at Whittier port, in Alaska (US). In this cruise was 5 crew and 45 brazilian tourists (Photo: Mario Teixeira)
By Mario Teixeira
In a time of economic crisis, dollar salaries usually a great incentive. Join the possibility of knowing it, for free, new countries and cultures. However, for those who invest in jobs for crew members of cruise ships, not all flowers. They, however, ensure that the balance is always positive, mainly because the tips that can improve, much the salary at the end of each month.
Although we have cruises in Brazil only during the summer, going from October to April, the opportunities are permanent and any time of year it is easy to find jobs. The main requirements are aged between 18 and 35 years, mostly; complete high school; intermediate to fluent English, positive attitude, team spirit, and knowledge of the area to which you are applying. Once shipped is very easy to renew contracts, since one of the major problems faced by the companies is the lack of qualified labor.
- The contracts are on average six to eight months. The intention of the company is just renew that contract, as well as a crew member will have already trained and prepared to work on board. The companies are pushing to have the crew make career aboard - emphasized Marcelo Del Bel, recruiter Infinity Brazil, one of the leading companies hiring of crew in the country.
Work is hard during all the season, but the crew is always interested to renew the contract. (Photo Infinity Brazil)
The concern to seek new crew members, especially with the heating of the cruises and the opening of new destinations made companies like the Italian group Costa Crociere and its Spanish partner Ibero Cruceros launch a proper tool for hiring employees. The Job Navio explains step by step the stages that the candidate will have to follow to get your seat on board. He has access to all available positions, divided into 11 categories: Bar; Crew (cleaning cabins and crew areas), Entertainment (entertainment, sport and leisure); Galley (kitchen); Guest Service (direct service to guests) , Hotel, Housekeeping (cleaning cabins and passenger areas); Photo (production photos and videos); Restaurant; Store (material handling on board) and Tours (tours). When you select a function on your preference, the candidate has in detail the characteristics and abilities needed to perform the activity.
The Brazilian crew has a great advantage in this segment. According to the Brazilian Association of Maritime Cruises (CLIA ABREMAR BRAZIL), plus the sympathy, dedication and initiative, the Brazilian brands, there Normative Instruction 71, established in 2005, which provides for the hiring of a minimum of 25% of national workers in cruises that pass through cities. This makes us the second group in hiring for ships worldwide and ensures the national crew a good price and excellent contracts.
According to the note from Royal Caribbean about hiring crew members, the number of Brazilians traveling on cruises is increasing and many of them don´t dominate other languages. Therefore, there is a continuing need for hiring professionals. The company ensures that vacancies are open not only to the only ship on the Brazilian coast, but also to the 40 ships that cross international waters by companies Azamara, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur and Royal Caribbean. Contracts are governed by international law and depends on the employee's rank and position. For example, the master of a ship spends four months at sea and four months at home. If you are interested in rehiring, the company will notify to which ship it will be highlighted to return from vacation and can be in the same boat or any other group.
Wages do not vary greatly between companies. The Costa Group acknowledges that the crew without qualification starts earning $ 600. In most cases, salaries are between $ 600 and $ 4,000. Each profession has its specific abilities, such as doctors and nurses, who must be over 21 years old, English and Spanish and advanced experience in Emergency and / or Trauma. The Lounge Technician, for example, will be in charge of making adjustments sound and lighting in the various stages of the ship and must have advanced English. It is worth remembering that these figures do not include gratuities that may occur, especially for bar and restaurant employees, as chamberlains.
In Royal Caribbean cruises, which just opened 300 jobs for next brazilian season, you can prepay gratuities, and on the penultimate day of the cruise passenger receives vouchers in the amount of gratuity to chamberlain, waiter, junior waiter and maître. In groups Princess and Costa are made daily postings of tips in your account, but if you even want to give them personally, just warn the Guest Service that they withdraw the bill, leaving it to the customer thanking those who served him best. Normally the value is divided between the chamberlain and waiters, that excel in making the trip an unforgettable moment. The better service offer more chance to receive a good tip at the end of each cruise. In a seven-day cruises, simply multiply this possibility by four and add to earnings. After the wait is months off and make the most.
Study shows impact of cruises in the economy
A study by the CLIA ABREMAR BRAZIL, in partnership with Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), measured the economic impact of cruises in the country, not only in the generation of income in their own ships, with hiring professionals, but mainly in the tourist movement cities that function as loading / unloading and transit. The increase in the purchasing power of the population, increased consumption and ease of payment packages, some with funding up to 10 times, positively influenced the growth of demand for cruises.
Of the season 2004/2005 to 2010/2011, according to the study, there was a jump of over 450% in the number of cruise passengers, jumping from 139,430 passengers in the first season evaluated for 792,752 in 2011. The total impacts, direct and indirect of shipowners and cruisers, reached R $ 1.4 billion, of which R $ 893.5 million generated by the spending of shipowners in the purchase of supplies, fuel and port costs and R $ 522.5 million generated by cruise passengers in the ports of embarkation / disembarkation and transit.
Pier Maua, in Rio de Janeiro, is an important gate in Brazil during the season, from October to April (Photo: Pier Mauá)
The port cities are the most benefited from spending by cruise passengers and crew. Considering the movement generated by the spending of cruise passengers and crew from the scales, loading and unloading, in the season 2010/2011, the full impact of R $ 522.5 million divided as follows: R $ 102.9 million were generated in the city of Rio de Janeiro, R $ 86.6 million in Santos, R $ 57.0 million in Buzios, R $ 43.9 million in Salvador, R $ 42.3 million in Ilhabela, and R $ 189.8 million in other ports and cities, whereas the indirect impacts also impact on other port cities that are not, as the case of air transport of passengers.
Important to emphasize that Santos and Rio de Janeiro are the main ports of embarkation and disembarkation of the country and, consequently, are more impacted by tourists who stay in cities before and / or after the travel period. Rio de Janeiro, and important port of embarkation / disembarkation, stands out with Buzios as an important port of call, followed by Salvador and Ilhabela.
In the season 2010/2011, the cruise industry generated approximately 20,638 jobs in the Brazilian economy, with 5,603 crewmen and 15,035 generated, directly and indirectly, by the spending of tourists in port towns and supply chain support sector. Besides the jobs in regional offices of carriers sales, marketing and customer service of cruises are generated jobs during the season. In particular the port terminals and the city as a whole (retail, bars and restaurants, receptive, transportation and tourist attractions), moving the whole chain of local services.
In Brazil, the cabotage law requires that 25% of the crew of each ship in the brazilian coast is composed of Brazilians. As the minimum wage board is above the Brazilian average, many young people are trained in languages, tourism and hospitality to dispute those jobs. Moreover, the environment of the ship favors cultural exchange with the crew of different nationalities, professional qualification and work opportunities abroad.
