Cruise ships, the big ones, the ones with 900 staff and 3300 guests, are kind of like running a convention center but with alot more stress involved. Work is 12 on 12 off if you're lucky, meaning you have a full crew, which doesn't happen very often. Contracts are usually 3 months, after the contract you take a break, then it's back on to 12 on 12 off. If you're really lucky you might get a few hours off in ports of call. There are no amentities for crew other than duty free booze and cigs, officers get single cabins, everyone else is shoe-horned 3 or 4 to a cabin
You have to work very closely with your on board purchaser and head office purchaser. If you dock in Anchorage or Tahiti, your goods are waiting for you, if you realize you missed something once you're getting into port, there's no second chance. I believe there was a near riot on one of the Royal Caribean ships a few years back because the purchaser underestimated the amount of rice needed for crew members
You'll have to be a true diplomat. A true diplomat can tell someone to go to **** in such a way that they actually look forward to the trip. Every level of staff in the galley, from d/w to cook to Sous is of a different nationality, same as everywhere else on board. Each nationality is hired at a different rate of pay, but all in US $. There is alot of jealousy and resentment, and when you mix male-female relationships within tight quarters and high stress levels, even blinking at the wrong person can be dangerous. You will learn to respect nationalities, their religions and customs, break up fights, scramble to find replacements when a staff gets held up at customs because s/he's bringing in weed or coke for personal use, and then there's the ultimate nightmare: Norwalk Virus. Cramming 4000 souls in a tin can for a week will do this, and the health dept at every port of call will be looking for traces of it. You will wonder what a truly sane person actually is...
Other than that, it's a blast  | 
