I just got back from a cruise and it was fabulous. The crew really is a great group and is very enthusiastic about their jobs. I realized, though, that there are so many possibilities when cruising around for potential jobs. It’s probably not the first thing you think of, but it’s really a cool idea. (And I probably decided to write about this because I miss being in the Caribbean!) In any case, I did encounter a wide variety of careers on this cruise. Let me enlighten you on a few:

- First of all, our cruise director was so great. His high energy and friendly disposition made us all feel very welcome on our home-away-from-home for the week. He greeted us daily with the latest information for happenings aboard and ashore.

- The right captain makes all the difference. I’m actually not sure how skilled ours was as we felt very rocky on the ship, especially the last night (we were rocking so much it woke me up!). However, a captain must know how to maneuver a ship of gargantuan proportions and be able to manage poor weather conditions or any sort of changes in the tides.

- Entertainers are a huge part of a cruise ship. There needs to be something for everyone to do on the ship and these are those that keep the energy level high and keep everyone coming back each night for more. On my ship I experienced the comedy routine of David Naster, the circus-like juggling acts of Sharkbait, and the great improvisation skills of The Second City. There were also bands and song-and-dance routines so the possibilities in entertainment are pretty endless.

- The casino and gaming staff on the cruise ship function like any other casino (except they are floating on water, of course!). They know the rules of the casino games backwards and forwards and are very vigilant of all things happening around them.

- There are a variety of restaurants, bars, and other food service areas aboard a cruise. So chefs, bakers, butchers, bartenders, waiters, and more find ample jobs on cruise ships.

And then there are those that I didn’t even come into contact with, yet we cannot forget about them. These are the behind-the-scenes people, like stagehands, directors, assistants, and even marine oilers — people below deck who make sure the boat is moving smoothly. It is a very large vessel, after all.

There are lots of other jobs to be had on a cruise ship. There are so many different possibilities. But I will leave you with one quick story. I spoke with a musician from one of the shows onboard. He had just begun his journey and was loving it so far. He has a wife of 30+ years at home in Canada, as well as a few children and grandchildren (even one on the way!). The gig is a five-month contracted deal and during that time he rehearses, plays shows, and gets to take advantage of the variety of routes the ship takes (it switches from the Caribbean to Alaska at some point). Although he misses his wife and family, he thinks working on a cruise is a great opportunity and a way to do something for himself. It’s not easy, he explained to me, but it was something he was working hard at in order to succeed.

-Amanda Fornecker