DCL Jobs

I always thought life on a cruise ship must be aweeeesssoooommme until I watched that show Undercover Boss and the Boss from Norwegian Cruise Line was on there and it showed where they lived and how they were away from their families for 9-10 months at a time. It might have been nice fresh out of college or even HS but now as a real live grownup I would have to pass. To me the worst part would be that you are ALWAYS at work. ALWAYS.

My college roomie and I both wanted to be a "camp counselor"/"youth coordinator" for the Disney cruise line when we were graduating from college. We applied...and applied....and applied. Both of us certainly had enough experience (I was a camp counselor all through college and she was a social work major who volunteered with a number of youth groups). Never received a reply. In hindsight, it was a blessing. As much as I'd love a Disney job, that wasn't the one for me. I've talked to so many people who work on ships and while they enjoy their jobs, it's not nearly as glamorous as my then-22-year-old mind made it out to be. You're not allowed to visit the public areas where the passengers are (although that does depend on what your job is, I would imagine a youth coordinator has more freedom then say a steward) and a lot of times you stay on the ship and work when it's at port (we of course had visions of getting off in exotic ports and seeing the sites...and the bars...). Plus...I get seasick, which surprisingly I didn't know at the time.

All that being said, my dream job would be in Disney's security department. I have no idea how to go about even researching something like that, but a girl can always dream....

I can make you feel a little better and tell you that the reason you didn't get hired out of college was because you aren't foreign. Not to be mean, but I've just been told by my managers at Disney that there was no use applying since they mainly hire non-Americans to give it a more far-away feel.

Also, you should check disneycareers.com and see if they have any security positions open. I know I've seen some open before on that website!

Oh cool!! Thanks!! I'll check it out. I've ALWAYS wanted to work for Disney. I interviewed for their internship program when I was in college (I can't remember what it was called), but I only wanted to work in the summer and not take a semester off, so they told us upfront that since EVERYONE wants to work during the summer the chances are pretty slim. But hey, it's good interviewing experience, right??

If I worked for Disney, I'd live in Celebration!!

I have a friend who went to work on a cruise ship after we graduated from college. While yes she did get to travel the world she worked long hours and was gone from home for six months at a time. She actually left that job to become a cake decorator. She worked in the customer service/event planning part of the cruise ship. She said though even when your off work you really are still there and can be called to work at any moment. She did make some good not great money and since she was always on the ship never really had anytime to spend it. So when she quit she had quite a bit saved which is better than most people 2 years out of college.

I did the Disney College Program my sophomore year, Jan-Aug 2009! And I'm in the process of applying & interviewing for another job there hopefully soon! I graduate in 12 days and I'm going to interview in about 16 days!

Congratulations on graduation!! Although my advice is to stay in school. The real world isn't all it's cracked up to be!! Good luck with your interview. Keep us posted!

Good Luck on your interview!!!!!

I have to admit, Disney is very tempting. I would love to work for Disney! DH even considered it. But living in Ohio, there is no job that is enticing enough for DH and I to relocate right now. I seriously considered it this past November. In Oct. I was laid off from my job that I had been at for 10 years. It has definately been an adjustment period for me as I have always worked, always had a job and this was my career. I actually applied and made it past the first round of cuts for a management level job at Celebration Health!!!!! Talk about awesome medical facility, this place is a dream facility! Unfortunately, they did not extend me a face to face interview because we live out of state. But I am guessing things happen for a reason and we just are not meant to relocate to live and work for Disney just yet. Maybe someday.......

Thanks! and everyone keeps telling me to stay in school, and I want to go to Vet school eventually, but for right now I want to make some money before I spend more on another education!

Thanks! and I'm sorry about the job at Celebration Health, but if you keep trying you might get it eventually. ...or something else down there you like more!

get her to apply to WDW with me! and if we both get a job, we'll have a friend!

I was a Cast Member for UK Disney Store and I really did love my job, the shame was there was NO moving about. You went in at the bottom position and that was it. I worked with people who had over 15 years experience in the job and still couldn't even move to the next position above. They hired all their managers from outside the company, no exceptions from where I was standing. That coupled with ridiculous inconsistent hours, consistently being paid incorrectly really put a dampner on the whole thing. At the time I was working two jobs and studying for my MA and Disney Store where not being the most co-operative. I do think they are run VERY differently from the majority of the Walt Disney Company. If I could get the hours, pay and position then Id go back, but I can't see that offer ever being on the table!

I have looked into doing the International Program several times but a year is a long time to be away from friends, family and my BF of 6 years! I would love to give it a go though!

We have cruised DCL a few times and have gotten to know a few of the cast and crew onboard.

In general:

Servers and room stewards have contracts that are usually 8 months long. If they renew, they then take 2 months off. Then 8 on, 2 off, and repeat. They work VERY long hours (about 12-15/day, seven days a week). They get room and board onboard the ship, so they have very few living expenses (communication home, sightseeing in ports, snacks, toiletries for the most part). Therefore, a majority of their pay is pocketed. For many from various countries around the world they send it all home. One room steward we had was from India and was with DCL for 7 years (8 mos on, 2 mos off). He said he makes more money there than he could ever make back home so it's what he does to support his family (wife and 3 kids).

Cruise staff is different. They are generally on four month contracts, followed by two months off. Again, they work very long hours, seven days a week, have very few expenses since room and board is part of their pay. One member of the cruise staff we got to know pretty well who is from America and has been cruise staff with DCL for three years said that she plans to stay until "it gets old." Her hope is to be able to pay off all of her college loans and save enough for grad. school.

Unless you are a higher level, living arrangements for all onboard are generally a VERY small, shared room. I had envisioned small. Then I saw a picture. Let me emphasize: V E R Y.

The cruise staff we got to know seem to love their job. They all said, if you don't love it, you leave after your first contract. They work very hard, but get to see the world, make friends (fellow cast and crew) from around the world, and build a very impressive resume. While the stateroom hosts and servers enjoy their jobs, the impression we got is that (generally speaking) they are onboard because it's a job in which they can make more than back home and are willing to make the sacrifices of being away / working very long hours for their families. Meanwhile, cruise staff is onboard (generally speaking) either as a job for an interim period of life (post-college, pre-"family", for example) or as a career choice. Very different situations.

Then there's the Officer we spoke with who has his own stateroom with a window, sees his family every Sunday when the ship is in port, and has been with DCL a very long time. As in any career, there are serious advantages, the higher up you get. Officers are a whole different ballgame.

All across the board, they get time to go in to Port most times, but not always. How much times depends on their work schedule for the day. And if you want to know where there is somewhere in port that has free wifi, ask them. They know every place in every port with free wifi --- that's their gateway to family and friends at home. And it's free.

Interesting sidestory: We were on a DCL cruise in the Bahamas. On the day we were in Nassau, our port time was 9am - 6pm. it was announced the night before that our port time in Nassau was being extended until 2am. When we inquired why there was a last minute extra EIGHT hours in port, we were told the Captain sometimes adjusts port time based on the sea and the weather. While this seemed reasonable, and we found out later that it does indeed happen, it was not the case this time. We found out from two members of the cruise staff that they were issued a "performance" challenge and if the post-cruise surveys filled out on the last day of the cruise for a month hit a certain score, they would get extra port time. Our extra eight hours in Nassau was, in reality, a crew reward. And while for some cast and/or crew it meant extended time in port (something they LOVE), it also meant that every single person working in every single department on the cruise ship would get some port time --- which is not always the case.

That's the general gist, from what we have learned from cast and crew over the span of our cruises.

- Dreams

Very insightful