Use this night at the hotel to properly rest before a long flight, and if there’s any place nearby that you would like to go, enjoy that free time, as it will be probably the last time in a while that you will be able to do something like that, specially if you’re embarking on a place with a lot of touristic attractions like Barcelona, Venice, Civitavecchia, New York or Seattle, for example. Even being home ports, you might never be able to visit some locations during your very short free time. The hotel desk can provide some directions, and if you have read thru our guide on apps, you can always call an Uber for instance. Just make sure to save some time to rest back at the hotel.

As you wake up on the next morning, head to the breakfast and eat as you like. Afterwards, head back to your room, pack your stuff (make sure you didn’t forget anything), and head back to the hotel lobby to sign out and wait for the shuttle bus at the assigned time, where you can take this time to talk with others and make more friends. Just make sure that before you leave the hotel, you use the bathroom one last time as the shuttle service can take up to two hours from the hotel to the pier, and the pier will be a chaotic logistic scenery for a new hire.

As you arrive at the pier where your new home is located, you will probably be amazed by thousands of people all moving in different directions, forklifts moving cargo and luggage all over the place and if we are talking about a port in the United States, a lot of K9 dogs sniffing out every single pallet. Just stay close to your group and follow the provided instructions.

Once you get inside the ship, you will be required to remove your shoes and accessories in order to be scanned by the ship security, together with your bags. Also talking about your bags, make sure that you have all your important documents together with you at all times, as you will need them right now!

There’s usually a nice feeling when you join a ship for the first time, followed by looks from everybody else passing by the gangway and anxiety emerging from everything. It can be overwhelming, but don’t worry, you’re on a safe environment.

You will follow a line and “check in” with some officers responsible for taking care of your documentation. There’s no set order but you must wait for your turn, one at a time. You will be required to provide your passport to someone from the HR department and sign a list, your medical exams to someone from the Medical department and sign a list and lastly your safety trainings and related certifications (if any) to the Safety Officer and, sign a list.

You will be instructed to leave your luggage behind and follow the safety officer on a tour around the ship most important areas and aspects. There, you will also get to know the different types of doors around the ship, like the Fire Safety Door (FSD) and the most feared Watertight Doors, that do not stop for nothing while being operated. You will get to know the crew mess, the crew bar, recreational rooms and most importantly, where to go in case of a drill or any real emergency.

Keep in mind that at this time you will be following a group, while paying attention to what people are talking and passing thru diverse areas inside the ship, and it is totally normal to feel lost, as you will get lost at least three times per day during your first month!

After the little ship tour, your manager or someone from your team will be assigned to pick you up and show some specific work areas and the environment that you will be working at. Take this time to absorb as much as you can and try your best to remember all important information like how to get from point A to B, and from your cabin to your workplace. In case you need help, just ask anyone. Everybody will stop what they’re doing in order to help you out!

You will be instructed to be at a certain place on a specific time for some lectures about the cruise ship, what is expected of you and so on. During these trainings you get to know more people, start to recognize people that you met before and will get to know who is the captain, officers, directors and other managers around the ship, as well identify professions based on their uniform. You will have dozens of trainings to attend on your first weeks on board, each providing more and more knowledge.

At the end of this first training, there will be a safety drill that you do not need to attend as it is a PAX Drill, mandatory before sailing. Instead, you will be redirected to the laundry where you will pick up your new uniform and if needed, the tailor will assist you by making small adjustments to it. That’s why you probably had to fill a sizing chart during the first steps, so your company could make sure that they had spares of the correct size of your uniform available on board.

After collecting your uniform and trying it on to make sure it is comfortable, head back to your cabin or to the same place you were before the ship tour in order to collect your luggage, if you haven’t so far. You will probably be sharing you cabin with at least one more person of the same gender as you and often common, from the same department. Use this little spare time to settle in and unpack, as otherwise mentioned, that will be your cabin for the rest of your contract.

At a certain time, you will be required to be present (with your uniform on and nametag) at a certain place to start your very first shift on board. Before leaving your cabin, make sure that you memorized your cabin number, that you have your keycard with you at all times (as you will be locked out if you don’t) and that you left anything that you will not need in your cabin (documents, wallets, money and most importantly, your cellphone). At this very first moment, you will not need those things that can easily distract you and impact negatively your work.

Arriving at your work place (in question on where to go, or if you get lost, just ask for help. Once again, it is totally normal.), you will meet with your manager that will introduce you to the rest of the team that you will be working with. He/she might show you what you will be doing or will assign someone with experience to assist you. Just pay attention to what they’re demonstrating, even if you have done it before. You might be doing it wrong or differently from what the company standard is, so pay attention!

Time will probably fly and at the end of the shift you might be coerced to join some new friends at the famous crew bar. If you have any strength left, you should seriously consider it, as the bar will be packed with people that just joined, and you might even be able to see old friends or make new ones. Even if you feel tired, try to attend just to say hi. If you really do not want to go, you don’t need to. Take this time to rest as from now on, you will be working your daily shifts every day doing the whole duration of your contract, and having spare time is rare. 

On the following days you will be taking pictures for your official identification card that you will be required to carry with you at all times, (specially when you’re out of the ship), collecting your payment card where you will be receiving your salary weekly/monthly, attending trainings, making friends, getting better at work and for sure getting lost all the time, but less and less until you don’t anymore.

Take this time to reflect of your whole journey so far, what you accomplished and what are the next steps on your career progression, in case you decide to do more and more contracts. From here, there’s little less that you can learn from us, but we are sure that you used or will be using every tutorial we made thinking specially for you, that will not be considered a new hire anymore.

We asked our Communities: How it was your very first day on board? Here are some replies we got, and if you want to contribute with yours (we will not mention your name), you can do so by getting in touch with us.