HOSPITALITY, TRAVEL, AVIATION, SPORT AND FOOD

Cruise Ship Hospitality Crew

Work in dining, housekeeping, kitchens or guest services aboard international cruise ships.

Class 12 with English; any stream After Class 12 Private sector

Facts checked 29/10/2026

Is this for me?

People in this work enjoy

Meeting guests from many countries and cultures
Working as a close team in a busy, shared space
Seeing new ports while earning and living abroad

It may not suit you if you dislike

Months away from family on each contract, often in shared cabins
Long shifts on your feet, and rough weather at sea
Many gates to pass, such as documents, medicals, English tests and agency interviews

Class 11–12 subjects: Class 12 in any stream, with English as a subject. This is the entry rule for the NCHM JEE hotel degree. Cruise hospitality jobs generally accept any Class 12 stream, though English must be good (reported). No specific subjects are required.
First degree: B.Sc in Hospitality and Hotel Administration, 3 years, at an IHM. Shorter hotel diplomas are also common (reported). A degree is not a legal requirement for most cruise jobs.
Entrance exams: NCHM JEE (NTA) for the B.Sc at IHMs. Many private diplomas admit on Class 12 marks instead (reported). Cruise jobs do not need an entrance exam, but they do need marine certificates.
Licence or registration: None needed to start working.

Open to every streamClass 12 with English; any stream.Check your subjects against every career

What the work is like

Serving guests in restaurants and bars, cleaning cabins, cooking in the galley, working at the guest desk, or in spa, shop and laundry teams. Ships work like floating hotels, and crew usually sign on for contracts lasting several months.

A day in the work
A cabin steward on a week-long cruise may start before guests wake, cleaning and restocking a set of cabins. Shifts often run 10 to 12 hours with short breaks (reported). Crew share small cabins and eat in a staff mess. On port days some get a few hours ashore, but many contracts keep crew close to the ship.

The path, step by step

Step 1 · Class 10–12Study Class 12 with English. The NCHM JEE requires 10+2 with English as a subject. Build spoken English early, because interviews test it.
Step 2 · Class 12Take the NCHM JEE, a computer-based test of 120 marks. It covers English, reasoning, numerical ability, general knowledge and aptitude for the service sector. Admission is by All India Rank, followed by online counselling.
Step 3 · 3 yearsComplete the B.Sc in Hospitality and Hotel Administration at an IHM, or a shorter hotel diploma. Most courses include hotel training placements (reported). Check the college prospectus for details. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 4 · During or after the courseGet the marine papers. These are STCW basic safety training, an INDoS number, an Indian CDC and a seafarer medical. A 2013 DG Shipping order sets these for cruise hospitality crew. Confirm the current rules with DG Shipping before paying for any course. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 5 · After studyWork 1–2 years in a land hotel before applying for guest-facing jobs such as waiter, bar or front desk (reported). Entry roles like galley utility or cabin cleaning may take freshers. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 6 · HiringApply through an RPSL-licensed recruitment agency, which is how Indian crew are usually placed (reported). Check the agency's licence and the ship's IMO number against the DG Shipping restricted list. Then clear the interview, sign a written contract and join the ship. (reported — check with the official body)

Ways in

Degree or diploma routeA hotel management degree or diploma, then 1–2 years in a land hotel, then a cruise agency. Guest-facing jobs usually come this way (reported).
Direct entry routeEntry roles in galley utility, dishwashing, cabin cleaning or laundry. These can start with a short course plus the marine papers, without a hotel degree (reported).

Time and money

Stage	Time	Government college or body	Private college	Help available
Class 11–12 (Degree route: Class 12 with English)	2 years	Your school's fees	—	—
NCHM JEE entrance exam (Degree route)	1 day exam	Check the notice	—	—
B.Sc Hospitality and Hotel Administration at an IHM (Degree route)	3 years	IHM Lucknow: first semester ₹86,575 total (incl. ₹8,000 refundable caution money); semesters 2, 4, 6 ₹65,000 each; semesters 3, 5 ₹67,300 (2026-27 onwards). IHM Dehradun: first semester ₹1,02,315 (2026-27); later semesters ₹58,000–₹69,800	Check the college's fee page	No official IHM-run scholarship found. PM YASASVI (OBC/EBC/DNT) may include IHMs; amounts unconfirmed
Marine papers: STCW basic safety training, INDoS number, CDC, seafarer medical (reported)	Check the notice	Check the notice	STCW training at a training provider: about ₹12,000–18,000 (reported)	No government-paid training found; STCW is a private cost
1–2 years working in a land hotel before guest-facing jobs (reported)	1–2 years	Paid work (salary not listed on page)	—	Paid work; no pay figure on the page

Total timeAbout 6–7 years after Class 12 (3-year degree, then 1–2 years in a land hotel, plus marine papers)

Total costDegree fees at IHMs run from about ₹86,575 to ₹1,02,315 in the first semester, plus later semesters, plus about ₹12,000–18,000 for STCW training if you choose a private provider.

Good to knowConfirm current marine rules with DG Shipping before paying any course fee, and check the recruitment agency's RPSL licence before paying any fee.

Fees from: IHM Lucknow course fees page · IHM Dehradun fee structure 2026-27 · IHM Lucknow course fee page (2026-27 onwards B.Sc table) · Ministry of Social Justice PM YASASVI scheme document (2021-22 to 2025-26). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

What people earn

Pay depends on the department, rank, ship, contract length and experience. Entry jobs pay much less than senior roles, and tips and free board change the overall picture.

Myth and fact

Myth: ~~You need a hotel degree to get a cruise ship job.~~

Fact: Entry roles such as cabin steward, galley utility or dishwasher can start with a short course and the marine papers. Guest-facing roles usually want 1–2 years of hotel work first (reported).

Try it now

Class 7–9Practise spoken English for 15 minutes a day. Narrate what you see at a restaurant or a hotel, in full sentences.Open link ↗
Class 10–12Volunteer as a host or usher at a school, temple or community event. Notice how staff greet and handle guests.
College or afterRead the DG Shipping crew manual to see the rules on hours, rest and welfare that protect seafarers.Open link ↗

Good to know

Indian crew are usually placed by licensed agencies (RPSL), not by cruise lines directly. The DG Shipping order of 2026 bars 366 foreign ships from hiring Indian seafarers, so check the ship before you sign.
The legal minimum age for work on a ship is 16, and 18 for hazardous work, under India's crew rules. Most cruise employers hire from 18, and bar or casino roles often need 21 (reported).
Cruise contracts are long and away from home. Read the contract and the agency's licence before paying any fee.

Sources: NCHM JEE 2026 brochure (NCHM, PDF) · DG Shipping Order 8 of 2013 on Indian CDCs for cruise hospitality crew (indiacode PDF; older order, current status not confirmed) · DG Shipping Order 08 of 2026 on preventive measures for Indian seafarers (dgma.gov.in) · DG Shipping crew manual, draft v3.0 (dgma.gov.in) · IHM Lucknow course fees page · IHM Dehradun fee structure 2026-27 · Wings Institute, how to get a cruise ship job after 12th (training provider blog, not official; used only for practice points marked reported)