Eight Bermudians Offered NCL Cruise Line Jobs
Following a recruitment drive eight Bermudians have received offers of employment offers from Norwegian Cruise Line, Minister of Home Affairs Michael Fahy said today [Sept 18] in the Senate.
The first Bermudian contingent will set sail on their maiden voyage on October 5th 2013 from New York on the Norwegian Gem.
Earlier this year the Department of Workforce Development launched an employment partnership programme with the Norwegian Cruise Line, and a two day recruitment drive was held in Bermuda in July.
Two human resource executives from Norwegian Cruise Line visited the island, and 85 Bermudians attended the recruitment fair.
“To date eight Bermudians have received offers of employment directly from Norwegian Cruise Line,” said Minister Fahy.
“Seven of the successful applicants are currently completing their pre-boarding requirements which include; shipboard visa, security clearance, medical examinations and first aid/CPR certification.
“One applicant has subsequently accepted a scholarship for overseas studies and has made contact directly with Norwegian Cruise Line expressing his continued interest in future opportunities.”
Minister Fahy continued, “Planning to determine the frequency with which we will host Norwegian Cruise Line representatives to conduct ongoing recruitment is in progress.
“We are confident that this programme will continue to grow and more Bermudians will be given opportunities to secure on-board employment.
“The Norwegian Cruise Line initiative is being used as a blueprint for the development of additional job placement programmes with other global organizations that do business in Bermuda.”
Minister Fahy’s full statement follows below:
Madam President, the Government of Bermuda continues to move forward with the implementation of innovative programmes designed to get Bermudians back to work; sustainable programmes that provide real jobs for real people on an ongoing basis.
In July of this year the Department of Workforce Development launched a partnership programme with The Norwegian Cruise Line designed to identify suitable Bermudian candidates to join The Norwegian Cruise Line on-board team.
This collaborative programme was launched with a two-day recruitment drive here in Bermuda, hosted by the cruise line on July 23rd and 24th 2013 wherein two human resource executives from Norwegian Cruise Line visited the island to conduct a talent search.
These executives travel the world to seek talented team members to join their prestigious organization and boast of having employees from around the globe.
Potential applicants were invited to pre-register with the Department of Workforce Development to attend the recruitment fair. In addition, individuals were invited to attend the fair on a walk-in basis so that as many Bermudians as possible could take advantage of the opportunity.
Madam President, eighty-five Bermudians attended the recruitment fair. The Norwegian Cruise Line executives presented a full overview of the employment opportunities as well as realistic expectations of life as an employee on board a cruise ship. Everyone who attended was afforded the opportunity of a personal interview with one of the recruiters, who then returned to their corporate offices to review the applications and determine employment suitability.
Madam President, to date eight Bermudians have received offers of employment directly from Norwegian Cruise Line. Each one of the successful applicants recognizes that this is an exciting opportunity and one that will significantly enhance their personal and professional growth. Seven of the successful applicants are currently completing their pre-boarding requirements which include; shipboard visa, security clearance, medical examinations and first aid/CPR certification. One applicant has subsequently accepted a scholarship for overseas studies and has made contact directly with Norwegian Cruise Line expressing his continued interest in future opportunities.
Madam President, the first Bermudian contingent will set sail on their maiden voyage on October 5th 2013 from New York on the Norwegian Gem.
Planning to determine the frequency with which we will host Norwegian Cruise Line representatives to conduct ongoing recruitment is in progress.
We are confident that this programme will continue to grow and more Bermudians will be given opportunities to secure on-board employment. The Norwegian Cruise Line initiative is being used as a blueprint for the development of additional job placement programmes with other global organizations that do business in Bermuda.
Our aim Madam President is to ensure that we get Bermuda back to work and every effort is being directed towards this end. Our expectation is that Bermudians will secure jobs here in Bermuda and where the opportunities exists, with our global partners.
Thank You Madam President.
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- Seven Bermudians To Begin Cruise Ship Jobs | Bernews.com | October 4, 2013
85 people attended the job fair but only 8 got hired? Either the jobs did not meet expectations, the interview process was hard or those who attended where not prepared I.E. resume, attire, interacting skills
Does anyone know why so few or did I answer my own question?
or maybe they had 8 jobs available..and also it says in future more will get the opportunity…but the question is, why is this your response? be positive an congratulate the 8 that succeeded.
Well done!! represent BDA!!!!!!!
Thank you Mr. Dill I was going to say the same thing. Congratulations should be given to those who did make it and not straight attention to the negative!
maybe you’re right, they could have only had 8 spots.
After they get payed OBA is going to sell everyone who took part in the scam I mean pollic tricks a house for $70,000.
The PAY is $1500 a month. You work 6 months then 3 months off busting your tail and sharing a room with someone who’s house in their Country cost $70,000. If you going to live in the Philippines when you retire it’s ok.
Even Filipinos are not stupid enough to work for a penny, when you can work in Bermuda for a dollar and make $3000 min at a restaurant in Bermuda.
Exactly!
It’s sad to come to the realisation that Bermuda government is not a democracy anymore but a corporatocracy. PLP set these gears in motion & it seems OBA either has no one with a backbone to try & stop it or rather it stay this way. What I find even more stomach turning is that they try to sedate us with this type of propaganda.
I know two people personally that decided to work on cruise ships right out of college and they did it for the experience. Not everything is about the money!
Gongrats to you all!!! See the world, work hard, play hard, and soak up the experience and knowledge! You may not get righ, but the experience is one that money can’t buy.
@somuchless Maybe they only had 8 spots allocated to Bermuda? Why so negative?
Congratulations to those who were successful and I hope those that weren’t will hone their skills and show up again when the call goes out. I’m green with envy; I’ve always wanted to work on a cruise ship!
well said!!!
So why didn’t you apply Shari-Lynn? I have a friend who has travelled the world working on a cruise ship. By the way, she got the job several years ago while living in Bermuda.
Not you again!!
I don’t often agree with Laverne, but she hasn’t said anything wrong?? She is just encouraging and telling Shari-Lynn to go for it. What is wrong with that?
Well said Shari-Lynn. For young single people this is a great opportunity. Good luck to them. I hope they do well show everyone how nice Bermudians can be.
My daughter was one of the lucky Bermudians to be picked to go. I am one happy parent. People need to keep their negative comments to them self. Here we have a positive story to report on instead of one that is about violence and killing. We should be applauding them.
Congrats! that is awesome news. That will be a great experience for her.
Congrats to the choosen 8!
somuchless hit it on the nail!
I have seen many people turn up looking like crap and ill prepared and actually believing they have the job already.
AS for the Cruise Line Ships,I really hope they are paying so much more than they pay the Philipino Crew members each month!
Why would they pay Bermudians any more than they do the Filipinos for the same job?
well done maybe now this can spread to the other cruise lines that serve Bermuda and people don’t be so negative maybe ncl or another cruise line will hire more bermudians
nuffin, thanks for understanding where i’m coming from.
To you “nuffin but da Truth” why would you compare bermudian pay to a FILIPINO when they will be working overseas with other people from across the world. And before you try to degrade other people from other nations such as FILIPINOS. Learn how to spell correctly prior to trying to disrespect them. That way it wouldnt make you seem like such a ***t!!!
Congratulations to all of those who got jobs. Well done ! Work hard, spread on that Bermuda charm and speak proudly of your home. Good luck in your new careers and may you all be safe.
$125 a month is the pay for Philipino Crew…
DOUBT ITS THAT LOW…But think how much they save on FREE food, FREE rent. Most people bust their a$$ on land and are barely breaking even. $125 profit a month for some is not bad.
Whoever told you that is lying to you. They may not get paid a thousand per month but they get paid much more than 125 plus like WOW pointed out they get lots for free. Besides there are more nationalities that work on board not just Filipinos that have to do the same jobs at the same pay as them. If they wanted to get paid more there is the possibility of working there way up to being one of the officers. Just as varied as the rest of the crew is so are the officers who come from countries in Europe, Africa, Australasia & Asia. They could become one of the officers in a matter of years if they endeavoured to do so. Then again why work your way up a ladder for many years when one of your port stops is big money Bermuda where you have many mates who can convince their employer to hire you for much more than what you make on the ship from go.
Politics aside , I have three family members who worked on the Queen (Of Bermuda) and over the years I’ve worked with a few others. It was a very different time then of course , but all of them gave exemplary service in their careers even after the Queen.
And some of them ended up in fields of work that couldn’t have been more different than working on a cruise ship.
Times have changed and the cruise ship passenger of today is a totally different animal than those of the 50′s and 60s’ and even though these new recruits deserve congratulations they’re going to be have cut from a very special cloth to undertake this line of work.
They’re not going to become wealthy by any stretch of the imagination but the experience is going to last them a life time.
Good luck to all and fly the Bermuda flag with pride.
Congratulations to all 8 new recruits of the NCL; remember your experience will benefit you in the future. Have fun and be safe.
My daughter was told that she didn’t have any experience and therefore they could not offer her a job. They told her to find a job here and get experience but most jobs here want experience to. Therefore she is still unemployed.
What did she apply for? Some folks here reading might be able to help.
She applied for either a waitress, assistant waitress, bar helper or spa assistant.
Give Rick Olson a call. He’s always eager to hire Bermudians!
The first job might suck, bar porter or whatever, but it’s all experience!
Very true, Rick is very open to hiring and training new staff. Can’t fault him there!
Thank you, will do.
I wish her good luck. Hope she finds something.
bermygirl you can’t win. I’m sure after your daughter gets some experience and she reapplies they’ll say she’s over qualified. I’ve seen it happen
Well done to the new recruits!
85 didn’t necessarily apply just because they attended. Some may have attended as support for friends or relatives who were interested. Some may be interested for the future but now. Some may have just been curious. Others may have had unsuccessful applications or decided it just wasn’t there thing. How many attend other career fair and college fairs etc but only a few end up getting a job or attending particular colleges.
It’s not always about the money.. The experience will be priceless. Hopefully these Bermudians will get to travel to many different countries and ports.. Great life experience,,
Totally agree…my niece got accepted, the pay is not all that but then again she doesn’t have to pay for anything really…its a good life experience! Hope they all have a blast and represent Bermuda to the fullest!!!!!
Congratulations to the chosen 8, I think that it was a commendable effort!The selection process is very rigourous so be proud.I think it is about time Bermudians started to venture outside of our island for work experience, other nations have been doing it for years. Well done and good luck!!
Not all applied, as you did not have to do the interview the same day; some did the interview and may have been turned down as they did not attend prepared to impress on that day, i.e – attire, attitude or with their CV. Unfortunately, first impression always leaves a lasting impression .
Nomadic Matt in his blog wrote
“In my opinion the reason many of the ‘lower jobs’ are filled with people from developing nations is because the cruise lines can get away with paying them lower wages. Most of the ‘lower jobs’ receive very little money from the cruise lines (maybe $200 to $500 per month) with gratuities making up the rest of their salary. It would be a lot harder to convince people from the western world to take a job for such a small base pay but for those from developing countries this amount is often much more than they would earn back at home.”
It is incredible to think that 10 years ago Bermudians had the second highest income per capita in the world.
If people really think that doing a ‘lower job’ on a cruise ship is a great opportunity perhaps we are no longer apart of the 1st world club as our 5 years of negative growth empirically suggests.
I’m sure anytime a cruise ship passenger asks one of these eight what island they are from they will assume the same thing
Sure times are hard in Bermuda but worse for those who are only making $500 or less a month without free food & board. The problem gets compounded when they are responsible for the well being of others also. The cruise ship jobs are not for these people but there are many of these people in Bermuda. Bermudians have been getting jobs on Cruise ships since they first started coming here so this is old news trumped up for political hype.
I wouldnt want a job in any of those floating sardine cans for the few dollars they pay.
reading this article reminded me that this isn’t new. a few years ago there was a guy working for the norwegian line. i remember because he would sail to bermuda and I was onboard visiting and i read his name tag and it said bermuda. I said wow and chatted with him and he mentioned that he had been doing it for a while and was the only person from bermuda in the company.
i know the world is small cause I ended up bumping into the same guy in miami. he said he was about to join another ship so i guess he liked it.
if he’s around maybe bernews or someone could track him down and do a story about his experience and i can’t even remember his name grrrr.
Congrats on the 8! Great opportunity for anyone! Hopefully more jobs to come. Working on a cruise is a great experience; get to travel, meet people and save $$$$. While the pay is not GREAT, while on a cruise it’s tax free and you don’t pay for food, rent , etc so it’s GREAT thing! I have plans to work on a cruise one day, so you 8 Bermudians makes us proud so the program continues and expands so that others like me can prosper. All the best! All aboard!
if Bermudians didn’t know great customer service before they joined the cruise industry they certainly will know after
happy endings anyone
It seems that you are clueless about Bermuda’s historical relationships with cruise lines & the industry. Just because its the first time in the online media doesn’t mean its the first in history.
Hey I’m sooo excited cos they even auditioned a guy who could play a song on a small guitar thingy. I’d love to go work on an ocean liner I would cos I’m just so enthusiastic about everything! Boy I’m the luckiest guy in the world.
Nice to have fans!
Someone even recognized me the other day. I’m just so gosh darned lucky I get to do this for a living.
Oh, Trumpety Trump. You’re everyone’s fan, aren’t you?
my sister is working in a cruise line as waitress earning $500 us clean, not rent bills, not food cost, not all phillippinas get low wages but she graduated in business management in manila.
Most Bermudians showed up inexperienced, dressed inappropriate and not prepared Actually it’s a really good experience…the pay is not all that, but given they provide food and a place to sleep for free you save all the money you make. Working in a restaurant in Bermuda you might make 3000 a month and u work about the same amount of hours, but by time you pay your bills your broke. And let’s not forget your traveling the world at the same time…Bahamas on your time off better than Front St. on your time off
I saw where someone was focusing on the pay, so my question to you and people who think like you is, which is better to be earning $1500 per month or $0 per month.They wont have a whole lot of overhead so this give them a chance to save a few dollars. This is a chance for these eight young people to go and expand their knowledge in the hospitality industry which will be good for them going forward. Best of luck to you all, wishing you all the best.
If I was single, no mortgage or commitments I wouldn’t mind doing something like this, if only for the experience of visiting so many places during down time.
Good luck to the eight who were hired!
Congrats to all.
Cabin over your head, three squares, great food.
And get paid.
And don’t forget you get to do your own laundry free or a friend if your working.
Thanks NCL for giving some an opportunity. My next cruise will be with NCL now. Support my fellow man, and I will put my money with you!
Congratulations to the young lady thats works in The Royal Naval Dockyard, hope she enjoys the experience. Ive worked on two vessels,in the past years, I cant say the pay is like the pay there in Bermuda but whatyou experience is unbelievable and priceless!! Congratulations and Have A Marvelous Time.
R.B.Jeffers -New York