by Neil Maxwell-Keys and Samantha Bennett

A PDF format ebook -- 159 pages

Reviewed by Traveling Ed Teja

It is always refreshing, if not an outright rare pleasure, to find a self-help book that actually provides enough relevant information to do the job. They are few and far between, and all are necessarily, given the noise level in book selling, self promoting. This book is an excellent example of how a little thought and a straightforward approach can combine to produce a book that is to the point, useful, and fun to read.

At Extraordinary Jobs, questions about cruise ship jobs rank high on the "most popular" list. This book answers them. So right out front let me say that if you have even a remote fantasy of applying for a cruise ship job, you should read this book first. It will save you time, effort, anxiety, and if the life really isn't what you think it is, some heartbreak. One of the things this book does best is to give a vivid account of life while working on a cruise ship, and how it can vary with the type of job you have. After all, there is no such thing as a cruise ship job--it takes a variety of skills and work situations to meet the needs of these floating cities. The hours you'll work, the privileges you have, and even where you live, can be affected by your role on board, and the authors address this well.

Of course, the book might make unpleasant reading if your fantasy isn't a little grounded in reality. There is even a chapter titled "The downsides of life onboard" that provides the requisite reality check--that the life is not for those who need to be home on the holidays, have a lot of private space and time, or vulnerable to a host of other gotchas that come with the territory. Of course, they also share the joys of the life, and talk sincerely about the good friends, weird situations, and the ups and downs they've encountered enroute.

The authors, who have worked on cruise ships and run a crew placement company, show the most direct path from where you are now to that cherished berth. Along the way they explain how cruise ships are organized, the expectations concerning your behaviour on board, how you can pay bills back home when you are away for months at a time, and much more. I have to say that they addressed every issue I could think of and then some, and with authority.

The authors have also prepared supplemental material, including a first rate discussion of the kind of resume (CV) you need to prepare for the jobs--what to put in, what to leave out and how to focus it. And there is a resource guide for those who have been offered jobs on a cruise ship to help you prepare for it--it covers do*****ents you may need, sample job contracts, your travel arrangements (to and from the assignment), and medical exams.

A very thorough and commendable job, and one that fills an information gap that needed to be filled.

By the way, if you have no experience with ebooks, have no fear. Up front the authors provide a section on how to read a PDF book.