We believe there are range of benefits for you working at sea as a photographer. It’s a significantly different lifestyle when you live and work in the same place as you travel the world.
We’re looking for talented creative photographers to join our team. The next person we fly Barbados, Rio, or Sydney could be you! If you are looking for a job that truly offers something different, this can be the option for you.
Minimum requirements:
- Diploma, A Level, HDN, proffesional accreditation,
BA(Hons), Bsc(Hons) or equivalent in Photography - A good understanding of DSLR’s is desirable
- Proven track record in a retail/sales environment.
- And / Or 1 year of industry experience
- Fit & Healthy (emergency duty responsibilities)
- Fluent in English (knowledge of German desirable)
Salary & benefits
- Photographer competitive rate, plus commission
- Free meals and accommodation
- (Photographer twin en-suite shared)
- International travel
- Develop skills in Wedding, Portrait and Activity Photography
- Develop skills in video DVD editing and mini-lab printing
We believe that there a range of benefits for you working at sea as a photographer. It’s a significantly different lifestyle when you live and work when you live and work in the same place as you travel the world. On some ships there are as many as 2,000 crew looking after 5,200 passengers. That’s the equivalent of a small town, but with a huge diversity of people, nationalities and cultures. So many lifelong friendships are formed on board because of the close knit community that forms on every ship.
Minimum requirements:
- You must have an excellent command of the English language (both spoken and written). You should have a working knowledge of Word, Excel business software and a strong technical knowledge of photography equipment and software such as Photoshop and Lightroom
- You will be responsible for departmental accounting and reporting, so will need budget, revenue and inventory awareness.
Salary & benefits
- Basic Salary £1,600 p/m tax free
- Bonuses and commission schemes
- Excursion at destinations included
- Travel to and from ship paid for
- All equipment and uniform provided
- On-board food and accomodation included
Please note employees are required to be at least 21 years old, possess a current unrestricted passport ( valid for at least a year). You must have a clean police record as you will need to apply for US visa if successful with your application. All crew members are required to successfully clear an ENG1 or equivalent medical before commencing on-board.
FAQ’s
What are the working hours?
The hours are very varied on board. As event photographers we work around everyone else schedules! A typical day is around 8 to 10 hours. A large part of that time is in the Photo Gallery helping customers. Ship’s operate 7 days a week and there is a requirement to work every day, however with a good mixture of ports visited you are often only starting at 5pm and working in the evening for about 5 or 6 hours. Tours of Duty are typically four to six months long.
Will I have any other duties aside from photographing?
Although the job title is ‘Photographer’ your primary duties are sales related either within the Photo Gallery or talking with guests to let them know about the various services we have on board. And, as a crew member on board a cruise ship, there are other duties you will be required to take part in. This will always involve safety-related duties. You will be given full training on board on how to deal with an emergency and the mustering of guests. It’s like how airline cabin crew are also responsible for taking care of passengers if there is an emergency on a plane.
Are there any restrictions for working on board?
You will need to pass a seafarer’s medical examination. You must have completed a full course of covid vaccinations. In most cases you will need a US visa so will need to have a clean police background check.
What is the uniform like?
There is a casual daytime uniform (chinos and polo shirt) and a more formal evening uniform of trousers or skirt with a shirt and waistcoat.
Which ship will I be working on?
You will be assigned a ship depending on the needs of the business. You are welcome to let us know any preferences and where we can, we will accomdodate this.
What is my accommodation like?
Cabins for the majority of the crew are shared with someone of the same sex and from the same department. So you will usually share with another photographer. Cabins are on the small side, but they will have a bunk bed, desk, cupboard and en-suite shower room. Cabins are usually ‘inside’ cabins, so will not have a window. Photo Managers will have their own cabin with a double bed and will usually be an outside cabin with a porthole, however, every ship is different.
Anything else important I should know?
The biggest difference is the internet. Ships by their very nature operate at sea, away from mobile signals and WIFI. There is provision on board but this is via a satellite so will be slower and more expensive than you are used to at home. Satellite signals are not covered under any mobile plan so will be at a supplement. However, when the ship is in port, you will have the usual access to data roaming if your mobile contract includes this or from WIFU providers in port. The technology for cruise ships is improving continually with both costs coming down and speeds increase, but this is a slow process where new satellites are launched into low orbit to provide better coverage while out at sea.
In order to be eligible to apply we do ask for at least one of the following from you:
a) 2 years industry experience
b) Photography degree
c) BTEC national diploma or equivalent higher education in Photographer
However, if you really think you have what it takes, but don’t meet the above criteria, we’d be more than happy to hear from you and assess you on your individual merit. Even Picasso didn’t have art qualifications!
The majority of our guests on board are British and American so it’s important you can communicate easily with our customers, speaking fluent English is a must.
We operate in an open and fair way. To this end, should you have any reason to complain to us about the recruitment process and or our service, please contact hr@theshipsphotographer.com and we will forward you a copy of our grievance policy. Click here for details