What you need to perform it
Primary qualification
- A seafarer's employment agreement (SEA) under MLC 2006 with the line or concessionaire, and entry on the ship's crew list.
- STCW training per the muster list: A-VI/1 and safety training for personnel providing direct passenger service (A-V/2-2); the rest of the V/2 package only with designated duties.
- The trade's own qualification (hospitality, music, dance, entertainment) required by line or concessionaire, usually via audition or technical interview.
Basic STCW
- A-VI/1 Basic Safety Training
- Valid maritime medical fitness
Specific courses
- Ship familiarisation and SOLAS III drills per the onboard programme
- Food hygiene (USPH/VSP and EU SHIPSAN as references) for F&B posts
- Service languages and basic emergency communication with passengers
Indicative experience
The trade bar is set by the employer (service years, repertoire, show); the maritime side is completed on joining: medical certificate (ENG1 or flag equivalent), visas and muster-list training.
Observations
The Convention's guidance cites these cases expressly (a bartender with designated duties is emergency crew). Many posts belong to concessionaires rather than the line; usual 'staff' status differs from marine crew (industry practice). The passenger framework's specific cards detail each trade.
What this role does
The umbrella profile for cruise hotel and show staff —waiters, baristas, sommeliers, musicians, dancers, entertainers—: seafarers under the MLC even though their trade is shore-born. Their maritime training bar is set by the muster list: without emergency duties, passenger-contact safety training suffices; with designated duties, the full V/2 package applies (see the dedicated designated-safety-duties card).
Typical watches
- Service and entertainment shifts according to commercial operation
Key responsibilities
- Provide guest-facing hospitality, dining and entertainment services.
- Support emergency assistance and crowd-guidance protocols when designated.
- Participate in passenger-safety drills and briefings.
Operational scope
- Passenger areas (bars, lounges, theatres and restaurants)
- Onboard hotel operation
- Emergency assistance according to designated role
Profile reviewed by HydroAbyss (2026). Cited rules and timeframes are indicative: the final requirement is set by the flag State, the Administration and each company.