What you need to perform it
Primary qualification
- Technical training in IT or networking: in Spain, a higher vocational diploma such as ASIR (networked systems administration); internationally, an equivalent technical degree/diploma. Demonstrable experience can outweigh the diploma.
Basic STCW
- STCW A-VI/1 Basic Safety Training and A-VI/6-1 security awareness.
- STCW Regulation V/2 passenger-ship training: emergency familiarisation, plus crowd management if assigned passenger-assistance duties in the muster list.
- Valid seafarer medical certificate (ENG1 or flag equivalent).
Specific courses
- Networking and support: CompTIA A+/Network+ or Cisco CCNA (highly valued; some lines require them).
- ITIL Foundation (IT service management) — de facto standard in large fleets.
- Industry systems: POS (Oracle Hospitality/MICROS), cruise PMS (Fidelio Cruise/Oracle), onboard card and access-control systems (in-house training, indicative per company).
Indicative experience
As a guide: 1–3 years of IT support in demanding multi-user environments (hospitality, retail, corporate) before the first contract at sea. Typical contracts of 4–6 months. Recruited directly by the line or via technology partners.
Observations
Route: IT Assistant → IT Officer → ship Chief IT Officer → shoreside fleet roles. Real keys to the job: prioritising with scarce satellite bandwidth, passenger/crew/operations network segregation, PCI DSS compliance on payment systems, and data and communications backup in an emergency. Those who show judgement with the revenue systems (POS, casino, photo) get promoted fast.
What this role does
When a POS terminal goes down in the middle of dinner or a deck's Wi-Fi fails, the IT Assistant is the one who fixes it. The environment is unique: limited and expensive satellite bandwidth, hundreds of point-of-sale and cabin-card terminals, and systems that cannot go down in operation (check-in, manifests, hotel management). This is the technical first line of a floating hotel that never closes.
Typical watches
- Extended hours support with on-call for emergencies
Key responsibilities
- First-line support: POS terminals, crew devices, cabin connectivity.
- Network, guest Wi-Fi and entertainment system maintenance.
- Handle crew account and device onboarding/offboarding at every crew change, and maintain the IT equipment inventory.
Operational scope
- Central server, POS outlets, cabins, technical bridge
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.