Q for employees please - how long 'till they send news?

[Sea100]

Hi everyone, I have a quick question for people who’ve applied to Royal Caribbean recently. :)

I applied for the guest services officer position and was invited to interview about three days later. The recruiter told me I seemed like a strong fit, that she would endorse my application, and to watch out for further correspondence.

Since then, it’s been about a month and a half without updates. I know cruise line recruitment can take a while, but I’m wondering if anyone who has applied more recently from Europe for similar positions can share their timeline or experience?

For context, I’m in my early 20s, with a hospitality degree and international hotel and front office experience. I’ve also grown up around cruising since I have family working with Royal, so this has been a long-time dream for me. All the experience I built up internationally has literally been for this moment, which is why I'm a bit anxious.

I’ve already followed up once with a professional thank you email after the interview, but I don’t want to seem pushy. Should I just keep waiting, or has the process changed recently and become slower/faster than it used to be? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

If this is perfectly fine, then when do I start worrying and reaching out? I've never had to wait so long for a company, and I was not mentally prepared to be on standby for so long. 

Thank you!

[Atlantix2000]

First this blog/forum/website is fan created with no official connection to Royal.  While it's possible there are a few Royal employees that are members, the vast majority of people here are cruisers that like sailing Royal's ships.  I think it's unlikely you'll get much insight into Royal's hiring process here.  However, my general advice would be to have followed up maybe 2-3 weeks after the interview.  After a month and a half, I would not be expecting any response because that indicates disinterest in most industries.  (But maybe it's different for the cruise industry.)  You said you have family that works with Royal.  I would ask them for advice and to use their connections to ask about your application.

[Sea100]

1 hour ago, Atlantix2000 said:

First this blog/forum/website is fan created with no official connection to Royal.  While it's possible there are a few Royal employees that are members, the vast majority of people here are cruisers that like sailing Royal's ships.  I think it's unlikely you'll get much insight into Royal's hiring process here.  However, my general advice would be to have followed up maybe 2-3 weeks after the interview.  After a month and a half, I would not be expecting any response because that indicates disinterest in most industries.  (But maybe it's different for the cruise industry.)  You said you have family that works with Royal.  I would ask them for advice and to use their connections to ask about your application.

Oh, good, thank you, that's helpful to know. I found this website while searching for crew-related questions/answers, and found quite a few, so I thought there might be more people here with direct insight. The cruise industry is very different compared to land-based companies, and long hiring timelines are normal, that’s why I was hoping to hear from employees who’ve been through it recently. Also, shipboard staff and shoreside recruitment don’t overlap much, so connections can’t really speed things up. xD Thanks again tho, maybe someone will have experience to share, and if not, at least I gave it a try. All the best!

 

[FionaMG]

Hi @Sea100 and welcome to the Blog.

First of all, I have to ask, does it absolutely have to be Royal?

Three years ago, my daughter applied to several cruise lines. Two interviewed her, one of them being Royal (for Shorex) and the other MSC (for Guest Services).

Royal actually messed her about a bit. After a very enthusiastic interview, similar to what you've described, they said she had to do a second one two weeks later. They led her to believe that the second interview would be largely a formality and that she could be on board in as little as three months. However, when they got back in touch they said that things had changed; they actually needed someone for Celebrity, not Royal, and was she interested. But they warned her that if she accepted the position with Celebrity, she would not be allowed to transfer over to Royal in the future.

In the meantime MSC conducted a single interview, at the end of which she was offered the job on the spot and had the initial paperwork in her inbox within half an hour. She accepted their offer and was onboard 4 months later. She has been very happy with MSC and is about to start her third contract next month.

The thing is, what really matters is actually getting your foot in the door. Once you get a job with one cruise line it's much easier to switch to another if you think you'd be a better match. One of my daughter's colleagues started on Costa, then moved to MSC and is now about to embark for his first contract with Carnival. So the more companies you apply to the better your chances of getting that all-important first position.

Note that it does take a few months from the time you get hired until you actually step on the ship to start your job because there is a lot of paperwork that needs to be done beforehand, especially medical exams and safety training courses. You do also have to pay for most of this, so this is something you need to bear in mind. It costs money to get yourself onboard as crew!

If you haven't already found her, I highly recommend you look up Lucy from Cruising at Crew. She worked on cruise ships for 10 years and her website and YouTube channels are packed with helpful information for anyone interested in working in the business. Here are the links:  https://www.cruisingascrew.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/c/CruisingAsCrew      

I hope this helps and wish you good luck in your quest to become a crew member. 

[Sea100]

On 9/12/2025 at 12:09 AM, FionaMG said:

Hi @Sea100 and welcome to the Blog.

First of all, I have to ask, does it absolutely have to be Royal?

Three years ago, my daughter applied to several cruise lines. Two interviewed her, one of them being Royal (for Shorex) and the other MSC (for Guest Services).

Royal actually messed her about a bit. After a very enthusiastic interview, similar to what you've described, they said she had to do a second one two weeks later. They led her to believe that the second interview would be largely a formality and that she could be on board in as little as three months. However, when they got back in touch they said that things had changed; they actually needed someone for Celebrity, not Royal, and was she interested. But they warned her that if she accepted the position with Celebrity, she would not be allowed to transfer over to Royal in the future.

In the meantime MSC conducted a single interview, at the end of which she was offered the job on the spot and had the initial paperwork in her inbox within half an hour. She accepted their offer and was onboard 4 months later. She has been very happy with MSC and is about to start her third contract next month.

The thing is, what really matters is actually getting your foot in the door. Once you get a job with one cruise line it's much easier to switch to another if you think you'd be a better match. One of my daughter's colleagues started on Costa, then moved to MSC and is now about to embark for his first contract with Carnival. So the more companies you apply to the better your chances of getting that all-important first position.

Note that it does take a few months from the time you get hired until you actually step on the ship to start your job because there is a lot of paperwork that needs to be done beforehand, especially medical exams and safety training courses. You do also have to pay for most of this, so this is something you need to bear in mind. It costs money to get yourself onboard as crew!

If you haven't already found her, I highly recommend you look up Lucy from Cruising at Crew. She worked on cruise ships for 10 years and her website and YouTube channels are packed with helpful information for anyone interested in working in the business. Here are the links:  https://www.cruisingascrew.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/c/CruisingAsCrew      

I hope this helps and wish you good luck in your quest to become a crew member. 

 

Thank you so much for your helpful answer! It actually made me reconsider some ideas I've been holding onto.

So sorry I did not answer sooner, I don't think I turned on notifications for this thread. But I appreciate all the information you shared.

There have been some developments, and Royal has reached out to me in the meantime. However, if I'm not satisfied with the process, I will definitely think about what you've said. Thank you again and wish you the very best!  

[FionaMG]

2 hours ago, Sea100 said:

 

Thank you so much for your helpful answer! It actually made me reconsider some ideas I've been holding onto.

So sorry I did not answer sooner, I don't think I turned on notifications for this thread. But I appreciate all the information you shared.

There have been some developments, and Royal has reached out to me in the meantime. However, if I'm not satisfied with the process, I will definitely think about what you've said. Thank you again and wish you the very best!  

My pleasure.

Fingers, legs and eyes crossed for you