Starboard Holding Ltd. operates duty free retail outlets on board over 80 cruise ships throughout the world. If you are considering working at seas, this will mean a major change in your lifestyle. Work at sea is vastly different from that in your country and you should consider carefully before you apply whether this is the right career for you. To help you make an informed decision, we have supplied the following information regarding employment in shops onboard various cruise vessels:
-Length of employment contract is eight (8) months, 6 months.
-Candidates must possess a valid passport prior to joining an assigned vessel.
-Salary plus commissions are paid on board in US dollars. Monthly earnings will vary from ship to ship, averaging approximately $1200.00 (inclusive of base salary of $500.00 US per month)
-During the first two weeks onboard NO commission is paid. After this time,
commission will vary from ship to ship.
-Room and board, uniforms and medical insurance are provided at no cost to the employee.
-Employment is based on an eight month contract with includes a 90 day evaluation period.
-You are required to work seven days a week, working anything from 6 to 18 hours per day.
Time off is given when the ship is in port. Please note that in some ports, you will be required to restock the shops requiring heavy lifting.
If you decide to join the company, you will be part of a worldwide pool of staff. You will not be able to choose on which ship you work, and you will not necessarily stay permanently onboard one ship or area.
-All employees are required to share living quarters with another employee of the same sex.
-At completion of contract, an employee is eligible for holiday pay.
-All employees are required to adhere to all shipboard rules and regulations. Please keep in mind that mandatory safety/boat drills are conducted on a regular basis.
-Must be committed to hard work, and possess a strong flair for building sales through enthusiastic customer service.
-Employees must travel at their own expense to their embarkation point and provide either a return ticket to their homeland or provide a $500.00 US deposit. Employees completing the agreed eight (8) month contract will either be reimbursed their return airfare or returned their deposit of $500.00 US. Should employee not complete the contract, the deposit will be utilized for the cost of the airline ticket to their homeland.
-Employment is conditional upon passing a pre-employment medical exam inclusive of a drug test.
GIFT SHOP DUTY FREE PRODUCTS
Base Salary: $500.00 US DOLLARS PER MONTH plus commission.
Contract Length: Eight (8) months, 6 months
Every vessel is given a budget for the cruise. You work as a team and all Gift Shop staff will receive commissions from all the shops onboard.
Under budget = 1.25% of total revenue divided by number of staff onboard.
Above budget = 1.50% of total revenue divided by number of staff onboard.
6 months of year, the Company will advise of double commission months meaning that should your assigned vessel meet and/or bypass the budget for the full month, double commission will apply.
DUTY FREE PRODUCTS
LOGO SHOP – Sweatshirts, T-shirts, hats, caps, toys, souvenirs, sweatpants, etc.
**cruise line logo or vessel name**
PERFUME SHOP - 25 top selling fragrances, cosmetics such as Lancaster, Estee Lauder, Lancome.
Sales Assistants in the Perfume shop may be required to conduct a Perfume Seminar for guests onboard.
CHINA SHOP – Lladro porcelain, Swarvoski crystal, Zampiva, gift items.
FORMAL SHOP - Men and ladies formal wear, bow ties and cummerbunds, nylons, socks, cruise wear, etc.
REGALIA SHOP – Men and ladies swimwear, straw hats, costume jewelry, cruise wear, sunglasses, designer handbags, etc.
JEWELRY SHOP – Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, tanzanite, semi-precious stones, 14 and 18kt gold, sterling silver. Watches such as Cartier, Tag Heuer, Gucci, etc.
Sales Assistants in Jewelry shop may be required to conduct a jewelry seminar for the guests onboard.
LIQUOR SHOP - Liquor, sundries, candy, cards, books, mini pharmacy, electronics.
**Please note that this is only a brief outline of the products sold in the Duty Free Shops onboard and the merchandise will vary from cruise line to cruise line as well as from vessel to vessel**
PROMOTIONS:
Inch of Gold – sold by the inch
Cocktail Rings
All Sales Assistants onboard will receive 3% commission of total sales divided by number of staff for above promotions.
ADDITIONAL PROMOTIONS:
Designer watches such as Pierre Cardin, Seiko, Givenchy, etc @ $69.95, Tara Vanessa T’s, Loose Gemstones @ $10.00 per carat as well as other promotional items issued by Gift Shop Manager or Gift Shop Operations.
Promotional material is usually set out on tables outside the shops on Sea Days (days the ship does not enter a Port of Call) and may be brought out on the very last day of the cruise upon request by the Gift Shop Manager.
GIFT SHOP HOURS:
As the Gift Shops (Boutiques) onboard are Duty Free, the Gift Shops will not be opened in Port due to Custom Regulations. Usually the shops will open 30 minutes after the vessel has departed from the Port Of Call (varies as per Gift Shop Manager and Gift Shop Operations)
Stores (stock) are usually received on embarkation day in the ship’s home port. All Gift Shop staff is required to assist with the loading, unpacking, ticketing and displaying the merchandise. Remember: You will be a team assisting one another at all times. Heavy lifting is required. This duty will generally take all day. A Back Brace is mandatory during stores supplied by GLSI. A $20.00 deposit is required for that purpose and will be reimbursed upon completion of contract.
On the last day of the cruise, the shops are usually very busy and the shops will remain open until the Gift Shop Manager advises even if time exceeds the stated closing time. Once the shops are closed, the shops will be thoroughly cleaned and tidy ready for merchandise to be received the following day (embarkation day). This may take several hours. The shops on board must look presentable at all times as guests onboard are visually browsing into the shops even when the ship is in a Port of Call.
You may be required to participate in a Fashion Show onboard the vessel at the discretion of the Gift Shop Manager.
Supercharge Card – Guests onboard purchase from the Gift Shops using their onboard Supercharge card. Under no circumstances is cash to be used to complete transactions unless advised by the Gift Shop Manager.
Personal purchases – it is highly recommended that you retain all your receipts for items you purchase in the shops onboard for future reference.
Uniforms – supplied by GLSI. Men must bring with them black dress shoes, black short tail tuxedo or dark suit. Women must bring with them navy pumps, formal dress/wear.
