Locum Tenens Cruise Ship Career FAQs

Table Of Content

• Example of Job Requirements for Doctors
• Sir Richard Branson Cruises the Str...
• How do cruise ship companies recruit and hire their employees?
• Cruise-ship doctors need specific qualifications to practice
• Additional Benefits
• Cruise Director Salaries
• Treating Ailments A to Z: A Day in the Life of a Cruise Ship Physician

Cruise ship medical staff play a crucial role in providing necessary medical attention to guests who may fall ill or get injured on the ship. They often work long hours and may have to deal with a variety of medical emergencies, but the salaries they earn reflect their expertise and the importance of their work. While the median average salary for cruise ship workers may be less than that of the average American, it’s important to consider the unique nature of the job. Cruise ship contracts can last anywhere between 2 and 11 months, with most lasting 4 to 8 months, meaning that employees have the opportunity to earn a significant amount of money in a short amount of time. The types of doctors typically employed onboard cruise ships are general practitioners, obstetricians/gynecologists, pediatricians, dermatologists, and dentists.

Example of Job Requirements for Doctors

You will also work seven days per week on a cruise ship while it is out at sea, so there is very little rest for the weary. This means that a cruise doctor must also be able to perform those types of services when they occur on a ship. A standard cruise ship can easily have 5,000+ people aboard, which is the same as in a small town. During free time, cruise ship workers can participate in various activities such as visiting ports, watching shows, using the gym, or relaxing by the pool. The recruitment process for cruise ship employees involves rigorous screening, background checks, and interviews.

Sir Richard Branson Cruises the Str...

The salary offered to medical personnel working onboard a cruise ship varies between cruise lines. In addition to the monthly salary paid by the cruise lines, all other expenses such as flights to and from the ship, single Officer status accommodations, uniforms are provided by the cruise lines at no cost. Although medical evacuation of patients to land-based hospital facilities is sometimes necessary, the onboard medical centers are designed to enable assessment, investigation, and care for relatively long periods. Cruise line medical teams are able to provide treatment and diagnostic services comparable to most small hospitals and can admit acutely unwell cases if needed. She had thought about becoming a cruise ship physician before, and when she and her family were passengers, she had asked the ship’s doctors about their experiences.

How do cruise ship companies recruit and hire their employees?

In addition to competitive salaries, cruise ship medical staff may also receive benefits such as accommodation, food, and medical care. Comprehensive onboard training is available to assist in transferring professional skills into the maritime environment. Along with a challenging career and worldwide travel opportunities, cruise ship medical jobs offer many other benefits. Medical professionals onboard passenger ships are afforded officer status, which ensures comfortable, individual accommodations (at no cost), and access to most passenger facilities.

Cruise-ship doctors need specific qualifications to practice

Cruise ship doctors may have the opportunity to bring their families on board, but it largely depends on the policies and accommodations provided by the specific cruise line. Some cruise lines do offer family accommodations for certain positions, including doctors, which allow them to bring their families on board. However, it’s important to note that family accommodations may be limited, and there may be specific requirements or restrictions in place.

Additional Benefits

Senior doctors on a cruise ship are considered “officers,” meaning they will need to attend any galas and other officer-related events unless they care for a patient who needs their help. In 2019, there were an estimated 24 million cruise passengers on the world’s seas and oceans. The industry is expected to continue growing as more travelers take to the seas for their holidays. While my role is equally demanding and rewarding, what I love most about being a cruise doctor is the freedom it gives and that I get to travel the world with my family. If it wasn't for cruising, I wouldn't have this lifestyle both financially and timewise. When another doctor can't board for any reason, I will replace them for between a week and three months.

Complete your details in the form below and a member of our team will contact you to discuss opportunities. This is a fantastic opportunity to visit spectacular destinations such as America, Australia, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, all while performing the job you love. During the day, you will hold two three-hour clinics, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Practitioners can’t just treat symptoms as described; they first need to determine if patients are faking pain or really hurting. Look back at some of the most famous doctors in history, highlighting their accomplishments.

General Requirements for cruise line medical jobs

Fake Cruise Ship Doctor Sentenced to Three Years - The Maritime Executive

Fake Cruise Ship Doctor Sentenced to Three Years.

Posted: Mon, 08 Aug 2016 07:00:00 GMT [source]

According to Cruise Mummy, senior doctors on a cruise ship can earn between $10,000-$15,000 each month, while junior doctors can expect to make between $7,500-$10,000 each month. Look for Zebras’ findings are slightly higher, with senior doctors earning between $12,000-$14,000 each month and junior doctors earning between $9,000-$12,000 each month. Doctors on cruise ships may work hour days and be on-call 7 days a week, with no days off during the entire duration of their contracts. This means that there is little time for leisure activities or even rest, as doctors must remain available in case of an emergency or sudden illness.

“You might interact with someone from Mauritius, India, South Africa, the Philippines, Serbia, and the UK on the same day." "In-between clinics or on a day that you think you may have off, you may be required to do various maritime safety drills," Garcia said. Everything considered, Garcia and Chan felt that their onboard medical facilities had everything they needed to do their jobs. Both physicians noted that the most common injuries among elderly passengers were falls, caused by their limited mobility and balance issues on a moving vessel. “There are a lot of injuries, anything from a simple skin tear that requires first aid to falling and breaking ribs with accompanying pneumothorax. Each cruise has a designated medical-operations manager available 24/7 based in the health center in Miami.

Anyone qualified as a medical doctor can apply for a ship’s physician’s job on a cruise ship. The requirements are a professional medical degree and at least three years of experience in specific fields of the medical profession. Most cruise lines provide very close or slightly higher salaries than the industry standard for doctors working on cruise ships. You will not get a lot of leave per year, which in some cases is only two weeks per year while working for them. To work on a cruise ship, certification requirements vary depending on the position. Training is provided on board and may include safety, hospitality, and job-specific skills.

And you don’t need to pay for internet access while you’re working and doing admin, of course. You don’t have to worry about utility bills, food, or accommodation and you even get your room cleaned for you. And as a cruise doctor, you get officer accommodations – some of the nicest on the ship (for the crew, anyway).

In addition, they may also provide general medical advice and preventive health care measures. A cruise ship doctor may also oversee other medical staff, such as nurses, EMTs, and paramedics. As the cruise ship industry continues to expand, the need for qualified medical staff is growing. Cruise ships need doctors on board to take care of the needs of their passengers and crew. This growth in popularity has also had an effect on the hiring practices of cruise lines.

In recent years, this multi-billion dollar industry has grown significantly, with more and more people taking advantage of these leisurely oceanic journeys. It also allows me to spend more time with my family in between contracts in Hungary, because I don't have to work two or three jobs anymore. When I'm not sailing I work at Hungarian hospitals, but the good pay on the cruises means I can spend more time with my family in Hungary. The medical center is an onboard hospital, because we have to be prepared for everything. Royal Caribbean International offered to have a 15-minute call where they assessed my language skills and work experience.

Learn what the role of a cruise ship doctor is and how to apply as a cruise ship doctor. A rotational on-call system provides medical services 24/7 for passengers and crew while assuring adequate rest periods for all members of the medical team. Cruise medical staff is typically assigned to a vessel for a period of four months, followed by a two-month leave period.

Stephanie Garcia, MD, is an emergency medicine physician in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who had previously worked a locum tenens assignment doing COVID relief in Southern California. When her AMN Healthcare recruiter called about the cruise ship assignment, she was immediately interested. Emergency medicine physician salaries in the U.S. currently average $347,500, with a range of between $293,200 and $392,100. Taking the average emergency physician’s salary and the average cruise ship doctor’s salary, you can see a wage discrepancy of just over $200,000 per year. Contracts usually last around four months, with two contracts “permitted” each year. In total, doctors on cruise ships work a maximum of eight months and have four months of vacation time over the course of the same year.

In-patient care encompasses the management of a wide variety of clinical problems including cardiac diseases (thrombolysis and cardiac monitoring), trauma/orthopedic problems and acute medical and surgical emergencies. As a part of the onboard medical team cruise ship medical doctors provide first class healthcare services to the passengers and the crew. The average benefits for cruise ship doctors are usually the same as most cruise lines, including free vacation travel. Junior doctors earn as low as $7,500 per month at some cruise lines, while senior doctors earn $12,000 and more. Working on a cruise ship offers a world of perks, from a unique and dynamic work environment to the chance to explore breathtaking destinations worldwide.