Every once in a while, I’ll hear from a parent who asks, “Why are you trying to get kids to graduate from high school and college early? What’s the rush with this bold school approach? It seems almost cruel to force them into the working world so young–wouldn’t it be better to let them stay in college longer and just enjoy it?”
Well, that depends on what their opportunities are AFTER they graduate. Those who cling to the “College is the best time of your life!” concept and accept the “Life’s a bitch and then you die” theory might well want to make college last as long as possible. On the other hand, if you happen to view life itself as a grand adventure and you’re excited to dive into the good stuff, the idea of finishing college early is a lot more appealing.
I offer as an example my third daughter, Teal. She graduated from college in December at the age of 19. Before she graduated, she was hired to work as a multilingual events coordinator for Norwegian Cruise Lines. She’s about two-thirds of the way through her first assignment, a three-and-a-half-month stint aboard the Majesty, which sails a seven-day loop from Charleston, South Carolina through the Bahamas.
She is the youngest crew member aboard, it’s true, but she absolutely LOVES her job and is making friends with all kinds of people from around the world–both passengers and staff.
Teal has been waiting to hear about her next assignment, and today she sent us this Facebook message:
FAMILY! I just got my assignment for my next contract aaaaaandddddd……
I will be starting on July 2nd (so I have six weeks of vacation) on board the Norwegian Jade! One of the newest, biggest, and most luxurious ships in the fleet! And where does it go? EUROPE, BABY! It is the one I wanted the most and I GOT it! Spain, Greece, Rome, Turkey, you name it, I’ll be there! Buahahahaha! BRILLIANT!
Love you all,
Teal
OH! AND I WON ROOKIE OF THE MONTH! We have awards every month and there are 12 that are given out, and I won one, which means I got paid 200 dollars, get a passenger cabin for a night plus a nice free dinner in the specialty restaurant with free wine, plus a bunch of fabulous gifts AND I get to wear a special gold star around all month so that everyone knows I am a STAR! MAN, I am rockin’ this cruise thing. Loving it this week!
Gosh, if only she were on campus studying for midterms. 
So, what’s it take to get a cruise ship job? Well, in Teal’s case, she had the right combination of skills, experiences and interests.
1. She’s a hard worker.
2. She’s not afraid of settings in which she doesn’t know a single person.
3. She’s friendly, cheerful, a responsible team member and a good listener.
4. She speaks several languages.
5. She has lived abroad and is very comfortable around those from other countries.
6. She was an RA in college, so she has experience leading events and making sure people
are safe and happy on her watch.
7. She worked as a hostess in a busy restaurant, so she knows how to be welcoming and efficient even when things get crazy.
8. She is low-maintenance (the cabins are very small and there’s very little room for personal belongings)
9. She can easily handle being away from friends and family for months at a time.
10. She has no college debt so it’s easy for her to be go without a mailing address for bills, etc.
Of course, in addition to the experience itself, it’s a great job for saving money–after all, room and board are paid for, plus health insurance and travel to all starting ports (NCL flew her from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Charleston, South Carolina, for example). Since you are on a boat with few opportunities to shop or spend money, you can save almost everything you earn.
Teal writes a fun blog (when she gets a chance) about her life on board. Check it out at http://www.TealFrost.com
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Wow, it’s great to read an account of a real life experience from someone who’s really got everything they wanted out of a cruise ship job.
I’ll be checking out Teal’s blog!