The position of a Youth Counselor (also called Youth Staff) is one of the most fun jobs on a cruise ship. You get to play all day with kids, and have a “boatload” of fun while getting paid to do it.  If you have worked at a summer camp, it can feel similar to the way the activities are run. There’s a list of scheduled activities that you will have to learn when you get onboard and they are always coming up with new ones. The job of a youth counselor is to provide a safe yet fun environment for every kid that comes to the kid’s club. As such, you should be an upbeat kind of person that enjoys working with kids, a person that can get along easily with other people.  Patience is a must for this job. You will be tested on your patience skills, trust me.

What do I Need in Order to Get a Job as a Youth Counselor?

In order to apply and get a position as a youth counselor, you need to have some experience working with kids, preferably between the ages of 3 to 17. Some cruise lines have programs for kids starting at 6 months, so if you have experience working with babies, you could also apply for their nursery positions. Some companies will have different positions within the youth program department. Normally these are the positions you can apply for:

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The position of the nursery coordinator and assistant manager will vary from ship to ship. Normally the assistant position will be available only on larger ships where the number of youth staff is bigger. The nursery coordinator will depend if the ship you work on has nursery facilities.

What are the Qualifications for the Job of Youth Counselor (Youth Staff)

Below you will find some qualifications that cruise lines will ask for the youth counselor position. Keep in mind that the job requirements below are broad and can vary from company to company:

Minimum 2 years of experience working with kids. Some examples of experiences:

•   Working in a Summer camp
•   Working at a YMCA
•   Experience as AuPair
•   After school programs
•   Teacher in school or Childcare center

Additional Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
• Able to work with children from ages 2 to 17 years old.
• Able to work with children with special needs.
• Able to work with kids under the age of 2 years. (For nursery coordinator).
• An outgoing individual, able to lead large groups of children.
• Customer service oriented (you are going to have to deal with the parents as well).
• Able to obtain and submit a valid CPR/First Aid certificate.
• Pass a criminal background check.

Cruise Lines will hire both male and female youth counselors. You have to be at least 18 years old to apply.

Besides the above job requirements, you will be required to complete and obtain the STCW certificate (Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) either before or during your first weeks onboard the ship. Most cruise lines will provide this training to you onboard while some will require that you obtain this certificate before joining. In either case, it’s mandatory to have it and without it, you cannot work onboard.  The STCW certificate is valid for five years.

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What Exactly Does a Youth Counselor Do?

Working as a youth counselor on a cruise ship might seeing like just fun and games, hanging out with the kids, playing video games, and eating ice cream. Although all of the above is true in some aspects, there’s much more to the role of a youth counselor than just playing games.

You will be running activities for all the kids registered in the program, normally the majority of the kids will be between the ages of 3 -17 years. The kids are divided into age groups and each group has its designated space onboard.

See below some examples of age groups for NCL, Carnival, Disney, and Royal Caribbean:

Norwegian Cruise Line

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Carnival Cruise Line

Camp Ocean

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Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

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Disney Cruise Line

What Age Group Will I Work?

Once onboard, you normally won’t be assigned a specific age group unless you applied for a specific age group position, such as Teen Counselor or Nursery Coordinator.  Each age group will have a list of activities specifically designed for the age group you are in and you will learn those activities on the go. The training you will receive onboard is essentially an “on-the-job” kind of training. You might feel overwhelmed at the beginning, you won’t know everything so it’s very important to be flexible, and patient and take each day as it comes. If you are expecting proper training before you can start working you will be disappointed. They will put you on the floor and start you working right away. You will have to learn as you go, so be very flexible and use your past experience working with kids as it will be your most valuable asset at the beginning.

Another aspect of the job is assisting the kids with activities that will happen outside the kid’s club facilities. It’s common to take kids for lunch, dinner, and activities around the ship.  Activities such as parades, scavenger hunts, and games at the ship’s sports court are normal and expected. It’s very important that every time that, when you are outside the kid’s club, all the kids are accounted for, every time! This is a very important aspect of your job. The worst thing it can happen is losing count of how many kids you are supposed to have and worts, losing a child during a scheduled activity. Make sure you do a roll call before and after any activity that takes place outside the kid’s club. You will be fired if you lose a child during your watch!

Meal Time

There will be activities included in the kid’s club schedule that will require you to take the kids for breakfast, lunch, dinner or maybe just for some ice cream. A very important aspect when taking kids for meals or snacks is to always check for allergies. The job of the youth counselor, for the most part, is a fun job but essentially you are there for the well-being of the kids, so make sure you don’t lose them or feed them food that will give them an allergy reaction.

Ah, The Parents

At times, one of the more difficult things about working as a youth staff is having to deal with the parents. The parents can be a little pushy sometimes when they expect something that it is not allowed by the company’s policies. A common example that happens on many cruise lines is that kids are assigned to an age group based on the child’s age during the sailing.  For example, if the kid is five years old they will be placed in a group that is between 3 to 5-year-old. Parents sometimes will want us to move the kids to a different age group which is strictly prohibited in some cruise lines. Parents may not be understanding and they will give you a hard time, but in the end, you have to stand your ground, be firm and polite. In most cases, you will not be able to accommodate according to the company’s policies, and the matter is out of your hands.

Sample Youth Counselor Activities on a Cruise Ship

Kids Club Hours

Hours of operation for the kids club:

Norwegian Cruise Line

Carnival

Royal Caribbean

Disney Cruise Line

9 am-1 am everyday

How Much Money Does a Youth Counselor Make?

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The salary of a youth counselor is a fixed monthly salary. It is not a tipped position but it’s not uncommon to receive tips from parents for a job well done. Youth Counselors also can make extra money from extra fees for some programs. Some cruise lines, when the ship is in port, will have an option for kids to have lunch on board to ship and will have to pay for that service. The same holds true for extra babysitting services after closing hours. Normally the kids club will close around 10:30 PM but for an extra fee per hour kids club will stay open for parents that want to drop off their kids and enjoy the cruise ship at night.

Approximated Monthly Salaries:

• Youth Counselor: $1200-1800
• Teen Counselor: $1200-$1800
• Assistant Manager: $1500-$2000
• Youth Program Manager: $ 2500-$3000

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How Much Time Off Do I Get?

You will have plenty of time to explore the ports of call while the ship is docked. Whenever to ship docks, most of the families will be off the ship. Although the kid’s club will stay open during port hours, the amount of staff needed to run operations will be less, thus giving the opportunity for some staff to go ashore and explore the ports of call. The scheduling is done on a rotation basis, so if you work today in a port, say Cozumel, you will probably not work that port again due to the rotation. Rotations will depend on the amount of staff and kids onboard. During high season expect to have more kids inboard, even when the ship is docked, requiring more staff to stay onboard.

On Sea days, when the ship is sailing all day, expect the kid’s club to be at its busiest. Normally the kids club will open at 9 am and will close at 10:30 pm, with a small break for lunch and dinner. During sea days you need to make sure you have all the energy you can get because the days will be long and will feel like forever. Staying up till late on the crew bar and having to work during sea day is not fun. Although I have done it many times, I can tell you that your days will feel much longer when you are sleep deprived.

Final Words

Working as a Youth Counselor on a cruise ship is not a stress-free job but you will have fun for the most part. As long as you keep an open mind, ship life as a youth counselor might just be the best job you can have onboard.

I hope that you enjoyed reading this article and that got you inspired to learn more about the position of youth counselor and even apply for the position yourself.

The best way to predict your future is to create it.

Abraham Lincoln