Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it safe to upload my CV on this website?
2. I am new to the Maritime world of employment - what qualifications will I need?
3. What else can I do to improve my chances of finding employment?
4. Will I need a passport and/or visa for maritime employment?
5. What is the best place and time to look for work?
6. Will I need to travel to attend an interview and will my expenses be covered?
7. What positions are available via 'crew-it-all'?
8. Where can I find information about maritime training courses, schools and colleges?

1. Is it safe to upload my CV on this website?

   At crew-it-all, we take security very seriously and use various security measures as a result. However, we highly recommend that candidates take sensible precautions to protect their personal data by reducing the amount of detail shown on each document that is to be distributed or stored electronically.

   For example, CVs need only contain a small part of your home address. We advise you to remove street names, house numbers and postcodes leaving only generic location information such as your city or county. More specific details can be given directly to an identified potential employer or qualified recruitment agent when the need arises.

   We also request that candidates ONLY UPLOAD other scanned official documents using our (SSL) secure link when you need to securely send a document to a potential employer or when one of the employess of crew-it-all' requests you to do so in order for us to proceed with an imminent placement.

   Also any scanned documents uploaded to this website should have the last four digits of any official numbers blanked out or removed. . This helps to prevent fraudulent use and the indentified recruiting agent or potential empoloyer can request the finer details via another media.

   By taking these precautions, you can feel safe and confident in using crew-it-all, without hindering your chances of finding employment.

   Please note that you will need to include your email address and mobile number in full, in order that potential employers can contact you.

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2. I am new to the Maritime world of employment - what qualifications will I need?

   If you believe you have something to offer the industry and feel you are cut out for this very special lifestyle then the first thing you should do is get the minimum required safety training and a medical examination certificate. If you wish to work on Luxury Cruise Liners, there are extra considerations.

   The safety training you should attain is the STCW 95 / 4.5 to 5 day course – which will comprise the following modules:

   • Basic Fire Fighting
   • Elementary First Aid
   • Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities
   • Personal Survival Techniques

   The course can cost anything from £400 to £750, so shop around to find a reasonable price. Our links to training facilities will help.

   The maritime ‘medical certificate’ you need is the ENG 1, which will cost between £80 and £100. View our list of approved maritime medical practitioners to find one local to you.

   Those wishing to work on Luxury cruise liners (Passenger Class Vessels) will also need to attend a Crowd Management Course – a one day course that will cost up to £150.

   Once you have completed your training and gained your qualifications, update your CV and upload it to ‘crew-it-all’. We wish you all the best in an exciting new career.

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3. What else can I do to improve my chances of finding employment?

   Your CV needs to illustrate that you are serious about a maritime career – and employers will be looking for evidence that you have spent time learning about and training for the maritime world.

   Some quick and easy ways to do this would be to invest in some of the following training courses. These courses are useful even if you only intend to work in the service and hospitality sector:

   • RYA                Competent Crew Course (3 to 5 Days)    Cost = £ 200 - £ 500 approx
   • RYA / MCA    Powerboat level 1 and 2 ( 2 days)              Cost = £ 400 approx
   • RYA                VHF SRC Marine Radio (1 day)                 Cost = £ 100 approx

   If you can’t afford to train for these qualifications, don’t worry. There are cheaper ways to improve your understanding of the industry – for example you may want to read the RYA ‘Competent Crew’ book, to learn some of the terminology used at sea.

   Whatever training you undertake, don’t forget to update your CV with all your new achievements.

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4. Will I need a passport and/or visa for maritime employment?

   Yes - your passport should have at least six months remaining before its expiry date. Most luxury yacht Captains would prefer to see 12 to 18 months or more.

   With regard to a visa, most cruise line companies will help you apply for the United States C1/C2 crew transit visa if it is required.

   Luxury yacht Captains prefer to see a United States B1/B2 tourist visa, which can be applied for using a covering note or contract from the yacht. If you have the capability to obtain this visa on your own in advance, it could open up more opportunities for you.

   Go to our links page to find out more about obtaining a U.S Visa.

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5. What is the best place and time to look for work?

   Spring and Autumn offer the best chance of finding employment in this sector, due to the turnover of crew in between seasons. For a luxury yacht position, the best places and times we suggest are as follows:

   Spring hiring runs from 15th March though to 15th May annually. The best places to be include Palma, Barcelona (SP) Cannes, Antibes, Monaco (FR) Genoa and Viareggio (IT).

   For exterior crew deck positions, one month prior to the Antibes boat show (which takes place on the first or second week of April) is usually a good time to look for work.

   For service and interior staff, two weeks before the show should be sufficient.

   Autumn hiring is from 15th September through until 15th October, with the same places a hotbed of potential employment.

   During this period, hiring can be at its busiest a week either side of the Monaco yacht show (last week of September). Hiring normally becomes quieter by the end of the St. Tropez Regatta - held just after the Monaco boat show in the first week of October.

   Autumn hiring is usually much quieter than the spring hiring period, as a lot of crew are laid off after a summer contract.

   For Winter Hiring, popular spots include the U.S. ( Ft Lauderdale / Miami North East coast) and the Caribbean (Antigua / St Maarten).

   Most vessels usually start the Caribbean area cruising with a Christmas charter and prefer to be there to spruce up their vessels two to three weeks before Christmas.

   It can take a yacht anything from 10 days to more than a month to cross the Atlantic, so most yachts will have left European waters somewhere between the 1st and 21st November.

   If you are adventurous, looking for experience or a free ride then do some homework on how to become a voluntary crew member for the annual ARC race (Atlantic sail boat race).

   Remember, due to the larger workforce and the a tendency to offer only 3 month contracts for first timers, there are more frequent opportunities to obtain employment with luxury cruise liners.

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6. Will I need to travel to attend an interview and will my expenses be covered?

   Every company has its own policy on recruiting expenses, so while some companies will happily pay you to fly half way round the world, others will expect you to pay for your own travel. It is not uncommon for candidates to miss out on jobs as they are unable to afford flights to an interview.

   At crew-it-all we aim to keep your costs low, so if we’re placing you with a yacht then we will most likely interview you by phone in the first instance. This phone interview is often followed up by another telephone interview with one of the vessels officers – and only then would they consider asking you to attend an on board interview - or even to join the yacht.

   The employment process can all happen very quickly, so do ensure you can provide or show any required original documents to crew-it-all or the potential employer at short notice.

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7. What positions are available via 'crew-it-all'?

   We currently cover around 140 positions with ‘crew-it-all’ - We are still developing the Aviation sector and Medical lisitngs.

   You can see some of the positions we cover on the home page that appear randomly as you refresh your browser.

   For more information on the jobs available, visit our job descriptions list; COMING SOON !!

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8. Where can I find information about maritime training courses, schools and colleges?

   We have placed some useful links on our links page. If these sites don’t provide what you’re looking for, we recommend a Google search for some of the following terms:

   • SCTW 95 Safety training courses
   • RYA Competent Crew course
   • RYA MCA VHF Course
   • RYA Powerboat course

   If you are interested in more advanced courses – perhaps considering becoming a Navigation officer or even a Captain on board a luxury super yacht – our links page also contains links to training facilities teaching the MCA SCTW 95 approved courses.

   You could also try a Google search using the following keywords:

   • MCA OOW Officer of Watch - Yacht
   • MCA Chief Mates – Yacht
   • MCA Master 500 – Yacht
   • MCA Master 3,000 – Yacht

   The official MCA notices outlining the training and certification requirements can be found on the Maritime Coastal Agency website using the following links

   MCA - MSN 1802 (M) Deck officers training & certification

   http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/a7_1802_final.pdf

   MCA -MGN 156 (M) Engineer Training & Certification Guide

   http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mgn_156(m).pdf

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