How Do You Apply for Ship Jobs? A Starter Guide for Thai People (Cargo Ships vs Cruise Ships)
In brief
- Ship jobs for Thai people fall broadly into cruise ships (hospitality plus deck and engine) and cargo ships (deck, engine and galley). The routes and documents differ.
- The rough steps: check qualifications → prepare documents (passport, seafarer's book, STCW, medical) → apply through the right channel → interview → visa and contract → board the ship.
- Under Thai law (Section 35 of the Maritime Labour Act B.E. 2558), a licensed seafarer recruitment company may not charge applicants fees, except for the medical certificate, the seafarer's book and the passport (visa excluded).
- You can check licensed seafarer recruiters in the Department of Employment register (the latest we found is fiscal year 2567 (2024), with 7 companies).
- On real demand: BIMCO/ICS 2026 says the world is short of about 39,100 officers, while there is a surplus of rating-level crew.
If you have just realised that working at sea is an option, the first question is where to start when you apply for ship jobs. This article is an overview that links to each in-depth guide. It draws on cruise line career pages, documents from the Marine Department and the Department of Employment, and ILO/IMO conventions. Information checked on 2 November 2026. Where we do not yet have an official source, we say plainly that we do not know.
Types of ship work: cargo ships and cruise ships
| Topic | Cruise ships | Cargo ships |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the work | Serving large numbers of passengers (hotel, galley, entertainment, sales) alongside deck and engine departments | Deck department, engine department and galley |
| Positions open to people with a service background | Yes. Royal Caribbean says many positions need only service experience | Officer positions need certificates and exams, and able seafarers have a separate exam |
| Age and language | Age 18–21 depending on cruise line and position; English communication required | No checkable official source in this round |
| Key certificates | Passport, medical, STCW Security Awareness (Princess says it is required for everyone) and certificates for the position | Seafarer's book, STCW, CoC/CoP certificates by position, and the health certificate (คร.5) |
| Contract length | 3–9 months depending on cruise line | No checkable official source found |
| Pay | See the cruise ship salary article (no per-position ranges from official sources) | International minimum basic wage for an able seafarer US$690/month (2026) |
Other work on the water, such as tugboats, offshore work and fishing, is outside the scope of this series. The Marine Department has a separate seafarer's book for fishing vessel crew, which requires you to be at least 18 years old.
Main positions onboard
Cruise ships have departments for galley and food and beverage, hotel and housekeeping, entertainment, sales, deck and engine, and support work. Cargo ships have a deck department, an engine department and a galley.
Basic qualifications
Qualifications differ by company and position. As examples from the cruise lines: Royal Caribbean and MSC state a minimum age of 18 (21 for beverage service positions at Royal Caribbean), and Princess states 21. Every cruise line we checked requires English (Royal Caribbean says fluent), a passport and a pre-employment medical. The health certificate for Thai seafarers is the คร.5, according to the Marine Department's guide.
MLC 2006 sets the minimum age for work onboard at 16 (and bars night work for anyone under 18), and requires seafarers to hold a valid medical certificate confirming they are fit for their duties before they start work onboard. We have not checked the examination standards or which conditions disqualify you, condition by condition. If you have a medical condition, ask the company and a licensed clinic directly.
Documents and certificates to prepare
Common documents (by position and company)
- A valid passport
- Seafarer's book (seaman's book): fee 500 baht, according to the Marine Department
- Basic and additional STCW certificates: What is STCW
- Health certificate or pre-employment medical results as the company requires
- CoC/CoE/CoP certificates for officers: Seafarer certificates
- C1/D visa for ships calling at US ports (for people who are not US or Canadian citizens or permanent residents)
- A criminal record check as the company requires
Where to apply for ship jobs
| Channel | Advantages and cautions, per the sources checked |
|---|---|
| The shipping company's own career website | Royal Caribbean, MSC, Princess and Disney recruit through their own portals, with no application fee |
| A licensed seafarer recruitment company | Must hold a licence under Section 20 and appear on the Department of Employment register; may not charge applicants beyond Section 35 |
| Agents the cruise line lists by country | Princess and NCL publish lists on their websites. Royal Caribbean says only the partners it announces are authorised, and Thailand was not on the list on the page we checked |
| Educational institutions | The Maritime Training Centre has a "Ship job application information" menu on its website. We have not checked the details |
Seven steps to apply for a ship job
-
Choose a route: cruise ship or cargo ship
See the comparison table above and the related articles
-
Check the qualifications for the position you want
Read the company's job advertisement for how it states age, English and experience
-
Get a seafarer's book and basic documents
Apply at the Marine Department
-
Take STCW training as the position requires
-
Apply through the right channel
How to apply for cruise ship jobs and check the recruitment company against the Department of Employment register
-
Interview, medical and visa paperwork
Follow the steps the company states, and read the whole contract before signing
-
Receive the letter of employment and travel to the ship
Royal Caribbean says it can take up to 3 months from interview to boarding. Keep every document and receipt
Costs and who should pay
Section 35 of the Maritime Labour Act B.E. 2558 bars a licensed recruiter from charging job seekers any fee or cost, except for the medical certificate, the seafarer's book issued by the Marine Department, the passport or travel documents (visa fees excluded), and items under ministerial regulation, and leaves the shipowner responsible for the recruitment service fee. Violators face up to 1 year in prison and a fine of 5 times the amount charged under Section 116. This is consistent with MLC 2006 Standard A1.4, paragraph 5(b), which Thailand ratified on 7 June 2016.
| Cruise line | What it says about costs |
|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | No fee for an interview, a position or a ship assignment. New hires bear preparation costs such as passport, seafarer's book, medical exam, airfare and certificates. The tourist visa fee is reimbursed after joining the ship |
| MSC | No charge for anything in the recruitment process. Applicants may pay for a visa, medical exam or certificates themselves, but not to MSC or an agent |
| Princess | The company and approved agents charge no application or recruitment fee |
| NCL | Partners do not ask applicants to pay application fees, processing fees or agent service fees |
Routes for different readers
| You are | Try reading |
|---|---|
| A Mathayom 6 student interested in becoming an officer | Start with Seafarer certificates to see the path to certification |
| Someone in hospitality, cooking or hotels who wants to try cruise ships | How to apply |
| Someone with sea experience who wants the next step | Seafarer certificates |
| A parent who wants an overview of risks and costs | Pay |
Pros and cons to know before you decide
Cruise lines say accommodation, food and medical care onboard are free, but they also agree that you work continuously through the contract (NCL says 7 days a week), are away from home for months, and share small cabins. For an industry overview, the BIMCO/ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2026 says there are about 2.57 million seafarers worldwide, and that in 2026 there is a shortage of about 39,100 STCW-qualified officers, while rating-level crew exceed demand by about 56,890.
Scammers and ship job fraud
NCL warns that people impersonate agents and send fake job offer letters. Royal Caribbean says only partners announced on its website are authorised. Check Thai recruitment companies against the Department of Employment register, and check against each cruise line's partner list.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need experience?
It depends on the position. Royal Caribbean says many positions need only service experience. Deck and engine positions usually need certificates and sea experience.
Can I apply with a Mathayom 6 (high school) education?
It depends on the advertisement. Carnival's Ordinary Seaman role states a high school diploma and technical training. For other positions we found no minimum education requirement from an official source.
How good does my English need to be?
Royal Caribbean says English is the official language onboard and you must be fluent. The level differs by position; for example Carnival states intermediate to advanced.
Is there an application fee?
No, according to Royal Caribbean, MSC, Princess and NCL, and Thai law limits what a recruitment company can charge under Section 35.
How long is a normal contract?
Most cruise ships 3–9 months depending on cruise line and position. We have no official source for cargo ships.
Can women work on ships?
The Maritime Training Centre once announced places for women in its nautical science programme (2020 announcement), and many cruise ship departments recruit women, but we have no gender-specific criteria from shipping companies that we could verify.
Can I apply if I have a medical condition?
Every company we checked requires a pre-employment medical. The outcome depends on the condition and the position. We have not checked condition by condition; ask the company and a licensed clinic.
Read more
References
- Royal Caribbean Group. Ship careers · Checked 2 Nov 2026
- Royal Caribbean Group. Hiring partners · Checked 2 Nov 2026
- MSC Cruises. Onboard roles · Checked 2 Nov 2026
- Princess Cruises. Jobs at sea (shipboard careers) · Checked 2 Nov 2026
- Norwegian Cruise Line. Global hiring partners · Checked 2 Nov 2026
- Norwegian Cruise Line. International shipboard employment FAQ (Apr 2025) · Checked 2 Nov 2026
- Marine Department (Seafarers Standard Division). Public guide: seafarer's book (Thai) · Checked 2 Nov 2026
- Marine Department (Seafarers Standard Division). How to apply for COP, COE, GOC, COR certificates (Thai) · Checked 2 Nov 2026
- Department of Employment. Register of licensed recruiters placing job seekers as seafarers, fiscal year 2567 (Thai) (Data as of 25 Sep 2024) · Checked 2 Nov 2026
- Royal Gazette. Maritime Labour Act B.E. 2558 (2015) (Thai) (8 Oct 2015) · Checked 2 Nov 2026
- ILO. Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended (amended 2022) · Checked 2 Nov 2026
- ILO. Thailand ratifies the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (2016) · Checked 2 Nov 2026
- ILO. Subcommittee on Wages of Seafarers reaches agreement to increase seafarer minimum wage (16 Apr 2025) · Checked 2 Nov 2026
- BIMCO. Seafarer Workforce Report 2026 (press release) (25 Jun 2026) · Checked 2 Nov 2026
The information in this article is general guidance. Regulations, fees and company requirements can change. Please check with the official authority before paying any money or signing any document.