Till November, over 600 Trinidad and Tobago nationals will become seamen for the first time and work as employees of the Miami-based Royal Caribbean group.
A little over a month since thousands of people flocked to Royal Caribbean’s recruitment campaigns in Trinidad and Tobago, the international cruise line has so far announced the hiring of 602 best applicants.
Royal Caribbean confirmed that 6,000 applications were submitted following recruitment processes conducted in June in Port-of-Spain, San Fernando, and Scarborough.
The recruitment drive caused quite a stir, prompting the cruise line to add an additional date for the screening of applicants at the National Academy for Performing Arts in Port of Spain.
Royal Caribbean Group said they came to Trinidad and Tobago with a team of 20 people who conducted interviews for four days. Two days at NAPA, one day at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts, and one day at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex in Tobago. “These exercises met with an overwhelming response,” the cruise ship said.
According to RCG, 822 people will be interviewed over the four days. It is confirmed that following these interviews, Royal Caribbean ships are now serving Trinidad and Tobago citizens in positions such as Bar Utility, Bar Servers, Chefs, Housekeeping, Restaurant staff, Guest and Hospitality Services, and Doctors.
The cruise line said people are also being considered for special and lower-level positions such as casino staff, security, information technology, and electricians. However, these individuals will now require follow-up interviews and screening due to the nature of these positions.
Royal Caribbean, while only 822 of the 6,000 applicants interviewed said the remaining applicants still had an opportunity to find employment, as they are now part of the broader part of the wider Tourism group.
Royal Caribbean said the people who registered but did not interview in person are now scheduled for virtual interviews. The Department of Tourism will make this practice more common, the cruise line said, and set up a secretariat to assist travelers applying for employment on cruise lines.
“The ministry is very pleased for having been instrumental in signing the MoU with Royal Caribbean and in facilitating job opportunities to many deserving nationals. The 22-member team who were here during the first phase of the recruitment drive were only able to interview the 822 nationals, but the interviews are scheduled to continue in the coming weeks virtually,” Tourism Minister Randall Mitchell told the Business Guardian.
Wendy McDonald, Regional Vice President, Government Relations for the Caribbean said: “We are pleased with the number of qualified candidates interested in joining the Royal Caribbean Group. We interviewed many talented people and are looking forward to welcoming new crewmembers in a variety of positions. We’re proud to continue our partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts and thank them for their continued support.”
After applicants accept their offers, they must complete a Personal Information Form, undergo a more detailed medical assessment, and then receive letters of employment. From there they will be assigned to the ship along with the date and port to meet the vessel. Once this is confirmed, they will be required to apply for their maritime visa. Visa costs will be covered by Royal Caribbean Group, as well as all training and airfare to meet the assigned vessel.