Tips and Guidelines on how to Apply for In'tl Cruise Ships

This is a nice topic found at  OFWGuide Forum, this would be a great help for Filipino seaman.

For all those who want, wishing, desiring to work to work onboard international vessels e.g. Passenger and cruise ships, tanker, cargo and bulk ships the first major requirement is SIRB (Seafarer’s Identification Record Book) or simply called as Seaman’s book. Para makakuha kayo ng SIRB you need to undergo a SOLAS Training (Safety Of Life At Sea) or also known as BST with PSSR training (Basic Safety Training with Personal Safety and Social Responsibility). Anyone who is mentally stable and physically fit can take this training. It’s a 7 days training 6 days classroom lecture and 1 day practicum sa dagat or swimming pool. Training fee is around 4 to 6K pesos. Once you have the BST w/ PSSR certificate, you can now apply for SIRB (Seaman’s book). These are the requirements for SIRB application:

1. BST w/ PSSR certificate
2. NBI visa seaman
3. High school Diploma with Form 138 or College Diploma with TOR both documents kelangan ng CAV (Certification Authentication and Verification). For HS diploma sa DEPED kukuha ng CAV for College Diploma sa CHED.
4. Application form (libre ito at makukuha sa MARINA) – Marina is located in Taft Ave. near Kalaw
5. 2x2 picture with shoulder board
6. Fee: P850.00 to P1,500.00 (hindi ko na alam if how much na ang SIRB pero I’m sure not lower than 850 and not higher than 1,500)

Beware sa mga mag-ooffer ng non-appearance na certificate. I discouraged such activity. Very risk ito especially if ipapa authenticate na ang certificate.

Now you have an SIRB, you have completed 5% of your quest to work onboard an international vessel. Next step is checking job vacancies posted by a legitimate manning agency and assessing your qualifications (work experience, knowledge and skills etc.) against the job vacancies. I highly RECOMMEND and ADVISE all aspiring applicants to make yourself qualified first before applying. This will prevent you from incurring unwanted expenses like transportation expenses back and forth only to find out that you’re not qualified and were not selected. So make sure that you possess the right experience and trainings related to the position that you’re eyeing for.

If you’re applying for FO position, housekeeping, pool attendant or steward position, make sure you possess such working experience. Otherwise, your application will most likely be discarded. Unless you have an MBA (May Backer Ako) then that’s a different story. Very important to take note, almost all manning agency tend to give priority and select applicants (kahit undergard or highschool grad.) who has joined a vessel whether it was local or international route over applicants who have not boarded any vessel. Depending on the urgency of the job vacancy, some manning agency tend to consider applicants kahit na walang shipboard experience provided may SIRB,PASSPORT at related work experience and maritime training certificates (later we’ll talk about this training certificates). So how do you gain shipboard experience and make yourself shine over other applicants? Invest. If you are really serious in securing a work onboard a cruise ship, you need to invest to gain the necessary qualifications. If you’re undergrad or highschool graduate you need to invest in TESDA vocational maritime courses. It’s a 1 year course and at the end of the course students will be given a chance to work onboard a passenger ship as Front Office, Housekeeping crew, waiter, steward etc. This shipboard experience will be recorded in your SIRB and ALL manning agency considers it.

Read more of  Tips and Guidelines on how to Apply for In'tl Cruise Ships

Note: You have to register at OFWGuide Forum first to see the complete topic discussion.