Working as a sommelier on a cruise ship: is it worth it?

I spent years of my career at sea, first with Cunard, then with Disney, where I became head sommelier. People imagine sunsets and fine wine. There is plenty of both. There is also a coffee pot at breakfast, a cabin you share, and months without a single day off. Here is the honest picture.

What the job really is

On paper, you are the wine professional on board. In practice, a sommelier at sea is part of the restaurant team. With Cunard, I also worked breakfast shifts twice a week, swapping wine glasses for a coffee pot. Later, as head sommelier with Disney, I led a team and the coffee duty stopped, but the standards for everything around the wine were strict. Titles don't excuse you from rolling up your sleeves.

The good

• Travel is part of the job. New ports almost every day, and wine regions you can visit on your time off.
• You taste wines you would never meet at home, and you serve guests from all over the world.
• You can save money. With your cabin and meals covered and little to spend on, I saved enough to pay for my wine courses and certifications.
• Friends for life. The crew is a world in itself, and the friendships last.

The hard parts

• No days off. In my contracts you worked every day, for contracts of about six months. It is a marathon.
• A shared cabin. Small, with a cabin mate. Privacy is a luxury.
• Crew food is not guest food.
• Distance. Months away from family and friends, on a ship's schedule.

What about the salary?

I won't quote numbers, because pay changes by cruise line, ship, rank and contract. Ask the line or the recruiting agency for the contract figures, and compare them knowing that your cabin and meals are included. For me, the money was good mainly because I could save almost all of it.

Who it suits

• Early in your career, when you want to taste and learn as much as possible, fast.
• If you love change, a new country every few days, and people from everywhere.
• If you can work hard for months and enjoy it.
• Not if you need stability, a fixed home life or a regular weekend.

How to get a sommelier job at sea

• Get certified first. A Court of Master Sommeliers or WSET certificate helps you stand out. Start with my Level 1 practice test.
• Get restaurant experience on land. Ships hire people who already know service.
• Apply to the cruise lines' own career pages, or through the recruiting agencies they work with.
• Be ready for the medical and the paperwork every crew member needs before joining a ship.

Would I do it again? Yes, at that stage of my life. It taught me flexibility, teamwork and a lot of wine. And when the job started to pull me away from what I wanted to become, I knew it was time to step ashore. More about my path: my sommelier story.

Questions people ask