From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
Focus on Bahamian crewmembers working onboard cruise ships
By Mate Sandy Campbell SML Crewing
Mar 11, 2016 - 2:59:38 PM
As a Bahamian, mariner and entrepreneur with numerous years of experience in the maritime industry, my goal has always been to share the industry with my fellow Bahamians. I have travelled the world, commanded numerous sea going vessels and the life on these vessels have taught me discipline, structure and humility. I imagined our archipelago competing successfully with global maritime powers such as Greece and Japan.
The life of a mariner is rigorous. Twelve to fourteen hours of hard work, seven days weekly, with no days off, it is not for everyone.
Frankly, the entire maritime picture can only be seen through the eyes of persons that have actually lived the life. Our bartenders, waiters, front desk staff, engine room staff and entertainment staff who have worked onboard the Grand Celebration can tell numerous stories of their new lives on the sea!
In less than one year, Bahamian mariners working onboard the Grand Celebration cruise ship have been named employee of the month on four occasions. They have celebrated promotions onboard and they have gained a new appreciation and understanding of the maritime industry. They are setting high performance standards of excellence and establishing a reputation of professionalism in the name of the Bahamas.
The remarks made by a former Grand Celebration employee saddens me deeply, because his actions have done much to perpetuate the myth that some of us have spent the last several years trying to debunk. There is a myth that Bahamians are lazy, inhospitable and unfit for the maritime industry.
My team and I work arduously, along with industry partners to establish a professional crewing agency, so as to inform and prepare Bahamians for the many career opportunities, in the international cruise tourism sector.
The Bahamas has a rich history as a maritime nation. The idea of Bahamians working on cruise ships was introduced decades ago. Bahamians served onboard the SS Yarmouth Castle in the 1960s’, and more recently the MV Discovery. Therefore, employment on vessels such as the Grand Celebration is simply a reintroduction to an industry that Bahamians have participated in before.
Our process for recruitment and placement is transparent. It starts with a first interview whereby the candidate meets with a Crewing Officer and is interviewed for a specific position. Their documents are checked – references, valid passport, clean police record, etc.
During the second interview candidates meet with the ship’s Human Resources Crewing Director. If selected for hire the candidate is issued a letter of employment which is signed as an indication of his or her intention to join the vessel.
Afterward the process of securing a US Seaman’s Visa is initiated; followed by the completion of the required STCW certification and other training for employment on passenger vessels, as a standard requirement of the International Maritime Organization.
Prospective crew members are required to review the company handbook and are provided with all of the information pertaining to their condition of employment, such as salary and accommodations. Further, the prospective crew member is required to complete a pre sea medical examination, and after this they are given a date to join the vessel.
Whenever possible, crew members currently employed on the vessel are invited to the training sessions for a Q & A session. The prospective crew members are able to ask any and all questions in an effort to set and manage realistic expectations.
The incoming crew members are contracted to work onboard for 6-8 months and sign off at the completion of the contract for a vacation period of 2-3 months. After the vacation period they return to the ship to commence their new contract.
The salary for some positions is gratuity based. Meaning that there is a base pay with the remaining portion of the pay made up in gratuities. Salary for some positions are fixed, that is to say crew members receive a fixed salary each month and they are paid bi-weekly.
This aforementioned is a standard procedure for our crewing agency and it ensures that each person receives the same treatment and is clear about the entire process from start to finish.
Our team is committed to this process and will continue to press forward as we maintain our goal to populate sea going vessels with thousands of qualified Bahamian citizens. We shall redouble our efforts to recruit capable and qualified crew members for the international cruise industry.
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