The Fourth Step: Becoming A Cruise Ship Photographer
Off You Go To Cruise Ship Photography Training
Different companies have different ways of getting the same work done. For that, the company will require you to go through some new hire training to prepare you for your first ship.
Image will either provide training at their office in Miami FL, or will require that you train at a specific training center (and no other training center!) in your country or in a country not too far from you. Get your information straight from them, and don’t let other people dupe you.
When I had my training in 2007, my training and hotel accommodations were paid for by the company, and I paid for my visa and flight to Miami FL. Nowadays, Image has arrangements in some territories to train their new hires. For example, for South African new hires, they go to a specific training center in Cape Town for their new hire training.
Again, the best source of up-to-date info would be the company itself and your local agency.
Walk The Plank…
Pay attention to what the Agency tells you and gives you, and things should work out alright.
More importantly, enjoy your contract! 😀
For your questions not yet covered here, simply ask Evelyn via the Contact page.
In Closing
All of this is to give you an idea on the flow of things and just how much there is to do to become a cruise ship photographer. You don’t have to take notes because you’re not doing all these things alone. It’s not like in the ancient days when sailors pack their sack, walk the plank, and start day one on the ship totally clueless. The Principal (i.e. Image, the company that employs me) now gives a 2-day Hiring Session and a week-long training for those who are accepted, and the Agency is there to tell you what’s next. And, now and then, you’ll be running into cruise ship photographers who won’t mind you asking them questions.
By the way, it is bad manners and inappropriate to ask someone how much he/she is earning, whether he/she is single (what’s that got to do with you wanting a job?), where he/she lives (if she says “Manila”, don’t ask “which street?”), etc.
Ask the Agency, not the crew, about average earnings and keep your nose out of other people’s private business. Okay?
Why do I provide links to 3rd party websites (e.g. the Principal, the Agency) instead of directly adding their information (i.e. address, phone, e-mail) to my website? Because their websites are the best source of up-to-date information and I may not be able to edit and update this article often enough.
I don’t blog or maintain websites as a job or business. I find being online eats up too much of my time. Surely, you understand. 😉
Okay, that’s done. One last thing though, in case you haven’t seen it yet, click here to read a quick update. 🙂