TAKE YOUR TALENT
FROM SHIP TO SHORE
We believe the future is freelance.
Ready to trade the 9-to-5 desk grind for a 360-degree ocean view? If you’re looking for a career that’s as flexible as your weekend plans and actually looks good on your "Day in the Life" posts, freelancing in the cruise industry is the move. At Academy Onboard, we’re ditching the stuffy corporate vibes to help you land unique, high-energy roles that take you across the globe. Whether you’re a natural at brand training, a destination speaker with stories to tell, or a luxury sales pro who knows how to close a deal in style, we’ve got your back. From mentoring new starters to hosting exclusive trunk shows, we’re here to help you build a nomadic career that’s actually exciting, totally on your own terms, and definitely not boring.
WHAT ARE ACADEMY FREELANCERS?
Our Freelancer opportunities are an innovative offering from us to help cruise lines and brands further improve their performance onboard using a new solution. We are building a network of freelancers around the globe to ensure that we can support as many cruise ships as possible.
Utilizing our cruise retail expertise and our strong network, our freelancers will enrich and support in a number of different ways.
We will focus our freelacers in 4 specific areas:
Training, Onboard Selling, Enrichment and Onboard Mentoring.
The unique position of the Cruise Retail Academy and Academy Onboard will allow brands and cruise lines to connect with amazing professionals who are looking to step forward on a new step in their career journey.
Make a difference onboard, one ship at a time!
TRAINING
After being trained by a brand, you will step onboard cruise ships in your region to conduct face to face training and merchandising support with the onboard retail team focusing on brand overview, product specific information and novelty presentation. Your goal is to engage, inspire and educate the onboard teams to improve their brand knowledge and ability to deliver improved sales.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
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Deliver product and sales training to onboard retail crew
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Provide brand insights and support team confidence
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Complete recap reports with photo evidence
AMBASSADORS
Deliver onboard trunk shows, brand activations or special events. You will sail onboard specifically to increase sales performances for a brand. Whilst onboard your goal is to also ensure that the team are well trained, the brand events are well setup and sales are optimized. The individual events you will be conducting will be (content here)
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
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Present the brand throughout a cruise voyage or days specified
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Deliver training, support retail operations, and promote store engagement
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Collect feedback, photos, and performance insights
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DESTINATION SPEAKERS
With a passion for storytelling and travel, you will step onboard longer cruises to enrich guests with inspiring lectures on the ports of call that the ship will be visiting. Conducting 1-2 keynote lectures per day, you will prepare professional presentations and then bring them to life for onboard guests. Your ability to share your passion for travel should be clear, whilst you are looking for a flexible and varied set of assignments.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
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Hosting daily enrichment lectures and Q&A's with guests on destinations the cruise ships will visit
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Preparing your research and presentations in advance to a very high standard
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Strong communication to directly connect with the onboard entertainment team to ensure strong attendance at lectures.
ONBOARDING MENTORS
Are you a former cruise retail professional looking for a flexible way to stay connected to the industry while earning on your own terms? We are looking for experienced ex-crew members to act as Onboarding Mentros for our global retail partners. This is a fully remote, 'pay-as-you-go' role where you leverage your sea-legs and industry credibility to identify, vet, and mentor the next generation of cruise talent. Rather than just being a recruiter, you will act as a consultant and 'concierge' for first-time candidates, ensuring they are reality-checked and fully prepared for the unique demands of life on board."
Key Responsibilities:
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Conduct initial interviews to assess candidate suitability, using your own shipboard experience to "reality-check" applicants
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Candidate Pack Management Support
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Provide end-to-end support for candidates after their offer to ensure they successfully reach their assigned ship.
MYSTERY SHOPPING
You will conduct mystery shopping audits onboard via our special feedback app to ensure consistent brand experience is delivered onboard. Namely you will be checking events, activations, cruise programming, displays, marketing material, display equipment, window displays and ensuring that all setup is delivered correctly.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
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Conduct discreet retail setup experience audits
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Use checklist tools to capture performance metrics
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Compare brand positioning with overall onboard setup
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Feedback to onboard team in real time
HOW DOES IT WORK?
1. Sign up as a FREELANCER today by applying to us via our Freelancer Hub on Academy Onboard.
2. We will then invite you to an interview first with us, and secondly by the relevant brand / cruise line.
3. If you are successful, you will be required to take part in a number of trainings and upload your documents on your profile. Once signed off, you will have access to our FREELANCER private portal, where you can sign up to available assignments.
4. Choose your assignment, follow the processes and get paid for what you complete.
WHAT DOES BEING A FREELANCER MEAN?
Being a freelancer means working for yourself and offering your skills and services to various brands on a project-by-project basis, rather than being employed by a single company.
There is no charge to becoming a freelancer, but the employment circumstances are unique.
As a freelancer, you are essentially an independent contractor who will manage their own work.
You will send invoices for work completed, and be paid on successful fulfilment of a brief.
Cruise Retail Academy is building a network designed to support freelancers building new opportunities in our industry.
WHO CAN APPLY?
We are looking for experienced professionals who have the following skills:
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Proven retail or training experience (cruise retail experience a bonus)
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Confidence in facilitating sessions or engaging with international teams
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Visual merchandising or sales background preferred (for relevant roles)
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Ability to travel internationally (passport + flexibility essential)
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Tech literate must submit reports via digital platforms (e.g., Safety Culture)
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Strong interpersonal, cultural, and professional standards
WHAT ARE WE OFFERING?
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Your first step from ship life to shore life
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Paid freelance assignments with travel covered
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Training via the Cruise Retail Diploma (E-Academy)
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Brand-specific onboarding and certification
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Access to Freelancer private portal for assignment browsing
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Tiered loyalty rewards & seasonal recognition
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Possibility to join brand teams long-term ('try before you hire' model)
IS THIS ROLE FULL TIME?
It depends on how many assignments you wish to collect. We think the best way to look at the cruise retail freelancer role is additional income that can be earned whilst being on vacation, between roles or in supplement to a role you are already doing. Most ship visits will take place as per the cruise calendar, so you will need some level of flexibility to ensure you are able to attend the specific locations.
More questions will be answered for you as you engage into our recruitment process.
