You are allowed 20 kg of checked baggage and 8 kg of hand luggage per flight. Please note that uniforms are provided by the company. Since you will spend most of your time in uniform, you won’t need to bring many personal items. In addition, during your free hours at different ports, you will have opportunities to shop.
For river ships, the standard contract period is approximately 8 months. Depending on your position, your contract may be extended by the company. With your approval, the total contract duration may reach up to 10 months per year. For ocean cruise ships, the minimum contract period is 5 months.
On ocean cruise ships, initial safety and security training is provided. Following this, regular drills are conducted- on average once every 7 days -including fire drills, use of fire extinguishing equipment, man-overboard search and rescue operations, and ship evacuation scenarios. In contrast, no formal training or safety drills are conducted on river ships.
Your uniform will be provided by the company on board. However, on river ships, male and female crew members are required to supply their own black fabric trousers, tie clip, corkscrew, and black belt. In addition, you must bring two pairs of black shoes. Ideally, these should be used, comfortable shoes that already fit your feet well.
All work uniforms are washed and ironed in the ship’s laundry service. For your personal items, there is also a dedicated crew laundry room available where you can wash your clothes free of charge.
Smoking is permitted only in designated areas determined by the Captain and Hotel Manager. Smoking in cabins or indoor areas is strictly prohibited for safety reasons and violating this rule may result in termination of employment.
Some river and ocean cruise ships are equipped with internet networks. On most ships, internet services are customer-oriented and chargeable. For river ships, you can purchase a local SIM card (approximately €20–25 per month) in countries such as Germany, Austria, or the Netherlands. These cards allow you to use the internet across all EU countries without additional roaming fees.
On both ocean and river ships, depending on your department, you will typically have 5–6 hours of free time per day, during which you are allowed to go ashore and enjoy personal time.
On cruise ships, hygiene standards are regulated by USPH (United States Public Health) guidelines. On river ships, HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) standards apply.
No. The company covers your flight to the ship at the beginning of your contract and your return flight home at the end of the season, provided you successfully complete your contract.
On both cruise and river ships, your salary will be transferred directly to the IBAN account you provide. This account must be in your own name; payments will not be made to accounts belonging to relatives or third parties.
On ocean cruise ships, a general practitioner on board will carry out medical check-ups. On river ships, a comprehensive health insurance policy is provided. In case of a serious health issue, after informing your department and the Hotel Manager, you may visit a doctor at the nearest port. All treatment costs are covered by the insurance company.
On cruise ships, you do not have vacation or leave entitlements during your contract. On river ships, depending on the company, you may have between 4 and 11 days off per month. Leave schedules are arranged by Human Resources and the Hotel Manager and you can take these days once your probation period on board has been successfully completed.
On some cruise ships, tipping is handled either through a cash-based system or a prepaid system. On river ships, at the end of each tour, the amount collected in the common tip box at the reception is distributed equally among all crew members. Additionally, any individual tips you receive directly from guests remain your personal income.
For river ships, you will need a passport valid for at least two years, a first aid certificate, a medical report, a criminal record check, and for kitchen staff specifically, a HACCP hygiene certificate. For ocean cruise ships, required documents include a seaman’s book, the STCW 95 certificate, and various vaccination certificates.
On river ships, crew members are provided with three meals a day. Personal food items may be stored in the crew lounge refrigerator if kept in a sealed bag or container. Drinking water is supplied free of charge by the company. Beverages purchased from shops, whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic, may be consumed in your cabin or in designated crew deck areas.On ocean cruise ships, crew are also provided with three meals a day. For beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, there is a crew bar available on board at a cost.
The primary language spoken on all ships is English. Depending on the ship, German may be a second working language. In all guest areas, speaking in your native language is strictly prohibited.
On river ships, you may go ashore outside working hours or spend your time on the open deck, where there are tables, chairs, and sun loungers reserved for crew members. On ocean cruise ships, you can also go ashore during your free hours, visit the crew bar, or use the crew gym facilities.
The routes of ocean cruise ships vary depending on the continent and are determined by the operating company.
For river ships, tours are generally organized along the Rhine or the Danube rivers: Ships operating on the Rhine usually visit Switzerland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Ships operating on the Danube typically visit Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania.
For both ocean and river ships, the probation period is generally 60 days. During this time, crew members who fail to meet performance expectations, cannot adapt to ship life, or lack sufficient foreign language skills may have their contracts terminated.
You must submit an application via the J.O.B. system on our website www.sultancruise.com , along with an English CV that includes your phone number, e-mail address, home address, postal code, and a recent photo. Additionally, as of the application date, you must hold a passport valid for at least two years. After your CV is reviewed by S.C.I., if deemed suitable, you will be invited for a pre-interview, during which your professional knowledge and language skills will be tested. If successful, you will be placed on the shortlist for an official interview conducted by the main company.
The interview, conducted online by the company’s Human Resources team, will test your language proficiency and professional knowledge. Detailed instructions about the process will be provided step by step on our website once you pass the pre-interview.
Within three business days, the interview results are sent to us by the company. All successful candidates will then receive an informative e-mail, referred to as the first documents package, which includes details about the required documents, the contract, and payment instructions for visa-related paperwork. The first step after the interview is to book a German national visa appointment through the iData offices in Ankara, Istanbul, or Izmir, depending on your place of residence. The appointment date will be provided by iData via e-mail and must be forwarded to us so we can add it to our visa checklist. S.C.I. will then prepare the contract and all necessary documents for your visa application and deliver them to you no later than three days before your consular appointment.
Once your contract and other visa documents are prepared, they are reviewed by us and then sent to you by e-mail along with an instruction guide explaining what steps you need to take. Detailed information about how to complete the visa application form and the personal documents you must prepare for submission can also be found on our website.
For river ships, the season begins in mid-March, but the exact date depends on when your assigned ship starts operating. This period generally extends from mid-March to the end of April.
For ocean cruise ships, you must begin working on board within one month of your visa being issued.