How to Apply as a Cruise Ship Doctor

Cruise Ship Doctor
Cruise Ship Doctor

The Cruise Ship Doctor is expected to have a broad range of experience in acute care areas and clinical care skills in order to handle the varied and challenging clinical caseload. Learn what the role of a cruise ship doctor is and how to apply as a cruise ship doctor.

Qualifications of a Cruise Ship Doctor

A cruise ship doctor, along with a team of cruise ship nurses, provides and maintains high standards of individualized patient care for passengers and crew, responding to shipboard emergencies, preventing the outbreak of illness, and treating a broad range of medical conditions. A day in the life of a cruise ship doctor may include intubation and conscious sedation, suturing, removal of benign skin lesions, removal of foreign objects, and immobilizing of simple fractures.

Most cruise lines expect that candidates will have an active medical license, a medical degree from a recognized college or university, and at least three years of clinical experience in general and emergency medicine.

Cruise ship doctors should have valid Basic Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, and Advanced Trauma Life Support certificates. They should also have three years minimum clinical experience in Acute Care setting and one year of practical experience in Advanced Cardiac Life Support.

Cruise Ship Doctor Jobs with Carnival Corporation

Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America, Princess Cruises, Seabourn and P&O Australia
Website: Carnival Medical Jobs
Contact: Joe Scott (Director of Fleet Medical Operations for Carnival Cruise Line)
Contact:  Grant Tarling (Group SVP and Chief Medical Officer for Holland America Group and Carnival Cruise Line)

P&O Cruises and Cunard Line
Website:  Carnival UK
Contact: Kathryn Ramsdale (Medical Director, Health Services Carnival UK)

Costa Cruises and Aida Cruises
Website:  Carnival Maritime

Cruise Ship Doctor Jobs with Royal Caribbean Group

The Royal Caribbean Group encompasses the cruise line brands Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, and Silversea Cruises. To work for any of these brands, apply online through Royal Caribbean’s CTRAC career resource. Alternatively, Royal Caribbean Group works with the hiring partners, Hospitalio Recruitment and Faststream Recruitment to assist with recruiting medical personnel.

Royal Caribbean Jobs:  Apply Online
Contact:  Ruben D. Parejo (Fleet Director of Medical and Public Health for Royal Caribbean Group)
Contact:  Calvin Johnson (Chief Medical Officer for Royal Caribbean Group)

Cruise Ship Doctor Jobs with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises are all brands that are part of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. To work with any of these brands, apply online through their shipboard employment page if there is a job posting. Alternatively, Norwegian works with a global network of hiring partners.

Contact:  Carlos J. Gonzalez (Chief Medical Officer at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings)

Other Cruise Ship Doctor Jobs

Crystal Cruises and Disney Cruise Line both use Vanter Cruise Health Services to recruit doctors for their onboard medical department.

Vikand Solutions offers careers at sea for a number of cruise lines including Viking Cruises, Hurtigruten, Azamara, Virgin Voyages, American Cruise Lines, and many others.

Updated: November 4, 2021