Setting Sail on the Career Opportunity of a Lifetime

Jared Davis was looking for a slight career pivot in 2013. As someone who’d worked in EMS since 2004, he wanted to remain in the field but was searching for something different. Since he was always interested in traveling, he sought out positions with groups like Doctors Abroad.

“There was really nothing for paramedics or anything that fit that role aside from enlisting in the military,” he recalls.

But Davis soon learned about EMS opportunities with Princess Cruise Lines, which was perfect for him—you get to travel, you can develop remote-medicine skills, and along the way you can make friends worldwide.

“Princess Cruises pays me to travel the world,” Davis says. “What isn’t there to like about that?! I do my fair share while on duty, but to be in a different city or country every day—and take in local culture and experiences—is unparalleled. The food is amazing, and the entertainment and shows on the ship are incredible.”

Opportunities for cruise ship paramedics have been growing rapidly over the past six years, according to Davis, now senior paramedic officer with Princess Cruise Lines.

“With new ships and the company growing, our position at sea is starting to see some rapid changes,” he says. “We have more positions still to roll out, and we will see additional developments throughout the year.”

Life and Work at Sea

Working at sea is unlike anything you’ve ever done, Davis says.

“You will work hard at times, like any job, but you get to have fun during your downtime as well,” he says. “The most rewarding part is that on a daily basis you can be in different parts of the world. You can be walking on the Sydney Harbour Bridge by the Opera House one day, enjoying the Waitomo Glowworm Caves in Auckland the next, and then be on a tour to Hobbiton where they filmed Lord of the Rings. It certainly beats picking up those frequent flyers we all know too well.”

Since EMS personnel aboard Princess Cruise Lines are officers, they have the opportunity to be among the passenger areas and enjoy many of the same things passengers do—a privilege not afforded to most cruise workers.

“This role as an officer was just confirmed as a permanent role with Princess, which is a major change and benefit in itself,” says Davis. “We also don’t share cabins and generally have the perk of having portholes or windows. We receive free healthcare while on board as well.”

Life at sea is similar to being at a university, says Davis. There are teaching modules to attend, safety drills conducted regularly, gym classes led by fitness instructors, and of course hanging out at the famous crew bar.

Paramedics aboard don’t just take care of sick passengers but crew members as well.

“One of the most important aspects is genuinely taking an interest in the health and well-being of fellow crew,” says Davis. “We may forget we’re advocates for others, and some crew don’t realize the benefits they are entitled to. When you educate them on their healthcare rights, you see how appreciative they are, and they go out of their way to thank you. There’s no greater feeling than seeing a smiling face as they say your name and say how you ‘cured them.’ You may come across that same person on a different ship years later, and they recognize you and say ‘Hey, remember me? You saved my life!’”

Being a primary first responder on a cruise ship is a major responsibility. You work under primary guidelines or SOPs. You may also work autonomously with a 9-1-1 pager and have a first-response bag to keep with you at all times.

“You work two clinics—one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with a break in between so long as the pager doesn’t go off with an emergency,” explains Davis. “We do a 24-hour rotation on and 24 hours off, like most of us do at the fire department at home. At times it may be too busy, and the schedule has to shift to 12 hours so we are not in violation of maritime law concerning the number of hours you need to rest.”

The larger ships in the Princess fleet staff three doctors, three nurses, and two paramedics at all times. They remain on call on their days off. If there’s a major emergency that requires the entire medical team to respond, or if the clinic gets really busy, then they help out as well. When docked the ship needs to maintain a minimum staff of one doctor, one nurse, and one paramedic, but there’s always a paramedic on duty with the 9-1-1 pager. In addition, different departments have different rotations on the ship. EMS personnel work four months on and have two months off.

“We aren’t compensated during the time off; however, there may be fill-in work they could offer you,” says Davis. “Whenever we’re docked and if we’re off that day, we can go ashore.”

Davis says each port has all-aboard times for passengers and crew. “As long as you make it back in time, you’re free to explore the city. Paramedics get every other day off, so we have more than enough time to get our travel bug satisfied.”

Working in the Travel Industry

The ideal candidate for working at sea has a passion for traveling, learning about other cultures, and challenging themselves to learn new skills while being open-minded and teachable.

“I would discourage the candidate who has many responsibilities at home, because you’re away for up to four months at a time,” says Davis. “If you’re a seasoned paramedic, have a strong work ethic, can pack up in as little as a week and be on a plane halfway across the world, and not be fussed to look back, definitely apply.”

Diversity is also considered.

“It’s what drives the company in general to thrive so well,” he says. “Being kind, compassionate, open-minded, having a strong drive for working with a team, and being respectful are definite common traits. Being respectful is critical because you’re working with passengers and crew from around the world, with different cultures and backgrounds. Understanding that fundamental and being able to adapt to each and every culture so you can make that person’s experience special will set you up for success in the travel industry.”

Challenges of Working at Sea

One of the challenges of working on a cruise ship is being away from family and friends.

“That’s always on the mind of every seafarer,” says Davis. “We miss our family and friends. Many times when we go ashore, it’s mostly to find a spot with fast Wi-Fi so we can call, Skype, or FaceTime everyone back at home. The company recently made WhatsApp free for crew, which is a game-changer. They really do find ways to ensure we’re in contact with our loved ones back home.”

Since most EMS officers work monthly contracts, some could be away from friends and family for as long as nine months. If you’re a shy person, that could pose a challenge. It helps to have a social personality, because you’re coming on a ship full of people you’ve never met but will be spending time with daily.

“But you always have others from wherever you come from who will always bring you out of your shell to meet new people,” Davis adds.

Besides the travel, another thing Davis enjoys about Princess Cruise Lines is the crew.

“I have some of the best friends from all over the world,” he says. “I have reached the point in my life where I have more friends from different countries than in my own country. That’s wild to think about. Princess Cruises isn’t slowing down, either; they’re branching out with more ships and expanding the paramedic role, so it’s an exciting time to be here.”

COVID-19 Effect on the Industry

Since the coronavirus pandemic has made its way around the world, several changes have been implemented in the cruise industry. For example, the medical teams now don full PPE and masks when dealing with anyone who comes into the medical center.

“We strictly adhere to what the CDC has outlined when dealing with any suspected cases of COVID,” says Davis. “We continue to work with the CDC and all federal agencies. Since we’re on an operational pause, we expect delays in assigning new employees. But we invite people to obtain information about our medical job opportunities when we resume operations.”

In fact, as documented online and announced publicly, Davis says Princess has unfortunately suffered layoffs and furloughs, much like the rest of the country.

“It has hit us all hard,” he says. “We still have some crew on board, but they are repatriating back to their home countries. Any remaining crew are for minimum safe manning of the vessel until we resume operations. It certainly has been difficult for everyone, but we champion on, support each other, and encourage one another, and together we will get through this and be stronger for it.”

Daniel Casciato is a freelance writer and social media consultant from Pittsburgh, Pa. He makes his living writing about health, law, social media, and technology. Follow him on Twitter at @danielcasciato.