** The various titles of "chef" generally apply to more advanced roles in a professional kitchen Sous Chef. Graduates of a culinary arts training program should expect to pursue entry-level opportunities and should not expect to become chefs upon graduation but are encouraged to work toward becoming a chef through the course of their career. Le Cordon Bleu does not guarantee employment or salary.

The career of a cruise line chef is one of the most rewarding in the culinary industry. Besides, traveling around the world on a ship, the chef also earns a high monthly income. The chef on a cruise chef has benefits like cruise lines cover room, medical care and board. Most of the cruise line chefs serve passengers round the clock. To become a chef on a cruise ship, candidates require special training and board experience along with a keen interest in the field of culinary art. Candidates can decide to take up a culinary career at sea as an executive chef, a sous chef or a chef de partie. The number of passengers on a ship may vary from as little as 500 to as many as 3,000. Therefore, each cruise is equipped with a fully staffed kitchen to serve food to its passengers 24/7. Employers hire chefs that have a previous working experience of around 3-5 years at a hotel, luxury resort or restaurant.

To become a chef on a cruise ship, candidates should possess a graduate degree acquired from an accredited culinary or cooking school. After completion of their culinary training program, candidates first need to obtain a few years of experience working at a hotel or a high-end restaurant. Since you will be staying on the cruise ship for days, employers are always on the lookout for professionals who have sound health. This case is similar with other shipboard personnel as well. This is due to the fact that acute illness conditions can prove to fatal while on a cruise ship. While these acute illnesses can be easily treated or controlled in an emergency room, it is not easy on a cruise ship. Therefore the chef who works on a cruise ship must be in good health. Physical and dental examinations are part of the recruitment procedure to hire cruise line chef.

Aspiring candidates can first prepare a list of all the cruise lines that they are willing to join. Find out which cruise lines are hiring chef for their cruise ships. You can check out both small and large cruise lines. Small cruise ships keep hiring chefs all the year round. Small ships include both oceangoing as well as those that sail on rivers. However, you should try to acquire a position on a large cruise ship with around 3,000 passengers on board. Candidates can then call the office of the HRD of the selected cruise lines. At times, you can also land a high paying job at small cruise lines.

Most of the huge cruise lines and large cruise lines have the employment application forms available online. You can easily send your resume online to apply for the chef position at the cruise line. It may take quite some time before you actually get a call from the cruise line. Do not resend your resume and wait patiently. Around a dozen cruise ships make up a huge cruise line whereas a large cruise line may have around six cruise ships. It is not very often that a replacement or recruitment of kitchen staff is required at large cruise lines. There are many large cruise lines that have set up their own food service company to operate on their ships. Positions may be vacant in case the ship is headed to a port for refitting or due to the chef’s illness. It may also happen that you get a call from the cruise line HRD or its food service company after weeks or months of applying as and when requirement arises.

Small ship cruise lines also offer plenty of opportunities to become a cruise line chef or a chef on a cruise ship. Candidates can easily send their updated resume to the cruise line. Some of the smaller cruise ship lines also function as tour operators. Opportunities may arise where you can land a cruise line chef job at a higher monthly income than you would earn at a large cruise line. So, candidates should be ready to grab such opportunities.

Depending on their skill set, experience and the strength of their application, you may be called for an interview. Make use of your culinary and cooking capabilities and training to make an impression on the interviewer. As mentioned above, a medical examination is mandatory to obtain most of the cruise line jobs. Besides the financial rewards that the career of a chef on a cruise ship brings you, you also have the opportunity of experiencing the very unforgettable while on a cruise ship. The monthly earning of a cruise line chef may range between $2,000 and $5,000 depending on their skill and experience.