Embark on a journey to exotic destinations, embrace diversity by working with people from 50 different nationalities, and live a one-of-a-kind career by working on a cruise ship.

Cassidy Lee Richardson grew up in Kiama and dreamed of being a dancer on cruise ships since the age of 11.

At 20, she auditioned for dance roles to gain experience. After attending multiple cruise ship auditions, she finally received the contract she wanted at age 21.

As a dancer, she flies to the studios in Miami before getting onboard to rehearse for the shows, "Royal Caribbean have stunning studios based in Miami that house all the rehearsals for every ship under their fleet, depending on what shows you're learning and how many you will be there for. It's a different amount of time anywhere between 5 weeks and 3 months," Cassidy says.

When the dancers have finished learning their shows, they travel to the ship's home port to start the install (handover) process onboard, which includes understanding the technical aspects of the shows and blocking onstage, which means going through all their standing and performing positions. There may be extra training if it's a first contract or redoing any expired training for the rehires.

"Once the install process is complete, we all say goodbye to the install team and the previous cast and then our cast is on their own to finish the contract. We get our schedule for the cruise on the first day of each cruise and then continue along like that until the end," she says.

Cassidy started dancing when she was eight years old, at her local dance studio (Dance Sensations), just doing after-school classes, until she moved to Melbourne at the age of 19 and studied at Transit Dance. Cassidy then studied full-time for her Diploma in Dance in 2017 and 2018. This gave her the knowledge and the tools needed for her future career on cruise ships.

To be able to work onboard an ocean-going ship, all crew have to do basic safety training, known as STCW, which is refreshed every five years. They must also pass a full medical check every two years. There is also a lot of specialised training on emergency duties and learning how to use all the different types of safety features on each ship.

Cassidy loves this career. "I get to perform every week, doing some incredible shows while also travelling and visiting some beautiful places around the world," she says.

"My favourite moments in this job are definitely the rewarding feelings when finishing a show and seeing a standing ovation. Nothing beats that feeling!" she enthuses.

The Bugle asked Cassidy about the stories that she has collected on her journeys. 

"There are definitely some great stories – but probably not fit for a newspaper, though! LOL.

"But all in all, the people I get to meet and hang out with from all around the world are always so much fun! Crew members always know how to put on an all-crew party and have the best time!"

Regarding the downside, she said, "That is definitely being away from home for as long as I am, usually 10-11 months at a time each contract. 

“It's hard sometimes to not be home for family events, holidays like Christmas/Easter, and birthdays." 

If you are keen on pursuing this type of career, Cassidy's advice is to "Keep on pushing, try not to get disheartened by others who may be progressing quicker in their careers. You never know what a future employer is looking for! Be consistent and continue to show up and keep working towards your goals. Manifest!" 

Another local woman (preferring to remain anonymous, so let's call her Joy) also gave The Bugle information about her interesting career on ships. 

Joy grew up in Kiama and then gained experience primarily in the entertainment and tourism industry before applying to work for P&O Australia at 23 years old.

Since then, she has worked on and off for various cruise lines worldwide, mostly in USA waters. 

Joy is a Cruise Director with a leading cruise line company and works' four-month on, two-month off' rotations. Cruise lines usually offer contracts for four, five or six months. Crew members are flown in, accommodated, and provided with meals onboard during their contract and then flown back to their country of origin. 

The crew only pay for amenities like drinks, so it's a great opportunity to save money while working onboard. Tax is paid in the country of origin. 

It's not easy work by any stretch. The hours are 14-plus per day, and there are no days off for the entire duration onboard. 

Asked whether it's a good career, Joy says, "It's different every day and this keeps me interested and engaged. You do have to work hard, but I love that. You also have to love what you do and have great stamina, because there are no days off during your contract period – you work every single day."

Joy loves this career. She loves cruising and even cruises in her time off! She says, "I enjoy meeting people, watching them, and the general romance of cruising. You could say that I am a 'cruise nut'."

Starting as a Junior Assistant Cruise Director, Joy worked hard to progress through the ranks to achieve her current position. She started firstly as Assistant Cruise Director, then moved up to Senior Assistant Cruise Director, then Deputy Cruise Director and finally Cruise Director. 

A Cruise Director role involves team management, working alongside the Entertainment Director, overseeing the musicians, actors, dancers, stage managers and staff, lighting and sound crews. 

They may also be Master of Ceremonies for special parties and occasions. Typically, there are seven Assistant Cruise Directors to train and manage and at least 50 crew on the entertainment team.

Moving up the career ladder involves putting in the time, (nautical) mileage, and hard work. After every cruise, the supervisors give a report on the crew in their team, and client feedback is also factored in. This ultimately determines whether a crew member is promoted or even if they are invited back for another contract! 

Like any job role, surely there must be difficult, hard-to-please clients? 

Joy admits, "Sometimes there are 'challenging' clients, but that motivates me to turn it around for them so that they become fans. 

"I genuinely care about people, and I know what I like and respond to, so I use that understanding to reach people and solve their issues." 

Like Cassidy, Joy acknowledges the downside of being away overseas and missing family occasions but says, "It's easier now with reliable internet, enabling people to keep in touch without the expense."

Apart from the special safety training and certification that all crew working on ships must do, Joy said, "We are always doing courses – the training is ongoing – things like training in cyber security, crisis management, and various Human Resources type courses, so it keeps things interesting."  

The wages aren't 'rockstar', so it's fair to say that people gravitate to working on cruise ships more for the lifestyle it offers and the opportunity to travel around the world and meet amazing people than for the money. Joy says, "You do it because you love it," adding that it's possible to negotiate a more attractive contract fee when you're more experienced. 

Joy advises young people wanting to follow a career on cruise ships, "It truly is a wonderful work environment, and you will derive great job satisfaction. Once you have built up suitable experience and credentials you can apply directly to cruise ship companies."