Mark Hamilton: Fitness instructor on a cruise ship
I thought about working on a ship after I watched
a TV documentary about life on a cruise ship. It
seemed really exciting. At the time I was working
my local gym. I enjoyed the job, but I’d been
there a few years, I’d never lived in a different
town and I’d never been abroad. I really liked the
idea of travelling and seeing the world.
I looked the Internet and found a website with
hundreds of jobs on cruise ships. I applied for a
few jobs but didn’t get any. I then decided to give
up my job in the gym and go on a trip around
Australia. I wanted to get some experience of
travelling. My boss was great and said I could go
back any time, but luckily, when I returned from
my trip, I got the next job I applied for. It was a
fitness instructor on a cruise ship going to the Caribbean.
Life on a cruise ship is busy, but that’s what makes it exciting. A typical cruise ship has hundreds of
employees from sailors to waiters and hairdressers to tour guides. I love the variety of my work. I teach
aerobics, yoga, and fitness and I’m also a personal trainer in the gym. I work twelve hours day and have
two days off per cruise for sightseeing, but that’s enough for me. It’s always great to come home, because
I miss my friends and family, but then I love leaving again too.