Are you an experienced cruise industry professional? Are you someone who really enjoys and excels at customer service? Are you ready to work from home as an employee with benefits instead of an independent contractor? Then becoming a cruise customer service agent at Cruise.com might be of interest to you.
What Exactly is Cruise.com?
As its name so obviously implies, Cruise.com is a travel-based website where potential travelers come to get the best prices on cruises and cruise packages. It is similar to Priceline.com or Travelocity, but with only cruises offered instead of other means of travel or vacationing. Cruise's packages also include specialty cruises such as wedding cruises or wine cruises. Travelers are able to choose their ports and their cruises to be able to get a price or put their information into the search engines at Cruise.com to receive a quote.
What Does the Cruise Customer Service Agent Do at Cruise.com?
The cruise customer service agent is responsible for:
- making an effort to build rapport with customers.
- looking up and confirming customer’s cruise information.
- answering any cruise-related questions.
- troubleshooting any travel-related problems.
- helping customers decide upon their cruise package.
- multitasking and managing time and scheduled meetings.
What Are the Skills Required to Be a Customer Service Agent at Cruise.com?
The customer service agent should be:
- skilled and proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
- able to resolve basic computer problems at home.
- someone with a high school diploma or equivalent.
- experienced with at least one year of cruise industry experience.
What is Training Like at Cruise.com?
Training is paid and three weeks long. Training is all web-based and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST. The next training class begins on January 19, 2015 so if you are interested, you will need to apply before then.
What Are Some of the Computer Requirements to Work This Position at Cruise.com?
The computer requirements are not fully spelled out, but what I have been able to gather is:
- to have a PC or laptop and telephone located in a quiet part of the house.
- to have a noise-cancelling headset for your dedicated landline phone.
- to have high-speed Internet connection.
Both the phone and computer should be hardwired. And of course, you would want anti-virus and malware protection updated and operating on your computer.
What Are the Hours at Cruise.com Lines for This Position?
The hours appear to be Monday through Friday during regular business hours. This would be in Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Are You an Independent Contractor or an Employee at Cruise.com?
For this position, you are an employee with a benefits package. The benefits are, but are not limited to:
- healthcare and dental plan.
- a 401(k) plan.
- paid time off with sick time and holiday pay.
- discounted rates on travel.
What is the Pay Like at Cruise.com?
While they really don’t discuss salary anywhere on their website, it is hourly plus commission. From what I have gathered it seems that it is $10 to $15 an hour. Hours will fluctuate with the industry as well as busier travel times during the year. One online review did complain that the hours were severely cut.
How Can an Interested Individual Apply for the Cruise Customer Service Position at Cruise.com?
All interested individuals with at least one year’s worth of experience of cruise industry experience should send a resume to jobs@cruise.com. Make sure to include your job title of the job you are applying to in the subject of the email. Also check out the other home-based jobs that are available. The next training is scheduled for January 19, 2015 so you will need to apply and be accepted by then.
Good luck to those who apply!
For cruise.com work at home opportunities. The agent must have customer service experience in the cruise industry.
Where can you find entry level cruise work? Every time I see an opening it requires 1-3 years experience. I would love to do this type of work but everyone is asking for prior experience that I don’t have.
This goes against the conventional method, but you may want to try learning all you can about the cruise industry. Google, Google, Google, you could even Yahoo from time to time. My point is research the industry. THEN doctor your resume’ around it.