VIP International: Recruiter Profile By Lucian Reed-Drake When it comes to the world of luxury cruising, the guests certainly are Very Important People, so crewmembers and their hospitality standards are insisted to be of an exceptional quality. Step forward the suitably named ‘VIP International’, a worldwide cruise ship recruitment agency that delivers many of the finest hospitality and catering professionals at sea. VIP International has been going since 1968, recruiting for the cruise, hotel and industrial industry all over the world. The cruise line division was first launched specifically to provide assistance in recruiting skilled personnel for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL) and their inauguration of their first vessel in 1970.  This specialized division h...

At WORKING ABROAD MAGAZINE we like to bring you the facts from the people who have done the job, so we spoke to Matthew and Isabel to find out about their experiences working on cruise ships through Harding Brothers… “I had been backpacking for a year and was back at home and bored,” says Matthew Everson. “I still had the travel bug, though, and thought working on a cruise ship would be the best way of seeing the world and getting paid for it!” Work in a Cruise Ship Retail Shop That was two years ago and Matthew is now on his fifth ship, including spells on the Queen Mary  2 (transatlantic) and QE2 (world cruise)’ I went to P&O’s Arcadia as emergency cover for someone who had to transfer to another ship. I was only supposed to be there for thr...