To begin with I have to say this is the best job I’ve ever had. I know now that I love the travel industry and am thrilled that these beautiful floating hotels require an I/S manager. A few years back I found myself at a very young age bored with the daily commute to work, trapped in a cubical, nauseated by florescent lighting and becoming a bitter adult seemingly stuck in a rut. During a random job search I looked at the Carnival Cruise Lines’ website for positions and was pleasantly surprised to see the I/S Shipboard position listed. I could picture myself swaying and singing along side Mrs. Gifford loving life out on the sea having “Fun.” Obviously there’s fun to be had at CCL but as with any job there are pros and cons so individually you have to determine if “life at sea” is for you. The qualifications listed on the website are obviously necessary for this position however living at sea for a 6 to 11 month contract period is a huge adjustment for many people who may initially be attracted to the “Fun Ship” idea as a work environment.

Our primary function is to support the Guest Systems as well as our local shipboard users who consist of a multinational hotel management team, their staff and the ship’s command and engine officers. Basically you are responsible for anything on the ship with a keyboard from forward to aft, starboard to port side as well as your embarkation homeport. There’s a wide variety of shipboard systems and hardware in the CCL fleet with many applications written in house by our talented shoreside programmers who additionally provide excellent support for us. Depending on your ship assignment you will see everything from Windows 95, some Dos applications, Windows 2K to Unix applications. The various hardware we support include PAR and IBM pc’s for our point of sales systems HP and Compaq desktops, servers and laptops, Dell desktops and laptops as well as 3COM or Cisco switches and routers. We have HP, Panasonic, Boca and Ithaca printers as well as the Airline ticket printer, the Data card printer and the crew ID and visitor printer. The ships are wired with Cat 5 cabling, fiber and wireless antenna’s. You are solely responsible for these systems and for their continual functionality.

In addition to being “the” I/S solution provider for your ship you must do this with great respect for your end users often requiring the patience of a saint. Although English is the required spoken language at CCL you will need to be fluent in broken English as well. You will be working side by side with people from every country around the world who’s culture, background, religion and out look on life effects their actions and reactions. So if you are the “computer guy or girl” who belittles your end users or gets frustrated by typical non-computer literate users then please click elsewhere because there is no room for that behavior in the fleet. It is to your advantage as well as being expected of you from shoreside, to be professional, respectful and confident in your decisions at all times.

As a single I/S manager on a ship you’ll be on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week for the duration of your contract. You will have days that seemingly fly by, days that you spend on the beach for a few hours and days that push you seemingly beyond your limits. Imagine an embarkation terminal filled with guests eagerly waiting to start their fun filled vacation, the hotel director, chief purser and staff captain calling you on the radio for a status update, your pager going off continually and you standing there trying to figure out at what point the communication between your home port and Miami failed thus stopping the embarkation process. You have to keep a cool head, make often quick but firm decisions and force a smile if you can muster one up. Again not every day has situations that pin you to the wall but your reaction is crucial and you must provide a solution.

Fortunately you’re not alone. You have an entire fleet of fellow I/S managers who’ve seen just about everything you can imagine out here. They’re only an email away and always provide excellent trouble shooting suggestions and a sympathetic ear when necessary. Additionally you have an army of shoreside support in Miami and with a phone call or an email to our helpdesk you can have a resolution in a very reasonable time. Being available at all times is necessary even though we do have a crew bar that offers drinks for a little over a dollar. Although this is a great place to escape to with your fellow crew members at the end of the day you have to be available. This is a challenge if you’re “thirsty” so please consider this factor as this is a contained environment and self control is essential. Obviously on a ship with an I/S team you will have another person there working with you and one of the greatest advantages about having more than one I/S manager is being able to have time to yourself when you’re not on call.

Your personal life and career are braided together while on contract so it truly is a matter of whether or not you can live at sea. Our ship assignments are dictated by the needs of the department fleet wide therefore you cannot expect to stay on one ship for your entire contract although it may be possible. Our shoreside support is very sensitive to our ship requests and most accommodating when they have the flexibility but pack lightly because you will transfer from time to time.

There are no off days or weekends while on contract the ship picks up our guests at embarkation, the voyage runs, we drop the guests at the end of the voyage and within two hours it starts all over again. However if you enjoying diving or want to get certified you’ll have a few hours in port each cruise so that’s a plus but we don’t work for the weekends out here. For me it’s our 6 to 8 week straight vacation that keeps a smile on my face.

As an Assistant I/S Manager you will be expected to share a cabin slightly smaller than your average dorm room. As Senior you may have your own cabin depending on the number of I/S team members on your ship. One great thing is you don’t have to cook or do dishes although the food is cafeteria-style and will become routine. We also have a cabin steward to clean our cabin daily, make the bed and deliver our laundry. Although there are always crew functions for the holiday’s it is in reality simply another work day and you learn to make the most of it with your crew family.

With ship life you’ll find there’s an essence of military, the ups and downs of dorm life, the confinement of living on an itinerary and the pure enjoyment of the port of calls. Midway through my 3rd contract I’ll have to say it’s not always the best situation getting paged at 2am when a bar register goes down but it’s my pleasure being an I/S manager for the CCL fleet because the experiences, people, port of calls and sun sets over the ocean keep me coming back.

Angela Chandler
Shipboard Information Systems Manager

The Ships
The ships range from 40,000 to 102,000 tons holding between 1400 to 3500 passengers. The ships are on average 14 decks (floors) high, with 3 of those below the water line. There are between 700 to 1100 crew onboard the vessels. The crew are from 40 to 50 different countries, speaking many different languages.

Onboard I/S Hardware, Software and Carnival Specific Apps.
The list below should be viewed as an example of what you will be working with but not limited to the list. This will give you a description of the broad scope of the Shipboard I/S Manager's responsibilities.

Hardware
Sun, Compaq and Dell servers; Panasonic, Okidata, Ithaca and Genicom dot matrix printers; Hp Laserjets ranging from 4p to 4050tn's; Assorted color inkjets; Airline ticket printers; Datacard printers; ATM Machine (Communications only); Various dumb terminals, Wyse Terminals, Compaq Laptops connected through a wireless network; Dell Optiplex GX1's and GX150's; iMacs; NCR 2760 or touch screen Cash registers.

Software and Apps
Microsoft Office Professional including Outlook; PageMaker, Print Shop Deluxe, Photosuite; Arcserve; IIS; TNVT and FTP programs; SMS 2.0; Digitrace (Nautical Chart software); WeatherLINK (Provides weather information for the Navigational Bridge); Crunchtime (internal electronic ordering system); InfoSHIPsql (Internal and External inventory, purchasing tracking and reporting software); Mapper (Mainframe purchasing system); DRS (Dining room seating system); CPS (Crew Personnel System); CFS (Casino Financial System); SMS (Slot Management System); SGRS (Shipboard Guest Relations Systems); SPMS (Shipboard Property Management System, Guest tracking and POS systems); FSS (Fun Ship Sales - POS system)

The Job
Maintenance of all above plus more in an environment with multiple cultures, languages, abilities and education ranges. You will be called upon to be an administrator, help desk, pc repair, hp printer technician, trainer and psychiatrist. You will be required to do this 24/7 for 6 six months at a time. You will receive at least a of month training. You will need to be a self-starter, motivating yourself to look for resolutions to problems, however we have excellent documentation and a fantastic support website. Also we have excellent support shoreside, where you will soon learn to respect the name Chinnappan.

The Lifestyle
Initially you will live in a room, which is on average the same size as the bathroom in your house. Included in the room (cabin) is a TV/VCR/ PC and monitor 2 beds, wardrobe and bathroom. Now image yourself sharing this.

However it is good when you get up in the morning, eat breakfast prepared by the chefs and served to you by the staff waiters. Return to your cabin after work to see the bed neatly dressed and yesterdays uniform is hanging up after been cleaned and neatly pressed.

Once you have finished your daily tasks you can avail of the crew or passenger gym, crew training center or the passenger show lounges and bars. We also have a crew bar to socialize, which is occasionally transformed, into a disco, bingo hall and safety at sea training center.

Why do I do it?
Because I love being in the Caribbean seeing new ports, playing fantastic golf courses, scuba diving, wind surfing and meeting people from all over the world. The cabin gets better after a while where you won't be sharing anymore and will have a porthole.

Job related I am challenged and learn everyday. I get great support shoreside whether I need a Unix admin or Oracle dba or a new image for a PC. I am gaining experience across a broad area and will be very marketable in the future.

I have not tried to paint a pretty picture in explaining the position and what comes with it. This job is not for everybody, but if you are successful in obtaining the position you will find it very rewarding.

Good Luck,
All the best,

Bernard O'brien
Shipboard Information Systems Manager

You’ve probably read at least a few of the other profiles by now. Here’s my perspective. In a lot of respects, this job is like every other. There are good and bad parts; folks you love to work with and folks you don’t, but with this job everything is magnified. This is mostly because you don’t go home and leave it at the office till the next day. Both of the groups of folks just mentioned will probably be eating dinner with you that night. The good parts are really good and the bad parts are more than you’d generally have to work with in a standard job.

Cons:
I’ll start with the parts that aren’t as good, since you’ve probably thought of a bunch of positives already. Truthfully, I’d say this is probably one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever had, not because of the technology; technology is technology, and you learn what you need to know. It’s difficult because of the environment you’re working in. You’re working with folks from 90+ different countries, with varying levels of technology exposure and experience. Everyone brings, their own cultural background, expectations and communications styles with them. Then you mix all these folks into somewhat confined spaces and a 24/7 environment. There are times when it seems everything breaks at the same time, each user insists that they are the priority, you can feel completely overwhelmed. The ability to keep cool while those around you are in crisis mode is key to your success and sanity <grin>. You do all this for between 6-8 months at a shot, with 6-8 weeks off on vacation. You’re in a 24/7 on call environment, you don’t really get days off....it’s more like time off.

Pros:
Doesn’t sound as appealing huh? But there are definitely positives to balance it out. What’s funny is that the positives are very similar to the negatives. You’re working and living with folks from all over the world. They each bring their culture, perspective, sense of humor and communication style with them. I’ve made friends that I treasure from every continent. I enjoy the beautiful destinations, and all they have to offer. Professionally, I’ve been challenged like never before. There’s an amazingly diverse technology environment on the ships. Win 2000 servers, multiple Oracle and Unix based applications, Win 95, NT and 2000 desktops, WYSE terminals, wireless networking, various handheld units; you name it, it’s used out here. Since the technology is so diverse, we’re fortunate to work with highly trained support teams, who have various specialties. You also have the ability to communicate with all the I/S Mgrs; often you can find answers from someone else in the fleet that has come across your problem before.

Shipboard Life :
Like most things in life, shipboard living is what you make of it. There are always things going on. Crew Parties, Bingo, both formal and informal language classes, an entire crew training center where you take advantage of multiple self study programs in a variety of topics. There is a crew bar where you might find quiz night or a darts tournament. There’s a crew gym, and you can also take advantage of the guest gym during slower times. You can enjoy the shows and performances onboard, or go to the disco at night. You can also grab a book and head for a lounge chair on deck. Meals are served at posted times in three different dining rooms, they’re called messes. As an officer, you can eat in any of them. You can also run upstairs and take advantage of 24 hour pizza or soft serve ice-cream.

Cabins:
The cabins are small, and in the beginning you will probably have to share with one other person. There will be a steward assigned to your cabin, who will make your bed, bring you towels, bring your clean uniforms, and generally try to be helpful. There are TV/VCR’s in each cabin, with a very limited choice of channels. As an I/S Mgr you should have a networked computer in your cabin as well, which makes taking care of calls at 3:00am a lot easier.

Medical:
Your medical needs are taken care of, if you such much as get sunburned you can go to the infirmary where they’ll take care of you.

To sum up, I really enjoy being here at this point in my life. It provides a great combination of challenges and benefits, with some of the best scenery around. I meet great folks, SCUBA dive and have the opportunity to grow professionally. It’s defiantly not for everyone, but not a bad gig all in all. Hope this helped you decide if it was right for you. Good Luck in your next endeavor!

Cathie Healey
Shipboard Information Systems Manager

What will you be doing 1 year, 2 years, and 5 years from now? I used to ask myself this very same question. Out of the answers that I came up with, working on a cruise ship would have been the last thing on my mind. That was until I saw the position posted on the Internet and read the description like this. You too are most likely now considering the very same move. If so, read the position descriptions and choose carefully. It is a major step in one’s life, not to be taken lightly.

I could tell you all the requirements and duties of the job, but I can’t tell you anything you haven’t already read in the other descriptions. Let me instead tell you about the lifestyle. In addition to the 70 hours work weeks, the 10 – 16 straight hours of embarkation and pages at any hour of the night, there is a social life if you wish to partake. If I had to choose a single best thing about working on the ships, the people you meet would have to top my list. Just imagine working with people from over 60 different countries at any given time. You can sit down for diner or a drink after work and before you know it, there will be several people sitting with you and you will be in deep conversation with. Then you notice where they are from. You are amazed by the diversity of the people, and yes they all speak some English. The second best thing would definitely be the ports of call. I had always wanted to have a job with some travel involved. I didn’t’ think a different place every day would be what I was doing. Some of the best and most beautiful ports, in my option, are St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, Aruba, and Cozumel. Just imagine getting a day off in one of these ports and taking a tour or going out with your friends!

The last thing I feel that I should talk about is what you will be giving up if you take this position. You won’t be able to go to a fast food restaurant at 2 AM if you get a sudden craving. You won’t be able to cook whatever food you feel like or even be able to head to a restaurant every night to get what tickles your fancy that day. You will give up some privacy as most people have to share a cabin with 1 other person. You will be giving up some freedoms as there are rules that have to be followed at all times, working or not.

This position has a lot of pro’s and con’s about it. It is a decision that must be carefully weighed to find out if it is right for you. I have not gone into full detail as to all the requirements, rules, work, and living conditions that you will experience. It is nearly impossible to fully describe in exact details what it is like living on a ship as everyone has different experiences. You must now consider where you are in your life and where you want to go. Again, you must carefully decide if this life style (and it is a life style) is what you are looking for. Let me just say that I made the choice and have never looked back. I can honestly say that I do love my job. Like all jobs there are parts that I like less then others but when I wake up every morning, I am happy to go to work.

Chris Lester
Shipboard Information Systems Manager

As many of my colleagues would attest, the position of Shipboard I/S Manager can be quite challenging, but yet still rewarding. It would be near impossible to adequately describe all of the facets involved in executing one’s duties on-board, but after reading this you should have a picture of what to expect and more importantly; if this job is for you. To establish this, permit me to elaborate on a few keywords and phrases that would help you make that decision…

Teamwork…
If you place importance on teamwork and have worked in a team environment before then that’s a definite plus here. Besides your immediate I/S team members onboard; which consists of between one (1) and three (3) persons; you have to get accustomed to thinking of all your co-workers as one team (I/S related or not). There are a multitude of different nationalities on-board and everyone is expected to do their duties and make contributions that will positively enforce the ‘team’. Being in an officer’s position as well means that you are respected by many crewmembers and sought for assistance in times of need, whether it is moral or otherwise. You are constantly reminded that you are part of a much larger team, of which safety on board is of paramount importance.

You are not alone…
You may think that supporting the ships is a one-man job and may wonder how is it you can get support when it is needed. I will assure you that support can be derived from your colleagues whom are also shipboard I/S Managers on other vessels, but also there is superior support mechanism at corporate headquarters in Miami. At the Technical Support Desk and Data Center they are always willing to go the extra mile to help you contact the relevant on call technical personnel or developer, to ensure that your problem is resolved in a timely manner. Helping to coordinate all of this and ensuring that we have the resources that we require is our very own shoreside I/S Shipboard Technology Group, whose members are invaluable in coordinating large scale deployments, fleet standardization and primarily ensuring that we receive an excellent level of support from all avenues. Another support mechanism that is readily used is our Intranet site, which is filled with technical bulletins, manuals, procedures, contacts and also relevant downloadable files.

What will I be supporting…
Ok, I’m not going to get all techie, but suffice it to say that we do have a vast number of systems, software and hardware, just waiting for you to support. The systems we support are too numerous to mention in this forum, but in general you should have experience with the following systems and technologies: Server & Desktop architectures, Networking (hardware, software, application and troubleshooting), Printers and printing devices (standalone, Network print servers, Industry specific), Hotel Management IT applications, Operating Systems (Sun OS/Unix, Linux, MAC OS, DOS, Windows 95,98,NT,2000,XP). You would also be responsible for supporting all shipboard I/T desktop hardware and associated office productivity software.

Work harder, play harder…
Just as the above phrase implies, the harder you work and complete your tasks and deadlines, the more time you have for play…time for yourself. The hours can be very long, especially considering that you are on-call 24x7. On ships that are larger and as such have a larger compliment of I/S Managers (say 3), you may rotate the on-call, so no one gets burnt-out. However if you are on a smaller vessel, you are basically always on-call. There are times that you may be tired and you get a 2am page because one of your servers hung and then you end up on the phone to Miami conferenced with about four (4) different persons and end up with a few hours of troubleshooting; all the while the phone and pagers are ringing and buzzing off the hook. Despite the hour and your tiredness, you have to remain composed and deal with the situation. Then there are the rare occasions that the pager does not go off for an entire day (you actually page yourself to make sure its working).

Seriously though, there are lots of nice ports to go out in, lots to do, and even more to see. So if that’s something you like, honestly there is plenty of time for it. Your main priority is keeping the vessels I/T infrastructure running, and its users happy. The better you are at ‘both’, the more time you will have to enjoy for yourself.

Time away from home…
Generally, the contract lengths are six (6) months, and you are given six (6) weeks vacation. You may request to extend your contract to as much as eleven (11) months, and this is reviewed and approved by shoreside I/S Management. Before you decide to bring the house, land and the dog with you, I must say that space on board is very limited. In most cases you would be sharing a cabin and all your belongings would have to fit in a few drawers and two closets, so pack lightly - some light clothing for going out in port and evening clothing for the crew bar socializing. Your work clothing will be assigned to you on board the ship and consists of officers uniforms (day and evening wear) and associated accessories, so no need to worry about bringing clothing to work in.

Living facilities…
As mentioned previously you more than likely would be sharing a cabin with the IATV Manager or a person of similar rank. Your cabin would have shower and washroom facilities which are shared by yourself and your roommate. There is a computer provided for your use in the cabin, desk, chair, closet, two bunk type beds and shelving to accommodate books and reading materials and of course a telephone and TV/VCR combo unit. As you can image the space is limited, so you have to be very considerate of this with regard to your roommate. The Senior I/S Manager has larger facilities, having generally a cabin with a porthole and a couch, coupled with a larger single bed plus amenities mentioned above. Your meals onboard are free of charge and can be enjoyed in the Officers mess or the Staff mess (depending on your preferences and the friends that you make onboard).

The ‘Fun’ Stuff…
Pardon the pun, but you are allowed to have fun. There are perks to the job, and these come in many forms. If you are currently in I/S you know that there are always perks afforded to those in the industry by the users; “as long as you keep them happy”; the same applies here. That, coupled with the fact that you are an officer onboard means that you are ‘encouraged’ to socialize and interact with guests; you have access to all lounges, all guest facilities (comedians, Vegas styled shows and various bands in the lounges). Even the disco as well, just picture yourself on the dance floor. Whenever you feel like, you can have a fabulous night out – not ‘on the town’, but ‘on the ship’. You would also enjoy immensely going on tours in various ports of call. As with our business, always remember we are providing a service to our guests and of course, the guest always has first priority.

So what are the negatives…
Consider that fact that you will be on a ship for six months at a time. Supporting persons of different nationalities and varying perceptions; some of who outrank you, one of who may just be your roommate. Get the picture? Tolerance, diplomacy and general understanding are three qualities that you will be required to learn if you do not already posses them. Firstly, you are here to work and get the job done, you can play afterwards. The ships life can get somewhat routine, especially if you end up on a ship that does the same route and ports for six months and in your opinion the ports are not good. The demands of the users can seem overwhelming at times, as they are unaware of many of your other deadlines; they just want their problem resolved. You cannot escape the users and your responsibilities by jumping in your vehicle and going home, this is your home and also your place of work; hence it can seem quite confining at times. All of the above are just a few of the negatives that come to mind; coupled with the fact that sometimes due to your deadlines and workload; you will be unable to leave the ship in port.

All in all, I hope that after reading the above, you have a better idea of the role of the I/S Manager onboard and the shipboard life as a whole. It’s a mixture of work and play, but more specifically, its what you make of it. If you are in agreement with all of the above, then I look forward to welcoming you as a member of the Shipboard I/S Team here at Carnival Cruise Lines.

Derrick Abbott
Shipboard Information Systems Manager

The Shipboard Information System Manager is an officer onboard one of Carnival's 40 to 102 tons passenger cruise ships working independently, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 'Working Independently' means that the I/S Manager is the only one in charge of the entire shipboard computer software and the NCR/Micros registers. The shipboard I/S Manager is responsible in supporting all computer users and their needs like, teaching them to use software applications like Word and Excel and helping them with their computer problems, as some of users are not so familiar with the operation of the computers. Microsoft's 'SMS' program is installed in Windows NT PC in the I/S Manager's office and cabin enables the access to user PCs to help them with their problems without leaving the office or cabin. Yes, its true, there is a PC in the I/S Manager's cabin, which is a big help especially if there is a call in the middle of the night asking for help.

It is also the I/S Manager's job in maintaining and supporting programs developed by I/S Shoreside like the Sail & Sign and Point of Sale (POS) System. I/S Shoreside are also available 24hrs/7days a week to support I/S Manager whenever they are needed to solve problems from the systems and servers.

There are times that the job is quite hectic especially when systems or servers goes down. This requires I/S Manager to work in the computer room for hours and hours depending on the scope of the problem. He also coordinates with I/S shoreside to discuss the problem and try to solve it. At this point, a little patience and calm is needed as the calls from all the users come in fast and furious, asking what's going on with their PCs.

All the day to day support issues are submitted each week to a designated recipient's shoreside and to the Hotel Manager which is the I/S Manager immediate Department Head onboard the ship.

The primary or overall responsibility of an I/S Manager is to ensure that the computer and network systems work smoothly through out the day.

Qualification

Qualifications to be a Shipboard Information Manager are, you should be a graduate of computer science course or its equivalent. Also needed a basic knowledge of some NT Server, Exchange Server and Sun Server. Knowledge of Unix Operating System, NT Workstation, Windows'95, Microsoft Office and some software utilities is also a must. An I/S Manager should also know how to troubleshoot a computer in case software or hardware problems occur.

Contract

The I/S Managers contract is for 10 months followed by two months of vacation. I/S Manager enjoys free meals on the ship and also has his/her own cabin. This arrangement saves I/S Manager's a lot of money, as there are no bills to pay.

There are times that everything is calm and quiet. During this time I/S Managers can also enjoy one of the greatest privilege of working in a cruise ship and that is seeing and enjoying the beautiful places in the world for FREE. Ports like Cozumel, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Grand Cayman and other Ports of Call that Carnival Cruise Lines ships go to every week. While onboard, you will also meet and make some new friends from different countries.

Author

I would say, Shipboard I/S Manager is a tough and challenging job but its worth for all the hard work. Apply now and find out for yourself.

Eduardo Roxas
Shipboard Information Systems Manager

In many respects the job of a shipboard I/S Manager is not unlike most other jobs.  It can be fun, exciting, challenging, rewarding, frustrating demanding and some times down right aggravating. The biggest and most obvious difference though is very few offices or jobs sail you around the Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific oceans taking you to exotic ports of call.  Sounds pretty good doesn’t it.  It is.  However, living and working on a cruise ship is quite different than being a guest.  After all this is a job and as with any job there are sacrifices to be made as well as benefits to be had. 

The biggest sacrifice to me is time.  This certainly isn’t a nine to five Monday through Friday job.  Shipboard I/S managers typically work about 10 to 12 hours every day and are on call the rest of the time.  That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the different countries and ports you call on or the ships many facilities.  So how do you manage to work so much and still have time for anything else?  The key is time management and being good at your job.  I/S Managers have a lot of flexibility as to when and how they work.  The better you maintain the systems the more flexibility you have.  The better your relationship with the many users the more cooperative they are in allowing you that flexibility.  Simply put, you take care of them and they will take care of you.  So if you want to go scuba diving in Cozumel Mexico for instance, and you have things on the ship in order, you can.  There are days when my pager never goes off.  It’s then I have time to slow down a bit and work at a more leisurely pace.  There is also days when it seems it won’t stop going off and I end up running all over the ship solving problems.  If you do your job well though you will have time to visit and enjoy all your ports and the many fun and exciting things they offer. Of course you won’t be able to get off the ship every time you’re in port but you’ll eventually see them all.

The shipboard facilities and nightlife can be quite fun as well.  As an officer of the ship you have access to most of the same facilities as our guests.  You can go to the Nautica Spa and have a good workout and a sauna after.  You can go to the many lounges and watch the different shows and acts or enjoy music and dancing in the disco.  Keep in mind though you are a ships officer and rules of conduct and behavior apply.  Failure to abide by these rules can cost you your privileges or your job.

Another sacrifice is privacy.  There aren’t many places on board you can have some privacy except in your cabin so you have to be able to adapt to living and working closely with your shipmates.  As a new I/S Manager you may have to share a cabin, as crew space is usually limited.  As big as Carnival ships are they can get rather confining when you put 2600/3500 guests and 920/1150 crew on board.  And let’s face it, when you’re a few hundred miles at sea there isn’t any place else to go.

One of the biggest benefits for me though is the really close friendships you make.  You become as close to some of your shipmates as you are to you own family.  Sharing the experience of living and working on a cruise ship with your friends is a truly wonderful experience. 

Another interesting thing about ship life is the many different cultures.  Carnival employs people from all over the world and at any given time there can be as many as 50 different nationalities represented on board.  This is a unique opportunity to learn about different countries and cultures and even new languages.  However, working with so many different nationalities does have its problems especially for I/S Managers.  There’s the inevitable language problem.  Although all Carnival employees speak English the accents can be a real challenge to communicating.  Also many of the computer users have very little computer experience which poses a whole other set of challenges.  Patience and understanding is the key here.

Another important aspect is that you can save a lot of money while working on board.  There is no rent to pay or food to buy.  Basically you have almost no expenses.  Your cabin, food and medical are all paid by Carnival while you’re on board which makes saving money easy.  So when it comes time for that 2 month vacation you’ve worked so hard to earn, you’ll have the money to enjoy it.

Which brings me to yet another nice benefit of the job.  I/S Manager contracts are 10 months long with a 2-month, soon to be 8 months long and a 6 weeks vacation.  Try finding a job like that in corporate America.  This can be a long time at sea but then a 2-month or 6 week vacation is pretty great.

The are many more aspects to being a shipboard I/S Manager, I’ve only touched on a few. Hopefully it will give you some insight into what it’s like. The hours can be long and the job demanding but not so much you can’t enjoy the experience.  You’ll make friendships that will last a lifetime and have the opportunity to see interesting and beautiful places that otherwise may not have had the opportunity to see.  And you’ll have the opportunity to grow professionally and learn about many different systems and applications. There is one final thing I should mention and I’ve saved the best for last.  The absolute best thing of all is, you get paid to do it.

The equipment used on the ships is standard networking components.  We have Compaq Proliant servers running Microsoft NT and Exchange.  Almost all of the desktops are Windows 95 workstations but there are a few NT workstations for special applications.  On average there are about 50 to 80 PC’s networked depending on the size of ship.  All are standard TCP/IP connected through switches and hubs throughout the ships.  We also use large Sun servers with many WYSE terminals connected through Port Masters.  These are used to manage all of the guest data for each voyage and shipboard sales.  Managing guest and sales data on ships is not like a land based hotel. Every aspect of guest information is controlled and managed through our computers.  Customs and Immigration, cabin assignments, room keys, sales accounts, booking information, credit information and many other areas are all managed by these systems.  Every possible situation has been addressed.  There are also three different register systems used within the fleet for all bar sales, NCR, Micros and SES depending on which ship you are on. Almost all of the applications used on the workstations are standard off the shelf programs found in most businesses.   However, all of the applications running on the Sun servers were written almost exclusively by the Carnival I/S Department.  This is because there are no commercial applications available that can perform all of the functions necessary for shipboard hotel operations management and that’s what a cruise ship is, a floating hotel. 

To be an effective shipboard I/S Manager you need good skills in Windows 95, NT and Exchange management.  You also need to be familiar with UNIX and have the ability to learn new and one-of-a-kind applications quickly.  There are literally dozens of applications used by the many departments on board and learning and keeping track of them all can be quite a challenge.  One of the most important traits of a good I/S Manager is to be self-motivated and self-reliant.  The shipboard I/S Manager is responsible for much of the ships operation so they have to be self-motivated self-starters who aggressively and pro actively manage the systems.

One of the most valuable assets a shipboard I/S manager has is the support of our extensive I/S Department.  We can communicate through our own network via several different means or call directly over our satellite connection.  Either way it’s nice to know when you have a really difficult problem you can always get help. A lot of the systems management is also performed remotely by our land based I/S Department making the I/S Managers job much easier. Even then there is more than enough to keep you busy. 

Job satisfaction is very high.  Here what you do matters.  You have a tremendous responsibility and are vital to the ships operation.  Your fellow officers and shipmates respect you and care about you personally and professionally.  I take great pride in my job, the uniform I wear and being part of the Carnival fleet.

So, who am I and how did I end up as an I/S Manager on a cruise ship?  My name is Randy Tinsley and I’m from Hampton, Virginia.  I was born and raised in Southeast Missouri and at the age of 18 entered the US Air Force where I learned electronics and computers.  I spent the next 22 years serving my country and retired in 1992.  For the next 4 ½ years I owned and operated my own business.  I grew tired of that and went to work for a telecommunications corporation as an Operations Center Supervisor.  After 3 years there I realized that sitting at a desk pushing paper all day long was not my idea of a fun and exciting job.   I have taken 2 cruises as a guest with Carnival and was always fascinated with how such a complex operation could run so smoothly and with the people that made it happen.  Then one day I found myself reading about the shipboard I/S Managers position on the Carnival Web site, just like you are now, and decided that sounded like the job for me.  I followed the instructions on the web site and sent in my resume and cover letter.  Seven weeks later I found myself standing on the deck of the MS Fantasy heading out to sea and quite frankly feeling pretty proud of myself.  I’ve been at sea 10 months now and I’ve never regretted my decision.  This is without a doubt the best job I’ve ever had and most likely ever will.  I’ve been asked many times, and usually with envy, how in the world did you manage to get a job like this.  My standard answer is, “it was simple, I asked”.  So if you have what it takes to be a shipboard I/S Manager and think this is the job for you, do what I did.  Ask.  It is an incredible experience.

Randy Tinsley
Shipboard Information Systems Manager

If you’ve gotten this far, then you probably want to know a little bit more about the I/S Manager position. Hopefully I can explain a little bit about the job, and what it’s like to live and work on a cruise ship.

How I Got Here:
To give you an idea of how I ended up in this position, I’ll give you a little bit of my background. As part of my college degree, we were required to do several internships, each about six months in length. All of the jobs that I held were the typical office, 9-5 type of job. They were great jobs, but it didn’t take long before I realized that I didn’t want to sit behind a desk all day. After I graduated, I decided to look around on the internet for a “cool” job. I figured what would be cooler than working on a cruise ship, so I took a look at Carnival’s website. As they say, the rest is history.

The Pros:
Well first of all, you have no commute, no rent and utilities to pay, no food to buy, you know what to wear every day, and someone even comes and cleans up your room and takes your uniforms down to the laundry. As a manager on board, you report to the Hotel Director and Shoreside Management, but you can set your own schedule to a certain extent. Although you are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 6 months at a time, you also get 6 weeks of vacation time with no responsibilities. It’s a great opportunity to travel around or just relax, unwind and do nothing. With your rent, food and uniforms paid for, you pretty much don’t have any living expenses. Carnival will even fly you home and back when it’s time for vacation. This provides a great opportunity to pay off those student loans, credit card debts, or to build a nest egg for the future. Of course, another great perk is that you live on a traveling resort that stops at some great ports. On the larger ships, there are 2 or more I/S Managers and you can set a schedule so you get some time off on the ship, or to explore the ports. You also get cruise benefits for your friends and family. I’ve had my family on two cruises for free, and both of us can’t wait until the next one.

The Cons:
While you don’t have to pay rent, you also have a very small cabin that you will most likely have to share with another person on your first and possibly second contracts. You will see some great ports in your travels, but depending on the itinerary and workload, you may not have a chance to get off the ship, or have several sea days in a row. It’s possible you’ll spend 2 days at sea, and then once you get to land all you see is the embarkation terminal before spending another 2 days at sea. You can get a serious case of cabin fever! Since you are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, there is no such thing as weekends off. You can’t quit at 6pm and call it a day as you will always carry a pager with you. It’s Murphy’s Law that once you get back to your cabin and change out of your uniform, the pager will go off and you’ll have to get dressed and head back out. Even worse, as soon as you doze off, you’ll get paged for one thing or another. You’ll also have to give up a lot of your freedom. Once on board, you learn to appreciate the simple things that you did before. Things like going out with your friends and family, going to the movies, even simple things like going to the grocery store and cooking something for yourself, you’ll begin to miss. There are rules and procedures to follow on board, and sometimes you will feel like a prisoner.

What Departments Will I Work With?
Since everyone on board uses computers or registers in one way or another, you’ll get to work with all of the departments. From the Casino, Gift Shop, Spa, Accountants, Pursers, Deck and Engine, to the Bar and Dining departments, you’ll get to know everyone. I personally think this is one of the best parts of the job, because you get to know every department on board. It’s a great way to meet people and learn things about their culture and job.

So What's It Like On The Ship?
Once on board, you can decide how your life on the ship will be. Apart from the work aspect, you can decide how you want to spend your contract. If you just want to hang out in your cabin, reading, studying, watching TV, etc. you can do that. On the other end of the scale, if you want to be a social butterfly, you can do that as well. Or you can do a combination of the two. It’s all what you make of the experience. Shipboard life provides a great opportunity to learn new things. Besides learning about computers, you can use the Crew Training Center on board to learn a number of new languages. If you’re into working out, you can use the crew gym, or the guest gym, provided it is not too busy. Most of the ships also have an outdoor running track. If you like to go out, you can go to the shows or disco. If you’re a people person, I can guarantee that you can always find someone interesting to talk to, any time of the day. You can find someone from at least 60 different countries and learn a lot of new things from them. You’ll make lifelong friends from around the world, and who knows, you might even find your future wife/husband. If you like to eat, there is no shortage of food on board. Apart from 4 meals a day for the crew, there is also 24 hour pizza that you are allowed to enjoy. There is a crew recreation center to relax in, play ping pong, darts, cards, or enjoy a few cold beverages at reasonable prices. There are also events planned such as crew parties, volleyball tournaments, excursions in ports, movie nights, etc.

What About The Ports?
In the past, Carnival has been traveled mainly in the Caribbean. While the majority of the cruises go to Caribbean ports, Carnival continues to expand into new areas. Besides the Caribbean, there are cruises to Alaska, Hawaii, the east and west coasts of Mexico, the gulf, east and west coasts of the United States, and to Canada. New ports are continuously added, for example this year our ships will be leaving from several new ports on the Gulf Coast and East Coast. We will also be calling in Bermuda for the first time in a few years, and for the first time we will have a couple of cruises in Europe. Who knows where we’ll go next.

What About The Systems?
One of the great aspects of the job is the number of different systems you are exposed to. From Windows 95 all the way to Windows 2000 Server, UNIX, Point of Sale Systems, User Support, and a wide variety of Applications, some off the shelf, and others custom made. There is a continuous stream of new software and technologies rolled out to the ships, so there is always something new to learn. While you are exposed to lots of great hardware and software, it’s important to understand that many of the Administrator type functions are done by shoreside staff. In order to maintain a standard across the fleet, Windows 2000 and UNIX Administration is done by shoreside staff. In addition, shoreside personnel make all hardware and software decisions as well as purchasing. You will be exposed to all of this, but it’s not the type of job where you can “play around” with the servers, or decide you want to order a faster pc for your cabin. Imagine accidentally crashing the server when you are 200 miles out to sea! Just because you have an MCSE doesn’t mean that you’ll put it to full use.

I'm Still Interested, Where Do I Sign Up?
I suggest that if you are seriously considering applying to the position to think it through. It’s a big commitment to pick up and leave your normal lifestyle. You have to take into account all of the things you’ll have to give up. I’ve been doing this for three years, and there are days where I wonder what I’m doing here and if I should hop on the next plane home, while on others I think it’s one of the best jobs around. All in all, it’s been a great experience and I’m still seeing new ships, new ports and meeting interesting people.

Scott Sparrow
Shipboard Information Systems Manager