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Welcome To Princess Cruises Careers

We offer a variety of opportunities for highly motivated people who seek a challenging and rewarding career.

More than 1.7 million guests enjoy the Princess experience each year as they travel to 300 destinations around the world. Exceptional customer service is the cornerstone of our success thanks to our team members on land and at sea — the cruise industry’s best. We offer a variety of opportunities for highly motivated people who seek a challenging and rewarding career. Get to know us by exploring our career site. You’ll learn about our history, hear first-hand what our employees love about working for Princess Cruises, and discover the passion we have for giving our guests lifetime memories.

Our culture...Stronger together

Our highest responsibility, and therefore our top priorities, are always compliance; environmental protection; and the health, safety, and well-being of our guests, the people in places we visit, and our Carnival family, both shoreside, and shipboard. For more information about our values,  view our Culture Essentials .

Shipboard Cruise Careers

Join our inclusive and welcoming team!

Set sail on an exciting career course! Princess Cruises is the employer of choice in the cruise industry. We offer exceptional facilities and extensive learning and recreational programs for our crew. Join our inclusive and welcoming team, and you’ll enjoy a truly adventurous career with excellent incentives, unlimited growth, and ports of call that will leave you breathless.

Please read this Important Fraud Alert to avoid recruitment scams

Corporate Cruise Careers

At Princess Cruises you’ll find a world of inspiring cruise-industry career opportunities all within our shoreside offices. We offer a rewarding work environment and are dedicated to our employees’ growth and wellbeing, including enriching travel opportunities. You’ll take pride in supporting shipboard colleagues — the cruise industry’s best!

Alaska-Yukon Careers

Get ready for summer adventure! Join Princess Cruises, the region’s tourism leader, in hosting our Alaska cruise guests at Princess-owned wilderness lodges and transportation services. There they experience breathtaking vistas, fresh local cuisine, and awe-inspiring wildlife. See it all for yourself — and make friends from around the world — while leading tours, serving in hospitality and culinary, or hitting the road in transportation operations.

join our crew

We’re searching the seven seas for crew — ship and shore. Calling all blue ocean mavericks; come as you are and bring the best version of yourself to help us create An Epic Sea Change for All.

Careers on land

For the landlocked lover who still yearns to discover — we’re looking for mainland crew for our lighthouse (aka our office).

Welcome aboard

Select your brand and explore our open jobs on land or at sea

We are Passionate

We deliver unforgettable vacations to guests who trust us with life’s greatest moments.

Discover why our crew is the reason our guests keep coming back for more.

We are Innovative

We build the best ships, and even better careers, all while doing the right thing.

We are elevated by technology and are always looking beyond the horizon.

We are Unstoppable

Together we make the impossible, possible.

We open the world to our employees. We travel most of the known world, and our crew is there every step of the way.

We are Propelled by People

Our employees and crew are the driving force behind our success.

They are the heart of our organization. They are the ones that propel us forward.

Become a valued member of our expanding family today.

Discover firsthand what makes Royal Caribbean a great place to work by watching this video. Hear Security Officer Sharon and Reshma Security Staff share their experiences and passion for being part of our team.

Elevate your career: join our elite sommelier team!

Meet Jelena, our Cellarmaster, and March, our extraordinary Sommelier, as they share their remarkable journeys and profound dedication to our team.

Elevate your culinary journey by becoming a valued member of our exceptional culinary team!

Embark on a journey with Celebrity Cruises and meet our exceptional team members who bring culinary excellence to the high seas. Konstantinos, our visionary executive chef; Ornella, our dedicated assistant pastry chef; and Atziri, our executive chef pastry & bakery on Celebrity Cruises, as they share, showcase the passion and dedication that define our cruise experience.

Work with our amazing culinary team!

Thinking about joining Royal Caribbean? Watch this video to hear Executive Sous Chef Omar and CDP3 Pastry Cook Manisha share why they love working with us. Join our growing family at careers.royalcaribbeangroup.com. #IAMRCG #PropelledbyPeople

Ready to embark on this exciting journey? Join our ever-growing family today at careers.royalcaribbeangroup.com.

Dive into the vibrant world of our passionate team with an exclusive video. Listen to Chef de Rang Roberto and Commis de Rang Aleksandra as they reveal the exceptional qualities that make working with us truly extraordinary.

Ever wondered what it’s like to be part of our crew onboard?

Roberta, Bartender on Royal Caribbean International’s Wonder of the Seas, shares a few highlights of her job. Thank you for your hard work, Roberta! You’re an amazing teammate.

Exploring a career with Celebrity Cruises?

Experience the essence of what makes Celebrity Cruises an exceptional workplace in this captivating video. Join Melanie, our Deputy Chief Security Officer, as she shares her personal journey and unwavering passion for being a part of our team. Join our growing family today. Discover more at careers.royalcaribbeangroup.com. #IAMRCG #PropelledbyPeople

Embark on a journey with us and become a valued member of our Food & Beverage team!

Experience the passion and enthusiasm of our team firsthand by watching this video. Listen to Waiter Jizelle and Restaurant Attendant Aleena as they reveal what makes working with us so special. Ready to embark on this journey with us? Join our expanding family today at careers.royalcaribbeangroup.com. #IAMRCG #PropelledbyPeople

Step aboard and become a vital part of our esteemed marine engineering team!

Curious about life aboard our Celebrity Cruises crew? Get an inside look from our dedicated engineers who’ve shared some captivating highlights of their job. Embark on your journey with our expanding family today at careers.royalcaribbeangroup.com. #IAMRCG #PropelledbyPeople

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The magic starts with you

At Disney Cruise Line, we create unforgettable memories for our guests at sea. Crew members and officers are at the heart of each experience - bringing magic to life aboard our ships, on the sandy beaches of Castaway Cay, and in our offices around the world. With a little bit of magic, and Captain Minnie Mouse at the helm, our collaborative and diverse team contributes to a long-standing tradition of growth and excellence. Simply put, a career with Disney Cruise Line is an experience as unique as you are.

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Your Voyage Starts Here

At Carnival we understand the significance of building lasting memories. But what if you could also build a career that's just as unforgettable? Embrace the opportunity to create memories for others and to embark on a journey of your own. 

Land-Based Roles

As the global parent company of our nine unique brands, the Carnival Corporate team contributes essential support and offers strategic guidance to each brand across an array of departments.

Ship Operations

From Marine and Technical Operations, to Entertainment and Hotel Operations, these roles keeps our ships safe and our guest experience fun and memorable.

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The Revenue Management, Marketing, Trade Partnerships, and Communications teams collaborate to shape strategies that drive the business forward.

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This team is the hub of financial guardianship and strategic navigation. Our HR, Legal, Finance, Accounting, and Supply Chain teams all work together to fuel our journey and power our people.

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From software, to infrastructure, to mobile and cybersecurity, this team is the driving force behind innovation, working tirelessly to provide top-notch technology for both our guests and employees.

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Our dynamic Personal Vacation Planners and Casino Sales teams start the fun, while our Guest Service teams ensure the fun never stops. These teams connect with millions of guests each year.

My journey at Carnival Cruise Line began in 2014 as an onboard officer. Carnival's unwavering values and clear mission have made this company my second family and an enduring source of inspiration.

Piervalerio Fleet Operations Center and Nautical Technologies Director Pizza Lover

In the past few years, Carnival has been an unwavering pillar of support, nurturing my personal and professional growth with equal fervor. Their consistent guidance and opportunities have shaped me from an entry level analyst into the manager I am today.

Abraham Guest Technology Delivery Support Manager Super Dad

Having the liberty to be trusted helps me be passionate and care about what I do to strive for continuous growth.

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Carnival's consistent recognition of my contributions and the opportunities for professional growth make me feel truly valued as a team member.

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Every day, thousands of guests board our ships. There are hundreds of job titles at Holland America Line, but all of us have the same goal — to be the world's best hosts.

Our Corporation's Common Goal

The HAL Culture Framework

For more information

Explore Holland America Line Careers

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Holland America Line has been made aware of fraudulent entities around the world claiming to represent Holland America Lines’ Human Resources department. We are working with our legal department in an effort to stop these activities. Only the Hiring Partners listed here are authorized to provide recruitment and placement services for Holland America Line:

• Viking Recruitment Limited
• United Philippine Lines, Inc. (UPL)
• PT Sumber Bakat Insani (SBI)
• Carnival Support Services India Pvt. Ltd (CSSI)
• CTI Group Worldwide Services, Inc. -Bangkok

For all global land-based careers opportunities with other Carnival brands search here:  Global Land-based Jobs

For all global cruise ship medical careers opportunities with other Carnival brands search here:  Global Cruise Ship Medical Jobs

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Working with a passion for travel and people.

Cruise.com is seeking passionate professionals who love to sell cruises and other leisure services and products. We are looking for individuals who are excited to provide clients with world-class service while using their expertise to guide them through the process of planning their dream vacation. If you enjoy creating memorable experiences for clients who will return to you again and again as well as refer others, we’re looking for you.

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Technology and innovation are some of the cornerstones of our corporate philosophy. The integration of different user-friendly platforms allow for greater efficiencies to make each employee’s job easier, more enjoyable and more successful.

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Travel enriches the soul, enhances learning and contributes to local communities. One of the great benefits of having a career with Cruise.com is being able to take advantage of the many travel benefits offered including free cruises, hotel discounts and more.

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Learn • contribute • succeed.

At Cruise.com we believe that one of the keys to success includes an environment based on collaboration, empowerment and the achievement of success. Coaching, continuing training, advanced technology and team support all provide a platform for your growth.

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FinanceBuzz

15 Jobs for Cruise Lovers (Get Paid to Travel!)

Posted: February 19, 2024 | Last updated: February 19, 2024

Traveling the world while getting paid to do it might sound like a dream, but it can be a reality if you take a job on a cruise ship.

This type of work isn’t for everyone — the hours can be long, and it may mean a lot of time away from home. But there are plenty of benefits as well.

If working for a cruise line sounds ideal, there are plenty of career opportunities on board. Here are 15 jobs that can help  boost your bank account  as you travel the world.

Editor's note:  All salary figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

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Activities coordinator

Even short cruises are packed with activities for travelers to engage in. Among other things, you'll find games, happy hours and live music.

An activities coordinator is similar to an event planner. In this role, you oversee things like recreation on board and coordinating shore excursion activities. The BLS does not offer wage information for this position.

If you want to find  ways to travel more — and get paid to do it — this can be a good role to consider.

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It’s no secret that people on cruises like to drink. Many cruise lines offer a food and alcohol package as part of the booking process.

The amount of money you can make working as a bartender on a cruise ship varies greatly, depending on whether guests are expected to tip. But the average salary for bartenders is $29,380 annually.

Casino dealer

Working as a dealer at a cruise casino can be an exciting gig. These workers may oversee poker, blackjack, roulette, and more games.

Gambling service workers make $31,290 a year. However, as with tending bar, the actual wages for casino workers on a cruise can vary.

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Many cruise ships have cafeterias and restaurants for when guests are in the mood for fine dining.

Cruise ship chefs may be involved in cooking and planning menus for guests and staff. Chefs or head cooks make $56,520 on average annually.

Deckhands help maintain the cruise ship. They may be involved in keeping these massive ships running, including cleaning and maintaining equipment, loading cargo, and getting passengers safely on board.

The experience required to work as a deckhand can vary greatly depending on the job description. The BLS does not offer salary information for this position.

Entertainer

Cruise lines hire all sorts of entertainers, from dancers to cover bands and magicians.

Working on a cruise ship can be a great way to hone and improve your craft or even take it in a different direction. The average wage for entertainers and performers is $29.67 an hour, which equates to about $61,713 annually.

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Entertainment director

Cruise ships also need people to manage their entertainers, particularly if the ship has a lot of shows and performances scheduled.

Entertainment directors may be involved in scheduling staff, planning performances, and doing administrative work. The average salary for entertainment/recreation managers is $67,220 annually.

Fitness instructor

Many cruise ships also offer various fitness classes, including yoga, Zumba, spin, and more.

For qualified instructors, this can be a great way to stay healthy, make money, and travel the world all at the same time. The average fitness instructor makes $45,380 annually.

Hair/makeup artist

On cruise ships, hair and makeup artists may work in spas, providing services to guests looking to get pampered while on board, and may be needed to work with the ship’s performers.

The BLS groups barbers, hairstyles, and cosmetologists together and states an average of $33,400 annual salary for these workers.

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Hotel director

Since a cruise ship is essentially a floating hotel, many employees with experience working in hospitality are needed.

Hotel directors ensure that guests are comfortable and enjoy their experience. They may also be involved in planning and coordinating cruise activities.

The average salary for lodging managers is $61,910 annually.

Some cruise ships also hire nurses to provide care to passengers and cruise staff.

The amount of money nurses make on average usually depends on the type of nurse. Registered nurses (RNs) make $81,220 annually. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) make $54,620 a year.

Massage therapist

Many cruise passengers opt to take advantage of spa services. Massage therapists may work in a spa or travel to guests’ rooms with their equipment to provide massages.

Licensed massage therapists make just under $49,860 annually on average.

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Cruise ships also frequently employ security staff to ensure the safety of guests and crew members. These workers may patrol the ship regularly and respond to any issues that come up.

The average salary for security guards is $33,030 annually.

Eating often and well is a big draw for many cruise passengers. Ships often have several restaurants on board and employ experienced servers to staff them.

Pay for these workers can vary, depending on the cruise line’s tipping policy. The average salary for a server in the U.S. is $29,120 annually.

Sales associate

Part of the beauty of the typical cruise ship is that it’s kind of like a floating mall, filled with gift shops and retail stores galore. Ships often need many sales associates to staff these stores.

Again, depending on the cruise line and the job, the pay for these gigs may vary. However, BLS data puts the average salary for a retail sales worker at $30,750 annually.

That’s not huge money, but perhaps it's enough for students to get ahead financially during breaks between school years.

Bottom line

Working as a cruise crew member is certainly not for everyone — lodging for staff can be cramped, days can be long, and you might be away from home for weeks at a time.

But if you're looking to boost your bank account  as you travel, it just may be a win-win situation.

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Learning and development

10 Companies with exceptional employee development programs

"What happens if you train your employees and they leave? What if you don't and they stay?" This adage sums up why all companies should be building robust employee training and development programs. Here are 10 examples of companies doing it right.

Kinjal Dagli

Sr. Content Marketing Manager at Together

Published on 

April 29, 2022

Updated on 

November 28, 2023

Time to Read

mins read time

What do exceptional companies all have in common? They recognize that developing their workforce is their greatest competitive advantage. 

In fact, according to The Readiness Index ,

“Having opportunities to learn is the biggest workplace driver of readiness in the US.”

While development programs are usually focused on training employees, we’ve seen hundreds of companies accelerate employee development through initiatives like:

• Mentoring programs
• Upskilling/reskilling
• Employee resource groups (ERGs)
• Personalized learning and development plans
• Career pathing

As the labor market grows increasingly competitive, organizations with robust employee development programs, like the ones we’ve highlighted here, will stand out to applicants and help companies build a talent pipeline in the years to come. 

Why your company needs an employee development program

From career to development to employee satisfaction , there are many reasons why companies take time to run an employee development program:

• Upskilling and reskilling employees
• Leadership and management training
• Digital transformation and skill expansion
• Bridging the confidence and readiness gap
• Employee performance support
• Diversity, equity and inclusion
• Improve the success of internship and returnship programs

Through employee development and mentorship programs, organizations have been able to do more for their employees. And it pays off. Employees that go through these programs have higher retention rates and engagement levels. 

• The Forum’s Mentoring Program was able to support more entrepreneurs through mentorship. 
• Caterpillar used reverse mentoring to help junior employees develop a voice and direction. 
• Accenture offers a 16-week paid returnship for those seeking re-entry into the workplace.

Mentoring programs like these simply make your organization stronger. Let’s look at the data for formal mentoring programs:

• 84% of CEOs say mentors helped them avoid costly mistakes.
• 86% of CEOs credit mentors as crucial to career accomplishments.
• 91% of Fortune 500 companies offer workplace mentoring programs.
• 89% of mentees go on to be mentors themselves.
• The #1 focus area for L&D in 2023: mentorship. 

Simply put, employees want more from the places they work , namely career development, long-term growth, better pay, and greater well-being. And you can use employee development programs, like mentorship, to engage, retain, and invest in your team members.

What sets exceptional employee development apart?

Most development programs only cover the basics: on-the-job training sessions, once-a-month meetings, performance reviews, and online courses. But corporate e-learning alone isn’t enough . 

Organizations need to go beyond providing employees with the tools to do their jobs and also helping them feel challenged, motivated, and ready to take on new endeavors. 

They do this by focusing on areas that benefit the business and the employee, such as:

• Employee retention and job satisfaction
• DEIB initiatives that promote a positive work environment
• Visibility of minority employees for leadership opportunities
• Fresh perspectives from junior employees for executives
• Retention of Millennial and Gen Z employees
• Feedback and evaluation to further improve the program
• Support for remote and distributed teams

Examples of employee development programs

72% of businesses agree that L&D has become a more strategic function in their organization. And this may take a few different forms — providing financial support for employee learning, attending conferences and webinars or running mentorship programs .

Let’s look at a few examples of how companies have created and managed employee development programs.

When surveyed, 86% of Heineken senior leaders wanted to connect with junior employees—the next generation—to gain new skills and experiences. This led to Heineken running a reverse mentoring program where junior employees act as mentors to senior leaders and executives. Such a program aims to provide leadership a new perspective on the future of work and areas for growth. 

Additionally, Heineken also runs a global diversity and inclusion program. This program is geared toward empowering colleagues to practice inclusion and embrace the diversity of countries the company operates in. When creating the program, Pascale Thorre , Heinken’s Global Diversity Equity and Inclusion Head, conducted a round of 45 introductory interviews to understand how inclusive employees thought the company was and what could to make it more inclusive.

The goal then was to create a program that focused on the “potential needs of [their] people across the full five layers of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs ” This meant keeping in mind needs associated with physiology, belonging, self-actualization, self-esteem, and safety in mind. 

“Inclusion starts with open and honest communication with everyone in your company … After all, Inclusion can translate differently in different environments and for diverse people.” – Pascale Thorre , Global Diversity Equity and Inclusion Head at Heineken

City National Bank

City National Bank has been named one of the ‘Best Employers for Women’ by Forbes. CEO Kelly Coffey was named one the Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance by American Banker. Both honors recognized City National’s employee resource groups and DEI initiatives . 

Within these initiatives, the bank hosts an colleague resource group (CRG) called The Black Colleague Alliance (BCA). Their mission: connecting and empowering Black colleagues to thrive as they “climb toward Black excellence.”

Not only does this CRG support Black employees, the BCA also engages in community outreach. Their programs include financial education, community events, and civic engagements that give Black professionals the tools they need to succeed as individuals and small business owners. 

Other notable resources include sections of their site geared toward underserved populations, such as women and minorities, plus online resources geared toward business owners . 

Cooley, a global law firm, has been recognized as one of the Best Law Firms for Women and Diversity a whopping 12 times. 

They also created a virtual mentoring program—called Cooley Academy Mentoring Program (CAMP)—geared towards improving their onboarding process. The purpose behind this program is to pair new employees with experienced individuals and bring them up to speed more efficiently. 

Through this program, mentors get to teach, train, and support new hires through mentoring sessions, and prepare them for more complex work. The company used reporting tools to better understand how mentoring relationships were performing through mentorship progress and feedback.

Cooley also mentions their commitment to professional development and mentorship on its website’s careers page. 

Randstad, a Dutch multinational HR consulting firm, runs a large-scale global mentoring program. Through this program, they were able to study employee engagement and turnover rates — of those in the program versus those who did not participate. 

By paying closer attention to employee engagement, Randstad provided employees with development and support and reduced turnover rates . Employees who participated in the mentoring program were 49% less likely to leave Randstad.

Cruise Automation

Cruise Automation cares deeply about internal career development. They want to attract top talent and nurture them to grow further within the company. 

Through their training and mentorship programs, they were able to accelerate employee development by matching new hires with experienced employees. They used templated mentoring agendas with guiding questions, to-do tasks, links to further reading, and other resources so that teams could have meaningful conversations about skills and goals.

After all, a great mentor-mentee match can lead to career-changing opportunities.

Amazon runs multiple employee training programs under the Amazon Technical Academy to prepare nontechnical employees to move into software engineering careers. These training programs will help employees feel confident and take on different roles at Amazon and also in other industries. One such program is Associate2Tech where they will train front-line employees to move into technical roles, even if they have no previous IT experience. All training is voluntary.

Regarding fleshing out Amazon’s training program, Beth Galetti, Senior Vice President of HR says,

“We think it's important to invest in our employees, and to help them gain new skills and create more professional options for themselves.”

They’re also really great at promoting their development efforts. They increased overall ad spend by 30% from 2021 to 2022. For 2020-2021, they spent $69.88 million on recruitment advertising across social media, streaming, and more. And a lot of those ads promoted their professional development programs.

Every single year, some fast food brands lose more than an entire workforce. That means they’re constantly scrambling to staff their stores, leaving them less time to focus on achieving their strategic goals.

Chipotle is attempting to buck the trend by betting big on employee development.

In 2018, the company began reinvesting more than one-third of anticipated savings from tax law changes into its employees.

And since the start of the pandemic, Chipotle enhanced its employee development plans by adding more than 5,500 remote courses , covering topics as diverse as business, tech, and wellness.

This move is part of a wider initiative that saw the chain introduce an ERG called United Network of Influencers Furthering Inclusion and Ethnic Diversity. The group’s goal is to promote an equal opportunities approach to career growth and development, thereby helping Chipotle build a discrimination and inequality-free working environment.

Key components of the program include:

• Mentoring for minority employees
• Quarterly training sessions to promote workplace diversity and inclusion (D&I)
• Virtual roundtable events featuring high-profile speakers and panels

Discussing the company’s efforts, Chief Diversity, Inclusion and People Officer, Marissa Andrad said in a press release: 

“Our employees are seeking real connection more than ever before, and it's our responsibility to cultivate an environment where they can continue to thrive and pursue their passions with like-minded co-workers, even in a virtual setting.”

Regularly recognized as one of the world’s best employee management systems , Workday is another company that strives to position employee development at the center of its talent strategy.

The company is leveraging its own technology platform to identify and develop the key skills required to support its growth plans.

“When you understand the skills of the organization and you enable employees to activate those skills, you create a lot more options for how your work gets done,” said Chief People Officer, Ashley Goldsmith.

In 2021, Workday rolled out a skills-based HR strategy incorporating proprietary tools such as its Career Hub. This allows employees to find and work toward specific skills by connecting with opportunities to help other teams and departments — letting them learn “on the job”.

Internal surveys of Workday employees and managers who have taken advantage of gigs have been “really encouraging”:

• 95% of gig participants say they’ve honed existing skills or built new ones
• 96% of gig hosts say they’ve seen better results on their teams and increased efficiency

The company recognizes there is still much work to be done, as Goldsmith explains:

‍ “We plan to continue to incorporate employee feedback through surveys and make adjustments based on employee needs.”

Marriott International

Marriott International has been consistently named one of Asia Pacific’s best employers , with much of its success tracing back to its focus on employee development.

“Marriott International is a people-first company,” says Natasha Rasheed, Area Director of Human Resources for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. “We believe in taking care of our associates, so they in turn take care of our guests. It’s embedded in our DNA.”

The company’s employee development plans are designed to attract and retain a loyal team committed to the core values of excellence and service. It offers two development programs:

• The Global Voyage Leadership Development program, intended to help recent university graduates 
• The Marriott Development Academy (MDA), aimed at helping aspiring managers acquire the soft skills required for leadership roles

Combined, those programs have helped Marriott International fill more than 55% of leadership vacancies within the Australian market with internal candidates.

Not only that, but the company fosters close relationships with universities to help it attract top talent at a young age. It also places substantial focus on D&I , whether through empowering female leaders or by ensuring local populations can access its training and development initiatives. And Marriott’s L&D program is published publicly . 

Urban Company

Urban Company is India’s largest home services marketplace, with a platform that helps customers book everything from plumbers and appliance repairers to beauty services and personal trainers.

Much like the vast majority of organizations, Urban Company was forced to radically rethink its systems of working during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Its first major call was to shift its entire workforce to remote working ; a huge challenge for any organization, let alone one with 1,300 office-based employees.

However, Urban Company has always been happy to find innovative solutions and implement creative workflows. 

With these in place, the brand’s marketing team was able to slash creative production costs by 85% . And it took the same ambitious approach to learning and development.

The Urban Company leadership quickly realized employees still needed to be able to acquire new skills and learnings even while working away from the office, so it launched its own learning and development platform, Urban Academy .

The company leveraged internal expertise to build programs covering a wide range of topics, including:

• Excel Skills (basic, intermediate, and expert)
• How to give feedback
• Problem-solving

As interest grew across individual teams and departments, they were able to bolster the program by adding 25 new instructors.

Furthermore, all that internal knowledge was supplemented by a regular series of two-hour talks featuring key leaders from various industries.

Types of training and development 

So, what type of employee development and training program does your business need? This depends on the resources available and the goals you want to achieve. You can then apply different corporate learning strategies to make your program successful.

Let’s look at a few types of training, learning, and development:

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

As more companies adopt remote work, training and mentorship will move online, while in-person seminars will become less. Although LMS software is a growing market, there are persistent challenges around how engaging online learning can be. 

In fact, 56% of new hires prefer having a buddy or mentor when starting at a new company, and believe mentors can support their growth.

For that reason, training programs have adopted more social learning models that can be pursued virtually as well.

Mentorship programs

Mentorship programs are a great way to aid and accelerate learning at work. They provide employees with the opportunity to learn from a seasoned leader and become more competent because of it. 

Start employee mentoring programs by getting leaders, stakeholders, and employees on board. Choose a type of mentoring (1-on-1, group, traditional, reverse, and so on) that fits your goals and needs. Once you decide on the type of program, create relevant pairings between mentors and mentees. 

If you’re trying to pair employees at scale (think 100+ employees), you’ll likely want to use a pairing algorithm that automates the registration and matching process.

Peer-to-peer training

Peer-to-peer training is another effective way to bring more of a collaborative or social aspect to employee development. 

Technical skills like how to code, follow a procedure , or execute a specialized task can be learned through a course or by following available documentation or internal blogs . But to master these complex skills, employees will benefit more from working alongside a peer. Likewise, they can also learn more abstract skills like how to handle conflict better, balance work and life, or be a better leader. 

Improve your employee development program with Together

If you’re planning to work on your own employee development program , remember that it takes more than just building a training program and assigning courses or tasks. Employees must feel empowered to learn for your L&D efforts to pay off. 

A mentoring program combined with Together’s mentoring software can help you create an intentional and mindful space for employee growth and development. With Together, you can manage and run your mentoring and training programs — from registration to implementation and all the way through to reporting. 

Book a 15-minute call with our team. We'll walk you through how to create an educational and growth-friendly space in your workplace… Together. 

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• Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Best of Moscow by high speed train

By shuguley , February 15, 2014 in Regent Seven Seas Cruises

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Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.

Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?

My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

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If you are considering this on the 2015 June Baltic cruise on Voyager; my suggestion is don't. There is so much to do in St. Petersburg and although a train is one of my favorite ways to travel the time would be far better spent in St. P.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, this would be on the Voyager during the 2015 season but not yet sure exactly which cruise.

We did the Moscow excursion "on a different luxury line", but from your brief description it sounds very much like the same trip, so I will operate on that assumption. It is a VERY long day! We left the ship at 5:30 AM and returned at 12:30 AM. The highspeed train trip is comfortable, and while they call it "Business Class" it does not compare well to the equivalent class on say Rail Europe. When we did it in 2011, we did have highspeed both ways, and the trip back seemed much longer as the adrenaline and excitement had worn off!:D

Moscow itself is not that terribly different from any other big city in the world, but this Cold War kid never thought he would ever stand in Red Square, never mind walk the grounds of The Kremlin, or tour The Kremlin Palace, or see (but not visit) Lenin's Tomb, or visit The Armoury. But he did, and he loved every minute of it! Yes, it is a long day, and you barely scratch a scratch on the surface, but it is worth it. There is a tremendous amount to see in St. Petersburg, but every Baltic cruise goes to St. Petersburg, so you can go back if you choose to. Not every cruiseline offers you the chance to see Moscow.

I have not personally done this tour, but our last time in St Petersburg, the private guide that we hired for a day was leading the regent tour to Moscow on the high speed train the next day. He said it was way better than the previous alternative, which was flying to Moscow and back. He said that you actually got to Moscow faster because you didn't have to deal with airline checkin etc. it did seem like a very long day to me, and there is so much to see and do in st. Petersburg that I didn't consider doing it.

countflorida

We toured to Moscow from St. Petersburg via the hi-speed SAPSAN train last September, from a Baltic cruise on the Oceania Marina. You need to have a two-night, three day port call in St. Petersburg to take this tour because the tour typically leaves the ship around 5:00 - 5:30 AM and doesn't return until after midnight the next day. We didn't take the ship's tour; we made private arrangements with TravelAllRussia for three days of touring, the first and third days in St. Petersburg and the second day the tour to Moscow by train. Our cost for the private tour for three days was about the same as what the ship charged for the excursion to Moscow alone. There are a number of private tour agencies that operate in St. Petersburg and offer the Moscow train tours; we would strongly recommend them over the ship's tours.

All three days had private guides with car and driver. The second day, the driver picked us up at the ship and took us to the train, but we were alone on the train, and met in Moscow by the guide on the station platform. After our tour and dinner, we were brought back to the train and after the return train trip met by the driver and taken back to the ship. Because you are alone on the train you must have your own Russian visas.

If this is your first visit to St. Petersburg, I would agree there is much more to see there. We found Moscow somewhat a disappointment, particularly Red Square. The Kremlin and the cathedral in Red Square were also worth seeing. But the best thing we saw was the Moscow subway! I worked for the Washington Metro system back in the 1980s as it grew from 40 to 80 miles and although I was in the computer area, I learned a lot about the challenges of running a subway system. We used the Moscow system to get across the city from where we had dinner to the train station, and I was amazed at the cleanliness', speed of operation, the short headways maintained, and the courtesy of everyone involved. A very impressive experience!

We had been to St. Petersburg before, and so had the time to take a day and go to Moscow. Also, I really like trains, and the SAPSAN is a German train set running on Russian rails. Seats are like first class domestic air, spacious but not too plush or comfortable, but with enough room. Not too much recline, and almost 8 hours on the train in two shots is a lot for an old man. They come through and sell drinks, candy, etc. but the sellers don't speak English and no one around us helped, so we had just poor coffee once coming, and brought stuff with us for the trip back. Not too much to see from the train either, particularly on the return when it is night the whole way.

If you decide to go, take a private tour and avoid the overly expensive ship's tour. I'm glad we did it, but wouldn't bother to repeat the tour; we've seen Moscow.

Thanks so much to all of you for the thorough and thought insight. Yhe information you have provided is most helpful.

countflorida: Your detailed post is very helpful. We are not quite ready for a Baltic cruise but should do so within a year. Time enough to do our pre travel research, bookings and visa gathering.:) Thank you!

Emperor Norton

Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day.   Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)?   My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

I did this on Seabourn. IMO DONT. Take Aeroflop (er Aeroflot). The train has non folding seats where you are literally knee to knee with your fellow passenger (facing each other). Further they don't believe in air conditioning. It's also the worlds slowed bullet train. I think I would have found more enjoyment wandering around the St. Petersburg and Moscow airports.

Countflorida,

This is a little off topic,, however we had planned a river cruise in Russia but decided we would rather stay on land and have booked about two weeks with Travel-All-Russia using the private guide and driver. I'm curious as to how you found them as a tour company.

The guides they provided were fine. We had a different guide each of the days in St. Petersburg, but both were flexible, pleasant, knowledgeable and spoke English very well, as did the guide in Moscow, incidentally. She was a bit aloof, distant, not too friendly, but otherwise fine. In fact, she was the one who suggested taking the Metro, which unexpectedly became one of the highlights of the Moscow excursion. If I have a complaint with AllTravelRussia, it is with their plan and its execution (more later).

I had requested emphasis on World War II (in Russia, the Great Patriotic War) sites and info. In scheduling us, they weren't careful about dates and a couple of the sites we wanted to see were scheduled on the third day, after we'd been to Moscow. But both sites were closed that day of the week, and that info was readily available, right on web sites describing them. Also, the included meals (lunches in St. Pete, dinner in Moscow) were not what we asked for: light meals with some choices, so we could avoid things we didn't like and choose things we did like. My request was ignored; we were given full Russian meals with a fixed menu, no choice. On the first day, a fish dish was the entre, but I am allergic to fish. Fortunately, I had the e-mail I'd sent with me and showed it to the guide, and she was able to change my entre to chicken, which was very good actually. But we didn't want a 3-4 course lunches or dinner (in Moscow). We had the guide drop the lunch the third day, although we never got any credit or refund. But, particularly in contrast to the ship's tours, the prices were so reasonable we didn't worry too much about it.

The people who were on the ship's tour to Moscow saw us boarding the same train for which they were forced to queue up and wait on the way back, and asked us what we had done. I was candid and open so they were not happy when I explained what we had arranged and particularly what it had cost. Also, when we returned to the ship, we found they had laid on a late supper for those who had gone to Moscow, so up we went and had something. Well, it turns out the late supper was supposed to be just for those on the ship's tour, but we and others on 'independent' tours, there were a dozen or more of us, crashed the party, actually got there first, and they didn't realize it until the larger group arrived and there weren't enough tables/places set. By that time, the 'independents' had all gotten served and were eating; what could they do?

A couple from the larger group sat down with us and asked us about our tour, and they were the ones I told about our arrangement and its cost. They turned to others who’d been with them and announced the details, loudly enough so the whole room heard, which started a lot of bitching and complaining. I gathered they weren't very happy with the ship's tour to begin with, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. We finished up and beat it out of there, but overheard later that one of the excursion staff came to check on something and ran into a real mess. I caught a cold on the trip, which forced me to bed the second day following in Tallinn, so by the time we reappeared we heard about the contretemps' but apparently no one recalled who started it, thankfully.

Because of what happened to us, I would probably not use AllTravelRussia if I were to go again, or if I did, I would be sure to get confirmation of every detail of the tour. They do have good reviews generally, and we were certainly helped by their visa department and liked the guides and drivers. Their weakness, I say now with full 20:20 hindsight, is that once the sales person who plans the tour, sells it to you and collects your money, he (or she) transfers the plan to their Russia office for implementation; there is no follow-up to make sure it gets done right. And that is where our problems arose; we paid for a custom tour but got a standard package with a few destinations switched, and no one checked them out, even to see when they were open the day we were scheduled to go. If you check every detail that’s important to you, it should be OK, but that’s a hell of a way to have to do business, in my opinion.

Thank you for the 20/20 hindsight observation on your Russian tour operator, and better priced than the ship's excursion cost.

Thanks very much for the feedback.

We had the same experience as you so far as price. We originally booked a Viking Cruise but, hearing some things about the river cruises that made us unhappy, looked into other options. T-A-R cost the same or less than a cruise and had us in hotels for 11 days. We opted for the private tour. They have three tour levels, based on hotels. We originally opted for the four star as it did not cost much more than the three star hotels. Finally we decided to throw it all in and upgraded to five star. In Moscow we will be at the newly opened Kempinsky which is two blocks from Red Square. In St. Petersburg it is the Grand Hotel Europe, one of the most vaunted luxury hotels in Russia. Location is important for us as the tours use up only part of the day so being in the center of everything for our independent touring is important. As with many other cities, the less you pay, the farther out of the center of town you are.

We have been working with our salesman in D.C. and he seems to get back to us with the changes we want. He recently returned from Russia so is up on everything. When I asked they said they paid the full TA commission if I wanted so I got my usual TA on board so he is watching our back and giving us that extra level of comfort. He also set up our air, which I know pays him little or nothing, and got us business class for much less than T-A-R wanted for economy, though it took working for a while with a consolidator. He's happy to get his 10 percent on this trip without having booked it. He also took care of the trip insurance. We've been doing a lot of research on the CC sister site Trip Advisor and will write a report there. We will, I guess, become a source of info for CC members after having spent 5 days in Moscow and 6 in SP.

• 4 months later...

scubacruiserx2

Anybody considering a day trip to Moscow from St. Petersburg on the Sapsan may want to look at our travelogue filled with pictures.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1927687

Very informative. Thanks dor sharing. Jeff

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