Hospitality Skills Trainer – Cruise Ship Waitstaff and Housekeeping Prep
OceanGlide Cruises
Available Locations:
Johannesburg, Gauteng
Job Description
Job Summary
OceanGlide Cruises is seeking an experienced Hospitality Skills Trainer to design, deliver, and continuously improve practical, front-line training for cruise ship waitstaff, restaurant & bar stewards, room attendants, and housekeeping teams. You will translate brand standards, maritime compliance, hygiene, safety, and service excellence into engaging, hands-on learning that readies new hires and upskills existing crew for life at sea. You’ll partner closely with Hotel Operations, L&D, Talent Acquisition, and Shipboard Leadership to ensure every trainee can perform confidently, consistently, and safely from Day 1 onboard.
Key Responsibilities
- Design & Deliver Training: Create end-to-end curricula, lesson plans, SOP checklists, simulations, and microlearning modules covering F&B service, fine dining etiquette, upselling, bar basics, room preparation standards, turnaround day procedures, linen & inventory handling, and rapid room recovery.
- Maritime & Safety Integration: Embed STCW basics, public health (USPH/CDC, HACCP), crowd management, personal safety, and sanitation protocols into all programs.
- Onboard & Shore-Based Rollouts: Facilitate induction, cross-training, refresher, and pre-embarkation “readiness” bootcamps both virtually and in person.
- Skills Assessment & Certification: Build practical assessments, conduct on-the-job evaluations, and certify crew against OceanGlide service and housekeeping standards.
- Coaching & Mentoring: Provide 1:1 and small-group coaching to supervisors and team leaders to cascade best practices and sustain performance onboard.
- Content Modernization: Convert SOPs into bite-sized eLearning, videos, checklists, and performance support tools accessible offline at sea.
- Data-Driven Improvement: Track training KPIs (guest satisfaction, audit scores, rework rates, incident reductions), analyze gaps, and iterate programs for continuous improvement.
- Stakeholder Management: Liaise with Ship Hotel Directors, Executive Housekeepers, Restaurant Managers, and Shoreside L&D to align training with operational demands and sailing schedules.
- Compliance & Audit Readiness: Prepare teams for external audits (USPH, flag state, classification societies) and internal quality inspections.
- Culture & Inclusion: Promote OceanGlide’s values, ensuring culturally sensitive, multilingual-friendly training environments for a diverse crew.
Required Skills and Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Training & Development, Education, or related field (or equivalent shipboard/industry experience).
- Proven instructional design capability (ADDIE, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Kirkpatrick Levels, or similar).
- Strong working knowledge of cruise/hotel housekeeping and F&B service operations (standards, SOPs, turnaround logistics).
- Understanding of public health, HACCP, sanitation, and safety protocols relevant to cruise operations.
- Excellent facilitation skills—able to engage multicultural, multilingual adult learners through practical, scenario-based training.
- Proficiency with LMS/eLearning authoring tools (e.g., Articulate 360, Rise, Captivate, or similar) and MS Office/Google Workspace.
- Strong documentation, reporting, and KPI tracking skills.
- Willingness and eligibility to travel internationally and sail for extended periods.
Experience
- 5+ years in hospitality operations (cruise lines, luxury hotels/resorts, or large-scale F&B) with 2–3 years in L&D/training roles focused on frontline teams.
- Prior shipboard experience (Hotel, F&B, or Housekeeping) is highly preferred.
- Experience preparing teams for USPH/CDC, EU SHIPSAN, or equivalent audits is an advantage.
- Demonstrated success implementing competency-based training and measuring post-training performance impact.
Working Hours
- Flexible schedule aligned to ship itineraries, dry docks, turnarounds, and peak onboarding periods.
- Expect rotational shipboard assignments, occasional weekend or holiday training, and variable hours to cover multiple shifts.
- Travel and time at sea will be a routine part of the role.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Deep knowledge of guest service excellence, fine dining standards, room care protocols, laundry & linen cycles, chemical handling, and inventory controls.
- Strong cross-cultural communication and conflict-resolution skills.
- Ability to translate complex SOPs and regulations into practical, easy-to-apply training.
- High resilience, adaptability, and organizational skills in fast-paced, high-occupancy environments.
- Comfort working with data, dashboards, and continuous improvement frameworks.
Benefits
- Competitive salary with performance-based incentives.
- Global travel and the opportunity to work onboard premium cruise vessels.
- Medical insurance, life insurance, and emergency evacuation coverage while sailing.
- Accommodation and meals provided onboard during ship assignments.
- Professional development budget and access to industry certifications.
- Crew travel discounts and family & friends rate benefits (as per company policy).
- Multicultural, inclusive workplace with rapid career progression opportunities.
Why Join OceanGlide Cruises?
- Shape the gold standard of shipboard hospitality for thousands of crew and millions of guests.
- Work at the intersection of learning, operations, and maritime excellence.
- Be part of a growing, innovation-driven L&D function where your programs have visible, measurable operational impact.
- Experience a truly global career with unparalleled exposure to diverse teams, destinations, and service cultures.
How to Apply
Send the following to careers@oceanglidecruises.com (or apply via our Careers Portal):
- Resume/CV highlighting hospitality operations and training achievements.
- Cover letter explaining your shipboard or hospitality training experience and your approach to competency-based training.
- (Optional) Sample training artefacts (e.g., a short module outline, assessment rubric, SOP-to-training conversion example) or portfolio.
- Your earliest start date and travel availability.
OceanGlide Cruises is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all crew.