Some of the world’s best-known cruise companies will meet prospective crew members in Amsterdam when the Netherlands hosts its first Cruise Job Fair in September.
The free event will take place at the Novotel Amsterdam City on Friday 25 September 2026, running from 11am until 4pm. Admission is free, although visitors must register in advance and obtain a ticket.
The fair is intended for people interested in working aboard cruise ships or elsewhere in the cruise industry. It will bring cruise lines together with recruitment businesses, onboard service providers and maritime training organisations.
Which cruise companies will be at the Amsterdam job fair?
The organiser says the complete exhibitor list will be published closer to the event, but several major ocean, river and luxury cruise employers have already been confirmed.
- Viking — recruiting experienced candidates across its ocean and river operations, including food and beverage, culinary, housekeeping, hotel administration, nautical, IT, entertainment and spa roles.
- Carnival Cruise Line — seeking candidates for food and beverage, provisions, housekeeping, guest services, photography and media, management, shore excursions, deck and engine positions.
- Holland America Line — recruiting across nautical, technical, electro-technical and hotel departments, with roles covering restaurants, beverages, culinary operations, guest services, housekeeping, human resources, finance, photography and shore excursions.
- MSC Cruises — offering opportunities in food and beverage, guest services, housekeeping, spa and wellness, sports and fitness, and engine and technical departments.
- Explora Journeys — opportunities aboard the luxury brand’s ships are being presented through the MSC Cruises division.
- Princess Cruises — attending with shipboard and shoreside career opportunities supported by training and professional development.
- Scylla — recruiting food and beverage, guest services, housekeeping, management, deck and engine candidates for its European river-cruise fleet.
- Seabourn — seeking candidates for nautical, technical, electro-technical and hotel roles aboard its luxury ships.
Carnival Corporation Global Gaming will also attend. Its casino operation supports Carnival Cruise Line, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Seabourn and is looking for people interested in joining shipboard casino teams.
Retail, spa and recruitment opportunities
Not every cruise-ship job is recruited directly by the company operating the vessel. Concessionaires and specialist contractors employ many of the people working in onboard shops, spas, casinos and other guest-facing departments.
Confirmed exhibitors include Diamonds International, which is looking for onboard shopping ambassadors and sales associates, and Starboard Group, which is recruiting retail sales staff, jewellery and watch specialists, and sales managers.
LivNordic will be discussing spa careers aboard Viking’s ocean ships, while maritime recruiter Viking Crew will offer opportunities across deck, engine, technical, culinary, food and beverage, destinations and purser departments.
STCW.online will represent the training side of the industry. Its courses include maritime safety and security qualifications required for many seagoing roles.
A wide range of careers at sea
The published vacancies demonstrate how broad cruise employment has become. Hospitality and catering remain important, but the attending organisations are also recruiting engineers, deck officers, IT personnel, photographers, casino staff, retail specialists, spa professionals, shore-excursion teams, administrators and entertainment crew.
Speaking directly to recruiters gives candidates an opportunity to understand the experience and certification required for different jobs. It can also help distinguish positions employed by a cruise line from those managed by an onboard concessionaire or recruitment partner.
Attendance does not guarantee employment, and candidates should research each organisation and the requirements of the roles that interest them. Preparing an up-to-date CV and a concise explanation of relevant experience will help visitors make productive use of the limited time available with recruiters.
Amsterdam Cruise Job Fair details
- Date: Friday 25 September 2026
- Time: 11am–4pm
- Venue: Convention Centre, Novotel Amsterdam City, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Admission: Free with advance registration
Amsterdam is one of six Cruise Job Fair locations announced for 2026, alongside Barcelona, Cancún, Varna, London and Budapest. The organiser says its recent events have attracted between 300 and 850 candidates.
Further employers may be added before September, so prospective visitors should check the official event page before travelling and register through the organiser’s ticket system.
Official information and registration: Cruise Job Fair Amsterdam 2026.