Working in the Carib

[Orchidius]

Is it common practice among cruisers? Or is it a rarity to see fellow cruisers looking for labor?

[jostalli]

Go sign up on odesk.com and fill out your bio. Take a few tests and post for jobs. I promise with even no skills whatsoever you will get hired if you price your hourly rate low enough. You can be as busy as you want to be. Forget bumming around looking for laboring jobs in foreign countries. All you need is an internet connection and a laptop.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Pwdrskr

Sorry if I have offended you.

No offense taken. It's just that your reaction, read as written, seemed to imply some sort of natural right to work anywhere in the world.

For me, I'm stoked to find out that it would cost as little as $1k to get a work permit that would allow me to make even as little as $10k... if we based ourselves somewhere warm for 6+ months. I have some marketable skills too.

And as I said - how much will a foreigner pay for a work permit when in a US harbour? Kind of puts this in perspective, no?

Originally Posted by jostalli

Go sign up on odesk.com

That... looks like a brilliant idea, if the odesk system works as advertised. Are you on it?

[Teknav]

You can always apply for a job on a cruise ship. You'll visit a lot of ports, but most likely you won't have the time to roam around and enjoy the scenery.

Many dive shops in the Caribbean hire foreign SCUBA Dive Masters and Instructors, because they cannot find locals to fill these positions. While these positions look glamorous, they are back-breaking jobs; not too many diving pros are still doing their trade, when they reach their 40's. (Most wind-up with hernias/back issues/bones issues.)

The best advice that I can give you is not to try working outside your country. Just enjoy your surroundings!

Mauritz

[boatman61]

Rubbish.. as soon as I arrive somewhere I start work...

[Teknav]

Hiya Boatie! There is always an exception to every rule...you happen to know a few, huh!

Mauritz
Laugh and the world laughs with you...

[boatman61]

My Avatar says it all... you seriously think I'm flying to Miami this weekend for bludi Disney World... or to visit the Boat Show...

[Brilliant Sea]

Mauritz, that is terrible advice, this man wants to go cruising and he is starting a very big dream, the world is small, his home surroundings minute. We should not be telling him to not follow his dream how he chooses to follow it.

Boatman, I admire what you do and I am not far away from my license so I can do the same when I feel I have earned to do such. Until then I will be putting as many miles under my keel as I can.

I hope the OP keeps us posted as I will as well of our wonderful travels on the great blue sea.....however the way we do it, we'll be doing it.

[virginia boy]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

No offense taken. It's just that your reaction, read as written, seemed to imply some sort of natural right to work anywhere in the world.

Gauging by the number of illegal workers in the US (15 million), the UK (over 1 million), and the countless hordes of illegals overwhelming the cities of Europe, I'd say most of the world's population certainly appears to think they have a natural right to work anywhere they wish.

If I were to gauge by the "progressive" media, and much of the government's propaganda..I'd have to agree.

If I needed a little extra cash for a new engine and I was stuck in another country...I would have no moral compunction about working under the table. What's good for 100 million illegals around the world is good enough for me. Some laws are meant to be broken.

The threat of jail on the other hand might stop me.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by BandB

I'm always a bit amazed at threads like this one asking about the ability to do illegal things. Then others advise how. Reality is you can work illegally in most places if that's your thing. I've chosen always to stay within the law and certainly not going to start advising people on a public form as to how to break it. That's what "under the radar" is, breaking the law and not getting caught.

I will warn you of one thing. Once you work outside the law then no laws will protect you. Someone doesn't pay, that's just tough. You have no legal standing. Anything else is much the same way.

Certainly true & good advice - unless you are doing it in the US. You get to be a citizen & voter.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Certainly true & good advice - unless you are doing it in the US. You get to be a citizen & voter.

Just cancelled my flight to Miami....

[Normanby]

Originally Posted by boatman61

When you arrive take a couple or 3 weeks to mooch around.. hang out in the right bars and learn who's who and does what.. buy a few beers for folks..
Learn who's rice bowl is over flowing and who's scratching the bottom... steal rice from a nearly empty bowl is gonna get you a bad time one dark night..
Life is a case of good and bad Karma.. yeah.. I know it sounds hippy but.. one hand washes the other as we say in Portugal..
There's no fixed formula.. just read the scene and take it from there.. Best Wishes and don't take the piss..

That's my plan, there's no substitute for being on the spot.
I've got my teaching qualifications in order now and will be leaving home waters in about 9 months, to potter around SE Asia cruising and teaching.
But the simple plan B is to have enough cash in reserve that i when the kitty gets too low, if i can't get work, leave the boat safe somewhere, fly home for a few months work, sleeping on friends' couches, then go back.
World cruising in installments...

[Nicholson58]

I've wondered about the possibilities on this as well. Seems there are ways to earn in the service sector but my engineering career has been complex machine design & project management. I run a CAD solid modeler most of the time. I can fix about anything but that's been a hobby & home maintenance. I restored an antique car. I resurrected our boat from hurricane IVAN & rebuilt all of the systems & machinery. I am passable at electrical stuff. I am pretty good with fiberglass. We have a Sailrite. We are divers & have a Hookah. We are 50-ton masters. I suspect most places we go don't need engineers and the other items on my resume logically take jobs from locals.

It would be nice to have new money coming in but I don't count on it. I certainly don't want to volunteer for jail time.

[boatman61]

Pretty much what I've done/do...

[bobconnie]

If ya have skills that are in need in the area your in, theres almost always someone to light the way for ya to do the work !!! Connie and I have worked all over the pacific and the carribe! Shes an RN and Im a machinist-welder-diesel mech. And have never had a problem working most everywhere! Ive never paid any fees for this! but maybe things have changed? But If ya have skills you can find work! maybe at a lesser rate then where ya come from, but enough to fill the kitty ! Just my 2 cents