Marine Onboarding Coordinator

COMPANY OVERVIEW

At Margaritaville at Sea, our core purpose is to create and deliver fun and escapism. This drives all we do and is the heart of our decision making. As a valued member of our team, you’ll contribute to providing an incredible guest experience every day of each cruise and in every way. You’ll also have opportunities to advance your career as we continue to grow. Your career path with us starts here!

OUR CULTURE

• Joining the Margaritaville at Sea® team means embracing our Culture Essentials, the cornerstone values that shape our identity, principles and actions:
• Every guest, every time.
• Act with integrity and respect.
• Shared responsibility for the well-being of our guests, crew and community.
• Each employee’s responsibility to be better than the rest.
• These beliefs and behaviors define who we are and unite us as a team, guiding us in decision-making, fostering relationships, tackling challenges and reaching milestones.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Marine Onboarding Coordinator is the day-to-day link between the Margaritaville at Sea Marine department and AE CMI, the fleet’s ship manager, for the onboarding of marine officers and crew. The role makes sure every new joiner arrives on board documented, compliant and prepared, and that MVAS and AE CMI are working from the same information at every step. It is an entry-level, hands-on coordination role suited to someone early in their maritime, crewing or HR career who is organized, detail-driven and eager to learn.

The role sits within the MVAS Marine department and is based in the Orlando office, with occasional travel to Palm Beach, Tampa and Miami. AE CMI, as ship manager, runs many of the processes that bring marine crew on board; this role does not replace that work but coordinates it — tracking each joiner’s status, chasing outstanding items, keeping records aligned and raising issues early with the Marine department. It works closely with AE CMI’s crewing and marine operations teams, the shipboard senior officers, and MVAS Human Resources, Legal and Finance.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Core Functions

Liaison with AE CMI: Act as the primary day-to-day point of contact between the MVAS Marine department and AE CMI on onboarding matters. Relay MVAS requirements, requests and decisions to AE CMI, and bring AE CMI updates, questions and issues back to the Marine department promptly and accurately.

Onboarding Coordination: Coordinate each marine joiner from offer to first day on board, making sure pre-joining requirements, documents, travel and familiarization are complete and on schedule.

Documentation and Compliance Tracking: Track the certificates, medicals, visas and other documents each joiner needs, and flag gaps, expiries and discrepancies well before the joining date.

Communication and Reporting: Keep the Marine department, shipboard senior officers and MVAS Human Resources informed of joiner status, and prepare regular onboarding status reports for Marine leadership.

Records and Systems: Keep onboarding trackers, files and system records accurate, current and aligned between MVAS and AE CMI.

Culture and Welcome: Help new marine joiners understand MVAS, its Culture Essentials and its guest-first focus, alongside the ship manager’s own induction.

AE CMI Liaison and Coordination

Maintain a shared onboarding tracker with AE CMI covering every upcoming marine joiner by vessel, rank and joining date.

Join regular coordination calls with AE CMI’s crewing and marine operations teams; record actions and follow up until closed.

Escalate delays, gaps or disagreements to the Marine department with clear facts and options.

Make sure MVAS onboarding requirements and policy updates are communicated to AE CMI and reflected in their processes.

Pre-Joining and Documentation

Confirm each joiner holds the valid documents required for their rank, including STCW certificates, flag endorsements, seafarer medical, passport, seaman’s book and applicable U.S. crew visas.

Track document expiry dates and send reminders well ahead of renewal deadlines.

Coordinate MVAS-specific pre-joining requirements, such as background checks, policy acknowledgments and company onboarding paperwork, with Human Resources.

Verify that each joiner’s file is complete before they are cleared to travel.

Joining Logistics

• Work with AE CMI and travel providers to confirm flights, hotels and transfers so joiners arrive at the right port on the right day.
• Coordinate joining and sign-off dates with shipboard senior officers to support handovers and planned crew changes.
• Provide joiners with clear joining instructions, port and terminal information, and key contacts.
• Make occasional turnaround-day visits to Palm Beach, Tampa and Miami to meet joiners and shipboard teams.
• Orientation and Familiarization Support
• Schedule MVAS orientation sessions and coordinate them with AE CMI’s induction and shipboard familiarization.
• Gather feedback from new joiners and shipboard officers after their first weeks on board, and share themes with the Marine department.
• Help maintain onboarding guides, checklists and welcome materials.
• Records, Reporting and Audit Support
• Keep complete and accurate onboarding records for every marine joiner, stored in line with MVAS data privacy and retention policies.
• Prepare weekly status reports and monthly onboarding metrics for Marine leadership.
• Support internal reviews and flag, class or ship manager audits by providing onboarding records on request.

Continuous Improvement

Identify recurring delays or handoff issues between MVAS and AE CMI and suggest practical fixes.

Help update onboarding procedures, templates and checklists as requirements change.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

• Internal: Vice President, Marine Technical Operations (direct manager); Marine department team; Human Resources; Legal and Administration; Finance; Fleet Security Superintendent.
• Shipboard: Masters, Staff Captains, Chief Engineers, Hotel Directors and other senior officers receiving new joiners.
• External: AE CMI (ship manager) crewing and marine operations teams; travel and port agents; medical and training providers as needed.

Required

• Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in maritime studies, business, human resources, logistics or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 1–2 years of experience in coordination, administration, crewing, HR, recruiting or operations support; relevant internships count.
• Strong organization and attention to detail, with the ability to track many people, dates and documents at once.
• Clear, professional written and spoken communication, and comfort working with an external partner every day.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365, particularly Excel, Outlook and Teams.
• Ability to handle confidential personal information with discretion.
• Valid U.S. driver’s license and willingness to travel occasionally from Orlando to West Palm Beach, Tampa and Miami, including early-morning turnaround days.
• Ability to obtain a TWIC card for access to port facilities.

Preferred

• Exposure to the maritime, cruise, shipping or hospitality industry.
• Familiarity with STCW, MLC 2006 and seafarer documentation requirements.
• Experience with a crew management system or HR information system.
• Experience working with a third-party service provider or outsourced partner

WORKING CONDITIONS

Office-based in Orlando during standard business hours, with occasional travel to the homeports. Ship and terminal visits involve walking long distances and climbing stairs. Some flexibility outside normal hours may be needed to support crew changes and time-sensitive joining issues.

TOTAL REWARDS

Offers to selected candidates will be made on a fair and equitable basis, taking into account specific job-related skills and experience. At Margaritaville at Sea, your total rewards package is much more than your base salary. We provide comprehensive and innovative benefits, including:

Health Benefits

• Cost-effective medical, dental and vision plans.
• Employee Assistance Program and other mental health resources.
• Company-paid term life insurance and disability coverage.

Financial Benefits

401(k) plan that includes a company match.

Paid Time Off

10 company-wide holidays, plus 2 floating holidays taken at the employee’s discretion.

15 days of vacation per year.

Other Benefits

Complimentary stand-by cruises, employee discounts on confirmed cruises, plus special rates for family and friends.

ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE

In addition to other duties and functions, this position requires full commitment to and support for an ethical and compliant culture. More specifically, it requires integrity, honesty and respectful treatment of others, as well as a willingness to speak up when the employee sees misconduct or has concerns.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Margaritaville at Sea is an equal employment opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, religion, age, protected veteran status, disability status, marital status or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, federal and/or international law.

DISCLAIMER

This job description outlines the general nature and level of the work. It is not an exhaustive list of duties, and responsibilities may change to meet business needs.