Social project offers completely free course for international career on cruise ships

Enrollment is now open for the Young Crew Members Social Project, a national professional qualification initiative aimed at people interested in entering the lucrative cruise market.

The program will offer 100 completely free places for candidates from all over Brazil and will run for five months, between June and October.

To participate in the selection process, candidates must be over 18 years old and have an interest in building an international career in the cruise industry, which includes availability for long-duration deployments, typically between seven and eight months of work outside Brazil.

The program seeks people willing to invest in a professional trajectory in the global market for hospitality, tourism and services.

It is not necessary to speak English to participate in the project. More than just a job opportunity, a career on cruise ships is recognized as an accelerated professional and personal development experience.

In addition to the possibility of receiving salaries in dollars or euros, often supplemented by commissions and tips, professionals have the opportunity to improve their language skills, interact with people of dozens of nationalities, discover different countries and cultures, and build a highly competitive resume in the global market.

For many young people, this is the first opportunity to become true world citizens, broadening horizons, accumulating international experience and transforming their future prospects.

Enrollment can be completed between June 8 and 17, exclusively through the project website (deck4.org.br/jovens-tripulantes).

At this stage, candidates must complete a socioeconomic and cultural questionnaire, an instrument used to assess the profile of participants and support the selection process.

After enrollment closes, the documentation and responses will be analyzed by the technical team at Deck4 Foundation, composed of professionals from the social and educational areas, who will conduct the selection based on the criteria established in the public notice and the socioeconomic indicators presented by candidates.

The final list of candidates selected for the 2026 edition of the program will be released on June 19 at 5 p.m. on the institution's official channels.

Following this, approved candidates will participate in the course enrollment and integration process, with classes scheduled to begin on June 29.

With nearly 20 years of operation in Brazil, Deck4 develops programs aimed at democratizing access to international careers, especially for young people and adults who often face economic and social barriers to pursuing professional opportunities outside the country.

Throughout its trajectory, the institution has impacted the lives of thousands of people through professional qualification initiatives, productive inclusion, and access to the international job market.

More than 2,400 job openings planned for the 2026/2027 Brazilian cruise season, which will begin in November this year with eight ships operating until April of next year, should cover positions in different areas of ship operations, including roles such as cleaning assistants, busboys, housekeepers, entertainers, receptionists, photographers, duty-free shop sales staff, food and beverage attendants, and kitchen staff.

The variety of positions makes the cruise industry one of the most accessible entry points for those seeking their first international work experience.

The maritime cruise sector remains among the fastest-growing tourism and hospitality industries in the world, driving job creation and international work opportunities.

For many program participants, the experience aboard represents not just a professional opportunity, but a life transformation.

In addition to traveling to different countries, experiencing new cultures, and developing intercultural skills, crew members also have the opportunity to improve their English and other languages, significantly broadening their future possibilities in the global market.

Another factor that sparks the interest of young people and those in situations of social vulnerability is the income-generation potential.

Although some entry-level positions allow applications with basic or intermediate English, approval depends on adequate technical and behavioral preparation.

Once hired to work aboard, a professional can earn salaries ranging from US$ 750 to US$ 4,000 already on the first contract, depending on the role performed.

With contracts that typically last between seven and eight months, many professionals are able to build significant financial reserves, helping support their families, realize personal projects, and build new life perspectives.

Many former students of Deck4's social programs today work internationally, reside outside Brazil, and have had their professional trajectories deeply impacted by the opportunity to enter the cruise industry.

The sustainability of these actions is directly linked to the operating model developed by the institution.

As a nonprofit organization, Deck4 Foundation adopts a sustainable social reinvestment system, in which resources from professional training programs are fully redirected to the maintenance and expansion of free social projects.

In practice, hundreds of people who invest annually in their own professional development to enter the cruise ship market contribute to enabling the organization to offer free training opportunities for candidates in situations of vulnerability or social risk.

The model allows one generation's professional qualification to finance access to opportunities for new generations that would often be beyond their reach, strengthening the institution's commitment to inclusion, equity, and social mobility.

According to André Vieira, founder and president of Deck4 Foundation, expectations for the next cruise season in Brazil reinforce the importance of professional training and democratizing access to opportunities in the sector.

"The 2026/2027 season will be the largest of all time since the pandemic. Companies must hire more than two thousand Brazilians, a number corresponding to the mandatory 25% hiring of national labor required by legislation for companies operating for more than 30 days in Brazilian waters.

This requirement strengthens the labor market in the country, helps consolidate cruise tourism activity in Brazil, and generates employment opportunities for thousands of people," he highlights.

According to Fabrício Brito, founder of Deck4, the association's mission is to ensure these opportunities are accessible to different audiences, especially those historically removed from the formal labor market. "Our commitment is to democratize access to an international career.

The social project exists to ensure that a person's potential matters more than their financial condition.

Therefore, Young Crew Members is offered to candidates from across Brazil and prioritizes, throughout the selection process, people in situations of vulnerability or social risk, transgender people, Black people, LGBTQIAPN+ population, single mothers, and indigenous peoples.

We want these positions to be real instruments of life transformation, autonomy, and productive inclusion."

The course will be offered in distance learning (EAD) format, providing technical and behavioral training aimed at the demands of the cruise shipping, hospitality, and tourism industry, preparing participants for selection processes and boarding opportunities.

Project: Young Crew Members 2026 Registration: June 8–17, 2026.

Announcement of selected candidates: June 19, 2026, at 5 p.m. Classes begin: June 29, 2026 Positions: 100 throughout Brazil Prerequisite: must be 18 years or older

Program duration: 5 months Format: distance learning (EAD) Registration and official notice: deck4.org.br/jovens-tripulantes