Princess Cruises, Fairbanks, Alaska, AYUSA
Experience with agency AYUSA was positive.
Since the time I figured out that it is not much more to the agency , I wasn't annoyed about things which they could not help me . Otherwise , if you are going to Alaska , be sure to go through AYUSA because for years have the highest offer .
Experience with location Fairbanks, AK was positive.
As soon as you know you are getting a job in Fairbanks, looking for contacts from agencies and gather people working with you. You probably will not have a pension from the company (or will offer a lot more expensive than what you yourself can be found), so go right now to get to know. They are used to working all over the internet so that you can rent an apartment over the net before going there. We lived in Sophie Station, because it is close to Princess, Safeway, a Pike's-a ... 6 of us lived in a two bedroom apartment at one time and 7 and we paid $ 230 per month. This allows the least important because there you spend for at least the time. Those who get a job at Home Depot, Wesmark, etc., you should be looking for a flat somewhere closer to downtown in because this is a long way away. Not impossible, but considering that you probably used to travel to work by bicycle in the rain, waterproof jacket is not enough to keep a cold at such a distance. A minimum of what you need then there is cold. You know Work and Travel story to rent unfurnished apartments ?! They usually have built-in wardrobes, furnished kitchen the only thing you need to buy an inflatable mattress. This and bicycle are the first two things you buy at Fred-in when you arrive, and then the SIM card. :) And when you're looking for another job, see that you close the first and residence, not to waste a lot of time in transit, because you do not have much time. Not timetable crucial, choose something that you enjoy the job remotely and that is close to you, and will be the difference in the schedule to compensate for the difference in the number of hours. Usually those who give less hourly give more hours a week, and vice versa. It would be cool if you buy together and map to go to the same flight there, the easier it will be your own. We bought over those agencies which had AYUSA recommended, it turned out that this is the cheapest option. And far we have been cheaper to go from Budapest, and there we went Geom.
All our experiences are positive, although you will have much to read on the Internet, do not believe everything you say. Prepare yourself mentally to go to work 4 months, because even though you'll not want to do, you will be bored, all the people working at two jobs, some have even worked and 3 full-time job. Do not ask how, I do not know how they endured. Relax, you realize that some things are not up to you and enjoy. The more you enjoy this four months and not to annoy, so will all the 15-hour work day easier to fall. Do not bother too much you get 32 hours a week or less, it will all come into their own if you're a hard worker, Americans like it when you're diligent and doing all you can, the rewards you for hours, do not worry.
The city after city is quite a superficial, but not many people, they have a lot of tourists in the summer, so it's quite a big demand for labor, do not worry as far as the other business. As for the other work you have let three sectors roughly speaking: 1. Hotels - housekeeping, laundry and rarely prepcook (Princess, Pike's or if you are closer to downtown in Merriott, Hyatt, Westmark ...); 2. markets - position the cashier, stocker night (Safeway, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's, Fred does not employ J1); 3. fast food's - that everyone does everything (Carls Junior, Mc Donalds, Pump House, Taco Bell); Now I will explain each sector individually. If already in the first sector, few will give you so lonely that you're doing two very similar work, but it is not hard to do these jobs, I was much less strenuous than the cashier. These include; Other sectors - not bad to work night stocker - my friends are just chilling in the Safeway, it is not hard. The menu at the checkout day shift bit was very hard at first, because you are not trained and prepared for this position, but later was wonderful. I've had customers who came regularly only in my turn, we always apologized and English has improved a lot because of this job, especially accent. As for the third sector, there are hourly rate lower than the other, or you have a meal somewhere compensate for this difference, it is a lot especially when it is crowded, but I know people who were satisfied and had overtime in this sector. I suggest you go to Fairbanks few days ago, we went 10 days earlier. First, buy a number, apply for a SSN and slowly go out and applying to all sites, so where you call. What is important to know is that they should be boring after applying, we went 3-4 times a Safeway after we applied and asked HR managers in order to schedule an interview. There are a lot of tugging for that matter, so it is better to make it all before you start doing the first job because you are then many terms do not match. After 6 days I MSM can go to Social Services to ask for your SSN although the two weeks after you get the card with the employer, so that when you are applying to write a real SSN, although you it's not really that important. So this interim period when you arrive, but do not yet begin to do well to buy some of these things for the first aid, applying for SSN, opening a bank account (Wells Fargo, we all had an account here) and the active application and search for another job.
The moment you start doing other work , time starts to fly . Meet new people, you meet new friends , a little disappointed in a third , but it is all part of , and should not touch you so much. Since in Fairbanks have only two clubs that are nothing like ours , a lot of you to drink in the nature park (although this is forbidden : D ) , flat ... You have a wonderful barbecue places along Chena , so make the most of these places . For those who live in Sophie Station , you will be as sightseeing tour , half Sophie the J1 students in summer , although not quite to yelling late there as a field trip . :)
After you have a very nice Fairbanks Pioneer Park, a relaxing seating along the Chena River, the bus you can go to the house of Santa Claus at the North Pole, not far away. As for the trip to Chena Hot Springs, Denali and stay here you need a car, rent a car, you can only if you have more than 25 years. Travel, organizing two days and visit Valdez and glaciers, it's great, who knows when you will have the opportunity to go to Alaska. Most Americans did not visit Alaska, so that all that you wonder what made the young man from Serbia to come to work two jobs in Alaska. :)
I know you guys are doing calculations about how much you can earn / save, but do not worry about it, because a lot depends on you a little, a lot more than luck and season. What what I can assure you that you will not be happy whenever you turn it, because you will be working two jobs, where you will not have to spend so much money and that's it. Speaking of money, I took $ 800 spending money, and it was dark, because we left early enough, and we've fallen into non-wage Sunday, we first paychek received after 17 days. Bring brandy !!! : D If you do not drink, cheer for the Yanks, they really like, they drink a lot in Alaska, we are not the worst. : D
As for the climate, not much cold as you all talking about, or you need a jacket on a bicycle in the morning, even in July, there's a big difference between morning and afternoon temperatures. Wear minimal clothes because you will mostly be working uniforms, and there you are buying a lot of it, because it is marked wardrobe rather cheap.
Relax, enjoy the wonderful Fairbanks, mingle with the people, do not be so bedevil, eat fruit: D and you will see that you will be very sorry when you're leaving because you simply get under the skin. Good luck!
Experience with employer Princess Cruises
was positive.
Hours 8.5 $ + bonus of 0.5 $ for each hour when you're done until the end of the contract Number of hours per week: 40 Average payoff: 20 $
We were in the process of transition throughout the summer, three housekeeping manager had quit for the season, so we had to do at the end of the general manager, but it was cool. As for the company, typical capitalists, but a lot of nuisance does not go much into the details because they are aware that provide a slightly lower hourly rate. As for the tip, when our first manager was to give everything you find supervisors, so every two weeks to share the all housekeepers daughters to honor're straight (no laundry gets tips). The atmosphere was wonderful to us, because you have about 40 J1 students, most Bulgarians. First we spoke in English, and then we learn from each other and after a month we talked about the Serbian-Bulgarian. :) It's really great atmosphere and you have a chance to gain a very good friend for life. As for the lessons here are really fair, we always had 40 at the end when they left the people we had overtime. But by far the best position J1 Princes is bellstuff.
This review represents personal opinion of Milana who was participating Work & Travel program in year of 2014 with agency AYUSA, working at Princess Cruises in Fairbanks, AK.
Aug 14, 2016