Joliza Vanderpool, 20, will be one of eight young Bermudians setting sail this fall on the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL).The eight were picked out of 90 applications from people in Bermuda. Miss Vanderpool was the only Bermudian picked to work in the kitchens. She will be working as an assistant chef on the Norwegian Gem.Miss Vanderpool has been working as a chef at Pink Beach and at Snorkel Park in Dockyard. She graduated in June 2012 from Niagara College in Ontario, Canada with a degree in culinary management.The Department of Workforce Development encouraged young Bermudians to apply for jobs at NCL several months ago, and helped them through the process of applying.“They are helping us out as much as they can,” said Miss Vanderpool. “There was a lot of paperwork. There were background checks, and full medicals. All my shots were up to date so I didn’t need more, thank goodness. We had to get our first aid in CPR if we didn’t have it already. We had to get a visa. The full medical was the hardest part because it takes the longest.”Miss Vanderpool has only ever once been on a cruise ship, and it was a short visit.“I received scholarships from Royal Caribbean in 2011 and 2012,” she said. “The scholarship ceremony was on a cruise ship. Other than that I have never been on a cruise ship.”She has talked to several people who have worked on cruise ships and been warned that the work will be hard and so will the aspect of being trapped in a work situation with the same people for months at a time.“They said you have never worked so hard, drank so much and slept so little,” said Miss Vanderpool. “I am going to take it one day at a time. I will be rooming with three other women so that might be tough.”Her mother, Eileen, first encouraged her to try out for the position.“I went to the information session at the Bermuda College,” said Miss Vanderpool. “I filled out all the papers and then went back for my interview to see how things would go. I was talking with the corporate executive chef. I guess it went really well. It was good talking to him and learning more. He has been on the ship for 20 or 30 years. He knows what to expect. He gave me the break down.”On the Norwegian Gem, she will be travelling to New York, Florida and the Bahamas. Her contract lasts for eight months. All the Bermudians will be stationed on the same boat in different departments. Bermudians have also found positions as stewards, bartenders and waitresses.Ms Vanderpool said she is most interested in pastry and would eventually like to start her own bakery. She was placed as assistant chef because it would allow her to cross train in pastry. It would be much harder to be placed in pastry and be able to cross train as a chef.“I have heard it is much easier to get a job after working on a cruise ship,” said Miss Vanderpool.Staff is not allowed in the visitor areas, but they have their own entertainment room complete with a gym, staff pool and staff theatre.“Hopefully, I will find the time to go to the gym,” she said. “I want to thank the Department of Workforce Development for putting together the information session that got me to this job. I also wanted to thank my family and friends and my Pink Beach family for really pushing me to take the initiative to apply.”