Deckhand - Chicago

Hornblower Corp; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Hornblower Group is seeking a Deckhand to maintain vessel appearance and guest comfort aboard a Coast Guard-inspected passenger vessel in Chicago. You will assist with docking, safety drills, and line handling while supporting ship operations.

Responsibilities include hospitality, safety, cleanliness, and assisting with maintenance of equipment. Candidates must be able to work in a dynamic maritime environment and comply with schedules and appearance standards.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Strong guest service and hospitality mindset.
• Ability to follow safety procedures and operate on a moving vessel.

Responsibilities

• Provide exceptional hospitality to guests and coworkers according to RESPECT system.
• Follow safety procedures to protect passengers and vessel.
• Participate in routine safety drills for major incidents.
• Handle lines to moor vessels to pier.
• Stand watch in bows, sterns, or bridge wings to spot obstructions and navigational aids.
• Assist with vessel equipment maintenance (HVAC, engines, systems).
• Maintain cleanliness and safety of all common areas.
• Sweep, mop, and wash decks to remove dirt and debris.
• Load/unload materials and remove trash from vessel.
• Service, clean, and stock restrooms.
• Work flexible schedules including evenings and weekends.

Skills

Hospitality

Guest service

Safety procedures

Communication

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

Posted Friday, August 28, 2026 at 8:00 AM

Hornblower Group is a global leader in experience and transportation. Spanning a 100-year history, Hornblower Group’s portfolio of international offerings includes water- and land-based experiences and ferry and transportation services. City Experiences, Hornblower Group’s premier experience division, offers dining and sightseeing cruises and walking and food tours through the City Cruises, Walks, and Devour brands. City Ferry, part of Hornblower Group’s Ferry and Transportation Division, is the largest private operator of high-speed passenger and vehicle ferries in the United States, carrying more than 10 million passengers annually and operating services including NYC Ferry, Puerto Rico Ferry, and other regional ferry systems . Hornblower Group’s subsidiaries include Hornblower Marine, which provides vessel outhaul and maintenance services at Bridgeport Boatworks in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Seaward Services, Inc., a full-service shipping, waterfrontlogisticsand management company that specializes in the operation and maintenance of government and commercial vessels. Additionally, Anchor Operating System, LLC, a Hornblower Group subsidiary and independent entity, provides reservation,ticketingand website integration services for clients in the transportation,tourismand entertainment industries. Today, Hornblower Group’s global portfolio covers over 10 countries, over 50 U.S. cities and serves more than 20 million guests annually. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Hornblower Group’sadditionalcorporate officesresidein San Francisco, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; London, United Kingdom; New York, New York; Dublin, Ireland; and across Ontario, Canada. For more information, visithornblowercorp.com.

Position Summary:

The successful Deckhand is responsible for maintaining the appearance and cleanliness of the vessel, ensuring guest comfort and safety while underway, and assisting with docking and undocking.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide exceptional hospitality to guests and coworkers as prescribed in our RESPECT service system
• Follow safety procedures in order to ensure the protection of passengers and vessel
• Participate in routine safety drills to prepare for major incidents
• Handle lines to moor vessels to pier
• Stand watch in ships' bows, sterns, or bridge wings in order to look for obstructions in a ship's path or to locate navigational aids such as buoys and lighthouses
• Assist Captain and supervisory personnel in maintain vessel equipment and systems such as HVAC, engine, and technical equipment
• Maintain the cleanliness and safety of all common areas
• Sweep, mop, and wash down decks and exterior to remove dirt, and debris, using brooms, mops, brushes, and hoses
• Load or unload materials from vessels; gather and remove trash from vessel
• Service, clean, and supply restrooms
• Be prepared to begin work at scheduled time
• Maintain uniform and personal grooming in compliance with appearance standards
• Additional job duties assigned

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work onboard a moving vessel in varying weather and sea conditions, including maintaining balance and stability while underway.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, frequently throughout a shift.
• Ability to navigate stairs, ladders, narrow passageways, and confined spaces commonly found onboard vessels.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull supplies, equipment, and inventory weighing up to 40 pounds independently.
• Ability to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach overhead, and perform repetitive motions as required in food service and hospitality operations.
• Ability to respond quickly and effectively during normal operations, guest service situations, and emergency procedures.
• Ability to safely work in a fast-paced environment with exposure to moving equipment, wet surfaces, temperature variations, and moderate noise levels.
• Ability to visually inspect service areas, food presentation, cleanliness standards, and safety conditions.
• Ability to communicate effectively with guests, crew members, and management in person and via radio or other communication devices.
• Successfully complete vessel-specific safety and emergency training.
• Ability to work flexible schedules, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended shifts as operational needs require.
• Work is performed primarily onboard a Coast Guard-inspected passenger vessel, with duties split between dining, service, storage, galley-adjacent, and administrative areas.
• Position requires regular movement throughout multiple decks and may involve occasional exposure to outdoor marine environments, including heat, humidity, rain, wind, and sunlight.
• Must be able to safely perform duties while the vessel is docked or underway.

Requirements & Qualifications:

• Candidates must be able to reliably commute to and from the dock for schedule shifts
• Pre-employment and on-going random drug testing are required for all marine personnel
• High School Diploma (or GED or High School Equivalence Certificate) preferred
• Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age
• Must be able to effectively understand and convey written and verbal information to guests and coworkers
• Must possess a service orientation – actively looking for ways to help others
• Energetic and enthusiastic personality essential
• Will work for extended periods of time without sitting
• Must be able to lift up to fifty (50) pounds
• Must be able to throw mooring lines from ship to pier
• Must have normal color vision to accurately interpret navigational lights and color-sensitive system and safety displays
• May be required to apply for a Transportation Workers ID Card
• Will be required to be available for work on all major holiday

The RESPECT Service System embodies our mission, vision, values and operating principles. By creating a company culture that puts RESPECT at its core, we believe it will drive us to achieve our goal of becoming a Global Experiences and Transportation Leader.

EEO / Disabled / Protected Veteran Employer. Hornblower is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and prohibit discrimination and/or harassment of any type, including but not limited to discrimination and or harassment based upon race, religion, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, pregnancy or relation medical conditions, childbirth, breastfeeding, parental status, veteran and/or military status, disability (physical or mental), medical condition, genetic information or characteristics, political affiliation, domestic violence survivor status, marital status, or other characteristics prohibited by federal, state, or local law. Additionally, as a federal, state, and local contractor, Hornblower complies with government regulations, including affirmative action responsibilities for qualified individuals, where and as they apply. The company also participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations.