Staffing agencies in the cruise line industry are just like the agencies for other industries. They contract with a client, in this case a cruise line, and present them with a specified number of quality, qualified candidates to fill job openings. When some of the large cruise lines are headquartered hundreds of miles away, it makes sense for them to use a local company to do the initial recruiting and interviewing. The agency will place ads to solicit applicants, interview the strongest candidates, and present the best people to the client that they think are most likely to get hired. The client makes the final hiring decision.