Executive Cruise Protection Operator
Praetorian is hiring operators for close protection aboard commercial cruise sailings and private charters out of Florida ports. Onboard details, shore excursion coverage, and port embarkation security.
Praetorian Executive Protection LLC is hiring cruise protection operators who deploy as paying passengers on commercial cruise sailings and private yacht charters to provide continuous close protection for principals and their families. Work includes port embarkation security, onboard protective coverage, and pre-cleared shore excursions at every port of call. Executive protection or military background is preferred, along with a valid U.S. passport and flexibility for multi-day deployments.
Cruise travel is a high-exposure environment for executives, HNW families, and public figures. Embarkation lines are crowded.
Shore excursions move through unfamiliar jurisdictions. Ship security is designed for ship-wide safety, not a personal detail.
Praetorian operators sail as paying passengers to provide continuous close protection from the moment the principal arrives at the terminal through debarkation on return. The assignments are concentrated — 4 to 14 days typically — with strong preparation and discipline requirements.
Port Embarkation and Debarkation
Managing the highest-risk points of any cruise: the terminal. Controlled walk through check-in, luggage separation, and staging the secure ground transportation leg.
Onboard Close Protection
Discreet coverage through dining, entertainment, spa, movement around the ship. Coordination with ship security. Social engineering awareness in a dense passenger environment.
Shore Excursion Planning
Every port of call is a separate operation. Venue pre-clearance, private ground transportation, vetted local guides and drivers, medical and extraction contingencies.
Private Charter Coverage
Smaller yacht charters and expedition cruises. Coordination with captain and crew on manning, boarding, and itinerary security.
What Cruise Protection Looks Like
A cruise engagement begins weeks before sailing with an itinerary review, a cruise line coordination call, and destination assessments for every port of call. Operators sail as paying passengers — cabins are booked near the principal, not in a crew arrangement.
Onboard, you maintain discreet coverage during every meal, every movement, and every scheduled event. Weapons are not carried aboard commercial vessels.
Protection relies on positioning, advance planning, and professional presence. At each port, you execute the pre-planned shore excursion with private transportation and pre-cleared venues.
Large-group cruise-line excursions are not appropriate for high-profile principals and are replaced with private alternatives.
Who We Hire for Cruise Roles
Executive protection operators with prior HNW or corporate close-protection experience. Military background is a plus but not required — this is primarily an EP discipline, not a direct-action one.
You must hold a valid U.S.
passport, be flexible for 4-to-14-day deployments at sea, and be comfortable operating without a firearm. Prior international travel protection and foreign port experience are strong advantages.
Operators who present professionally and blend into the passenger environment are prioritized.
Florida's Cruise Market
Florida is the busiest cruise state in the world. Port Canaveral, Port of Miami, Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale), Port Tampa Bay, and JAXPORT collectively handle tens of millions of passenger movements per year.
The majority of Praetorian cruise engagements originate from these ports. Caribbean itineraries dominate, with occasional trans-Atlantic or expedition cruises.
Most engagements are 4 to 7 days; expedition and world cruise work runs longer.
- Executive protection or HNW close-protection experience
- Military or law enforcement background (preferred)
- Valid U.S. passport, able to travel internationally without restriction
- Flexibility for 4-to-14-day deployments at sea
- Professional appearance that blends into the cruise passenger environment
- Strong situational awareness in dense-crowd environments
- Florida Class D license
- Cruise engagements out of Port Canaveral, Port of Miami, Port Everglades, Port Tampa Bay, and JAXPORT
- W-2 employment with a Florida Class B Security Agency (License B3600136)
- Full cabin, meals, and onboard expenses covered during the sailing
- Travel to and from the embarkation port covered
- Hourly wage with premium rate for extended-duration sailings
- Workers' compensation and general liability coverage during assigned duties
- Pre-departure briefings and port-by-port destination assessments
- Pathway to world cruise and private charter engagements for operators who perform
Questions About This Role
Do operators carry firearms aboard cruise ships?
No. Firearms are not permitted on commercial cruise vessels. Protection is built on advance planning, positioning, and coordination with ship security. Operators with only kinetic backgrounds often struggle with this — the role is a close-protection discipline, not a direct-action one.
Are cabin costs paid by the agency or the principal?
The client covers operator cabins, meals, and onboard expenses as part of the engagement. Operators do not pay out of pocket for any aspect of the sailing. Travel to and from the embarkation port is also covered.
What is the typical engagement length?
Most Caribbean cruises run 4 to 7 days. Transatlantic sailings run 10 to 14 days. Expedition and world cruise engagements can extend to 30 days or longer but require specific operator match and consent. Assignments are offered well in advance for planning.
Do cruise operators coordinate with the ship's security team?
Where useful to the principal, yes. Ship security is focused on ship-wide safety and not a personal detail. Our operators work alongside them where appropriate and operate independently where the engagement calls for separation.
What about jurisdictional issues in international waters?
Cruise ships operate under the flag state of the vessel, and port-of-call jurisdictions apply when docked. Praetorian is a Florida Class B licensed agency, and operators deploy as passengers providing private protective services for a paying client. The agency carries insurance coverage that applies during assigned duties. Any complex jurisdictional questions are coordinated through counsel before departure.
This position is a W-2 employment role with Praetorian Executive Protection LLC. The role is subject to standard payroll withholdings and company-provided insurance coverage. This classification is required under Fla. Stat. § 493.6301(4), which provides that a Class D licensee shall own or be an employee of a Class B security agency.
- Active Florida Class D license, and Class G for armed assignments, or willingness to obtain
- Standard payroll withholdings (federal income tax, FICA, Medicare)
- Company-provided workers' compensation and general liability coverage during assigned duties
- Duty equipment and required credentials issued or authorized by the agency
- I-9 verification, background check, and FDACS fingerprinting as required by Chapter 493
- Reported to the Florida State Directory of New Hires within 20 days of hire
Praetorian utilizes a hybrid staffing model. Detailed classification is confirmed at the time of offer. See the full engagement standards on the Careers page.
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