Perfect 10 magazine pays you $1,000 finders fee for a girl that has real tits and that eventually gets in the mag. easy cash especially when you tell her that she gets about $20,000
Take the construction job. If it's union scale can bank a good deal of money. Save up your money, continue to work on your systems, and most importantly realize that this is just a problem that has a solution. You can work around it and take it to the next level. Remember the first two, but repeat the 3rd to yourself over and over until you know it in your heart. The road you're traveling is a beaten path. Where many before you have tread & have ultimately gone on to succeed. Go get it buddy, it's there for the taking !! Find a way.
If you're in Canada, consider working in the Alberta oil sands. They are desperate for people and their pay offer reflects it. You're flown to a remote location 10 days at a time where your food and shelter is provided for. And like serving on a ship, there are very few places to spend your money. There are guys in their early 20s making six-figures over there.
While a good suggestion for the serious minded, I can guarantee the above sounds WAY TOO MUCH like hard work for >99% of people. Too much "Cribs" and "The fabulous life of..." on MTV has spoiled people into thinking they will get rich by just being smart and sitting on their ass.
How were you in school while you were on a ship the whole time? I have thought about doing this, but have no idea where to apply. I'm guessing I could just check out there website. Are they in much demand right now for workers? How was 'life on the boat'? Any women, partying, etc? Or was it work, work, work? I have done a little bartending not much. I always assumed that a cruise ship would only hire those "flare" bartenders that flip the bottles behind their backs and do all kind of fancy poures like Tom Cruise in cocktail.