United States to Asia by boat

My boyfriend and I are going to Asia in February/March. We'd like to get there by boat if possible. And we'd like it to be cheaper than flying. Working on a boat is not a problem, but we don't have any sailing experience. We live in Texas, but it would be easy for us to leave from San Francisco (Los Angeles would also work). We eventually want to get to Indonesia, but anywhere in that general area would be a good start and I'd like to visit the pacific islands anyway. Time is not an issue, as we're planning on traveling around for as long as our money lasts.

Anyone have any ideas? Is it possible to get a job on a cruise ship and then leave once you get to asia?

Thanks for your help.