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I’ve had so many guests ask me if crew members get free Wi-Fi and the truth is that our internet packages actually tend to be more expensive than the guests’. This happened when I was in Bermuda and multiple female crew members were stopped at the port security checkpoint by staff who requested a pat-down and weird strip search. When I was a new hire, I don’t think I had time to get off the ship until the second week. Luckily, many crew cabins have bunked beds with curtains for each bed so you have your own personal coffin of solitude. The majority of crew members work anywhere from 9-11+ hours every day, the average amount being on the higher end of the spectrum. On land, you can go hard on a Friday night and have a couple of days to recover.
We have special privileges like our own cabins, bar, and mess hall
Higher ranking cruise ship employees live on the higher floors of the boat, while employees with less clout have to live on the bottom levels of the ship. He continues that you can’t even tell who your roommate is anymore when the curtain is closed in your bunk! Although cruise ship employees live together, that doesn’t exactly mean that they’re all on the same level. No wonder why so many employees quit before they finish their contracts!
6-8 week vacation in between contracts
Most are categorised as “Accommodation Crew” as a large percentage of the housekeeping team work cleaning guests’ cabins. Cruise ships carry thousands of people, so housekeepers are essential for ensuring the guests and crew stay healthy. The cleanliness of cruise ships is more important than ever, following the 2020 Coronavirus outbreak. One of the biggest benefits of being a cruise ship officer is that you get your own cabin and bathroom, while other crew members have to share bunk rooms with a roommate. Working on a cruise ship has also allowed me to meet people that I would have never met otherwise. I've never been to South America or Indonesia, but I've met so many people from those locations and have gained a better understanding of what their lives and culture are like.
Do Cruise Ship Employees Live on the Ship?
The crew of cruise ships work really hard, often for between ten to thirteen hours a day. The roles listed above are just a few of the many positions in housekeeping that are available on cruise ships. Whether you're a dishwasher, housekeeper, or an officer like me, you're doing hours and hours of labor, all for the benefit of the guests, with rarely any days off. I've worked in the oil field, on research vessels, and on small boats, but working on a cruise ship is the most difficult job I've ever had. The median average salary for a cruise ship worker is less than that of the average American, but more than the average salary of many other countries.
It can be hard to balance your life at sea with your life on land
You get to experience waking up to a different city every day and meeting a lot of interesting people along the way. Sommeliers and onboard booking agents may double as excursion hosts, while bartenders may also be asked to serve lunch in alternative dining venues. This varies widely between roles, but the rule of thumb is that the more senior a placement, the fewer months worked before a break.
I Quit My Job to Work on a Cruise Ship — What Surprised Me Most - Business Insider
I Quit My Job to Work on a Cruise Ship — What Surprised Me Most.
Posted: Sat, 15 May 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Laundry services for crew members are often free on cruise liners for their uniforms, including undergarments and socks. However, for personal clothing, there is a minimal charge for laundry services. Jobs posting on these cruise lines ranged from audio technicians and slot machine technicians on Virgin Voyages to a kayak guide on Silversea Expeditions. By starting directly with the cruise line’s website, you may get a feel for pay scales and benefits that can help you narrow your focus before you turn to agencies. The crew that you encounter on the cruise — such as the cabin stewards, dining staff and more — have jobs that are unlike what many of us have ever experienced.

Do Cruise Ship Workers Get Days Off?
But there were also many times in my three-year career at sea where it honestly felt like a living nightmare. When your ship stops at ports most crew members are allowed (and in most cases encouraged) to get off the ship and explore. Generally, crew members are allowed to be out in port until one hour prior to departure (of course, unless they are on duty). Guest entertainers – Comedians, magicians, ventriloquists and acrobats make upwards of $6,000 per month, depending on the popularity of the act. If people choose to tip extra in cash on top of the standard gratuities, then waiters can make more money. There is a possibility to join shore excursions with the guests if your work schedule allows it, and there are free slots on these tours.
Since the pandemic many cruise lines, like P&O, have reduced their cabin service and the rooms are only cleaned once, usually in the morning. You may see your room steward working in other parts of the ship in the evenings. If you’ve ever considered taking a cruise or are looking for a job on a cruise ship, you may have heard housekeeping mentioned. I wish that the companies would listen to crew members' concerns more and take them more seriously.

These are the cruise industry’s average salaries, which can vary among different cruise lines. It should be noted that all salaries are according to the national average as listed on PayScale, and are recorded in USD. As mentioned, there are additional benefits that workers receive over their salary. Free room and board, meals, and medical care allow individuals to save money while working.
As someone who loves to travel, I’ve always been curious about how much money cruise ship workers make. It’s easy to assume that they earn a lot, given the luxurious nature of the industry. But as I delved deeper into the topic, I realized that the answer is not as straightforward as I thought.
Additionally, the employee benefits that come with the job, such as free room and board, can be a major perk. So, let’s take a closer look at the earning potential and benefits of working on a cruise ship. Crew meals range from burger and fries to regional dishes from around the world. This is no secret to cruise ship companies, who actually allow married employees to work together on the exact same ship.
You may keep in touch with people from back home through e-mail, cellular phones, phone cards and mail. Mail goes to the company agents in various ports and is delivered to ships when they dock there and distributed on board. The internet offers many ways to stay connected with the world when you are away. Online banking, shopping and correspondence can keep your life up and running.
It’s important to remember that the annual salary figures don’t consider the number of hours worked. Crew members work long hours of up to 14 hours per day, seven days a week. Business Insider spoke with 35 current and former cruise-ship employees, who reported monthly earnings between $500 and $10,000. Some 40% said their monthly earnings were equal to or less than $2,000. Rather than getting full days off, crew members get large gaps in their schedule, but they work every day of their contract.
Gym use for crew members requires a minimal fee, but some liners provide a free-of-charge crew gym. The same applies to the use of a crew pool if your ship has one. Depending on your position, you may have a cabin all to yourself or share it with 1 or 2 other crew members. That means there is no set compensation list for every cruise line that shows what different positions make (at least publicly). Not only is the work hard, but the crew is also doing it far from home. You’ll notice that large portions of the crew are from places like the Philippines, India, and China, among many other countries.
"Crew members are very satisfied with their jobs and the opportunities for career advancement, which explains why employee retention rates in the cruise industry are upwards of 80%." According to Business Insider, a cruise ship crew member for Carnival, Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Line can earn an annual average between $16,000 to $20,000. For leadership staff on board cruise ships, the annual salary can be much higher from $30,000 to $100,000. As with any job, there are pros and cons to working as a cruise ship medical professional.
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