Do cruise workers get a day off?

There are no holiday entitlements, but crew members can choose when they take the six- to eight-week break that automatically comes with longer contracts.



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After each contract you will receive approximately 60 days of vacation before your next assignment. Your daily work schedule while onboard will depend on your particular position, but you can expect to work seven days a week and anywhere between 10-13 hours per day.

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You'd think cruise ships would hire a few extra people so crew members can take a few days off, but that's just not the way it works. Cruise ships won't hire more crew than they absolutely need, and here's why. First, it keeps costs down. Each crew member represents another salary, more food, and administrative costs.

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Your daily work schedule while onboard will depend on your particular position, but you can expect to work seven days a week and anywhere between 10-13 hours per day.

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Full-time contracts are usually 6 months in duration. At the end you will have a break of around 6-8 weeks before returning to ship. Full-time staff are generally expected to work on ship for more than one contract so if you want to do a one off cruise, a seasonal contract may be more suitable.

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While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $102,500 and as low as $14,500, the majority of Cruise Ship Worker salaries currently range between $30,000 (25th percentile) to $58,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $90,000 annually across the United States.

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There is an enormous amount of pressure that crew members deal with every single day at sea. It is essential to maintain sanity and a clear mindset when working on cruise ships, regardless of the daily difficulties and high-stress levels that life on board the ship inevitably brings.

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Upon successful completion of their training, crew members are offered a contract, typically ranging from two to nine months. There are no holiday entitlements, but crew members can choose when they take the six- to eight-week break that automatically comes with longer contracts.

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The Cons of Working on Cruise Ships
  • There are no days off. On ships, weekends and holidays don't exist. ...
  • You work long hours. ...
  • Contracts are 4-9 months long. ...
  • You're on call 24/7. ...
  • Small living quarters. ...
  • No privacy. ...
  • It's like college all over again. ...
  • The food is not the same for crew and guests.


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On ships, you live where you work. Unlike life on land, there is no rent to be paid or monthly utility bills that need to be taken care of. All basic living expenses are covered at sea for crew members: accommodation, water, electricity, and food.

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Cruise ship crew life can be intense: long hours, no days off for months, lots of rules, demanding guests, small living quarters and little to no privacy. But working on ships also allows you to travel to places some only dream of while making some amazing connections with fellow seafarers from all over the world.

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Among many difficult jobs on cruise ships, handpicking the toughest one is tricky. Still, one job will stand out in terms of horrific working conditions and cruel working hours-the galley steward.

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It comes as no surprise that the ship's captain has the biggest salary from working on a cruise ship. The master of the vessel has a huge responsibility for ship safety for crew and passengers along with navigation. The captain can earn almost $100,000 manually depending on the cruise line and experience.

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Can I bring a family member or friend onboard? Crew members who meet specific length-of-service criteria have the option of requesting relatives travel, a benefit that allows family members to sail onboard for a limited period of time. Some restrictions may apply.

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Retail and Guest Services Jobs Retail and guest services offer some of the best jobs on cruise ships without experience. This is because you get to interact with guests every day, helping them with their needs and solving problems.

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Cruise job contracts can be as short as 1 month long, but only in cases when seasonal staff are needed, for example, when school kids are on vacation, meaning a larger than normal amount of children will be onboard for a few sailings and children's facilities will need extra people.

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Local Port Restaurants So when the crew does get a chance for some free time one of the first things they will do is get off the ship when it's in port and go and eat some real life food in one of the local restaurants. Usually, the crew will go in groups if they have time.

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Cruise ship workers are not supposed to hook up with passengers, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It is rare though – most crew follow the rules because they know they'll lose their job if they're caught. You won't be surprised to hear that cruise lines ban crew from having sex with passengers.

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Cruise ship workers may receive additional benefits, including room and board, medical care and meals. This may reduce living expenses while you're working on board a scheduled cruise.

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Do all cruise crew members receive tips? As mentioned above, not all members of the ship staff receive a share of the gratuities paid by passengers. Bartenders, main show entertainers and third-party shop employees are some of the more obvious ones, but they're not the only ones.

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How much does a Cruise Ship Worker make? As of Aug 24, 2023, the average annual pay for a Cruise Ship Worker in the United States is $49,005 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $23.56 an hour.

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Most cruise ship workers work long hours—eight- to 14-hour days, seven days a week are not uncommon. Many employees spend a number of weeks, usually five or more, working at sea, followed by an extended leave ashore. Being a people person is important in this industry. Cruise ship workers not only are expe...

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