Working on a cruise ship is a grueling endurance test. Most crew members work 7 days a week for the entire duration of their contract, which typically lasts between 4 and 9 months (officers often have shorter 2–4 month contracts). There are no "weekends" or "days off" in the traditional sense; a crew member might get a few hours off while the ship is in port, but they are still technically "on call." On an average day, a worker in the dining or housekeeping department might clock 10 to 12 hours, often split into "shifts" (e.g., working breakfast, having 4 hours off, then working dinner). Once the contract ends, they receive a "vacation" period of 6 to 10 weeks at home—unpaid—before they sign a new contract and head back to sea. While the hours are long and the living quarters (cabins) are tiny and often shared, many workers stay for years because the lack of expenses (free food/rent) allows them to save significantly more than they could on land.