How often do cruise ship workers get days off?

During those cruises, we worked about eight to nine hours a day. But once the normal cruises began, we worked between nine and 11 ½ hours a day, depending on staffing levels. On a cruise ship, most crew don't get any days off. It's continuous work seven days a week.



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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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Crew Off Hours Onboard a Cruise Ship Additionally, special events are routinely scheduled for crew to enjoy their time onboard. There are crew parties, BBQs, bingos, talent shows, and movie nights. Officers can enjoy additional facilities of the ship such as the pool deck, spa, gym, restaurants and bars.

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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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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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What will happen is the cruise line will fly you home, but will deduct from your wages what you owe, Jim Walker, a Miami-based maritime lawyer who represents cruise workers and passengers, told Insider. So it's a very punitive type of step if you try to quit and go home.

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Crew members are responsible for any taxes due to their country of origin. Only United States citizens or employees that reside in the USA will have US federal taxes deducted from their pay. Depending on your employment contract and the country where you are a citizen will determine how you are paid onboard also.

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$3 an hour is pretty jaw-droppingly low, especially considering how intense working and living aboard a cruise ship can be. This pay rate is less than half of the American federal minimum wage of $7.25, an amount many people agree is too small to begin with.

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For those with a degree in hospitality, among the highest-paying cruise ship jobs are executive chef, cruise director, chief purser, hotel director, and human resources manager. While the positions of captain and safety officer pay more, they require graduation from an accredited maritime training institution.

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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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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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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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In short, it depends on the cruise line. We recruit seasonal staff to work anywhere from 2-weeks to 4-months. Seasonal contracts are a great way to see if ship life is for you!

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A particularly large number of employees come from developing countries in Asia and South America. People from the Philippines account for almost 30% of all employees in the global shipping industry.

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But despite the boom the charity says conditions for many workers on cruise vessels remain reminiscent of a slave galley. Staff are often tied to contracts stretching six to eight months. They sleep in cramped, noisy cabins. And in comparison to the passengers, their food is poor - usually eaten in a crew canteen.

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Despite the difficulty of working on cruise ships, and overseas, many Filipinos still choose this way of life as it offers a highly competitive salary, aside from unique benefits. “The pros would be the salary, of course.

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Carnival offers comprehensive benefits including health and wellness, paid time off, financial benefits, and employee perks based on your position at Carnival. The top perks of working at Carnival include free company cruises along with discounts to better understand the business.

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Why do so few Americans work on cruise ships? Most Americans won't work for the amount of hours necessary, and the pay scale, as waiters/stewards, etc. Ships are registered in foreign countries, so don't have to adhere to USA labor standards.

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Cruise Meeting Tax Deductibility A company can take employees, independent contractors or customers on a cruise and can tax deduct the related expenses as a normal cost of doing business, but the participants must shoulder the tax burden for the fair market value of cruise benefits received.

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