The primary reason cruise employees are rarely American is due to international maritime law and labor costs. Most major cruise lines (like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian) register their ships in "flag of convenience" countries such as the Bahamas, Panama, or Bermuda. This allows them to follow the labor laws of those nations rather than the United States. If a ship were registered in the U.S., the company would have to pay U.S. federal minimum wage, provide American-style benefits, and follow strict overtime laws, which would dramatically increase ticket prices. By hiring internationally, cruise lines can recruit workers from countries with lower costs of living (like the Philippines, India, or Indonesia) where the wages provided on a ship are considered highly competitive and allow workers to send significant remittances home. Additionally, American workers are often less willing to accept the grueling schedule of a cruise ship, which typically involves working 10 to 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for six to nine months without a day off. The only major exception is the Pride of America, which stays within Hawaiian waters and is required by the Jones Act to have a primarily American crew.