Why are most cruise ship workers foreign?

Well, the major factor is that cruise lines do not have to abide by United States labor laws for their foreign flagged ships that also sail to international ports of call. This means that the cruise lines are free to hire people from just about any country in the world.



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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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When your cruise ship arrives at its disembarkation port, local immigration officials need to clear the ship before anyone can disembark. Ships that terminate in U.S. ports may require passengers to fill out Customs forms and show their passports to border control in the cruise terminal.

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If you travel to the United States to meet and board the vessel you will work on, you need a transit (C-1) visa. (This is in addition to the crewmember (D) visa required to work on the vessel.)

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Although Royal Caribbean Cruises operates some of the largest cruise ships worldwide, the brand's main competitor Carnival Corporation remains the leading global cruise company based on revenue.

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A majority of cruise ship lines offer their employees free food throughout the duration of their contracts. There's typically a special kitchen on the boat that prepares food for staff members. Employees may eat in separate dining areas, depending on their classifications.

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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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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 salaries of Cruise Ship Captains in the US range from $18,053 to $476,518 , with a median salary of $86,503 . The middle 57% of Cruise Ship Captains makes between $86,503 and $216,093, with the top 86% making $476,518.

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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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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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The salary range for a Cruise Waiter job is from $26,240 to $34,205 per year in the United States. Click on the filter to check out Cruise Waiter job salaries by hourly, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, and yearly.

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On average, a healthy, well-built cruise ship can last for around 30 years, including regular services and design refreshes. But some cruise ships last for much longer. We take a look a the oldest cruise ships still sailing the seas and chart some of the different stages in their lifespan.

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Over the past 100 years since the RMS Titanic sank in 1912, only 18 cruise ships and some ocean liners have been publicly known to have sunk. And, over the past 50 years, only four cruise ships have sunk while navigating on a cruise.

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Carnival Corporation & plc/Carnival UK is the world's largest cruise company and operates over 100 ships across 9 cruise lines (Carnival Cruise, Holland America, Princess, Seabourn, P&O Australia, P&O, Cunard, Costa Cruises and Aida (mainly German market).

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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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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. Additionally, they work longer hours, which means more income if your wage is hourly.

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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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