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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There are no days offOn ships, weekends and holidays don't exist. You work every day of your entire contract and just have hours off between shifts each day. On land, you can go hard on a Friday night and have a couple of days to recover. On ships, you still have to get up and go to work the next day.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
For the most part couples working onboard together is encouraged by the cruise line. This is because happy crew members will likely be more loyal to a cruise line and stay with them longer.
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.
Ordinary seamanThe lowest ranking personnel in the deck department. An ordinary seaman (OS) generally helps out with work that able seamen do. Other tasks include standing lookout, and generally cleaning duties.
Retail and Guest Services JobsRetail 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.
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.