How Much Do Cruise Ship Workers Make?

Table Of Content

• Royal Caribbean Blog is your ultimate source for Royal Caribbean coverage.
• Typical Crew Member’s Salaries (Earning Gratuities)
• “Median Employee” Earning Disclosure Required
• Medical/Health/Safety
• Revealed: The Most Expensive Carnival Cruise You Can Buy (And Cheapest, Too!)
• How much do cruise ship workers make and other crew member questions

Employee compensation on cruise ships is position-, experience-, and skill-specific, just like in any other business. A contract ranges anywhere from three to approximately eight months, depending on the position. Most senior management roles have 4-month contracts while most of the rest of the positions have 6-8 month contracts. In addition, cruise lines may offer discounts on cruises for family members of employees, which is a great way to enjoy the perks of working on a cruise ship while also spending quality time with loved ones. Carnival said many of its ship-based employees worked between six and 11 months each year, while Norwegian said six to 10 months was common for its ship-based employees. Many cruise-ship workers, particularly those in lower-paid positions, come from regions with lower median incomes than the United States, like the Caribbean, South America, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia.

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Despite incurring some additional expenses, cruise ship staff find that they can save more money than in many land-based jobs due to providing lodging and meals. Now that we’ve covered the salaries of cruise ship doctors and nurses, let’s move on to other jobs and services offered onboard. As with any job, there are pros and cons to working as a cruise ship medical professional. On the one hand, the opportunity to travel and work in a unique environment can be a major draw. On the other hand, the long hours and lack of access to certain amenities, such as free wifi, may not be for everyone.

Typical Crew Member’s Salaries (Earning Gratuities)

Cruise ship workers reveal their grueling schedules - Business Insider

Cruise ship workers reveal their grueling schedules.

Posted: Mon, 30 Dec 2019 08:00:00 GMT [source]

And if you’ve been a crew member on a ship for several years, the savings can become quite substantial. The average annual salary for an engineer is around thirty thousand USD, whereas the chief engineer may make up to eighty-five thousand USD a year. Cruise ship hotel managers make around fifty thousand USD annually, as well as any tips received by passengers.

“Median Employee” Earning Disclosure Required

It’s a competitive industry, with thousands of applicants vying for each position. From my research, the cruise director position seems to offer a decent salary with the potential for growth. As the head of the entertainment department, the cruise director is responsible for organizing and overseeing all onboard activities and events. As someone who loves to travel, I’ve always been curious about how much money cruise ship workers make.

Most cruise ship employees have long hours, but some of the workers with the longest workdays are cruise ship servers. Cruise ship captains can make anything between forty-four thousand to one-hundred-and-seventy-seven thousand U.S. dollars annually. The average salary for captains on cruise ships is ninety-six thousand USD.

It’s easy to assume that they earn a lot, given the luxurious nature of the industry. But as I delved deeper into the topic, I realized that the answer is not as straightforward as I thought. A cruise-ship employee's living costs can be much lower than those of a land-based worker, since they don't have to pay rent or buy food. But cruise-ship employees also have demanding and unconventional schedules that can lead them to work more hours than those with more traditional five-day, 40-hour-a-week schedules.

If this is your first time going to work on a cruise ship, you might be wondering what you need to pack for a cruise ship contract. There are some positions on the cruise ship where you can bring your child or family member with you. If you are a captain or a high-level officer that have this entitlement, you may be able to bring a family member with you. Another benefit of working on a cruise ship is being able to save most of your salary.

Revealed: The Most Expensive Carnival Cruise You Can Buy (And Cheapest, Too!)

Before gratuities, most cruise ship employees make between $10,000 and $15,000. At the top, depending on the size of the ship and years of experience, a cruise ship captain can make over $177,000 a year. During free time, cruise ship workers can participate in various activities such as visiting ports, watching shows, using the gym, or relaxing by the pool. Socializing opportunities include crew parties, bars, and organized events. The recruitment process for cruise ship employees involves rigorous screening, background checks, and interviews. Qualifications depend on the job, but most require previous experience and certification.

How much do cruise ship workers make and other crew member questions

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. Yes, you can work on a cruise ship for the summer but the only position that hires for the summer that I’m aware of is for seasonal youth staff. Cruise Lines hire not only during summer months but most major holiday breaks like spring break, Easter, Thanksgiving week, and Christmas season.

In addition to spa services, cruise ships also offer a variety of onboard activities. These can range from fitness classes to cooking demonstrations to art auctions. The cost of these activities is usually included in the price of the cruise, but some may have an additional fee. These salaries are also due to the job responsibilities that come with working on a cruise ship, such as preparing a variety of meals for thousands of guests each day.

The Hotel manager is in charge of the Hotel Division on a cruise ship, which includes Housekeeping, Entertainment, Food and Beverage, and the Purser’s Office. One of the 74 recommendations of the Healthy Sail Panel is "Crew should be placed in single-occupancy crew cabins whenever possible to minimize extended periods of close contact with other crew members." The most common scenario is two crew members will share a cabin together, although on some ships larger cabins can accommodate a third crew member. It’s important to do your research and negotiate based on your experience and the position you’re applying for in order to ensure fair compensation.

Living quarters vary depending on one’s job, but most crew members share small cabins with limited privacy. Work-life balance is a challenge due to long hours and being away from home for months. Additionally, good communication and public speaking skills are a must, as the cruise director often serves as the public face of the ship and is expected to interact with guests on a regular basis. Overall, the cruise director role offers a challenging and rewarding career path for those with a passion for entertainment and hospitality. To become a cruise director, one typically needs several years of experience in the entertainment industry, as well as strong leadership and organizational skills.

Just like any job on land, how much someone makes doing their job will vary depending on a person's experience, what their employer is willing to pay, where they live, and other factors. Yes, crew members receive free food for working onboard a ship, along with a cabin to sleep in (more on that later). I’ve always heard that employee benefits can make a huge difference in job satisfaction, and working on a cruise ship is no exception. Within this report are facts and figures about every aspect of the cruise line’s business… including what it pays employees. As a public company, Carnival is required to release periodic reports on its financial performance. This gives us a glimpse into everything from the value of its ships to exactly how much it pays its crew.

You will receive your full salary plus tips and commission, if you are on a tip or commission salary, at the end of every month. Once you pay all your fixed bills, depending on your salary and circumstances, you might have some money left. That money, let’s call net income, is the money that’s yours to spend any way you like it; be it at the movies, drinks, parties, travel, etc. That money, your true net income, is the money that you should compare against the salary offered to you by the cruise line.

One of the great perks of working on a cruise ship is a long vacation that you get to enjoy. When working on a cruise ship you are essentially a contractor for the cruise line, you’re not an employee. You will not get paid until you sign a new contract with the cruise line and only after the first 30 days of your new contract. Most cruise lines will provide you with the date of your next assignment before you leave your current ship, so you will know when you’ll be returning and to what ship you will be returning to. As part of your contract when you sign it, it states that you are to work seven days a week for approximately 70 hours a week, although you might not work all 70 hours. Keep in mind that some cruise lines may have different terms regarding working hours, depending on which position you will be working, so read your contract carefully.