- Cruise ship jobs have a number of exclusive and distinctive features that separate them from land-based jobs.
- An interview with 39 current and former cruise line employees described what it’s like to live and work on a cruise ship.
- The employees described about long hours, bad food, and an intense hookup culture.
Business Insider spoke with 39 current and former cruise line employees who described what it’s like to live and work on a cruise ship.
Life on a Cruise ship
Cruise ship jobs have a number of distinctive features that separate them from land-based jobs, the biggest one being the fact that cruise ship employees live where they work.
That can have advantages, like short “commutes” and close bonds with co-workers, but it also presents potential downsides, like poor food quality and a sometimes excessive party culture.
Big party culture – Not all fun
Cruise ships have a reputation for fostering a party culture among employees fueled by long hours and cheap drinks available at crew-only bars.
But social drinking can turn into self-medication, according to Brian David Bruns.
Bruns worked as a waiter for Carnival Cruise Lines for 13 months between 2003 and 2004 and wrote a book, “Cruise Confidential,” about the experience.
Bruns told that the stress and loneliness of working on a cruise ship made alcohol an attractive coping mechanism. During his time as a waiter, an outside observer would likely have determined that he developed a drinking problem.
Bad cuisine
Cruise ship workers with lower-paying jobs, like bartenders and waiters, are dependent on the crew cafeteria.
There, according to five current or former cruise ship employees, the food leaves much to be desired. Some described their distaste for the food as a logistical issue.
Since many ships employ crew members are from around the world, the food served in the crew cafeteria can reflect that variety, making it difficult for some to find food similar to what they would eat at home on a consistent basis.
Others described food of poor quality, like chicken with a rubber-like texture or sauteed fish heads. “The food sucks,” a former employee for Norwegian Cruise Line and Holland America Line said.
Workers would keep tuna, granola bars, and other snack foods in their rooms or favor simple foods that require little preparation, like fruit, cereal, and sandwiches, she said.
However, two former cruise ship employees said they enjoyed both the quality and variety of the food served to crew members.
Longer working hours
Rather than working traditional five-day weeks, cruise-ship employees often work seven days a week for the duration of their contracts, which can range from about two months to 11 months. Between four and eight months was the most common contract length cited by 31 current and former cruise-ship employees interviewed.
The hours can also be intense, from about eight to nearly 20 hours a day. The interviewed employees reported an average of about 12 hours.
A former waiter for Carnival Cruise Line who said he worked about 12 hours a day described his schedule as “crazy” and said it led to fatigue and stress. “We don’t get enough sleep,” he said.
Casual sex among the crew members
Among the many distinctive features of a cruise ship job is the fact that you live with your co-workers. That can result in unusually close bonds among employees and an unusual amount of sex between them.
“There’s a lot of sex on cruise ships,” said a former casino manager for Holland America Line. The hookup culture is similar to that of a college dorm. But the permissive sexual culture on cruise ships can also lead to aggressive or inappropriate behavior.
A former Royal Caribbean Cruises employee who now works for Carnival said one of her managers on Royal Caribbean would make comments about her sexual orientation and criticize her for never changing her hairstyle. But, Royal Caribbean did not respond to a request for comment.
Bustling romance between employees
Romantic relationships among employees develop and end much faster than on land, which, along with frequent turnover, can make long-term relationships difficult.
“One month on a ship is maybe like two years on land, because you spend so much time with these people,” said Taylor Sokol, a former cruise director for Holland America.
But the close proximity between employees can make it difficult to maintain a healthy amount of space from a romantic partner, Sokol said. “It’s kind of hard to give someone their space when you live maybe 10 feet away from them.”
Passengers and Crew members
Current and former employees had largely positive things to say about passengers, characterizing the vast majority of them as pleasant and respectful.
But some employees described frustrating tendencies they’ve noticed in passengers, like being too rowdy, asking annoying questions, and talking too much.
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Source: Business Insider
