- I’ve worked on cruise ships for six years, so I’m familiar with how the crew lives on board.
- Staffers typically live with a roommate in tiny cabins that have bunk beds and small closets.
- We usually eat at our buffet and hang out after work at the crew bar.
Erica DePascle shares her experience as a crew member with Insider. Here’s an excerpt from that article.
She shares her adventures as a crew member:
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Tiny crew cabins
The cabins are sightless at about 120 square feet.
They are usually embellished with bunk beds including privacy curtains, a mini-fridge, a desk, a closet, and a T.V with a side table.
Although every cabin has its share bathroom, generally it’s very tiny to brush teeth, use the toilet, and shower simultaneously.
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Higher positions equal better cabins
Managers and officers’ cabins are furnished with a porthole and full-sized beds and an additional fold-down bed for guests.
They are privileged to receive housekeeping, while most of the crew members are deprived of it.
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Roommates
Division assigns roommates but moving in with a friend is possible.
The bottom bunk is highly treasured among the crew members.
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Neighborhoods within cabins
There are crew cabins on several floors, from deck 00 — below sea level — to deck three, though the captain and bridge officers typically live adjacent to the bridge higher up.
The main crew corridor that runs up and down the entire ship is nicknamed the I-95, after the popular American highway. It’s always busy with foot traffic and tons of trolleys and carts, so one has to be attentive while walking through it.
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Sorting trash and doing laundry
All of the ship’s trash winds up in the incinerator room, but there are a lot of categories to sort the garbage into.
Although housekeepers sort guest garbage, the crew is responsible for separating their trash into the correct bins.
On larger ships, there are multiple crew laundry areas, which resemble laundromats.
But uniforms can be dry cleaned at the formal laundry area for free.
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Crew activities
After work, most of the staff hangs out at the crew bar, which is usually a covered outdoor area with a functioning bar and dance floor.
Events like bingo, karaoke, all-crew parties, and trivia happen almost daily.
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Buffet for the crew
The crew mess is a buffet with set times for meals at different points throughout the day.
It typically features more international foods, than the guest buffet representing hundreds of staffers from around the world.
The mess offers special themes, like crepes with the captain or barbecue day, as well as late-night options like pizza and lasagna.
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Hangouts
Most ships have a crew café where they can order coffee and juice.
There are usually also computer, training, and game rooms.
The game rooms are fitted with video-game consoles and popular arcade picks like foosball, air hockey, pool, and darts.
There’s also a dedicated front or back deck for the staff to enjoy the sunshine on lounge chairs. Some companies even offer a crew pool.
They also have a human-resources center for discussing needs regarding cabins, payroll, contracts, or crew life.
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Source: Insider
