‘All Aboard’: Motivating Service Employees on Cruise Ships (2023)

FAQs

What motivates you to work in cruise ship? ›

In a cruise context, previous studies generally utilized such motivation dimensions as self-esteem and social recognition; escape and relaxation; learning, discovery, and thrill; and bonding in order to comprehend passengers' motivations for travel (e.g. Hung & Petrick, 2011.

Many have complained about inadequate pay and long hours with little chance for change. Contracts can require workers to put in more than 70 hours a week and go without any days off for six to eight months. Due to the nature of cruise ships, workers are often exploited and unfairly compensated without much recourse.

So many cruise ship crew members — especially the younger, unmarried service staff — blow off steam the way 20-somethings away from home for the first time typically do: by partying and hooking up with each other like it's the end of the world. “Think about when you went to college for the first time,” says Bruns.

Doing their work well is what they do. Benefit: They're the hardest working employees you'll ever have. Cruise ship crew are some of the best workers you could hope to employ. Their skill-set, resilience, and overall attitude will make them a great addition to any team.

You'll Gain Transferable Experience and Skills

Working on a cruise ship is a great way to gain experience and skills that you can use in any career. Whether you're looking to move up within the cruise industry or start a new career altogether, you'll be able to add your time at sea to your CV.

Answer: The basic travel motivators are the physical motivators, cultural motivators, interpersonal motivators and the status and prestige motivators.

The authors found relaxation, enhancing kinship relationships or friendships, and convenience, were the major motivations for taking a cruise.

The table shows that there are four main motives which arise whatever the travel experience; Novelty Seeking, Escapism/Relaxation, Relationships and Self Development.

9. There's strict rules to prevent crew members from fraternizing with passengers. "I worked on cruise ships for 3 years and have had three friends sent home over this. Essentially you get busted, you have a Masters Hearing and you're sent home at the next port (on your dime).

What is the average age of cruise ship employees? ›

The most common age range of American Cruise Lines employees is 20-30 years. 56% of American Cruise Lines employees are between the ages of 20-30 years.

Sadly, all marine wildlife is harmed by cruise ships. They not only pollute the air and water with toxic chemicals and waste, but they also add noise pollution. The oceans are getting louder and marine animals cannot escape it.

Some cruise lines do understand that the salt sea air and ocean waves can lead to romantic encounters. Royal Caribbean and MSC passengers do have access to condoms, pregnancy kits and lubrication, while P&O, Cunard and Princess have the morning after pill.

People that work at hotels get days off – so why don't people on a ship? That mostly comes down to cabin space. Cabin space is at a premium. If crew were to have days off you would still need other crew to cover those responsibilities – this means more crew onboard taking up more cabin space.

Average Carnival Cruise Lines Waiter salary in India is ₹ 2.0 Lakhs for experience between 3 years to 14 years. Waiter salary at Carnival Cruise Lines India ranges between ₹ 0.7 Lakhs to ₹ 4.3 Lakhs. According to our estimates it is 33% less than the average Waiter Salary in Sports & Recreation Companies.

You want to be as close to the pivot point as possible to feel the least movement. Avoid cabins near the front (bow) or back (stern) and on decks higher than the middle deck of the ship. So, on a ship with fourteen passenger decks, your best options are below deck seven.

When you forego tipping on your cruise, you aren't hurting the corporation. You're just lowering the pool of funds that hard-working service employees share at the end of the journey. Automatically added gratuities take the confusion out of tipping on your cruise.

What are the essential characteristics of a cruise line worker? ›

The Seven Motivators

These 7 motivators are: Aesthetic, Economic, Individualistic, Political, Altruistic, Regulatory, Theoretical.

One of the best known theories of travel motives, after Maslow's, was proposed originally by Dan (1977) who suggested a two-tiered scheme of motivational factors: the 'push' and the 'pull' (Brown, 2005). The push factors social-psychological motives that drive the desire to travel[Rewrite to improve clarity].

Accommodation, Accessibility, Activities, Amenities, and Attractions.

Pleasure : It is perhaps the most important motivation and it is the individuals desire and need for pure pleasure which is very strong. He likes to travel fun, excitement and good time. And this is being utilised by travel agents and tour operators. 3.

Pretty much all of the motivating factors out there can be distilled into six core types: incentive, achievement, social acceptance, fear, power, and growth.

Passengers and crew aren't allowed to date. And cruise employees aren't allowed to hook up with passengers. Sorry, Doc from The Love Boat, you would have been fired many, many times. Seriously, this is not worth getting fired over.

Cruise-ship crews are known for partying after work, and let me tell you, we (sometimes) live up to that standard. There are very strict alcohol policies for the staff, but the crew-bar drinks are cheap and the parties are so much fun, so learning a level of self-control is crucial.

How many hours a day do cruise ship workers work? ›

Your daily work schedule while onboard will depend on your particular position, but you can expect to work seven days a week and anywhere between 10-13 hours per day.

Never fear: If you're looking for a cruise, you'll find many deals available for the senior crowd, which cruise lines often consider to be those who are 55 years and older.

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.

Certain cruise lines have special programs for retirees. Oceania Cruises offer “around the world in 180 day” cruises for around $41,600 per person and their cruises for 2023 were sold out in a single day. The average cost of retirement facilities ranges from $3,500 to $10,500 a month, with an average of around $3,700.

Yes, cruise ships have brigs, which is the nautical term for a jail on a vessel, including a cruise ship. The term comes from the word "brigantine," which is a type of two-masted sailing ship formerly used to house criminals.

The researchers sifted through necropsy results, eyewitness reports, and other anecdotal data from around the world and found that ships and smaller craft hit at least 75 species—including dolphins, sharks, sea otters, seals, penguins and sea turtles.

In reality, it's very lonely to be an employee on a cruise ship. Even though you're surrounded by thousands of guest and coworkers, Bruns shares that it can still be an isolating experience. It gets worse as Bruns calls his time working aboard the Carnival cruise ship as the loneliest he's ever felt in his entire life.

Human trafficking may also occur in cruising, and cruise ship crime is common. Ship workers, who are notoriously paid low wages, are even paid off by people who can withhold their pay or pay workers less than they expect to receive in order to force them to commit crimes.

Major cruise lines have sophisticated security departments run by former federal, state and military law enforcement officials and are staffed by competent, qualified security personnel.

The big white balls on top of cruise ships are Radomes. A Radome is made up of two parts, a Radar and a Dome, hence the name Ra-dome. The dome covers the radar equipment protecting it from the weather and hiding it from guests. A radome can also include satelitte equipment.

Is working on a cruise ship worth it? ›

On cruise lines, the answer is: A LOT! The pay on cruise ships is actually one of its best benefits. You might think you could be earning around the same amount in a similar job on land, but as all of your needs for your life at sea are catered to by the cruise line, there are next to no expenses for you.

Overtime pay does exist on cruise ships depending on the contract. It could be given based on working over a certain number of hours in a day (e.g. 10) or in a week (e.g. 70). The amount that overtime pay is depends greatly on the job and base wage of that crew members position.

Average American Cruise Lines Housekeeper weekly pay in the United States is approximately $834, which is 49% above the national average.

Do cruise ship employees get free food? 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.

The Carnival website states: “100 per cent of your gratuities are distributed to the crew who you interact with, such as your stateroom attendants, dining, bar and culinary services staff, as well as others who work behind the scenes to enhance your overall cruise experience.”

Carnival offers many opportunities such as traveling to exotic locations, building meaningful friendships with diverse colleagues, and gaining valuable professional skills in a world-class environment. Carnival is rated number five in best employee pay two years in a row.

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 example, you might explain that you are particularly motivated, or that you are known for going above and beyond for your employers. A second way to answer is to emphasize your unique skills. If you have skills that make you a strong candidate (especially if not many people have those skills), mention these.

Your skills and qualifications. If you can prove that you've got all the skills that the company is looking for in a candidate, you'll have effectively answered the question. Your passion and motivation. You can highlight how good of a company fit you'd be and how much you love working in your field or industry.

What is your biggest strength? ›

FAQ on Cruise Staff Salary

A cruise ship crew member for Carnival, Royal Caribbean, or Norwegian Cruise Line can earn an annual average between $16,000 to $20,000. For leadership staff onboard cruise ships, the annual salary can be much higher from $30,000 to $100,000.

Cruise ship workers provide services to passengers on cruise ships. Besides assisting in the operation of the ship, they may serve food and drinks, maintain cabins and public areas, lead shipboard activities, and provide entertainment.

On cruise lines, the answer is: A LOT! The pay on cruise ships is actually one of its best benefits. You might think you could be earning around the same amount in a similar job on land, but as all of your needs for your life at sea are catered to by the cruise line, there are next to no expenses for you.