Five Perks of Working on a Cruise Ship – From a Former Crewmember

There are a lot of perks of working on a cruise ship. Here we take a look at the top five.

You see pictures of crew members partying, exploring the world, hanging out on a beach, and helicoptering onto glaciers. That can’t possibly be reality. Can it? As a former crew member that has done all of those things – sometimes that is what life is like living and working on a cruise ship. I even met my husband onboard and now get to sail with him with our baby while he works. Talk about a perk!

The Perks of Working on a Cruise Ship

#5 – It’s a Helluva Lot of Fun

Cruise ship crew are some of the most fun people you will find. They’re obviously up for an adventure – they’re working on a cruise ship! At first the crew life can seem a bit intimidating because when you walk in the crew bar at the end of the day people might seem like they all have known each other for years.

Here’s a secret though – some of those people that seem like besties have probably only known each other for a week or two. Cruise ship time is all fast-forwarded. When you live together, dine together, work together, and party together, a week feels like a month and a month feels like a year.

Friendships are formed (and sometimes lost) very quickly. The lifestyle on a ship might not be for everyone, but if you find it fun, the lifestyle can be a huge benefit of working on a cruise ship.

Now, will everyone want to be your friend? No, and that’s okay. Are there cliques and gossip and drama? Oh, absolutely. (Like a LOT of gossip and drama.) But, there are also fun random parties and people that will genuinely become your friends for life. Some of my best friends are from my years working onboard a ship.

Full disclosure though – while it can be a lot of fun, there are times that it can be isolating, and some of the friendships are transient and some aren’t very deep. But, just like in anything in life, you will find out who your real friends are and who is just a “’til gangway do we part” kind of friendship. (That phrase is also used to talk about ship relationships which you can read more about here). But, it is what you make of it.

#4 – The Work Experience

The work experience on a ship is…different. It’s typically pretty fast paced and things can change very quickly. There is a lot of thinking on your feet that needs to happen. There is also, depending on which department you find yourself in, some opportunities – the right place, right time – kind of opportunities to get promoted relatively young into management positions.

Another great aspect of the work experience onboard a cruise ship is getting out of your comfort zone. On a ship flexibility is key and the end product for the passengers is paramount.

It could be that you aren’t great at one on one conversations with people but you’re asked to host a table in the dining room. Or, maybe you don’t like to be out in front of people and you find yourself on stage as part of the farewell show. Perhaps you’ve never done much with getting dressed up and it’s formal night, or maybe you like to dress pretty subdued and you find out that your uniform for the day is a bright pink flamingo top!

A cruise ship has a way of giving you a very broad set of experiences that get you out of your comfort zone.

#3 – Work With People From Around the World

On most cruise ships there will be people from 40-70 countries represented in the crew (sometimes even more than that). While there are more of some nationalities than others, the large mix of crew from around the world creates a unique work and life experience.

This is a huge benefit of working on a cruise ship because of how much it teaches you about different cultures. Visiting a country is one thing, but actually working with people from different countries gives you another perspective.

You have to adapt, communicate, and be flexible and understanding. People will have different senses of humor, different ways of expressing things, and often people are communicating using their second or third languages. Crew practice different religions and have different cultural beliefs, yet while working onboard, as cheesy as it sounds you’re all on the same team. (Some days it doesn’t feel that way but overall you are!)

That doesn’t mean there aren’t moments of frustration or times when you didn’t even realize that there was a communication issue and there is, for instance: something as simple as telling the time can mean different things in different languages and translations to English. For instance, half eight to some would mean 7:30 (as in half way to eight), where in others it means 8:30, and to more still they would look at you and say, “do you mean half past eight?”.

Working with people from around the world is among the biggest perks of working on a cruise ship and is an incredible experience that really makes you a more empathetic, understanding, and a more in-tune and better communicator.

Wondering more about crew life? Take a look at our page on Cruise Ship Crew Life for information on everything from dating to visas and getting mail.

#2 – Save Money

There are a million opportunities to spend money while on the ship and there are a million and one opportunities to save money. One of the great perks of working on a cruise ship – if you can keep the spending at bay – is the opportunity to save money while onboard.

While onboard the ship basic necessities are provided for you:

• Food
• Drinks (coffee, tea, juice, water – although crew often buy bottled water)
• Electricity**
• Heating/air conditioning**
• Accomodation**

**While these things are provided for you onboard the ship crew members will often times have a house or apartment at home on land. Usually there are still some costs associated with maintaining these homes even while onboard the ship; however, there will certainly be savings on things like electricity and heat when you aren’t home.

And, if you are able to live with parents or friends or sublet your apartment or rent out your house while you are out of town – most cruise ship employees are on a ship for at least 8 months a year – then you can either save basically all of the money you earn onboard or use it to pay down debt!

You Can Save a Lot of Money Working Onboard…but it Can Be Hard to Manage Your Money

Most Positions on Cruise Ships Only Get Paid The Days They’re Onboard

It’s important to remember that most positions onboard a cruise ship only pay you for days that you are actually onboard the ship. So, while having two months of vacation might sound like a great time, if you don’t have a part time job at home to go back to that will likely be two months without a paycheck.

This isn’t for all positions. Some jobs onboard will have contracts set up where they get paid a salary of a certain amount each year and it’s paid out each month. However, that same job for a person from a different country might have their contract set up where they’re only paid for the days onboard. There are a lot of different contract types that can exist to line up with national laws of the country that the crew is from as well as any unions that exist to represent them.

Cruise Lines Typically Pay You Once a Month

Does it sound like fun to get all of your pay direct deposited into your account once a month? When the money first goes in it is great, but it definitely requires you to intelligently budget your money. This can certainly be a challenge for some to manage.

The Best Contracts to Save Money have a Lot of Sea Days

Going to incredible places around the world is great – but it can also be super expensive. Want to save money while onboard a cruise ship? Find a contract with a lot of sea days. Why’s that? When you go ashore all of those “YOLO” and Live Your Best Life moments often come with a price tag:

• Shore excursions
  • Crew can sometimes be an “escort” on a passenger shore excursion. A great way to save money but you aren’t going with any of your friends.
  • There are sometimes crew tours offered at discounted rates for big places like the Great Wall of China or Petra
  • Paying for shore excursions out of pocket can get really expensive and basically destroy all your savings.
  • Living your best life is great and it’s wonderful to embrace experiences when you can, but try to be smart about it.
• Drinks/Dining
  • It can be tempting to get another bottle of wine or to stop and eat gelato on every corner. It gets more and more tempting to get food ashore as your contract goes on and you are just a little sick of the food onboard. Plus, who doesn’t love trying out the local cuisine? It’s all well and good, but eating out every port when you’re ashore can really add up and basically get rid of any savings that you had from having food provided for you onboard.
• Shopping
  • While you still have to find a place to store it in your cabin and get it home, it is so tempting as you walk through villages with local artisans or just see something super cool from the other side of the world to buy it. But, then the next day you see something really cool, too. And, then two days after that.

Want to see how much my husband and I save each year by way of cruise ships? Take a look at this break down of cost savings from living onboard a ship.

#1 Perk of Working on a Cruise Ship: The Travel

The Travel Can Be Pretty Incredible:

There is nothing like getting your contract assignment, looking up the itinerary and knowing you will get to go to all of those places, and instead of paying to go there you are going to get paid. By far the biggest benefit of working on a cruise ship is the ability to travel and get paid to do it. There is a thrill of going to the airport about to board a flight to Rome or Maui or Hong Kong or New Zealand and knowing what an adventure you are going to have.

It’s not uncommon for there to be crew that have been to 100+ countries and every continent. If you’ve dreamed of visiting places like Bora Bora, Hawaii, Alaska, or spending your summer in Europe and couldn’t figure out how you could ever afford it – working on a cruise ship could be a great option for you.

Lots of Travel = Exposure to Lots of Languages

The other day I was sitting in a Greek restaurant and thought for a second and then remembered how to say, “thank you” and “have a good night”. I might not speak Greek or Spanish or French of Dutch but after sailing to countries around the world you learn some basic niceties in a whole bunch of different languages.

When you visit another country or spend a bit of time there it’s pretty normal to learn the basics like “hello”, “please”, “thank you”, “where is the bathroom”, or the all important “one more beer, please”. It’s a small nicety that most people appreciate when you visit their country, it can also be quite helpful to be able to find the bathroom/W.C./toilet.

The number of languages that I know a smattering of basic words is quite a lot and it’s a fun part of traveling around the world and definitely a perk of working on a cruise ship.

How Good The Travel Is Has To Do with the Cruise Line:

While the travel is a huge perk of working on a cruise ship, not all cruise lines offer the same amount of travel.

Some cruise lines travel to all seven continents, others only go to a few specific regions. How much travel you can expect largely depends on the cruise line. If the travel is the most important part for you, find a cruise line that sails expedition voyages or long itineraries such as world cruises, continental circumnavigations, or at least has some variety between winter and summer seasons.

Sometimes The Itineraries Get Repetitive

Could you ever imagine that going to Alaska could get old? Or, that you would ever choose taking a nap over exploring Jamaica? While some contracts take you all around the world others will do the same 3, 4, or 7 day itineraries over and over again.

If your contract is 6 months long, a 7 day itinerary would mean you would repeat those ports and that cruise 26 times. It might be surprising but there is absolutely a point when taking a nap or doing laundry is a better choice than getting off the ship to explore.

The Best Itineraries Often Go to the Most Experienced Crew

Do you see World Cruises advertised and think how incredible it would be to work on one? You send your application in and you imagine yourself exploring Easter Island, seeing Komodo Dragons, and snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef – all in one contract. Contracts that include far-off places and incredible itineraries quite often go to more experienced crew.

This is not a hard and fast rule and you can find some new or less experienced crew on these itineraries so it’s not impossible if you’re just starting out. It’s also worth remembering that on cruise ships there is often a lot of turnover, so while “experienced” for one role might mean 10 years, for another could just be a couple years or even a few solid contracts with good appraisals.

Important thing to remember: As crew you are onboard to work so you do not get to go ashore in every port! Take a look at this post about In-Port Manning to find out more.

Is One of the Perks of Working on a Cruise Ship…Cruising?

Most cruise lines include some amount of cruise benefits for crew – either “free” or reduced cost cruising…as a passenger. However, the majority of these cruise benefits go unused by crew members. Can you believe that? The option for free or reduced cost cruise travel just being passed up?

These cruise benefit programs differ between different cruise lines. Some cruise lines you are booked onto the cruise line as normal guests, others it is more like being on stand-by, and others offer discounts to use.

While free or reduced cost cruising is one of the perks of working on a cruise ship, most of the time these cruise perks aren’t used for three main reasons:

• It’s challenging to sign up for or crew don’t even realize they’re eligible
• They don’t live close to a port and the transportation costs of getting to a cruise ship is just more than they can afford or want to spend
• They don’t want to cruise for their vacation. If they’re on a ship they will feel like it’s work – especially – if it’s a ship they’ve worked on or on a ship with their own cruise line. They already have nightmares about missing all-aboard times and they don’t want to deal with that while on vacation.

Honorable Mention: The Sunsets

Sunsets at sea are just spectacular and honestly, I don’t think they ever get old. Here’s a favorite from Alaska circa 2017.

There Are a Lot of Perks Of Working On a Cruise Ship

There are so many perks of working on a cruise ship. Like any life experience and like any job it is what you make of it. Some days onboard are really hard work and somedays you get to climb the Great Wall of China. It is an incredible opportunity to explore the world, meet people from new countries and get exposed to more cultures.

Think it all sounds too good to be true? Take a look at some of these misconceptions of officer perks onboard a cruise ship for another perspective.