Cruise Ship Crew Life

Picking which cruise line to work for might be the biggest decision (other than which job) that you have to make in your cruise ship career.

There are pros and cons to nearly every cruise line. From onboard different onboard perks to better itineraries to salary and time off.

Take a look as we take a deep dive into things to think about before working taking the job.

In this post we answer the most common questions about cruise ship crew life, what a crew members life at sea is like, and what it’s like to be crew on cruise ships.

Questions about ship life seem to be never ending. These questions dive into whether or not cruise ship crew pay taxes, where cruise ship crew sleep, and more. In this post we take a look at five new questions about cruises and crew life.

There are a lot of perks to being crew on a cruise ship. Cruise ship life for crew can be pretty great. In this post we take a deeper look at five perks of working onboard a cruise ship.

There are some things that I wish I knew before I worked onboard… when I asked my friends, I guess they did, too.

Take a look at 10 things to know before working on a cruise ship.

You’ve probably heard of the Cruise Director and the Captain – well, here are ten cruise ship jobs you probably didn’t know about.

If you’re joining a cruise ship most likely you’ll have to fly somewhere – it might be a few hours or it might be literally around the world. Wondering who pays for what? And what about those air miles? (Spoiler – you get to keep them!) Take a look as we dive into who pays for air travel and transportation costs getting to and from a ship.

One of the first steps in your journey to work onboard – aside from applying for the job – will be to secure the right visas. If you are on a ship heading to the United States this is a great place to get the basic knowledge of which visas cruise ship crew members need to work onboard.

Think that you’ll be ashore every time the ship is in port exploring the incredible places, lounging on the beach drinking margaritas? That’s now quite how it works. In this post we explore what shore leave and in-port manning is and how it impacts your life onboard.

So, you can’t go ashore every port, and you’ve got to work pretty much every day. But, how long do cruise ship crew members work? Is there a limit to how much you can work? Take a look at how many hours cruise ship crew can work to find out.

Working onboard a cruise ship might look like a vacation but it’s hard work, often working every day for months at a time. But do cruise ship crew really work every day? Or do cruise ship crew get days off?

Wondering when you’re working onboard a cruise ship if you can still get packages from Amazon? What about a care package from you great Aunt Suzie? How does it all work. Take a look.

You might be able to get snail mail while onboard a cruise ship, but sometimes the internet is so frustrating you’ll think it’s the dial up you used to have at your parents house on your family Compaq Presario.

One part of working on a cruise ship is how it affects your family. Bringing your kids onboard is one way of getting that family time… but only if your position allows it. In this post we answer, “can you work on a cruise ship with a child?”

Sailing around the world with your dearly beloved is a lovely idea. How often can that happen though? What do you need to do to make that happen?

It’s possible to work on a cruise ship as a couple and a happy crew makes for a happy cruise. It’s not simple though. Take a look at some of the challenges to be able to work on a cruise ship as a couple.

Wondering what to pack for your first cruise ship contract? Crew life at sea is unlike anything else. Take a look at this packing list with some of the more unusual things you might want to consider bringing onboard. There’s a lot to fit into your suitcase (and your cabin) but this will help you start things off right.

You’ve got your first assignment and you are so excited…but how does all of this work? How do you get to the ship for your cruise ship contract? So many questions! In this post we explore what it’s like getting to the ship.

Will you have to work on your first day onboard? What about paperwork? There are so many questions to answer about what your first day working onboard a cruise ship will be. This posts dives into a bit of what to expect as your first day as a cruise ship crew member and why you should get a good nights sleep the night before.

Think port days and sea days are equal? Which one is better? The answer actually depends on your job onboard. Cruise ship life at sea is very different between port days and sea days. Take a look as we dive into port days vs. sea days.

Another helpful packing list put together by a whole bunch of world travelers. Take a look at what experienced travelers take with them.

Wondering how do cruise ship crew get home from the ship? What do those last few days look like as a cruise ship crew member and what are some things that you need to get done before heading home. Take a look.

Can cruise ship crew date each other? Do cruise ship crew hook up? Are the rumors and gossip worse than high school? (Often, yes.) Find out all the gossip and drama that goes into cruise ship crew life.
In this post we look at whether or not cruise ship gossip really is that bad (it is) and what dating on a cruise ship is like.

First comes love, then comes… living together on a cruise ship. It’s not all romantic walks on the beach and drinking champagne. Take a look at what the next stage of romance at sea looks like in this post about living together on a cruise ship.

Some cruise ship relationships end in marriage… go figure. Take a look at some of the ups and downs that go along with navigating an often long distance, bi-continental, long term, ship relationship.

Wait, what’s a rank? Why does it matter? I have a rank? The rank system onboard a cruise ship is a huge part of life onboard. Crew on cruise ships have a rank and it impacts your life onboard – from where you can eat to what cabin you have, this post explains how cruise ship ranks work.

Trying to figure out who is who onboard? Maybe you’re trying to figure out who is actually even sort of maybe your boss? Take a look at this to help understand those cruise ship officer stripes.

Those officers walking around have a pretty good life… right? In this post we dive into some of the misconceptions about life as an officer onboard a cruise ship.

Full disclosure, my husband is an engineering officer so I am totally biased.

Ships sitting at anchor for months at a time. Sailing back and forth the Indian Ocean hoping a country will let crew go home. Cruise ship crew life has been interesting over the last year. Take a look at 100 days at sea, during the first 100 days of the cruise ship layup.

Thinking of going back to work? Sweet! (But, seriously, so happy for you!) A lot of places are having a hard time getting help – I don’t think cruise ships will though. Take a look at why.

Wondering why there were still cruise ship crew onboard ships during the layup? You’re not alone. Take a look at why there were still crew onboard even with no passengers.

Most cruise ship crew joining during the pandemic have had to or will have to quarantine. Here’s a look at some things to do to make quarantine the best it can be.