Working on a Cruise Ship

Friend of mine in college did back in the early 90's. She hated it. I forget which one she worked for but she said they treated their employees terribly. The ship she was on went to Grand Cayman and the BVI, and she said they were hardly let off the ship when it was in port and when they were let off they had to wear their uniform. She said the fun jobs are some of the travel companies/agencies that do those package cruise deals. You get to go on the cruise and all the excursions with the group and enjoy it rather than working the entire time.


ETA: She also the STD rate among cruise workers is through the roof.

there was a reddit ama on for cruise workers.

apparently all they do is work, party and screw each other.

sounds like an ideal situation.

Not really, but I am trying to find a way to spend the next 5 years in a constant state of travel and seeing the world.

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Not really, but I am trying to find a way to spend the next 5 years in a constant state of travel and seeing the world.

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somehow become a crew member on some yacht.

i took a cruise a few years back (coincidentally, the Triumph, the one that was stranded 2 weeks before it was indeed stranded )

i went to the gym and there was a guy on the crew doing Insanity. I had just finished it and said i'd do it with him and we worked out all week together.

he said it was mostly cool. they got off at each port and got to do a little sightseeing and beaching for free. he didn't like the song and dance part of it for customers. he was a cook and kinda resented the fact that it was a floating golden corral with a bunch of fatties eating non-stop. said you'd be surprised how few people say "thank you."

each trip depended on the roommate. he hated his current one because he was a slob, but liked most of them.

Yeah I guessed it could range anywhere from pretty awesome to pretty shitty per any given trip or ship.

Thought about it, never followed through.

Been on several cruises and talked to many crew members. It looks like terribly hard work for fairly low pay, but you have no expenses so you might make more than it seems. Expect 12 hour days 7 days a week for months though.

There was an American bartender on our last cruise. You rarely see Americans unless they are cruise director staff. I asked him why he signed up for it. He said he wanted to travel and see some of the world.
He was only in week three of a 9 month contract, so who knows how he feels now. He was having a blast though at that time.

That sounds pretty damn amazing.

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One of the best essays written by the most impressive contemporary American author, David Foster Wallace.

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That's debatable.