Working on a cruise line is a dream job for many, an opportunity to literally get paid to live on a cruise ship. However, your experience as a cruise line employee really differs from job to job, employer to employer.
Some of the best cruise lines to work for include Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line and MSC Cruises. Here’s what to expect if you decide to apply for a job with these lines, plus others.
In this Article:
The Best Cruise Lines to Work For
Just like your experience on a cruise will differ from cruise line to cruise line, so will your experience working as part of a cruise ship crew differ depending on the cruise line who employs you.
As you peruse these best cruise lines to work for, keep in mind factors such as the brand’s culture, average guests, standard ship size and frequent destinations, before you automatically send off your resume.
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International consistently operates the largest cruise ships at sea, with seemingly a newer, bigger and better ship rolled out among the cruise line’s fleet every year or so. Royal Caribbean also visits more than 300 destinations around the world.
So, if your aim is to work at a cruise line with big ships and big possibilities as to where you could travel, Royal Caribbean is one to keep on your radar.
Otherwise, though, you can expect a wealth of benefits as a Royal Caribbean employee. On-ship benefits include:
- Free unlimited WhatsApp text messaging while onboard
- Complimentary lodging, meals and beverages
- Discounts on cruises
- Access to personal and professional wellbeing counseling
- Access to onboard medical care
- Access to a gym
- Access to crew member social activities
Furthermore, you can get one-day visitors passes for family members and friends to visit you on the ship while in port. You also get access to organized tours while in port.
Royal Caribbean offers employees contracts ranging from four to eight months, and you live on the ship for the duration of that contract. Keep in mind that, during this four to eight months, you don’t have guaranteed days off (as is standard in the cruise industry).
Carnival Cruise Line
With the greatest number of ships out of every other cruise line, Carnival Cruise Line offers tons of variety for its on-board employees.
You might find yourself working on a smaller, more intimate and older ship, or you could wind up on a huge ship with tons of new, flashy amenities. That variety extends to Carnival Cruise Line’s destinations, with the potential to sail to more than 800 ports worldwide.
Carnival hires on-ship employees across six categories: marine and technical operations, hotel operations, specialty teams, entertainment, casino and medical. Your benefits will differ depending on your role, such as if you’re a bartender versus a lighting technician.
For example, Carnival’s entertainment employees enjoy benefits such as:
- Free room and board
- Paid flights to and from your home airport
- A retirement plan
- Medical and dental care
- Stock purchase options
- Career development opportunities
- Special rates on cruises, including a family and friends discount
While these benefits seem pretty generous, just keep in mind, though, that just like on any other cruise ship, you’ll be working long hours and will sign a multi-month contract, no matter your role.
Disney Cruise Line
While Disney Cruise Line may be small in comparison to these other cruise lines, for a Disney adult, there’s no better place to work. Disney cruise ships package all the magic of the brand into an experience at sea, and that magic extends to the cruise line’s employees.
Benefits for shipboard crew and cast members include:
- A company-matched retirement savings program
- Complimentary theme park admission for you and your family
- Medical coverage
Furthermore, employees sign contracts ranging from four to six months, and crew members share rooms with one or more roommates. Crew members also have their own deck, pool, gym and rec room, and enjoy special crew member social activities.
Do note that Disney is on the stricter side when it comes to crew member expectations. Behavior must meet certain Disney standards, to keep the experience consistent for all cruisers.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Previous shipboard employees give Norwegian Cruise Line a big thumbs up. Literally, one employee who works in housekeeping said, “What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I don’t have any stress…I love the ocean [and] cruising, the passengers and crew were amazing, we have great benefits: [four] free meals, uniforms, and crew cabin health, dental, and life insurance for us as well…and much more.” Other hospitality employees say much the same.
Crew members share guestrooms with other employees (though management-level employees get private rooms), and they have access to social spaces, shops, a medical clinic and gym.
That said, some employees admit you have to be realistic about what you’re getting into. Norwegian Cruise Line clarifies that crew members work seven-day work weeks, with 10+ combined hours per day, and contracts last from between four to nine months.
MSC Cruises
Another very large cruise line, MSC Cruises, consistently hires employees from all around the world.
Hired employees complete both pre-boarding and post-boarding training, for contracts lasting between five and seven months, followed by a two-month vacation. MSC Cruises employs a buddy system for its team members, helping them become acclimated to life and working on a ship.
Overall, MSC Cruises seems to be highly dedicated to ensuring that its employees have the resources they need to thrive within their roles.
Benefits include:
- Complimentary (shared) room and board
- Access to a crew gym
- Access to a crew bar
- Access to a crew pool
- Medical support
- Laundry service
- Free WhatsApp service on the ship
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises is a Royal Caribbean Group brand, so your experience working on a Celebrity Cruises ship may be similar to what your experience might be working on a Royal Caribbean ship, though with a few caveats.
Celebrity Cruises does not have the same number of ships nor the same number of destinations. Additionally, Celebrity Cruises is more of a higher-end brand, with an older clientele that reflects that.
Otherwise, you can expect the same on-ship benefits, which include:
- Free unlimited WhatsApp text messaging while onboard
- Complimentary lodging, meals and beverages
- Discounts on cruises
- Access to personal and professional wellbeing counseling
- Access to onboard medical care
- Access to a gym
- Access to crew member social activities
Contracts last for four to eight months and you’ll be assigned to a ship wherever you’re needed.
Virgin Voyages
A very new cruise line, Virgin Voyages has four ships in its fleet and they travel to just a handful of destinations in the Caribbean, Europe and North America. However, while this may be a deterrent to some potential employees, Virgin Voyages offers a very unique environment that may attract others.
Virgin Voyages ships are all adults-only (so more suited to on-ship employees who may not be too keen on kiddos). Additionally, the ships have more of a millennial vibe, so a younger set of cruisers than what you’d get on some other, adults-only ships that are more geared toward seniors (like Viking).
Do note, though, that since Virgin Voyages is a smaller cruise line with just four ships, not as many job listings are available through Virgin Voyages as what you might find with other cruise lines.
Additionally, there’s not very much readily available, public information regarding what benefits are available to Virgin Voyages employees, directly from the company.
However, employees report on forums such as Reddit that Virgin Voyages pays much better and treats its employees much better than many other cruise lines.
This is in part because Virgin Voyages is a tip-free cruise line, meaning the cruise line does not expect cruise guest tips to augment crew members’ incomes.
Is it Better to Work on a Luxury Cruise Line or a Budget Cruise Line?
Both working on a luxury cruise line and working on a budget cruise line can come with its own distinct perks.
On a luxury cruise line, you may be held to particularly high standards and go through more rigorous training than you might elsewhere, as passengers may be more discerning and demanding. You may also find better pay at a luxury cruise line, as well as find that passengers tip more generously.
Luxury cruise line ships may also be smaller and travel to more remote locales. Furthermore, if you want to get into luxury hospitality in general, then this type of experience may look good on your resume.
In contrast, a budget cruise line ship might be faster-paced and offer you more to do as a crew member, as well as opportunities to see more destinations.
Since budget-friendly cruise lines are larger, they also employ more individuals, so you may have an easier time getting a job on a budget-friendly cruise line, especially early on in your career.
What are the Hours Like on a Cruise Ship?
Because a cruise ship is always operating, cruise ship employees do not maintain standard business hours. Additionally, rather than getting certain days of the week off, employees may only get certain banks of hours off. So, for example, you might work for 12 hours and then get 12 hours off.
It’s not uncommon for crew members to work seven days a week, for multiple weeks, for up to 12 hours per day.
If you want the most time off, and the flexibility to, for example, go out on a shore excursion, you’ll want to look specifically for jobs in retail or the ship’s casino, as, on many ships, casinos and retail shops are not operational while the ship is in port.
How Long are Cruise Ship Contracts?
It depends on the cruise line, but cruise ship contracts generally last between two months and nine months.
Some cruise ship contracts will specify that you also get a certain amount of time off, but you’ll likely get that paid time off at the very end of your contract — meaning if you get one month off out of a nine-month contract, you’re still working nine months straight, you’ll just have a paid month off after it.
Is Working on a Cruise Ship Right for You?
Ultimately, only you will be able to decide if working on a cruise ship is right for you, no matter the cruise line you apply with. While the employee experience differs greatly from cruise line to cruise line, there will just be a few things you can expect to deal with, no matter your employer.
Regardless of the cruise line you choose, you will need to share your living space with another crew member, unless you can snag a senior position. So, if you don’t love the idea of sharing your space, you might not like a cruise ship job.
Read Also: Which Crew Members Will You Meet on Your Next Cruise?
Additionally, you will be expected to work long hours, and you won’t have guaranteed days off, so you need to be okay with the fact that, for a time at least, your job will be your life.
However, again, no matter the cruise line you choose, the job will enable you to travel the world in a way that you likely couldn’t with any other job (expect, maybe, if you worked for an airline).
You’ll need to weigh the pros and cons carefully before pursuing this career.
