For most people, a cruise ship means endless buffets, tropical destinations, and a week of doing absolutely nothing. But for the thousands of people working behind the scenes, life aboard these floating resorts is a very different experience.
A 38-year-old cruise ship employee from North Africa, who has spent the past five years working for a European cruise line, recently answered questions about what really happens onboard. From exhausting work schedules and entitled passengers to crew hookups and bizarre requests, here’s what he revealed.
Q: How long have you worked on cruise ships, and what exactly do you do?
A: I’ve been working on cruise ships for five years. I’m a future cruise consultant, which means I sell upcoming cruises to passengers who are already onboard.
It’s actually one of the best jobs on the ship. Guests come to me because they’re interested in booking another vacation. I don’t have to deal with complaints about the food, cabins, or canceled ports. I explain the cruises, they choose one, sign the contract, and pay.
Q: What does a typical work schedule look like? Do you get days off?
A: We work seven days a week, usually for contracts lasting five to eight months. My shifts are generally between eight and twelve hours, depending on whether we’re at sea or in port.
Unfortunately, there are no regular days off. You work every single day until your contract ends.
Q: How much money do you actually make?
A: My basic salary is $1,580 a month. With bonuses and tips, I usually take home around $2,200 to $2,350.
The advantage is that accommodation is free, three meals a day are provided, and I don’t have bills to pay. I also don’t pay tax on my salary. I transfer the money directly to my bank account back home.
Q: What’s the worst job on a cruise ship?
A: Definitely the dishwashers. They work twelve or thirteen hours a day, surrounded by mountains of dirty dishes, the smell of food, the heat of the kitchen, and constant pressure.
It’s an incredibly demanding job.
Q: What’s something about passengers that surprised you when you started working?
A: How stupid, selfish, and arrogant some people become when they’re on vacation.
I’ve had passengers ask me whether the crew actually live on the ship, whether we eat onboard, and whether we wait until the guests finish eating so we can have their leftovers.
One passenger saw the captain downstairs and became worried because they didn’t know who was driving the ship.
Another asked why the fish was frozen when we were surrounded by an ocean full of fish.
And someone once asked what time the midnight snacks started.
Q: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever witnessed a passenger do?
A: I once saw a drunk passenger urinating against a cabin door because he thought it was the toilet.
Q: What’s the strangest request a passenger has ever made?
A: A guest once asked me to bring a prostitute to his cabin.
Q: Do passengers ever try to sneak into crew-only areas?
A: Yes, passengers have tried, but they’re usually detected very quickly.
Crew members wear uniforms and name tags, and someone wandering around looking lost immediately stands out. Security patrols the ship around the clock, and CCTV cameras are everywhere.
Crew members are also encouraged to report passengers who enter restricted areas.
Q: Is it true that upside-down pineapples on cabin doors are a sign of swinging?
A: Yes. An upside-down pineapple indicates that a swinging couple is staying in that cabin.
You see this particularly on some short Bahamas cruises and, to a lesser extent, Caribbean cruises.
Q: How common is it for crew members to hook up with each other?
A: It’s common. Crew members work ten or eleven hours a day, seven days a week, for months at a time. Relationships and sex help some people relax and deal with the stress.
Personally, I have sex with another crew member roughly once every two or three weeks.
There are significantly more men than women onboard, and some female crew members prefer dating officers because they can receive certain benefits, like a larger bed, free drinks, or room service.
The biggest practical problem is privacy. Most crew members share cabins, so your roommate has to agree to leave when you want time alone with someone.
Crew members usually meet potential partners at crew parties or in the crew bar.
Q: Do married crew members cheat on their spouses back home?
A: It happens. If I had to estimate, I’d say around 50% of officers and 10% of other staff members who have spouses back home sleep with someone onboard.
Editor’s note: These are the employee’s personal estimates, not verified statistics.
Q: Are crew members allowed to have relationships with passengers?
A: Absolutely not. Romantic or sexual relationships between crew members and guests are strictly forbidden.
If you’re caught, you can lose your job. Even being in a guest area without a professional reason can get you fired.
The ship has cameras throughout the passenger areas, and the security team monitors what happens onboard.
Q: What happens if a passenger dies during a cruise?
A: It does happen, especially because many of our guests are older people outside school holiday periods.
When someone dies, the ship’s port agent coordinates with the local authorities. Police and a doctor can come aboard to examine the body, and the authorities arrange for it to be taken off the ship.
The port agent then handles the paperwork and arrangements to return the deceased passenger home.
Q: Do you actually get to explore the places the ship visits?
A: Yes, when our schedules allow it, although I’ve personally never had a break longer than five hours.
Some of my favorite destinations are Valletta in Malta, Cozumel in Mexico, and the Italian ports.
In Valletta, the historical city center is very close to the port. In Cozumel, you can visit beautiful beaches or travel to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. And when we dock at Civitavecchia, you can travel to Rome for the history, architecture, and food.
Q: After five years of working long hours with no days off, why do you keep doing it?
A: Sometimes I ask myself that same question.
The answer is money, followed by the opportunity to discover the world.
I know that many cruise ship employees are exploited, particularly some workers from Asia. But for many people, the money they earn onboard goes a long way when they return to their home countries.
There are opportunities to become an assistant manager or manager, but I’m not particularly interested in moving up.
I’ll probably do another contract or two, then settle down and find a job on land.
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