If you’re someone who looks forward to having a day off every week, working on a cruise ship might not be the best fit for you. Why? Well, cruise ship workers literally have no days off when they’re on contract. They work for stints of about 9 months at a time, and they will work every single day straight through their contract.
When their contracts are up, they enjoy a couple of months off before heading back to the ship. Although they don’t get days off, they don’t work all day every day. Workers rotate shifts, so each person will have a few hours of downtime every day.
Stuck at Sea in a Hurricane
Hurricanes can be absolutely terrifying when you live near the water, but what about actually being in the water when a hurricane strikes? You would think that this would be something that could be avoided, due to the fact that you have a couple of days of notice when a hurricane is supposed to land. However, cruise liners decided to make the journey from Gavelston, Texas…right when Hurricane Harvey was about to strike.
This decision led to twenty thousand people being stuck unable ut in the ocean, in the middle of the devastating storm. The port they initially left ended up closing due to floods, and they were to get clearance to head back to land. Scary!
Get Ready for Weird Guest Requests
Mix being on international waters with heavy drinking, and people who are in party mode, and you end up with some pretty strange requests from customers. Every individual has their “thing,” and when people are drinking and on vacation, they’re more likely to try and explore those things. Just ask one cruise ship worker who told USA Today that she was asked to make “adult” towel animals for one couple on her cruise ship.
She told the couple, “Sorry, I cannot give you that.” That request is mild compared to what one may expect to hear out on the sea. After all, people with all kinds of odd fetishes may be on board when you’re working!
The Food is Pretty Terrible
Cruise line workers are not eating the same luxury food items that the guests are eating unless they are particularly lucky and able to eat the leftovers from buffets at the end of their shift. Unlucky employees, who don’t get leftovers, end up eating weird and undesirable food – like goat foot stew (yes, we’re serious.)
Kitchen staff in the crew kitchen try to work with what they have, but unfortunately, that does not seem to be much! So unless you are going on a reputable, five-star cruise, you can generally expect the food to be pretty sub-par, so we would recommend to take some ramen on board if you can.
Dine Like an Officer
Your rank on a cruise ship can significantly impact your dining experience, potentially allowing you to savor meals fit for royalty. A former cruise ship employee revealed that high-ranking officers often dine on the same gourmet fare served to passengers.
What sets them apart from the rest of the staff is their privilege to order passenger menu items at any time throughout the day, avoiding the typical late-night buffet rush experienced by crew members. These exclusive perks make working as a high-ranking officer not only prestigious but also a culinary delight. Imagine indulging in exquisite cuisine whenever you desire - a luxurious benefit that adds to the allure of life at sea for those in top positions.