How Many Employees Does a Cruise Ship Have?

By Robert Palmer

A cruise ship is a large vessel that travels to various vacation spots around the world. Cruise ships can range in size from just a few hundred passengers to over 6,000. The amount of staff needed to operate these vessels is just as vast, with the crew often numbering in the thousands.

How Many Employees Does a Cruise Ship Have?

The exact size of the staff on any given cruise ship will depend on its size and amenities, but most ships will employ between 1,000 and 2,000 crew members. The majority of these crew members are hospitality staff who work in various departments such as food and beverage services, housekeeping and entertainment. These hospitality staff are typically referred to as ‘hotel services.’

In addition to hotel services personnel, a cruise ship may employ hundreds of other types of workers who help keep the vessel running smoothly. These include engineers and technical personnel who maintain and repair the vessel’s engines, generators and other systems; navigators who plot courses; medical staff; security guards; onboard retailers; child care workers; photographers; and IT professionals who manage the ship’s computers and communications systems.

Cruise lines also hire employees for their shore-side operations such as marketing, accounting and customer service departments. All told, it’s not unusual for a single cruise line to have over 10,000 employees around the world.

Conclusion

When it comes to staffing a cruise ship, there is no one-size-fits-all answer since each vessel’s needs may vary based on its size and amenities. Generally speaking however, most cruise ships employ between 1,000 and 2,000 hospitality staff plus hundreds of other personnel whose roles are essential for keeping the vessel running smoothly. Further still are all those employed by the cruise line itself at its shore-side operations which can easily number in the thousands worldwide.