Cruise ship employees work long hours, and the amount of time they spend on the job depends on their specific position. According to research conducted by the International Cruise Line Association, most cruise ship workers put in an average of 10 to 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
The main reason for the extended hours is that cruise ships are essentially self-contained cities at sea. Crew members must provide passengers with everything they need while they are on board, from entertainment and dining to child care and medical services. This requires a large staff to keep things running smoothly, and these workers must be available around the clock.
The amount of work that employees do also depends on their job title. For example, lower level crew members such as housekeepers and waiters may work up to 16 hours a day when the ship is at sea. However, officers such as captains, engineers and navigators generally don’t work more than 8 hours a day since their job involves overseeing operations rather than direct involvement in them.
Crew members who hold higher positions also typically have longer breaks between shifts compared to lower ranking staff members. Captains for instance may have three days off for every two months of service, while lower ranking crew may only get two days off every two months or even less depending on the cruise line’s policy.
In addition to long hours at sea, many cruise line employees must work extra shifts when the ship is in port. This is necessary to make sure that all passengers are offloaded safely and that new passengers can board without issue. It also gives crew members time to restock supplies and resupply any items that were used during the voyage.
Conclusion:
Cruise ship employees typically work long hours with lower level staff members putting in around 10-12 hours a day while officers may not exceed 8 hours per day due to their supervisory role. The amount of work also increases significantly when ships are in port since crew members must prepare for disembarkation and embarkation processes as well as restocking supplies used during the voyage.