cruise ship employees hooking up

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The Beginner’s Guide to Hooking Up on a Cruise

Sunshine. Alcohol. Swimsuits…

Is there a better combination for a having a romantic encounter? Yes, actually. Add all those elements and then combine them on a cruise ship where everyone will be together for several days, all having a similar experience.

It shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that hookups can and do happen on a cruise. Call it love, call it romance, call it a one-night stand. No matter what you call it, there are people on every cruise that end up getting down after meeting on the ship.

Of course, if you’re interested in hooking up on a cruise, there are ways that you can increase your odds… and a few things that you should consider before doing so.

We’re not here to tell you not to have a good time, but you should definitely keep a few things in mind before you try to get it on.

DO be careful

Let’s get this out of the way. If you’re going to try to have some romance on a cruise ship, you need to be careful. Even though cruise ships can seem like sanitized vacations where everything is safe and clean, hooking up with strangers always carries risk. Use common sense, and listen to your gut.

Don’t go back to someone else’s cabin if you don’t feel comfortable. Protect your drink and don’t overindulge to the point that you can’t keep your wits. Wear protection if you have sex.

Sexual assault is the most common major crime reported on cruise ships, with about a hundred cases reported on U.S. cruises in 2019 . Given the millions of people that sail annually, that may not be that many, but that’s little consolation to those who are victims.

This isn’t meant to scare you. Hooking up on a cruise can be a fun and memorable experience. Just don’t let it turn into a nightmare by doing something at sea that you wouldn’t do on land.

DO attend singles’ events

Every cruise will usually have singles’ mixers during the course of the cruise. If you’re looking for a partner, the playing field doesn’t get any better than this. Put on your best outfit, have a drink or two, and go scope out the scene.

You’ll find the schedule in the ship’s daily planner. They are normally in the evening around dinner time at a specific bar. While the mixers last about an hour, the key is to take the next step of extending from the mixer to other things on the ship.

For instance, if you’re feeling that things are clicking with someone, you can ask them to dinner or to have another drink after others might have left.

DO hit up the late-night bars

Let’s face it. If you’re wanting to get lucky, then that’s usually not going to happen at 5 p.m. You’ve got to be out and about when people are thinking about romance.

The best place we can suggest is to check out the ship’s bars after midnight. Here you’ll find people that like to let loose and have a good time (but that doesn’t necessarily mean they want to hook up). But just like on land, if you’re looking for love, a late-night bar is the right place to look.

As mentioned, it’s fine to have some drinks, but don’t get sloppy. Just because a cruise ship is relatively safe doesn’t mean you should let your common sense take a rest.

DON’T be bashful

You don’t want to come across as creepy by being too aggressive, but remember that your time on the cruise ship is short. There is no time to be bashful. If you see someone that you’re attracted to, make an effort to talk to them. If you wait until you get up the nerve, then your time on the ship could already be over.

So go ahead and take that risk of striking up a conversation… or making a move to ask someone to dinner. The worst that can happen is that they say no. After the end of your cruise you won’t see them again anyway, so there is not a big risk of being embarrassed.

DON’T be too picky

If you really want to hook up on your cruise, then you’re likely going to have to forget being picky.

Remember that even the biggest cruises will have at most about 4,000-6,000 people. Once you whittle down that number to only men or women… the people that are single… and the people in your age range… the number gets to be pretty small. The “ocean” just isn’t that big on a cruise ship.

If you’re looking for companionship during the sailing, then those that have the most success will be those who cast the widest net.

DO select the right time of year to sail

The demographics of a cruise ship change dramatically throughout the year. Want to sail with a younger crowd with more singles? Check out Spring Break or summer cruises. Cruises that sail in the fall when school is back in session will have older crowds if you’re looking for a fling with a more mature person.

In general, cruise ships have all ages on board. But as a rule of thumb, shorter sailings tend to have younger crowds. So if you’re in college, then a three-day cruise would likely have more people your age that are single. Longer trips tend to see older passengers.

DON’T expect to hook up with the crew

Young, international, good looking. The crew on a cruise ship — such as personable bartenders — seem like they would be a prime hunting ground for a quick fling. Don’t do it.

Crew members are on strict orders that hooking up with passengers is forbidden. It can easily cost them their job. Keep your efforts to other passengers and not the crew.

DO remember you have to share the ship

If you are looking to hook up on a cruise, the chances are you aren’t looking for love or anything long-term. Even so, the idea of getting with someone early in the trip and then ghosting them is not great.

Remember, you are on a small, floating city. If you do something like hook up with a person on the second day and then try to avoid them the rest of the cruise, you’re going to be constantly looking over your shoulder.

Instead, avoid any awkwardness by only getting together with someone you can stand hanging out with for the remainder of your cruise.

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Tipping a couple of dollars to the bartender or the pool deck waiter is a good thing…

Hooked up in the sauna right after the ship left the dock. few words spoken and yada yada yada never saw dude again

I hooked up on cruise once and what a mistake. It was very awkward seeing him afterwards with this wife!!!! OMG!! Told me he was bi but I could tell the wife had no idea.

Sailing in February of 2024, hopefully there will be women on that cruise who wants some excitement and spice during their getaway

Some interesting information. I am going on the Temptations Cruise to the Caribbean in February, 2024 as a single male. I am wondering how one connects up with females who are going prior to the cruise. … or should I just wait and take my chances?

I am about to go on a carnival cruise in 2 days, I am wondering the Same exact thing!!! However, I will be with extended family! 🤣 I will let you know the ins and outs lol. Probably will be a fail but who knows lol. This single mom needs some excitement lol

Well hi there Miss mystery mom I am looking for the same kind of like singles cruise and I would really like to have the results of your cruise. I am so just wanted to have company on a cruise that’s all not asking that much. Please keep in touch.

9 Things I Never Knew About Cruises Until I Ran the World’s Largest Ship

Illustration: Zohar Lazar

At a time when travelers are feeling more precious than ever about “authentic experiences,” the cruise industry is doubling down on the exact opposite: completely manufactured fun. Leading the pack is Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. , whose mega-ships are destinations unto themselves: Its restaurants, casinos, Broadway-caliber musicals, silent disco parties, skating rinks, karaoke, dance clubs, and escape-the-room experiences are such strong lures, some guests don’t even bother to look up where the ship is docking.

So when Royal Caribbean International invited me to join the ranks as temporary director of its largest ship, Harmony of the Seas —which is as big as five Titanic s—I knew I was signing up for the most manic week of my life.

Can cruise ship employees hook up with guests?

1. are there any exceptions to the policy, 2. what are the reasons behind these policies, 3. how are these policies enforced, 4. are these policies the same across all cruise lines, 5. what are the potential consequences for employees who violate these policies, 6. how do these policies impact passengers, 7. do these policies apply to all employees on a cruise ship, 8. how do cruise lines handle complaints related to employee-guest relationships, 9. can employees have relationships with other employees, 10. how do cruise ships ensure the safety of employees in these situations, 11. are there any legal implications for employees involved in relationships with guests, 12. how do these policies impact the overall cruise experience.

Cruise ship employees often find themselves in an environment where they interact closely with passengers, leading to questions about personal relationships and boundaries. The issue of whether cruise ship employees can hook up with guests is a complex one, and various factors come into play. It is crucial to examine the policies and regulations set by individual cruise lines, as they have specific guidelines that employees must adhere to.

In most cases, cruise lines have strict policies in place that prohibit employees from engaging in romantic or sexual relationships with guests. These policies are designed to maintain a professional environment and ensure the safety and well-being of both employees and passengers. Violation of these policies can result in disciplinary action, including termination of employment.

While cruise lines generally discourage romantic relationships between employees and guests, there may be some exceptions. For instance, if two individuals meet on a cruise and one of them happens to be an employee, the company may allow the relationship to develop. However, such cases are rare, and employees are often required to disclose the relationship to their superiors.

The policies prohibiting relationships between employees and guests have several reasons. Firstly, cruise lines strive to maintain a professional environment to ensure the comfort and satisfaction of their passengers. Additionally, the power dynamic inherent in the employee-guest relationship can potentially lead to situations of exploitation or harassment. By having these policies in place, cruise lines aim to protect both employees and passengers.

Cruise lines typically implement various measures to enforce their policies. From the moment employees join the ship, they receive thorough training, which includes information about the rules and regulations regarding relationships with guests. Moreover, supervisors and management staff keep a close eye on employee interactions to ensure compliance. If a violation is reported or suspected, the matter is thoroughly investigated, and appropriate disciplinary action is taken.

While the industry generally has policies in place regarding employee-guest relationships, the specific rules and regulations can vary between cruise lines. It is essential for employees to familiarize themselves with the policies of their respective companies to avoid any potential conflicts or repercussions.

Employees who violate the policies regarding relationships with guests may face severe consequences. In some cases, employees could be terminated immediately. Even if termination does not occur, disciplinary action may still be taken, such as reassignment to a different department or removal from positions of authority. Such violations can have long-lasting implications on an employee’s career in the cruise ship industry.

The policies regarding relationships between employees and guests aim to create a safe and enjoyable environment for passengers. By maintaining strict boundaries, cruise lines strive to ensure that passengers feel respected and have a positive experience during their journey. The enforcement of these policies helps protect passengers from potential abuses of power and ensures that their needs are always prioritized.

Yes, the policies prohibiting relationships with guests apply to all employees on a cruise ship. Whether an individual is part of the entertainment staff, bar crew, or housekeeping team, they are expected to adhere to these guidelines. It is crucial for employees to understand the implications of violating these policies and conduct themselves professionally at all times.

Cruise lines have established mechanisms to handle complaints related to employee-guest relationships. Passengers are encouraged to report any concerns they have to the ship’s management or customer service representatives. These complaints are taken seriously, and appropriate action is taken to investigate and address the issue.

While policies regarding relationships with guests are strict, cruise lines often have more lenient rules when it comes to relationships between employees. However, even in these instances, boundaries and professionalism are expected to be maintained. Employees are usually encouraged to avoid relationships with individuals in positions of authority or within their immediate work teams to prevent conflicts of interest.

Cruise ships have safeguards in place to ensure the safety of their employees when it comes to relationships with guests. These include providing avenues for employees to report any instances of harassment or misconduct, offering support and counseling services, and conducting regular awareness and training programs. The aim is to create an environment where employees feel protected and empowered.

In some cases, engaging in relationships with guests can have legal implications for employees. Depending on the circumstances, it could potentially lead to charges of misconduct, harassment, or even criminal offenses. It is crucial for employees to be aware of the laws and regulations governing relationships in the jurisdiction in which the cruise ship operates.

The policies regulating relationships between employees and guests contribute to the overall cruise experience by ensuring professionalism, safety, and respect for all parties involved. By maintaining boundaries, cruise lines create an environment where passengers can feel at ease and enjoy their vacation without any concerns about potential conflicts or inappropriate behavior.

In conclusion, while it is generally discouraged for cruise ship employees to engage in relationships with guests, the specific policies and regulations can vary between cruise lines. These policies are in place to maintain a professional environment and protect the well-being of employees and passengers. By adhering to these guidelines, cruise lines aim to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for all individuals onboard.

About The Author

Robert Nicolson

Cruise Ship Crew Romance: Dating on a Cruise Ship

Romance at sea. Watching the sun set over the ocean. The band lightly playing in the background as you watch the sky turn from blue to gold and into stars and shimmering moonlight. It’s a formal night and you are both dressed up. You just came from dinner where you had escargot and lobster. You are drinking a glass of champagne. You’re about to go see a show. Cruise ship romance is oh so romantic. Do cruise ship employees hook up? Do cruise ship crew date? Can cruise ship crew and passengers date? Fall in love and get married? What is it like dating on a cruise ship? All of that and more!

*Disclosure: All views are my own and do not necessarily represent those of my employer.*

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

It may sound incredible to fall in love on a cruise ship. It was portrayed on the aptly named The Love Boat (ad) , in the Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon classic Out To Sea (ad) , and on reality shows like Below Deck (ad) . None of these portrayal’s are quite the reality I experienced. (Although Below Deck might be the closest). I would like to say it’s all a bit more normal than any of that, but it’s anything but normal. Today we are going to dive into what dating is like as a crew member on a cruise ship and what cruise ship crew romance is really like. The below synopsis is based on both my personal experience, my friends experiences, and my observations over the years.

Some Truths about Cruise Ship Romances:

Passengers and crew aren’t allowed to date. And cruise employees aren’t allowed to hook up with passengers. Sorry, Doc from The Love Boat , you would have been fired many, many times. Seriously, this is not worth getting fired over.
The crew gossip a lot, mostly about each other.
Some people might be married and say they aren’t. They will literally have a separate life onboard and at home.
“Stripe chasers” is a term used for primarily women that are after officers with the most stripes (meaning higher ranking) that they can find. They do this figuring they will get to stay in a bigger cabin and later in life not have to work and get to live the life of luxury. This entire concept is a post for another day because I have a lot of opinions on the subject. Here’s a look to better understand what cruise ship officer stripes mean .
Pick-up lines aren’t any better when said by someone with an accent. They’re still terrible.

So… Do Cruise Employees Hook Up With Passengers?

I just said it’s against the rules… but does it ever happen?

The short answer is yes. A quick search online will show you all sorts of stories of employees hooking up with passengers. The natural follow up question to this would be – well, how often? How often would be hard to quantify as it’s not commonly discussed.

But, if you are a crew member going to work onboard, don’t do it. If you get caught you will most likely get fired. There are plenty of crew to meet, so head to the crew bar and get your flirt on!

How Does a Cruise Ship Romance Start? How Do You Meet?

Meeting someone is kind of like meeting someone anywhere. You have your bubble of people that you know. And then one day you randomly meet someone in the elevator, or end up sitting with them at lunch when there weren’t any other empty seats.

Maybe you meet at a crew party or like so many great cruise ship romances – you meet in the crew bar (personally guilty as charged with this one). You make googly eyes at each other. You have reviewed the aforementioned truths. It’s decided that neither party is a passenger nor married, no one is a stripe chaser, and they haven’t used a terrible pick up line. And, the lines are quite terrible: “if you come back with me you can sleep in a proper sized bed.” (Officer cabins typically have larger beds. Side note: I saw someone try that pick up line, it didn’t work.)

Cruise Ship Crew Gossip A Lot

Cruise ship gossip can be vicious. Some ships are worse for this than others and others are pretty tame. On a gossipy ship a rumor can start from something as simple as a door shutting in a hallway at an odd time or if you were seen getting out of an elevator together. If you find yourself in the chaos of cruise ship gossip, the best you can do is ignore it. When you first start to make googly eyes with someone the easiet option is to try to play it cool to avoid being a rumor at all. Otherwise it’s like having to be “Facebook Official” after meeting for coffee once.

There are a few ways to avoid the gossip and drama all related to keeping things on the down-low. You make sure you don’t leave the bar together, instead using the “5 minute rule” (one person leaves, the other waits 5 minutes and then leaves). If you want to go ashore together you meet somewhere instead of leaving the ship together to avoid the prying eyes of the officers on the bridge and the security guards on the gangway.

If you keep your ear open you start to figure out who the people that really spread the gossip and rumors are. Over time you learn to avoid them. At some point you realize you’re not avoiding them to stay out of rumors but instead simply because they are toxic people.

Do Cruise Ship Employees Hookup? Is It the Hookup Culture that Some Shows Would Have You Think?

No…and yes? It depends on who you are and what you are looking for. But, do cruise ship employees hookup? Absolutely. Is it the hookup culture that it’s known for? If you want it to be, it certainly could be. A whole lot of people traveling to exotic locations around the world? What part of it would not lead to a hookup culture?

It can get a bit complicated and love triangles are a thing. Like very much a thing. It’s much more fun to be on the sidelines and watch it all happen but I’ve ridden in some elevators that had some uncomfortable sexual tension and romantic history. There are so many stories of cruise ship employees hooking up it’s not even funny. Let’s grab drinks sometime and I could tell you some stories (but then wouldn’t that make me no better than the gossips?)

Biggest piece of overall advice is to have some sort of idea what you’re looking for in a relationship or a love connection. Are you looking for a cruise ship romance (and maybe a forever kind of person), or are you looking for something short term? Figure out what you want and then communicate and talk about it. Also, condoms are free from the medical department. Have fun and you do you but be smart.

Cruise Ship Dating Can Be A Lot of Togetherness…

Say you’ve found that person that you actually are interested in and want to date. Once you’re ready to be “ship official” cruise ship dating is super weird. Either you are on a work schedule where you see each other literally all the time, or you’re on completely opposite work schedules and hardly ever see each other.

The cruise ship dating paradox: one week together onboard is like one month together on land, one month = one year. – life experience –

If you have work schedules that line up you are susceptible to the cruise ship dating paradox: one week = one month, one month = one year. The reason for this is that in one week you might eat lunch with them three times, dinner four, drinks six times, go see a show, and have a formal evening at a fancy steak house. In between all that then go somewhere incredible – nothing like being able to go on dates in places like Bora Bora , Honolulu, Sydney , Puerto Vallarta, Bali, etc to move the romance along.

It is easy to fit the equivalent of 16 dates into one week, more if you really wanted to. Cruise ship romance can be a lot of togetherness. This can also either make you really like each other, really hate each other, or give you a completely false idea of what a real long term relationship with that person will be like.

Sunset in Puerto Vallarta cruise ship dating

Or, Your Schedules Don’t Line Up At All

If you’re on very different work schedules it can be staying up late or waking up early to try to see them. It can be a lot of effort to see them at all. If they’re on the night shift and you’re on the day shift it can be even more challenging. Those times you will basically get to spend lunch together and that’s about it. Either that or you might find yourself napping constantly to try to make up for the missed sleep of trying to see each other.

Usually these cruise ship crew romances fall into three (well, sort of four) categories:

You find that all the togetherness doesn’t bother you. It’s exciting, it’s fun. You live and work in the same little floating world and everything seems fabulous. But, what happens when one of you is scheduled to go home? On a ship there are people coming and going constantly, and from countries all around the world. When someone goes home you can find yourself getting into the “big relationship questions” very early in a relationship. It’s always great to have to decide to either commit to someone long term or break up entirely within a few weeks of going out, right?

Sub-Category: Sometimes It Isn’t a Match or It’s Just a Hookup – Don’t Read Too Much Into It

Dating on a cruise ship is not so different than dating on land. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t. Cruise ship romance is sometimes not romance at all. Sometimes you think you’re into someone and then when you hang out a bit and realize that even though you leave in one week you’d rather not spend your time with them. Or maybe you’re super attracted to them and…that’s it. That’s all there is to the relationship is attraction. And, much like on land, (although it is so much harder to not see them!), it’s best to let it go. It wasn’t meant to be – it’s time to move on.

Cruise Ship Relationship Category I: ‘Til Gangway Do Us Part”

You agree that the relationship won’t go any further than that contract. Once one of you leaves the ship or goes across the gangway, you are done. You keep the memories. One of you goes home. The other is still onboard… for most likely another onboard romance. C’est la vie. So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye…

Cruise Ship Relationship Category II: Long Distance

Possibly with the “promise” of seeing each other on land, but not sure you’ll do your next contract together. I’ve seen this either result in a slow fizzling out of a relationship or turn into marriage and everything in between. You find out just how much they likely by whether or not they’ll fly around the world for you. And, I would walk 500 miles…

Cruise Ship Relationship Category III: Big Life Commitments After Not Much Time Together, AKA – Line Up Your Next Contracts Together

This is the big one. If you line your next contracts up together and break up before hand you are stuck on the ship with your ex. If you don’t line them up and stay together you end up on different ships and facing a very challenging long distance situation. Such massive pressure so early in a relationship. ‘Cause I want it all, or nothing at all…

The first option is fairly self-explanatory. The second option can go a few ways. Let’s say you go with that last option. You fly to see each other and you line up your next contracts together and things start to get serious. So, what’s next? Take a look at Living Together on a Cruise Ship to find out!

Cruise Ship Romance Can Be Great

Finding love at sea can be great and certainly a ton of fun. It’s not as simple as it is made out to be in the movies and can definitely be as messy and complicated as portrayed on some shows like Below Deck.

But, would we have it any other way?

Want to know what happens when things get serious? Take a look at other posts about cruise ship romance:

Cruise ship crew romance is taken to new levels when you live together onboard . Small spaces and literally being stuck on a boat = getting to know your partner in new (and oh-so-fun) ways.

Don’t let the haters fool you, cruise ship dating can lead to happily ever after . There are tons of happy couples that met onboard. While it’s great it’s still not quite as simple as a fairytale…

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Ohhhh so many truths to this!! Love it!

14 Secrets of Cruise Ship Workers

By jessica hullinger | jun 6, 2019, 8:00 am edt.

From an outsider’s perspective, working on a cruise ship might seem like a dream job. What could be more glamorous than getting paid to travel the world by sea, without having to pay for housing or food? But as with many “dream” jobs, there are a few significant downsides to consider before you fill out an application. We spoke to a few cruise ship employees about what it’s like to live and work on a floating hotel.

1. Americans are the worst cruise workers.

On most large cruise liners, the majority of staff and crew are not American. “On any given contract, you’re working with about 64 nationalities,” says Kat, who spent three years working for a major cruise line. There are a number of possible drivers behind this statistic, but one is that cruise ship employees work really long hours and almost never get a day off, which isn’t particularly appealing to Americans used to a 40-hour workweek and relaxing on weekends. “On my worst contract, I was working close to 300 hours a month,” Kat says. “Yeah, you might be in beautiful places, but you’re so tired sometimes you don’t even want to go out and explore. A lot of times they won’t even hire Americans because the rate of people quitting is so high.”

Americans are also more expensive to employ, even if they do the same work as their counterparts from developing countries. Sam, who worked on Princess Cruises for two years, says her monthly salary of $1100 was higher than that of her Filipino boss. According to Sam, the official reason the ship gave was that the dollar is worth more to people from developing countries than it is to Americans.

2. Cruise ship workers are trained for pirate attacks.

It’s rare for pirates to take on a massive cruise ship, but it can happen, and if it does, the crew is prepared. Nolan, who worked for both Princess Cruises and Oceania Cruises, says he was trained to get all guests away from windows and spray the intruders with giant water cannons.

“Our ship can totally outrun their little dinghies,” he says. “We could spray them with water and they’d be helpless.” Other ships may be equipped with Long Range Acoustic Devices that emit loud, painful noises to deter attacks. That’s how a luxury cruise liner escaped a pirate attack off the coast of Africa in 2005.

3. Want to lose weight? Work on a cruise liner.

While passengers are feasting on steak and scrumptious seafood, the staff and crew aren’t so lucky. “Imagine eating at your high-school cafeteria three meals a day, seven days a week for a year,” writes one former cruise ship worker on Reddit. Kat recalls strange offerings like goat foot stew. The unappetizing food, combined with the many hours spent running the length of the ship, often mean crew members lose a significant amount of weight during their time at sea. “I would lose about 10 to 12 pounds per contract,” Kat says.

Gavin, who worked as a waiter for a major cruise line, said the crew would occasionally get treated to whatever leftovers remained from the passenger buffet, but “it would disappear so fast.”

4. Crew members sometimes mess with passengers.

Life at sea can get a bit monotonous. “It got mundane really fast,” writes one former worker on Reddit. “It was basically the same comedy of errors each day of the week, with a different ‘cast’ of passengers each week.”

Some crew members shake things up by getting a rise out of passengers in the form of good old practical jokes. According to another former crew member, “a favorite was while in a passenger area say to another crew member, loud enough to be heard by passengers, ‘Meet you in the bowling alley tonight!’” Of course, there wasn’t actually a bowling alley on board. “Then we'd wait for the comment cards to come in: ‘Why do crew get a bowling alley when we don't?’”

5. … and chance are the workers might be drunk.

When they’re not working, employees are probably drinking and partying. “We partied our asses off,” Gavin says. “We joked about how it makes a frat house look like a monastery.” The staff get their own designated watering holes on board, referred to as the crew bars, where the drinks are dirt cheap. “At the passenger bars they were charging like $15 for a drink and we’d go down into the crew bar and you could get a beer or mixed drinks for $1.25,” Sam says.

And what happens when you give copious amounts of cheap alcohol to people who are cooped up together for months at a time? “It seems like a cliche, but everyone was hooking up with each other,” Sam says. “In a lot of the crew areas there were these huge posters about STD prevention.”

The crew is regularly threatened with the possibility of random breathalyzer tests (and drug testing), but even this isn’t always enforced. “There was a strict limit on our ship of no more than .04 blood alcohol content at any time,” Gavin says, “but as long as you didn’t make a fool of yourself, you wouldn’t get randomly breathalyzed, so people would break that rule all the time.”

6. For the crew, hooking up with guests on the cruise is strictly forbidden.

So you spotted a cute crew member on your ship and are thinking of chatting them up? Good luck with that. Having sexual relations with a guest is one of the fastest ways for a crew member to get fired. This is mainly to protect the cruise line from reputation-damaging accusations of abuse. Ship security keeps a close eye on crew members day and night. That doesn’t mean hookups never happen, but if a crew member is caught in the act with a guest, they’re kicked off the ship at the next port.

7. Crew passengers are almost always being watched.

“It is safe to assume if you are outside of your cabin you are probably on camera,” Gavin says. “In the event of any kind of emergency, they could pull security footage at any time.”

8. Passengers have a lot of power over how much the crew gets paid.

At the end of a journey, you might be asked to rate your experience and share any praise or complaints on a comment card. These reviews are taken very seriously and often translate directly into salaries and bonuses for workers. “For most people, their salaries are quite low and they rely on those bonuses,” Kat says. So if you leave a bad review and mention someone by name, you can be sure they’ll feel the impact on their paycheck.

“The very best thing you can do for a crew member is to write a glowing review, mentioning them specifically on your comment card,” says a former cruise worker on Reddit. “Their superior’s superiors take note of that.”

9. Some cruise workers have double lives.

“You get a lot of married people that have their own separate lives on the cruise ship,” Kat says. “I’ve worked with couples that have wives at home and a whole different relationship while they’re on the cruise ship. It’s kind of like a don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy.”

Gavin says one of his fellow employees lived as an out-of-the-closet gay man while on board, but was still closeted on land.

10. They have no idea what’s going on in the world.

“You stop following news and sports and pop culture,” Gavin says. “You’re really kind of isolated out there.” It can be difficult (and expensive) to find an internet connection while at sea, so many ship workers completely lose track of current events while on contract.

11. They speak in code.

Crew members have shorthand codes for everything from fires to medical emergencies, which they can announce over the loudspeaker without alarming passengers.

Code Adam: a child is missing Code Alpha: there’s a medical emergency Code Oscar: man overboard Code Bravo: fire on the ship

12. The cruise ship has many mafias.

But not the kind that will make you an offer you can’t refuse. According to Sam, the crew members on her ship were split into “mafias” based on their country of origin, and each mafia dealt in specific goods. For example, the Indian mafia was in charge of getting good food for the crew parties, she says. Because Sam worked in the youth center, she was tasked with providing art supplies for crew costume parties. “That’s just one of the economies of the ship,” Sam says. “Everyone is always trying to figure out what they can get from another person.”

One former cruise ship worker says the Filipino mafia was known for getting good booze at all hours. “If you wanted anything after hours, they would get it for you! The crew bar would close around 1 or 2. If you wanted to keep drinking, but were out of booze, you would just go to the Filipino mafia and get what you needed. You paid a huge markup obviously, but it was still pretty cool!”

13. There’s a morgue on board.

Roughly 200 people die on cruise ships every year, and cruise lines need some place to store the bodies safely until they get back to shore. As a result, many ships have small morgues on board that can hold five or six bodies. “We definitely had a morgue on board,” one former ship employee told me. “Because the line was for older demographics, we had people die on the ship pretty regularly.”

14. They will leave you behind.

If you leave the ship for an on-land excursion, make sure you get back before departure time. Cruise lines pay massive fines if they overstay their port time, so chances are high the ship will leave without you if you’re running behind. “You’re on your own,” Kat says. “They won’t wait.”

This list first ran in 2016 and was republished in 2019.

Working on Cruise Ships can be an amazing experience, especially if you have a better understanding of what to expect.

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20 Surprising Behind-The-Scene Realities Of Cruise Ship Workers

Before you join a Disney ship, know there are some secrets cruise line workers can’t share, or they’ll lose their job.

If cruise ships seem like the ultimate way to vacation, then we may want to take a moment and think about the people who make it happen. Cruise ship workers live in a confined space, under strict rules, enforced by managers watching every move through CCTV cameras. Workers generally don’t get a single day off for months at a time, and they can be fired for no reason and left at the nearest port.

It’s no wonder, then, that alcohol, drugs, rampant sex, and a party-hard lifestyle is the way almost all cruise ship workers live. During the day the workers devote their attention to the passengers, kissing butt and cleaning floors and serving drinks. When their shift ends, however, is when the crew really let loose. It’s not uncommon for a cruise line worker to average three or four hours of sleep per night, and to spend the rest of the time drinking and partying in the crew quarters.

But wait, there’s more! Cruise line workers have a ton of secrets to share, they’re just not allowed to. Thankfully the internet exists and with it anonymous forums such as Reddit. Cruise ship workers spill the beans on what really goes on aboard the ship. From soap opera-level drama to serious alcoholism, to the onboard morgue for all the dead passengers, here are 20 behind-the-scenes secrets cruise ship workers can’t tell you!

20 The Passenger Cabins At The Front Are Not The Best

If you, a trusting passenger, book a room at the front of the boat, you’ll be in for a bouncy ride. You’ll feel even the smallest swells, as the room is constantly going up and down, up and down. If you start to feel a little queasy, you can take comfort in the fact that many other passengers in this room have done the same, and more. These front cabins have been covered from top to bottom in passenger vomit, many times over. The crews are constantly cleaning them, but if you were to shine a blacklight on the upholstery, you wouldn’t like what you see.

19 Crew Food Is Not Appetizing

While you’re enjoying the prime rib in one of the elegant dining halls, the crew is belowdecks, trying to swallow some yellow slop with something chewy floating in it. Crew food is gross. The kitchen staff spends all their time and resources cooking for passengers, and they whip together “stuff” for the rest of the crew as an afterthought. Sometimes the crew doesn’t get fed on time and need to wait hours until they can eat. There’s a reason that the next item on this list is so common amongst the crew…

18 The Crew Eats Passenger Leftovers

With crew food being so unpalatable, most crew members will descend upon the leftover buffet food like vultures, once it’s been cleared into the back rooms. The crew from all over the ship will casually wander into the kitchen to gorge on leftover roast beef, pizza, pasta, and whatever else they can get their hands on. Employee contracts state the ship will feed the crew three times a day, unfortunately, it doesn’t state that the food will be edible. Thankfully the passengers can’t eat all that food! The next time you’re on a cruise and you’re debating getting a third helping, just remember that you could help feed your room attendant if you don’t.

17 Crew Romances Abound

It should come as no surprise that when a few hundred young, adventurous men and women are jammed into close quarters with each other for extended periods of time, they’re going to get it on. According to multiple sources, workers on cruise ships hook up so frequently that most people end up having several relationships with different people, even if they’re in a committed relationship back on shore! Issues such as STD and unexpected pregnancy plague cruise ship crews, not to mention the never-ending drama that this lifestyle causes.

16 Cruise Ships Are Full Of Drama

With all that partying, eating, and romancing going on, soap-opera-level drama is bound to follow. The intrigues, petty politics, and gossip among cruise ship crews are epic. Friendships are made and broken, fights break out, love and sex end in betrayal and bitter tears. It would be the perfect plot for a Hollywood movie if it wasn’t so painfully real. While the staff seems so down-to-earth and professional when you’re dealing with them, underneath the surface they’re boiling with anxiety about that guy they started dating from the engineering room, who might possibly be sleeping with that spin class instructor…

15 There Are Crew Mafias

Most cruise ship employees are from the Philippines or India. They are cheaper and work with fewer complaints than Americans, although the ship will always staff some American, Canadian, or British faces for the passengers to see. This international mix of staff results in people from various backgrounds banding together. The crews call them “mafias”. The Indian Mafia, for instance, will only hang out with each other and will monopolize all the soft drinks on board, selling cans of Coke to other ethnicities at high markups. This actually happened on one cruise ship. Beware the crew mob.

14 The Crew Depends On Tips

Cruise ship workers don’t get paid much, especially those from developing countries. They work very long hours and some of them perform demeaning and hard work. Passenger tips are a huge supplement to their income, and many workers depend on them to support their families back home. If you develop a reputation as a good tipper among the staff, you can bet that your trip will suddenly get better. Guess who’s getting served first, or getting little chocolates left on their bed every morning, or getting a drink discount? That’s right, you are!

13 These Sailors Enjoy Like Sailors

Technically cruise ship workers are “sailors.” They’re waiters and cleaners and yoga instructors. But they work on a boat at sea, and they certainly live like sailors. Drinking copious amounts of alcohol is such a common occurrence among staff that it’s done almost casually. Drinks are dirt cheap at the staff bar below decks: crew pay about $1.25 for a cocktail and even less for a beer. Bottles of rum and wine are stashed in crew quarters after every shore leave, making the cruise ship the largest floating bar in the world.

12 Crew Party Hard

Wayne and Garth have nothing on cruise ship workers when it comes to partying. With all that cheap booze available and nothing to do on downtimes, crew party like there’s no tomorrow. They sleep four hours on average, sometimes less, and often go to work with a hangover. The veterans have become so proficient at doing their job in a stupor that passengers won’t even notice. Tylenol sales are big business on board a cruise ship and are usually controlled by one of the crew mafias.

11 Managers Can Be Unkind Towards The Crew

Cruise ship management is notoriously abusive. Managers are often promoted from among the crew to lord it over their colleagues. They’re given separate private quarters and the power to discipline and report crew members. Senior managers are roomed aboard every liner from head office, to oversee the operation. They watch everything on cameras, and staff can be fired at will and left at a port in some foreign country. Once in international waters, most labor laws don’t apply, and no matter how badly managers mistreat their staff, there are always hundreds of more people applying to work on the ship.

10 There’s A Morgue On Board

Most cruise liners have a morgue on board. It’s not for the managers, but for all those elderly passengers who are bound to pass away while on the cruise. The median age of cruise ship passengers is 68, and many board with oxygen tanks and wheelchairs. Death on board a cruise ship is so common that crew will often take bets on who will drop as they watch passengers board! When a death does happen, the body is stored in the onboard morgue, and kept chilled, until the ship finishes the cruise and returns to its home port.

9 There’s Also A Jail On Board

If the morgue sounds chilling, then imagine being locked up while still alive! For those who misbehave, assault others, steal, or generally act criminal, the ship has a jail on board. While at sea you are in international waters and the Captain and his designated officers are the authorities. Security can legally arrest someone and imprison them on board until they reach a port and the police can take them away. It’s not only passengers who can be jailed: often crew is thrown behind bars for incidents such as theft or assault.

8 The Law Of The High Seas Applies

When you’re out at sea in international waters, the laws of the high seas apply. These laws were established by international agreements. Basically, they state that the Captain and his/her officers are the authorities on board the vessel, and they have the power to arrest, marry, bury and divest anyone under their authority. This makes cruise line workers a little like pirates, what with all the boozing and looting.

7 Crews Know Where To Go When In Port

If you want the best deals on food and excursions when you reach a port, follow the crew. Everyone on board looks forward to the port calls because they’re allowed off the boat. They visit these ports over and over again and have learned where all the best spots are. Whether its good, cheap food or the quietest beaches or even where to go shopping, simply wait around until the crew disembarks and follow them. They’ll be itching to go have a blast on shore, and they’ll take you to the right places.

6 Sick Crew Get Quarantined

Sometimes the crew’s shore excursions cause them to catch something exotic. If a crew member falls sick, they are immediately quarantined in a special section below decks (sometimes eerily close to the morgue). During quarantine, they’re checked regularly by the ships doctor, and once they’re cleared they can go back to work. If they’re not cleared before the next port visit, they are often dropped off, fired, and left to their own devices. Most experienced ship’s crew won’t tell anyone when they’re sick as it can often end badly for them. They usually can’t tell when they’re sick anyway, with all those hangovers.

5 Port Days Are Fun Days

So long as they’re not sick, in jail, or dead, the crew can expect to have some fun every few days whenever the ship makes a port call. Just as passengers can leave and roam around on land while the ship is in port, so too can the staff. They look forward to these port visits the way children look forward to Santa visiting. It’s a release from the insanity of onboard living, as well as some much-deserved time off, away from annoying passengers and rude managers. For the cleaners and engineers who work mainly below decks, it’s also a great chance to get some vitamin D!

4 Pirate-Attack Training Is Fun

Every cruise liner trains its crews to repel pirate attacks using water cannons. Pirates are a real danger in certain parts of the world and often approach cruise ships in fast zodiacs, hoping to board, rob the passengers, and make off with as many valuables as possible. The crew train for this before passengers board. They blast water cannons at target boats, practice running around the ship and jokingly yelling “Action Stations” to each other while red-faced managers try to maintain some sense of seriousness. There is at least one attempted pirate attack on a cruise ship every year.

3 The Crew Don’t Care About The Passengers

It’s painful to realize that to the staff aboard a cruise ship, you’re just another face they’ll forget. They see thousands of people come and go, and most passengers are somewhat alike. They are paid to care for you, to be extremely helpful, and to smile a lot. Deep down they’re just waiting to go below decks to drink, or for the next port call. They generally don’t really care about you. If you go out of your way to tip them or help them out, or if you have an extra cute kid with you, you’ll stand out. Otherwise, you’re just another passenger.

2 They Live A Double Life

When a new crew member joins the ship, they are often shy and unsure of where they fit in among their new friends. By the time they leave their first cruise, they are a completely different person. They have probably had several romances, developed a questionable drinking habit, and gained a nickname that nobody back home would understand. They often go home on their month off and act normal, telling their significant other that it’s “just like any job, but on a boat.” If they’re partner or parents saw what they were really like when on board the cruise ship, they wouldn’t even recognize them.

1 Crew Sometimes Date Passengers

Having any type of relationship with a passenger is a big no-no in the industry. If caught, employees will be instantly fired and dropped off at the nearest port. This doesn’t stop people from striking up temporary romances with attractive passengers. Often times this happens when a passenger manages to make their way into the crew bar and joins the non-stop partying going on. If a passenger is cool enough, the crew might invite them along. Sometimes the lure of money is what gets passenger and crew together. In all cases, the crew needs to be extremely careful, because a permanent shore leave awaits those who get caught!

Can You Hook Up on a Cruise Ship?

By Anna Duncan

Cruise ships offer a unique type of holiday that combines the fun of a tropical getaway with the convenience of being able to travel from port to port without having to worry about extensive air travel. But what about if you want to hook up on a cruise ship? Is it even possible?

The answer is yes – it is possible to hook up on a cruise ship, but it’s important to remember that there are certain rules and regulations that need to be followed. Cruises are family-friendly holidays, and as such, there are certain expectations for behavior on board. That means any kind of public displays of affection – including hand-holding and kissing – should be kept to a minimum.

It’s also important to note that the majority of cruise ships have an age restriction in place; usually 18 and over. This means that if one person in the couple is under 18, they won’t be allowed into certain areas or activities on board. This could make it difficult for two people who wish to hook up while on a cruise ship.

However, if both parties are over 18 and they abide by the rules regarding behavior, then it is possible for two consenting adults to hook up while on board a cruise ship without getting into any trouble. But bear in mind that there may be other passengers who don’t appreciate your displays of affection, so keep things discreet.

Additionally, some cruise lines may have specific policies regarding couples sharing cabins or rooms; so make sure you read through the fine print before you book your trip.

10 Related Question Answers Found

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Confessions Of A Cruise Ship Employee

7 women share what it's really like to work on a cruise ship, more from travel, r29 original series.

FinanceBuzz

15 Incredible Cruise Ship Jobs (Get Paid To Travel!)

Posted: October 16, 2023 | Last updated: October 16, 2023

Traveling the world while getting paid to do it might sound like a dream, but it can be a reality if you take a job on a cruise ship.

Of course, this type of work isn’t for everyone — the hours can be long, and it may mean a lot of time away from home. But there are plenty of benefits as well.

If working for a cruise line sounds ideal, there are plenty of career opportunities on board. Here are 15 jobs that can help boost your bank account as you travel the world.

Editor's note: All salary figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

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Activities coordinator

Even short cruises are packed with activities for travelers to engage in. Among other things, you'll find games, happy hours and live music.

An activities coordinator is similar to an event planner. In this role, you oversee things like recreation on board and coordinating shore excursion activities. The BLS does not offer wage information for this position.

If you want to start traveling more — and get paid to do it — this can be a good role to consider.

Get expert advice on making more money - sent straight to your inbox.

It’s no secret that people on cruises like to drink. Many cruise lines offer a food and alcohol package as part of the booking process.

The amount of money you can make working as a bartender on a cruise ship varies greatly, depending on whether guests are expected to tip. But the average salary for bartenders is $29,380 annually.

Casino dealer

Working as a dealer at a cruise casino can be an exciting gig. These workers may oversee poker, blackjack, roulette, and more games.

Gambling service workers make $31,290 a year. However, as with tending bar, the actual wages for casino workers on a cruise can vary.

Many cruise ships have cafeterias and restaurants for when guests are in the mood for fine dining.

Cruise ship chefs may be involved in cooking and planning menus for guests and staff. Chefs or head cooks make $56,520 on average annually.

<p> Deckhands help maintain the cruise ship. They may be involved in keeping these massive ships running, including cleaning and maintaining equipment, loading cargo, and getting passengers safely on board.</p> <p> The experience required to work as a deckhand can vary greatly depending on the job description. The BLS does not offer salary information for this position. </p>

Deckhands help maintain the cruise ship. They may be involved in keeping these massive ships running, including cleaning and maintaining equipment, loading cargo, and getting passengers safely on board.

The experience required to work as a deckhand can vary greatly depending on the job description. The BLS does not offer salary information for this position.

Entertainer

Cruise lines hire all sorts of entertainers, from dancers to cover bands and magicians.

Working on a cruise ship can be a great way to hone and improve your craft or even take it in a different direction. The average wage for entertainers and performers is $29.67 an hour, which equates to about $61,713 annually.

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Entertainment director

Cruise ships also need people to manage their entertainers, particularly if the ship has a lot of shows and performances scheduled.

Entertainment directors may be involved in scheduling staff, planning performances, and doing administrative work. The average salary for entertainment/recreation managers is $67,220 annually.

Fitness instructor

Many cruise ships also offer various fitness classes, including yoga, Zumba, spin, and more.

For qualified instructors, this can be a great way to stay healthy, make money, and travel the world all at the same time. The average fitness instructor makes $45,380 annually.

<p> On cruise ships, hair and makeup artists may work in spas, providing services to guests looking to get pampered while on board, and may be needed to work with the ship’s performers. </p> <p> The BLS groups barbers, hairstyles, and cosmetologists together and states an average of $33,400 annual salary for these workers. </p> <p> <a href="https://www.financebuzz.com/clever-debt-payoff-55mp?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=feed&synd_slide=10&synd_postid=13933&synd_backlink_title=6+Clever+Ways+to+Crush+Your+Debt&synd_backlink_position=7&synd_slug=clever-debt-payoff-55mp">6 Clever Ways to Crush Your Debt</a><br> </p>

Hair/makeup artist

On cruise ships, hair and makeup artists may work in spas, providing services to guests looking to get pampered while on board, and may be needed to work with the ship’s performers.

The BLS groups barbers, hairstyles, and cosmetologists together and states an average of $33,400 annual salary for these workers.

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Hotel director

Since a cruise ship is essentially a floating hotel, many employees with experience working in hospitality are needed.

Hotel directors ensure that guests are comfortable and enjoy their experience. They may also be involved in planning and coordinating cruise activities.

The average salary for lodging managers is $61,910 annually.

Some cruise ships also hire nurses to provide care to passengers and cruise staff.

The amount of money nurses make on average usually depends on the type of nurse. Registered nurses (RNs) make $81,220 annually. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) make $54,620 a year.

Massage therapist

Many cruise passengers opt to take advantage of spa services. Massage therapists may work in a spa or travel to guests’ rooms with their equipment to provide massages.

Licensed massage therapists make just under $49,860 annually on average.

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<p> Cruise ships also frequently employ security staff to ensure the safety of guests and crew members. These workers may patrol the ship regularly and respond to any issues that come up. </p> <p> The average salary for security guards is $33,030 annually. </p>

Cruise ships also frequently employ security staff to ensure the safety of guests and crew members. These workers may patrol the ship regularly and respond to any issues that come up.

The average salary for security guards is $33,030 annually.

<p> Eating often and well is a big draw for many cruise passengers. Ships often have several restaurants on board and employ experienced servers to staff them. </p> <p> Pay for these workers can vary, depending on the cruise line’s tipping policy. The average salary for a server in the U.S. is $29,120 annually. </p>

Eating often and well is a big draw for many cruise passengers. Ships often have several restaurants on board and employ experienced servers to staff them.

Pay for these workers can vary, depending on the cruise line’s tipping policy. The average salary for a server in the U.S. is $29,120 annually.

<p> Part of the beauty of the typical cruise ship is that it’s kind of like a floating mall, filled with gift shops and retail stores galore. Ships often need many sales associates to staff these stores. </p> <p> Again, depending on the cruise line and the job, the pay for these gigs may vary. However, BLS data puts the average salary for a retail sales worker at $30,750 annually. </p> <p> That’s not huge money, but perhaps it's enough for students to <a href="https://financebuzz.com/supplement-income-55mp?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=feed&synd_slide=16&synd_postid=13933&synd_backlink_title=get+ahead+financially&synd_backlink_position=9&synd_slug=supplement-income-55mp">get ahead financially</a> during breaks between school years. </p>

Sales associate

Part of the beauty of the typical cruise ship is that it’s kind of like a floating mall, filled with gift shops and retail stores galore. Ships often need many sales associates to staff these stores.

Again, depending on the cruise line and the job, the pay for these gigs may vary. However, BLS data puts the average salary for a retail sales worker at $30,750 annually.

That’s not huge money, but perhaps it's enough for students to get ahead financially during breaks between school years.

Bottom line

Working as a cruise crew member is certainly not for everyone — lodging for staff can be cramped, days can be long, and you might be away from home for weeks at a time.

But for those looking to tap into a new source of income as they travel, it just may be a win-win situation.

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Everyone you know is going on a cruise

Lots of people will be getting their sea legs this summer.

Ports have been packed with cruise ships over the last few years, as vacationers flock to ever larger vessels and operators race to accommodate a surge in post-pandemic bookings — many of them from first-time passengers. The industry expects even more this year.

Benjamin Xiang, a San Francisco-based flight attendant, went on his first cruise last August, setting aside his reservations about “cruise people” and a type of trip he’d imagined would be “not my travel style.”

Benji Xiang enjoyed a Virgin Voyages cruise.

Taking advantage of a Virgin Voyages promotion that let him use credit card points to cover the $2,500 bill, Xiang booked a weeklong, all-inclusive, adults-only cruise from Barcelona, with stops at Mallorca, Ibiza and along the French Riviera.“I invited my best friend, we prepaid a $600 bar tab, and we were like, ‘We’ll just hang by the pool, read a book or something,’” said Xiang, 35. “Turned out we partied every single night and had a blast.”

He’s among the many cruise newbies who’ve helped power the industry’s recent growth. Some 27% of cruise passengers over the past two years have been first-timers, up 12% from the prior two-year period, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), a trade group.

Turned out we partied every single night and had a blast.

Benjamin Xiang, 35, San Francisco

“Will I go back? I think yes,” Xiang said. “Will I pay this time? Yes.”That’s exactly what cruise operators are hoping for, and so far they’re getting it: 82% of all cruisers say they’ll book again, CLIA’s latest report found.

After welcoming 31.7 million passengers last year, 7% more than in 2019, the industry expects volumes to swell to 34.7 million by the end of 2024. Experts say a combination of newcomers, repeat bookers and younger travelers are powering the uptick.

Like Xiang, many first-time cruisers are groups of friends traveling together, said Jennifer Klaussen, who owns Sundari Travel in Malibu, California.

“Once they get on a cruise and realize it’s not what they thought it would be, they’re usually interested in future cruises and diverse destinations,” she said, adding that newer operators have managed to “reduce the stigma associated with cruising — that it’s only for the elderly.”

Passengers under age 40, including kids, made up around 42% of cruisegoers last year, up from 35% in 2019, according to CLIA. While the average age of a cruise customer is 46 industrywide, millennials now make up nearly the same share — 22% — as baby boomers and Gen Xers, who each comprise 24%.“The cruise industry has been hard at work to launch new ships and experiences that are attractive to a younger, newer demographic,” said Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, “whether that’s a big, new ship with eye-catching attractions for families, or more bucket-list-worthy experiences like sailings in the Galapagos or Antarctica.”

The cruise industry has been hard at work to launch new ships and experiences that are attractive to a younger, newer demographic.

Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic

Amenities don’t hurt either, said Nathan Rosenberg, chief brand officer at Virgin Voyages, which began sailing only in 2021, as the cruise industry rebounded from the pandemic. “Millennials and Gen Z love the fact that everything is included. Think meals foodies would love, tips covered, Wi-Fi to stay connected and a ton of fitness classes,” he said.Vessels are getting bigger to handle the growing demand.

In January, Royal Caribbean Group launched Icon of the Seas — currently the world’s largest cruise ship, with 20 decks, 40 restaurants and room for more than 7,000 passengers and 3,000 crew members.

The company, meanwhile, reported a 16% increase in new cruisegoers between this year and last across its various cruise lines. Nearly half of all Royal Caribbean guests are millennials or younger, CEO Jason Liberty said on the company’s first-quarter earnings call.

Similarly, Norwegian Cruise Lines CEO Harry Sommer told CNBC earlier this month, “We appeal obviously to older customers, but millennial and Gen Z is the fastest-growing segment of our cruising right now.”

In an aerial view, Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas

Cruises generally aren’t cheap, though, and Sommer noted that the company’s target customer is middle- or upper-income. As consumer spending cools down across much of the economy, Americans are adjusting their summer vacation plans to fit their budgets.The share of travelers put off by steep prices hit 32% in Deloitte’s annual summer travel survey , up sharply from 24% last year. But more affluent vacationers still seem eager to shell out on everything from first-class airfare to luxury train trips , as the industry continues to push premium offerings .

“More higher-income travelers are headed to cruises,” whereas “lower-income travelers are going camping,” the Deloitte report, released Tuesday, said. (“RV trips are up across the board,” it added.)

That doesn’t mean cruise passengers aren’t paying attention to price.

Jaclyn Groh will be going on her first cruise in March 2025, sailing around the Caribbean. The 34-year-old therapist and social work professor at Ohio State University in Columbus typically takes her family on boat trips on a lake, beach visits, “and of course the occasional Disney adventure for the kiddos,” said Groh.

Jaclyn Groh booked a cruise for herself and her husband next year, a change of pace from family-friendly beach resorts they've visited in the past.

While some of her friends have done family cruises, she’s never been interested in the largest cruise ships because they seem “overwhelming.” But in shopping around for a vacation next year for just her and her husband, Groh said her travel agent’s description of the packages available won her over.The smaller Explora II vessel she opted for has a “boutique feel that we love,” she said. And it’s priced about the same as the resort in Curaçao where the couple will be celebrating their 10th anniversary this fall. That week on land will run about $6,500, while the cruise comes to about $6,700.

“The price seems very reasonable for all of the inclusions, and yet with the cruise we will get to experience so many new locations and excursions,” said Groh, who’s looking forward to “a perfect combination of resting in luxury and adventuring.”

Harriet Baskas is an NBC News contributor who writes about travel and the arts.

Watch CBS News

Passengers flock to cruise ships as pandemic fears abate

By Khristopher J. Brooks

Edited By Anne Marie Lee , Alain Sherter

May 30, 2023 / 3:41 PM EDT / MoneyWatch

Americans are booking trips on cruise ships at rates not seen since before the pandemic, a sign travelers are more comfortable boarding vessels that were once vectors for coronavirus.

Florida-based Royal Caribbean said earlier this month that the load factor, or percentage of seats filled, of its cruise ships rose to an average of 102% in the first quarter of 2023. By comparison, the occupancy rate was 57% a year ago and 107% in 2019 just before pandemic lockdowns.

Norwegian Cruise Line reported an average 101% occupancy rate during the first quarter, compared to 48% last year and 105% in 2019. The jump in cruise goers is helping revive the industry, which lost billions of dollars during the pandemic.

"COVID has dissipated as a concern for a lot of travelers" Wall Street Journal reporter Jacob Passy told CBS News. "People are raring to get out there, and cruises are a great way to see multiple locations (and) multiple countries."

Cruise lines are reporting more than 100% capacity because passengers are piling more than the suggested two people per cabin, Passy said. Cruise tickets this year are running between $130 and $260 a day depending on the ship, cabin type and destination, according to online price tracker Cruzely.

Overbooked ship cabins serve as visual proof of the industry's rebound. Cabin occupancy rates will stay in the triple digits between now and into 2026, fueled mostly by millennial travelers , the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) estimated .

"Cruising is back and is one of the fastest growing segments of tourism, outpacing the recovery of international tourism arrivals," CLIA spokesperson Sally Andrews said. "Consumer intent to cruise is also higher than it was in December of 2019( pre-pandemic) among both experienced cruisers and those who have never cruised before."

In 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised travelers to stay away from cruise ships after a number of ships reports COVID-19 outbreaks. Bookings plunged, forcing companies such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian to furlough workers. Cruise companies globally saw their income sink from $24 billion in 2019 to $8 billion in 2021, according to the most recent CLIA data .

The CDC ended its warning about cruise ships last year and is no longer requiring companies to only host passengers who have been vaccinated against the virus.

One of the biggest problems cruise operators faced during the pandemic was passengers booking trips, then backing out weeks before the departure due to health safety concerns, Passy said. These days, cruise lines are more likely to overbook travelers because they're still expecting some to change their minds last minute.

"The issue right now is fewer people are canceling because of COVID, so they're having to readjust that algorithm a bit to account for the fact that more people are just going no matter what," Passy said.

Cruise Ship
Royal Caribbean

Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. He previously worked as a reporter for the Omaha World-Herald, Newsday and the Florida Times-Union. His reporting primarily focuses on the U.S. housing market, the business of sports and bankruptcy.

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14 Behind-the-Scenes secrets of cruise ship workers

1. AMERICANS ARE THE WORST CRUISE WORKERS

2. THE CREW IS TRAINED FOR PIRATE ATTACKS

3. WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT? WORK ON A CRUISE LINER

Gavin, who worked as a waiter for a major cruise line, said the crew would occasionally get treated to whatever leftovers remained from the passenger buffet, but “it would disappear so fast.”

4. CREW MEMBERS SOMETIMES MESS WITH PASSENGERS

Some crew members shake things up by getting a rise out of passengers in the form of good old practical jokes. According to another former crew member, “a favorite was while in a passenger area say to another crew member, loud enough to be heard by passengers, ‘Meet you in the bowling alley tonight!’” Of course, there wasn’t actually a bowling alley on board. “Then we’d wait for the comment cards to come in: ‘Why do crew get a bowling alley when we don’t?’”

5. AND THEY’RE PROBABLY DRUNK

6. HOOKING UP WITH GUESTS IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN

7. YOU’RE ALMOST ALWAYS BEING WATCHED

“It is safe to assume if you are outside of your cabin you are probably on camera,” Gavin says. “In the event of any kind of emergency, they could pull security footage at any time.”

8. YOU HAVE A LOT OF POWER OVER HOW MUCH THE CREW GETS PAID

9. SOME CRUISE WORKERS HAVE DOUBLE LIVES

Gavin says one of his fellow employees lived as an out-of-the-closet gay man while on board, but was still closeted on land.

10. THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE WORLD

“You stop following news and sports and pop culture,” Gavin says. “You’re really kind of isolated out there.” It can be difficult (and expensive) to find an Internet connection while at sea, so many ship workers completely lose track of current events while on contract.

11. THEY SPEAK IN CODE

Crew members have shorthand codes for everything from fires to medical emergencies, which they can announce over the loudspeaker without alarming passengers.

Code Adam: a child is missing Code Alpha: there’s a medical emergency Code Oscar: man overboard Code Bravo: fire on the ship

12. THE SHIP HAS MANY MAFIAS

13. THERE’S A MORGUE ON BOARD

14. THEY WILL LEAVE YOU BEHIND

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I Used to Work on a Cruise Ship, and These Are the 13 Things You Should Never Leave Port Without

A former crew member reveals the most important packing essentials.

Kelsey’s writing has appeared in outlets like Condé Nast Traveler, TripSavvy, Edible Magazine, and TimeOut. Some of the most standout experiences in her travels include living in Tokyo, abseiling in Vanuatu, surfing in Costa Rica, and cycling through the Pyrenees mountains.

Travel + Leisure

My first career as a cruise ship entertainer had me sailing all over the world, living and working aboard these large floating resorts for six to eight months at a time. After years of roaming the world’s ports and experiencing every ship and shoreside scenario that you could imagine, I became adept at packing a single suitcase to ensure a comfortable life at sea.

Although living on a ship long-term is different from taking a 10-day cruise, crew and guest cruise packing lists are similar — emphasizing items that make sailing more comfortable and easy. Whether you’re embarking on a world cruise or just escaping to the Caribbean for a quick trip, these essential travel accessories are what my fellow seafarers and I would suggest bringing to make life on the water all the more comfortable. From versatile travel bags to helpful gadgets and genius seasick remedies , here’s what to pack for a cruise like a pro.

Travel Voltage Converter

Most ship staterooms are outfitted with a three-prong 110-volt (North America-grounded) and a 220-volt (Europe) outlet. It’s always a good idea to carry an international adaptor and surge protector to safeguard your devices from electric irregularities. What's more, smaller interior cabins may have only two outlets, which could pose a problem if you and your guest have multiple devices to charge at the same time. Useful for more than just onboard, an internal adaptor is also handy for cruise itineraries that drop you off in multiple countries. Keep this adaptor in your day bag so you can plug it in ashore if your tech needs a charge.

Liquid I.V. Packets

Cruises are vacations, a time to enjoy yourself and indulge. But it’s all too easy to go a tad overboard (ship pun intended) on alcoholic beverages, savory foods, and sunbathing. If you think a hangover is bad, just wait until you have one on a rocky ship at sea. To avoid losing a precious day of your cruise, bring along Liquid I.V. powder, an electrolyte mix that delivers hydration to the bloodstream faster than just water alone. Each bag comes with 16, travel-friendly powder packets and you have your choice between 17 flavors.

Portable First Aid Kit

Visits to the ship’s medical center can be pricey. Avoid this unexpected expense if you can by bringing your own first aid kit. Start by packing your essential prescription medications. Then, add bandages and antibiotic ointment for attending to small surface wounds. Bring pain relief medication and cold medicine, just in case. Don’t forget antacids and over-the-counter medicines to ease digestion. Sunscreen and aloe vera gel are must-haves so you don’t spend your whole cruise hiding from the sun. Bug repellent and after-bite lotion will also ease your sleep if you’ve run into sand fleas at the beach. If you have any allergies, make sure that you have an EpiPen or your chosen allergy medication.

Portable Charger

When I lived on a ship, I would be one of the first ashore and the last back onboard. Exploring new locales is one of the best parts of cruising. If you like to head ashore for the whole day, you’ll want to keep your phone charged so you can navigate your way back to the ship, call for help in case of an emergency, and snap pictures and videos of your destination. Carry a powerful battery bank with you like the Anker Portable Charger so your phone doesn’t die and you’re prepared for long adventures, or fun overnights, in ports of call.

Waterproof Phone Pouch

You’re never far from water on a cruise ship, which means that you’ll want to protect your tech with waterproof gear. Great for island cruise itineraries, this phone bag is watertight and retains touchscreen operations through its polyvinyl shell. It comes with a detachable lanyard should you want to take it into the waves and capture underwater adventures. Even if you’re not going in the water, this pouch will protect your phone from snow and rain, too. Beach-bound cruisers will also find it useful for keeping their phone sand- and salt-free too.

Collapsible Umbrella

Weather on a cruise can be tough to predict, particularly for various ports of call. Even if the forecast is fair, weather can change in an instant, particularly if you’re cruising near shoulder seasons. You’ll be grateful to come prepared with an umbrella so you aren’t forced to buy the marked-up ones in port or onboard. Even if there’s no sign of rain, a good umbrella doubles as a sun protectant for harsh midday sun.

Formal Evening Attire

Almost every cruise has a formal night where guests are encouraged to dress in elegant wear. This event usually occurs on a sea day at the beginning of your itinerary. Formal nights are fun and evoke the old-world, slow-travel glamor of cruising. Even the officers dress up and don their formal ship whites. When everyone onboard participates in the formal night dress code, it makes the event all the more special and luxurious, so remember to bring a few upscale resort looks onboard. This stunning Tadashi Shoji Off-Shoulder A-Line Crepe and Taffeta Gown will do the trick, but if you’re shopping on a budget, there are plenty of swanky cocktail dress options at Amazon; start your search with the Anrabess Pleated Maxi Dress or PrettyGarden One-Shoulder Slit Maxi Dress — starting at $50.

Sand-Free Beach Towel

Most cruise guests bring the ship’s pool towels shoreside for lounging. But, the terry cloth towels cling to the sand, bringing it back in your bag to be dumped on your stateroom floor. If you want a tidier beach trip, bring along a sand-free beach blanket like this Turkish beach towel. It's made with cotton and folds up slim so it won’t take up too much space in your suitcase. What's more, it dries quickly to prevent your bag and its contents from getting soggy.

Packing Cubes

When I reached out to a crew member friend to discuss packing tips, his first thought was emphatically packing cubes. Organization is key to enjoying your cruise, particularly on the day that you embark as it’s the most hectic day for all staff onboard. By the time that you’re able to check into your room, it’s almost time to sail away, and you’ll probably want to be on deck with a daiquiri and sweet treat in hand, not organizing your wardrobe — which is why I recommend traveling with packing cubes. They're not only great for condensing your suitcase contents but also keeping them organized and easy-to-spot, so you can spend less time searching for the things you need and make unpacking and getting ready a breeze.

Collapsible Duffel Bag

One of the perks of cruise ship travel is that, unlike airlines, most cruise lines don’t have strict luggage policies. For travelers who like to shop or collect souvenirs, this is a huge perk. On itineraries with excellent shopping, cruising can be a great way to source neat gifts. Onboard shopping is also a fun way to pick up items to remember your trip. If you’re worried that you won’t have room in your case for your purchases, bring a collapsible duffel bag like this handy 40-liter version from REI for your treasures. Amazon reviewers also love the Gonex Foldable Travel Duffle Bag and the Vomgomfom Travel Duffle Bag for the same reason.

Reusable Collapsible Bag

If you’re cruising around islands, you can make this collapsible tote bag your designated beach bag. Its nylon fabric makes it easy to brush off sand and it dries quickly should you need to wash it (or accidentally get it wet while you're at the beach). If you’re cruising around Europe, you’ll quickly learn that single-use plastic bags are often banned. Many markets, shops, and stores expect everyone to come with their own bag to take away their products. This reusable bag folds to a pocket-size when you’re not using it, so you can keep it in your purse or backpack until you need it.

If you’re a light sleeper, the noises of a ship may come as a shock. Whether it’s the sounds of the anchor dropping at 5 a.m. or your raucous neighbors enjoying late-night revelry, earplugs will help you get restful sleep at sea — no matter the time of day. Make sure you pick up this on-sale pack of 60 at Amazon; they're made with soft foam for a comfortable and adjustable fit and deliver impressive noise-canceling capabilities.

Non-Drowsy Seasick Patches

If your itinerary is taking you through rough waters, like the Drake Passage or the Tasmanian Sea, be prepared with remedies to fight motion sickness. More than 11,500 reviewers swear by these seasick patches that use a holistic herbal blend to fight nausea. The onboard medical center offers Dramamine to seasick guests, which will make you sleepy and groggy. If you want to stay alert while fighting the nausea, these non-drowsy patches are the way to go. A few crew tips for fighting sea stomach: stay on the upper levels of the ship, munch on green apples, and keep your eyes on the horizon.

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COMMENTS

Do Cruise Ship Employees Hook Up?
In my estimation, 60% of single employees hook up with someone, and 40% of the "taken" people (those that are married, engaged, or in a relationship already) do as well. Some hooking up is inevitable, considering cruise ship employees are in extremely close quarters 24/7. We work, eat, and party together… people are bound to hook up and ...
Relationships Between Passengers and Staff/Crew : r/Cruise
Really though, with so many crew and it changing weekly, there is no issue finding people to hook up with. The crew/pax thing is more a passenger want than a crew want. ... Worked onboard cruise ships from 2003 till 2019, 20 different ships over 5 cruise lines. Saw Lots of sex with passengers, one guy i worked with had a goal of sleeping with a ...
MY experience hooking up with a cruise ship worker : r/Cruise
MY experience hooking up with a cruise ship worker. I was on the carnival conquest ship on a 8 day cruise, having a fun time, living the dream. At one of the deck parties one of the dancers came up to me and was being flirty and I thought nothing of it. A few days later he came and talked to me for a bit before the show and that night at the ...
What is Cruise Hookup Culture Like? Any Stories? : r/Cruise
TrophyWife2022. •. The shorter the cruise, the more young people and the more of a party booze cruise. Also the cheaper the cruise. The longer more expensive cruises tend to be more families and older crowds. Virgin cruises also no one under 21 (maybe 18) allowed and it's a party and has waaaaay better food.
Do Cruise Ship Employees Sleep With Guests?
Yes, there are some incidents of cruise ship crew hooking up with passengers, but it's extremely rare due to the severe consequences if the crew are caught. So that's good news if you want to avoid unwanted attention from crew during your cruise. And if you were hoping for a crew hookup as a passenger, you'll need to try your luck with ...
Do cruise ship employees hook up with passengers?
For the most part, cruise ship employees don't hook up with passengers, for fear of losing their jobs. But it definitely happens. I'd say about 5% of officers, staff or crew that frequent the passenger areas end up being with a passenger or passengers at some point in their cruise ship careers. Read on if you'd like to hear about the ...
The Beginner's Guide to Hooking Up on a Cruise
Young, international, good looking. The crew on a cruise ship — such as personable bartenders — seem like they would be a prime hunting ground for a quick fling. Don't do it. Crew members are on strict orders that hooking up with passengers is forbidden. It can easily cost them their job.
How much do cruise ship workers make?
ZipRecruiter also notes that Cruise Ship Physician Assistant and Cruise Manager also rank well in terms of salary. Do cruise employees hook up with passengers? Despite what you may have seen on the television show, "The Love Boat", crew members are strictly prohibited from any kind of relationships with passengers onboard.
Secrets of Cruise Ships From Crew Codes to Sex to Norovirus
9 Things I Never Knew About Cruises Until I Ran the World's Largest Ship On board the Harmony of the Seas , 2,200 crew members work 24 hours a day to make sure their community of 6,300 ...
Can cruise ship employees hook up with guests?
Cruise ship employees often find themselves in an environment where they interact closely with passengers, leading to questions about personal relationships and boundaries. The issue of whether cruise ship employees can hook up with guests is a complex one, and various factors come into play.
Do Cruise Ship Workers Hook Up With Passengers?
The romantic potential of such a situation can be quite enticing, but do cruise ship workers really hook up with passengers. The answer is both yes and no. It's true that some crew members have been known to engage in relationships with passengers, but these are far from the norm. While it is not unheard of for crew members to hook up with ...
Cruise Ship Crew Romance: Dating on a Cruise Ship
Cruise ship crew romance is taken to new levels when you live together onboard. Small spaces and literally being stuck on a boat = getting to know your partner in new (and oh-so-fun) ways. Don't let the haters fool you, cruise ship dating can lead to happily ever after. There are tons of happy couples that met onboard.
14 Secrets of Cruise Ship Workers
14. They will leave you behind. If you leave the ship for an on-land excursion, make sure you get back before departure time. Cruise lines pay massive fines if they overstay their port time, so ...
Do Cruise Ship Employees Hook Up?
The question of whether cruise ship employees hook up or not is one that has been asked countless times. The truth is, it depends. Some cruise ships may be more open to casual relationships between passengers and crew, while others are more conservative in their policies. In addition, some crew members may be more open to meeting new people and ...
Onboard Romance ... for Crew
For crew members, romance is unlike anything folks experience on land -- where you start off in separate living quarters and can take a "timeout" by going to work or seeing pals. Onboard ships ...
What's up with HOOK UP CULTURE on a Cruise Ship?
The moment is finally here! Time for one of my personal favorite topics to talk about! HOOKING UP on a cruise ship! Have you ever wondered if things get a li...
Posts
Do cruise ship employees hook up with passengers? Before working on cruise ships, I always wondered if the crew hooked up with passengers from time to time. ... Passengers often see the same crew members all day long and wonder how many hours cruise ship employees actually work. Regardless of the job position, Read More »
20 Surprising Behind-The-Scene Realities Of Cruise Ship Workers
14 The Crew Depends On Tips. Cruise ship workers don't get paid much, especially those from developing countries. They work very long hours and some of them perform demeaning and hard work. Passenger tips are a huge supplement to their income, and many workers depend on them to support their families back home.
Can You Hook Up on a Cruise Ship?
The answer is yes - it is possible to hook up on a cruise ship, but it's important to remember that there are certain rules and regulations that need to be followed. Cruises are family-friendly holidays, and as such, there are certain expectations for behavior on board. That means any kind of public displays of affection - including hand ...
My experience hooking up with a cruise ship worker : r/CruiseCrew
My experience hooking up with a cruise ship worker . I was on the carnival conquest ship on a 8 day cruise, having a fun time, living the dream. At one of the deck parties one of the dancers came up to me and was being flirty and I thought nothing of it. ... Most cruise ship employees aren't looking to hook up. It's an immediate termination ...
Working On A Cruise Ship: Real Employee Job Confessions
It's a type of education that's hard to find anywhere else. I always say it was the best of times and the worst of times, but I wouldn't change anything." — Katie. "For the right person, it is a ...
15 Incredible Cruise Ship Jobs (Get Paid To Travel!)
Nurse. Some cruise ships also hire nurses to provide care to passengers and cruise staff. The amount of money nurses make on average usually depends on the type of nurse. Registered nurses (RNs ...
Everyone you know is going on a cruise
Scott McIntyre / Bloomberg via Getty Images. Passengers under age 40, including kids, made up around 42% of cruisegoers last year, up from 35% in 2019, according to CLIA. While the average age of ...
Passengers flock to cruise ships as pandemic fears abate
Florida-based Royal Caribbean said earlier this month that the load factor, or percentage of seats filled, of its cruise ships rose to an average of 102% in the first quarter of 2023. By ...
14 Behind-the-Scenes secrets of cruise ship workers
But as with many "dream" jobs, there are a few significant downsides to consider before you fill out an application. We spoke to a few cruise ship employees about what it's like to live and work on a floating hotel. 1. AMERICANS ARE THE WORST CRUISE WORKERS. On most large cruise liners, the majority of staff and crew are not American.
13 Things to Pack for a Cruise, According to Crew
Buy on Amazon $29 $19. Most cruise guests bring the ship's pool towels shoreside for lounging. But, the terry cloth towels cling to the sand, bringing it back in your bag to be dumped on your ...