When it comes to cruise ship jobs, your workplace is your world for the duration of the contract. Crew members work and live on the vessel, making careers and enjoying social lives, all in the same floating space.
To keep employees happy and eager to work on board, cruise ship companies have a team dedicated to crew welfare and entertainment. Many vessels these days have an expansive crew only area that is out of bounds for passengers. Here, you’ll find a fully equipped gym, a swimming pool and deck, lounge areas, dining rooms, internet cafes, and even pubs.
One of the most frequented spots is the crew bar, typically located on Deck 3 that goes by the name ‘I-95’ after one of the oldest highways in the US. Here, alcohol is much cheaper than in guest areas and anecdotes reveal some of the wildest parties on board take place here. However, all crew are aware that despite having easy access to alcohol, they must turn up to work in a responsible, sober state and be able to put in the required hours the following day.
Cruise ships often hire a manager and team solely to ensure crew enjoy themselves while on board. The team organises a host of events through the year, looks after logistics and decides how to spend the crew entertainment budget in the best way possible.
Before the ship reaches port, the team organises tours and other activities that can be availed by crew who are free to go ashore. They also coordinate activities for corporate social responsibility taken on by the cruise company, and encourage crew to volunteer and participate.
Most cruise vessels have crew from around the world, representing many different nationalities and cultures. Companies take trouble to ensure that important national and religious holidays of all the major represented cultures are celebrated with equal fanfare. Cruise ship crew from India can be certain that there will be crew festivities for Diwali and Eid as there are for Christmas, Thanksgiving and Hanukkah.
Crew will often see theme parties, movie nights and other activities organised on a regular basis. Management sometimes provides for on board television channels with a variety of movies for staff, as well as crew bingo, and at times, live shows. There are extensive libraries that rent out movies and books, crew competitions, party games and quizzes, and board games.
Some cruises often also put together skills expansion courses, such as language classes or management sessions with certification so interested staff can work their way up or build their resume while on contract.