Cruise Jobs – International vs. American Ships

When I was first employed on cruise ships, I worked on an international ship in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. There were a lot of advantages to this job.

• Our cruise itinerary was incredible. We sailed through Scandinavia, the British Isles, France, all of the Mediterranean, North Africa – then across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. I saw nearly 30 countries and dozens of cities. See pictures in the photo album.
• The crew members I worked with were from very diverse backgrounds. I had friends from everywhere – London, Edinburgh, Munich, Holland, the Philippines, Indonesia, Poland – the list goes on and on. I had American and Canadian friends too, but we (North Americans) were the minority within the crew.
• Rules were somewhat relaxed on the ship, now that I look back at it. We didn’t work very much, we complained when we did. People drank every night.

Now I’m working on an American ship, and its a different kind of experience.

• The crew on an American cruise ship is paid hourly, with benefits, and many crew members are represented by workers unions. I was amazed when I found this out. Crew members are guaranteed 40 hours a week and paid overtime after that. On my international ship there were Indonesians working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for $600/month! Its my experience that crews on international cruise ships often feel over-worked and under-paid, but I don’t get that impression from this American ship.
• Perhaps because of the better pay, morale seems higher on the American ship. As I said, crew members on my international ship sometimes spoke bitterly about the company we worked for, but I don’t find that as much on the American ship.
• There is no casino on American ships.
• All crew members on American cruise ships must apply for their merchant marine license through the U.S. Coast Guard. According to Wikipedia, “in time of war, the merchant marine is an auxiliary to the Navy, and can be called upon to deliver troops and supplies for the military.”
• The crew is not allowed to be drunk on an American ship. The U.S. Coast Guard requires that all crew members be under the legal limit at all times in case of an emergency. The captain of my ship requires that the bartender in crew areas limit each crew member to two drinks per hour, and the time stamps on receipts are monitored to make sure.

Generally, I think that there are good things about both kinds of cruise ship gigs. I think I prefer the itinerary of an international cruise ship job, but the comfort of a more satisfied crew.