Paradise pays staff Aus $4.30/hour, 14 hour days says short-stay Trainee...

From the British media, which erroneously called the ship the "Cruise Paradise," the details are disappointing:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6089521/Cruise-ship-worker-reveals-really-goes-scenes.html

Just like any other job, one can quit if they do not like it.

Some of it does not ring very true to me. Why would she work at a low wage rate as a photographer in a position of no tips expected? She knew going in she was not going to get days off but suspect she had time off during port days to get off the ship if she so wished.

Also not many photographers around during middle of the day so doubt she really worked 14 hours a day.

It's not a big secret that cruise line workers are not paid very well and a lot of positions are heavily dependent on tips (which is why it upsets me when people remove gratuities but that is another story). But no one is forced to work on a ship and they can easily get out of their contract if they want, like the person in this article did. Having literally talked to 100s of workers on Carnival, with very few exceptions, most of them work on the ship because they make far more money on a ship than they can make in their home country. Of course there are exceptions like the United States, which is why you will never see employees from here working in a service position like a room steward, dining room waiter, etc.

I don't think there is anything at all disappointing in the article. Cruise lines like Carnival allow people from all over the world to live a far better lifestyle at home than they could afford if they only worked in their home country.

Now just my take. However, just from the first few lines. Apparrtly she thought she was going on a paid vacation. Now my question becomes this she said she was working 14 hour days. She was getting breaks during the day. Okay could she be like some former co-workers of mind. We were working a split shift 5 hours on 5 hours off 5hours on. They thought that since it 15 hours from the first time they punched in till the last time they punched out that it was a 15 hour day. And being we were bus drivers that they couldn't be asked to work anymore. And even if it was 14 hours she was working how many were actually training that once she fully knew the job she would not have to put in?

All toll Sounds a to me like she got homesick and wants an excuse for it not working out. Cause given that she signed a 6 month contract. There is most likely penalties for her quiting before the end of the six months. And/or grounds for Carnival to file a lawsuit against her for breech of contract.

Sent from my LG-H918 using Forums mobile app

Daughter worked Camp Carnival, wage seems about right. Hours too. But then no costs, room and board paid, medical as well if necessary. Carnival didn't pay for wifi, the crew looked forward to time off in Port to get free WiFi. Room tiny, REAL tiny like 1/4 the size of regular stateroom and for 2 people in bunk bed. Food is meh, not to same level as passengers. Daughter expected long hours, she did it for the experience. Made some great friends and stills stays in touch. So overall nothing surprising with article. Just something to keep in mind as a passenger, rudeness from passengers is something my daughter didn't expect but dealt with routinely.

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

You know it's a work of fiction when they call the Carnival Paradise a "luxury liner'!

Don't get me wrong, I love the smaller ships (read my signature, it's full of them), but 'luxury' they're not.

For every person selected for a service job on Carnival there are 10 that wanted that job. To many this is a way out of a poverty-stricken life with little future. Many work the ships 10-15 years return to their homeland, buy a business and live very well the rest of their lives.

Daughter worked Camp Carnival, wage seems about right. Hours too. But then no costs, room and board paid, medical as well if necessary. Carnival didn't pay for wifi, the crew looked forward to time off in Port to get free WiFi. Room tiny, REAL tiny like 1/4 the size of regular stateroom and for 2 people in bunk bed. Food is meh, not to same level as passengers. Daughter expected long hours, she did it for the experience. Made some great friends and stills stays in touch. So overall nothing surprising with article. Just something to keep in mind as a passenger, rudeness from passengers is something my daughter didn't expect but dealt with routinely.

 

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

deleted

Daughter worked Camp Carnival, wage seems about right. Hours too. But then no costs, room and board paid, medical as well if necessary. Carnival didn't pay for wifi, the crew looked forward to time off in Port to get free WiFi. Room tiny, REAL tiny like 1/4 the size of regular stateroom and for 2 people in bunk bed. Food is meh, not to same level as passengers. Daughter expected long hours, she did it for the experience. Made some great friends and stills stays in touch. So overall nothing surprising with article. Just something to keep in mind as a passenger, rudeness from passengers is something my daughter didn't expect but dealt with routinely.

 

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

A friend of mine worked for Carnival right out of college. I have no idea what the wages were at that time. She actually met her husband on the ship. She was a musician/ performer as was he. She did it also for the experience and not the money. She says it was a great experience.

Daughter worked Camp Carnival, wage seems about right. Hours too. But then no costs, room and board paid, medical as well if necessary. Carnival didn't pay for wifi, the crew looked forward to time off in Port to get free WiFi. Room tiny, REAL tiny like 1/4 the size of regular stateroom and for 2 people in bunk bed. Food is meh, not to same level as passengers. Daughter expected long hours, she did it for the experience. Made some great friends and stills stays in touch. So overall nothing surprising with article. Just something to keep in mind as a passenger, rudeness from passengers is something my daughter didn't expect but dealt with routinely.

 

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

Interesting but one comment.

She could have had all her meals on lido so think her food would be as good as us passengers get.

A friend of mine worked for Carnival right out of college. I have no idea what the wages were at that time. She actually met her husband on the ship. She was a musician/ performer as was he. She did it also for the experience and not the money. She says it was a great experience.

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

Interesting but one comment.

 

She could have had all her meals on lido so think her food would be as good as us passengers get.

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

Entertainment staff works much fewer hours, paid better and have pretty good experience. They have so much available free time they tend to get a bit bored and will then volunteer for other paid duties, such as helping out with the art auctions.

 

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

Ill have to ask what she made at the time and compare it to what minimum wage was at the time when we meet up next week. Now Im curious.

You know it's a work of fiction when they call the Carnival Paradise a "luxury liner'!

Don't get me wrong, I love the smaller ships (read my signature, it's full of them), but 'luxury' they're not.

Luxury compared to what my grandparents came on when they made the trip to Ellis island from Italy.

Interesting but one comment.

 

She could have had all her meals on lido so think her food would be as good as us passengers get.

Not all crew members are allowed to eat in passenger venues; indeed, some crew members are not allowed on passenger decks at all.

Not all crew members are allowed to eat in passenger venues; indeed, some crew members are not allowed on passenger decks at all.

Photogs are allowed to eat on the Lido.

There's no denying the fact that the crew members work their tails off for moderate to low pay (although compared to poverty/unemployment it is not so bad). This article sounds like a young person with no experience expecting to get paid a generous amount of money to travel and take pictures. Of course, you do get to travel and meet new people but it is not like having your own private vacation where you can do what you want whenever you want.

I consider the entertainment staff/photography jobs as resume builders. The pay stinks, the hours are long, but the experience is invaluable. Internships at many organizations are completely unpaid and are for experience only. At least she was getting most of her expenses covered and a paycheck.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

It's not for everyone. It's some tough work. It does have its perks though. The pay might be lower, but it is much higher than many of these people could earn elsewhere. You also have very little expenses as the ship provides it. Rooming conditions are even worse in the navy.

It would be nice to see their hours reduced though. 70+ every week is a lot. It's amazing how friendly they stay.

Are not the photographers on board employees of the company which has the photography contract on board (like the spa, art auctions, and shops) and not Carnival?

If so, her problems are with her contract organization, not Carnival.

You know it's a work of fiction when they call the Carnival Paradise a "luxury liner'!

Don't get me wrong, I love the smaller ships (read my signature, it's full of them), but 'luxury' they're not.

No Carnival ship can accurately be called a "luxury liner," just as no Holiday Inn Express could be called a "luxury hotel;" I say this as someone who enjoys both chains.

Affordable and pleasant they are, "luxury" they simply are not.

Some of it does not ring very true to me. Why would she work at a low wage rate as a photographer in a position of no tips expected? She knew going in she was not going to get days off but suspect she had time off during port days to get off the ship if she so wished.

 

Also not many photographers around during middle of the day so doubt she really worked 14 hours a day.

She is taking a salary and averaging it out by the hours worked. Also, you think that photographers only work the evening hours when they are actually shooting pictures? LOL

I am not surprised by the article, and I am not concerned either. You know what you are signing up for. However, I think the cruise lines could move towards a better quality of life for crew with better breaks etc.

It's not a big secret that cruise line workers are not paid very well and a lot of positions are heavily dependent on tips (which is why it upsets me when people remove gratuities but that is another story). But no one is forced to work on a ship and they can easily get out of their contract if they want, like the person in this article did. Having literally talked to 100s of workers on Carnival, with very few exceptions, most of them work on the ship because they make far more money on a ship than they can make in their home country. Of course there are exceptions like the United States, which is why you will never see employees from here working in a service position like a room steward, dining room waiter, etc.

 

I don't think there is anything at all disappointing in the article. Cruise lines like Carnival allow people from all over the world to live a far better lifestyle at home than they could afford if they only worked in their home country.

Australia does not really fit into that category, but nevertheless she had the opportunity to save a lot of money if she would have been able to stick it out a contract or two.

She is taking a salary and averaging it out by the hours worked. Also, you think that photographers only work the evening hours when they are actually shooting pictures? LOL

 

I am not surprised by the article, and I am not concerned either. You know what you are signing up for. However, I think the cruise lines could move towards a better quality of life for crew with better breaks etc.

Sure do not think she is working anywhere close to 14 hours a day though.

If crew didnt have satisfactory quality of life would not be so much competition for the jobs not to mention crew members coming back contract after contract. .