Cruise ship salaries

[Alan the sponge]

Does anyone know how much the top positions on the Carnival ships make? My son and me were talking about if a Carnival Captain gets the same as an airline pilot. How much does someone like a cruise director make, any idea anyone?

[PCHENG]

I don't know how much a cruise captain makes, but I bet it will be more than an airline pilot. After all, there are far fewer cruise ships than planes, so captains are a much rarer breed. Plus these people are in charge of thousands of live at any given time, and they are on the ship almost 24/7 while pilots are limited by FAA rules to 8 hours per day on average if I remember correctly.

 

On one episode of Samantha Brown, I remember it mentioned a head cabin attendant makes about $2,000.00 per month on RCCL. Not sure if that figure is net or gross, or if it counts only basepay or includes additional tips. I remember thinking to myself that is not a bad salary (when I first started working, my take home pay after all witholdings ia about $2,000.00) and would probably afford a pretty decent lifestyle in Phillipine and indonesia where a large number of the cabin attendants came from.

Edited March 19, 2011 by PCHENG

[coachj]

there is a web site called cruiseshipjobs.com which describes the salaries of different positions on a ship.

[5waldos]

Salary $56,993 - $120,030

Bonus $2,000 - $10,279

Profit Sharing $1,725 - $5,000

Total Pay (?) $52,246 - $124,916

 

According to http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Ship_Captain/Salary

[Alan the sponge]

Interesting 5waldos, I had not seen that salary website before. What about cruise directors, I dont see anything about cruise directors because from what I read here each day they drive the $$ on the boat right?

[golfadj]

Interesting 5waldos, I had not seen that salary website before. What about cruise directors, I dont see anything about cruise directors because from what I read here each day they drive the $$ on the boat right?

 

Apparently years ago they kept the profits on the bingo for most of their salary but now it is a salaried position.

 

Wonder what the CD does get though.

[superjuice]

From the cruseshipjob.com site

 

Cruise Director (The cruise director is in charge of all on-board entertainment, creates, coordinates, and implements all the daily activities, acting master of ceremonies at social activities and evening shows). Professional entertainment background preferred or 2-5 years on board working your way up from an entry-level cruise staff position. Public speaking, delegate responsibilities and strong organizational abilities required. Fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: $3800-7500 U.S. per month, depending on the cruise line.

[SadieN]

I do know where one Captain lives and it is a very nice house in a very nice area.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I don't know how much a cruise captain makes, but I bet it will be more than an airline pilot. After all, there are far fewer cruise ships than planes, so captains are a much rarer breed. Plus these people are in charge of thousands of live at any given time, and they are on the ship almost 24/7 while pilots are limited by FAA rules to 8 hours per day on average if I remember correctly.

 

On one episode of Samantha Brown, I remember it mentioned a head cabin attendant makes about $2,000.00 per month on RCCL. Not sure if that figure is net or gross, or if it counts only basepay or includes additional tips. I remember thinking to myself that is not a bad salary (when I first started working, my take home pay after all witholdings ia about $2,000.00) and would probably afford a pretty decent lifestyle in Phillipine and indonesia where a large number of the cabin attendants came from.

 

you can rest assured that the cabin steward isn't making $2000 a month in base salary.:)

 

Bill

[5waldos]

you can rest assured that the cabin steward isn't making $2000 a month in base salary.:)

 

Bill

 

Last I read it was $75.00 base salary.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Last I read it was $75.00 base salary.

 

sounds just about right.:)

 

Bill

[melodystrother]

i think the stewards make alot less because there isnt alot of education required as other high profile positions on the ships, but I feel the stewards do most of the work.

[carsastic]

I have a second home in Tarpon Springs Florida and fish /boat with a person who just retired from CCl after many years of service ( his last post was matradee on the Inspiration ) .

We got to talking about pay and he said the head waiters get about 75-80 k a year after all is said and done, good one’s can make more if they take on extra duties such as being in charge of the special events at night ,when they do a Mexican buffet .. things like that. They work very long hrs.

Room steward make half that and work longer hours

I can not confirm it just repeating what “ the Greek” has told me.. I do believe him … but he is a fisherman

[Tapi]

I don't know how much a cruise captain makes, but I bet it will be more than an airline pilot.

Salary $56,993 - $120,000

Bonus $2,000 - $10,279

Profit Sharing $1,725 - $5,000

Total Pay (?) $52,246 - $124,916

According to http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Ship_Captain/Salary

Well, if that's the case, Airline Captains do make more money than Cruise Ship Captains. Just taking a snapshot from Delta, the lowest paid captain in their fleet (1st year DC-9) is making $144,000/year, and the top paid captain in their fleet (12th year 747) is making $217,000/year. Even an Airline Captain at a low cost carrier like Jet Blue will top off at $159,000/year.

Surprisingly, the highest paid Airline Captains don't carry passengers, they carry BOXES. FedEx Captains top off at $247,000/year!

Edited March 20, 2011 by Tapi

[luckycruzer]

Does anyone know how much the top positions on the Carnival ships make? My son and me were talking about if a Carnival Captain gets the same as an airline pilot. How much does someone like a cruise director make, any idea anyone?

 

but now flies for the airlines. Most pilots are paid for flight hours..some days he works 12 hours for 1 1/2 hrs pay!..other days, 6 flt hrs, in a 10 hr day. Pilots can be an hr by hr wage.Gteed 60/80 flt hrs a month, stand by pay, and OT. not as fab as some might think.

Edited March 20, 2011 by luckycruzer

[micro yaya]

I have a second home in Tarpon Springs Florida and fish /boat with a person who just retired from CCl after many years of service ( his last post was matradee on the Inspiration ) .

We got to talking about pay and he said the head waiters get about 75-80 k a year after all is said and done, good one’s can make more if they take on extra duties such as being in charge of the special events at night ,when they do a Mexican buffet .. things like that. They work very long hrs.

Room steward make half that and work longer hours

I can not confirm it just repeating what “ the Greek” has told me.. I do believe him … but he is a fisherman

 

tell me is that'GEORGE THE GREEK', he was always our favorite, he used to sit with us and sing (the old greek island songs with my husband). we're greek too, love that man:)

[Shelli]

According to that cruiseshipjob.com site (which includes tips in its pay ranges), stewards don't make bad pay totals:

 

Cabin Steward / Stewardess / Cabin Attendant (daily cleaning of passenger cabins) - no experience required, some experience preferred. Basic English Language skills required. Salary range: $1800-2200 U.S. per month, depending on gratuities from passengers. Possibilities for promotion to Head Room Steward.

 

They sure do work long hours, though! And, of course, we still don't know what their base salary is.

[Alan the sponge]

I wonder then how much this person you are always talking about here receives. John Herald and do captains get huge suites as cabins?

[saskcruiser]

The wages do not seem good at all. You are away from friends and family for months. You basically never leave your work. Even if you were at your top end of $2000 for a steward including tips, I know waitresses at Applebees that make more than that.

[golfadj]

The wages do not seem good at all. You are away from friends and family for months. You basically never leave your work. Even if you were at your top end of $2000 for a steward including tips, I know waitresses at Applebees that make more than that.

 

I believe stewards make more than that. Also remember it does come with room and board.

 

It is tough way to earn a living but they make more than they would at home. If they are smart they save major parts of their income and go back home and open a business.

[klmorg]

I guess the answer to the OP's question is that no one really knows, but we can all speculate pretty good. :D

[nybumpkin]

Don't forget that the officers and crew do not work year-round; they usually have several months off between contracts. It's not an easy lifestyle for either the mariner (and no matter what department they work in, they're all mariners) or his/her family, and it's certainly not for everyone. My son, a student at the US Merchant Marine Academy, told of some classmates who returned from their first sea term (roughly 3-4 months) and withdrew from the school because they realized it wasn't the life for them. My son seems to love it, though.

[lillian marie]

On a Jan. cruise the waiter we had was a woman from Russia who shared with us about her child who was being raised by a relative at home. She said she made a high salary for her country and could have her own house and give her child the best of everything on a CCL salary. She said she loved her job and could never make this much $ in her country.

[LHP]

On a Jan. cruise the waiter we had was a woman from Russia who shared with us about her child who was being raised by a relative at home. She said she made a high salary for her country and could have her own house and give her child the best of everything on a CCL salary. She said she loved her job and could never make this much $ in her country.

 

I believe we would find that this story is a pretty good example of why so many men and women leave their families and their homes to work for the cruise lines.

[LHP]

A base pay for $70 a month is one of the reasons we need to educate newbies that the "tip" placed on their Sail and Sign account is not a true gratuity.

 

This is their salary and they earn every penny.