Salaries for Cruise Employees

[Lou_70]

I am a little sad at the amount of posters that are criticising our behaviour in regards to getting this information , I would just like to say that we do not go onboard and start questioning any members of staff , during the cruise we make friends with various crew members , especially our cabin steward and table waiters , after a few days of getting to know them they probably feel quite happy to talk about their families , we listen as it's obvious their talking about them brings some comfort to them , by the end of the week we feel like we know them and vice versa , if during conversation something comes up about wages I am not going to tell them to shut up , I will listen as I would any other topic , if they think it's their way of making you feel sorry for them then that's up to them , it doesn't change my view that they must be ok with the way things are or they wouldn't do it , nor does it change my views on tipping , I tip when I feel it's deserved .not for one moment do I go onboard with the intent of questioning anyone on how much they earn , I wouldn't do it anywhere else so why would I do it on my cruise ?

 

sorry were making u a little sad!!

[clean1owner]

Of all the cruises I have ever been on, I have NEVER had any ship employee discuss their wages with me. I feel that I get to know them as good as anyone else does, but the topic of pay just doesn't come up.

 

The single exception would be when the Casino Manager on the Fantasy offered me a dealing job. At that time he told me the average dealers wages including tips was between $800 and $1000 a month. plus room and board.

[Lottycruiser]

Of all the cruises I have ever been on, I have NEVER had any ship employee discuss their wages with me. I feel that I get to know them as good as anyone else does, but the topic of pay just doesn't come up.

 

I guess I was just unlucky then , but then they weren't discussing their own wages they were talking about the pool waiters wages .

[rubrrick]

As they do ,I did ask what sort of food they got and they said it was mostly pasta dishes ,goulashes , casseroles things that are like a one pot dish for quickness , so needless to say a meal out no doubt would be welcomed for a change , I can't remember ever seeing a crew member sat in the windjammer eating , yet on our P&O cruise it was the norm to see White coats with what I call scrambled egg on their sleeves ( their ranks ) sitting eating in there ,oh and medical staff were eating in there too , never seen it on RCI .

 

Actually, officers eat in the WJ quite often. They are not testing out the food, it's part of their privilege's to eat in the WJ.

 

We have dined with more than one captain in the WJ as well, so I'm not sure where you are getting your information from, or maybe you don't eat in the WJ!

 

Rick

[fdthird]

At a certain level members of the crew have limited passenger status giving them the ability to dine in the various restaurants of the ship.

[DaQuix]

I will agree with this. They definitely get a regular pay cheque. Tips are a bonus

 

Are you kidding?

 

This is common knowledge. Cruise employees do not get a pay check. They work all for tips.

 

My friend was a room attendant for a year; She made good money, but it was all from tips.

[plazamom]

I am very surprised to learn the employees have to pay for their own uniforms:eek:. Would think the basic uniforms would be provided, and only if one chose to purchase additional items (extra shirts, etc) they would be charged. Also surprised they would be charged for cleaning!

[time4u2go]

Are you kidding?

 

This is common knowledge. Cruise employees do not get a pay check. They work all for tips.

 

My friend was a room attendant for a year; She made good money, but it was all from tips.

 

Other posts on this thread indicate otherwise.

[DaQuix]

If the pay was literally zero...why would the ships be filled with employees? I don't know for certain what they make, and it's none of my business same as what I make is none of THEIR business...but tips are given for service quality, not pity. Just my two cents. With that being said, I can't WAIT to spend some of my hard earned money ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!!! WOOP!!!!

 

1) Free room and board

 

2) They get a good paycheck, but its all tips. Think about all the pre-paid gratuities.

 

It's sad that so many of you don't realize that they don't receive a paycheck and probably left these people nothing.

[shaggyofwv]

1) Free room and board

 

2) They get a good paycheck, but its all tips. Think about all the pre-paid gratuities.

 

It's sad that so many of you don't realize that they don't receive a paycheck and probably left these people nothing.

 

 

Not trying to sound cold, but it really isn't my concern what they do or do not get paid. I am there to enjoy the fruits of MY labor, not worry about what someone else is or is not getting paid.

[Big_G]

1) Free room and board

 

2) They get a good paycheck, but its all tips. Think about all the pre-paid gratuities.

 

It's sad that so many of you don't realize that they don't receive a paycheck and probably left these people nothing.

 

What is sad is that some of you have been buffaloed into thinking that they don't get paid by the cruise line. I'm sure some make more on tips and most probably do depend on tips but they do get paid. On several occasions while chatting with bartenders, wait staff, and room stewards, they have mentioned that there is a pay scale in addition to the tips. Some staff are allowed to keep their tips and some are pooled but the bottom line is they do get paid a wage by the cruise line.

[Cruising89143]

All crew of the major cruise lines receive some sort of salary other than gratuities. Someone was trying to work an extra tip out of the OP.

 

 

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[seamonkey]

I see crew all the time where I live.

 

A certain amount of crew are allowed time off in port while

 

They are not in many restaurants but are in McDs and other fast food along with shopping for clothes at a 10% discount at the mall in most every shop.

 

They are at BJ's and Sams spending their money on media componants.

 

I have engaged in discussions with quite a few as they gather for the transportation busses or standing in line to pay.

 

They are at the internet shop, send money home there, and shop in Wallmart.

 

Just this week while a ship was in port a group of asians were at the fish market where they purchased their own "fresh" fish and I mean "FRESH" and had their coolers to carry it back to the ship.

 

Cruise lines cater to their staff and some staff have their own cooks.

 

All personal on the ship that do not work directly for the line, such as the spa, shops, casino, medical, photo, and entertainment, work for a company other than the cruiseline.

 

Those personal are allowed to eat in the main rooms...Specialty dining rooms are charged to them.

 

Seamax International is a company that handles a lot of those jobs not provided by the cruiseline along with A.W.C.Cruise Ship Recruitment Placement Agency.

 

All crew are paid and get

 

Free room on the cruise ship. Usually either a single stateroom or a shared stateroom with another employee.

Free meals

Air travel en-route and homeward bound

Free laundry

Free medical insurance (which is required by maritime law)

Discounts at ship board and often land based stores, bars and restaurants

Reduced cruise rates for family and friends some I have met and dined with which leads to more conversations about the crew jobs.

 

If you want to feel sorry for crew members, then do so for those you rarely see but are painting and cleaning the stairways, restrooms and such thankless jobs.

 

Then there are the people you never see unless you stay on a ship for turnover.

 

They are hired by the rest of the crew to help them make up the cabins.

 

Crew members who desire, can also pay for their own cabin cleaning, by staff not seen by us.

 

Crew living is like college dorm life..

 

Belive it or not, crew actually stay on board in port for pool time because they are considered "ON" at all times in public and that gets tiring.

 

Crew are usually separated by department, at least on the larger cruise ships.

 

Cruise staff live on the same deck, kitchen and maintenance staff on another, and often the crew is further divided by nationality.

 

Generally, the higher the quarters the better.

 

Ships have several different messes on the ship, one for Asians, one for the American and European crew, and a couple of others.

 

Again....Nobody makes them apply nor work on a ship.

 

They decide to do so, as we all do in our own lives.

[matj2000]

I will bet tipped employees get 95% of their pay from tips.

You really think the Cruise line are going to pay them a salary?

You people are living in a dream......

[Big_G]

I will bet tipped employees get 95% of their pay from tips.

 

You really think the Cruise line are going to pay them a salary?

 

You people are living in a dream......

 

Yea you're right. They just tell people they get a wage so you won't feel obligated to over tip them.:rolleyes:

[orville99]

I will bet tipped employees get 95% of their pay from tips.

You really think the Cruise line are going to pay them a salary?

You people are living in a dream......

 

Their pay is not unlike the salary of the waiter or bartender on your local restaurant who only gets a "salary" of $2-$3/hour. Waiters and bartender's on land also get 95% of their take-home pay from tips. Some dream :D

 

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[fdthird]

Really amazing how much missinformation is spread when people talk about what others earn. I'd suggest you remember that things are different for different jobs and lines and what may be true for some will not be for others.

[matj2000]

Their pay is not unlike the salary of the waiter or bartender on your local restaurant who only gets a "salary" of $2-$3/hour. Waiters and bartender's on land also get 95% of their take-home pay from tips. Some dream :D

 

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they do not give them $2-$3 per hour, they don't have to pay the tipped employee's anything.

At most I bet they get less than $50 per month.

They are not in the US.

[sjb317]

So has no one ever wondered why there are are very few, if any, US citizens working as waiters, bar tenders, cabin stewards, etc. on cruise ships?

 

Sherri:)

[Big_G]

So has no one ever wondered why there are are very few, if any, US citizens working as waiters, bar tenders, cabin stewards, etc. on cruise ships?

 

Sherri:)

 

You mean the wait and housekeeping staff jobs that are required to work like dogs 16 hours a day, seven days a week, for 6 -7 months at a time. No wonders at all and you?:rolleyes:

[rubrrick]

A post has been removed by the mods that discusses several different agencies that work to employ certain jobs for the cruise lines.

 

Since they were named.......the post was removed.

 

So, a couple of facts about your room steward, or waiter. First, they had to apply for this job thru a 3rd party employment agency.

 

Second, they had to beg, borrow or steal enough money to have a return trip ticket paid (in case they did not work out on their contract) to give to the employment agency.

 

Third.........they had to pay the employment agency a commission, to be able to go to work for a cruise line.

 

And you want to know why Americans.......at least as of now, don't want to work for a cruise line. Our President gives a couple of years worth of unemployment benefits..........why even work!

 

I know what waiters make, as well as Captains..........and it's nobody's' business. I will tell you that everyone is paid in U.S. dollars.........cash.

 

How taxes are handled.........well that's probably another reason, outside of the 12 hour days, 7 days a week during one's contract........that Americans won't work.

 

Oh, try the Norwegian ship that cruises in Hawaii. Tell me about the great service!! It's the only American Bottom ship afloat.......that I'm aware of.

 

Rick

[BruceMuzz]

Just off the Oasis of the Seas and learned that the waiters and assistant waiters work solely for the tips they receive at the end of each week. They receive NO hourly wage, stipend, salary, etc. from Royal Caribbean. If they do not earn tips, they do not get paid. I was shocked to learn this. It makes you really consider how important the gratuities are and to be even more generous in what you give them. Does anyone else have any information on the earnings of cruise employees?

 

Where do your people come up with all this goofy stuff?

These waiters are definitely smarter than you are. They saw you coming a mile away.

 

I have managed 25 different cruise ships for 11 different cruise lines over the past 32 years.

All the major lines are unionized (Disney is the only exception to my knowledge).

Many different international maritime labor unions represent the majority of crew onboard. The crew all work based on a contract that has been negotiated by those unions, and vetted by the ILO (International Labor Organisation), an arm of the United Nations.

 

Most tipped employees working on ships are paid somewhere between US$0.75 and US$1.25 per day. That is their legally negotiated and agreed salary. The ILO allows the cruise line to schedule them for a maximum of 13 hours per day, 7 days per week, which is the schedule most cruise line employees work.

On the mass market lines, most rank and file employees work this schedule for 8 to 12 months straight.

 

In most cases, the union takes between US$20 and US$30 in union dues per month from that salary, reducing it to near zero at the end of the month.

 

Then there are the benefits.

Round trip air tickets for employees who do a good job.

Room and board, uniforms, and medical coverage (only when working onboard).

All tipped employees are given a share of the tipping pool.

Dining Room Stewards and Cabin Stewards each receive approximately one-third of the auto-tip that nearly every cruise line has adopted. The back of house employees who were previously tipped by the DR and Cabin stewards now receive the final one-third of the auto tip.

Bar Staff share the tip that is added automatically to every drink purchase by most cruise lines.

 

Do you think that the earnings of the service employees on ships are not your concern?

Prior to 1995, most cruise lines marketed primarily to the upper classes, who tipped extremely well. Prior to 1995 a ship's waiter earned twice as much as he does today.

 

Today the cruise lines market to all of humanity. Many of today's cruisers really cannot afford to take a cruise, but they go anyway. Then they save money by smuggling their own drinks and removing the tips for the staff.

 

Results?

Most of the best service staff on ships quit a long time ago. They couldn't afford to work for us any longer.

 

Next time you have a service problem on a ship, remember that the great steward who should have been taking care of you now has a much higher paying job in his home country. His replacement, who is doing such a lousy job for you, is the only guy we could find who was willing to work so cheaply.

[uncleboo]

everyone gets a base pay

 

 

waiters make $50 a month plus tips some of them do quite well they make a better living on the ships than they would in there countries of origin.

 

bar staff gets 15% of all drinks they sell

 

there are many salaried crew staff that get a good salary

captain his staff

 

entertainers on board

 

staff at help desk

 

the spa employees get a slary plus tips

 

plus they get to travel and get free room and board and medical care

 

some people are go gullible they believe anything.

 

i have a bridge to sell in Brooklyn

[clean1owner]

So has no one ever wondered why there are are very few, if any, US citizens working as waiters, bar tenders, cabin stewards, etc. on cruise ships?

 

Sherri:)

 

 

Because most US citizens want a job dropped into their lap, and won't make the committment to leave their families for 6 months at a time for work. They also know the gubmint will bail them out so they don't have to do it.

 

Do you think any of those service employees on ships come from countries that will give them 99 weeks of unemployment benefits plus medical assistance and food stamps?

[MJDMV]

All crew of the major cruise lines receive some sort of salary other than gratuities. Someone was trying to work an extra tip out of the OP.

 

 

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Yes. $50 per month.