Does Carnival hire Americans?

[chengkp75]

I read your other thread and it was very interesting. Does the CD and entertainment staff have different living quarters? I'm assuming their pay is better. What about those that work in the shopping and art sales area? They are subcontracted out and don't work for the cruise line.

 

Cabins are prioritized by the number of "stripes" the crewmember has. CD's are typically "3-stripe", so they warrant a single, usually a large single. Their staff, and youth staff will normally be two to a cabin, guest entertainers (magicians, piano players, etc) will normally have "guest status" and a passenger cabin. The production cast will range from the principals being in doubles to quads for the rest of the cast. Techs generally are two to a cabin. Yes, the pay is better, but still not great, when you consider the Captain makes about $100-110k/year (compared to $140-160k/year for a US Captain on a container ship).

 

The shops and art auctions are concessions, as is the spa. The managers will usually have a small single, the rest usually quads.

[chengkp75]

Wow, has inflation and keeping up with wages really gone up that much!!

 

I vividly remember getting my $443 checks every month while a SA. That was back in 1978 when I graduated from boot camp, went in on a special buddy program so I didn't enter as a Seaman Recruit, I started out as a SA.

 

Good times...I used to do other sailors weekend watches for them as they had family in Norfolk area and I didn't so I was going to stay on the ship anyway...all for the pricey sum of $20 per day.:eek:

 

Yep. When I was a midshipman at the Academy, we were paid when we went on our sea year training on merchant ships. We received 1/2 of an ensign's salary, $300/month. That was early '70's.

[love my grandkids]

Cabins are prioritized by the number of "stripes" the crewmember has. CD's are typically "3-stripe", so they warrant a single, usually a large single. Their staff, and youth staff will normally be two to a cabin, guest entertainers (magicians, piano players, etc) will normally have "guest status" and a passenger cabin. The production cast will range from the principals being in doubles to quads for the rest of the cast. Techs generally are two to a cabin. Yes, the pay is better, but still not great, when you consider the Captain makes about $100-110k/year (compared to $140-160k/year for a US Captain on a container ship).

 

The shops and art auctions are concessions, as is the spa. The managers will usually have a small single, the rest usually quads.

 

I thought capt's made more but than again they do seem to get long vacations and relatively short contracts.

 

I am under the impression a CD makes about that as well.

[chengkp75]

I thought capt's made more but than again they do seem to get long vacations and relatively short contracts.

 

I am under the impression a CD makes about that as well.

 

There is a big difference in how folks are paid onboard. Most staff in the Hotel Department get paid while on the ship, and nothing between contracts. Senior Hotel Staff like CD's get an annual salary, but are their schedule is 1/2 day off for every day worked, so they work about 8 months a year. They make about $70-80k/year, if I remember. (been a few years) Deck and engine officers tend to be unionized (though its more of a professional society than what we think of as a union), and will get paid not only while onboard, but a certain amount of vacation time is paid as well. So their monthly salaries may be lower, but the annual salary is more. Most Scandinavian officers get 15 days paid vacation for every 30 days worked. However, most will also accept the 15 days unpaid vacation in order to only work 180 days a year, so this drops their potential salary even more. And cruise ships tend to pay deck and engine officers less than their countrymen who work on cargo ships. Those who want to work on cruise ships accept this inequity.

[whaletaillover]

Yep. When I was a midshipman at the Academy, we were paid when we went on our sea year training on merchant ships. We received 1/2 of an ensign's salary, $300/month. That was early '70's.

 

When I went into the Navy in 1968 and came out of boot as an airman (e3 because of college credits ) I made $300 a month.

[Lovtotravel2]

We had an American as a bartender in Alchemy on the Pride this spring, but its rare, from what I read they shy away from hiring Americans since most who have been on board don't last out a contract based on the hours and having to put up with the invasive customers who think they can ask any questions they want since they paid to be on the ship.

[Havingfun2010]

If I live in Florida, and earn 50K a year, and am comfortable and move to NYC, and get a job at the same amount, I would be in the streets. I would need 113K to be at the same standard.

 

If you look at the pay in the military, you get your salary, a housing pay and food allowance. A lot of people only look at the salary and not the "rest" of the package.

 

Cruise ships are the same. You get pay, food, and room.

 

How much you get paid is subjective to where you live. For many, the pay could be 3x - 4x more than if they were home.

 

That's why the majority of people you see are from poorer countries.

[Djptcp]

Can you picture American Millennials actually working the long hours and doing the hard work that most of the cruise ship employees do? Please, the "entitlement" generation couldn't do it and I wouldn't want them as my wait staff or room stewards. No thanks.

[sfaaa]

Can you picture American Millennials actually working the long hours and doing the hard work that most of the cruise ship employees do? Please, the "entitlement" generation couldn't do it and I wouldn't want them as my wait staff or room stewards. No thanks.

 

No need to worry. It's either $15/hr or they would rather be unemployed or on welfare. It's the new American dream.

[chengkp75]

If I live in Florida, and earn 50K a year, and am comfortable and move to NYC, and get a job at the same amount, I would be in the streets. I would need 113K to be at the same standard.

 

If you look at the pay in the military, you get your salary, a housing pay and food allowance. A lot of people only look at the salary and not the "rest" of the package.

 

Cruise ships are the same. You get pay, food, and room.

 

How much you get paid is subjective to where you live. For many, the pay could be 3x - 4x more than if they were home.

 

That's why the majority of people you see are from poorer countries.

 

And everyone touts the room as a fringe benefit. I guess you feel that these people pack up all their belongings, put them in storage, and let their apartment go, or sell their house, and turn their family out on the street while they are on the ship? Unless you are a complete vagabond, you have full time commitments even when onboard. The military provides your housing when not working (weekends, leave, sick time), the cruise lines do not.

 

A few years ago, cruise employment was a fair wage in most of the countries where they recruit, and in some cases like the specialized deck and engine crew or supervisory staff, even a middle class income, but that has degraded over time, as all maritime wages worldwide have either gone down or stagnated before applying inflation. Cruise ship employment is no longer looked at as a "desirable" career, even in these countries.

 

But this is not a debate about whether the pay of crew is equitable or not, I only give the reasons why there are almost no Americans in cruise ship employ, and the main reason is the low pay. I guess if the Americans wanted to move to the Philippines, then the pay might be attractive.

[MsTabbyKats]

I have a tax prep business. A colleague was discussing her client "who worked for a cruiseline".

 

Bottom Line...he is American; he works for Carnival; his official title is "Skipper"; he doesn't make too much

[jerseycandyman]

HI my daughter works for carnival she is in the entertainment staff. Almost positive she was hired by carnival not outside company. She is currently on the victory on her 2nd contract she is the comedy club manager. The pay is not that great and she does work about 70 hours per week but no commute time. There are a lot of pros and cons and as long as she sees a future as she does now we think we have lost her to the cruise industry hopefully she will be a cd in a few years. I will tell you she is having the time of her life in 1 week she will be moving to the legend and doing Alaska Hawaii and then Australia rough life lol. If you have any other questions I will try to answer or ask Nicole when she calls

John

[bobsfamily]

nevermind... just to suffice it to say that many, many people in other countries today would LOVE to have any job on any cruise ship. At least they would not be tied to the ship fishing.

Edited July 15, 2015 by bobsfamily

[dave_k58]

JH said it was mostly bogus but the book sure sounded true to me.:)

 

Read it a few years ago and took it out of our library last week to reread it.

 

I read the book and it didn't sound at all like the cruises I've been on. All the women in the crew were depicted as whores and the men as completely drunken buffoons. Of course, I read it on Kindle - maybe it was different in the real book.

[eponym]

There are at least a couple of more CD's that are American Jamie D for one.

 

I swear Jamie D is extraterrestrial.

[bobsfamily]

I swear Jamie D is extraterrestrial.

I don't care who you are that's funny!

[Inklight]

Carnival does hire Americans. My daughter worked two contracts with Carnival on the Carnival Valor and Carnival Miracle as a Camp Carnival Counselor. On the Valor there was another American working with her. So, yes they do. But, the Americans were definitely the minority on both ships.

[dns65]

I read the book and it didn't sound at all like the cruises I've been on. All the women in the crew were depicted as whores and the men as completely drunken buffoons. Of course, I read it on Kindle - maybe it was different in the real book.

 

 

Nope, that's what it was....

 

I just assumed it was fiction based on how often the author claimed he scored

[nybumpkin]

And everyone touts the room as a fringe benefit. I guess you feel that these people pack up all their belongings, put them in storage, and let their apartment go, or sell their house, and turn their family out on the street while they are on the ship? Unless you are a complete vagabond, you have full time commitments even when onboard. The military provides your housing when not working (weekends, leave, sick time), the cruise lines do not.

Hi Cheng - even the Navy doesn't necessarily provide the housing. When DS reported to Yokosuka he knew that he was expected to rent a house in a civilian neighborhood. Yes, he has a housing allowance - but the rent comes due whether or not he's actually in port. Right now he hasn't been in Yokosuka for two months. (BTW, his sea year pay while at KP ran about $900/month in 2010-2012:).)

[Yazoo cruiser]

Can't remember what ship but about 20 years ago we had a room steward from Colorado. He did a very good job and was always very friendly. We have over 80 cruises and I would rate him very highly.

[Out to sea!]

Supposedly, he was writing a sequel, about moving to art sales (Park West Gallery) on a cruise ship and his relationship with another worker. He also used to post on here.

 

Just checked on Kindle. He actually has 4 cruise confidential books out.

[anamarieus]

One of the perks of having the ships flagged in other countries is that you don't have to follow US labor laws like minimum wage.

 

this is the answer.

[tropicaledrink]

You can be a bar waiter as an American.

 

Our last 2 cruises, the ALchemy bartender (not the Master Mixologists) were Americans. On the Freedom, it was Ray from Alabama, who went on to become a Master Mixologist and on the Pride, it was Michelle from California.

[jimbo5544]

Just checked on Kindle. He actually has 4 cruise confidential books out.

 

 

Go figure! Thanks

[tncap]

The HR Director on the Conquest explained it something along the lines of passengers (for the most part Americans) feel much more comfortable being waited on/catered to by foreigners. That was an interesting angle I hadn't thought of before he said it.