Deaf employed on cruise ships?

[Toofarfromthesea]

wow, so hugely disappointing. I realize deaf still cannot enter military- I had no idea it was the same for cruise ships. I guess I have 5-10 years to find a way to make this happen for my son. I will explore Sub-contractors on cruise ships perhaps, or pray time improves technology or there's always the good old fashioned advocacy method. Hearing impaired people have had ability to drive cars since he 1920's but only recently did courts allow them to drive commercial vehicles after lawsuit against UPS. My dreams are intact, but a new challenge is now on my horizon :D Any more info or insight folks can offer would be useful thanks

 

Why do YOU have 5-10 years to make it happen? Wouldn't it be up to HIM to make whatever happen? And when he gets a little older and finds out what a tough grinding job it is (Gopher, Isaac, Doc, and Julie notwithstanding) he isn't going to want that. And it would be strange for a parent to encourage their kid to fight for the chance to have a job they are physically unsuited for, pays very poorly, involves longer and harder work than most American shore jobs, and has little scope for advancement?

 

You kind of gave away the candle when your original post says it was HIS dream, but then in the latest it turns out to be YOUR dream.

 

Do your kid a favor and stop talking this up to him.

[sanger727]

Why do YOU have 5-10 years to make it happen? Wouldn't it be up to HIM to make whatever happen? And when he gets a little older and finds out what a tough grinding job it is (Gopher, Isaac, Doc, and Julie notwithstanding) he isn't going to want that. And it would be strange for a parent to encourage their kid to fight for the chance to have a job they are physically unsuited for, pays very poorly, involves longer and harder work than most American shore jobs, and has little scope for advancement?

 

You kind of gave away the candle when your original post says it was HIS dream, but then in the latest it turns out to be YOUR dream.

 

Do your kid a favor and stop talking this up to him.

 

 

 

This

 

If he's 15 may be ready to enter the workforce soon. I had my first job at 15. It's time for him to start figuring out how to make things happen for himself. A cruise ship is a very difficult, low paying job to use that as your cause. But if it's his passion then it's his passion. He needs to figure out realistically what he would want to do and how it could be done. He probably can't be a bartender - no cruise line will hire an interpreter for him. He may find a way for the kids club or entertainment staff to work. But until he applies for the job with an answer to how it can work, he won't know.

 

 

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[navybankerteacher]

Oh my goodness. I gave suggestions for her to contact those HR departments to get some clear answers from them. Move on. Enjoy your day. Seriously!!

 

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OP asked for answers on this board - and received a number of well-considered ones. Think about it: what conceivable (hopefully satisfying) position could a person with such a handicap fill on a cruise ship that would offer him more satisfaction or compensation than what might be available to him ashore?

 

There are times when "Give it up" is the best, and KNDEST, advice.

[croozin4life]

OP asked for answers on this board - and received a number of well-considered ones. Think about it: what conceivable (hopefully satisfying) position could a person with such a handicap fill on a cruise ship that would offer him more satisfaction or compensation than what might be available to him ashore?

 

There are times when "Give it up" is the best, and KNDEST, advice.

 

[emoji58]

 

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[navybankerteacher]

[emoji58]

 

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😑?????? 🙂 or ☹️, but why 😑?

[DCLCrazy]

wow, so hugely disappointing. I realize deaf still cannot enter military- I had no idea it was the same for cruise ships. I guess I have 5-10 years to find a way to make this happen for my son. I will explore Sub-contractors on cruise ships perhaps, or pray time improves technology or there's always the good old fashioned advocacy method. Hearing impaired people have had ability to drive cars since he 1920's but only recently did courts allow them to drive commercial vehicles after lawsuit against UPS. My dreams are intact, but a new challenge is now on my horizon :D Any more info or insight folks can offer would be useful thanks

 

 

 

Why don't you call the HR department of his favorite cruise line and ask what their policy is. It may be that he can only have a certain dB loss. If he can function with a hearing aid, I don't see why they wouldn't hire him. I teach Deaf children, and we asked a police officer (who later became my husband) what the rule was bc the student wanted to join the force. He said it depended on how much loss he had. Some deaf people can become interpreters for other deaf people. If he knows ASL, he may want to try and get his CDI and possibly work as a ship interpreter for the shows and excursions. Here's a link to the certification. http://www.rid.org/rid-certification-overview/cdi-certification/ Good luck to him!

 

 

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[SJSchell]

Ooh that's a great idea as well. I see alot of job postings for CDI and SSP (support service providers) positions working with deaf/blind passengers.

 

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[sail7seas]

Why do YOU have 5-10 years to make it happen? Wouldn't it be up to HIM to make whatever happen? And when he gets a little older and finds out what a tough grinding job it is (Gopher, Isaac, Doc, and Julie notwithstanding) he isn't going to want that. And it would be strange for a parent to encourage their kid to fight for the chance to have a job they are physically unsuited for, pays very poorly, involves longer and harder work than most American shore jobs, and has little scope for advancement?

 

You kind of gave away the candle when your original post says it was HIS dream, but then in the latest it turns out to be YOUR dream.

 

a I agreeIf this is the young man's dream, HE has to make it happen, not Mom. I he cannot or will not, that might not be the best wor k place for him. Mom, let him decide if if is his dream or yourrs?

Do your kid a favor and stop talking this up to him.

......

[DCLCrazy]

OP asked for answers on this board - and received a number of well-considered ones. Think about it: what conceivable (hopefully satisfying) position could a person with such a handicap fill on a cruise ship that would offer him more satisfaction or compensation than what might be available to him ashore?

 

 

 

There are times when "Give it up" is the best, and KNDEST, advice.

 

 

 

The simple fact that you called a Deaf person "disabled" shows the lack of understanding you have about the Deaf Community.

 

 

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[navybankerteacher]

The simple fact that you called a Deaf person "disabled" shows the lack of understanding you have about the Deaf Community.

 

 

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Sorry if I offended your hypersensitive correctness -- but deafness IS deemed a disability by Social Security.

 

A deaf person, depending upon the extent of hearing loss, is appropriately

described as being either partially or totally HEARING DISABLED.

 

Pussyfooting around less than happy conditions does nobody any good -- except, of course, for the pussyfooter.

[CPT Trips]

I have to applaud parents that advocate for their kids and helps the kid learn effective self advocacy techniques whether or not the kid is qualified as having a disability as defined by the ADA.

[Hlitner]

My post is not about advocacy, ADA, social issues, equality, discrimination, etc. It is simply about cruise ships and safety of both passengers and crew. Nearly all the crew on any cruise ship have assigned duties and stations during various emergencies. In fact, when docked (or anchored) at a port....safety issues require that a minimum complement of crew remain aboard at all times. A crew member that is not able to carry out their responsibilities during an emergency have no place in most crews. During a shipboard emergency, communications is the key to managing the situation. A crew member that cannot hear the announcements, respond to alarms, or be able to physically assist passengers..have no place on a ship. My life and the life of every soul aboard a vessel depends on the ability of each crew member to effectively carry out their duties in an emergency.

 

For those who think my post is uncaring, cruel, mean.....that is the way it is.

 

Hank

[sparks1093]

OP asked for answers on this board - and received a number of well-considered ones. Think about it: what conceivable (hopefully satisfying) position could a person with such a handicap fill on a cruise ship that would offer him more satisfaction or compensation than what might be available to him ashore?

 

There are times when "Give it up" is the best, and KNDEST, advice.

 

Two jobs that come immediately to mind are scullery worker and laundry worker, neither of which has much glamor or prestige (or pay for that matter), but even those crew members have emergency action assignments so a potential crew member would still need to be able to perform those tasks.

[jm485]

IMO, saying "I want to work on a cruise ship" is kind of like saying "I want to work in an office."

 

What EXACTLY does your son want to DO on that cruise ship? What makes the thought of a career on a ship so appealing to him.

 

For the moment, set aside his hearing issue and focus on what he wants to do and why. I haven't been on many cruises, but the only American crew members I've met are entertainers and maybe some of the CD staff. That's it. So even IF he could be cleared, what would he do?

 

Maybe you should encourage him to focus first on what he wants to be and then to think about where he can do that work.

 

 

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[Shmoo here]

My post is not about advocacy, ADA, social issues, equality, discrimination, etc. It is simply about cruise ships and safety of both passengers and crew. Nearly all the crew on any cruise ship have assigned duties and stations during various emergencies. In fact, when docked (or anchored) at a port....safety issues require that a minimum complement of crew remain aboard at all times. A crew member that is not able to carry out their responsibilities during an emergency have no place in most crews. During a shipboard emergency, communications is the key to managing the situation. A crew member that cannot hear the announcements, respond to alarms, or be able to physically assist passengers..have no place on a ship. My life and the life of every soul aboard a vessel depends on the ability of each crew member to effectively carry out their duties in an emergency.

 

For those who think my post is uncaring, cruel, mean.....that is the way it is.

 

Hank

 

I don't find your post at all uncaring, cruel, or mean. I think it very diplomatically sets up the situation. And addresses the "why not"? question.

[donaldsc]

Here is the problem as I see it. All the the crew members have responsibilities in the case of an emergency where they have to understand verbal orders given to them over the loud speaker or by other crew members. How is your son going to be able to handle those responsibilities when he can not understand emergency orders?

 

DON

[DCLCrazy]

Here is the problem as I see it. All the the crew members have responsibilities in the case of an emergency where they have to understand verbal orders given to them over the loud speaker or by other crew members. How is your son going to be able to handle those responsibilities when he can not understand emergency orders?

 

 

 

DON

 

 

 

There are varying degrees of hearing loss. Depending on how well a hearing or cochlear implant works, the loss could be negligible.

 

 

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[donaldsc]

There are varying degrees of hearing loss. Depending on how well a hearing or cochlear implant works, the loss could be negligible.

 

 

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I had the impression from the OP that her son was totally deaf. If this is not true, the cruise line is certainly within their rights to test whether the son can handle the requirements of being a crew member and I really doubt if they are willing to bother to do this. Just imagine if they decide that the person can't do the job and the applicant claims that they can. Do I hear a legal suit being filed especially from sue happy Americans.

 

DON

[chengkp75]

I had the impression from the OP that her son was totally deaf. If this is not true, the cruise line is certainly within their rights to test whether the son can handle the requirements of being a crew member and I really doubt if they are willing to bother to do this. Just imagine if they decide that the person can't do the job and the applicant claims that they can. Do I hear a legal suit being filed especially from sue happy Americans.

 

DON

 

I, as well, had the impression that the boy was nearly or totally deaf. And as I said, it is mandatory that each potential crew member pass a mandatory physical, with hearing, vision, color blindness, and several measures of physical strength and dexterity, at the applicants expense, before they will be considered for hire. This is an international requirement, for all mariners (all crew on cruise ships), and even in the sue happy US (and I agree), it has been established many years ago that USCG regulations trump all other laws when it comes to working on ships (even OSHA). In its ruling in "Spector v. NCL" where the SCOTUS ruled that foreign flag cruise ships had to meet certain aspects of the ADA, they specifically stated that where the ADA contradicted or interfered with SOLAS, that SOLAS prevailed.

 

Just like many jobs and professions in the US, as long as there are rational, logical reasons for the physical requirements, applicants can be denied if they cannot meet those requirements.

[sparks1093]

There are varying degrees of hearing loss. Depending on how well a hearing or cochlear implant works, the loss could be negligible.

 

 

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If you read the requirements in the link posted by chengkp75 up thread the level of hearing loss is taken into account and it spells out exactly what the minimum hearing requirements are.

[iancal]

Apart from the obvious safety issues keep in mind that cruise ships employees do not in any way fall under labor legislation such as we might have in North America.

 

It is just one of the many reasons why they register their ships and their corporations where they do. It makes any sort of litigation very difficult, especially litigation regarding hiring practices, working hours, pay, workers safety etc. And if this does no shield them, they use third party contractors.

[navybankerteacher]

Apart from the obvious safety issues keep in mind that cruise ships employees do not in any way fall under labor legislation such as we might have in North America.

 

It is just one of the many reasons why they register their ships and their corporations where they do. It makes any sort of litigation very difficult, especially litigation regarding hiring practices, working hours, pay, workers safety etc. And if this does no shield them, they use third party contractors.

 

And, of course, if cruise lines did not take such steps to minimize their labor costs, 90% (or more) of the cruisers on these boards would either not cruise at all or only cruise once or twice in a lifetime.

[summergirlinWI]

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Edited September 16, 2017 by summergirlinWI

[PoofCat99]

I have a total loss of hearing in one ear due to an accident as a teen. Due to the nature of the injury, a hearing aid is not possible. In certain situations, such as a crowded room or lots of background noise, it can be difficult for me to understand those around me. I also tend to not be able to tell which direction a sound or voice is coming from. If I am not paying attention, sometimes people have to repeat things for me.

 

I would have issues hearing and understanding directions in an emergency situation where there might be loud crowds, lots of background noise and the need to act quickly. I typically refrain from sitting in emergency rows on a plane for that reason. So, for safety, depending on the nature of the hearing loss, a job that requires certain duties may not be for the OP's son. Also, even with a hearing device it could be problematic if it lost battery or was damaged. Just 2 cents from someone with hearing loss.

[iancal]

Yes, and being subject to labour legislation, taxation, etc. is just one reason why the per diems are so much higher on European river cruises.