how does carnival get away with.........

[cruisinCLT]

I was just wondering how carnival gets away with making their employees work so many hours and days in a row? Isn't there a law against that or does it not apply since they are not working on land? Just curious........because we saw the same people working the midnight buffet as we saw the next morning serving us breakfast. Doesn't seem fair!

[metalmuff26]

I agree with you that its crazy. Thats why I go out of my way to thank these people that make my cruise great. I'm sure a couple bucks here and there isn't alot to people but to the staff, I think it makes a huge difference. I just cant get over why people cant tip. I was reading one of the other threads that said they wanted to remove the tips. This is how these people survive and by taking that away from them is just crappy.

[mudpievelour]

The ship is not registered in the US and sails to foreign ports, so therefore it is not subject to the Jones Act. They can require whatever they want from their employees. That is why most of the crew is foreign. Most Americans will not work under some of those conditions.

[Lesinindy]

I have seen the same thing on other lines. I suspect that maritime rules of labor are much different then land based. I know fisherman a sea tend to have long days for long periods of time. Just watch those shows on the most dangerous catch and you see things that would never happen on US soil. OSHA and other agencies would be all over them. I suspect it is not fair to single out Carnival. I also find that I like to go out of my way to thank and tip the little guys on board. Find it hard to justify the MD in the DR but he/she had to clean a lot of tables to get to the job.

[Donray]

I was just wondering how carnival gets away with making their employees work so many hours and days in a row? Isn't there a law against that or does it not apply since they are not working on land? Just curious........because we saw the same people working the midnight buffet as we saw the next morning serving us breakfast. Doesn't seem fair!

 

 

This applies to whole cruise industry not just Carnival.

There are a lot of people that are waiting to get a job on a cruise ship since the working hours versus pay are a lot better than they can get in their home countries.

They also get breaks during the day and don't work for 16 hours straight.

[poobears]

Everyone has a choice to work on a cruiseline or not. Obviously the benefits to them out weigh the long hours. Most seem to genuinely enjoy their jobs.

[gtalum]

I was just wondering how carnival gets away with making their employees work so many hours and days in a row? Isn't there a law against that or does it not apply since they are not working on land? Just curious........because we saw the same people working the midnight buffet as we saw the next morning serving us breakfast. Doesn't seem fair!

 

Foreign-registered vessels are not required to follow US labor regulations.

[VOLLEYBALLDUDE2000]

I was just wondering how carnival gets away with making their employees work so many hours and days in a row? Isn't there a law against that or does it not apply since they are not working on land? Just curious........because we saw the same people working the midnight buffet as we saw the next morning serving us breakfast. Doesn't seem fair!

 

That's why the ships are registered mostly in Panama. The only ships that are controlled under US law are NCLs ships that go to Hawai

[motherchic]

It doesnt make it right . It seems to be the same on all the lines.

The money they make and send back home is so much better then they can make in their homeland. Aside from not making much money. Many of them have worked on the ships for years and hardly have any time to be with their spouse and children. I always feel so bad when I think of the women and children without their husbands and fathers.

[Kurbanfan]

Alot of times they trade shifts.....

[Vanessa L]

In theory they don't "make" them do anything as signing on to work on a cruise ship is 100% voluntary. The employees know going in what the conditions are and choose it anyway because by some country's standards it makes them pretty darn well paid. Americans are spoiled and have gotten used to the strict labor laws that the US upholds. However, work standards are not the same world wide (and some even have it easier, like Europe where they get 6 paid weeks off a year!!) and some people would rather be on a ship working 18 hour days than in a field or doing scut work for 18 hours a day. It's all what we take for granted in the US. If someone said to an Amercian citizen, "Will you work 18 hours days, 6 days in a row for less than $6.55 per hour and no overtime?" We would laugh them out of the room. The same would happen if you asked a European, "Would you work 40 hours a week with only 2 paid weeks off a year?" It's all relative. If we had to go to the countries and work as some of the cruise staff does, we'd be BEGGING for our 40 hour work week back!! Being on a ship is probably nicer than what some of the employees have at home. I don't view it as "sad" or "the poor things" though, when I realize that, doing what they are doing is allowing them and their families to have a better life because the pay is better than working 18 hours a day in a field or farm at home. They do it voluntarily so there most be something to it.

[maxamuus]

You must have sailed on a differnt ship then me. They didnt have chains on them and they seemed happy and friendly. So i hardly think they are being "forced" to do anything.

[dan40]

I was just wondering how carnival gets away with making their employees work so many hours and days in a row? Isn't there a law against that or does it not apply since they are not working on land? Just curious........because we saw the same people working the midnight buffet as we saw the next morning serving us breakfast. Doesn't seem fair!

 

You are right, it is not fair. Because LIFE is not fair OR unfair, it just is. And LIFE is hard. Millions too many Americans don't know or try to block that out.

The ships workers could be working the same hours in their homeland, in much worse conditions, at much less money.

No one forces them to take cruise ship jobs, THEY want the jobs. So much so that they pay cruise employment agencies an ENTIRE YEARS EARNINGS as the fee for getting the job.

They work 9 month contracts for the most part. If its too hard for them, they can quit! Like the Americans that constantly quit the NCL Hawaii jobs.

 

Reality is NOT a TV show, it has hard surfaces and very sharp edges.

 

Dan

[FantasyLineAddict]

I struggle with this too and there aren't any good answers. It's not just cruising, most of us rely on people who work long, hard hours for nearly everything we buy and everything we eat.

[MICKMAC100]

Would you want to pay double for your cruise, Carnival and others dont pay the extra money they make by employing low paid workers to the share holders, this is used to keep cruise fares down.

 

It's a fine balance that is needed to get you on the cruise at the price you want to pay.

[Kurbanfan]

I struggle with this too and there aren't any good answers. It's not just cruising, most of us rely on people who work long, hard hours for nearly everything we buy and everything we eat.

 

Stuggle:confused: Why in the world would you struggle with this:confused:

[Seydlitz]

Here is a good book "Cruise Confidential: A Hit Below the Waterline" By Brian David Bruns

http://www.amazon.ca/Cruise-Confidential-Hit-Below-Waterline/dp/193236160X

[FantasyLineAddict]

Stuggle:confused: Why in the world would you struggle with this:confused:

 

Why in the world would you care LOL

[tnt091605]

I was just wondering how carnival gets away with making their employees work so many hours and days in a row? Isn't there a law against that or does it not apply since they are not working on land? Just curious........because we saw the same people working the midnight buffet as we saw the next morning serving us breakfast. Doesn't seem fair!

 

They do not work as many hours as people think. I read their contract and there are rules. Most of the dinning room and Buffet staff work split shifts. So they might be off 6 hours in between. I wish I could find that contract again so I could list the details.

[G'ma]

I was just wondering how carnival gets away with making their employees work so many hours and days in a row? Isn't there a law against that or does it not apply since they are not working on land? Just curious........because we saw the same people working the midnight buffet as we saw the next morning serving us breakfast. Doesn't seem fair!

 

This is the reason why most all cruise ships are registered in a foreign country instead of being U.S. registered. They are not subject to U.S. Labor laws at all.... Working hours and wages are all outlined in the contract that is signed between the cruise company and each employee....it's not as if it's forced labor.

 

This is also why you don't see many from the U.S. working on ships except at the higher positions like entertainment and above deck staff....

 

This is also why NCL has so much trouble with keeping employees on their Hawaii program. That division of NCL is registered in the U.S. and must hire citizens to man those ships. They must pay at least minimum wage and overtime.

 

Unfortunately, we are not used to working 16 hour days here, 7 days a week.... My son lives in Maui and he says soooo many of those employees leave the ship "for the day" and never go back.

[trock]

Any sympathy for me? My days can run 12-14 hours.. I bust my rear..

no one is forcing me... or them.. I love my job.. I bet some of them do too!

[Denton_Geek]

I hear that any crew member complaints are dealt with by keelhauling them.

[bigd from ct]

They do not work as many hours as people think. I read their contract and there are rules. Most of the dinning room and Buffet staff work split shifts. So they might be off 6 hours in between. I wish I could find that contract again so I could list the details.

may i ask you a question i know your timer is a facebook timer ive tried to use this myself can i ask you how you did this? sorry im off typic but it is a cool timer

[Kurbanfan]

Why in the world would you care LOL

 

I don't........I'm helping a friend write an article:D

[SDPadreFan]

This is always an interesting outrage. We lament the hours and pay that the cruise ship employees receive yet we only see half the problem. We only focus on those who work in the dining rooms and clean our staterooms. There are many people who work in other areas of the ship - cleaning, painting, maintenance, ships electrical, propulsion, PLUMBING, LAUNDRY, FOOD PREPARATION, etc. that never even get honorable mention yet these people work the same arduous hours and don't even have the chance to receive tips.

 

Here's yet another wake up call for some of you. Life at sea is hard work. It's not just restricted to the cruise line industry. What do you think our young sailors in the Navy go through. By the way, no tips there either. As a young sailor in 1973, my take home pay was $155.70 every 2 weeks. My gross pay was $377.70 per month at that time. In 2007 dollars, I was being paid the equivalent of $10.06 an hour or just slightly more than minimum wage. But this is based upon a 40 hour week. Take that same young sailor, put him on an aircraft carrier working in a squadron on jet aircraft and the situation becomes even better. Aviation sailors work a minimum 12 hour shift, every day, 7 days a week for 6-9 months at a time during a deployment. Take out maybe 3 weeks off time during port visits and that sailor will still work over 161 days (12 hr shifts minimum) on a 6 month deployment. Hourly pay during that time (84 work hours per week minimum, not 40)? $4.79 an hour in 2007 dollars. Of course, that young sailor does get full medical/dental benefits and well as quality berthing accommodations and truly gourmet dining options (and no tips).

 

So like I said, life at sea is hard work. Those who choose this difficult yet rewarding work environment deserve as much praise and financial support as we can give them.