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

[Kurbanfan]

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' date=' 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.[/quote']

 

You cannot compare NCLA wages for Americans verses the wages of foreign workers.......cost of living etc......

I wouldn't work for minimum wage on a cruise ship either ......especially with all the opportunities available here in America.......

Although I have busted my butt to get to where I am today.......any sympathy for me too?

[lizardhowson]

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!

 

US laws don't apply. Ships registed in Panama (I believe) and international waters most of time.

[bigd from ct]

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!

when we were in roatan in 2007 the young man who taxied us around also worked on a cruise ship he loved the money and was very excited to work for any cruise line as soon as he could told us there was no better money for his people than working on a ship

[Wolfie48]

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!

 

Being a small business owner I have had to bust mine alot over the years. And in the present economy it is very tough, but I'm trying to slow down and enjoy my later years. So even though I no longer have to bust my rear anymore it still has a big crack in it so I never forget! :D

 

This is the reason I always treat the cruse line employees with such respect, they do work very hard to help me have a great vacation. A smile a few kind words and extra tips along the way are a small price to pay for all they do!

[dan40]

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.

 

Why bother?

 

The hours they work, long or split shirts, they choose to accept. The salary the get, they choose to accept. The tips they get, they choose to accept.

Maybe they have many choices, maybe their choices are very limited. But they are their choices and are NONE of our business.

 

Dan

[dan40]

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![/quoteToni,

 

 

Tape up that busted part and get back in the game!!!!!:rolleyes:

 

Dan

[Grits53]

I think if an employee WANTS to work 7 days a week, they should have the right to do that. When they sign up to work for a cruise line, they know in advance what to expect for income and schedules. It would be different if they were being forced to work "over time" against their will. This is what they want to do.

 

We have a commercial poultry farm with one full time employee. At this young man's request, he works 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Some days, he only works one hour; a few days 12 hours, most days about 4 hours, depending on what's happening at the particular time. DH pays him for a minimum of 3 hours a day, if he works less than that. There are times between flocks that he has nothing to do for a day or two. On those days, he asks to wash our vehicles or mend fences or do some odd jobs for the neighbors. We pay him well and provide him with a home and utilities. He has never taken a vacation in the 6 yrs. he's been with us. He doesn't want a vacation (We've tried to get him to take one!). So, with someone like that, I can't see telling him "No, you can't work today," when he wants to work and needs the money. Same thing goes for the cruise line employees, IMHO. Repeating myself, this is what they want to do. Let them do it and don't feel sorry for them. It was their choice to take this job.

[Grits53]

Why bother?

 

The hours they work, long or split shirts, they choose to accept. The salary the get, they choose to accept. The tips they get, they choose to accept.

Maybe they have many choices, maybe their choices are very limited. But they are their choices and are NONE of our business.

 

Dan

 

OMGosh, Dan! We basically said the same thing, except of course I was more wordy than you. Who would'a thought it? :eek:

[tedjazz]

It's all about the money. $$$ Carnival pays little to many of their employees to keep the costs down and the bottom line up. At the same time they can keep fares low and fill ships which again promotes a healthy bottom line. Full ships also help Service Crew collect maximum tips, more people, more tips. Most of the crew work on the ships due to economic hardships in their own countries and can make a pretty decent living on the cruise ships. (decent living as compared to what they could earn back home). I don't know that any of them are forced into cruise ship service and they likely know that there are long days and not many days off. I think many of them really like the work they do as well. To answer your question, like many have already said, our Labor Laws do not apply to Carnival Cruise Ships.

[BullDogChief]

SDPadreFan wrote: 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.

 

Well, I don't know about the truly gourmet dining options...lol...but you hit the nail on the head! Life at sea is extremely hard work and with that work come rewards most land-based people will never truly understand.

 

Being in the Navy a 16 hour day was the norm seven days a week when at sea. You worked your "normal" workday and you stood watch, performed drills and anything else the command thought we needed to do...it was not uncommon for me to be up and working for up to 72 hours straight, sleep 6 hours and do it again over and over for the course of a seven month deployment. PLUS, we did not have the two-four person staterooms cruise ship employees have...we slept in berthing areas that housed anywhere from 10 to 1000 sailors (depending on the ship, of course) and yoru "bed" was a 3.5 foot by 6 foot foam mattress stacked three high, under that was your locker for everything you owned and you had a small standup locker for your dress uniforms.

 

I remember in 2004 my in-laws visited us in Norfolk and I took them to Nauticus downtown to see the Wisconsin...my father-in-law looked at the mock-up of a typical berthing unit and asked me in disbelief if we really slept like that. Did it suck, yes at times it did...do I regret my days doing it, absolutely not.

 

Do I show my appreciation for cruise ship staff and their living/working conditions by giving them a little more financial help...you bet...but don't think they have it as hard as you think because they actually do have it pretty good...and by the way, when I was underway in the Navy, I thought I had it pretty good too.

[cruisinCLT]

Thanks for all the replys........and I also didn't realize that ALL employees don't all sleep on level 1. I just figured if you were employeed by Carnival you all slept on the same level. I always thought about being a cruise director but decided to be a flight attendant instead.

[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![/quoteToni,

 

 

Tape up that busted part and get back in the game!!!!!:rolleyes:

 

Dan

 

 

IT'S BUSTED NOT BROKE LMAo! :D

[renalrn]

Well, I don't know about the truly gourmet dining options...lol...but you hit the nail on the head! Life at sea is extremely hard work and with that work come rewards most land-based people will never truly understand.

 

Being in the Navy a 16 hour day was the norm seven days a week when at sea. You worked your "normal" workday and you stood watch, performed drills and anything else the command thought we needed to do...it was not uncommon for me to be up and working for up to 72 hours straight, sleep 6 hours and do it again over and over for the course of a seven month deployment. PLUS, we did not have the two-four person staterooms cruise ship employees have...we slept in berthing areas that housed anywhere from 10 to 1000 sailors (depending on the ship, of course) and yoru "bed" was a 3.5 foot by 6 foot foam mattress stacked three high, under that was your locker for everything you owned and you had a small standup locker for your dress uniforms.

 

I remember in 2004 my in-laws visited us in Norfolk and I took them to Nauticus downtown to see the Wisconsin...my father-in-law looked at the mock-up of a typical berthing unit and asked me in disbelief if we really slept like that. Did it suck, yes at times it did...do I regret my days doing it, absolutely not.

 

Do I show my appreciation for cruise ship staff and their living/working conditions by giving them a little more financial help...you bet...but don't think they have it as hard as you think because they actually do have it pretty good...and by the way, when I was underway in the Navy, I thought I had it pretty good too.

Navy question...I've heard that sometimes sleeping space is so premium that 2 men are assigned to the same berth and sleep in opposite shifts.True or rumor told to me by an Uncle/former navy who has been known to tell tall tales?

I've worked many days over 16 hours. This past newyears eve I worked 21 hours. Was it my choice? Yep. Very glad to live in a country that gives me the chance to work FT as well as run my own little business.

[Crusin6]

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.

If it really does bother you then maybe a trip to a U.S. vacation spot would be better for you and yours. However, when we choose to spend our money on Cape Cod each summer we too find that the housekeeping staff are foreigners who are away from their families as well. we tip of course and are genuinely nice to them but I cannot change their situations. If I chose not to frequent a location that actually requires their employees to work hard, I would think the employees would be out of a job if I and others didn't spend our money there.

 

Quite frankly, while it appears that concern over their working hours on a ship is comendable, these folks are in fact grateful for these jobs and the best thing we can do is tip appropriately and be gracious to them.

 

Stop feeling bad for them as they are not chained to the jobs andif they want to leave because THEY, not US, feel they need to be back home, others will surely be waiting for their jobs.

 

What we as the cruisers think makes no difference in the ship workers lives. What does make a difference is that we keep booking the cabins and eating the meals so that they stay employed.

[Crusin6]

Why bother?

 

The hours they work, long or split shirts, they choose to accept. The salary the get, they choose to accept. The tips they get, they choose to accept.

Maybe they have many choices, maybe their choices are very limited. But they are their choices and are NONE of our business.

 

Dan

exactly, and the OP, a flight attendant I believe, just had to make this an issue here. It is just like when a restaurant worker insists on overtipping when they go to a restaurant.

[BullDogChief]

Navy question...I've heard that sometimes sleeping space is so premium that 2 men are assigned to the same berth and sleep in opposite shifts.True or rumor told to me by an Uncle/former navy who has been known to tell tall tales?

I've worked many days over 16 hours. This past newyears eve I worked 21 hours. Was it my choice? Yep. Very glad to live in a country that gives me the chance to work FT as well as run my own little business.

 

True in submarines, fast attack subs do not have enough racks to accomodate the whole crew so they share or "hot-rack"...he was telling the truth there...

[figs]

exactly, and the OP, a flight attendant I believe, just had to make this an issue here. It is just like when a restaurant worker insists on overtipping when they go to a restaurant.

 

Whoa! OP did NOT "make this an issue". She was wondering whether the US labor laws did not apply at sea, or if not, what the deal was. Then she expressed VERY lightly that it "didn't seem fair". That's ALL. No one was making an issue.

 

Why is everyone freaking out on here today? Calm it down, people. This was an honest question, one I wondered about the first time I sailed, too---from the American window I see the world through, it seems a little exploitative. Does it stop me from cruising? Naw.

[pe4all]

As a teacher/mom, I accept the long hours I work because I made the choice to do just that. Same for someone on a cruise ship. There are benefits and hardships to every job. I love my "2" jobs - even though it often seems there are not enough hours in a day to get everything done, and I am usually exhausted. I do it to benefit my family. All the crew members I have spoken with say the same thing - they are working on a ship to benefit their families, and better their lives. In all our cruises, we really have never met a crew member (and we always make it a point to ask them how they like their jobs, no matter what position they are in) who was disgusted to be working in whatever conditions they work in. And they always know exactly how many months/days/hours they have till they get their vacation/new contract!

[cruisinCLT]

THANKS FIGS!!!!!

 

Yeah I was just curious about how they got around the labor laws....but again thanks for all the responses!

[Crusin6]

Whoa! OP did NOT "make this an issue". She was wondering whether the US labor laws did not apply at sea, or if not, what the deal was. Then she expressed VERY lightly that it "didn't seem fair". That's ALL. No one was making an issue.

 

Why is everyone freaking out on here today? Calm it down, people. This was an honest question, one I wondered about the first time I sailed, too---from the American window I see the world through, it seems a little exploitative. Does it stop me from cruising? Naw.

It just seems that everybody is just overly concerned about issues that matter so little and that they have no business even questioning. If someone wants to work that is their choice...the issue of fairness is moot. We need to get realistic nowadays...I say let them work if they want to to...who are we to judge fairness when it comes to what job a person takes. As long as it is legal, how someone supports their family doesn't need to "seem fair" to a total stranger.

 

I work 24/7 and so do all of us who raise kids, have a job, care for a home etc etc.....that means both sexes, btw! And I take breaks to rest, just like cruiseship workers.

[iwannacruznow]

It's all about the money. $$$ Carnival pays little to many of their employees to keep the costs down and the bottom line up. At the same time they can keep fares low and fill ships which again promotes a healthy bottom line. Full ships also help Service Crew collect maximum tips, more people, more tips. Most of the crew work on the ships due to economic hardships in their own countries and can make a pretty decent living on the cruise ships. (decent living as compared to what they could earn back home). I don't know that any of them are forced into cruise ship service and they likely know that there are long days and not many days off. I think many of them really like the work they do as well. To answer your question, like many have already said, our Labor Laws do not apply to Carnival Cruise Ships.

Bait

[G'ma]

You cannot compare NCLA wages for Americans verses the wages of foreign workers.......cost of living etc......

I wouldn't work for minimum wage on a cruise ship either ......especially with all the opportunities available here in America.......

Although I have busted my butt to get to where I am today.......any sympathy for me too?

 

I'm not comparing anything. Just giving a brief response on how/why Carnival and others can demand long hours from the ships crew with such a little (relatively) pay.

 

Hey, we all work our butts off.......no sympathy here.

[G'ma]

Why bother?

 

The hours they work, long or split shirts, they choose to accept. The salary the get, they choose to accept. The tips they get, they choose to accept.

Maybe they have many choices, maybe their choices are very limited. But they are their choices and are NONE of our business.

 

Dan

 

As usual Dan, straight, correct and right to the point.

 

Huzzahs to ya.....

[luckycruzer]

asking to "take your order, or clean your cabin"? never..the wage structure for cruze lines will not suit US workers. Wage n hour /Jones act

[wingman152000]

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.

 

I agree with you 100% but too bad Carnival or any other cruise line can't just pay their employees more! Have you looked at the profit these cruise lines are making! It shouldn't have to come down to tips for them to make a half decent wage! CALL the cruise lines for what they are CHEAP!! in many ways! the bottom line is to make a BUCK and they could careless about their employees!