For all future crew members interested how to get a job on a cruise ship, and what awaits you once on board, you can find detailed accounts in the book “Living and working on-board a cruise ship” written by a former crew member. The author of the book Tamara Wolf describes her personal experience from the first day of her journey and everything she lived through during her contracts. There is practical advice on how to better handle everything and how to avoid the mistakes that she made.

In the last 12 years, the cruise industry has progressively shifted work-related mindsets related to crew members. This is quite apparent with the story of a girl who became pregnant with her partner while on board a cruise ship and made the decision mutually to continue her pregnancy while completing her contract.

Virgin Voyages has unveiled several pieces from its new crew uniform collection for their first cruise ship Scarlet Lady, set to sail next year. Designed by the British fashion icon Gareth Pugh the entire concept is quite unique and like nothing, we have seen on the other cruise lines. The new concept of crew uniforms combines the “Modern Romance of Sailing” motif promoted by Virgin Voyages and Pugh’s high-fashion modernist approach.

It is funny how there is always talk about all the Values of the company only to find out that nobody in authority follows the same values they try to impress upon the lower echelons of staff. 

Crew members on ocean and river cruise ships work long hours. Rather than working standard five-day weeks, cruise-ship employees work seven days a week 10 to 14 hours a day, for the duration of their entire contracts. Day off does not exist when working on cruise ships. Usually, employees get lunch off or dinner off, and even with this so-called offs they work 8 hours.

Most of us when we board our first cruise ship all we can think about is to have some fun, see the world, meet amazing people, and make some money along the way. After several months on board, we may start thinking about how many hours we work versus how little time we have to rest and have the fun we wanted to. But then hits the hard question after several contracts when we’re at a family function such as a wedding and a family member asks us what is it that we do on the cruise ship.

The following text was composed by John Sparc in order to help future candidates applying for the position Galley Utility on cruise ships. It consists of questions and answers of the daily operations and knowledge which any future candidate needs to follow.

What is galley utility?

The following text was composed by John Sparc in order to help future candidates applying for the position Bar Utility on cruise ships. It consists of questions and answers of the daily operations and knowledge which any future candidate needs to follow.

What is Bar Utility on Cruise Ship?

My name is Margarita, I am from Minsk, Belarus, and Carlos from Mexico. We used to work on board first European ships, after Carnival ships: Paradise, Conquest, and Breeze. Effy jewelry store. Now we live on Cozumel island.  But this story is not about us. And even not about working on board. All of you, guys, know how hard and at the same time exciting it is, and how it is changing life. This story is about life challenges and courage. 

Attention cruise ship crew: You or someone you know a 'ship mom'? Got pregnant while working on cruise ships with a fellow crew member? The Ship Moms Project wants to hear your story!