The work environment on river ships is quite different from the one on the big ocean cruise ships. The differences in itineraries, size of the ships, and passengers capacity also means that the working conditions are unique. So what's the difference between working on a river ship vs. ocean ship? According to the crew member Ranko Miletin, who has worked on ocean cruise ships, and now on river ships, the difference is huge.

Much is talked about the food served for the crew on board cruise ships. Many crew members say that the food is not that great and always the same items are served. Others will argue that some are very picky and they need to adjust to the new environment, which is quite different from back home. Usually on the ships there are three dining areas for the employees Crew Mess, Staff Mess and Officers Mess.

Working on a cruise ship is not a joke. You will work and work you will. But there are perks about working on ships and I am not talking about making more money than you would at home. I am talking about the travel and exploration of places and activities you would normally have the chance back home especially if you grew up in a landlocked country like I did.

When I say the word "mafia" most often people imagine the movie The Godfather with a whole lot of bullets, kidnapping, and severely illegal manipulative actions lead by a group of people who are pawns to one master mind. However, for our ship mates, the word "mafia" does have a slightly different meaning.

Your life changed in a minute…seconds… Yes, I know what you feeling I experienced the same.  Let me share some horror stories. 

The following message was sent by a crew member wishing to remain anonymous. According to the crew member, many cruise lines abuse the mandatory time and attendance policy regulated under the Maritime Labour Convention 2006(‘MLC’). He states that supervisors onboard adjusts the crew time cards, especially for the minimum hours of rest, which must be at least 6 hours between the shifts.

Shoppie or sales assistant schedules vary depending on the ship you are placed, the management you work with and the store you are assigned. My day in the life of a Shoppie is based on a typical day on Royal Caribbean - Harmony of the Seas.

A day in the life of a sports staff. Firstly, it can be extremely different from ship class to ship class. I have only worked within a medium-size class of ship where there have been around 1000+ crew members and only 3000+ passengers. This sounds like a fair amount, but compare this to the ships that hold over 5000+ passengers, were looking a medium scale ship.

The Crew Pass, also known as Crew Card, is the crew member's identification card, this is the most important document for a crew member. There are various information’s related to the crew member identity such as crew members photo, name, work position, nationality, passport number, date of admission, official number, and barcode. 

For all the first time joining crew on cruise ships, It is good to know these tips before sign on. You will work 10 to 12 hours a day (sometimes 14 hours), each day for the entire duration of a 6 to 8 months contract. Besides your regular work schedules, there are also other duties, responsibilities, and activities that you need to know. Hopefully, this article will present you with the bigger picture of life at sea, and help you prepare better.