10 Life-Changing Reasons Why You Should Work on a Cruise Ship in 2025
Are you looking for a way to travel the world while getting paid? Working on a cruise ship offers a unique lifestyle that combines global travel, financial savings, and personal growth — all in one job.
Unlike traditional land-based careers, cruise ship jobs allow you to live where you work, eliminate most monthly expenses, and wake up in a new destination every few days. It’s not always easy, but for many crew members, it’s one of the most life-changing experiences they’ll ever have.
Updated 2025
Is Working on a Cruise Ship Worth It? The Top Benefits
Below are 10 powerful reasons why thousands of people choose to work on cruise ships — and why it might be the right move for you.
See the World for Free: Global Travel Opportunities
One of the main reasons people choose to work on a cruise ship is the ability to travel the world and see awesome places that you might otherwise not be able to. Cruise ships are literally everywhere, and wherever there’s a port, you can guarantee that a cruise ship will be docking there.
Working on a cruise ship, you’ll be able to visit the picturesque beaches of the Caribbean, the great ancient cities in Europe, the exotic pyramids of Egypt, the pink sand beaches of Bermuda, and the snow-covered mountains of Alaska, to name a few. The possibilities are endless, and the world is waiting for you.
By working on the cruise ship, I got to see most of these awesome places because wherever the ship went, I went with it. I got to see places that I couldn’t imagine visiting before. A cruise ship gives you the ability to see many different countries and experience different cultures in a short span of time, a feat many people would take almost a lifetime to see it.
Extended Time Off: How Cruise Ship Vacations Really Work
Working on a cruise ship does not mean weekends or traditional days off. In fact, most crew work seven days a week during their contract. However, what makes cruise ship life unique is what happens after the contract ends.
Most contracts last between 4 and 9 months and are followed by extended vacation periods, often lasting 1 to 3 months.
Land Job vs Cruise Ship Job Time Off:
- Land job: 2–3 weeks of vacation per year
- Cruise ship job: 1–3 months off between contracts
This extended time off allows you to travel, spend time with family, or simply rest — something few traditional jobs can offer.
There are no Saturdays or Sundays off, but in retrospect, when you do go on vacation, you have all of the time accumulated, and you can get between 5 to 6 weeks and up to 2 months-long vacations.
“Every night is a Friday night and every morning is a Monday morning.”
For example, I had a 5-month contract with a 5-week vacation while working as Shore Excursion’s staff. While on vacation, you get to choose what you want to do. Want to stay home and sleep all day? Yes, you can! You will probably want to do that in your first week or two, since sleeping in can be a privilege for a select few while working onboard.
A Day in the Life of a Youth Counselor
Want to learn more about what it’s like to work on a cruise ship as a Youth Counselor? Learn why the job of a Youth Counselor is one of the best ones on the ship!
You Will Make Friends from All Over the World
You will, without a shadow of a doubt, make friends from many different countries and cultures. Working on a cruise ship it’s like a small United Nations. Different countries and cultures are all working together towards a common goal.
I have made many friendships from different countries with fellow crew members that I still keep in touch with. Some of my best friendships were made while working on ships, including my best friend for life, my wife. If you have an open mind when working onboard, the way you see the world will change for the better. You will learn new things and taste a new culture that will enrich your life experience.
Another incredible perk of having friends from different countries is the ability to crash at your friend’s, and have a local show you their country. No need to pay for a tour guide when you can have your ship buddy to show you around.
Financial Advantages of Working on a Cruise Ship
Affordable Social Life: Crew Bars, Parties, and Free Events
Food onboard is usually provided through the crew mess, which offers multiple daily meals at no cost. Depending on your rank and cruise line, some crew members are also allowed access to passenger dining areas.
While crew food may not be luxury dining, it significantly reduces monthly expenses and ensures you never worry about groceries or cooking after long workdays.
As a crew member, the food quality will be subpar. You will get free food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon, and late-night snacks served at the crew mess. Although at the beginning the food might look good, after working on board for a few months, you will get tired of having rice every day. There are options, but they usually consist of a salad bar, Asian-style food with rice, soups, and stir-fry pasta, and normally another aisle for more Western-style food like pizza, pasta, and burgers. There’s also the mystery meat every now and then.
At the end of the day, the food is free for crew and when you get tired of ship food, you can always eat outside the ship when you have some time off. Fancy a pizza in Naples?
Want to Know How Much Cruise Ship Crew Really Make?
Discover real cruise ship salaries by job role, plus how crew save money, get paid, and manage expenses while working at sea.
Updated for 2025 • Real crew experience • No fluff
Affordable Drinks at the Crew Bar
The crew bar is the heart and soul of the cruise ship. It’s the place you get to unwind after a long day working and standing on your feet. The expression “drink like a sailor” is taken very seriously on cruise ships if it is your vice of choice. You can buy beer for as low as one dollar and glasses of wine for as low as $.50 a glass. Some cruise lines will also have mixed drinks available, just like any bar. You could, but shouldn’t, get tipsy with less than 5 dollars.
Cruise lines make alcohol affordable for crew members, but you are never supposed to be drunk. There is a strict alcohol policy on board that’s often enforced, so drink responsibly, or you could face immediate dismissal.
Salary and Savings: How Crew Save Money at Sea
One of the biggest reasons people choose to work on a cruise ship is the ability to save money quickly. Unlike land-based jobs, cruise ship employees have almost no living expenses while onboard.
There is no rent, no utility bills, no commuting costs, and no grocery shopping. Accommodation, meals, laundry, and medical care are typically provided by the cruise line.
Pro Tip: Many crew members earn in U.S. dollars while spending money in countries with favorable exchange rates. This allows savings to stretch even further when traveling during vacation periods.
If you’re working on board and don’t have any bills, you can definitely save a lot of money. Working on board can be a great savings account, especially if you don’t have a lot of time off to spend your money.
Personal Growth and Skill Development Onboard
Learning New Languages in a Multicultural Environment
Bienvenue à bord – Bienvenido a Bordo – Willkommen an Bord
If you are currently learning a new language or planning to learn one, there’s a great possibility that you will find someone on board from a country that speaks that language. It’s very common to find crew members who speak two, three, or four different languages. So, if you want to become bilingual, all it takes is some time and determination. You can learn a language in a much shorter time while working onboard. If you’re single, perhaps dating someone that speaks the language that you want to learn might be the quickest way for you to be fluent!
What to Pack for your First Contract on a Cruise Ship!
Starting your first cruise ship contract? This essential packing guide covers what to bring, what to skip, and how to avoid common first-contract mistakes before you join your ship.
Time Management, Discipline, and Career Growth
You will become a pro in managing your precious time off. You will be surprised how much you can accomplish with only a few hours off. You will be a king, or queen, of 15min naps. You will learn not to waste time thinking about what to do and more time doing things. You will learn that time is valuable and when you go on vacation, you will be bored after the second week because the days will be slow when compared to ship life, where there’s always something going on.
Gaining Perspective and Escaping the 9-to-5 Routine
Working on a cruise ship for months on end makes you miss things that you didn’t give too much attention to. I miss waking up on Saturdays, not having to go to work, brewing a nice cup of coffee, sitting outside, and waking up slowly. Sometimes, the small things in life are the ones you will miss the most. Cooking your own food, hanging out with family and friends, going to family events, etc. While on the cruise ship, you will be surrounded by friends and coworkers but a part of you always stays on land. Once you have been on ships for a few months and mostly towards the end of your contract, you will start to miss little things that you did back home which on the ship are a bit harder. These experiences will only help you grow in life and appreciate all the little things. There will be many things that you will miss so make sure you get to do those things you will miss the most when on vacation because when on vacation, you will miss the ship life, and that’s what makes people go back contract after contract.
Escape the Ordinary
Final Thoughts: Is Cruise Ship Life Right for You?
Working on a cruise ship isn’t just a job — it’s a lifestyle. It’s demanding, intense, and not for everyone. But for those who embrace it, the rewards go far beyond money. You essentially live where you work, and you work where you live. Your office and your home are constantly on the move. Your view changes every day. One day you might wake up in Miami, the next day might be in the Bahamas, Cuba, or at sea. There’s never a dull day on the cruise ship; every day is a different day.
You’ll gain independence, global perspective, lifelong friendships, and experiences that few careers can offer. If you’re ready for adventure and willing to work hard, cruise ship life might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Ready to take the next step? Start with our guide on the requirements to work on a cruise ship and begin preparing for your first contract.
Requirements to Work on a Cruise Ship
Want to work on a cruise ship? Learn all the requirements — including STCW training, documents, and eligibility — in our complete step-by-step guide.
Working on a cruise is not a job but a lifestyle. Are you ready for this lifestyle?
Cover the earth before it covers you.
Dagobert D Runes.
