Cruise ship workers are one of the hardest working people in the travel industry. Working long days, some up to 12 hours with no day off in contracts that can last up to 10 months can seriously take a toll. The companies know that and they have tools in place to make sure the crew is also healthy, both mentally and physically. Most companies provide some sort of activities for the crew members from time to time, as well as facilities where the crew can relax and destress on your hard-earned free time.
During your free time, you are free to do whatever you want with it but what is there to do onboard a cruise ship when you have some time off?
Below are some of the options offered exclusively for crew members on cruise ships:
Table of Contents
Crew Gym
Most cruise ships will have a dedicated crew gym with all the necessary equipment that you might need for your workout. They also have TVs and sound systems. There are some crew events that are held at the crew gym such as Zumba, yoga classes, salsa lessons, and aerobic classes, among others.
The crew gym it’s normally open 24 hours in some ships, and depending on the location of the gym, there might be some restrictions on the hours you can work out because there might be some crew cabins around the gym, and that may disrupt the sleeping of your fellow crew members.
Can I use the Passenger Gym?
The cruise ship main passenger gym, which is much better located on a higher floor on the cruise ship with excellent views, is also accessible for the crew members. A downside of the crew gym is that there’s no view whatsoever and working out while enjoying a nice view is a great motivator.
The problem with the guest’s gym is that it is exclusively for guest use, however, if you are working in the position grants you guest access privileges, you might be able to access the guest gym. The guest’s gym is also open 24 hours and you can use it as long as the gym is not crowded with passengers, which is normally on sea days. Management is always reminding you that that guests always come first.
Crew Pool
If you are working on a cruise ship that has a crew pool you are in luck. Not all ships will have a dedicated crew pool. Crew pools are small, very small and the main point being is that the pool is meant for you to get a splash of water and just lay down on a sunbathing chair right in the front of the ship.
The crew pool is located at the bow of the ship(front) and some cruise ships will have a crew pool and sometimes, a crew bar right next to it, where you can drink at night under the stars. I have used the crew pool a lot when I had the chance and it’s definitely an asset to have when you are stuck on board, don’t have a lot of time to get to a beach.
Crew Bar
Crew bar is the social and most visited place onboard a cruise ship. It is the place where the crew goes to unwind and destress. Many events are held on the crew bar and almost every night there’s music at the crew bar. Aspiring DJs can sign up with the Crew Activities Specialist onboard to DJ at the crew bar. They have a monthly calendar of events around the ship and most of it happens at the crew bar.
In my point of view, the Crew bar is the heart and soul of the cruise ship. The crew bar is where people go to socialize after work hours, to release stress, catch up with friends while enjoying a beer, wine or whatever drink you like. At the crew bar, you can be yourself and dress the way you want (sort of). The crew go to the crew bar to let some steam off, relax and forget about work for a while.
Also, a cool thing about the crew bar is that you have a chance to meet your friends from different departments, to chat and be yourself, listen to some music, wear your own clothes and just have a good time. Sometimes, people dress to impress and you will definitely notice it since you might be used to see a person only in uniform but when there’s a party at the crew bar, people will put on their best outfit, so make sure to bring one on your luggage.
Tip: Not sure what to pack for your first contract on a cruise ship? Visit this post, to learn more about it.
Drinks Are Cheap at The Crew Bar
Drinks at the crew bar are very inexpensive, and the crew definitely takes advantage of it. You can buy beer for as low as $1, glasses of wine for $0.75. Some cruise ships even have a full-on bar where you can order a nice cocktail, whiskey, margarita, etc. I wasn’t as lucky because, on Norwegian Cruise Line, they only sell wine, beer and sometimes, Smirnoff ice but on Disney, they had a nice full bar. Some crew bars also sell snacks to accompany your drink while chatting with friends
Awesome Parties at the Crew Bar!
The crew bar is a cozy place with many of it having comfy chairs and sofa, some have a jukebox and live DJ where the crew members can sign up to DJ. There’s always something going on at the crew bar. A calendar of events is posted on the main crew areas showcasing all the activities during that month, including special theme nights at the crew bar. If you like to Dj, then this might be a fun hobby when you are off at night, providing entertainment to your fellow crew members.
The Crew Mess
Ah, the crew mess. Crew members have a love-hate relationship with the mess, mostly on the hate side. The crew’s main restaurant, the mess is a place where you will eat most of your meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. The mess is often divided into food categories, one catering towards Asian foods (most of the crew members are from Asia), a non-Asian food section including foods like pasta, rice, vegetables, pizza, burgers. There’s also a salad bar with a variety of options like lettuce, onions, olives, shaved carrot, tomatoes, etc.
Some crew messes also have a dessert section that, on some occasions, includes fruits but mainly pastries, cakes, and sweets.
How are The Meals Served?
The meals are served buffet-style in the crew mess—that’s how they call the crew cafeteria.
There are specific times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some ships also offer a late-night meal. Outside of these times, there will be no food available. You cannot just come later to grab a snack to bring to your cabin or bring the food to your cabin. If you miss a meal, for example, breakfast, you better have some snacks in your cabin to keep you going on your shift, until the next mealtime.
Crew Mess
Asian Style Food
Staff Mess
Western Style Food
Officer Mess
For high ranked officials. Typically with waiter service and a menu to choose from.
Your position onboard will dictate what kinds of access you have throughout the ship. If allowed, on your time off you are free to eat at the guest’s restaurants, space permitting. Cruise ships have one, two or more main dining rooms (free), a buffet-style restaurant and some specialty restaurants (paid).
Special Events Means Special Menu
There are some special events only for crew members and the most popular ones are the ones that involve food and drinks. During some holidays and special dates like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Philippines’ independence, the company provides special meals to the crew. When I was on the Norwegian Spirit, we had a Mexican night with Mexican food like tacos, burritos, queso, and chips, for Mexican independence.
Also, Philippines independency day is a big deal since the majority of the crew is from the philippines. There’s usually ton of food and party at the crew bar, usually featuring a Philippine band.
There was also a chocoholic buffet where everything was made of chocolate, including a chocolate cruise ship model.
For the most part, the food will be tolerable. After a few months onboard, it will feel like you are seeing the same food over and over, making it very hard to get excited for a meal at the mess, unless it’s a special event like mentioned above. You will be craving home-cooked food and the simplest of the foods you can imagine from back home.
Try the Local Food Whenever possible
A huge plus is that you will also have the chance to eat the local food at the ports of call. Indulge yourself in the delicious pizzas and gelatos in Italy, Tapas, and paellas while in Spain, the fresh and cheap seafood in the islands of the Caribbean or authentic Mexican food while in Cozumel. Go ahead; enjoy all these perks while working on a cruise ship. Make it count!
Crew Game Room
Some cruise lines will have a dedicated game room that will have some games like PlayStation, Xbox, and Wii. They will also have board games and even books and DVDs that you can check out and take to your cabin. The crew activities team is always updating the book and DVD list, and they will have office hours when you can check out DVDs and books.
Crew Internet Cafe
A Crew internet café is offered onboard the ship so the crew can be connected even while at sea. The Internet is not free thought and it cost significantly more than on land without land speeds. Expect to pay approximately $20 for 220 minutes of use ($0.10 a minute). You can connect via Wi-Fi on your personal device or use one of the computers at the internet café. Simply create an account and choose an internet package. Packages vary from $5 to $20 although the price is the same, around $0.10 a minute.
The crew internet cafe also has some computers set up for you to access the internet if you don’t have a personal computer. They also provide access to the company’s exclusive website, where you can browse the latest news from the company via the intranet, find training, events, benefits like cruise discounts or even learn a second language. On NCLs ships, they provide free Rosetta Stone courses for free in English and some other languages like Spanish.
Tip: give yourself a budget monthly for internet usage as costs can add considerably. I have friends that have spent over $500 a month on internet alone, a not very smart way to use your hard-earned money.
How Can I Stay Connected While Working on a Cruise Ship?
There are many ways you can save money on internet and not have to rely on the cruise ship’s slow internet access. Thee cruise line also sells phone cards if you need to make a phone call while at sea but on port days, you can use your own phone. One easy way is to have a plan from your country that allows roaming internationally. We currently use T-Mobile Simple Choice Plan(US Only) where we can have a data package valid in 160 countries, together with free texts and $0.20 a minute in international calls. All of this for $50 plus taxes a month or $90 for two lines. This plan has been invaluable for us while on the cruise ship and during our travels.
Get a GSM Unlocked Phone
If you don’t live in the US, you should definitely get an unlocked GMS phone. You can purchase a local SIM card in the ports that your ship calls and they are usually much cheaper than paying roaming charges. One such example is in Italy, where you can get a TIM Sim card with 5 GB of internet for $20 Euros.
There are also plenty of internet cafes and crew centers located in the ports of call that caters towards crew members where you can pay for internet usage, buy SIM cards and make phone calls.
Crew Member Activities
There are a ton of activities created especially for the crew members. They even have a dedicated position created onboard to help manage events and cool activities for crew members. The position is called Crew Activities Coordinator. (Future Post coming soon)
Activities are varied but here are some ideas of events coordinated by the Crew Activities Coordinator:
- Shore Excursions
- Bingo
- Crew Parties
- Bike Rentals
- Movie Nights
- Crew BBQs
- Spa Nights
- Theme Dinners
- Sports Tournaments
- Crew-Only Sales
Crew Only Excursions
Crew members also get to participate in crew only excursions to awesome places. The excursions offered often are similar to what’s offered to the guests but at a much cheaper price, since the majority of the cost is being subsidized by the company and the tour operators.
When a crew excursion is available, they will post on the crew activities board (monthly calendar) and a signup sheet will be available. Prices are low but spaces are limited. Very popular excursions tend to get full very quickly, so if you see something you like and have the time off, you should definitely go for it. Some managers will work with you on your schedule if you want to participate, sometimes by swapping schedules with a fellow coworker as well.
Tip: If you really want to be an expert in excursions, and by an expert I mean go on as many as you want, then you should definitely consider working as a Shore Excursion Staff.
Final Words
Working on a cruise ship has its perks. What kind of job would you give a complete package with room, board, food, events, and activities, seeing the world all while getting paid for it? A job on a cruise ship might be just what you are looking for, so if you want some adventure in your life, then go for it, what do you have to lose?
TIP: Not convinced yet? Read 10 Reasons Why You Should Work on a Cruise Ship to learn more.
