A Day in the Life of a Cruise Ship Youth Counselor (2025 Guide)

The position of a Youth Counselor (also called Youth Staff) is one of the most fun jobs on a cruise ship. You get to play all day with kids and have a “boatload” of fun while getting paid.  If you have worked at a summer camp, it can feel similar to how the activities are run. There’s a list of scheduled activities that you will have to learn when you get on board and they are always coming up with new ones. The job of a youth counselor is to provide a safe yet fun environment for every kid who comes to the kids’ club. As such, you should be an upbeat kind of person who enjoys working with kids and a person who can get along easily with other people.  Patience is a must for this job. You will be tested on your patience skills, trust me.

Quick Overview – Cruise Ship Youth Counselor

• Works with children ages 3–17
• Fixed monthly salary (not tipped)
• Long sea days, lighter port days
• Requires childcare experience, First Aid + STCW
• One of the most social onboard roles.

How Do You Get a Job as a Youth Counselor on a Cruise Ship?

Required experience working with children

To apply and get a position as a youth counselor, you need to have some experience working with kids, preferably between the ages of 3 to 17. Some cruise lines have programs for kids starting at 6 months, so if you have experience working with babies, you could also apply for their nursery positions. Some companies will have different positions within the youth program department. Normally, these are the positions you can apply for:

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Entry-level vs management youth counselor roles

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The position of the nursery coordinator and assistant manager will vary from ship to ship. Normally, the assistant position will be available only on larger ships where the number of youth staff is greater. The nursery coordinator will depend if the ship you work on has nursery facilities.

Youth Counselor Requirements and Qualifications (Youth Staff)

Minimum experience cruise lines expect

Below you will find some qualifications that cruise lines will ask for in the youth counselor position. Keep in mind that the job requirements below are broad and can vary from company to company:

Minimum 2 years of experience working with kids. Some examples of experiences:

•   Working in a Summer camp
•   Working at a YMCA
•   Experience as AuPair
•   After-school programs
•   Teacher in a school or a Childcare center

Additional Requirements to Work as a Cruise Ship Youth Counselor

Certifications and background checks

• Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
• Able to work with children from ages 2 to 17 years old.
• Able to work with children with special needs.
• Able to work with kids under the age of 2 years. (For nursery coordinator).
• An outgoing individual, able to lead large groups of children.
• Customer service oriented (you are going to have to deal with the parents as well).
• Able to obtain and submit a valid CPR/First Aid certificate.
• Pass a criminal background check.

Cruise Lines will hire both male and female youth counselors. You have to be at least 18 years old to apply.

STCW training explained

Besides the above job requirements, you will be required to complete and obtain the STCW certificate (Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) either before or during your first weeks onboard the ship. Most cruise lines will provide this training to you on board while some will require that you obtain this certificate before joining. In either case, it’s mandatory to have it, and without it, you cannot work on board. The STCW certificate is valid for five years.

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What Exactly Does a Youth Counselor Do on a Cruise Ship?

Working as a youth counselor on a cruise ship might seem like just fun and games, hanging out with the kids, playing video games, and eating ice cream. Although all of the above is true in some aspects, there’s much more to the role of a youth counselor than just playing games.

Daily responsibilities inside the kids’ club

You will be running activities for all the kids registered in the program. Normally, the majority of the kids will be between the ages of 3 -17 years. The kids are divided into age groups, and each group has its designated space onboard.

Age group breakdown by cruise line

See below some examples of age groups for NCL, Carnival, Disney, and Royal Caribbean:

Norwegian Cruise Line

To learn more about NCL’s Family programs, you can visit their Youth Programs section here on their website.

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Carnival Cruise Line

To learn more about Carnival Cruise Line’s Youth programs, visit their Youth Program section here on their website.

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Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

To learn more about Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s Youth programs, visit their Youth Program section here on their website.

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Disney Cruise Line

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line’s Youth programs, visit their Youth Program section here on their website.

What Age Groups Do Youth Counselors Work With?

How age assignments work onboard

Once onboard, you normally won’t be assigned a specific age group unless you applied for a specific age group position, such as Teen Counselor or Nursery Coordinator.  Each age group will have a list of activities specifically designed for the age group you are in, and you will learn those activities on the go. The training you will receive onboard is essentially an “on-the-job” kind of training. You might feel overwhelmed at the beginning, you won’t know everything so it’s very important to be flexible, patient, and take each day as it comes. If you are expecting proper training before you can start working, you will be disappointed. They will put you on the floor and start you working right away. You will have to learn as you go, so be very flexible and use your past experiences working with kids, as it will be your most valuable asset at the beginning.

Activities outside the kids club

Another aspect of the job is assisting the kids with activities that will happen outside the kids’ club facilities. It’s common to take kids for lunch, dinner, and activities around the ship.  Activities such as parades, scavenger hunts, and games at the ship’s sports court are normal and expected. It’s very important that every time you are outside the kids’ club, all the kids are accounted for, every time! This is a very important aspect of your job. The worst thing that can happen is losing count of how many kids you are supposed to have, and worse, losing a child during a scheduled activity. Make sure you do a roll call before and after any activity that takes place outside the kids’ club. You will be fired if you lose a child during your watch!

Kids’ Mealtime Responsibilities for Youth Counselors

Managing allergies and safety during meals

The kids’ club schedule will include activities that require you to take the kids for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or maybe just for some ice cream. When taking kids for meals or snacks, it’s crucial to always check for allergies. While the job of a youth counselor is mostly fun, your primary responsibility is the well-being of the kids. So, make sure you keep track of them and avoid feeding them anything that could cause an allergic reaction. The good part is that you get to eat with the kids, so if you are tired of eating the crew food, this can be a much-needed break from the routine.

Dealing With Parents as a Cruise Ship Youth Counselor

Common parent challenges onboard

At times, one of the more difficult things about working as a youth staff member is having to deal with the parents. The parents can be a little pushy sometimes when they expect something that is not allowed by the company’s policies. A common example that happens on many cruise lines is that kids are assigned to an age group based on the child’s age during the sailing.  

How youth staff handle policy disputes

For example, if the kid is five years old, they will be placed in a group that is between 3 to 5-year-olds. Parents sometimes will want us to move the kids to a different age group, which is strictly prohibited in some cruise lines. Parents may not be understanding, and they will give you a hard time, but in the end, you have to stand your ground and be firm and polite. In most cases, you will not be able to accommodate according to the company’s policies, and the matter is out of your hands.

Typical Activities Run by Cruise Ship Youth Counselors

Kids Club Hours on Cruise Ships (Sea Days vs Port Days)

Hours of operation for the kids club:

Norwegian Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line

Royal Caribbean

Disney Cruise Line

9 am-1 am every day

Cruise Ship Youth Counselor Salary: How Much Do They Make?

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Cruise ship youth counselors earn a fixed monthly salary, meaning the position is not tip-based. While tipping is uncommon, parents may occasionally offer gratuities, and some cruise lines allow counselors to earn extra income through paid programs such as late-night childcare or onboard lunch supervision during port days (Port Play at NCL). Normally, the kids’ club will close around 10:30 PM, but for an extra fee per hour kids’ club will stay open for parents who want to drop off their kids and enjoy the cruise ship at night.

Approximated Monthly Salaries:

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Time Off and Days Off for Cruise Ship Youth Counselors

Port-day time off

You will have plenty of time to explore the ports of call while the ship is docked. Whenever to ship docks, most of the families will be off the ship. Although the kids’ club will stay open during port hours, the number of staff needed to run operations will be less, thus allowing some staff to go ashore and explore the ports of call. The scheduling is done on a rotation basis, so if you work today in a port, say Cozumel, you will probably not work that port again due to the rotation. Rotations will depend on the number of staff and kids on board. During high season, expect to have more kids on board, even when the ship is docked, requiring more staff to stay on board.

Sea-day workload

On Sea days, when the ship is sailing all day, expect the kids’ club to be at its busiest. Normally, the kids’ club will open at 9 am and will close at 10:30 pm, with a small break for lunch and dinner. During sea days, you need to make sure you have all the energy you can get because the days will be long and will feel like forever. Staying up till late on the crew bar and having to work during sea day is not fun. Although I have done it many times, I can tell you that your days will feel much longer when you are sleep-deprived.

Final Thoughts: Is Being a Cruise Ship Youth Counselor Worth It?

Working as a Youth Counselor on a cruise ship is not a stress-free job, but you will have fun for the most part. As long as you keep an open mind, ship life as a youth counselor might just be the best job you can have on board.

I hope that you enjoyed reading this article and that it got you inspired to learn more about the position of a youth counselor and even apply for the position yourself.

The best way to predict your future is to create it.

Abraham Lincoln