do cruise staff get days off

While some officer-level positions do allow restricted access to guest areas, most facilities are for guests only. However, we have a variety of crew-only facilities, such as a crew pool, whirlpool, gym, bar, and  Crew Club, which is a communal room where you can gather to watch movies, play games, sing karaoke, and much more!

Postal mail services are available while onboard. You will also have access to computers in the crew training areas. Wi-fi Internet is also available in the crew areas if you choose to bring your own laptop or tablet. Princess offers discounted rates for phone and Internet cards so you can stay in touch with those at home. But remember that satellite capabilities are sometimes limited while the ship is at sea.

You will be provided with mailing addresses for ports where mail can best be delivered.

There is an ATM in the guest areas; an ATM charge will apply. You can also cash checks in the Crew Office onboard to get cash.

US citizens will have federal taxes automatically deducted and may be required to pay state taxes, if applicable. All other nationalities are responsible for filing their own tax forms upon returning to their home countries (as they are self-employed).

You can wire money via the Crew Purser's office. Details are available onboard and rates may vary.

You will be provided with a bar account number, which is your personal number for the duration of your contract onboard each ship. As the entire vessel is cashless, even for guests, you will provide your account number at the bars, salon, and shops in guest areas. In the Crew Bar you can purchase a CrewCard and add money onto it for purchases. At the end of every month you will be required to settle your account.

There are crew laundry facilities where the washers and dryers are free of charge—you just provide the soap. You can also use the dry cleaning onboard, but there is a nominal cost.

Crew members who miss the ship should contact the ship's Agent who will be at the port (the address and phone number are always in the Princess Patter, a daily newsletter for our guests). The Port Agent will arrange transportation to the ship's next port of call. However, it is the responsibility of crew to pay these transportation costs. Crew may be disciplined for the offense and could be terminated. Depending on the port all crew members are required to be back onboard half an hour to an hour prior to sailing time.

While onboard, all crew are medically covered and can visit the Medical Clinic for health concerns. If you need to be medically disembarked during your contract, Princess will provide transportation to a land-based medical facility and repatriate you back home.

If you are not scheduled to work during the time the ship is in port, you can disembark the ship with your supervisor’s approval. Occasionally, there are crew-specific activities or tours to participate in.

Safety requirements dictate that a certain number of crew members be present on each vessel at all times. As such, there may occasionally be times when, although not scheduled to work, you will be required to remain onboard while the ship is in port.

Princess Cruises recruits globally through authorized hiring partners.  Find a hiring partner located near you.

Once you contact the authorized hiring partner, you can get answers to questions regarding the application process and which positions are currently open in your region.

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FAQ About Working on a Cruise Ship

Q: What jobs are available working on a cruise ship?

A: Cruise ships offers a wide variety of employment opportunities. Some of the positions that are often available are: bartenders, shore excursion directors, retail clerks, youth coordinators, child care staff, musicians and entertainers, casino staff, cruise staff, restaurant staff and hosts, merchant marines , able seamen, engineers, to name a few.

To view a more complete list of cruise ship positions , follow the link!

Q: How much can I earn working a cruise ship job?

Monthly wages range from $1,500 to $8,000 or more.

Again it is important to remember that you have the opportunity to save most of the money you earn, unless you spend too much time in the bars, the casinos or spend too much when you are in port. Another perk is that some of the cruise ships even have bar allowances for their staff, so this will limit your bar expense.

Q: What are the ships like? Are there alternatives to working on one of those huge ships I've seen on TV?

A: Definitely! Ships come in different sizes and are built for a variety of purposes. Your experience as an employee will vary greatly depending on the size of ship and the employer's 'mission.' We profile:

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• Small Ship Cruises
• River Cruises , and
• Harbor Cruises

Q: What are the living conditions like aboard a cruise ship at sea?

A: While it is true that accommodations are sometimes cramped, especially on smaller vessels, and you'll be sharing your cabin with little or no privacy, most find the experience similar to their fist year in college dorm, but without the homework. Usually staff have their own dining room, away from the passengers and on days off, employees can hang out by the pool, sunbathe, or use the spa. Some ships provide extra amenities for employees, such as televisions for each room, a special crew bar and lounge and special recreation lounges near the crew quarters.

Q: What are some of the places a person may get to see as an employee aboard one of the larger cruise lines?

A: The ports of call and sheer number of destinations reached by cruise lines today offer cruise employees an unparalleled opportunity for travel. For instance, last year a Princess Cruises cruise ship traveled from Acapulco, through the Panama Canal, around the Caribbean, across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Then headed down to North Africa, around the British Isles, through the Baltic Sea, and back across the Atlantic to New York.

Today, cruise ships are sailing all over the world, so you have the opportunity to visit a number of exciting destinations.

Q: How much time do you spend off the ship?

A: The amount of time you spend off the ship depends on three main factors 1.) The contract you hold with your employer and 2.) The amount of time your ship allows passengers to visit ports. 3.) Your position on the cruise ship. Crew members working in departments and positions that are slow or closed when a ship is in port, generally have more free time in each port.

When your ship stops at ports most crew members are allowed (and in most cases encouraged) to get off the ship and explore. Generally, crew members are allowed to be out in port until one hour prior to departure (of course, unless they are on duty).

Most cruise line contracts typically require a four to six month commitment for new employees. Some cruise lines allow you to take a limited amount of vacation time during a contract and other do not. If this is important to you, it should be discussed prior to accepting the position.

Q: Do I need to be an United States Citizen to use CruiseJobFinder or to get a job on a cruise ship?

A: JobSeekers from any nationality can use the employment resources on CruiseJobFinder. The website is written in English, so it is important that you are able to read English in able to get the most benefit out of a membership to CruiseJobFinder.

Most cruise ships are foreign flagged and do not need to operate under the strict US labor laws. So cruise lines are free to hire people from all over the world to fill their positions. Because the majority of cruise ship passengers speak English, cruise lines generally like to hire crew with a good command of the English language for positions that have a high degree of passenger contact. This would include cruise staff, casino staff, gift shop and other sales people, host, hostesses, disc jockeys, fitness instructors, lecturers, youth counselors, water sports instructors, photographers, art auctioneers, cosmetologist, hair stylists, massage therapist, doctors, nurses, purser department, and the bar department.

On most cruise lines, the crew can be very diverse with crew members from 25 or more different countries.

There are a handful of cruise ships that are flagged in the United States and hire almost all their crew from the United States. These cruise ship usually sail around Hawaii, Alaska, the Great Lakes or on US rivers. We cover all of the US flagged and foreign flagged cruise ships in the members section of CruiseJobFinder.

Q: If Hired, will the cruise line buy my uniforms?

A: It depends on the cruise line. Some companies will pay for crew member's uniforms and some will require their crew members to purchase their own uniforms. Almost all of the cruise lines require their crew members to purchase their own shoes that are in accordance with uniform regulations. Make sure you determine what the company policy is on uniforms prior to accepting a position.

Q: Are crew members allowed to use guest amenities?

A: Most of the cruise lines will allow their crew to use guest amenities on their time off. However, passengers always take priority when using the pool, gym etc. Most cruise will also offer their crew a mess or recreation area/ dining hall and in some cases a crew bar where drinks are sold considerable less than in passenger's bars.

Q: What happens if I decide to break my contract?

A: If you decide that cruise life is not for you and break your contract you will have to pay for all costs to get yourself home.

Q: What kind of training regarding safety and emergency protocol will I receive?

A: Crew members will be required to attend a safety course following embarkment on ship. Instruction on lifeboat/raft safety, fire drills and understanding of fire safe and watertight doors will be taught. You will encounter routine emergency drills throughout your employment on the ship.

Q: What happens if somehow I miss the ship when I am at port?

A: This is never a good idea and could result in a demotion or loss of job. Most companies require their crew to be on-board an hour prior to departure. Pay close attention to the sailing schedule and keep an eye on time. If you do however, for some good reason miss the ship your cruise line's agents will help you find the ship and board again. However, there may be some expense to you.

Q: Can I apply for a specific ship with a cruise line?

A: The best course of action is to apply to the various cruise companies of your choice. After you have made a strong impression on the company and they indicate they would like for you to work for them, politely request a ship you would like to work on.

Q: Can I work on the same cruise ship as my spouse or friend?

A: Yes, this may be possible. However, you don't want to make a whole bunch of requests before you are hired. We recommend that you and your spouse/friend each apply to the same set of companies. But you should each apply separately and then during to the mid to later stages of the interview process, you should let your recruiter/human resources representative know that your spouse/friend is also interested in working on the same ship. If a position is available that he/she is qualified for, many companies will try to make things work out.

Please note, that companies are more likely to accommodate married couples, but often they can help arrange it so you can work with a friend as well.

Q: Can I live with my spouse on the ship?

A: Yes, this is usually possible. It will be important to let the company know that you are on the ship with your husband/wife prior to making room assignments so the company has plenty of time to plan accordingly.

Q: How can I remain in contact with my world at home?

A: Many cruise ships do offer internet connections for laptop computers and also have a computer lounge for those without computers (however there may be a fee for both of these options). If the cost is more than you want to pay, it is common for crew members to visit one of the many internet cafes that are in each of the ports of call.

You may keep in touch with people from back home through e-mail, cellular phones, phone cards and mail. Mail goes to the company agents in various ports and is delivered to ships when they dock there and distributed on board. The internet offers many ways to stay connected with the world when you are away. Online banking, shopping and correspondence can keep your life up and running.

Q: I have never been at sea for very long, what happens if I get seasick?

A: Most cruise ships are large and seasickness is usually not a problem. There is some generic over the counter medicine that can help you with seasickness. Most people find that getting some fresh air on a deck that is in the middle of the ship and lower will be a little less rocky. Additionally, many find that their seasickness goes away after their body has had some time to adapt.

Q: The travel opportunities sound great, but what about people who are not comfortable being out at sea, especially for extended periods of time?

A: People who would rather stay on land can still take advantage of the lucrative travel industry for summer jobs or year-round jobs. There are over 300 land tour companies in North America (and many more in Europe and throughout the world) that hire tour guides and managers. These companies provide guided tours to all corners of the globe, offering excursions such as scenic bus trips, river rafting adventures, and trolley car tours.

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How Many Hours a Day Do Cruise Ship Employees Work?

Passengers often see the same crew members all day long and wonder how many hours cruise ship employees actually work.

Regardless of the job position, a cruise ship employee generally works between 8 to 12 hours on a “sea” day and sometimes less on a “port” day. This does not include breakfast, lunch and dinner breaks, which can be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or more. And, certain job positions have almost no hours on a port day.  

For example, as an Internet Cafe Manager, I worked the following:

As an IT/Communications Officer, I worked the same number of hours on sea and ports days.

If you’d like to know how many hours a crew member SHOULD be allowed to work by law, why some crew members work less on a port day, as well as other insider information about crew hours, please continue reading below.

But first, a little about sea days and port days, and why this is important to know in order to understand the hours a cruise ship crew member works.

Sea days versus port days

“Sea” days are the days the cruise ship is at sea, often between two ports that are quite far apart. There are usually only one or two sea days in a row for most cruises, but there can be as many as 6 days or more if crossing the Atlantic ocean for example.

“Port” days are the days the ship is visiting a port, and can sometimes be every single day of a cruise.

Logically, because all the passengers are on board during sea days, and fully using the ship’s amenities, the crew are working at their maximum number of hours.

On port days, most passengers are off the ship and therefore fewer crew hours are needed.

When I was an Internet Cafe Manager, the Internet Cafe was full every sea day, but almost empty on port days, so I wasn’t needed.

During my time as an IT/Communications Officer, I would love sea days because they were one of the few chances I had to catch up on sleep and be able to nap during my 4 hours off in the afternoon.

Some positions work the same hours every day

Some positions onboard are not affected by sea and port days. For example,  the Laundry department works the same hours every day because there is a constant flow of laundry each day.

As an IT/Communications Officer, my duties remained consistent as well, so I worked the same hours each day too.

Which cruise ship jobs hardly work on a port day?

If you’re lucky, you might be able to get a job on a cruise ship where you work very limited hours on a sea day.

These positions include both the casino staff and the shop staff.

This is because laws in many countries forbid the casino and the shops to be open, as they consider these revenue centers to be in competition with the ports or violate gambling laws.

But, this doesn’t mean you’ll have these days off completely. The casino and shops may be open earlier in the morning before the ship arrives in port, and late into the evening after sailing again.

During the time in port, the managers may also be balancing the books and staff are restocking the shelves or doing inventory.

Overall though, you’ll most likely get a lot of time off during port days, which makes one of these positions a great way to see the world.

You can read why I think a Casino Dealer and a Shop Worker are two of the best jobs at sea .

Special hours off

Very rarely I saw certain sub-departments getting “special hours off”.  On one ship, all the carpenters got Sunday afternoon off.

We were all quite happy for them, as the carpenters on any ship generally work very long hours (if not a lot of overtime) and an extra 4 hours off makes a huge difference.

How cruise ship employees can get additional time off

Unfortunately, this is usually the only way and it’s not great for your health.

On one ship, I had what was most likely the norovirus, keeping me quarantined in my cabin for 2 days. But after nearly 4 months of working every day straight, and despite throwing up continuously, it was welcomed time off!

Once, while working on cruise ships…

We were at the bottom of the world in Ushuaia, Argentina, and I desparately needed some dental work.

Every time I would chew, searing pain would travel along the roots of my upper teeth, to the point I couldn’t chew any more.

As I didn’t speak Spanish, my taxi driver became my interpretor to the Spanish-only dentist.

I was a little unsure if he explained my situation correctly, as the dentist decided the only thing to do was pull my wisdom tooth!

Luckly for me the pain go away instantly, and I ended up finding out later that tooth extraction was the ONLY dental procedure the ship did pay for!

And, I was granted a full day off – dentist’s orders, which I took full advantage of by sleeping in for the first time in 3 months. Luxurious!

How many hours a day should a cruise ship employee be allowed to work?

Thankfully, the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (‘MLC’) is in place and acts as a watchdog to help make sure cruise ship workers aren’t overworked.

The Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (‘MLC’) says that for a cruise ship worker the maximum hours of work must not exceed 14 hours in any 24-hour period and 72 hours in any seven-day period; or the minimum hours of rest must not be less than 10 hours in any 24-hour period, and 77 hours in any seven-day period.

Hours of rest may be divided into two periods, one of which must be at least 6 hours. The interval between periods of rest must not be longer than 14 hours.

Keeping to these rules makes sure employees are not overworked and have adequate rest to perform their jobs well, ensuring the safety of both the crew and passengers.

But having worked on a number of ships, I know first hand these hours aren’t always kept, and there are ways around them.

Many cruise ship employees work more hours than they are supposed to

The truth is, cruise ship workers often work more hours than they should.

Sometimes the overages are due to inspections, sometimes the weather. Other times it’s poor planning or there’s just too much work for a limited number of crew .

Regardless of the reason, the ship’s crew are often pressured to only report the hours they are legally allowed to work, or else the ship comes under scrutiny.

Even if the reporting system is designed to promote honestly, whether through time cards, spreadsheets, or another way, there’s always a way around it.

In my experience, on some ships, we had to fill out a spreadsheet that showed the hours we worked and rested each day, which we and our supervisors had to sign.

You’d think we would always report our true hours, but the reality is we did not. If you “stir the pot” and don’t go along with the status quo, chances are the ship will find a reason not to hire you back. It’s not right, but it is the way it is. And none of us wanted to lose our jobs.

You can read more about how challenging some schedules can be in this excellent article from crew-center.com .

If you’re considering work at sea, please understand it’s very possible you may be put in a position to under-report your hours in order to keep your job. Always do what you feel is right.

All in all, working on a cruise ship can be an amazing experience, but chances are you’ll be working some long hours!

A Little About the Author...

Rob Lilley is passionate about working on cruise ships, and spent 5 years of his life travelling the seven seas and touching ground on all 7 continents.  With the experience of 2 different job positions in multiple contracts with different cruise lines, from explorer ships to full-sized cruise liners, Rob is keen to share his insider insights with all of those interested in working at sea! More…

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Do Cruise Ship Crew Get Days Off?

Working on a cruise ship can seem like a dream – traveling the world and then getting months off for vacation in between contracts. But in all that time they’re at sea, sometimes for 8 or more months, do cruise ship crew get days off? And, what happens if they get sick, do cruise ship crew get sick days?

When you work on a cruise ship you find that everyone has an opinion (well founded or just made off of assumptions) about what life must be like at sea. Some assume that it’s the most fun you could have, traveling from country to country, getting months off in between. Others will ask if you ever feel “stuck” or “trapped” while away at sea. There will be the smattering of questions about working conditions, half with the assumption that you are living that Instagram filtered life of beaches, drinks, and romance and half assuming that you live in a tiny cabin with awful working conditions. Like with everything in life, parts of all of the above is true.

One thing that people consistently cannot get over is that most of the time cruise ship crew do not get days off.

All views are my own and do not represent those of my employer. *As an Amazon affiliate I may earn from eligible purchases.

Most Jobs Onboard a Cruise Ship You Work Every Single Day

The majority of jobs onboard you work from the day you join the ship until the day you leave the ship. Each job onboard is a bit different as to what their schedule looks like although there are rules that govern how much any ship employee can work if their ship (and the flag state of their ship) follows the MLC .

This means there are no weekends, there are no holidays, no Christmas day off, no long Labor Day weekend. Every day you’re onboard you are working. So when crew get to go home on vacation, usually for a couple of months, think of that time like all of those weekends, holidays, and vacation days all put together. For the most part crew talk about having hours off – not days off.

Port Days Vs Sea Days – But Not Actually Days Off

Some jobs will have nearly the exact same schedule every day, whereas other jobs will have easier days on port days. For passenger facing roles or jobs onboard that deal more directly with the guests, port days tend to be a bit lighter as most guests are ashore so there are less guests to feed, clean for, and entertain. These jobs will conversely be busier on sea days. This may mean that on a port day your work day is 6-8 hours versus 10 hours (for instance).

There are also jobs that are the opposite of that where port days are significantly more busy. These would be jobs like engineering officers doing propulsion maintenance, the sailors and officers that drive tender boats, security at the gangway, everyone involved in loading provisions onto the ship, window washers and exterior painters (to name a few). However, whether your role onboard has more hours on a port day or a sea day – regardless, you’ll most likely be working every day.

Want to know more about the difference between port days and sea days? Take a look at this post where we dive into it.

If You Have a Day Off – It Doesn’t Mean You Can Get Off The Ship

What? It’s my day off and the ship is in Honolulu and I can’t go ashore?! Yes, it’s real, it’s true, and it’s called “IPM” or in-port manning. IPM is the need to have a minimum number of crew member onboard to be able to respond should an emergency happen while the ship is in port. Most of the time this is done on a rotation between the various other crew in your emergency function, but at some point you will get stuck onboard on your day off. Relax, take a nap, catch up on sleep.

Want to know more about in-port manning? This post explains what it is and what to expect for in-port manning .

Why Don’t Most Crew Get Days Off?

For the most part every job on a ship happens every day. The dining room is open every day, the buffet is open every day. Every day people need to eat, rooms need to be cleaned, engines need to keep running, and the ship needs to go from A to B.

People that work at hotels get days off – so why don’t people on a ship? That mostly comes down to cabin space. Cabin space is at a premium. If crew were to have days off you would still need other crew to cover those responsibilities – this means more crew onboard taking up more cabin space. And, the more cabin space crew take up, the less space there is onboard the ship for passenger cabins. At the end of the day cruising is a business and it’s less expensive to have crew work every single day of their contract and then have a few months off then to have more crew onboard.

What If You Get Sick? Do Cruise Ship Crew Get Sick Days?

Sick days don’t work the same as a conventional job, but cruise ship crew do get sick days. There is no set amount of sick days that crew get though and you only get a sick day if the onboard medical team deems you unfit for duty. All those tricks that you might play on land – calling in and tossing in a fake cough here and there – don’t work on the ship. There is no option to call in sick to get extra time at the beach or in port. No, to get a sick day onboard medical has to determine that you are in fact sick enough to not work (or potentially contagious).

If they determine you can’t work because of a common cold you may get to spend the day lazing around in your pj’s in your cabin. However, depending on what you are sick with they might consider you at risk of spreading an infectious virus such as norovirus or coronavirus. If you show symptoms of a virus like this and you have a roommate you will be getting moved out of your cabin either into a quarantine cabin, another isolation cabin, or into the medical facility depending on which virus and what their protocols are to reduce the potential spread of the virus onboard.

There is no finite number of sick days that crew will get per contract and you won’t get fired for being sick. If you are really sick with something that needs to be treated off of the ship the company may deem that you are medically unfit to sail or that because of your need for treatment being onboard is unfeasible or unsafe for you.

Fun fact: While you won’t get fired for being sick – you could actually get fired if you are sick with a potentially infectious illness and do not report your symptoms.

There Are a Few Positions That Are More Likely to Get Days Off

There are a few jobs onboard that are known to pretty much always get a day off once a week or every other week – or are more likely to have big chunks of time off in port. For some of these positions it is written in their contract for one day off a week or every two weeks, or a day off may just a happenstance of the ships schedule.

Musicians & Entertainers

There are a lot of different types of musicians and entertainers that work onboard cruise ships. From the guest entertainers that come in to do one or two shows onboard to the in-house entertainment, it could range from magicians to acrobats to figure skaters to high divers and everything in between. And, as much variety as there is in type of performer there is that much variety in their contracts.

Many onboard musicians are granted one day off a week. Others will not have a designated “day off” but rather will have days off in between their performances and rehearsals. Those positions that do not have a contracted day off but rather an in-between their performances day off, they may be expected to work out in the gym or practice their instruments on their own. Any time a crew member works though those hours need to be accounted for due to strict maritime regulations about work/rest hours.

Casino & Shops

Local regulations will prohibit the shops and casino from being open while the ship is in port – there are even some areas where the ships sail that it’s close enough to port that they aren’t allowed to be open. Because of this people that work in the shops and casinos have very itinerary driven schedules. Sea days are hugely busy and long days for them, where as most of the time port days are much quieter.

This doesn’t mean they have every port day off though. Most jobs onboard involve both the part of the job that the passengers see and the part behind the scenes. Behind the scenes for these kind of jobs could involve things like bringing on inventory, organizing, working on various gaming machines, and trainings.

Art Auctioneer, Port Shopping Ambassador

Nearly every job on the ship will have very specific rules outlining the job, how the department is to run, and also how much money they’re expected to make. Some of the specific rules of the job might be how many hours they need to be at their desk in a day, how many art auctions to have, all the way down to how much and what information they can send to guests cabins. However, there aren’t always rules about having desk hours for some of these roles.

Even if there isn’t a requirement for “desk hours” given by the cruise line itself, there may be from the partner company. If there aren’t any written out rules for the role though, it’s possible that these positions could then have a “day off”. However, anyone that has ever worked a job based on commission knows that how much you earn is directly related to how hard you work and how much effort you put in. So, while they might be able to snag a day off, it’s probably not in their best interest.

This one may surprise you – I know I was a bit surprised to find out that the people working in the spa sometimes got days off. This is often over a two week or ten day rotation where they get one day off within that time. The other days they work are long though, easily averaging 10+ hour days.

The spa is allowed to be open while the ship is in port; however, as most guests choose to go ashore it is less busy. This means that if you work in the spa you will likely also have less hours to work on at least some port days.

For the Cruise Ship Crew That Don’t Get Days Off – Do They Ever Get to Have Some Fun?

Just because you don’t get a day off while onboard doesn’t mean you can’t have fun! It also doesn’t mean that you are going to miss out on big adventures ashore. It just means that it will likely take some more planning and coordinating with your team to make those special days happen.

Not every job will have the flexibility and not every manager will work with you to have the flexibility to go do incredible things every once in awhile. Whether that is working a little extra one day (although still not breaking work/rest hour rules) so that you can work a bit less another day to go climb the Great Wall of China or if it’s asking someone to switch watch with you so you can go snorkeling in Bora Bora, a lot of the time it is possible to get to do these things with some planning, coordination, and yes, having a good supervisor.

Working on a Ship wth No Days Off – Is It Worth It?

Working onboard a cruise ship is hard work. If you are in a job that works every day or if you are in one that gets a day off every once in awhile. Any way you slice it, if you work onboard a ship it is hard – time away from families, often long hours. Whether or not it is worth it is up to you, who you are, and your personality. But, if you go to work at sea, unless it’s written out in your contract for a day off, you should plan that you will work every single day of your contract.

What has your experience working onboard been? Have you gotten days off as a cruise ship crew member?

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Yes we have day off,every week ,we divided 2 group ,for example group no ,1 will be off in port, then the other group will take off in sea day ,then next week again group 2 will ttakein

Please I want to join and get the opportunity to work with you and am willing to work with you help me how can I get this opportunity

I worked in the shops onboard and we had to work all day on a sea day. We had two one hour breaks, our break was opposite from our cabin mate so we could have our own space. On port days we only worked when sailing (with some exceptions) that meant you worked for a few hours in the afternoon or evening. The exceptions were stock takes, then you take turns to have time off. There were also other jobs you had to fulfil onboard such as delivering flyers to cabins etc. Also two members of staff had to stay on board ship Incase of emergency, again it was rota based. Also if you weren’t working during this time you could use the onboard passenger facilities while they were quiet such as the spa or sunbathing or the pool. Or just catch up on laundry. Certain jobs didn’t really get much time off. If your job was to work all week with passengers is cabin steward then your time off the day new passengers were boarding. Other than that the room stewards usually covered for each other in turns so they could get a little time off. If you want to work on a cruise ship then it’s hard work and low pay but if you get certain jobs it can also be amazing way to see the world with lots of new friends. It isn’t easy to get a job onboard you usually have to go through an agency and be qualified or have experience in area of work applying for. Also cruise companies tend to hire in different countries for different jobs. When I got a job I had two types of retail experience, many of the other women had previously worked in Harrods or Macy’s. They used to like to pick people who had experience in department stores for the shops. The. People who worked in the spa had experience and degrees. Waiters came from upmarket restaurants. They also employed djs casino staff and baristas for the coffee shop onboard. They are many varied jobs. But at sometimes we only got $1.50 an hour because during inventory we were working 12 hour days. Also you only get paid at the end of the cruise. You have to live on tips and commission during. You also have to pay tips for dry cleaning, room stewards and food wait staff in serving areas. You may also need to buy stuff on shore such as toiletries. So you have to live on pocket money while aboard.

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Gratuties and tipping on a Cruise ship. A Guide to Extra Tips for Crew Members & Staff

To tip (extra), or not to tip, the dilemma on a cruise.

Bring up the topic of tips & tipping on a cruise ship and you’ll get a wide variety of recommendations and no shortage of opinions on both ends of the gratuity spectrum. For some people, even the mere mention of how much to tip on a cruise evokes panic and stress. We’re here to help out with that a little.

Before we get into tipping etiquette when you go on a cruise vacation, it’s important to point out that attitudes on extra tipping are largely cultural and vary greatly. Americans have tipping engrained in their DNA whereas Europeans don’t consider tipping a requirement. For Europeans, it is more of a gesture of simple “thanks” no matter how small the amount is.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to tipping extra on a cruise. It’s a very individual choice.

The most compelling comment I’ve heard regarding tipping crew members on a cruise was from a fellow passenger from the UK. She simply stated that everyone’s economic situations are different. Someone from the UK who has saved 2 years for a cruise vacation and has paid for gratuities during booking won’t necessarily have significant extra resources to continue tipping people and will likely believe the cruise line-imposed gratuities are sufficient. Conversely, an American passenger will normally budget extra money for their cruise to accommodate additional gratuities while on board.

Most, if not all, major cruise lines impose automatic gratuities now. These are in addition to the cruise fare, port taxes, and general taxes. These automatic gratuities or ‘service charges’ are split, in theory, among all service staff on the ship as well as behind-the-scenes staff. These extra service charges don’t come cheap either! For your average cruise, expect to spend $15 per passenger per DAY. For a family of 4 on a seven-day vacation, this adds up to an extra $420 to the vacation cost.

Each cruise line distributes these gratuities differently among front-of-house and back-of-house staff, so it’s impossible to really know how much of this mandatory service fee goes to each person you come in contact with every day.

All of this complicates the question of which crew members to tip extra and when it’s appropriate to tip on a cruise. So we have put together a quick guide on what we have experienced in 20 years of cruising when it comes to tips for the crew.

If you’re a first-time cruiser reading this guide, check out our 20 great tips for first-time cruisers !

On a Cruise, Who to Tip & how much :

Most importantly, when you spend money for anything on most cruises, there is generally an automatic gratuity added to the bill. First and foremost, if you’re feeling generous and want to leave an extra tip for a service, don’t accidentally double-tip! Inspect your receipt before adding any gratuities. Beyond that, don’t feel pressured or obligated for additional tipping. Reserve it for exceptional service if you feel the need.

Should you tip a room steward / cabin attendant?

Dig through Facebook groups and Reddit threads about tipping on a cruise, and how to handle extras for a room steward. It’s a hot topic! While most cruise lines have a per-passenger daily gratuity added to the cruise fare, many people assume that is for the steward exclusively. In reality that is a shared gratuity. This leads a lot of people to give additional money to their stewards. I’ve talked to so many passengers over the years and the consensus is that giving SOMETHING extra is the norm. What that SOMETHING extra amounts to is so subjective. Here’s how we do it:

If a steward goes out of their way to introduce themselves at the start of the cruise and makes sure you have a bucket of ice or some other small convenience available immediately, generally on the first day we’ll give them $10-$20. While many people will feel like this is ‘greasing the palm’ of the cabin steward, it’s showing appreciation for their proactive attempt at starting the cruise right! Beyond that, if everything is exceptionally clean and we are provided the expected service, mid-cruise we generally contribute another $10-$20 +/- and at the end of the cruise, if the steward has been attentive and performed ABOVE expectations, and maybe makes a towel animal here and there, we’ll leave more! Generally, the total adds up to about $50-$75 for a 7-day cruise in addition to the prepaid gratuities.

However, If we enter our cabin with a steward nowhere to be seen and we don’t ask for anything above basic service, we’ll sometimes leave nothing extra. This will be controversial to many experienced cruisers. So let me put it in perspective.

As a rule, we generally are very clean and tidy up our cabin. On some cruises, we ask for no service for several nights and sometimes never see the steward. I believe we are doing as much or more than financially rewarding them by not asking for anything at all.

Just remember the concept of exceptional. It goes both ways. If your steward is outstanding in what they provide you, they deserve a little extra. If you are an exceptionally messy person and your steward is taking a lot of time sorting out your cabin every day, then they deserve extra. To round this out, if you are difficult as a passenger, they probably deserve a lot more than you’re going to give them!

At the end of the day, the choice is always yours on whether or not to tip the cabin steward extra.

Should you tip bartenders on a cruise?

Tips for cruise ship bartenders are generally more common. Passengers, especially those from the United States equate bar service with tipping. Therefore, it’s not uncommon to see bartenders getting tipped frequently on a cruise.

We’ve been on cruises where we’ve witnessed the typical tipping behavior, leaving a dollar or two per drink or per round for a bartender. That’s definitely mighty generous considering that you’re going to be paying an automatic gratuity for that beverage or if you have a beverage package, you’ve paid substantial gratuities in that package cost.

Here are our thoughts on extra tipping for cruise ship bartenders :

As with other service people working on a cruise ship, those who give exceptional service are those we often tip extra. This includes bartenders. Our standard practice is if we’ve discovered a specific bar location and staff that really go out of their way to either give prompt service or make drinks to our liking, we usually tip a little extra a few days into the cruise then towards the end. ($10-$20) If the bartender(s) do something special, we’ll often leave more. However, if we’re on a cruise where we literally just have a beer here and there or a glass of wine on occasion, we’re less likely to tip much extra if any at all.

It’s worth noting that in general, if you tip a bartender, that tip may be pooled with other bartenders at that bar. It’s always worth asking if you intend your tip to go to a specific server or bartender.

Remember, you’re never going to get treated poorly if you do not tip extra! You will still receive great service. Some passengers just choose to tip extra to feel like they’re getting priority service, but in reality, I rarely see anyone get served ahead of another customer because they’re tippers.

Should you tip the main dining room servers?

The automatic service charges you pay when you book a cruise are divided among many staff members, including the main dining room servers and assistants. Though it’s not uncommon to leave extra for a server that has been. your dedicated server for the duration of your cruise vacation. Some people will leave nothing extra while I’ve witnessed passengers give a server $100+ at the end of a cruise. Again, this to me comes down to service level. I’ve had a wide variety of service quality over the years and If the server is the same server every night, I’ll often leave them around $25 at the end of the cruise IF the service has been really good. When there is an assistant server, I’ll usually give them a bit as well. If the service is just average, I’ll sometimes leave nothing extra.

This gets even more complicated on cruises where you can choose your own dining time like on Norwegian Cruise Lines with their freestyle dining. You may never encounter the same server twice, so tipping becomes more difficult.

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Should you tip in the specialty dining restaurants?

Remember! When you pay for specialty dining on your, even if it’s a perk in a package from cruise lines like Norwegian, you’re going to be paying a mandatory gratuity when booking. It makes this tipping advice a bit trickier. Knowing we’re paying an automatic tip means that the service should be special to consider tipping extra in the specialty dining restaurants on a ship. Many may disagree with this since the experience is supposed to be “elevated” and believe gratuities should better reflect that, but I stick with the personal opinion that the service should be above and beyond my expectations to consider tipping extra. When that happens, I’ll generally leave an extra $10 +/- for a specialty dining restaurant tip.

Tipping Musicians & Performers on a Cruise

Generally speaking, the entertainment staff is very well paid and on contract from an outside entertainment company. These talented folks don’t rely on tips and don’t expect any additional gratuities while performing on board. There are a few occasions, however, when we’ve observed passengers & guests tipping singers and musicians. This usually can be seen when there is live music in one of the bars. It’s not uncommon to see a passenger hand a musician singing solo a few dollars or even buy them a drink (depending on the rules of the cruise line).

Other cruise gratuity advice

You are going to encounter hundreds of crew members on a cruise ship, many of whom are paid a living wage and do not ever expect anything extra! These include :

• The Cruise Director
• Entertainment Staff & Performers
• Maintenance Staff
• The Captain

There are other services where people generally give staff a tip and those are:

Room service on a cruise – Remember, it’s never required to tip, but usually people who make use of onboard room service leave a small tip of $1-$5 per delivery.

Baggage handlers at embarkation port – It’s customary to tip a little to a baggage handler, especially at American ports. On average, $5 is usually sufficient. However, some passengers will insist that $5 per bag is more appropriate. I’m somewhere in the middle on this. I generally tip a minimum of $5 if I have a couple of bags, but on a transatlantic cruise where I might have 5 or 6 bags, I’ll definitely tip extra.

Automatic service charges & gratuities by the major cruise lines

Each major cruise line has a slightly different policy and fee for per-day automatic service charges and gratuities .

MSC Cruises Daily Service Charge / Gratuities:

MSC Cruises doesn’t call this “gratuities”, they call this a hotel service charge. These charges also vary by region. In typical MSC fashion, there’s nothing straightforward about their service fees <insert huge eyeroll>

For the Caribbean, South America, and Asia MSC daily gratuities are:

• $14.50 per night per adult and $7.25 per night per child (2yrs or older)
• 12 Euro per night per adult / 6 Euro per night per child (2yrs or older) for European booked clients

European Itineraries, MSC bills and books all gratuities in Euro only:

• 12 Euro per night per adult
• 6 euro per night per child

South African cruises have a slightly different daily gratuity amount with MSC:

• $10 per adult per night
• $5 per child (2 and over) per night

MSC Cruises charges a little more for Grand Voyages depending on the itinerary, it’s best to confirm this with them at the time of booking.

What is Royal Caribbean’s service & gratuities daily amount?

The Royal Caribbean automatic service gratuity is as follows:

• $14.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or
• $17.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above.

Read the full automatic gratuity policy at the Royal Caribbean website.

How much are the required daily gratuities and service charges on Norwegian Cruise Line?

Norwegian has steadily raised their daily service charge per person depending on cabin type.The service fees are as follows:

• $20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;
• $18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;
• $16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

For the complete service charge information with NCL, see the Norwegian Cruise automatic service charge rates & information .

What are the per-day service fees for Carnival Cruises?

• Standard Staterooms: $16 USD per person, per day
• Suite Staterooms: $18 USD per person, per day

How much is the Celebrity Cruise automatic gratuity?

Celebrity automatically adds gratuities to guests’ onboard SeaPass® account, except for guests in Excluded Bookings*, as defined below, in the following amounts:

• $17.50USD per person, per day for Inside, Ocean View, and Veranda staterooms
• $18.00USD per person, per day for Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms
• $21.00USD per person, per day for guests of The Retreat.

A 20% gratuity will be added to all beverages, mini bar purchases, and beverage packages.

But WAIT! Celebrity also has an all-inclusive program called “All Included rate” (formerly Always Included) where these fees are part of the rate. You’ll have an option at booking to go the all, or nearly all-inclusive rate or select a cruise-only booking where the above automatic tips are added.

For a complete service charge policy, visit the Celebrity Website

Still have questions? Here are a few that we hear being asked regularly. If you still have more, please comment and we’ll add your tipping questions to this list!

Holland America Line Daily Gratuity Amount:

The cruise line calls this “Crew Appreciation” which is the most appropriate across all cruise lines.

The daily Crew Appreciation charge is $16.00 per guest per day on Holland America for non-suite stateroom guests and $17.50 per guest per day for suite guests. The charges are subject to change without notice.

Holland America Line explains their gratuity policy and how it’s adjustable on their website, which makes it feel a little better about being charged extra fees.

Do you have a comment?

Did we miss something? Have you had a different experience? Did we get it wrong?

Recently we were asked this by a fellow passenger – so let’s elaborate :

For the Room Steward, you give “about $50-$75 for a 7-day cruise in addition to the prepaid gratuities” for services above expectations. This converts to a daily range of about $7-$11, helpful for shorter / longer cruise calculations. For MDR waiters, you often leave ~$25 at the end of the cruise for really good service. But you don’t indicate the length of cruise you are referring to. Is that figure also for a 7-day cruise, which would convert to about $3.60 per day? CR Christian

As for the question, I use this as a guideline regardless of the cruise length actually. With gratuities already being added to the cruise, and they are ever-increasing, I’ve become more selective on how I choose to tip extra. If our room steward goes out of their way for anything, I’ll tip extra… and if they frequently go out of their way, I’ll possibly leave an extra $75 regardless of the cruise length.

For the waiters, I use the same rule of thumb. If I am particularly needy during a trip, I’ll leave extra. But I often dine at the specialty restaurants that have gratuity already added, so it’s not unusual for me to only visit the main dining room 2-3 times on a 7-10 day cruise.

This is all discretionary, don’t feel compelled to tip if you don’t feel like it, it’s up to you as the passenger. The topic is frequently discussed and devolves into a heated debate, just remember it’s your money and your experience, tip or not, do what’s best for you!

Cruise Gear Editor

I'm a global nomad at heart, and the dedicated editor behind CruiseGear. For the past two decades, I've experienced exciting voyages across the world, discovering countless ports from the decks of dozens of ships, visiting 40+ countries (and living in some of them for years). It's been an exhilarating journey to say the least! I want to share everything I've learned and hope to make your next cruise vacation as enjoyable as possible.

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Well, on the one hand, cruise workers don’t get a good salary like that. But sometimes people work really well, which makes you leave a tip. The main thing is not to tip employees who are hypocritical – it is immediately written on their face. I usually tip the steward or the photographers who can take cool photos of me and my partner from time to time! I really adore this. But usually, in general, tips are already included in the cruise ticket, so it’s up to you to leave a tip or not.  But it’s never a bad thing, in fact, if a person does his job well and helps you feel relaxed during the cruise.

I think that it’s ok to tip the photographers. There was a team of 4 on our ship. They worked tirelessly and was always so friendly. Thanks to them we have a wonderful set of photos from our trip. Plus we did a professional photo shoot while aboard. They turned out so beautiful. We tipped them for their work. They seemed surprised as if they never see tips.

I don’t entirely disagree about photographers, especially when they do a great job! But like you said, they’ll probably be surprised as they don’t usually get tips.

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Cruise ship worker says there are six things you should never do while on one

Listen to those who spend much more time on them than you.

Tom Earnshaw

A cruise ship worker has explained exactly what you should never do when setting sail - and some of the pointers might shock you.

The summer season is almost upon us and with that, a boom in travel as millions head on their annual breaks abroad.

And for many Brits , Spain is the go to destination with recent guidance giving the 16 million UK residents heading there a sigh of relief .

But some fancy something a little different, with the likes of cruise ship excursions extremely popular if you can afford them .

With one cruise ship staff member recently explaining why you should 'get ready to spend a lot of cash' on one thing in particular , another in the industry is here with six things she says you should never do if you're getting ready to set sail on any boat.

Tammy Barr has been sailing around the world , working on cruise ships, for years on end before now doing it as a customer.

Originally shared with Business Insider, here are six things she says she would never do following her experience as a cruise ship worker and now customer.

A big no-no to the drinks package

For many, this is the big question before setting sail across the world. But for Tammy, you shouldn't pay if your drinking habits aren't on the overindulgent side of things.

"I enjoy a pina colada by the pool or a Manhattan while listening to a jazz set after dinner," she says.

"Even so, it doesn't make sense for me to pay in advance for 12 to 15 cocktails a day."

For Tammy, the math doesn't add up especially if the trip you're on will see you leaving the ship for multiple port-heavy trips. Going ashore means less time on the ship to drink its booze.

"I prefer to buy as I go and take advantage of happy hour and other drink specials that are available on certain cruise lines. I also check the beverage policy in advance and bring on my own wine, if allowed," she says.

Touching surfaces

It's time to utilise those elbows and knuckles with Tammy never using her fingers to touch stuff in the public areas such as elevator buttons.

"Some cruise lines are better than others at wiping down commonly touched surfaces, but I don't take any chances," she says.

"I avoid touching things others frequently touch, and I wash my hands frequently."

Illnesses such as norovirus can quickly spread on cruise ships, given there are thousands of people in a confined space, so taking this little measure could be the different between holiday bliss and holiday bliss.

Upgrading your food

Most cruise liners will include the main dining room meals in your package, which is one part of why the price is so much, given you're essentially paying for perks like this in advance.

But if you want something fancy, expect to pay more on top.

Tammy says that, while ' $12 may not seem like much for a steak of lobster tail', it defeats the point. She will stick to what she's got.

Calling the ship by the wrong name

A quirky one from Tammy, but one that comes down to looking the part when you're on board.

She says: "Ships have proper names, and so do not require a definite article. For example - 'Tomorrow I am embarking on Discovery Princess' or 'I enjoyed scenic cruising on MS Westerdam'."

Basically if you want to look savvy and knowledge, drop the 'the' before the ship name. It's just not correct.

Room key does not go around your neck

Tammy thinks this is a bit naff for a few reasons. For one, it can be seen as flaunting your status by showing off how often you cruise.

No one likes a show off really and the longer you are at sea, the fancier your room key.

It's also an invitation to those who have sinister means. She says: "In port, that room key bouncing off your chest looks like an invitation to be robbed. It screams 'I have money! Come and take it from me'."

There's no need for super busy port day

The idea of missing your cruise ship's departure and being stranded somewhere on the other side of the world is mortifying.

For Tammy, the best way to avoid this is to have pretty chilled port days so you're never at serious risk of missing your cruise ship before it leaves port.

"I've never missed a sail away, but I have cut it too close at times and have had to run down a pier or two. Just recently, as a passenger, my taxi driver got lost returning our group to the port at night," she says.

"When I realised how late we were going to be, I forked over $8 per minute to be connected with the ship. I pleaded with them to wait for us. It was a sprint through the port to get back on and we received quite a scolding from the first officer."

Topics:  Cruise Ship , Hacks , Holiday , Travel , World News , Money , Health , Alcohol

Tom joined LADbible in 2024, specialising in SEO and trending content. He moved to the company from Reach plc where he enjoyed spells as a content editor and senior reporter for one of the country's most-read local news brands, LancsLive. When he's not in work, Tom spends his adult life as a suffering Manchester United supporter after a childhood filled with trebles and Premier League titles. You can't have it all forever, I suppose.

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Here's when you need (and don't need) a passport to cruise.

It's the type of sailing – closed-loop or open-loop – that largely determines whether or not you need a passport to cruise.

Do You Need a Passport for a Cruise?

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A passport isn't always required for cruising.

To determine whether or not you need a passport to cruise, you first need to figure out if the itinerary is closed-loop or open-loop (also known as open-jaw).

Closed-loop cruise: A closed-loop cruise typically doesn't require a passport since it begins and ends in the same U.S. port (though there are some exceptions to this rule).

Example: Royal Caribbean International 's seven-night Western Caribbean & Perfect Day cruise stops in several countries – the Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti and Grand Cayman – but the itinerary is considered closed-loop because it starts and ends in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Open-loop cruise: An open-loop cruise begins in one U.S. port and ends in a different U.S. port.

Example: Carnival Cruise Line 's 16-day Panama Canal from Seattle itinerary is not considered closed-loop because it departs from Seattle and completes its journey in New Orleans.

All of the above regulations have been determined by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative: a plan by the departments of State and Homeland Security that determines which documents are acceptable for proving identity and citizenship when entering the United States.

Where to cruise without a passport

There are several destinations where you can cruise without a passport on a closed-loop sailing. They include the following:

• The Bahamas

When looking at cruises to these locations, be mindful of the home ports. The Bahamas, Mexico, Bermuda, the Caribbean and Canada are all foreign ports, which means they only qualify for the passport exception if they are a stop along your cruise itinerary . If the cruise originates in any of these countries, it is likely you will need a passport.

Since Alaska, Hawaii and New England are all U.S. destinations, any closed-loop routes departing from these locations will not require a passport. However, keep in mind that it can be hard to find closed-loop cruises originating in Hawaii or Alaska.

To find closed-loop itineraries for a Hawaiian voyage or Alaskan cruise , try searching for sailings departing from major cities on the West Coast, like Seattle or Los Angeles . By contrast, quite a few closed-loop cruises leave from New England ports, but they are often marketed as Canadian cruises.

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When you need a passport for closed-loop cruises

Some cruise itineraries include foreign ports that require a passport for disembarkation. This is most commonly an issue for travelers on a closed-loop Caribbean cruise. Barbados , Guadeloupe , Haiti, Martinique , St. Barts , and Trinidad and Tobago all require U.S. citizens to present a valid passport to disembark and enter the country, despite WHTI regulations not requiring a passport for these destinations. Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private island , is an exception and does not require a passport despite its location in Haiti.

If your itinerary includes a country requiring a U.S. passport, your cruise line will require you to have the passport at check-in. Note that your passport must not expire within six months of your arrival in a foreign country or else it won't be considered valid for international travel.

Read: The Easiest Way to Renew Your Passport

Acceptable forms of ID

All travelers – U.S. citizens and foreign nationals alike – must present documents that show identity and citizenship when entering the United States. A U.S. passport can show both. If you don't have one or don't want to bring one, be aware that you may need to present more than one document.

U.S. citizens 16 and older

If you're a U.S. citizen age 16 or older sailing on a closed-loop cruise without your passport, you will need a government-issued photo ID like a driver's license. In addition, you must present a document that proves your U.S. citizenship. These include:

• Passport card
• State-issued enhanced driver's license (EDL)
• Government-issued birth certificate
• Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST)
• American Indian Card (Form I-872) or Enhanced Tribal ID Card

The Trusted Traveler Programs are risk-based programs to facilitate the entry of travelers who have been vetted and preapproved. Most of these programs will provide you with a machine-readable card that allows you to pass through border checkpoints quickly. Keep in mind, some of these IDs are only available to travelers 16 and older.

Read: TSA Precheck vs. Global Entry

U.S. citizens younger than 16

U.S. citizens younger than 16 are only required to present proof of citizenship, such as one of the following documents:

• Original, notarized or certified copy of their government-issued birth certificate
• Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by U.S. Department of State
• Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Read: How to Get a Passport for Kids

Non-U.S. citizens

If you are a lawful permanent resident (or LPR) of the United States, you are required to present a permanent resident card or other valid evidence of permanent residence status.

Non-U.S. citizens, with the exception of Canadians and Mexicans, are not subject to passport exceptions, so a valid passport will need to be provided. Canadian citizens can present a valid passport, Enhanced Driver's License or Trusted Traveler Program card. Mexican citizens must present a passport with a visa or a Border Crossing Card.

Unacceptable forms of ID

While most common forms of identification are accepted, there are a few exceptions. U.S. military identification cards and U.S. Merchant Mariner documents are valid forms of identification, but only when traveling on official orders or in conjunction with official maritime business, so it is unlikely they will be accepted when traveling on a cruise.

Here are some other documents that will not be accepted as proof of citizenship:

• Voter registration cards
• Social Security cards
• Baptismal papers
• Hospital certificates of birth (for anyone older than a newborn)

It is important to note that many of the permitted forms of identification, such as a passport card or EDL, are only accepted at land and sea border crossings. Unforeseen circumstances, such as a medical air evacuation, may cause you to return to the U.S. by air travel. In this case, these documents won't be accepted when you try to reenter at the border crossing.

To avoid extra delays in your return to the U.S. following unforeseen travel complications, the Department of State recommends that everyone taking a cruise from the United States carry a valid passport book in case of emergency.

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Erin Vasta has traveled extensively to international destinations, gaining a deep knowledge of travel regulations in the process. Her expertise in this area has saved her family and friends from unnecessary travel delays and ensured stress-free trips through border security in nearly 15 countries. To write this article, Vasta used her international travel experience and research skills.

You might also be interested in:

• The Top Passport Holders
• Cruise Packing List: Essentials to Bring
• Safe at Sea: The Best Cruise Insurance

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What the New Overtime Rule Means for Workers

One of the basic principles of the American workplace is that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. Simply put, every worker’s time has value. A cornerstone of that promise is the  Fair Labor Standards Act ’s (FLSA) requirement that when most workers work more than 40 hours in a week, they get paid more. The  Department of Labor ’s new overtime regulation is restoring and extending this promise for millions more lower-paid salaried workers in the U.S.

Overtime protections have been a critical part of the FLSA since 1938 and were established to protect workers from exploitation and to benefit workers, their families and our communities. Strong overtime protections help build America’s middle class and ensure that workers are not overworked and underpaid.

Some workers are specifically exempt from the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime protections, including bona fide executive, administrative or professional employees. This exemption, typically referred to as the “EAP” exemption, applies when: 

1. An employee is paid a salary,  

2. The salary is not less than a minimum salary threshold amount, and 

3. The employee primarily performs executive, administrative or professional duties.

While the department increased the minimum salary required for the EAP exemption from overtime pay every 5 to 9 years between 1938 and 1975, long periods between increases to the salary requirement after 1975 have caused an erosion of the real value of the salary threshold, lessening its effectiveness in helping to identify exempt EAP employees.

The department’s new overtime rule was developed based on almost 30 listening sessions across the country and the final rule was issued after reviewing over 33,000 written comments. We heard from a wide variety of members of the public who shared valuable insights to help us develop this Administration’s overtime rule, including from workers who told us: “I would love the opportunity to...be compensated for time worked beyond 40 hours, or alternately be given a raise,” and “I make around $40,000 a year and most week[s] work well over 40 hours (likely in the 45-50 range). This rule change would benefit me greatly and ensure that my time is paid for!” and “Please, I would love to be paid for the extra hours I work!”

The department’s final rule, which will go into effect on July 1, 2024, will increase the standard salary level that helps define and delimit which salaried workers are entitled to overtime pay protections under the FLSA. 

Starting July 1, most salaried workers who earn less than $844 per week will become eligible for overtime pay under the final rule. And on Jan. 1, 2025, most salaried workers who make less than $1,128 per week will become eligible for overtime pay. As these changes occur, job duties will continue to determine overtime exemption status for most salaried employees.

The rule will also increase the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees (who are not entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA if certain requirements are met) from $107,432 per year to $132,964 per year on July 1, 2024, and then set it equal to $151,164 per year on Jan. 1, 2025.

Starting July 1, 2027, these earnings thresholds will be updated every three years so they keep pace with changes in worker salaries, ensuring that employers can adapt more easily because they’ll know when salary updates will happen and how they’ll be calculated.

The final rule will restore and extend the right to overtime pay to many salaried workers, including workers who historically were entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA because of their lower pay or the type of work they performed. 

We urge workers and employers to visit  our website to learn more about the final rule.

Jessica Looman is the administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. Follow the Wage and Hour Division on Twitter at  @WHD_DOL  and  LinkedIn .  Editor's note: This blog was edited to correct a typo (changing "administrator" to "administrative.")

• Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
• Fair Labor Standards Act
• overtime rule

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Cruise line canceled while guests were already onboard

• Published: Apr. 29, 2024, 4:53 p.m.

Royal Caribbean Cruise canceled while guests were already onboard. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) AP

• EmilyAnn Jackman | [email protected]

So much for thinking they had crossed their final hurdle.

Guests onboard the Royal Caribbean cruise line were told their trip was canceled and were being sent home despite already being aboard the ship.

Royal Caribbean International notified guests onboard Radiance of the Seas that the ship would not continue on an already-abbreviated Alaskan cruise. The trip was canceled, and guests had to disembark, CruiseHive.com reported.

The ship was set to leave from Vancouver, British Columbia, on April 26, but an earlier adjustment due to technical difficulties allowed guests to board on embarkation day while the ship was to spend two days in port undergoing repairs.

The revised plan features a Sunday departure and an adjusted route, with calls to Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan and scenic cruising in the famed Inside Passage before returning on May 3, which was the original completion date.

But it was later announced that the trip was being canceled due to repairs for a technical issue. Guests had to leave the ship by 4 p.m. Sunday.

“As you are aware, our teams have been vigorously working to have Radiance of the Seas prepared to set sail on our shortened April 26th sailing,” the letter given to passengers in their staterooms read, the unofficial cruise site RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com reported.

“Despite our best efforts, circumstances beyond our control have delayed our sailing further. As a result, we’ll regrettably have to cancel our April 26th, 2024, cruise,” the letter concluded.

Guests will receive a 100% refund of their cruise fare and a 100% future cruise credit that may be applied to any future Royal Caribbean sailing. Internet service aboard the ship was also open free of charge to allow for easier travel planning and offered a free open bar until debarkation.

The ship began to develop propulsion difficulties last week during a repositioning cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver, causing multiple stops to be scrapped due to a slower speed.

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I worked on cruises for 3 years. Here are 6 things I'd never do on board.

• I used to work on cruises. After many days at sea, there are things I'd never do on a cruise .
• I never wear my room key around my neck and try to avoid misnaming the ship.
• I never buy the drink package or pay for meal upgrades in the main dining room.

I've sailed around the world as a cruise-ship employee , and now I enjoy cruising as a passenger.

I love the salty sea air, waking up in a new country, and lazy days by the pool, but a week at sea could get more complicated this year with cruises predicted to be in high demand .

While fighting a little harder to secure a prime seat on the pool deck, you may as well also avoid some rookie mistakes.

Here are six things I'd never do on a cruise after working on them for three years.

Pay for upgrades in the main dining room

Typically, main dining room meals are included in the cost of a cruise. But in recent years, it's become common for cruise lines to charge guests extra if they want to upgrade to "supplementary" items like lobster or certain steaks.

I know $12 may not seem like much for a steak or lobster tail at dinner, but the cost of the cruise is supposed to include your food.

So, even though I enjoy lobster, I stick with the items without the upcharges.

Buy the drink package

I enjoy a piña colada by the pool or a Manhattan while listening to a jazz set after dinner. Even so, it doesn't make sense for me to pay in advance for 12 to 15 cocktails a day.

I've done the math on typical unlimited drink packages , and the cost simply isn't worth it for me.

This is especially true with a port-heavy itinerary. If I've gone ashore to explore all day, that means I'm not sidled up to the bar slurping down alcoholic slushies.

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I prefer to buy as I go and take advantage of happy hour and other drink specials that are available on certain cruise lines. I also check the beverage policy in advance and bring on my own wine, if allowed.

Touch shared contact surfaces with my fingers

Fellow guests will never see me touching the elevator buttons with my fingertips. Knuckles and elbows do the trick.

Some cruise lines are better than others at wiping down commonly touched surfaces, but I don't take any chances. I avoid touching things others frequently touch, and I wash my hands frequently.

This strategy has worked for me, as I have never contracted norovirus, even when it was running rampant on a ship I was on. It's quite contagious and can linger on your fingertips even after using hand sanitizer . I'd definitely rather be safe than sorry.

Wear my room key around my neck

I never walk around the ship with my room key around my neck, and I especially never do this when on land.

There are two reasons for this. First, I see many passengers using the room keys dangling from their necks to flaunt their cruise loyalty status . It just looks pretentious.

The sophisticated cruisers with the highest status, with the most days at sea, never show off their fancy room keys.

That's because they know the more important reason — safety. In port, that room key bouncing off your chest looks like an invitation to be robbed. It screams, "I have money! Come and take it from me."

Misname the ship

English is a funny language that has its quirks. Naming conventions make that even more complicated.

Ships have proper names, and so do not require a definite article. For example, "Tomorrow I am embarking on Discovery Princess," or "I enjoyed scenic cruising on MS Westerdam."

If you want to look like a savvy sailor, learn to drop the "the!"

Plan my port-day itinerary so tight that I may not make it back to the ship on time

Oh, the recurring nightmares I've had about not making it back to the ship on time during a port day.

I've never missed a sail away, but I have cut it too close at times and have had to run down a pier or two. Just recently, as a passenger, my taxi driver got lost returning our group to the port at night.

When I realized how late we were going to be, I forked over $8 per minute to be connected with the ship. I pleaded with them to wait for us. It was a sprint through the port to get back on and we received quite a scolding from the first officer.

That time, we got lucky. In the future, I'll be giving myself more time than I think I need to make it back.

Watch: Why it costs $1 million a day to run one of the world's biggest cruise ships

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