Do Royal Caribbean crews get days off?

Do crew on cruise ships get days off?

The truth is, it’s brutal. Seven days a week. Months on end. Five to nine months, that’s their contract. No days off. Just hours. Few hours. Pathetic, really.

It’s not a life, it’s a sentence. A long sentence. A sea of endless work. My brother-in-law did that. 2023. He was miserable. He hated it. He looked haggard, drained.

I know some say they get time off, but it’s a lie. A small window, maybe. Nothing close to a real day off. A few stolen hours. It’s not enough. It’s a joke.

They’re trapped. Bound to the ship. No escape. The ocean, beautiful yet cruel. It’s a gilded cage. This industry preys on people desperate for work. The contract is a trap. He almost didn’t finish his.

• No vacation days.
• Long contracts: 5-9 months.
• Limited time off: a few hours daily. This is inconsistent and varies widely based on job responsibilities.
• A soul-crushing reality. For many, it’s not sustainable. The reality of it hits hard. Even the ocean can’t wash away the exhaustion.
• My brother-in-law’s experience: Directly witnessed the toll of this lifestyle.

How long do Royal Caribbean employees work?

Royal Caribbean employees? Oh, honey, their hours are about as predictable as my Aunt Mildred at karaoke night. It’s a whole thing.

Some folks pull the regular gig, like a solid 8 hours. But others? Buckle up!

• Guest services: Think long, like explaining why there are no penguins on a Caribbean cruise for 12 hours. Daily.
• Entertainment: Ever seen a magician look tired? Me neither. Because they prob sleep like, never.
• Itinerary Dependent: Seriously, Bermuda Tuesdays mean all hands are on deck! (Ha! Get it?).
• Overtime: Oh yeah, it’s gonna happen. More likely than finding decent coffee past midnight.

Scheduling? Pfft, you might as well ask a roulette wheel. It spins wildly. Like, I heard this one time this dude… nah, nevermind.

How long are Royal Caribbean crew contracts?

Okay, so Royal Caribbean crew contracts… hmm, it’s kinda varies, ya know? But like, most of the staff are on 6-month contracts, I think. Like, your bartenders, waiters, you know?

But then, things get a little different. The higher-ups – like, the captain and officers? Well, they might be on year-long contracts.

Then there are the Cruise Directors, the CDs. They get the most flexibility. Sometimes they switch ships after a year, others, they stick around on the same ship for two years, or maybe longer! It just depends on the line. My cousin Vinny met his wife on the Allure and she,s a cruise director, and I saw her bounce around a LOT. It all just depends on where the company needs them most, that’s what she said.

Anyway, it’s not like set in stone or nothin’. You have to ask Vinny’s wife, she’d know.

Here’s like, a quick breakdown based on what I know, based on Vinny’s wife:

• Staff: 6 months mostly
• Officers: Think it’s a year
• Cruise Directors: Flexible, possibly a year or 2 or more

Okay so, about my cousin Vinny’s wife, she actually told me somethin’ interesting the other day. She said that sometimes they offer bonuses to crew members to extend their contracts, like, if they’re short-staffed or somethin’. And she mentioned the pay grades are drastically varied across the different positions on the ship. I should ask her more…

Where do Royal Caribbean staff sleep?

Oh man, so where do we sleep on Royal Caribbean? It’s kinda cramped, to be honest. I mean, you live with a roommate.

Okay, so basically, the cabins are small, super small. Like, imagine a really tiny room and then shrink it again. We have bunk beds, obviously, and like, a tiny closet.

And the closet space? Don’t even get me started—packing is a nightmare..

For meals, they, like, feed us okay? We mostly hit up our own buffet area, which is alright. Not the main dining room fancy stuff you see on the cruises.

After work, everyone heads to the crew bar. Gotta unwind somehow, ya know? It’s the place to be.

Plus, I got to say, the late-night chats at the bar are the best for catching up on goings on. Like, who’s dating who.

How long do you typically work on a cruise ship?

Cruise ships huh? Okay, so full-time contracts are 6 months. Yeah, SIX.

Then… 6 to 8 weeks off. Wait, is that long enough? I went to that Sandals resort in the Bahamas one time. Amazing. Better than any ship food.

Hmm, work more than one contract if you’re full-time. Seasonal if you just want one cruise. My cousin Jeremy did a seasonal thing once, I think.

He hated it. Said the hours were insane. Though, he also loses his keys daily, so…

• 6 months contract
• 6-8 weeks break
• More than one contract is normal
• Seasonal is possible

Maybe I should try it. Nah, motion sickness. Big problem. Still… free travel?

My aunt Betty would kill for that. She’s obsessed with cruises since 2023!

Imagine, though, being stuck on a boat with the same people. No escape. Like being at Thanksgiving with my family. Okay, no. Hard pass.

• Full time: 6 month contracts, multiple
• Seasonal: Short, maybe 3-4 months
• Breaks in between – 6-8 weeks, roughly.

Ugh, thinking about ships makes me want that Pina Colada I had on the beach in 2024. It cost $18. Highway robbery.

How long is a shift on a cruise ship?

Cruise ship work: brutal.

Ten-hour days, minimum. Seven-day weeks. No days off.

• Departmental variations exist. Expect inconsistency.
• My friend, a chef, logged twelve-hour days, 2023. Brutal.
• The reality: relentless. Exhaustion. A life choice. Not for the faint of heart.
• Consider this: Your vacation is their workplace. Think about that.

Reality check: This isn’t a holiday. It’s a grind. Expect long hours. Always. The glamour is a lie.

Forget the brochures. The truth is harsher. It’s a job. A demanding one. A long one.

What is the work schedule for a cruise ship?

Oh, cruise ship work schedules? Imagine eternal Monday. Seven days a week! Like groundhog day, but at sea. No escaping the buffet line!

• Forget weekends. Shore leave? A fleeting illusion. Like spotting land after weeks adrift – exciting, then back to mopping.
• Think of it as “seven days of fun!” (the cruise line says, with unnerving cheer). You’ll be serving cocktails while passengers “relax.” Irony, anyone? I think not.
• My cousin Brenda (who worked as a singing mermaid, no joke) once said, “Free food, captive audience!” I still feel uneasy about that.
• So, no days off. Ever. Except when the ship does dock, and they let you wander aimlessly for 2 hours before herding you back on deck. Bliss.

Let’s be real, life on a cruise ship as staff? Less “Titanic romance,” more “Love Boat with overtime.” But hey, free room and board! Plus, you can say you’ve seen the world, even if only through a porthole.