How Does RCI Treat Their Employees?

[TheDivineMrsM]

The reason I ask is because I had no idea that we'd form this attachment to our wait staff in the MDR who gave us impeccable service and the housekeeper who tended to our room twice every day making it spotless.

 

What kind of pay do their employees get? What are the perks of their job, if any? I heard they sign a contract and have to renew every six months and get rehired depending on if they get satisfactory ratings. Please tell me what you know.

 

I was truly fascinated by the fact that RCI employs people from around the world. I had no idea!!!!! To repeat, it fascinated me! It wasn't something I'd ever thought of before. I loved it!!! I read every employee's name tag that walked past me to see what country they were from.

 

On the last evening at the farewell gathering, they announced that the ship held employees from 58 countries!!! They had many of the employees carry the flag of their country down the aisles of the auditorium and go up on stage. It was very moving!!!! And I am one who doesn't care to use exclamation points very often!

[ChipLondon]

I think that they are treated well and fairly, yes they do work hard and longer hours than most that cruise. However many of them have worked on board for many years and obviously keep coming back for more. Also we have witnessed many being promoted over the years to Middle and Upper Management posts, so yes I think quite well :D

[Aquahound]

I do a lot of work with the cruise industry and employees of the cruise lines are usually not different than any company. Some are happy, some aren't, some love it, some hate it. For an international maritime company, it seems the employees are treated very fairly, considering the nature of their work.

 

Don't take offense to this, but I don't think their salaries are any of our business. :)

[vacation_junkie]

The reason I ask is because I had no idea that we'd form this attachment to our wait staff in the MDR who gave us impeccable service and the housekeeper who tended to our room twice every day making it spotless.

 

What kind of pay do their employees get? What are the perks of their job, if any? I heard they sign a contract and have to renew every six months and get rehired depending on if they get satisfactory ratings. Please tell me what you know.

 

I was truly fascinated by the fact that RCI employs people from around the world. I had no idea!!!!! To repeat, it fascinated me! It wasn't something I'd ever thought of before. I loved it!!! I read every employee's name tag that walked past me to see what country they were from.

 

On the last evening at the farewell gathering, they announced that the ship held employees from 58 countries!!! They had many of the employees carry the flag of their country down the aisles of the auditorium and go up on stage. It was very moving!!!! And I am one who doesn't care to use exclamation points very often!

 

I have a friend that worked for Royal for 15 years. He LOVED it! He only didn't renew his contract because he wanted to be home with an ailing parent.

[Ocean Boy]

I guess the employees that stay on for multiple contracts would answer your question positively and the ones who don't might answer differently. Sounds pretty much like any other company you could ask about including McDonalds and Walmart. And I have no idea, or interest, in how much any of those companies pay even though I patronize them just as I do RCI. My business is the value and service provided to me. But how much they pay or how they treat their employees is an employer-employee issue.

[TEXASMUNK]

It will vary, but be assured, the dollars they earn exceed the income potential in their various homes.

 

We have made friends with a couple that work for Holland America, they have put three children through college and believe that they have literally skipped 3 generations when it come to improving the economic future of their family.

 

It is hard work, very long hours, minimal time off but for many the rewards out weigh the difficulties they face.

[PuterMonkey]

We actually had a pretty long conversation with our last waiter about this, because one of the tablemates was an HR person and wondering how you get employed on one of the ships. I don't think they really make any more than the corresponding jobs would earn shoreside, however we were told that the odds of an American being hired for one of those jobs is very low. This is because to many overseas people, this salary level is a bigger deal and they're just more dedicated to really earning it.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I think how many employees keep coming back goes to show they not only love their job, but are treated well.

 

Our waitress on our recent Radiance of the Seas cruise has been with Royal Caribbean for a good amount of time. I think she said she was on three different ships (including radiance) with a couple contracts on each. Very interesting. She stated she used to be on the Indy in the Med, but wanted to move to a smaller ship because there was just too many people on Indy and she likes the more social aspect and getting to know the people on board.

 

We really liked hearing from her how much she loves to make her guests happy.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

We actually had a pretty long conversation with our last waiter about this, because one of the tablemates was an HR person and wondering how you get employed on one of the ships. I don't think they really make any more than the corresponding jobs would earn shoreside, however we were told that the odds of an American being hired for one of those jobs is very low. This is because to many overseas people, this salary level is a bigger deal and they're just more dedicated to really earning it.

 

Very interesting. There were only 2 crew members from the US on the Radiance in early June, I think the one was the activities director, not sure about the other.

[cruzinlady1947]

We were on the Explorer several years ago and there was a waiter in the Windjammer who was from California. I was really shocked and we ask him why he was working on a cruise ship. He said he needed a job. First time I ever saw an American serving as a waiter on a ship. They are usually in some type of management job or entertainment. Haven't seem him for years on the Explorer though. Maybe it was too much for him.

 

 

Gwen :)

[JMG]

You might be interested in reading Cruise Confidential - A Hit below the Water Line. It is written by an American that served on Carnival Cruise Lines in the dining rooms. The book was published in 2008 so it is relatively current.

 

RCI may not treat their employees in the same manner but the hours worked are similar. Our asst waiter worked the Windjammer and had 1/2 hour to change and report to the MDR.

 

Completing the surveys is very important to their careers. Just like any review, a negative comment takes time to overcome so they work hard hoping to be rewarded with positive comments.

[TBone2K]

Like most jobs, you get out what you put in. Our waitress was telling us that we were her last tour of duty before she got two months off to go home to Peru to see her son (he was living with her mother). Usually you have to do six months at a time, but she was able to get an exception.

 

There are a couple of books written by staff working on cruise ships, but the general reaction to the books is they are very tabloidish and leave out many key facts.

[TheDivineMrsM]

Thanks for all the insight.

 

I really didn't expect someone to post exacting figures like, "A waiter makes $215.93 a week plus tips" or "housekeeping personnel make $301.44 per week". I guess what I wonder is if the money they make working on the cruise ship is comparable or better to work they might do in their own native country. And I also wonder if a percentage of them work on a cruise for the adventure, or if it isn't really considered an adventure at all.

 

Someone told me on the cruise I just went on that there were a total of 13 Americans working on that particular ship. I didn't get the number of total employees but I thought I read it's about 500, but anyone can correct me if they have better information.

[chengkp75]

Thanks for all the insight.

 

I really didn't expect someone to post exacting figures like, "A waiter makes $215.93 a week plus tips" or "housekeeping personnel make $301.44 per week". I guess what I wonder is if the money they make working on the cruise ship is comparable or better to work they might do in their own native country. And I also wonder if a percentage of them work on a cruise for the adventure, or if it isn't really considered an adventure at all.

 

Someone told me on the cruise I just went on that there were a total of 13 Americans working on that particular ship. I didn't get the number of total employees but I thought I read it's about 500, but anyone can correct me if they have better information.

 

The salaries paid to the international crew is generally a pretty fair "middle class" income in most countries where cruise ship employees come from. It is not comparable to US wages in any fashion. Generally, the only US workers on cruise ships (except the Pride of America) are in supervisory or cruise staff (entertainment) positions. Even these jobs do not pay as well as shoreside comparable jobs in the US.

 

Working on a cruise ship is not an adventure, it is a job, and is hard work. There is relatively little time for the crew to explore the ports of call, so its just a job where you live in the same place where you work.

 

I didn't notice what ship you were referring to, but most ships these days have 800-900 crew on the smaller ships, and up to 1200-1500 on the larger ones.

[reallyitsmema]

Thanks for all the insight.

 

I really didn't expect someone to post exacting figures like, "A waiter makes $215.93 a week plus tips" or "housekeeping personnel make $301.44 per week". I guess what I wonder is if the money they make working on the cruise ship is comparable or better to work they might do in their own native country. And I also wonder if a percentage of them work on a cruise for the adventure, or if it isn't really considered an adventure at all.

 

Someone told me on the cruise I just went on that there were a total of 13 Americans working on that particular ship. I didn't get the number of total employees but I thought I read it's about 500, but anyone can correct me if they have better information.

 

Grandeur has a little less than 800 crew members, compared to Oasis and Allure which have almost 2,400 crew members.

[39august]

Before Mariner went to Asia, we sailed her a couple of times out of Galveston. One of the waiters that we met on both those cruises had a degree in electrical engineering and had worked in that capacity in the past. He was making more money as a waiter, (a very good one, very personable) than he could as an engineer back home in the Philipenes. Over the past 14 years I have heard similar comments from various staff with whom I have enjoyed conversations.

[orville99]

If you go to worldsalaries dot org, you can get the average monthly salary for most occupations in every country. For example, the average monthly salary for a chambermaid (cabin steward) in the Philippines is $592.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[dancinman66]

I have a number of royal employees as friends and they are happy with how they are treated

 

They like royal and like us are loyal to them back

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[TheDivineMrsM]

JMG, thanks for the book recommendation. I was able to put a hold on it at my local library consortium. I looked the title up on Amazon and saw that the author has another book out as well called Ship For Brains, so if I like the first book I'll read the second afterwards. I've just become a little fascinated by this type of employment that I never knew existed.

[Arzeena]

The reason I ask is because I had no idea that we'd form this attachment to our wait staff in the MDR who gave us impeccable service and the housekeeper who tended to our room twice every day making it spotless.

 

What kind of pay do their employees get? What are the perks of their job, if any? I heard they sign a contract and have to renew every six months and get rehired depending on if they get satisfactory ratings. Please tell me what you know.

 

I was truly fascinated by the fact that RCI employs people from around the world. I had no idea!!!!! To repeat, it fascinated me! It wasn't something I'd ever thought of before. I loved it!!! I read every employee's name tag that walked past me to see what country they were from.

 

On the last evening at the farewell gathering, they announced that the ship held employees from 58 countries!!! They had many of the employees carry the flag of their country down the aisles of the auditorium and go up on stage. It was very moving!!!! And I am one who doesn't care to use exclamation points very often!

 

Best way to know is ask the employees!

[cruisePAC]

On our most recent cruise, our Assistant Waiter told us that he used to work for Carnival. He said that he liked RC's promotion policy better. On RC, you can apply for a promotion, if a position opens; on Carnival, you are chosen for a promotion. He also said that to be promoted from Assistant Waiter to Waiter on RC, he would need to take a test, which consists mostly of questions about cuisine.

[PSCruiser]

We were on the Explorer several years ago and there was a waiter in the Windjammer who was from California. I was really shocked and we ask him why he was working on a cruise ship. He said he needed a job. First time I ever saw an American serving as a waiter on a ship. They are usually in some type of management job or entertainment. Haven't seem him for years on the Explorer though. Maybe it was too much for him.

 

 

Gwen :)

 

The problem with Americans working in crew positions is that what is a good job and salary in many countries does not look so good to Americans. Norwegian has had a few ships in the Hawaii market that due to legal issues need to have an American crew, and its my understanding that they have had nothing but problems because Americans don't stay in these positions long-term.

Americans, Canadians, and others with western European background are more common is officer and defacto officer positions (those positions where use of guest facilities / bars is allowed).

We recently had an asst. waiter who was a accountant in Romania, but could make better money on the ship.

[trev71]

I am sure sometimes they treat them good and sometimes bad, It happens every where in North America, even been times were my work treated me like crap. I can see it happening once in a while no matter where you work

[Clarea]

Interesting book on crew life:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Cruise-Confidential-Waterline-Parties-Travelers/dp/193236160X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408498176&sr=8-1&keywords=brian+bruns

[wassup4565]

The cruise lines benefit from an income imbalance in the world. If you work as a server in my North American city, your combined tips and base income would make a living wage here. But if you are from many countries in the world, you cannot get admission to my country, so you can never make those wages.

 

You can, however, work on a cruise ship, and the line can pay you far less than you would get if you worked here. But more than you could get if you worked at home. So the cruise lines, and cruisers, are benefiting from people who would be paid more if they could emigrate (but canèt), but are paid more than they would be paid in their own miserable countries (which they cannot emigrate out of). Many do this work and support their families financially while absent. They leave their children with their families back home, send the money, and hope the can build a better life for their children. Maybe it is the first step to a better life in the next generation.

 

The cruise lines benefit financially because they have a cheap labor force. We benefit as passengers because we have people working hard to try to make it better for the next generation. I never forget, when I see all those name tags from all those different countries, that all those people are trying to make it better going forward. I donèt stint with the tips because that is all I can do in this cruise ship economy.