Crew Salaries

[diligaf51]

JUST CURIOUS...does anyone know the approximate annual compensation including any tips of the captain, secondary officers, cruise director, cabin stewards and waiters on a ship? I know that this may be a difficult question to answer but am curious about approximate amounts. Any other positions as well.

[alibail]

As i'm sure you appreciate it varies considerably on cruise line and country of origin of the crew member.

The average wages (admittedly the lower figure) for most of the positions in the Hotel Department shown http://www.cruiseshipjob.net/joblistings/ seem about the average for the ships I work on - including tips etc.

As for the deck (bridge officers) and engine department, these vary depending upon experience as well as country of origin.

 

BTW if you are applying I wouldn't recommend paying an agency to do it for you - just apply via the cruise line's web site

[TravelerThom]

JUST CURIOUS...does anyone know the approximate annual compensation including any tips of the captain, secondary officers, cruise director, cabin stewards and waiters on a ship? I know that this may be a difficult question to answer but am curious about approximate amounts. Any other positions as well.

alibail gave a link for Hotel Department; marine officers are included at http://www.cruiseshipjob.com/deck.htm Note that at least within the last few years RCCL was paying some of the tipped individuals US$50 per month [plus transportation from home, uniforms and room and board], and everything else was tips.

[micmacmissy]

Well, we calculated that if our head waiter received the minimum suggested tip of $3.50 pp, per day, he would be pulling in EASILY $1,500-$2,000 per week.

 

But he spent the whole week telling us how little they are paid, how little they are tipped, telling us that $3.50 per person per dinner was an insult, that in a regular land-based restaurant the tip per couple for that sort of meal would easily be $30 per dinner, etc etc.....we found this annoying, tiresome...and most of all, unprofessional!

 

Had it not been for him continually talking about money (yes, on several of the nights throughout the week), we would have been inclined to tip him a lot more than the suggested amount. We did not.

 

I agree that these people work very, very hard and are probably underpaid. But hearing about it while I'm trying to enjoy my dinner, on vacation, is aggravating!

 

Our assistant waiter was friendly, competent, and professional. THAT is the kind of service I'm willing to tip double (or triple) for.

[MMDown Under]

Do RCCL really only pay $US50 per month, plus board or is this an urban myth?

 

Micmacmissy

 

If a head waiter makes $1500 to $2000US per week, including tips, with full board and transportation, surely that is a good salary.

 

I am curious, where do the employees, who work on ships, sailing under foreign flags of convenience, pay their taxes?

[Gonzo70]

Do RCCL really only pay $US50 per month, plus board or is this an urban myth?

 

Micmacmissy

 

If a head waiter makes $1500 to $2000US per week, including tips, with full board and transportation, surely that is a good salary.

 

I am curious, where do the employees, who work on ships, sailing under foreign flags of convenience, pay their taxes?

 

I would imagine they pay taxes to their home country.

[YOW]

Many cruise line employees are not taxed on their income earned aboard ship. This depends on one's country of origin. US citizens, AFAIK, have taxes deducted from their shipboard wages much as they would at home.

[Bruton Branch]

Wonder how many of our young adults would want to work 16 plus hours a day for that rate and being on your feet all day long and "trying" to do the right things for those passengers-that nothing is right ? Uhm not many - with the confinned living arrangements of a sardine can. You get what you pay for ! As for waiters/servers and money talk-we have told them that after the first nite that it is mentioned $, then if it is ever mentioned again we reduce the graturity. That gets their attention. On the whole a lot of crusiers in our opinion do not give the suggested graturity-generally less.

Just our thoughts-

Bruton Branch:cool:

[micmacmissy]

We counted our waiter serving 30 people each night at late dining. $3.50 per person, per day, for seven days, is 24.50 per person. That equals $735 per week, and that is only the late seating. Presumably, early seating is more full, so he's making at LEAST $1470 per week, if everyone tips the minimum.

 

That is over $76,000 a year. Not bad!

[auntdot]

Are the tips not shared among the serving staff? Not sure if assistant waiters and waiters share, but I have read that all the tips must be shared - even if tipped above the suggested amount.

 

I think for many of the ship's crew, what they earn is probably considerably more than in their country of origin. We always appreciate the courtesy and excellent service we have received.

D.

[Longboysfan]

We counted our waiter serving 30 people each night at late dining. $3.50 per person, per day, for seven days, is 24.50 per person. That equals $735 per week, and that is only the late seating. Presumably, early seating is more full, so he's making at LEAST $1470 per week, if everyone tips the minimum.

 

That is over $76,000 a year. Not bad!

 

Doubtful that one waiter had 30 people each night at late seating.

More like 14 to 16 tops.

There is not enough time to handle that many.

 

Maybe 30 total for both seatings.

So it equated to $750 or so a week cash.

No taxes taken from their home.

[rebeccalouise]

Waiters make more than any of the other crew members. The Sommeliers make good money too. Bartenders, just ok money.

 

However, these people are making much more on the ship than at home. That's why they do it. They probably enjoy the freedom of sailing on the ship. Many of these people would work all day and then come home at night and have to do more chores! So it isn't as bad as it might seem.

 

They do get tired of it after a couple of months and are eager to get off the ship for a couple of months but it is good money- they have few expenses while onboard and have a good work environment.

 

I don't think many Americans would do this type of work and that is why they don't hire them. I have only met one American in all my cruising. She was a hairdresser from Ohio. Other than that they are all from Canada, South Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia. You don't meet many French workers (there was one surly French waiter on Oceania) or even that many Italians- with the exception of Princess, which still has some.

French and Italians can probably make just as much money waiting tables on land. In fact, I know a Venetian waiter who makes alot!

[micmacmissy]

Doubtful that one waiter had 30 people each night at late seating.

More like 14 to 16 tops.

There is not enough time to handle that many.

 

Maybe 30 total for both seatings.

So it equated to $750 or so a week cash.

No taxes taken from their home.

 

The assistant waiters are tipped separately, so I don't think the waiters share their tips...they are handled envelopes with cash in them, after all.

 

Our waiter had 3 tables of 4, one table of 10, and one table of 8 on our last cruise. That makes 30! Who knows how many he had at early seating; we assumed it was about the same. Our waiter was also a 9-year veteran on Celebrity, maybe that is why he had so many tables.

[Schplinky]

We counted our waiter serving 30 people each night at late dining. $3.50 per person, per day, for seven days, is 24.50 per person. That equals $735 per week, and that is only the late seating. Presumably, early seating is more full, so he's making at LEAST $1470 per week, if everyone tips the minimum.

 

That is over $76,000 a year. Not bad!

 

Doubtful that one waiter had 30 people each night at late seating.

More like 14 to 16 tops.

There is not enough time to handle that many.

 

Maybe 30 total for both seatings.

So it equated to $750 or so a week cash.

No taxes taken from their home.

 

I'd rather be a bartender than a waiter. With bar service, the tip is added automatically. Waiters face the possibility that they will have whole tables deciding they shouldn't be required to tip since they've already paid for the trip, or that they shouldn't have to tip for their children, etc. We've heard the debates on this board. Hopefully, that equals out with those who throw in a bit extra but I doubt it does.

[kelmac]

We counted our waiter serving 30 people each night at late dining. $3.50 per person, per day, for seven days, is 24.50 per person. That equals $735 per week, and that is only the late seating. Presumably, early seating is more full, so he's making at LEAST $1470 per week, if everyone tips the minimum.

 

That is over $76,000 a year. Not bad!

 

On Celebrity, waiters usually serve around 16 guests during early or late seating. Never seen more than 20 -- the asst' waiter may have 30.

On our Constellation cruise in March, a family of five were seated next to us and they didn't show the last two nights -- I ask the waiter if they tipped, and he said no. I ask how they deal with that, and he said "maybe next cruise will be better."

A good week for a waiter would be around $1,200. They only work for six or nine months at a time.

Excellent wages for a person from India, Philippines, Honduras...., even with the very weak American dollar.

[Fang]

On Celebrity, waiters usually serve around 16 guests during early or late seating. Never seen more than 20 -- the asst' waiter may have 30.

On our Constellation cruise in March, a family of five were seated next to us and they didn't show the last two nights -- I ask the waiter if they tipped, and he said no. I ask how they deal with that, and he said "maybe next cruise will be better."

A good week for a waiter would be around $1,200. They only work for six or nine months at a time.

Excellent wages for a person from India, Philippines, Honduras...., even with the very weak American dollar.

 

I would agree 100%. We were once on a RCI cruise and our waiter was from Turkey. He had a degree in Civil Engineering and was making more on the cruise ship than what he could do at home.

 

I have also found, like my last cruise, that people do not show up the last night. I can only assume that this is because of the tip.

 

The waiter is a very difficult job and I would not want to do it at all.

[TravelerThom]

Do RCCL really only pay $US50 per month, plus board or is this an urban myth?

I don't think it is an urban legend. Maybe 2-3 years ago someone posted a photocopy [.JPG] of a RCCL contract and and it specified US$50 plus a guaranteed minumum of of $800-$900 per month in tips [it was a specific amount, I just don't recall]. Usually employees exceed the minimum, but one catch if they don't make the minimum one month and request that RCCL make good it is assumed that they are not good workers and they probably will not be rehired. I tried quickly to find that posted contract, and didn't find it, but http://www.admiraltylawguide.com/circt/11thespinal.html is a ten year old US Ciruciut Court of Appeals case citing the same $50, plus a slightly lower guaranteed minimum. As others have stated US$1,000 per month can be quite a good wage in some counties, but also remember that these guys work long hours and are away from home for MANY months. As far as I'm concerned these guys earn their suggested tips and often deserve some additional.

[meow!]

We counted our waiter serving 30 people each night at late dining. $3.50 per person, per day, for seven days, is 24.50 per person. That equals $735 per week, and that is only the late seating. Presumably, early seating is more full, so he's making at LEAST $1470 per week, if everyone tips the minimum.

 

That is over $76,000 a year. Not bad!

That sounds a bit high. I have read somewhere that those non-tipping lines such as Seabourn and Silversea only pay their waiters around $4000 per month. They will be making less than the tipping lines, who will work for those companies?

[micmacmissy]

That sounds a bit high. I have read somewhere that those non-tipping lines such as Seabourn and Silversea only pay their waiters around $4000 per month. They will be making less than the tipping lines, who will work for those companies?

 

You are absolutely right, our waiter (who was from Croatia, and who worked on Regent Cruise line) said that cruise lines prefer to have European waiters, but the Europeans would prefer NOT to work on higher-end cruise lines because they make a lot less than tip-based lines.

 

He said that the higher-end cruise lines have more waiters from the Phillipines and India...he told us it was a "class" issue...that people from those countries were willing to work for less money than the Europeans.

 

Don't know how accurate that is...but that is what our waiter told us!

[PhightingPhillies]

Definately Not lots of money is made. I worked for Celebrity after college as an activity staff and did three contracts... I made under 2000 a month for my job. I was being promoted to acd when I quit for family medical reasons and was going to get a raise for the promotino to almost 3000 a month. cds make anywhere from 4000 a month to a heck of a lot more based off tenure etc... someone thats been around forever like john howell probably makes closer to 6000 or 7000 a month. Anyother questions please ask... also about someone elses post like they said if your asking because of interest in doing so do not hire an agency just keep appling on cruise lines website everyday till your called... they are dying for americans to apply.

[MMDown Under]

This is an interesting thread. Thanks for your comments.

 

I guess you did it for the adventure, or did you originally intend it as a low paying start to a career, with advancement possibilities? If so, would you recommend the life to others?

 

I spoke with dancers on RCCL and they said the line treated them well, as they just had to keep fit, rehearse, and dance, on 6 monthly contracts. They did not have to multi-task.

 

Am I right in my assumption that activity staff don't receive tips?

 

Were you always able to get off ship at the ports of call?

[PhightingPhillies]

I always recommend activity staff to anyone who is looking to travel or also for a career it was my career but when my mother fell ill i went home to help care for her... before she got well i met a women and now havew been married for almost 2 yrs.... i had as activity staff plenty of time to explore the ports and have been to and seen more than most people by the time i was 24 yrs old. there are many downers to the job as well being away from home is number one.... celebrity/. rccl from my experience treat staff well and have heard horror stories from friends working on other lines....

[PhightingPhillies]

if someone you know or yourself is interested in more info or has more questions id be more than happy to answer them you can email me at Phil80041@yahoo.com and put cruiose critic in subject box.... otherwise we can jsiut keep this post going

[alibail]

I always recommend activity staff to anyone who is looking to travel or also for a career it was my career but when my mother fell ill i went home to help care for her... before she got well i met a women and now havew been married for almost 2 yrs.... i had as activity staff plenty of time to explore the ports and have been to and seen more than most people by the time i was 24 yrs old. there are many downers to the job as well being away from home is number one.... celebrity/. rccl from my experience treat staff well and have heard horror stories from friends working on other lines....

 

While I work for the deck department (trainee navigation officer a.k.a "cadet"), another good position onboard for those who just want to see the world is the shop staff - wages vary, but they do pretty much get all day off in port - although they do work sea days :)

 

Most lines use 3rd party's to run the shops such as Harding Brothers, but the cruise line's web sites will point you to the correct people to apply to.