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Find out: How many crew members work in the cruise industry?

Have you ever wonder how many crew members are employed in the cruise industry? Based on the data collected by the crew center team we managed to give you a rough estimate. The total number of the crew working on cruise ships is 223.914 employees. Currently on board the cruise ships worldwide there are 186.595 plus 37.319 crew members on vacation waiting to join the vessels. This analysis includes 90% of the world’s largest cruise companies and therefore the total estimated number is around 250.000 crew members.

Royal Caribbean Cruises is the biggest employer with 33.602 crew, followed by Carnival Cruise Line 32.298, and Norwegian Cruise Line with 19.669 shipboard employees. However, if you compare on Corporate Level, Carnival Corporation & plc is by far largest employer, with 10 cruise lines and combined fleet of over 100 vessels deployed worldwide.

Below is a list of all major cruise lines and crew on board plus 20% of the crew for rotation. Please note, this is independent analysis created by Crew Center and is for informational purposes only. If you wish to share or use this data you can do so without prior approval, however, please make sure to you add the source and link to this analysis. The data presents a number of the shipboard personnel including crew, staff, officers, shore side employees are not included.

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Articles and experiences shared by crew members working on cruise ship. Find out more about ship life at sea together with tips and advices for first time crew members and cruise oldtimers.

Crew Insight

Norwegian Cruise Line Ends COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for New Hires

MSC Cruises Rewards Crew with All-Expenses-Paid Trips to Formula 1 Grand Prix Worldwide

Royal Caribbean Honors Top Employees with Fleet of the Year Awards

Cunard introduces the Queen Anne’s HR Team

This is how the first climate-neutral cruise ship could look like

Carnival Cruise Line's Mardi Gras Team Honored For Rescue At Sea

MSC Cruises Implements Controversial New Laundry Policy for Crew Members

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Answered: How Much Money Do Crew Members on a Cruise Earn?

If you’re like many passengers, no matter what the crew members aboard a cruise ship earn, you still might not think it’s enough. One constant in cruising is an overall appreciation for the hard work that crew do to provide passengers with a great vacation. 

The crew that you encounter on the cruise — such as the cabin stewards, dining staff and more — have jobs that are unlike what many of us have ever experienced.

For one, crew members work lengthy shifts. It’s not unusual, for instance, to see your cabin steward making his or her first rounds early in the morning and then doing another round to tidy up rooms late in the evening. And this pace happens day in and day out across all sorts of positions.

Not only is the work hard, but the crew is also doing it far from home. You’ll notice that large portions of the crew are from places like the Philippines, India, and China, among many other countries. Often, they are literally from places halfway around the world while families and friends are still back home.

And that distance isn’t just a factor for a few weeks. Crew operate under contracts that last for months. That means they can often stay and work on the ships for six months at a time before returning home.

To be sure, working on a cruise ship isn’t for everyone. Yet many do it for the opportunity to earn a living making more than what they would back home while also seeing parts of the world that many others never get the chance to visit.

So exactly how much do workers on a cruise ship earn?

“Median Employee” Earning Disclosure Required

First, there is no set rate that every person working on a cruise ship earns. Different positions on the ship will make different amounts. And on a modern cruise ship there are dozens if not hundreds of different roles, from the captain of the ship to kitchen staff.

That means there is no set compensation list for every cruise line that shows what different positions make (at least publicly).

But we do have the next best thing…

Major cruise lines like Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Norwegian are actually part of larger public companies that trade on major stock exchanges. As a result, the parent companies are subject to certain SEC filing requirements.

Along with quarterly and annual reports, part of that requirement is a “Pay Ratio Disclosure” as part of the Dodd-Frank reform. Here, a company must detail the ratio of pay for a company CEO compared to the “median employee.”

That gives us not only a glimpse into how much the top brass at the company makes in total, but also what those who work on the ship earn as well.

How Much the Crew Makes on a Cruise

There are three major cruise companies that trade on public exchanges: Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. Each shares the “median employee” wages via the CEO Pay Ratio disclosure in its filings.

Carnival Corporation includes lines like Carnival, Princess, Costa, and others. In 2022, the cruise company reported that its median employee earned $14,496 in total compensation. With a CEO total compensation of over $8 million, that comes to a pay ratio of 553:1.

Royal Caribbean Group includes names like Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and more. In 2022, the company stated that its median employee earned $15,264 . Given total compensation to the CEO of $10.7 million, the pay ratio comes in at 705:1.

Finally, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings , which includes NCL, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas filed that its total compensation for 2022 was $24,484 . Meanwhile, that company’s CEO took home compensation of more than $21 million. That is a pay ratio of 866:1.

For comparison, hotel company Hilton Worldwide Holdings reports a median employee compensation of $43,702 compared to over $23.5 million in compensation for the CEO. That’s a ratio of 539:1.

And according to the Economic Policy Institute, the average CEO-to-worker ratio reached 399:1 in 2021 , a new high.

Some More Things to Know About The Crew’s Compensation

There is little argument that if you want to get rich, then working on a cruise ship likely isn’t the path. That said, there is some context with these figures that bears mentioning.

First, as mentioned, the crew are internationally sourced, often from places where the cost of living is significantly lower than what we see in the United States. That can make the earnings — though low by American standards — more attractive. 

Second, this compensation figure is based on what the “median employee” was paid over the course of the year. However, many employees do not work the entire year . According to Carnival Corporation’s disclosure, “our workforce includes a large number of ship-based employees who typically work six to eleven months of the year and we did not annualize the pay for our employees when identifying our median.”

Finally, when working on the ship, cruise crew are also provided with some benefits like room and board that aren’t usually included in regular jobs. As Norwegian stated, “our shipboard employees receive certain accommodations that are not typically provided to shoreside employees including housing and meals while on the ship and medical care for any injuries or illnesses that occur while in the service of the ship. These accommodations are free of cost to each shipboard employee.”

Even with that, however, there’s no doubt that by American standards, shipboard crew work extremely hard and for wages that many of us would not be willing to take.

And while the cruise lines make clear that this compensation figure includes wages and gratuities billed to passengers, they do not include any extra money paid to crew directly by guests . So the next time you’re feeling generous on a cruise, the crew would likely be happy to accept any extra gratuity.

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This is a typical crap article from cruise ship apologists. So really most people don’t get a good wage and saying maybe Americans won’t work for this, but they do. Relying on tips is a cop out. These hardworking people should be paid for every hour they work. I wouldn’t trust a metric 400-600:1! ; it’s a nonsense number. They pick overseas workers as they know they will just do the work.

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Can I Bring Alcohol on my Cruise? Drink Policies for Every Cruise Line

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Employment in the cruise and travel agency franchise industry in the U.S. 2011-2022

Number of employees in the cruise and travel agency franchise industry in the united states from 2011 to 2021, with a forecast for 2022 (in 1,000s).

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Other statistics that may interest you Cruise industry in the United States

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• Premium Statistic Revenue of the cruises industry in the U.S. 2019-2028
• Premium Statistic Revenue growth of cruises in the U.S. 2019-2028
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• Premium Statistic Cruise line operator industry's market size in the U.S. 2012-2022
• Premium Statistic Businesses in the cruise line operator industry in the U.S. 2012-2022

Cruise passengers

• Premium Statistic Number of cruise passengers from North America 2016-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of cruise passengers from the U.S. 2016-2022
• Premium Statistic Growth rate of the cruise passenger volume from the U.S. 2017-2022
• Premium Statistic Busiest cruise ports worldwide 2019-2022, by passenger movements
• Premium Statistic Share of U.S. travelers planning a cruise trip October 2021-June 2023

Cruise companies

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• Premium Statistic Net income of Carnival Corporation & plc 2008-2023
• Premium Statistic Revenue of Royal Caribbean Cruises worldwide 1988-2023
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• Premium Statistic Net income of Norwegian Cruise Line worldwide 2011-2023
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• Basic Statistic Best-rated mega-ship cruise lines by travelers worldwide 2023
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Celebrity Cruises demographics and statistics

Demographics

Celebrity Cruises demographics summary. Zippia estimates demographics and statistics for Celebrity Cruises by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

• Celebrity Cruises has 3,000 employees .
• 43% of Celebrity Cruises employees are women , while 57% are men.
• The most common ethnicity at Celebrity Cruises is White (59%).
• 20% of Celebrity Cruises employees are Hispanic or Latino.
• 11% of Celebrity Cruises employees are Black or African American.
• The average employee at Celebrity Cruises makes $45,368 per year.
• Employees at Celebrity Cruises stay with the company for 4.0 years on average.

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Celebrity cruises employee diversity statistics.

• 43% of Celebrity Cruises employees are female.
• 59% of Celebrity Cruises employees are white.

Rate Celebrity Cruises' commitment to diversity and inclusion.

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Gender ratio.

Hispanic or Latino

Black or African American

Foreign Languages Spoken

Celebrity cruises employees education.

• The most common highest degree level of Celebrity Cruises employees is bachelors, with 61% of employees having at least a bachelors.
• The most common major among Celebrity Cruises employees is business. 19% of Celebrity Cruises employees majored in business.

Schools of Celebrity Cruises employees

Florida International University

Johnson & Wales University

Miami Dade College

Majors of Celebrity Cruises employees

Hospitality Management

Degrees of Celebrity Cruises employees

Celebrity cruises demographics by department.

• Celebrity Cruises is a male-dominated company. 57% of Celebrity Cruises employees are male and 43% of Celebrity Cruises employees are female.
• The most common race/ethnicity at Celebrity Cruises is White. 59% of employees at Celebrity Cruises are White.

Celebrity Cruises gender ratio

• Male , 65.1%
• Female , 34.9%

Racial distribution at Celebrity Cruises

• White , 56.8%
• Hispanic or Latino , 23%
• Black or African American , 10.8%
• Asian , 6.5%
• Unknown , 2.9%

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What is the average age of celebrity cruises employees.

• The most common age range of Celebrity Cruises employees is 20-30 years. 61% of Celebrity Cruises employees are between the ages of 20-30 years.
• The least common age range of Celebrity Cruises employees is less than 18 years. 2% of Celebrity Cruises employees are between the ages of less than 18 years.

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Celebrity Cruises employee average age

What is the average length of employment at celebrity cruises.

• A plurality of employees at Celebrity Cruises stay for 1-2 years. 33% of Celebrity Cruises employees stay at the company for 1-2 years.
• It's rare for an employee to stay with Celebrity Cruises for 8-10 years. Only 6% of Celebrity Cruises employees stay at the company for 8-10 years.

Less than one year

Celebrity Cruises employees' length of employment

Celebrity cruises salary range.

• A plurality of employees at Celebrity Cruises earns $25k-40k. 40% of employees earn a salary of $25k-40k a year.
• The least common salary at Celebrity Cruises is $100k-200k. Only 4% of Celebrity Cruises employees earn a salary of $100k-200k a year.

Celebrity Cruises competitor salary comparison

Celebrity cruises job listings by salary range, celebrity cruises demographics faqs, how many employees does celebrity cruises have, related company demographics.

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Working At Related Companies

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• Royal Caribbean International
• Biltmore Hotel Miami Coral Gables
• Ala Carte Entertainment
• Station Casinos
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• Tropicana Casinos
• Gateway Clipper Fleet
• Felicita Garden Resort & Spa

Related Company Jobs

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Celebrity Cruises Highest Paying Jobs

• Finance Controller
• Team Leader
• District Sales Manager
• Guest Lecturer
• Product Representative
• Special Services Agent
• Executive Chef
• Lighting Designer
• Administrative Officer
• Training Manager
• Disc Jockey
• Food Consultant
• Band Leader
• Executive Assistant
• Celebrity Cruises
• Celebrity Cruises Demographics

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Celebrity Cruises, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Celebrity Cruises. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Celebrity Cruises. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Celebrity Cruises. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Celebrity Cruises and its employees or that of Zippia.

Celebrity Cruises may also be known as or be related to Celebrity Cruises, Celebrity Cruises Inc, Celebrity Cruises Inc. and Celebrity Cruises, Inc.

How Much Do Cruise Ship Workers Really Earn? The Truth About Their Pay

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Have you ever found yourself mesmerised by the glamorous life on a cruise ship? I mean, who hasn’t? It’s like a floating city filled with endless entertainment, exotic destinations, and the crew that makes everything happen. 

But have you ever wondered about the folks working behind the scenes? You know, the cheerful waiter or the ever-smiling cruise director. How much do they really make for living the dream at sea? 

Let’s unpack the paychecks and perks of cruise ship staff from the high seas with Carnival, Disney, and Royal Caribbean. And who knows? By the end of this article, you might even consider a career on a cruise ship.

What’s in the Wallet of Cruise Ship Crews?

Curious about the earnings of those who keep your cruise experience smooth sailing? Well, the financial tides may surprise you. 

While the median salary for a cruise ship worker might be less than your average Joe in the States. Back in 2018, Carnival Group, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, and Royal Caribbean Group shared some figures:

• Carnival Group dished out about $16,622
• Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings was a bit more generous with $20,101
• Royal Caribbean Group wasn’t far behind at $19,396

We haven’t seen new stats since 2018, so hopefully, those salaries have gone up since then. 

Global Earnings

We can also compare these with the median annual earnings of the populations of various countries:

• The USA boasts a hefty $46,625
• Down under in Australia, it’s $35,518
• The UK’s at a cosy $25,383
• Spain and Lithuania hover around $25,000 and $21,000, respectively
• Russia grabs $16,163
• Chile’s chilling at $10,058
• And India, bless, is at $2,473

Seeing the big picture? The average cruise crew member’s salary might look slim in a US wallet, but it’s a fortune in many corners of the globe. It’s no wonder that dreamy three-bedroom sea-view houses are within reach for many crew members from developing nations.

The Reality of Cruise Ship Life

Before you jump ship and sign up, let’s talk hours and contracts. It’s not all sunshine and sea breezes; some crew members grind up to sixteen hours a day, every day of the week.

Meanwhile, the entertainers might just work a couple of hours daily. Contracts can range from a couple of months to nearly a year, but you get a break to touch base now and then.

Perks on Board: More Than Just a Salary

Life at sea comes with its own set of perks. We’re talking about basics like food, accommodation, laundry, and nice-to-haves like training, medical care, and even flights to and from the ship. 

And let’s not forget the discounts for family cruises. However, if you want to Instagram your adventures, you’ll have to pay for the WiFi or hunt down hotspots on port days.

Who Makes What

Ever wonder who’s bagging the most loot? From the captain’s deck to the service floors, here’s a sneak peek:

The captains command an impressive $8,200 monthly. With potential bonuses and perks, their leadership not only steers the ship but secures a prosperous voyage for themselves.

Related reading: Revealing What Cruise Ship Captains Really Earn

Cruise Directors

At $4,900 monthly, cruise directors are the heart of onboard entertainment, orchestrating a symphony of activities that bring joy and laughter to passengers. Their earnings reflect the pivotal role they play in enhancing the cruise experience, making every moment on the high seas memorable.

Medical and Engineering Marvels

The unsung heroes of health and machinery, doctors and chief engineers pocket a handsome $9,750 and $9,000, respectively. Their expertise ensures the wellbeing of all onboard and the smooth sailing of the ship, marking them as invaluable assets to the crew.

The Culinary and Service Maestros

Waiters and chefs, with their impeccable service and culinary delights, earn around $3,300 monthly. Their dedication to gastronomic excellence and guest satisfaction adds a rich flavour to the cruise experience.

The Entertainers and Beauty Specialists

From guest entertainers earning up to $6,000 to beauticians, massage therapists, and nail technicians, each making $3,300, these professionals add sparkle and relaxation to the voyage. Whether it’s through captivating performances or rejuvenating spa treatments, they ensure guests enjoy a holistic and entertaining journey.

Supporting Stars

The hardworking individuals behind the scenes, including gift shop assistants, photographers, musicians, and youth staff, with earnings ranging from $2,150 to $2,400, play crucial roles in enriching the cruise experience.

Is a Cruise Ship Job Worth the Plunge?

Chatting about cruise ship life and the money that comes with it has been a blast. The salary might not be a landlubber’s dream, but with all expenses covered and some unique perks, it’s an adventure worth considering. 

Whether you’re drawn to the sea for the travel, the job, or just the thrill, knowing the score helps you navigate your decisions. Who knows? Maybe the next time we talk, you’ll send postcards from exotic locations, courtesy of your new life on a cruise ship. 

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