How Much Money Do the Crew Onboard Your Cruise Ship Earn Each Year? The Numbers May Surprise You!

Working a lifetime at sea on a cruise ship is not easy for a majority of the people you interact with onboard. Unless they are the top officers they are on contract, as it is called, to work for about 8 months and they work 7 days a week with no days off (unless they are sick). Not just that but their contract may be extended so 8 months could turn into 9 or more before they can go home.

You can see why crew, when they are near the end of their contact, are so ready for a break. Most take a few months off at home before either rejoining the same ship or more commonly joining another ship. Why do so many crew come back contract after contact and endure so much time away from home as well as so little time off?

There are perks working on a ship that often include the company paying for your airfare to get to and from the ship, health care while onboard, all your meals are also free and those who are of higher ranks can eat the same food guests do (if they want to or have time to).

One of the biggest reasons why crew are willing to work so hard for us to have an amazing cruise vacation is the pay. Just how high are the rewards? Clearly it depends on your position and it is worth comparing this income level to what they may earn at home.

Crew-Center.com had an interesting post a while back and they highlighted something rarely talked about (it is taboo to talk about how much you earn onboard btw) and that is what your crew earns. I also consulted with ThatGuy (onboard) our author who works for a major cruise line and he confirmed what was posted was a good starting point anyway.

With that in mind here is a basic pay, per month, of what each position earns depending on experience and does not include tips or other possible incentives they may earn. Also we are talking about the major cruise lines not the high end ones that charge a premium price per passenger.

• Housekeeping / Cabin Steward staff: $800 – $2,200
• Wait staff / Buffet Attendant / Assistant Waiter: $900 – $2,200
• Bartender / Bar Waiter: $1,200 – $2,500
• Cooks / Galley Staff: $800 – $1,800
• Chef / Sous Chef: $2,500 – $6,000
• Entertainment Staff (dancers, singers, musicians): $1,800 – $4,500
• Youth Staff / Activities Staff: $1,400 – $2,800
• Casino Staff: $1,500 – $3,000
• Retail Staff: $1,200 – $2,500
• Security Staff: $1,500 – $3,500
• Deck Officers (Second/Third Officers): $3,000 – $5,500
• Engineers: Junior engineers: $3,000 – $5,500
• Chief Engineer: $8,000 – $12,000
• Cruise Director: $4,500 – $8,000
• Hotel Director / Staff Captain: $6,000 – $12,000
• Captain: $10,000 – $20,000 depending on cruise line and vessel size.

You can see there the pay range very much depends on your position onboard. It is also noteworthy that as you reach the top level like the captain there are other perks like the fact that your contract may be only 2 to 3 month onboard and then 2 to 3 months off as well as a much larger private cabin onboard and the ability to have a family member / friend onboard with you at almost no charge. Also for everyone on the list, in most cases, being paid in US DOLLARS is a huge perk compared to their home currency that may not be as stable as the dollar and their earnings may be taxed at a much lower rate than earning an income in their home countries.

Most cruise lines charge you a “mandatory gratuity” that is shared with much of the forward facing crew but does not include everyone onboard. If you are buying a drink or a drink package a separate gratuity fee is included. Same goes for specialty restaurants. Bottom line for most lines you do not have to tip more as it is already included. There are exceptions, with many lines, like a butler or concierge or youth staff that are not included in any gratuities prepaid. Bottom line is prepaid tips or tips in cash can make a huge difference to the staff who are on the lower range of income scale.

You may have noticed that some of the people onboard I have left out of the list. They are those who work in the spa or selling art and other sub contracted positions. Cruise lines, most time, find it more beneficial to have another company staff and pay these people and their income can be almost exclusively based on performance (plus a small base pay) and why these folks can feel a bit pushy.

Bottom line either for the income level and perks or compared to what they could earn at home many chose to work many years onboard or long enough to save up to have enough to start a business at home they could never otherwise afford. – René