Cruise staff reveal the hardest part about working on a ship
While working on a cruise ship can have its perks, there are always downsides to every job. Afterall, working on a moving vessel for months at a time can take its toll.
A former cruise ship worker has shared their perspective on what makes working on a cruise ship so difficult.
Joshua Kinser told Express UK it can be a particularly difficult job in many ways.
“There are many difficulties and challenges that cruise ship crew members must endure on their lengthy contracts at sea,” he said.
“The monotony of the job becomes tiresome,” he explained. “The food served to the crew can sometimes be about as appetising as the seaweed that gets tangled in the cruise ship propellers.”
“I wish I could have told passengers how much I wanted a lobster tail or some of the great food that they were eating in the passenger dining rooms,” Kinser added.
“I know it may seem petty to some people out there, kind of a first-world problem sort of thing, but after three months eating the same slop that is served on some of these ships, most employees just want a taste of the wonderful food that the passengers eat.”
Not only is the food unappetising for the most part, there is also a homesickness that can be guaranteed on the job for many of the employees. Working away from home for months at a time can cause a real strain, Kinser explained.
“The isolation from friends and family and one’s life on land can be very difficult for some to deal with at times.”
One upside is getting to know new people from different parts of the world, however Joshua says it is not for everyone.
“Adjusting to the very different culture and rhythm of life as a cruise ship crew member can be difficult for some,” he said.
“Being on ship time and having your daily schedule dictated at all times can take some serious getting used to.
“This is especially the case if you are a person who has lived most of your life in a country that affords you a considerable degree of autonomy, independence, and free will, or if you’re just a stubborn and oppositional person by nature in general.
“If you don’t deal with authority well, you may not be very happy working on a cruise ship.
“All of this is difficult at times, and the degree of difficulty changes with what ship you are assigned to.”
The best part about working on a cruise ship though?
“There is a lot to celebrate in ship life: The travel is tops of course,” Kinser said.
“I was able to travel all around the world aboard cruise ships and I am forever grateful to the cruise ship companies for the opportunity to do so.”