cruise ship crew list

The 27 Different Types of Cruise Ship Jobs

Cruise ships are often called “floating cities” and with good reason. The average cruise ship employs over 1,000 people on any given voyage, and there are typically about four passengers per crew member.

But is working on a cruise ship a fun job?

Many people see working aboard a cruise ship as a life of travel and adventure, not to mention opportunities to meet people from all over the world.

However, there is no “one size fits all” staff position aboard each ship, and getting the right job for your personality and interests is key to enjoying your time at sea.

Of course, knowing where to start can be a bit overwhelming, considering there are so many types of cruise ship jobs.

Furthermore, the amount of jobs available depends on several factors, including the type of ship, the specific cruise line, the destination(s) and length of the voyage, and even the intended passenger demographic (a family-focused cruise, for instance, will have different crew needs than an adults-only cruise).

If you think this could be an exciting new career choice, it’s a good idea to go over the 27 types of cruise ship jobs and where exactly they fit in the “floating city.”

Table of Contents

1. Deck Personnel

Every cruise needs people to actually keep the ship running and afloat. Deck personnel encompasses a range of positions responsible for the ship’s navigation, safety, and security.

These include the ship captain, safety officer, and other officers on the bridge, as well as able seamen who may work on the bridge or other areas of the ship to keep things running smoothly.

Few entry-level positions are typically available among the deck personnel, as a high level of maritime and/or practical maintenance experience is required.

2. Engineers

Modern cruise ships no longer run on furnaces, but they do run on systems that consist of gas turbines, diesel-electric power, or in many cases, a combination of power sources.

These complex systems require a lot of knowledge and human surveillance to function properly, which is where the ship’s engineers come in.

Like the deck personnel, being among the cruise ship engineer team or “engine team” is typically not an entry-level position.

This type of work requires years of training, either aboard another vessel (often military or industrial transportation) or on land in an industrial capacity.

3. Deckhands

In addition to the more technical ship crew, there are also members of the deck crew who may perform support work in non-mechanical capacities.

These deckhands are considered to be the general handymen of the ship staff.

This portion of the crew can include janitorial work, carpentry, and stateroom maintenance. For example, if a passenger arrives onboard and finds that their bathroom door is not shutting, a member of the deck crew may be called to fix it for them.

Both the general deck crew and deck personnel may be grouped in the ship’s “deck department.”

4. Office Staff

All cruise lines have office staff who are responsible for arranging the cruise itineraries, passenger bookings, accounting, sales and marketing, clerical work, and general office tasks.

Most of these positions are performed on shore at the cruise line’s main office, but some of these team members may be expected to go aboard cruises to work.

For example, marketing staff may take part in an active cruise to take photos and otherwise capture the experience for advertising and PR purposes.

All cruise ships have their own office staff members who keep worker schedules and itineraries organized and help handle any issues while at sea.

5. Activity Staff

Passengers need activities to keep them occupied while they’re aboard the cruise ship! Activity staff members are vital parts of the cruise voyage, coordinating and running different activities throughout the day and evening.

From running shuffleboard tournaments by the pool to hosting trivia games in the theater at night, these crew members are considered vital to the cruise experience.

The ship’s cruise director is typically considered the head of the activity staff. They are typically the most visible and vocal members of the ship’s crew, often making daily announcements on the ship intercom and serving as hosts for the main activities on the itinerary.

6. Entertainers

Cruise entertainers often work closely with the activity staff, and in some cases, they may all fall under the department under the cruise director.

These crew members are responsible for putting on shows and providing visual and audible entertainment for the ship’s passengers.

They also may function as DJs or musicians, providing background music in various areas throughout the day.

In addition to working in the ship theater (or theaters, depending on the size of the ship), entertainers may work during lunch or dinner, in the ship bars or lounges, or otherwise work to provide entertainment during the day and evenings.

7. Fitness Team Members

The ship’s fitness team may be in their own category or considered part of the activities and entertainment crew members.

Typically led by the fitness director and a gym manager, these crew members are responsible for scheduling workouts and physical fitness activities for passengers to participate in.

They may run classes, act as personal trainers, host special yoga sessions, conduct dancing lessons, or even just be available to provide general advice and instruction in the ship’s gym.

In many cases, some level of experience and fitness knowledge is required to work on the ship’s fitness team.

Depending on the type of physical activity and equipment involved, some certification may be required.

8. Spa Staff

Most large cruise ships have a spa these days, and some may even offer spa services in passenger staterooms.

The spa staff encompasses a wide range of positions, from receptionists to massage therapists, cosmetologists, and beauticians.

Though there may be some exceptions, spa staff members of the crew typically only work during daytime hours aboard a cruise ship.

While some spa positions may have entry-level availability, many of these positions require at least basic certifications and training.

In some cases, cruise ships may hire specific spa or beautician companies to supply these staff members.

Depending on the special events (like weddings) booked on the ship, cosmetologists and beauticians may also be scheduled to work additional hours.

Some may also do the makeup and hair of performers in the cruise’s shows.

9. Food and Beverage (front of house)

In the world of food and beverage, there are two kinds of staff – front of house, and back of house.

The same goes for the food and beverage team on cruise ships.

The front-of-house staff members consist of the people who work directly with passengers at the ship’s restaurants, bars, and buffets.

These crew members are the ship’s bartenders, servers (waiters), back servers, barbacks, restaurant hosts, and food runners.

They may be assigned to just one location on the ship, or their shifts may rotate locations.

Depending on the special events scheduled for the voyage, the front-of-house staff may also perform catering duties.

10. Food and Beverage (back of house)

Although passengers typically only interact with front-of-house food and beverage staff, the back-of-house staff is just as important.

These crew members make and plan all of the food in the ship’s restaurants, bars, and dining halls.

The back-of-house team consists of the head chef, sous chefs, line cooks, dishwashers, and sometimes others.

Some members of the back-of-house food and beverage staff will also be responsible for feeding the ship crew in general.

Since many crew members work while restaurants and buffets are open, they need other options in the crew-only portions of the ship.

11. General Hospitality Team

Some cruise ships have a general hospitality team, which may work in a variety of positions throughout the ship and often is closely aligned with the activity and entertainment crew members.

However, the hospitality crew interacts more directly with the ship’s passengers and performs duties aligned with those of a hotel.

They help handle issues with any of the passenger’s accommodations, can assist with restaurant reservations, and field general questions during the voyage.

This team also includes the cruise’s customer service professionals.

12. Bedroom Stewards

In addition to general hospitality staff, cruise ships have a team of bedroom stewards that act as cleaning and maid service for all passenger rooms.

These team members are a vital part of the hotel portion of the cruise experience, ensuring all rooms (typically hundreds to thousands) on the ship are cleaned and turned down daily.

On some cruise ships, these stewards participate further in creating a fun atmosphere for passengers by setting up regular towel displays or leaving fun surprises in public areas or staterooms.

13. Retail Staff

Nearly all large cruise ships these days have a selection of retail options right aboard the ship. From kiosks to physical stores, these areas need staff to run them.

Working in retail aboard a cruise ship is fairly similar in job function to working in retail in a mall or other shopping experience, and there may be many positions open that are entry-level.

Retail staff typically work daytime hours, though some ships may have certain stores or kiosks open late.

There may also be pop-up sales areas during shows or special events.

14. Childcare and Youth Staff

Not all cruises are child-friendly, but many are, and these require various activities throughout each day to both keep children occupied and provide a source of relief for parents when needed.

Functioning in roles similar to camp counselors, cruise childcare and youth staff run child-exclusive and family-friendly activities in different areas around the ship.

Some also provide babysitting services that can be booked at any time during the voyage.

Many of these childcare and youth staff positions are entry-level, but supervisory positions may require prior experience working in childcare on cruise ships.

15. Medical Team

Accidents happen, and every cruise ship, therefore, requires a medical team to be on board at all times during the voyage.

These vital staff members deal with everything from minor injuries during ship activities to major, unexpected events like someone going into cardiac arrest or having a severe allergic reaction at the buffet.

Prior experience and certifications are typically required of medical team crew members, though there may be some assistant positions open in this department that require less training.

16. Photographers

If you’ve ever been on a cruise, you may have noticed that there are often people wearing uniforms (or at the very least, nametags) who stop passengers and ask for photos.

These are the ship photographers, and they are there to both document the voyage for the cruise line and to provide passengers with the opportunity to commemorate their experience with a professional photograph.

The number of hours a ship photographer works on each cruise will vary depending on special events and cruise line needs, but many will end up doing at least one day of taking scheduled photos with passengers who want them.

In some cases, professional cruise ship photographers may have to provide their own equipment.

17. IT Personnel

Information Technology or “IT” staff have become increasingly important on cruise ships over time.

That’s because more cruise ships are offering WiFi and other technological amenities to passengers, and they need IT staff to ensure it all works properly.

The IT team may also be expected to help set up lighting and other equipment for events and help troubleshoot anything that is not functioning as expected.

IT staff may also assist the ship’s captain and deck department with technological needs around the ship.

There will be a higher level of expertise required in these cases, but generally speaking, IT positions on a cruise ship may call for only general IT experience that does not necessarily need to have been on a cruise.

18. Excursion Managers

Most cruise ships have various stops during the voyage, during which passengers deboard and head on land for some planned excursions.

This is why many cruise lines have a team of excursion managers on staff.

These crew members help plan and coordinate excursions with teams (sometimes external companies and people in different countries) on land and they help passengers book them.

They also are in charge of ensuring passengers have a safe, successful time on the excursion and are provided with all the information they need to make it back on the ship as scheduled.

Excursion managers may be considered part of the activities and/or entertainment crew, but the key difference is that their jobs focus primarily on what passengers do while off the ship.

19. Casino Staff

Not all cruise ships have casinos, but many do. Casino staff members are similar to activity, entertainment, and even front-of-house food and beverage staff in that they interact directly with guests and help ensure they have a good time.

However, they are in their own category because working on a casino floor requires its own set of skills and specific rules that must be followed.

Depending on the specific job within the casino, a high level of experience may be required. For example, someone working as a blackjack dealer must be an expert at the game and be prepared to help even the most inexperienced passengers play.

Cruise casino staff may also include cocktail servers and bouncers, similar to a regular casino on land.

20. Ship Naturalist

Many cruise ships have at least one naturalist on staff, though they may be considered part of the general hospitality team.

What makes the naturalist unique, however, is that they are expected to both interact with passengers and help passengers interact with the world around them.

Because cruises are vacations, passengers are often exposed to wildlife and sights that they may not be familiar with.

The ship’s naturalist helps interested passengers learn more about these things and may also host events that go into more detail.

They may also be expected to provide fun information for the passenger’s welcome materials and itineraries.

21. Lifeguards and General Safety Staff

Most modern cruise ships have pools and hot tubs. Lifeguards are therefore required during most hours to ensure the safety of all guests.

These jobs are highly similar to lifeguard positions on land, and they may require the same level of training.

Many cruise ships also have general safety staff who patrol the ship on a routine basis, helping to spot any issues and intervene when passengers are engaging in potentially dangerous activity.

22. Security Personnel

Because cruise ships are like floating cities with so many passengers and crew members, there’s a need for 24/7 security personnel to help prevent issues.

Major cruise lines in particular are known for having fleets of security staff members on board, often run by people with prior experience in law enforcement on land.

There may be a mix of entry-level and experience-required positions here. There may also be stricter requirements in terms of drug testing and references for security positions on cruise ships.

23. Pursers

Pursers are like the accountants of a cruise ship at sea who also act as part of the hospitality team.

They help settle passenger accounts and deal with any billing issues, and they may work closely with casino staff as needed.

They also may be highly front-facing and work in a concierge-like capacity, fielding general questions in addition to those related to money.

Behind the scenes, cruise ship pursers have strict codes and systems they must adhere to in order to ensure passenger accounts are handled with care.

Any financial issues must be dealt with delicately and as safely as possible. Pursers often start in lower-ranking crew positions first before advancing.

24. Instructors

Many cruise voyagers feature special instructors as part of their entertainment programs. However, the instructors themselves may not be considered a part of the regular entertainment staff or other entertainers.

Instead, they come on cruises on a limited basis to provide passengers with various types of instruction and classes, from philosophical lectures to painting and dancing.

Many cruise lines partner with outside agencies to bring on various instructors for their voyages.

25. Production Managers

Production managers aboard a cruise ship are in charge of ensuring every show and event goes off without a hitch.

They help set up the equipment and make sure entertainers and other crew members are all where they need to be, on schedule.

They also ensure that doors are open on time and that the event starts when it should.

Cruise ship production managers are like TV or movie producers but for live events, and their positions typically require years of experience to fill.

They often work closely with the cruise director and activity staff.

26. Gentleman Host

A cruise ship gentleman host is among the more unique jobs in this industry by far. The gentleman host is solely in charge of ensuring single individuals have a good time.

They are there to step in as dance partners when one is needed, to provide conversation, and suggest fun activities on the itinerary that are friendly to solo travelers.

The gentleman host traditionally is there to accommodate single female passengers, but they are really there to mix and mingle with all passengers.

Some cruises may also have a “lady host” – a woman in this capacity. People serving in this role are typically selected for having a charming, easygoing personality, being outgoing but approachable, and having great dance skills, among other qualities.

27. Wine Steward

Not to be confused with one of the ship’s bartenders, the wine steward solely focuses on wine.

They make pairing suggestions for guests and answer questions about the ship’s wine options, and they participate in putting together ship menus.

They also may host tasting classes during the voyage.

The wine steward is often a sommelier, a certified expert on wine and food pairings that go with it.

They are considered an important part of creating an “elevated” experience for guests.

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Crew Life on Cruise Ships: Ship Life & Crew Areas | Ultimate Guide

All You Need to Know about Crew Life onboard a Cruise Ship: Ship Life & Crew Areas

Before I joined a cruise ship for the first time as a Shore excursions staff , I couldn’t imagine how the life onboard cruise ships actually looked like. All I knew was that I was going to spend seven months at sea, with people I didn’t know and doing a job that I didn’t know much about.

The first few days on a cruise ship were confusing, both fun and challenging… On the first day, I didn’t manage to find my cabin for 45 minutes. I was literally wandering around corridors trying to figure out the ship’s layout. The first days were stuffed with trainings, familiarization with the crew areas, rules, regulations, ship in general, and learning about the job itself, of course.

Whether you are joining a ship as a new hire , or you are just curious to see how the crew life onboard a cruise ship looks like, in this article, I share with you useful insider information and an insight into the crew areas and how we spend our days at sea.

Cruise Ship Crew Life – What to Expect

One of the things you will often hear people saying is that once you experience life at sea, the life on land will never be the same – and I couldn’t agree more.

Living and working on a cruise ship is one of the most rewarding experiences you can get for a lifetime. It involves not only getting paid for what you do but also traveling and seeing the world, interacting with people from different social backgrounds, meeting new cultures and traditions. Working on cruise ships is more of a lifestyle than a simple job where you get to earn money for what you do.

Depending on the ship’s size, you will be sharing your living space with hundreds and thousands of people from all around the world. You will be eating, sleeping, working, hanging out, partying, and spending time together. You will make new friends, relationships, experience break-ups, tough times with your coworkers, go through ups and downs.

Be prepared for hard work! Your free time will mainly depend on your job position, as well as your “privileges” and rights. However, whatever your job position is, we all get the same chance to enjoy the ship life and the opportunities offered.

Suggested articles:

10 Things to Know Before You Apply for a Cruise Ship Job

11 Things You Would Never Expect to Be Part of Your Cruise Ship Job

In the sections below, I want to share with you some basic things you need to know about the organization of crew life on a cruise ship and walk you through the crew areas where the crew spends most of their free time.

Disclaimer: Keep in mind that many things have changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and that rules, regulations, and ship life organization mainly depend on current cruise line policies and health protocols. 

Given the fact that crew members’ contracts vary from 2 to 9 months, crew life is organized in a way to facilitate the crew members’ life onboard. Accommodation, food, and the use of crew areas are free for all crew members during the whole duration of their contract, which allows us to save money and not spend it on basic life needs.

The majority of crew areas are located on decks zero, 1, 2, or 3, however, this varies by ship size and layout. Read below about the main crew areas onboard cruise ships.

1. Crew Cabins

Most people and new hires are curious to know how our crew cabins look like. First of all, there are two types of crew cabins – single-shared and double-shared cabins , meaning that most of us need to share a cabin with a roommate, usually from the same or similar department.

They are normally located on decks zero, 1, and 2, whereas Bridge officers have their cabins on higher decks closer to the bridge.

Crew cabins are tiny and usually consist of a bunk bed, a closet (with drawers and shelves), a mini-fridge, a TV, a small desk, a chair or two, and a bathroom. Each cabin has its own bathroom, which is good because you share it with only one person.

Depending on your job position and title, you may be assigned a single cabin, meaning that you will have your own privacy and most probably housekeeping service.

If you want to read an in-depth review of crew cabins, I suggest you read my article Inside Cruise Ship Crew Cabins Full Review (2021)

2. Main Crew Corridor

Known as I-95 onboard Royal Caribbean cruise ships (named after the famous highway in the USA), every cruise ship has the main crew corridor that runs from the aft (the back of the ship) to the forward of the ship on deck 1.

The majority of the crew cabins are located around this main corridor, which can get extremely busy during the embarkation/debarkation times.

On the surrounding walls, you will find numerous boards filled with important ship rules, regulations, announcements, trainings, activities, and all relevant information for the crew.

While walking down the i-95 corridor, make sure you wear appropriate footwear as it can be very slippery and busy with trolleys and working crew.

Suggested article: Life Onboard a Cruise Ship: 18 Crew Cabins Must-Haves

3. Crew Mess

Crew members onboard cruise ships have their own places to eat, known as “crew mess” and “staff mess”. These are practically buffet-style canteens offering various food choices, from Asian to international cuisine. Depending on the ship size and the number of crew members, there might be a couple of these, two or more, onboard each ship.

Accommodation and food are free for all crew members. Besides the three main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), there are snacks in between and you can always go for filtered coffee, tea, or water in a crew mess. If you want to drink a cappuccino or more quality coffee options, you can order it in a crew bar for an extra fee.

Water on cruise ships is usually potable, however, it is strongly recommended to use bottled water that you can buy in a crew shop for a reasonable fee. You can always buy a case of water and store them in your cabin.

Now, the canteens for crew members are known as crew mess and staff mess .

“Crew mess” is normally dedicated to crew members without stripes, and the food served here is usually Asian cuisine, as the majority of crew members come from the Philipines, India, and other Asian countries.

“Staff mess” usually offers international cuisine and is dedicated to staff and officers.

However, there is usually no difference and everyone is allowed to eat whenever they want.

Based on your rank or title, you may be allowed to eat in guest areas and restaurants in the evening, and this applies only to staff members and higher positions. You may also be allowed to have dinner at specialty restaurants for an extra fee with discounts applied.

Bridge officers and higher management positions are welcome to eat in guest restaurants whenever they want.

4. Crew Bar

Crew bar is one of the most lively areas on a cruise ship. Based on the size of the ship, there might be one or more crew bars on each ship.

It normally consists of an inside area and so-called “back deck”, an open deck where smoking is allowed and where parties and crew events take place. You need to pay for the drinks in a crew bar (starting at $2 per drink), except when the HR department throws theme or “all crew parties” where they offer free soft drinks and beers for all crew members.

There are various events organized on a weekly level, including bingo, raffle, music and food events (wine and cheese, fish and chips nights, etc.), movie nights, and more. These are announced on an information board that you will find in crew areas hanging on the wall.

However, keep in mind that due to the new regulations following the Covid-19 pandemic these might be limited, and vary by companies’ and ships’ management.

5. Crew Laundry Area

Crew members have their own dedicated laundry area that consists of a multitude of washing and dryer machines that are operational 24/7.

The laundry service is free and every crew member is responsible for washing their own clothes and uniforms (although there is an option to have your uniforms washed by the laundry department, however, this takes a few days and I always used to wash uniforms on my own).

You need to use your own washing products that you can purchase in a crew shop known as “slop chest”. Inside the laundry area, you will find ironing boards where you can iron your stuff as ironing inside the crew cabins is not allowed.

As for your cabin sheets, pillowcases and towels, you don’t need to wash these – You can simply discharge the dirty items in the main laundry room and ask the laundry crew to get you the clean ones. Here, you can also grab toilet paper and cleaning products for your bathroom.

Useful tip: I mentioned that the laundry is operational 24/7, however, it usually gets busy during specific peak hours when the majority of crew members have their break. If you are planning to wash your stuff, make sure you avoid these hours.

6. Slop Chest

Every cruise ship has its own slop chest, which is basically a store where the crew can buy snacks, water, soft drinks, hygiene products, cleaning items, and more.

Prices here may be higher than if you buy the products outside in port, so I suggest you buy all you need in a supermarket/shops outside the ship if you find any because that will most probably save you some money.

7. Crew Gym

Every cruise ship has a dedicated gym for its crew members. The size of a gym varies by the ship size and the number of crew members, and these are free, fully equipped, and open 24/7.

Some job positions (staff members, stripe officers) are allowed to use the guest gym at specific time slots (mostly in the evening) however this is now vastly limited and is nowadays based on the Covid-19 regulations.

8. Internet Cafe

Cruise ships feature an internet cafe where crew members can surf and chat with their friends and family back home. This room is equipped with a multitude of computers that crew members can also use to do their job duties, more specifically the company-assigned tasks and trainings, and other online and IT-related jobs.

Some programs and websites can be accessed for free (if it’s for business purposes), however, you need to pay for the internet you use.

Wi-fi internet can be quite expensive and there are several packages you can opt for (daily, weekly, monthly packages). During the Covid-19 pandemic, many companies have provided their crew with an hour or more of free internet.

9. Playroom/Crew Lounge

Besides the crew bar and a coffee shop, there is normally a dedicated area for the crew who wants to play pool table games, table tennis, table football, darts, and other social games.

There is also a library filled with books that the crew members can borrow for free.

10. Incinerator Room

You have probably been wondering where the crew members throw their garbage. Saving and taking care of the environment is a high priority for cruise lines, and there are numerous programs applied to maintain and save the ocean and the environment in general.

Recycling is widely promoted among the crew members and there is a multitude of trainings that enforce us to take the whole save-the-environment concept very seriously.

All crew members collect the garbage inside their crew cabins (bins are available) and once it’s full, the trash needs to be taken to the incinerator room where the items are sorted into differently designated bins. There are bins for glass, paper, plastic, electronics, cans, and there are a couple of incinerators where the rest of the trash is burnt under the supervision of trained staff working in that division.

The incinerator room is normally smelly and can be very slippery, so it’s very important to wear comfortable shoes while walking around (avoid flip-flops, slippers, etc.).

The incinerator crew is always there to assist you to separate the trash in case you need it.

11. Medical Facility

Guests’ and crew members’ health is a top priority for cruise lines and there is a dedicated medical facility onboard each cruise ship for both guests and crew. This medical facility is usually located on deck 1 and is shared, however, there are separate entrances for guests and crew.

All crew members are provided with health insurance and medical care free of charge during the whole duration of their contract. Depending on a cruise ship size, there are a couple of doctors and nurses in charge of the Medical department that you can always address to.

Besides performing their job duties, crew members spend most of their free time outside in ports when available, or inside the crew areas that I mentioned above.

The crew life is organized in a way to make life easier and fun for all crew members, and the department in charge of this is the crew HR department.

Crew HR Department

Every cruise ship has a dedicated HR department that takes care of crew members’ needs, paperwork, payments, crew activities, and everything related to the crew members in general.

This is the first place where you’ll go once you join the cruise ship, regardless of whether you are a new hire or a returning crew member.

The HR department will assign you a cabin based on your job position and vacancies available; they will issue you a cabin key, an ID card that you’ll use for payments onboard the ship, exiting/entering the ship, etc., an emergency card…

If you have some special requests, or you want to complain about something, you can head to the HR team who will help you resolve your issues.

The HR department is also responsible for organizing all crew-related activities, including parties, bingo, raffle, movie nights, and more. These can widely depend on the HR team and HR manager themselves, so the organization of the crew life is not the same on all the ships.

There are usually a couple of crew ATMs onboard each ship and they are located within crew areas. They allow you to withdraw your money in dollars and there is a small fee to pay for each withdrawal transaction (around $2 per transaction). In case that these don’t work, you can go to the HR department who will assist you.

Crew Drills

Safety and security are the top priorities for all crew members working onboard a cruise ship. There are drills organized every cruise, and each crew member is assigned an emergency function and muster station during the whole duration of their contract.

All crew members must be familiarized with the ship’s layout, fire zones, main crew/guest areas, emergency stations, and all relevant to the ship’s safety and how to manage emergency situations.

There are many trainings that all crew members need to go through, both online and onboard, and these are constantly updated.

Whether you are joining a ship as a new hire or a returning crew member, there will be a lot of trainings that you need to do, both online before joining a ship and onboard.

The trainings are organized on various topics, including environmental topics, zero tolerance, safety and security topics, crowd management, and many others.

You will be advised which trainings to do by your direct supervisor or a dedicated app.

In this article, I did my best to give you a simple overview of our crew life and areas where we spend our time when working on a cruise ship.

However, bear in mind that many rules and regulations have changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and these widely depend on the cruise companies’ health protocols and policies.

If you want to read more about crew life, I suggest you take a look at my articles:

Working on Cruise Ships: How to Apply for a Cruise Ship Job?

Inside Crew Cabins on Cruise Ships – Full Review 2021

Food and Beverage Department – Working as a Cruise Ship Waiter?

10 Things to Know before Applying for Cruise Ship Job

Security Jobs onboard Cruise Ships – What You Need to Know

New Hire? This is How Your First Day on a Cruise Ship Looks Like

Life Onboard a Cruise Ship: 18 Crew Cabins Must-Haves

Life of a Cruise Ship Photographer – Crew Member’s Story

Working as a Guest Services Representative on a Cruise Ship

This article may contain Amazon affiliate / compensated links. For full information, please see my disclaimer here.

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These Cruise Ships Score the Highest Passenger-Crew Ratio

How many crew members are there for one passenger, and why this is important for you? This ranking will inform you about cruise ship passenger and crew capacities and help you understand how much "crew time" you can expect on which cruise ship.

Crew Passenger ratio explained the easy way

The passenger-crew ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of passengers by the total number of crew members . It is a measure of the level of service you can expect during your journey. The higher the ratio, the more time each crew member has to fulfill your wishes.

It is not to be confused with the passenger-space ratio, which is the gross tonnage of a cruise ship divided by the number of guests.

Why should you check a cruise ship's passenger to crew ratio?

If comfort and excellent quality of service is a priority for your cruise vacation, knowing this will help you choose the best cruise ship for you . Although the largest cruise ships can guarantee onboard space, getting personalized service from the cruise staff is even more crucial. Many cruise lines, especially from Carnival Cruise Line , Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International or MSC Cruises are taking this more seriously.

As you will see in the below ranking, the biggest cruise ships in the world like Symphony of the Seas, Oasis Of The Seas, Quantum of the Seas or Harmony Of The Seas, all from Royal Caribbean Cruise Line don't necessarily offer the highest passenger to crew ratio.

Cruise ship passenger to crew ratio ranking

The following list will show vessels with the highest crew-passenger ratio first so you have a good idea of cruise ships that have the most crew available per guest. Moreover, getting a large crew is expensive, that's why the ranking is dominated by luxury cruise ships.

Once you have scrolled down to view the entire list, you'll never book the wrong cruise ship again. Click next on the cruise ship's name to get more information about its available sailings, average price per day and cabin type, and finally the ship's current location .

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Welcome To Princess Cruises Careers

We offer a variety of opportunities for highly motivated people who seek a challenging and rewarding career.

More than 1.7 million guests enjoy the Princess experience each year as they travel to 300 destinations around the world. Exceptional customer service is the cornerstone of our success thanks to our team members on land and at sea — the cruise industry’s best. We offer a variety of cruise ship jobs for highly motivated people who seek a challenging and rewarding career. Get to know us by exploring our career site. You’ll learn about our history, hear first-hand what our employees love about working for Princess Cruises, and discover the passion we have for giving our guests lifelong memories.

Our Culture: Stronger together

Our highest responsibility, and therefore our top priorities, are always compliance; environmental protection; and the health, safety, and well-being of our guests, the people in places we visit, and our Carnival family, both shoreside, and shipboard. For those interested in joining our dedicated team and experiencing our commitment firsthand, explore available Princess Cruise jobs to discover our current opportunities. For more information about our values,  view our Culture Essentials .

Shipboard Cruise Careers

Join our inclusive and welcoming team!

Set sail on an exciting career course! Princess Cruises is the employer of choice in the cruise industry. We offer exceptional facilities and extensive learning and recreational programs for our crew. Join our inclusive and welcoming team, and you’ll find a variety of cruise ship jobs that offer a truly adventurous career. We provide excellent incentives, unlimited growth and ports of call that will leave you awestruck.

Corporate Cruise Careers

At Princess Cruises you’ll find a world of inspiring cruise-industry career opportunities all within our shoreside offices. We offer a rewarding work environment and are dedicated to our employees’ growth and wellbeing, including enriching travel opportunities. You’ll take pride in supporting shipboard colleagues — the cruise industry’s best!

Alaska-Yukon Careers

Get ready for a summer adventure! Join Princess Cruises, the region’s tourism leader, in hosting our Alaska cruise guests at Princess-owned wilderness lodges and transportation services. There they experience breathtaking vistas, fresh local cuisine, and awe-inspiring wildlife. See it all for yourself — and make friends from around the world — while leading tours, serving in hospitality and culinary, or hitting the road in transportation operations.

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Deck Jobs on Cruise Ships

The Deck department officers and crew are responsible for smooth operation of the ship.

- Select a position - Captain / Master (16) Staff Captain (0) Chief Officer (6) 1st Officer / First Mate (8) 2nd Officer (5) 3rd Officer (5) Chief Communication / Radio Officer (0) Deck Cadet (0) Safety Officer (2) Security Officer (4) Security Guard (10) Bosun (3) Able Seaman (6) Ordinary Seaman (7) Carpenter / Joiner (13) Public Health Officer (8) Sanitation Officer (0) Environmental Officer (3)

Visit Sea Career for jobs on cargo ships, tankers, offshore vessels, and more.

102 jobs found  |  Page 1 of 21

Senior Second Officer (Safety) for small Ocean ships

Minimum requirements:•Hands On mentality•Eye for quality and excellence•Proven leadership abilities and communication skills•Strong organizational and computer skills•Fluent command of English•Work...

28 August 2024 - Grand Circle Cruise Line - English

2nd Officer

Carpenter and Joiner for SILVERSEA

Job ID: 37360 Rank: Carpenter Employment Type: Fixed Term - Temp Joining Date: Apr 6, 2024 Type of Vessel: Passenger...

28 August 2024 - V.Ships Leisure - English

Carpenter / Joiner

2nd Officer for ROPAX

Experienced as 2ND OFFICER on Passenger/Cruise/RO-Pax/Hight speed craft not less than 1 years Has valid passenger ship certs Need candidates...

28 August 2024 - Jose maria Candina, S.L.U. - English

1st Officer/ Navigation - Regent Seven Seas

Watch keeping Officer – On behalf of the Master, in command during his/hers watch During the watch adhere to Emergency Procedures When vessel in

28 August 2024 - Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings - English

1st Officer / First Mate

Public Health Officer – 5* Cruise Line

Public Health Officer – 5* Cruise Line We currently have a 5* Cruise Line looking for a Public Health Officer...

27 August 2024 - Excite Recruitment - English

Public Health Officer

Cruise Ship Jobs

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• Chief Officer (6)
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How to Get a Job on a Cruise Ship: Step by Step Tips from a Crew Member

Wondering how to get a job on a cruise ship but don’t know where to start?

Say no more.

After working on cruise ships for three years, I’m here to break it all down for you, step by step, so you don’t have to spend painstaking hours researching.

With so little information online about working as a crew member on cruise ships, I know how frustrating it can be to try to break into the industry with no guidance.

But I’m here now and I’ve got all the answers for you.

In this guide, you’ll learn not only how to get hired on a cruise ship, but which websites to apply to and which recruiting companies are available in your country.

All aboard– full steam ahead!

About Me and How I Can Help You

A quick intro about me: Hi, I’m Michelle, and I’ve worked all over the world since 2013.

With three years of onboard experience working on cruise ships , I know what it takes to land a job in this unique industry. 

My time at sea has given me insight into the hiring process, onboard life, and the skills needed to excel in various roles aboard.

Besides my experiences with ships, I’ve been fortunate to come across job opportunities that have taken me to every continent, even working in Antarctica . 

Needless to say, I’m quite familiar with securing travel jobs abroad .

10+ years ago when I began this journey around the world, there wasn’t much information online about how to get paid to travel .

Now, with nearly 70 countries and all seven continents under my belt, I’ve taken the guesswork out and am here to tell you exactly how, step by step, to turn your dream of working on a cruise ship, into a reality.

How to Get a Job on a Cruise Ship

Step 1: Know What Working on a Cruise Ship is like

Working on cruise ships means you get paid to travel.

Who wouldn’t want a job like that?

In my time working on ships as a cruise ship crew member, I got to visit 35 countries.

But it’s important to know the reality of what life onboard entails.

I’ve seen new hires come onboard only to realize– after leaving their former jobs, saying goodbye to family, and packing up their lives– that life on ships just isn’t for them.

So what’s working on cruise ships really like?

I’ve put together all the pros and cons of working on cruise ships , which is a great place to start in your cruise ship job search.

To sum up ship life:

• You get paid to travel
• Accommodations, meals, and medical care are covered during your contract
• International work experience and connections
• Potential to save the majority of your salary with few expenses
• Work hours are long with no days off
• Contracts can be 4-9 months long
• You’ll probably have a roommate in a small cabin
• The crew food options may be different from what you typically eat
• You won’t always get to go into port every time the ship is anchored
• You might have to pay for ship Wi-Fi

💡 Want to hear more about what life on ships is like? Check out this interview I did with my friend Charmaine.

Step 2: Meet Basic Qualifications

Once you’ve researched life on ships and decided this is still the right path for you, you’ll need to meet the basic qualifications that most cruise lines will require.

Between Ages 21-50*

“*” because there are exceptions to this.

It is possible to get hired outside of this age bracket, but it can be more difficult.

The only crew members I’ve seen under 21 years old are usually entertainers.

But at the bare minimum, you need to be at least 18 for legal purposes.

For most other positions, there are educational and work experience requirements that typically aren’t found in adults any younger than 21 years old.

Now if you’re on the other end of the age spectrum, it’s just a matter of how healthy you are.

Another requirement for working on ships (which I’ll talk about later) is that you pass the medical exam.

The further away from 50 you are, the harder it usually is to not only pass the medical but also fulfill your role in onboard emergencies as a crew member.

I will say that I know many people over 50 years old working on cruise ships– so don’t lose hope.

You just need to make sure you are physically healthy enough, both in real life and on paper, to live and work on cruise ships.

Language Fluency

For most cruise lines, you’ll need to have a high fluency of English as this is the international language of the seas.

You should be able to not only communicate politely with guests in English, but also able to report emergencies clearly and quickly.

Some cruise lines also require a second or third language ability due to the itinerary or guest clientele.

Keep this in mind when you are applying for cruise ship jobs as you may be better suited for certain companies depending on your language skills.

For example, Italian cruise line Costa vs German cruise line AIDA.

Clean Criminal Background

The cruise line will do a background check either before or after your offer of employment.

You’ll need to pass this check before you’re given a contract.

Valid Passport

You need a passport to work on ships as you’ll probably need to leave your country to join the ship and you’ll also be docked in other countries during your contract.

It’s best to have a valid passport before you start applying for cruise ship jobs as some applications may have a filter question that asks if you have one.

If you don’t have one, your application might not pass the initial screening.

💡 Tip: Getting a passport can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. If you don’t already have a passport, you can apply to cruise jobs that don’t inquire about your passport status, take note of the ones that do, and apply to those after you have a passport.

Medically Healthy

As I mentioned before, you need to pass a medical exam before you are officially given an onboard contract.

The requirements vary by ship, but most will include a general physical exam, blood work, vision test, and chest x-ray at the bare minimum.

Being in good health is more important while working at sea compared to working on land for a few reasons:

• If you have a medical emergency, the closest hospital can be hours away
• Living quarters and passageways onboard are crammed and narrow
• Most jobs on cruise ships require you to be on your feet for most of the day
• Crew members are required to assist in the event of emergencies
• During emergencies, crew members need to be able to reach their muster stations within several minutes and without the use of elevators

Job-Specific Certifications

Some shipboard positions may require you to have specific certifications.

This is something to keep in mind when you’re deciding which jobs to apply for.

Examples include:

• Lifeguard: First Aid/CPR certification
• Youth Staff/Counselor: Degree in teaching or childcare
• Food and Beverage: Food handler’s certification

Ship Certifications

Not all cruise lines expect you to have the required certifications to work at sea.

In fact, some cruise lines– like Royal Caribbean– train and certify you once you’re onboard which saves you time and money before your contract.

However, if you want an advantage over other prospective crew members and want your application to stand out, getting the following certifications ahead of time so that you can put it on your resume is a great idea:

• STCW Basic Safety Training
• First Aid/CPR

Step 3: Assess Your Skills & Find the Right Onboard Position 

What cruise ship jobs can you do or have experience in?

Assess your skills and pin point which jobs are the best fit for you.

If you’re not sure what roles are available on cruise ships, think of these marine vehicles as floating resorts, hotels, or even a small village.

Any job that is needed to keep a remote town running will be found on a ship.

Jobs Available on Cruise Ships

So exactly what jobs are available on cruise ships?

Ship Jobs by Rank (Stripes)

Crew members are split into three categories/ranks: officer (highest), staff, and crew (lowest).

The jobs that come with these ranks reflect the amount of education and experience needed to fulfill these roles.

Here’s an example list of shipboard positions in each rank:

• Officer: Captain, chief officer, safety officer
• Staff: Entertainer, activity staff, youth staff, sports staff, shore excursion, future cruise sales, guest service officer
• Crew: Stateroom attendant, cleaner, restaurant host, bartender

Ship Jobs by Department

Positions on ships are also categorized into three general departments: hotel/entertainment, marine/technical, and crew services.

The hotel department can be seen as the ship’s front-of-the-house, or more guest-facing services.

The marine and technical departments are mostly behind the scenes and their purpose is to safety navigate the ship to each destination.

Crew services are just a few members onboard who provide assistance to crew members such as HR and admin positions.

• Entertainment
• Food and Beverage
• Guest Activities
• Guest Relations
• Hotel Management
• Housekeeping
• Information Technologies (IT)
• Onboard Marketing
• Sales/ Future Cruise
• Shore Excursions
• Security and Safety
• Administration
• Human Resources

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michelle | Work + Travel (@wandereatwrite)

Step 4: Get to Know the Different Cruise Lines

Doing as much research about the cruise industry will help prepare you when you finally get a contract offer.

The more you know and the earlier you know it, the easier it will be to adjust once onboard and the fewer surprises you’ll run into.

One of the most important things I found after working on ships that most people don’t think about is that each cruise line has its own reputation and serves a different demographic– and these things can affect your experience as a crew member.

For example, Virgin and Royal Caribbean are often considered the best cruise lines to work for among crew members.

Regarding guest demographics, Carnival offers many budget-friendly cruises that can attract a rowdier crowd, especially the shorter the itinerary is.

Similarly, any affordable family-friendly cruise line (Disney, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian) means you’ll have to deal with upwards of a thousand children onboard during high season.

Working for a luxury cruise line like Silversea or an adults-only line such as Virgin might relieve you of kids running amok, but these cruises also mean you may get an older/elderly demographic that’s more entitled or demanding.

Regarding itineraries, smaller ships typically have better options because smaller ports can accommodate their size.

As a crew member on these ships, you’ll be able to visit more unique ports of call.

However, smaller cruise lines mean fewer crew positions.

Mega cruise ships on the other hand offer a better chance at employment, but their itineraries may be limited to only larger ports.

While you don’t usually have much of a choice when it comes to which cruise line that hires you, these factors are something to keep in mind.

Step 5: Tailor Your Resume

While you may be tempted to send the same resume you have saved on your computer to every cruise ship job posting– don’t.

As a former hiring manager, I can tell you that many– if not all– of these application programs automatically filter out resumes and CVs that don’t match basic requirements or keywords.

This means that if your resume/CV doesn’t include certain words or phrases, a human hiring manager will never see your application.

So make sure you do the following before you send off your resume:

• Read the job description and take note of key phrases and requirements
• Incorporate these words into your resume
• Make sure you show that you meet the requirements in your resume

Some other general resume tips:

• Name the file something simple and professional that makes sense (ex: John Smith Resume)
• Don’t write in paragraphs; use bullet points
• Keep the resume as short as possible (2 pages max)
• Edit for grammar and spelling

Step 6: Apply (and Where to Apply)

There are generally four ways to apply for jobs on cruise ships: either directly on the company’s career page, through recruiters, via contracting companies for certain positions, or on cruise job boards.

Applying Directly to Cruise Lines

Here’s a list of the main cruise lines and their hiring pages for onboard positions:

• Holland America
• Regent Seven Seas
• Royal Caribbean
• Virgin Voyages

Applying Through Recruiters & Hiring Partners

Recruitment companies and authorized hiring partners are probably the best way to get a job working on cruise ships.

I never head back about my application when I applied directly on the cruise line’s hiring pages, but ended up with my first ship contract due to a recruiter.

Recruitment companies have the time and resources to place you, and often there are recruiters hired specifically to work with your nationality.

Be Aware of Scam Recruiters

However, be aware that scam recruiters are, unfortunately, rampant.

If you are contacted by a recruitment agency, do your best to ensure that they are legitimate.

A real hiring manager or recruiter will NEVER ask you to pay to apply for a position.

You can also find a list of each cruise line’s official and authorized hiring partners at the bottom of their career’s page.

List of Recruitment Companies for Cruise Ship Jobs

Here’s a list of hiring agencies across the globe:

Carnival UK

Caribbean Cruise Careers

Consortio Recruitment Group

Costa Crociere

Crew & Cruise

Carnival Support Services India (CSSI)

CTI Group Worldwide

Cruise Academy UK

Excite Recruitment

Faststream Recruitment

Get Onboard

Hermes Recruitment

ISMIRA Recruitment

Job Cruise Ship

Jobs on a Ship

Jonica Marine Service

Jose maria Candina, S.L.U.

Karen Maybury Creative Connections

KG International

Kings Recruit

Kouzon Corporation

Loreley Crew Agency

Magsaysay Careers

M Recruitment

Marina Crewing Agency

Maris Recruitment

Mexicrew Maritime Services

Navis Consulting

Nimbus Marine Services

Northern Marine Manning Services

Oceanic Services

Odyssey International

Onboard MCG

Onur Sezgen Recruitment

Oseanz Recruitment

People Conquest

Pro Sea Staff

Recruiters Overseas

The Seven Seas Group

Singa Ship Management

Unicrew Management

VIS Recruit

World of Seamen Group

List of Authorized Hiring Partners for Cruise Lines

Below is a list of the authorized hiring partners for the main cruise lines.

Click on the link, then look for the hiring partner for your country of citizenship.

Clicking the “+” will show you which nationalities the linking hiring partners cover.

India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philipines, UK, USA

Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, St. Lucia, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom and Ireland, Vietnam

Africa, Caribbean, Central & South America, China, Colombia, Eastern Europe/ Western Europe/ United Kingdom/ Canada/ United States, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Middle East, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Philippines, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand

Argentina, Australia, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Gambia, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Latvia, Lithuania, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, St. Maarten, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Taiwan, Trinidad & Tobago, UAE, UK, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Zimbabwe

Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Ukraine

Applying Through Contracting Companies

Some onboard positions are handled through companies hired by the cruise line. 

This is usually the case for the retail, spa, and entertainment employees.

Here’s a list of these contractors (also referred to as “concessions”) and their headquarters:

Park West Gallery

Carnival Corporation Casino Division

Wilhelmsen Group

• Blackburn International Entertainment Agency
• Royal Court Theatre Company
• Carnival Entertainment
• Landau Music
• PEEL Talent
• Lime Music Entertainment
• Live Business
• Mester Music
• Proship Entertainment
• Rising Stars Talent Agency
• Rossetti Entertainment Group
• Sonic Artistes
• Suman Entertainment Group
• The Agency Excellent Entertainment

The Apollo Group

Onboard Media

• Carnival Medical

The Ship’s Photographer

• Harding Brothers
• Starboard Cruise Services
• London Wellness Academy
• One Spa World

Applying Through Cruise Ship Job Boards

There are job boards similar to Indeed that are specifically for the cruise industry.

Here, companies and recruiters will post vacancies so that you can find openings in one central location.

This is how I eventually got in touch with a recruiter (I had no idea about her recruiting company; never head of it before I saw the job positing) and eventually ended up onboard with Royal Caribbean.

These are the top cruise ship job boards:

All Cruise Jobs

Cruise Ship Jobs

Step 7: Ace the Interview

Most interviews will be conducted virtually, either via video (Zoom or Skype) or phone.

Be prepared to show you’ve researched life as a crew member and your prospective position.

You’ll also be asked questions that demonstrate your personality and professionalism.

While challenging, the questions asked in the interview are pretty standard and shouldn’t be anything surprising.

Some additional interview tips:

• Test your tech (audio, video, internet connection) before your interview
• Triple-check your scheduled interview time and time zone
• Be in a quiet room with an appropriate background if on video
• Dress as if you’re going to an in-person interview if on video

Step 8: Check E-Mail Regularly for Offer of Employment

Don’t forget your spam folder!

After your interview, keep a close watch on your email so you don’t accidentally miss your offer of employment.

When you do receive one, be sure to respond as soon as possible.

If you wait too long, you could lose the offer.

Step 9: Onboarding

After you have your offer, your hiring manager will take you through the onboarding process.

This may include getting/submitting the following documents:

• C1/D visa if you’re not Canadian or American and have a port in the U.S.
• Valid passport
• Medical exam
• Background check

They should also send you a basic uniform list that will let you know what you need to come onboard with and what will be provided or purchased by you once you get on the ship.

If you need more insight about what to bring, you can also check out my post about what to pack for working on cruise ships .

The onboarding process can be quick for some and drag on for others– be prepared for anything!

If you haven’t heard back from your hiring manager after a couple of weeks of getting your contract offer, make sure to get in touch with them to guarantee you don’t fall through the cracks.

This happens on occasion, unfortunately, so be the proverbial (professional and friendly) squeaky wheel that gets the grease.

Step 10: Bon Voyage!

The last and final step to becoming a cruise ship crew member is receiving your official contract.

This will tell you your ship assignment, dates, and travel information to join the ship.

All that’s left is packing, saying your goodbyes, and getting ready for the adventure of a lifetime!

FAQ: How to Get a Job on a Cruise Ship

Is it hard to get a job on a cruise ship.

Cruise ship jobs are pretty competitive, so it may take some time before you get an offer of employment from a cruise line.

In order to give yourself the best chance possible at getting your application seen, be sure to follow all the steps and tips listed in this article.

What qualifications do you need to work on cruise ships?

Some basic qualifications required to work on cruise ships include:

• Typically between ages 18-50
• Language fluency
• Pass a medical exam
• Pass a criminal background check
• Job specific qualifications

How much do cruise ship jobs pay?

Cruise ship job salaries depend on your position.

For those of us in highly developed countries such as the United States, UK, and Australia, cruise ship jobs pay significantly less than minimum wage in our home cities.

For example, the minimum wage in my home city of San Francisco, California in 2019 was $15.59 an hour.

When I worked for Royal Caribbean in 2019 as a Youth Staff/Counselor, I was paid $2150 per month (before taxes).

With no days off, this broke down to approximately $77 per day.

If I worked an atypical 14-hour day during high season, this meant I earned $5.50/hour.

If I worked a shorter 8-hour day, this meant I earned $9.60/hour.

My position on ships was mid-tier (staff), so my pay wasn’t the lowest, but it was also far from the highest (Captain, officer, cruise director, etc.)

Generally speaking, a salary earned on cruise ships will go further in developing and less developed countries.

Keep in mind though that while onboard, crew members rarely have any bills as the following are covered during their contract:

• Accommodation
• Meals on ship

Also, for most crew members, the mandatory vacation time between contracts (6-8 weeks) is unpaid.

Can I work on a ship with no experience?

Yes, it is possible to work on ships with no experience.

But just keep in mind that these positions are the most competitive because of the low barrier to entry.

These positions are also typically the lowest paid jobs on board yet the most physically demanding.

Some of these ship jobs include:

• Laundry assistant

Final Thoughts: How to Get a Job on a Cruise Ship

The process of getting a job on a cruise ship isn’t so straightforward if you don’t know the process, but I hope these tips and tricks help!

Remember to be patient and diligent.

While it may take several months or even years for some– those who do put enough effort into getting a job working on ships eventually make it.

Wishing you fair winds and following seas ⚓️

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Michelle is a freelance writer who has traveled to all seven continents and 60+ countries through various forms of employment. Over the last ten years, she’s worked as an ESL teacher in Japan, a youth counselor aboard cruise ships, and a hospitality manager in Antarctica.

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7 Continents & 7 Seas: How I Got Paid to Travel the World

What Working on Cruise Ships is Really Like: Pros & Cons

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Engineering Department Onboard Cruise Ships – A Detailed Guide

What comes to mind when we hear the word “ Cruise Ship ”?

Big, behemoth and beautiful seagoing vessels which resemble floating hotels, giant casinos, or floating theme parks?

Well, as glamorous as they may seem from the outside, a lot of discipline, punctuality & hard work goes into providing a unique experience of luxury, quality, comfort, fun, relaxation, safety & security for guests vacationing on them.

Many crew members work long shifts, putting in hours of hard work along with dedication, efficiency and attention to detail to ensure that guest needs are attended to as quickly as possible and that they only have the best experiences and the happiest memories of their limited time onboard.

An average-sized cruise ship typically has a passenger capacity of around 2000-2500 and a crew complement of 600-1000, which is predominantly divided amongst the following departments, viz., Deck, Engineering, Food & Beverage, Housekeeping, Sanitation, Guest Services, Laundry, Spa, Medical, Entertainment, Photography, Merchandise, IT, HR, Shore Excursions , Cruise Staff and Youth/Children’s activities.

Let me give a brief introduction of the roles and responsibilities of the various departments on board.

The Deck department is headed by the captain and has command of the ship. Safety, Security and Environmental departments also come under their purview.

They are also responsible for drills related to safety, security, pollution prevention and also related shipboard training of the crew-members.

In some companies, the carpentry and upholstery department also come under the Deck department.

The food and Beverage department , as the name suggests comprises everything that is food-related or culinary in nature. All the restaurants, galleys, chefs, stewards, bakery and bar department come under it.

The housekeeping department takes care of the upkeep of the guest & officer cabins and public spaces onboard whereas the sanitation department ensures that all the shipboard areas are sanitized and germ/infection-free.

The laundry department handles the clothes and linen of the entire ship and the Spa department offers personal care, grooming and wellness services for the passengers. In many cruise lines, these can also be availed by senior officers.

Food and Beverage, Housekeeping, Sanitation, Laundry and Spa all have their assigned managers who report to the Hotel Director, who is the overall in charge of all Hotel operations, of which these departments are part.

Entertainment, Photography, Merchandise, Shore Excursions, Guest Services, Cruise staff and Youth/Children’s activities departments come under the purview of the Cruise Director.

While Entertainment is responsible for casinos, stage shows, theatre screenings, stage & theatre technicians and equipment, the Photography department, as the name suggests, helps the guests to capture their precious moments onboard as photographs and make lasting memories through them with family & friends, while enjoying various activities and events.

The merchandise department is in charge of all the retail shops onboard which sell exotic items and articles such as jewellery, goodies and memorabilia to guests. They also run crew shops onboard which sell articles of everyday use and utility to crew-members, such as toiletry items, medicines and snacks.

Shore Excursions department’s job is to make the shore-side trips of the guests to exotic destinations at various ports of call, as easy, fun, safe, adventure-filled, inexpensive and entertaining as possible.

Cruise staff focuses on fun activities, trivia, games & competitions for the guests and crew alike, whereas Youth and Children’s activities focus specifically on youth and children’s entertainment and even provides day-care services for children, especially toddlers.

The guest services department is the interface between the guests and the ship staff/crew. Their job is similar to the job of the hotel front desk or reception. Any service requests such as cabin service requests as well as complaints such as a leaky cabin faucet etc. are made by the guests through them.

It is their duty to take these requests and/or complaints and pass them on to the concerned departments for action/rectification, provide feedback to the guests and assist them with any further follow-ups if required.

All the above have their specific line managers who report to the Cruise Director. The roles and responsibilities of some departments though can vary slightly from company to company.

In addition to the above departments, Medical, Information Technology and Human Resource are independent departments who have their own heads and report directly to the captain and the company.

The Medical department typically has 3 to 4 doctors and a similar number of nurses who work in shifts. It is headed by a senior doctor. They cater to both passengers and crew requiring medical assistance, at separate timings during the day. They are also the first responders for any medical emergency onboard.

The Information Technology department is responsible for all the computers, servers, programming, LAN, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, related hardware and software on board. Any network-related maintenance and troubleshooting onboard are carried out by them.

The Human Resource department is responsible for the orientation and familiarization training of new employees. They are also responsible for crew training pertaining to company culture and tradition, policies, leadership skills and management. Any conflicts and complaints onboard, inter-departmental as well as intra-departmental, are handled by the HR department, in conjunction with other departments. Final decisions with regards to re-employment and termination of crew members are taken by the HR department, once again after consultation with other concerned departments.

The Engineering Department Of Cruise Ship

After a brief introduction to the roles and responsibilities of various departments onboard cruise ships, let us now focus on the main topic of our discussion in this article, the Engineering department , which covers all the technical & environmental operations of the vessel.

This department is headed by the Chief Engineer. The Staff Chief Engineer, Hotel Services Engineer, HVAC Engineer & the Chief Electrician, who are in charge of different engineering subdivisions, report to the Chief Engineer.

These subdivisions are – Main Plant & Environmental Engineering, Hotel Engineering, HVAC & Electrical/Electronics.

Let us look into each: –

Main Plant & Environmental Engineering

This subdivision is headed by the Staff Chief Engineer who, in turn, is subordinated by the senior watchkeepers (2nd Engineers), the First Engineer and the Environmental Engineer.

There are usually three watchkeeping teams, each headed by a senior watchkeeper and comprising of junior watchkeepers (3rd or 4th Engineers) and a motorman.

On cruise ships, there are thousands of guests on board at any given time and there could be guest complaints requiring the immediate attention of the technical department, at any time of the day or night, such as a vacuum toilet not working, a leaky shower or a broken sprinkler head etc.

The engine control room acts as not only a control centre for engine-room machinery but also as a communications centre where all the complaints/malfunctions or incidents related to technical equipment are communicated by other departments at any time as they occur.

In the above cases, it is the job of the senior watchkeepers who man the engine control room to attend such calls and communicate the concerns/complaints to the concerned in-charges, within the Engineering department.

Any hotel equipment related complaints, leaky cabin faucets or sprinkler heads, malfunctioning vacuum toilets to the Hotel department, any electrical equipment malfunctions to the Chief Electrical engineer and any AC/ ventilation related complaints to the HVAC engineer.

Therefore, unlike many cargo ships, the engine control room cannot at any moment, be left unmanned in UMS mode. The watchkeeping teams ensure that the engine room and the engine control room are manned 24 hours.

Each watchkeeping team also has certain assigned machinery under their responsibility. For example, one watch may be responsible for fuel oil system and purifiers, another may be assigned boiler & compressors, and the third may be in charge of freshwater generators and water treatment.

It is their responsibility to carry out maintenance as per PMS on their assigned equipment every day, in addition to their watchkeeping responsibilities.

This, in turn, is carried out ensuring that at no time the maintenance work affects the efficiency of watchkeeping duties. For any complicated maintenance requiring more time and manpower, they are provided assistance by the main plant team.

The First Engineer heads the main plant team and is the overall in-charge of engine-room machinery. He has a team of mechanics, fitters and wipers under him who help him in carrying out routine maintenance and overhauls of engine-room machinery.

All maintenance activities on the main diesel generators, engine-room pumps, heat exchangers, major repairs on boilers, preparation for boiler surveys, bunkering and any pipeline modifications/repairs within machinery spaces are handled by the main plant team.

The Environmental Engineer is responsible for the wastewater treatment plant and garbage-handling equipment and has designated motormen under him.

The sewage treatment plant and related pumps and equipment, black water units, screen presses, incinerators and food waste processing equipment come under his KRA.

Hotel Engineering

It is the name given to the subdivision of the Engineering department which deals with all the machinery that are not part of engine-room operations.

The Hotel Services Engineer helms it and is supported by assistant hotel service engineers, plumbers, fitters and a water technician.

Their responsibilities include safety equipment such as lifeboats & davits, sprinkler system, hydraulic side-shell doors, watertight doors , vacuum toilets, freshwater distribution lines in the accommodation and hotel machinery such as coffee-makers, ice-cream vending machines etc.

They are also responsible for chlorination and maintenance of all the swimming pools on board and in some companies, also for potable water treatment and chlorination. This is handled exclusively by the water technician who reports to the Hotel services engineer.

HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning. It is helmed by the Chief AC Engineer, and he, in turn, is assisted by Assistant AC Engineers, AC Technicians, fitters and wipers.

Their areas of responsibilities pertain to the operation and maintenance of the main AC Chillers, which provide air conditioning all over the ship, Air handling Units, Ventilation fans, Refrigeration Machinery, Cold rooms, Chilled & heated water system and related heat exchangers.

Electrical Department

It is helmed by the Chief Electrical Engineer, who is sub-ordinated by the First electrician, Electronics engineer, 2nd electricians and assistant electricians.

It is one department that has a large scope of work as electrical installations and equipment are everywhere on the ship, many of them requiring everyday checks and maintenance, both regular and breakdown.

Almost all passenger vessels have high voltage installations, mostly 6.6 kV or 11 kV. This is because, since current demand is high, a higher voltage is adopted so that conductor size, and consequently electrical losses, can be reduced.

The high voltage switchboards require special training and procedures, with regards to electrical safety, which cruise ship electricians are equipped and certified with.

They are also responsible for electrical propulsion systems, which propel most cruise ships, related transformers and converters.

Therefore, as we saw, from propelling the ship to wonderful destinations, providing power to the entire ship, maintaining passenger comfort and hygiene whilst ensuring that they have uninterrupted enjoyment onboard and complying strictly with safety and pollution prevention regulations, the diverse roles and responsibilities that the Engineering department takes up, makes them critical for cruise ship operations.

You might also like to read:

• Top 10 Most Expensive Cruise Ships in 2021
• A List of Unique and Interesting Marine Careers
• 50 Marine Careers Essential Guide
• What is Naval Architecture: Careers, Courses And Jobs For Naval Architects
• A Career in Logistics: A Detailed Guide

Disclaimer : The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.

Do you have info to share with us ? Suggest a correction

About Author

Ramanan Sethuraman is a marine engineer who has over a decade of experience in shipping. Having started his career with cargo ships, he later shifted to passenger liners and have sailed with reputed cruise lines. In his free time he likes reading, writing, sports and travelling.

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What to Pack When Working on a Cruise Ship By A Crew Member 2024

Wondering what to pack when working on a cruise ship? This list has the common and not so common things to help make your contract a success.

Whether it’s your first cruise ship contract, your 50th, or somewhere in between packing to work on a cruise ship can be a challenge. Over the past decade of being as a crew member I’ve lost track of just how many times I’ve packed up my life into a suitcase and flown across the world.

In this list we look into the practical, the necessary, and a bit of the fun, too. From organizing your cabin to tips for theme parties , if you are wondering what to pack when working on a cruise ship ? This list has you covered.

What to Pack When Working on a Cruise Ship

✅ passport ✅ work documents and certificates ✅ charging cable for your phone ✅ enough medication for your contract

✅ Underwear /bras – enough for a week ✅ Socks – enough for a week ✅ Undershirts ✅ Dressy outfit – depending on function – at least 1 option ✅ Jeans – 1-2 pairs ✅ Shorts ✅ tops – 4 or 5 (mix of t-shirts, long sleeve, something slightly dressier incase you have an overnight night out) ✅ skirts and dresses ✅ Gym clothes (2-3 sets depending on how often you go to the gym) ✅ Basic cold weather clothes – rain jacket, sneakers, and a sweater or sweatshirt ✅ Basic warm weather clothes – shorts/skirts, tank tops, flip flops/sandals ✅ Bathing suit ✅ Sun hat

✅ Laundry detergent sheets ✅ shampoo/conditioner ✅ hand soap ✅ toothpaste/floss ✅ body-wash ✅ sunscreen ✅ deodorant ✅ any face cream/lotions ✅ hair brush ✅ hair dryer/styler ✅ sanitary products (do not flush these down the toilets!) ✅ make-up

For Your Cabin

✅ Over the door organizer ✅ Shower caddy (maybe get this sent to the ship depending on luggage space) ✅ Cuddle Blanket ✅ Laundry bag (can even be a reusable shopping bag) ✅ Ear Plugs ✅ Eye Mask

✅ Noise cancelling headphones ✅ Tablet/ Kindle /Laptop (whatever your go-to is) ✅ External hard-drive or USB with good storage ✅ Bonus: Portable Speaker ✅ Bonus: AirTags or luggage tracking tags

Bonus Fun to Bring: Instant Camera

I’m a sucker for these instant cameras – over the years our fridge (at home!) has become filled with pictures from fun nights with friends. If it’s in your budget these are fun for you and your friends.

Things for your international life

✅ International cell phone plan or plan for using local sims ✅ Credit card without international fees ✅ Universal travel adapter ✅ WhatsApp downloaded on your phone ✅ Google Translate on your phone ✅ Your companies emergency travel number

Confused about ship life? Understanding life on a cruise ship can be hard. Check out “ Cruise Ship Crew Life ” with posts answering questions ranging from if you can get mail to how many hours you are allowed to work.

Packing Tips For Cruise Ship Workers

Packing your carry-on.

When packing to go to the ship your carry-on is actually more important than everything else you are bringing. Without the contents of your carry-on you won’t be able to work onboard and will likely be denied boarding the ship.

✅ Passport ✅ Seamen’s Book ✅ Medical Certificate ✅ Other certificates/licenses needed for your role ✅ Basics to go with your uniform ✅ Enough underwear/socks/clothes to sleep in for a couple days

In your carry-on you will have all of your work documents. Without these work documents you won’t be able to work onboard. This will include your medical certificate, safety certificate, and depending on your nationality and function could also be for english proficiency or even licenses to operate different parts of the ship.

In addition to this you should also pack the basics for at least the first couple of days incase your check luggage gets lost. The extra pieces you will need for your uniform as well a couple pairs of underwear and something to sleep in.

You don’t need as much as you think

You will be wearing a uniform a huge amount of your time onboard so you don’t need to pack as much as you think. You will need clothes aside from your uniform to go ashore, go to the gym, sleep in, and hang out in crew areas (crew bar).

Most likely you’ll have a roommate – and not much storage

It makes sense to keep what you bring to what you need and some items to help organize that space. Most crew have roommates and are in a windowless bunk bed cabin unless you are an officer and then what kind of cabin you have depends on how many stripes you have.

In these cabins you can expect a closet with a couple of drawers at the bottom, a few drawers in a desk, and a drawer under the bed. You may be able to lift up the bottom bunk to store your suitcase.

I still have a roommate onboard – my husband! Yes – sometimes you can work on a cruise ship as a couple !) but it still takes some smart use of space and mindful packing. The extra shelf in the shower was a big game changer as before that we had a fun little adventure of whose shower stuff would get to live in the tiny little corner shelf (and inevitably fall down when the ship rocked).

There is a crew laundry onboard

There are laundry facilities onboard for crew to use. But, scheduling out the few hours that it takes to do laundry can be a challenge. Plan that you’ll only be able to do laundry once a week.

Make sure when you’re doing laundry onboard to set a timer to remember to change your laundry. Other crew may take it out of the washer and just leave it there.

Things to Go With Your Uniform

Most cruise lines will provide your uniform for you. There will still be some extra pieces you need to bring. Here are some things you might need to bring:

✅ Shoes ✅ Black belt ✅ Undershirt ✅ Pantyhose ✅ Make-Up

Find out from your recruitment agency or onboarding partner what your uniform will be and what pieces you need to bring. Be smart when looking at the list – if you see something like “white sneakers” bring white socks to go with it. If you see you’ll be wearing a white uniform top – bring some undershirts to go with them.

Getting Packages to the Ship

Cruise ship crew can get mail including packages from Amazon. The exact procedure depends on which company you work for, but getting packages delivered to the ship is becoming more common (and essential) for cruise ship crew members.

Depending on the port there may be a per package fee.

Don’t plan to go ashore the first few weeks

It can be tempting to not pack much for toiletries thinking you’ll go ashore in the first port. That is not always an option though.

Be aware that if you are sailing in the US (Alaska or Hawaii) you won’t be able to go ashore in US ports until you get your I-95 so you may have to wait one full cruise before going ashore.

Be prepared if you get transferred

Even if you are assigned to a contract on a specific ship doing a specific itinerary – the company can change that mid-contract depending on the needs of the company. So, you might start a contract in Alaska only to get transferred to the Mediterranean. This doesn’t happen that often but it can happen.

Your hairdryer might get confiscated – but you need to pack it anyways

When you first join the ship your hair dryer may get confiscated by security. This is because in general you are not allowed items that create heat in your cabin. Fire is actually the biggest risk to the ship (and not icebergs!) Most hair dryers will be approved; but, you are better off getting one slightly less powerful or a travel sized one to be sure.

You still need to bring one though because for nearly every function one of the grooming rules is that you are not allowed to have wet hair in passenger areas.

Formal Nights

A hotly debated topic amongst cruise enthusiast. I used to always recommend bringing formal clothes onboard a cruise ship. Dress codes onboard have drastically shifted within the past 10 years. For most cruise lines in 2024 “Formal” nights are only reserved for things like New Years Eve.

At this point for a “formal” night it tends to be more in the way of cocktail party than black tie event. However, it’s a bit dependent on cruise line so ask what you might need for these nights if you are in a passenger facing role that might need to get dressed up (mostly cruise staff or musicians).

The company provides bedding & towels

When you work onboard a cruise ship as a crew member the company will provide you with sheets, a blanket, towels, and pillows. So this is not something you need to bring.

You may have to go to the laundry to get your bedding or you may have a cabin steward that cleans your cabin a couple of times a week. Like most aspects of your life onboard, this, as well as the quality of your bedding, depends on your rank onboard .

What luggage should I bring?

I am a believer in a big suitcase, carry-on roller, and backpack/personal item. To do this the carry-on needs to be able to fit inside the big suitcase otherwise you won’t have space to store it all in your room which is why you should never bring two large suitcases.

I have an Away set that I love and they now have both hard sided and soft sided suitcases. They have been used and abused for I would say 25+ international trips over the past 5 years and are still doing great. The wheels glide like a dream. The only risk is packing them too heavy.

🧳 🛄 Use this link for $20 off your first purchase with Away.

Packing for Parties

Parties are part of cruise life. A lot of times passengers come onboard to party and the crew definitely enjoy a chance to unwind. You do not need to pack for parties (unless your work function requires you to), but it can be kind of fun.

🕺🏻🎉 Something for themed passenger parties 🕺🏻🎉 Little bits for holidays during your contract

Parties in Passenger Areas

Whether or not you have to go to passenger parties will depend on your job. Sometimes you have to go and sometimes you can go just for fun.

Some cruise lines are known for their specific parties – a glow party, silent disco, orange party. If you know what party your cruise line usually throws you can pack a little extra something that fits that theme.

Also, take a look at the calendar for major holidays that will happen during your contract and possibly toss in something small to go with it.

Crew Parties

Cruise ship crew love an excuse to party. Whether it is for a holiday or just because someone thought there should be a party.

There will likely be other parties along the way and don’t fret about bringing too much of anything. You can never pack for all the different random themes that happen.

There are costume shops in various ports you’ll go to and sometimes finding the random things for your outfit is part of the fun! (It’s also a great time to be friends with the Youth Staff!!!)

Do cruise ship crew get days off?

Don’t plan on it! For the most part cruise ship crew do not get days off and work every day for the length of their contract – usually between 3 and 8 months long! Take a deeper look at crew schedules in this post all about days off for cruise ship crew .

Is it a good idea to work on a cruise ship?

In my experience, yes! But, if you ask someone else they might think about it differently. It is a huge experience, taking you around the world, working with people from other cultures. It can be great, but the hours can be really long and it is months away from home and your family and friends.

For me, it has been one of the best experiences of my life. I met my husband onboard, have made some of the most lasting friendships of my life, and have now been to about 75 countries. It can be pretty incredible but can be really hard, too.

Do cruise ship employees get to keep their tips?

The money that is added onto your bill as daily gratuities is distributed out to the tipped employees onboard. This does not mean it goes to everyone onboard, but will get distributed out to folks working in housekeeping and dining services primarily.

If you give a crew member an extra tip, they sometimes get to keep it all for themselves and other times it gets pooled together with their direct team only to get evenly split up. It depends on what function they are in and what cruise line. The cash tips that you give to them go to the crew members though and is not kept by the company.

What do cruise ship workers do when not working?

Go ashore, sleep, relax and watch TV, go to the gym, and go to the crew bar!

Crew work long hard hours so a lot of time if they have a few hours off they will opt to take a nap. If it’s an interesting port or they just need to get off the ship they might head ashore. Sometimes they can even join a shore excursion for free.

Otherwise they’ll likely be taking a little downtime to relax, watch TV, go to the gym, or go to the crew bar. Crew can sometimes use the passenger gym, but there is also a separate crew gym onboard.

What to pack when working on a cruise ship can be a daunting task. What will you need? It’s all so new. The good part is if you forget something, you can either have it sent to the ship, or you can buy it in whatever fun foreign port you are in! It’s kind of fun to build a wardrobe from around the world.

Over time you’ll learn the little extra things that make your life onboard more comfortable, and it’s a little bit different for everyone. Good luck on your contract!

Want to know what else to expect from working onboard? Check out these posts!

Your First Cruise Ship Contract: Getting to the Ship Your First Cruise Ship Contract: First Day Onboard Your First Cruise Ship Contract: Getting Home

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Hi! I hope it’s okay to post a comment here.

My name is Chlo, I’m from the UK, and in a few weeks I should be starting my first contract with Harding Retail. I’ve never been on a cruise before so I’ve been looking for any information I can find from other people who have worked on cruises before to help me know what to pack and essentially give me as many tips as possible so that I don’t end up completely surprised at every turn. That’s how I came across your blog – it’s been so helpful reading what your experiences have been like and all the little bits of wisdom you have, especially because you mentioned a lot of stuff that I wouldn’t have thought of, or reaffirmed certain things that I was uncertain about. I found your post about mail for crew members particularly useful because I’ll be on the ship for my birthday, and everyone is already asking me how they’re going to send me anything.

Based on what I’ve read, I have a question, if that’s okay?

I was told by Harding that for my first contract (at least) it is highly unlikely that I’ll be allowed to leave the ship at all, unless it’s to get deliveries onboard. When reading this post you mentioned that when you are in port you can stock up on certain things (like washing powder), but that’s not going to be possible for me. I presume (based on what the company has told me) that there are crew shops onboard: what do these shops generally sell? For example, will I need to bring six months worth of shampoo, deodorant and hairspray, or can I just bring one of each and buy supplies from the crew shop?

Thank you! Take care of yourself.

I’m so excited for you! I am sure you are going to have a great time. Working on cruise ships was among the best and most exciting experiences I could have ever dreamed of.

Of course it’s alright for you to ask a question and I’m happy to help!

Onboard every ship there is a “crew store” it’s not usually a store you go in and walk around but rather it has a variety of supplies that the crew working at it will get for you from behind the counter. In my experience the crew store has washing powder, toothpaste, tampons/pads, shampoo, and then other things like crisps and candy bars.

Some crew are also able to shop from the passenger shops and often time there is a “crew shopping” night in the passenger shops (usually fairly late at night) for you to get any supplies you need (and fun things like watches and make-up that you might not need but want to spoil yourself with.)

Most of the supplies in the crew stores are smaller portions and fairly generic brands. For instance if you have any skin irritations you might not be able to get non-bio washing powder and there probably won’t be a lot of choices for shampoo/conditioner.

I would recommend bringing toiletry supplies that you will need for the first week or so. During that first week I would take a look at what the crew store has to offer and whether those particular supplies will work for you – if not, then get the address for the ship’s homeport from the crew officer and order some supplies online to get sent to the ship.

Now – about getting off the ship. I think that it makes sense to plan that you won’t be able to go ashore for this first contract. Right now is a super interesting time for the cruise industry, due to COVID some countries are allowing crew to go ashore in port but others aren’t and additionally some countries restrict shore leave during crew members first contracts because of immigration reasons.

I hope you have such a great time. If you have any other questions feel free to let me know. 🙂 Best of luck!

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Packing Tips for Cruise Ship Crew

Knowing what to pack for your first contract working on a cruise ship can be overwhelming. You don’t want to pack too much. You don’t want to forget anything either. Here are some packing tips for cruise ship crew—follow these and you’ll feel like a pro!

How Much Luggage Should You Bring?

It’s a fact that first time crewmembers often bring way too much stuff. They bring too many clothes, they bring too many toiletries, and they bring too many personal items. This adds up to too many pieces of luggage as well. Consider that you may need to schlep your luggage by yourself without help of others or trolleys, especially once you get into the cruise port.

Once you’ve worked on a cruise ship, you get an idea of what type of clothes you need for your position. You also understand how much and the types of leisure clothes you need. You find out that you can purchase your toiletries as you need them in the ports you visit. Many crewmembers also realize that they can live without many personal items such as a personal blanket or pillow.

Eliminating items that you don’t need and adding some items that you didn’t think of the first time will make you an expert by your second contract. A good rule of thumb for how many pieces of luggage to bring are two checked pieces that have wheels plus one airplane-sized carry on such as a backpack.

Laundry for Cruise Ship Crew

Understanding how crew laundry works onboard may help you to decide how many clothes to bring as well. Although there are laundry machines for crew and officers to do their laundry themselves, there is also a free laundry service for crew, too.

Most crew send all their uniforms and formal wear through the onboard laundry service and dry cleaning service. But, when it comes to more personal items, many crewmembers choose to wash these by themselves in the crew and officer launderettes. Both types of laundry are free of charge.

There are a couple of issues to consider. The laundry service may on occasion damage your clothes or they may go missing. As for the launderettes, they may be busy during the only time you have to wash your clothes.

Is Formal Wear Required for Cruise Jobs?

The amount of formal wear you need to bring will depend on the cruise job you have onboard. Many crewmembers will never have the opportunity to wear formal wear whereas some positions will wear dressy clothes throughout every cruise.

Cruise jobs such as cruise staff, entertainers, cruise sales manager, art auctioneer, loyalty manager, port and shopping guide typically have to dress in their own dressy clothes every formal night. This means men in suits and women in long evening gowns or cocktail dresses. Exactly how many shoes and formal clothes you bring will depend on the space in your luggage.

How Much Leisure Wear Should You Pack?

Every crewmember is different when it comes to how many extra clothes to bring. Although you are probably in a uniform most of the time, you still need to bring a fair amount of clothes to wear during your off hours. Take into consideration how much free time you actually have, how much time you go ashore, and how much time you are just hanging out.

You will need clothes to sleep in, a couple of bathing suits, workout clothes (for the gym onboard), jeans for chilly climates and for the ship’s air conditioning, and summer-type clothes for warmer weather. A light weight rain jacket and a fleece are great items to bring. As for shoes, these tend to take up lots of space so choose them wisely, too.

What About Toiletries?

Toiletries can also take up a lot of space if you are intending to bring a six months supply of them. Don’t make this mistake. There may be some products that you prefer to have and you don’t think you can get while traveling. Just consider the itinerary you will be traveling to. Can you purchase your favourite products in the ports you will visit?

Other Essential Items to Pack for Cruise Ship Jobs

As you finalize what you think you need to bring onboard for your first contract at sea, consider these other items.

Uniform Shoes – You will probably be given a list of required items that you will need in terms of your uniform such as white shoes and black shoes. Consider that most cruise jobs require you to be on your feet all day, so comfort should be a priority. Steel toed shoes are typically available in the uniform store onboard. Check with your recruiter.

Universal Adapter – Most of the outlets onboard cruise ships are either meant for North American appliances (110 volt) or for European appliances (220 volt) or both. An adapter will allow you to plug your hairdryer, computer, etc. into the outlets in your cabin.

Computer – This is a great way to stay connected with friends and family (use a crew internet card for low priced internet). You can also watch DVDs on your computer and listen to music. Bring headphones so that you won’t disturb your cabin mate.

Hair Dryer – This is not usually provided onboard.

Alarm Clock – Although you can set a wakeup call on the phone in your cabin, it’s important to have a back up too. A travel sized alarm clock doesn’t take up much space in your luggage.

Power Bar – Also called an electrical power strip, this item comes in handy because there are only a couple of outlets in each cabin. Although you may not be using all your items at the same time, not having to unplug and re-plug each time you use it is a convenience.

Packing Your Carry-On

Your carry-on is only so big, so pack it wisely. You will probably be taking an airplane to join your ship and you want to make sure that anything important to you doesn’t get lost. That’s why what you put in your carry-on will have vale to you.

As a priority, you need to keep all your joining instructions, passport (with C1D visa stamp), and wallet with local currency and shipboard currency in your carry-on. Other things to pack in your carry-on are other valuables such as your computer, cell phone, and medications. After that, it’s whatever else will fit.

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Royal Caribbean cruise ships ranked by size from biggest to smallest — the complete list

Are you looking for the most activity-packed, megaresort-like Royal Caribbean cruise ships at sea? If so, you'll want to get on one of the biggest Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

The biggest Royal Caribbean cruise ships are, by nature, the Royal Caribbean ships with the most pools, waterslides and other deck-top activities, as well as the most onboard restaurants, bars and showrooms. They have the biggest casinos and spas among ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet as well as the most cabins and suites — and the most variation in cabin and suite types.

With room for 6,000 passengers or more, the biggest Royal Caribbean ships are truly massive resorts like you find at such landlocked destinations as Orlando and Las Vegas. If you're in the "bigger is better" camp when it comes to a resort experience, these are the Royal Caribbean ships for you.

Still, Royal Caribbean doesn't just operate massive vessels. The Miami-based cruise giant also operates quite a few relatively small cruise ships that carry just 2,000 or 3,000 people and have a much more intimate feel. In some cases, these vessels are just half or a third of the size of Royal Caribbean's biggest ships. These ships, notably, have far fewer deck-top activities and interior venues than the biggest Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

The smallest Royal Caribbean cruise ships are best for vacationers who like a more intimate, less crowded resort experience.

Related: The 6 classes of Royal Caribbean ships, explained

To ensure you end up on the right Royal Caribbean ship for you, it pays to study which Royal Caribbean ships are the biggest and which are the smallest before booking.

Here is every Royal Caribbean ship currently in operation ranked from biggest to smallest.

1. Icon of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2024 Size: 248,663 gross tons Passenger capacity : 5,610

2. Utopia of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2024 Size: 236,473 gross tons Passenger capacity: 5,668

3. Wonder of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2022 Size: 235,600 gross tons Passenger capacity : 5,734

4. Symphony of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2018 Size: 228,081 gross tons Passenger capacity: 5,518

5. Harmony of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2016 Size: 226,963 gross tons Passenger capacity: 5,479

6. Oasis of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2009 Size: 226,838 gross tons Passenger capacity: 5,602

7. Allure of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2010 Size: 225,282 gross tons Passenger capacity: 5,484

8. Spectrum of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2019 Size: 169,379 gross tons Passenger capacity: 4,246

9 (tied). Ovation of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2016 Size: 168,666 gross tons Passenger capacity: 4,180

9 (tied). Anthem of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2015 Size: 168,666 gross tons Passenger capacity: 4,180

9 (tied). Quantum of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2014 Size: 168,666 gross tons Passenger capacity: 4,180

12. Odyssey of the Seas

Maiden voyage : 2022 Size: 167,704 gross tons Passenger capacity: 4,284

13. Freedom of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2006 Size: 156,271 gross tons Passenger capacity: 3,926

14 (tied). Independence of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2008 Size: 154,407 gross tons Passenger capacity: 3,634

14 (tied). Liberty of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2007 Size: 154,407 gross tons Passenger capacity: 3,798

16. Navigator of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2002 Size: 139,999 gross tons Passenger capacity: 3,388

17. Mariner of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2003 Size: 139,863 gross tons Passenger capacity: 4,000

18. Explorer of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2000 Size: 137,308 gross tons Passenger capacity: 3,286

19 (tied). Voyager of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 1999 Size: 137,276 gross tons Passenger capacity: 3,602

19 (tied). Adventure of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2001 Size: 137,276 gross tons Passenger capacity: 3,114

21 (tied). Jewel of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2004 Size: 90,090 gross tons Passenger capacity: 2,191

21 (tied). Serenade of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2003 Size: 90,090 gross tons Passenger capacity: 2,143

21 (tied). Brilliance of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2002 Size: 90,090 gross tons Passenger capacity: 2,142

21 (tied). Radiance of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 2001 Size: 90,090 gross tons Passenger capacity: 2,143

25. Enchantment of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 1997 Size: 82,910 gross tons Passenger capacity: 2,252

26. Rhapsody of the Seas

Maiden voyage : 1997 Size: 78,419 gross tons Passenger capacity: 1,998

27. Vision of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 1998 Size: 78,340 gross tons Passenger capacity : 2,050

28. Grandeur of the Seas

Maiden voyage: 1996 Size: 73,817 gross tons Passenger capacity: 1,992

What is the biggest Royal Caribbean ship?

The biggest Royal Caribbean cruise ship is the just-unveiled Icon of the Seas . Measuring 248,663 gross tons, it's not only the biggest Royal Caribbean ship but also the biggest cruise ship ever built by any line. It's loaded with more bars, restaurants, theaters and deck-top attractions than you'll find on any other ship at sea.

Icon of the Seas is the first in a new series of ships at Royal Caribbean that are bigger than anything seen before. The series is called the Icon Class. A second ship in the Icon Class, Star of the Seas , is due to debut in 2025.

How big is Icon of the Seas?

At 248,663 gross tons, Icon of the Seas is more than 6% larger than Royal Caribbean's 1-year-old Wonder of the Seas , which previously was the biggest ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet (and the biggest ship operated by any line). Icon of the Seas can carry up to 7,600 passengers — a new record for a passenger ship. That's about 7% higher than the maximum capacity of Wonder of the Seas, which can hold up to 7,084 passengers.

The bigger passenger capacity is partly due to the ship's greater focus on family travelers. Icon of the Seas was built with a lot more cabins that have plenty of extra bunks to accommodate families with many children. It also has more amenities geared toward families. This includes a new-for-the-line outdoor "neighborhood" called Surfside dedicated to families with young children.

What is the smallest Royal Caribbean ship?

The smallest Royal Caribbean cruise ship is Grandeur of the Seas. Measuring just 73,817 tons, it's just a third the size of Icon of the Seas.

Grandeur of the Seas dates to 1996, a time when cruise ships were built far smaller than they are today and with far fewer venues. At 28 years old, it's the oldest vessel in the Royal Caribbean fleet and probably will be phased out sometime in the next few years.

Except for a rock climbing wall, Grandeur of the Seas has none of the gee-whiz Royal Caribbean top-deck attractions found on newer Royal Caribbean vessels, such as skydiving simulators and giant water parks. For the most part, its top deck is lined with pools, whirlpools and sunning areas, as is typical for ships built in the 1990s.

That said, Grandeur of the Seas has a loyal following among Royal Caribbean fans who prefer smaller and more intimate ships.

Royal Caribbean has hinted of late that it might build a new series of smaller ships that could replace Grandeur of the Seas and other older small vessels in the line's fleet.

Are bigger Royal Caribbean ships coming?

Royal Caribbean currently has three new cruise ships on order, all of which will be among its biggest cruise ships ever — if not the biggest.

The ships on order include two more vessels in the line's Icon Class series that will be similar to Icon of the Seas. They're on order from a shipyard for delivery in 2025 and 2026, respectively. Both ships are expected to be as big or bigger than Icon of the Seas.

Related: The ultimate guide to Icon of the Seas itineraries, attractions and more

Royal Caribbean also has one more ship in its popular Oasis Class series on order for delivery in 2028.

Launched in 2009 with the debut of Oasis of the Seas, the Oasis-class ships have dominated the world of mega-size cruise ships since that year. At the time the class began rolling out, the vessels were around 40% bigger than the next-biggest cruise ships, and they have continued to be among the biggest and most amenity-laden ships in the world ever since.

The new Oasis Class vessel, which is as-yet unnamed, is expected to be roughly the same size as Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's second-biggest cruise ship. But it'll be smaller than the line's biggest ship, Icon of the Seas.

What's the difference between bigger and smaller Royal Caribbean ships?

Royal Caribbean's biggest ships have room for many more onboard venues and attractions than Royal Caribbean's older ships. That makes them more alluring for vacationers who prefer a big, bustling megaresort experience to a stay at a smaller resort.

On Royal Caribbean's biggest Oasis-class vessels, for instance, you'll find three separate main pool areas, a kiddie splash zone, surfing simulators, a miniature golf course, a basketball court and even a zip line. And that's just on their top decks. Inside the vessels, you'll find more lounges, bars, restaurants and shops than you can imagine — plus huge casinos, spas and showrooms with Broadway-style shows. They even have indoor ice skating rinks.

The line's new Icon of the Seas has a similar array of amenities.

Related: The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean's smallest ships are a half to a third smaller than the Oasis Class and Icon Class vessels and lack many of the above features. They have a much more intimate feel, at least in the pantheon of relatively big, mass-market ships, and they hold far fewer people. While Oasis Class and Icon Class ships can hold more than 5,400 passengers at double occupancy, the line's four oldest vessels (known as the Vision class) are only designed to carry about 2,000 passengers at double occupancy.

Royal Caribbean's smallest ships are a good choice for someone who wants to try Royal Caribbean but isn't eager to travel with huge crowds. The smallest ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet thus appeal to a subset of Royal Caribbean fans who prefer more intimacy in a cruise vessel and don't mind giving up some onboard amenities to get it. They are also often less expensive on a per-day basis for cruisers.

Related: Don't miss out on these Royal Caribbean loyalty perks

Additionally, because of their size, the smallest Royal Caribbean ships can operate itineraries to places that aren't as easy for big ships to visit. Not all ports in the world can handle a ship the size of Icon of the Seas.

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Yacht Sank in Sicily Due to ‘Endless Chain of Errors,' Ship Maker's Owner Speculates: ‘Everything Was Predictable’

"A series of activities should have been done to avoid finding oneself in that situation," argues Giovanni Costantino, who owns the firm that built the vessel in 2008

• Giovanni Costantino — who is the CEO of The Italian Sea Group, the company that now owns Perini Navi, which built the  Bayesian  in 2008 — blames an "endless chain of errors" for the luxury yacht’s sinking on Monday, Aug. 19
• "Everything was predictable. I have the weather charts in front of me here," Constantino told Italian newspaper  Corriere della Sera  of the storm the boat was caught in
• "An unsinkable ship but from the crew an endless chain of errors," the CEO claimed to the outlet

The sinking of the luxury Bayesian  yacht off the coast of Sicily this week  resulted from an "endless chain of errors" by the crew, the ship maker's CEO is speculating.

"This episode sounds like an unbelievable story, both technically and as a fact," Giovanni Costantino — who leads The Italian Sea Group, the company that now owns Perini Navi, which built the  Bayesian  in 2008 — said,  according to CNN .

While speaking to  Italian newspaper  Corriere della Sera , Costantino said he believes those on board should not have been in their cabins, as he claims they were, when the Bayesian sank in the early hours of Monday, Aug. 19. 

Many details of why the yacht went into the water so quickly remain unclear and it's not yet known what the passengers and crew were doing before tragedy struck.

The 183-foot British vessel sank around 5 a.m. local time on Monday after a "violent storm" while near Porticello, the Italian coast guard said in a statement that was previously obtained by PEOPLE.

"Everything that has been done reveals a very long sum of errors. The people should not have been in the cabins, the boat should not have been at anchor. And then why didn't the crew know about the incoming disturbance?" Costantino said in his interview, translated from Italian.

Related: Italian Authorities Currently Don’t Have Anyone ‘Under Investigation’ over Luxury Yacht Sinking

"The passengers reported an absurd thing, namely that the storm came unexpected, suddenly. It's not true. Everything was predictable. I have the weather charts in front of me here. Nothing came suddenly ... Ask yourself, why was no fisherman from Porticello out that night? A fisherman reads the weather conditions and a ship doesn't? The disturbance was fully readable in all the weather charts. One could not not know," he argued.

"An unsinkable ship but from the crew an endless chain of errors," the CEO asserted.

The coast guard has said 22 people were aboard the  Bayesian  when it sank — 12 passengers and 10 crew — and that 15 of those were subsequently rescued.

The body of the yacht's chef, Recaldo Thomas, was recovered nearby. 

Costantino's comments came as it was reported that five bodies had been found in the search for the missing six people as of Wednesday, Aug. 21, a source close to the rescue operations confirmed to PEOPLE. Authorities have said that their work is ongoing. 

An Italian government official, Massimo Mariani, reportedly named one of the dead as British tech tycoon Mike Lynch . The other bodies have not yet been publicly identified by authorities. 

Lynch was celebrating with family and friends on the yacht following his acquittal in a fraud trial in June, PEOPLE previously reported.

Related: 'We Are in Shock,' Prominent N.Y.C. Attorney's Firm Says After He and His Wife Go Missing in Yacht Sinking

Costantino offered his view of how the tragedy could have been avoided: "To begin with, in a weather alert situation it was inappropriate to have, as I read, a party. Not that evening. The hull and deck needed to be secured by closing all doors and hatches, after putting the guests at the ship's meeting point as per emergency procedure. Then start the engines and pull up the anchor or release it automatically, put the bow to the wind and lower the keel.

"The next morning they would have departed with zero damage." 

When discussing whether the crew were at fault, Costantino reiterated to the Italian outlet that he believes "errors were made."

"A series of activities should have been done to avoid finding oneself in that situation," he said. "I as the ship's captain would have moved, but even if for some reason I had to stay there, I would have managed those weather conditions which then, let's face it, weren't so crazy."

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  

Costantino contended that there would have been "a zero risk if the correct maneuvers had been made and if situations that compromised the ship's stability had not occurred," adding to the newspaper that reports that the boat went down in seconds is "nonsense." He believes the yacht would have "went down" after water "started to enter" within "six minutes."

The remaining missing  Bayesian  passengers are Lynch's daughter Hannah as well as Chairman of Morgan Stanley International  Jonathan Bloomer, his wife, Judy , and New York City-based lawyer  Christopher Morvillo and his wife, Neda , sources have said.

Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, was among those rescued, PEOPLE previously reported.

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Read the original article on People .

These are the people who perished when the superyacht sank off Sicily

Twenty-two people were aboard the superyacht Bayesian when a powerful storm off Sicily capsized the ship and sent it to the bottom of the sea.

Eleven were guests of host Mike Lynch , a British tech tycoon who had invited them to join a cruise to celebrate his recent acquittal on fraud and conspiracy charges. Ten were members of the ship’s crew.

Fifteen people were rescued after the storm. Seven, including Lynch, did not survive .

Dubbed “Britain’s Bill Gates,” Lynch, 59, was the son of an Irish-born firefighter and a nurse who co-founded a business software company called Autonomy. In 2011, Lynch sold the company to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion.

But U.S. prosecutors accused Lynch and a colleague of padding the firm’s finances ahead of the sale. Lynch’s lawyers argued that HP was so eager to buy Autonomy that it failed to adequately check the books.

In June, a San Francisco grand jury sided with Lynch and acquitted him and Autonomy’s vice president for finance, Stephen Chamberlain, of all charges.

Hannah Lynch

Hannah Lynch, 18, one of Lynch’s two daughters, attended the private and prestigious Latymer Upper School in the Hammersmith section of London and had recently earned a spot at Oxford University, where she was supposed to study English.

“We are all incredibly shocked by the news that Hannah and her father are among those missing in this tragic incident and our thoughts are with their family and everyone involved as we await further updates," her school said in a statement.

Jonathan Bloomer

Bloomer, 70, chairman of Morgan Stanley International and the British insurance firm Hiscox, was a former banker who had been a director at Autonomy and testified in defense of Lynch at his trial.

Judy Bloomer

Bloomer’s wife, Judy Bloomer, 71, had been a board member of The Eve Appeal, a British charity that funds research into gynecological cancers.

Bloomer, according to the charity, was a “brilliant champion for women’s health and medical research ... an incredible supporter, committee member, and trustee of our charity for over 20 years."

Christopher Morvillo

Morvillo, 59, a well-known New York City defense attorney and a married father of two, was part of the legal team that successfully defended Lynch.

Morvillo, a partner at the Clifford Chance law firm, was a federal prosecutor in New York City from 1999 to 2005, when, among other things, he assisted in the criminal investigations in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to his work biography .

After the successful defense of Lynch, Morvillo posted a thank you to his colleagues on the firm's LinkedIn site. He also made a point of thanking his "patient and incredible wife," Neda Morvillo, and their two daughters, Sabrina and Sophia. He closed the post saying he was "so glad to be home."

"And they all lived happily ever after...." he wrote.

Neda Morvillo

Neda Morvillo, 57, Christopher Morvillo’s wife, was a jewelry designer and mother of two who ran her own business in Manhattan called N eda Nassiri .

Recaldo Thomas

Thomas, a Canadian Antiguan national, was the ship's cook. His body was found Monday.

His friend Gareth Williams told t he BBC that Thomas was a kind man who had worked as a chef for 30 years and had “the deepest, most sultry voice in the world, and a smile that lit up the room.”

Corky Siemaszko is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital.

Superyacht sinks latest: Investigators reveal where bodies were found as probe looks at 'crew's responsibility'

Italian officials revealed at a news conference there could be "a question of manslaughter" as they opened a shipwreck investigation and said the probe is also looking at the "crew's responsibility".

Saturday 24 August 2024 18:33, UK

• Superyacht sinking

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• Prosecutor: There 'could be a question of manslaughter'
• Probe 'concentrating' on crew's responsibility
• Seven bodies recovered after five-day search of superyacht wreckage off Sicily
• Saturday's papers pay tribute to youngest victim Hannah Lynch
• Hannah's sister pays tribute to 'my little angel'
• Explained: Inside the superyacht | What challenges have faced divers?
• Eyewitness: Sombre scenes greet rescue teams as final body is brought ashore
• Live reporting by Niamh Lynch

We're ending our live coverage for this evening but here is a recap of what we know:

• Prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation into the Bayesian sinking;
• Officials have revealed more details on their investigation and the difficult five-day rescue mission;
• The six bodies found during the search in recent days were all in cabins on the left-hand - and highest - side of the ship. Five were found in the first cabin and the sixth was found in the third;
• Prosecutors said the six passengers were most likely asleep when the boat sank;
• The probe is now focusing on the crew and their responsibilities, with the captain set to undergo more questioning.

Monday 19 August

The Bayesian yacht, flying a British flag, sinks at around 5am local time when the area was hit by a tornado.

Fifteen people are rescued from the 56 metre vessel - including a mother and baby - but another seven remain missing.

One body, later confirmed to be the yacht's chef Recaldo Thomas, is found near the wreck.

It emerges that British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are among six people that remain missing.

Tuesday 20 August

The search continues for the six tourists missing.

It is reported that among those missing are Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

Police divers try to reach the hull of the ship, resting at a depth of 50 metres.

Italy's fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco say early inspections of the wreck were "unsuccessful" because of limited access to the bridge and furniture obstructing passages.

The operation is later described as "complex", with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts.

Tributes pour in for Mr Thomas, with his friend Gareth Williams saying: "I can talk for everyone that knew him when I say he was a well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit."

Wednesday 21 August

The search for the six people unaccounted for enters a third day, with crews carrying out inspections of the yacht's internal hull.

A team of four British inspectors from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) arrive in Porticello to look at the site of the sinking.

A helicopter is drafted in to help with the search effort and remotely controlled underwater vehicles are being used, with naval units and cave divers also taking part in the search.

Five bodies are found inside the yacht on Wednesday afternoon. Only four of them are brought to shore.

Body bags are seen being taken to Porticello in the afternoon where dozens of emergency services staff wait.

Searches finish for the day just before 7.30pm.

Thursday 22 August

The search resumes for the remaining missing person.

The body of the fifth missing person, found but not recovered the previous day, is brought to shore.

A fire service boat with flashing blue lights returns with a blue body bag to the port of Porticello just after 8.45am local time on Thursday.

Tributes pour in for Mr Lynch and Mr and Mrs Bloomer after they are identified as having died.

The search is called off at around 8pm in Sicily, with divers expected to begin again at 6.30am on Friday.

Friday 23  August

The search continues for the final person missing from the wreck of the Bayesian, Hannah Lynch.

Vincenzo Zagarola, of the Italian Coastguard, says the search for Hannah has not been "easy or quick", comparing the sunken yacht to an "18-storey building full of water".

The coastguard confirms in the late morning that her body has been found.

A green body bag is brought to the port of Porticello from the site of the sinking.

A spokesperson announces on behalf of the Lynch family that they are "devastated" and "in shock" after the deaths of Mike and Hannah.

Hannah's sister Esme pays tribute to her "little angel".

Saturday 24 August

A press conference is held in the court of an Italian town, Termini Imerese.

Public prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio tells reporters that his office has opened an initial investigation against unknown persons into manslaughter and negligent shipwreck.

As the focus now turns to the manslaughter investigation, here's another reminder of the seven victims of the sinking and the 15 people who survived. 

A close friend of the Lynch family has added to the chorus of tributes for British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, who died in Monday's superyacht sinking.

Susannah Gurdun, who lives in Suffolk, recalled being "daunted" when she first met Mr Lynch at a dinner party, before discovering he was "so much more than the corporate cliche".

"He was riveting.  He was funny, and kind, and endlessly interesting; capable of talking about anything and everything," she said.

Ms Gardun said the businessman also had a "thrilling ability" to make complicated subjects "accessible to those of us less blessed with a science acumen".

"In particular, he was wonderful with children.  I will never forget hearing him explain to a group of them - including our ten year old son - the physics of why the sky went pink at sunset," she said.

She went on describe Mr Lynch as a "true genius" and "phenomenal creative".

Ms Gardun said his daughter Hannah was also showing "serious literary promise", and added that it was "beyond tragic that we will never know where her own particular brilliance might have led".

"I still feel blessed to have shared that time with them in Spain.  Not just because I witnessed Mike’s incredible storytelling; but because I was given a chance of understanding what that moment said about all four of them as a united vibrant loving family," she said.

"He was an extraordinary human being and it was - truly - a privilege to have known him."

A yacht crew member who survived the sinking has paid tribute to Hannah Lynch, calling her a "diamond in a sea of stars".

Sasha Murray, chief stewardess of the Bayesian, has released a statement after divers recovered the final missing body from the wreckage, which is believed to be 18-year-old Hannah.

"Those who knew her will know that Hannah was a diamond in a sea of stars," she said.

"Bright, beautiful and always shining. What most people may not have seen was the extraordinarily strong, deep and loving relationship she shared with her parents, whom she adored more than anything. 

"While swimming with them she often said, if anything ever happened she would save them. 

"I have no doubt that the Irish, Latina fire that burns in her soul kept that spirited determination alive."

Ms Murray's statement comes as a new image of Hannah Lynch and her father Mike Lynch is released:

Prosecutors announced in this morning's news conference that they have opened a manslaughter and negligent shipwreck investigation.

Officials were unable to answer several queries from the media, saying they needed time to establish the facts, but what are the key questions facing prosecutors? 

Why weren't passengers who remained on board the vessel warned about escaping from the yacht?

The prosecutor in charge of the case, Raffaele Cammarano, suggested that some passengers may have been asleep when others were awake.

Asked why they were not woken up or alerted, he said that is something investigators are trying to work out from the statements of the survivors.

He called it an "essential" part of the inquiry.

Why were several of the passengers in one cabin?

The press conference heard several bodies onboard the sunken yacht were found in a single cabin which was not theirs.

Mr Cammarano said investigators currently do not know the reason for them being discovered in the same cabin.

The chief of the Palermo fire service, Bentivoglio Fiandra, said the yacht pinned to the right and suggested people tried to go on the other side, taking refuge in cabins in the higher part of the wreck.

Why did the boat sink?

The vessel had been deemed "unsinkable" by its manufacturer - Italian shipyard Perini Navi.

The Bayesian was hit by a downburst, according to Mr Cammarano, which are powerful winds that descend from a thunderstorm and spread out quickly once they hit the ground.

Officials will look into the safety equipment on the sunken vessel.

Mr Cammarano was asked about whether there is a black box and if the hatches were left open.

He said investigators do not have exact information about the black box and that the first phase of the inquiry will look into it.

Why were nearby vessels not similarly affected?

Another yacht, the Sir Robert BP, was about 150 to 200 metres from the Bayesian when extreme weather hit.

Its crew helped to rescue 15 people from the stricken vessel.

Italian officials said they would be looking at how the downburst could affect one vehicle and not other nearby vessels.

What weather warnings was the Bayesian alerted to?

Maritime director of western Sicily, Rear Admiral Raffaele Macauda, said the weather at the time of the yacht's sinking was abnormal and there was nothing to suggest such an extreme situation would arise.

He said there were forecasts of winds and a storm alert, but there was no warning of a tornado.

"Given that the conditions were such, there wasn't anything to suggest there could be an extreme situation arising," he said.

"There are vessels that can monitor, after all, these events and one would have thought that the captain had taken precautions."

How long will it take to recover the sailing vessel?

Mr Macauda could not confirm how long it would take to retrieve the shipwreck of the sunken yacht.

"Everything depends on the availability of the owners and the timeframe of the retrieval of the wreck and of course all that has to be submitted to the port authorities and in parallel of course there will be the inquiry results and it's only really then that we will be able to authorise the operation," he said.

"I can't say, like some experts who have already spoken on the subject, [said] that it will be eight weeks."

He made clear that the owners will bear the full cost of retrieval, although he could not estimate the figure.

Italian authorities detailed the challenging and meticulous rescue operation to recover the six missing people from the Bayesian wreck (see 9.18am post).

But why was the five-day search so difficult? 

Read more below...

More on this morning's press conference. 

One of the main updates from prosecutors was that they have opened manslaughter and shipwreck investigations after the deaths of seven people in the Bayesian sinking. 

Watch the announcement below...

Prosecutors have given a lengthy news conference this morning on their investigation into the sinking of the Bayesian. 

Read the full report on the prosecutors' probe below...

Marine investigator James Wilkes has been speaking to Sky News after this morning's press conference.

"Naturally, there are more questions than there are substantive answers at the moment - that's the nature of investigative work.

"Something forced that yacht to roll beyond its nominal stability limits, such that it wasn't able to right itself with the ingress of a certain amount of seawater that was coming into the yacht. 

"So the investigators are going to ask themselves one initial question - what must the conditions have been for this to happen? 

"Then they are going to look at the contributing factors to the yacht, sinking, and, and the unfortunate loss of life." 

Prosecutors said this morning that the future of the investigation is reliant on recovering the wreck. 

Mr Wilkes said the yacht is a "major piece of physical evidence in and of itself." 

"It's lying at 50 metres, which is a recoverable depth. 

"If it was significantly deeper, then I'm not sure they'd be considering salvage at this stage or certainly, the salvage question would be a lot more complicated to answer. 

"But if there was the ability to raise that yacht in one piece safely, then it gives the investigators physically more to look at."

Mr Wilkes said he was unsure if the yacht would have a "black box" - called a voyage data recorder in shipping. 

"It would record things like GPS position, heading speed, engine telemetry, whether the radars were on, what they were recording, alarms, communications from the yacht itself, any audio on the bridge.

"But more often than not, these are on merchant ships. The yacht was a commercial yacht in the sense that it could be chartered out so it's quite possible it has a voyage data recorder on, but I'm not sure that it does. I don't know that as a matter of fact," he said.

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Questions for Investigators Trying to Unravel Mystery of Luxury Yacht’s Sinking

The investigators searching for answers about the shipwreck, leaving seven dead, face questions about extreme weather and possible human error or problems with the yacht itself.

• Share full article

By Alan Yuhas

More than 180 feet long, with a mast towering about 240 feet and a keel that could be lowered for greater stability, the Bayesian luxury yacht did not, in the eyes of its maker, have the vulnerabilities of a ship that would easily sink.

“It drives me insane,” Giovanni Costantino, the chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, which in 2022 bought the company that made the ship, said after its wreck last week. “Following all the proper procedures, that boat is unsinkable.”

But the $40 million sailing yacht sank within minutes and with fatal results: seven dead, including the British technology billionaire Michael Lynch, his teenage daughter, four of Mr. Lynch’s friends and a member of the crew. Fifteen people, including the captain, escaped on a lifeboat.

Mr. Lynch had invited family, friends and part of his legal team on a cruise in the Mediterranean to celebrate his acquittal in June of fraud charges tied to the sale of his company to the tech giant Hewlett-Packard.

The Italian authorities have opened a manslaughter investigation, searching for answers from the survivors, the manufacturer and the wreck itself. They face a range of questions and possible factors.

An ‘earthquake’ in the sky?

When the Bayesian sank around 4 a.m. on Aug. 19, the waters in its area, about half a mile off the Sicilian port of Porticello, were transformed by an extremely sudden and violent storm, according to fishermen, a captain in the area and meteorologists.

But what kind of storm is still a mystery, compounded by the fact that a sailing schooner anchored nearby did not have its own disaster. Also unclear is whether the crew was aware that the Italian authorities had issued general warnings about bad weather the night before.

Karsten Börner, the captain of the nearby passenger ship, said he’d had to steady his ship during “really violent” winds . During the storm, he said, the Bayesian seemed to disappear behind his ship.

Severe lightning and strong gusts were registered by the Italian Air Force’s Center for Aerospace Meteorology and Climatology, according to Attilio Di Diodato, its director. “It was very intense and brief in duration,” he said.

The yacht, he said, had most likely been hit by a fierce downburst — a blast of powerful wind surging down during a thunderstorm. His agency put out rough-sea warnings the previous evening, alerting sailors about possible storms.

Locals have said the winds “felt like an earthquake.” A fisherman in Porticello said that he had seen a flare go off in the early-morning hours. His brother ventured to the site once the weather had calmed about 20 minutes later, he said, finding only floating cushions.

The Italian authorities have so far declined to say whether investigators had seen any structural damage to the hull or other parts of the ship.

Open hatches or doors?

The boat executive, Mr. Costantino, has argued that the Bayesian was an extremely safe vessel that could list even to 75 degrees without capsizing. His company, the Italian Sea Group, in 2022 bought the yacht’s manufacturer, Perini Navi, which launched the ship in 2008.

Mr. Costantino said that if some of the hatches on the side and in the stern, or some of the deck doors, had been open, the boat could have taken on water and sunk. Standard procedure in such storms, he said, would be to switch on the engine, lift the anchor and turn the boat into the wind, lowering the keel for extra stability, closing doors and gathering the guests in the main hall inside the deck.

At a news conference on Saturday, almost a week after the sinking, investigators said the yacht had sunk at an angle , with its stern — where the heavy engine was — having gone down first. The wreck was found lying on its right side at the bottom of a bay, about 165 feet deep.

12 guests occupied the yacht’s six cabins. There were also 10 crew members.

Open hatches, doors and cabin windows could have let in water during a storm, according to the manufacturer.

Open hatches, doors and

cabin windows could

have let in water

during a storm,

according to the

manufacturer.

Source: Superyacht Times, YachtCharterFleet, MarineTraffic

By Veronica Penney

Water pouring into open hatches or doors could have contributed to the sinking, experts say, but that on its own may not account for the speed at which such a large boat vanished underwater.

Asked about the hatches at the news conference, the authorities declined to comment on whether they had been found open at the wreck.

The authorities have also not specified whether the boat had been anchored, whether it was under power at the time or whether its sails had been unfurled.

A retracted keel?

The Bayesian had a keel — the fin-like structure beneath a boat that can help stabilize it — that could be retracted or extended, according to its manufacturer. On some yachts, keels can be raised to let the large vessel dock in shallower water, and extended downward to help keep a boat level.

But like the hatches, the status of the keel alone may not explain why a large ship sank with such precipitous speed. Investigators have not disclosed what divers may have seen at the wreck, aside from saying divers had faced obstacles like furnishings and electrical wiring in tight quarters. Officials want to raise the wreck to better examine it, a process that may take weeks.

Human error?

Ambrogio Cartosio, the prosecutor in charge of the case, said at the news conference that it was “plausible” crimes had been committed, but that investigators had not zeroed in on any potential suspects.

“There could be responsibilities of the captain only,” he said. “There could be responsibilities of the whole crew. There could be responsibilities of the boat makers. Or there could be responsibilities of those who were in charge of surveilling the boat.”

It remains unclear what kind of emergency training or preparation took place before the disaster, or what kind of coordination there was during it. So far, none of the surviving crew members have made a public statement about what happened the night the ship sank.

Prosecutors said they want to ask more questions of the captain and crew, who have been in a Sicilian hotel with other survivors. They said that neither alcohol nor drug tests had been performed on crew members, and that they have been allowed to leave Italy.

Prosecutors also said they were also investigating why the captain, an experienced sailor, left the sinking boat while some passengers were still on board.

Besides possible manslaughter charges, the authorities are investigating the possibility of a negligently caused shipwreck.

The bodies of five passengers were found in one cabin, on the left side of the yacht, the authorities said. The five were most likely trying to flee to the higher side of the boat and were probably sleeping when the boat started to sink, they said.

Who was onboard tech mogul Mike Lynch's Bayesian yacht?

Topic: Disasters, Accidents and Emergency Incidents

Six people are missing, including a man dubbed the British Bill Gates, after a luxury yacht sank off the Sicilian coast.

British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch — freshly acquitted from a decade-long trial — had invited his work colleagues aboard a trip through the Mediterranean coast when a freak storm saw the yacht sink within moments.

Fifteen people escaped from the sinking vessel. The search for the missing continues.

Here's what we know so far: 

What happened?

The Italian coastguard said the yacht — the Bayesian — was anchored off the shore of port city Porticello, near the Sicilian capital Palermo, when it was hit by bad weather sometime after 4am on Monday, local time. 

Eyewitnesses said it vanished quickly beneath the waves shortly before dawn.

Managers of the sailing vessel Bayesian, Camper & Nicholsons, confirmed to the ABC that the Bayesian encountered severe weather and subsequently sank. 

"Our priority is assisting with the ongoing search and providing all necessary support to the rescued passengers and crew," they said. 

"The wind was very strong. Bad weather was expected, but not of this magnitude," a coastguard official told Reuters.

Sicily's civil protection agency head, Salvo Cocina, said a waterspout — a tornado over the water — could have struck the yacht.

"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Mr Cocina added. 

Storms and heavy rainfall had swept down Italy in recent days after weeks of scorching heat, lifting the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea to record levels and raising the risk of extreme weather conditions, experts told Reuters.

"The sea surface temperature around Sicily was around 30 degrees Celsius, which is almost 3 degrees more than normal. This creates an enormous source of energy that contributes to these storms," meteorologist Luca Mercalli said.

Rescuers recover the body of one of the people aboard the Bayesian.  ( AP: Lucio Ganci )

Captain Karsten Borner of the Sir Robert Baden Powell vessel told journalists he noticed the Bayesian nearby during the storm, but after it calmed he saw a red flare and realised the ship had simply disappeared.

Mr Borner said he and a crew member boarded their tender and found a lifeboat with 15 people, some of them injured, who they then took aboard and alerted the coast guard.

Search crews, including helicopters and divers, are continuing to search the wreckage, lying at a depth of 49 metres.

Specialist divers reached the ship on Monday but access was limited due to objects in the way, the fire brigade said.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is deploying a team of four inspectors to Italy to conduct a preliminary assessment.

The Foreign Commonwealth and Development office said it was "providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families".

Sicilian prosecutors have also opened an investigation into the event. 

Who is missing?

Lawyer Chris Morvillo (left), entrepreneur Mike Lynch, and Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer are among the missing. 

There were 12 passengers and 10 crew members aboard the yacht. 

Mr Cocina said the crew and passengers hailed from a variety of countries, including Britain, the United States, Antigua, France, Germany, Ireland, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain.

Of the 22, one man is confirmed dead and another six people are still missing. 

They are believed to be inside the hull, fire rescue spokesperson Luca Cari said.

Fabio Cefalù, a fisherman who said he responded to a flare from the vessel but found it sunk, said he stayed at the site for three hours without finding anyone.

"I think they are inside, all the missing people," he said.

Rescue teams recovered the body of the yacht's onboard chef on Monday, identified as Antiguan citizen Ricardo Thomas.

The still missing people include: 

• Mr Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah 
• Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of global financial services company Morgan Stanley International
• Chris Morvillo , a lawyer at the British multinational law firm Clifford Chance. He worked on Mr Lynch's lawsuit against Hewlett-Packard
• The identities of the remaining two missing are still unconfirmed

Who was rescued? 

Fifteen people escaped from the sinking ship. 

Eight have been hospitalised and others were taken to a nearby hotel.

Charlotte Golunski was among those rescued, recalling the harrowing moments she held her child Sofia above the waves.  ( Supplied: Facebook  )

Among those rescued were:

• Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, who was the owner of the yacht
• Charlotte Golunski and her one-year-old daughter, Sofia. Ms Golunski is a partner at Mr Lynch's firm, Invoke Capital. She says she momentarily lost hold of Sofia in the water but managed to hold her up above the waves until the lifeboat was inflated
• Ms Golunski's husband James Emslie
• New Zealand captain of the yacht James Catfield. He told Italian newspaper La Repubblica the crew didn't see the storm coming
• A lone Dutch citizen was identified by the Dutch foreign ministry as being rescued, but was not identified

Who is Mike Lynch?

Mr Lynch, once hailed as Britain’s king of technology, was recently freed from a Silicon Valley lawsuit that tarnished his legacy. 

The 59-year-old Cambridge-educated mathematician created Autonomy , a search engine that could pore through emails and other internal business documents to help companies find vital information more quickly. 

He received the OBE for his innovation in 2006. 

He then sold the software to Hewlett-Packard (HP) for $US11 billion ($16 billion) in 2011, with Mr Lynch personally netting $US800 million. 

HP valued Autonomy at $US46 billion ($68 billion) in the months leading up to the deal.

Mike Lynch in 2019 leaving the High Court in London.  ( Reuters: Henry Nicholls/File Photo )

But the deal quickly turned sour after he was accused of forging the software's financial records to make the sale.

As part of a decades-long legal battle against HP, Mr Lynch was extradited to the UK on criminal fraud charges. 

He steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, asserting that he was being made a scapegoat for HP's own bungling. 

He was eventually cleared of all charges in June this year. 

Although he avoided a possible prison sentence, Lynch still faced a bill from a civil case in London that HP mostly won during 2022. Damages haven't been determined in that case, but HP is seeking $US4 billion. 

Following the San Francisco trial, Mr Lynch said he would return to the UK and do what he loved most: "[being with] my family and innovating in my field."

The holiday appeared to be something of a celebration after Mr Lynch's acquittal, with guests including some of the people who had stood by Lynch throughout the ordeal.

This picture shows the rescue operations off the Sicilian coast.  ( AP: Italian Coast Guard  )

In a separate act of tragedy, Mr Lynch's co-defendant in the trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died on Monday, after a road accident left him critically injured.

Mr Chamberlain — Autonomy's former vice-president of finance alongside Mr Lynch — was hit by a car in Cambridgeshire on Saturday morning and had been placed on life support. 

What is the Bayesian?

The luxury yacht is 56m long sailboat, with a 75m mast labelled as the tallest aluminium mast in the world.

It was previously named Salute when it flew under a Dutch flag.

The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites and a crew of 10, according to online specialist yacht sites. It was last refitted in 2020.

Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to 195,000 euros (about $AU 321,000) a week. 

This picture taken on Sunday shows the Bayesian (left) and the Duch sailboat Sir Robert Baden Powell anchored off the coast line.   ( AP: Fabio La Bianca/Baia Santa Nicolicchia )

The ship also won a string of awards for its design. 

Ms Golunski said the yacht had travelled through the Aeolian Islands, Milazzo and Cefalù before sinking. 

It is likely the yacht's name would resonate with Mr Lynch because his PhD thesis and the software that made his fortune was based on Bayesian theory.