Cruise service crew
| Highest | $3,700 / mo · Switzerland |
|---|---|
| Experience | 0–1 yrs |
| Degree | Not required |
| First paycheck | 16 to 36 weeks (4 to 9 months) |
Pay in the destination countries
Monthly, in US dollars. Each country is an Imora admission package — open one for that route's fees, language requirement and deadline.
| Country | Monthly |
|---|---|
| SwitzerlandIELTS 6.5 · CHF 0.9–8k | $3,700max |
| Hong KongIELTS 6.0–6.5 · HK–200k | $3,350 |
| SingaporeIELTS 6.5 · SGD 18–35k | $3,350 |
| United KingdomIELTS 6.0–7.0 · £11–38k | $3,350 |
| NorwayIELTS 6.0–6.5 · NOK 130–260k | $3,300 |
| United StatesTOEFL 80–100 · $10–70k | $3,200 |
What does the day look like?
A shipboard day consists of demanding physical shift labor governed by the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) and United States Public Health (USPH) sanitation standards. An Assistant Stateroom Attendant cleans and sanitizes 16 to 24 passenger cabins twice daily, scrubbing toilets, stripping linens, vacuuming, and making beds. On turnaround days, all 16 to 24 staterooms must be turned over within a 4 to 5 hour window while hauling 50 to 70 guest bags weighing up to 23 kg each. An Assistant Waiter carries heavy oval trays weighing up to 20 kg loaded with 8 to 10 dinner plates across rolling dining floors, pours water, buses soiled dishes, and polishes hundreds of pieces of flatware.
Work schedules run 10 to 12 hours per day, 7 days per week, over a 6 to 9 month contract with 0 days off. Shifts are split, such as morning service from 06:30 to 11:30 followed by unpaid rest and evening service from 16:30 to 22:30. Mandatory weekly muster drills and In-Port Manning rotations (requiring 1/3 to 1/2 of crew to stay onboard during port calls) are enforced. Reality is 90% to 95% manual labor, bathroom sanitizing, dishwashing, and tray hauling in windowless galleys and corridors; shore leave accounts for only 5% to 10% of time, accessible only when off-duty and off-rotation.
Where does this lead?
Next step up
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