How Many Employees Does A Cruise Ship Have?

Cruise lines provide food and accommodations for crew members working onboard, along with various benefits such as accommodations, meals, and medical care. Contracts range from three to approximately eight months, and Carnival Corporation plc has 120,000 employees worldwide serving over 13 million guests a year. In 2019, there were 554,000 jobs in the cruise line operator industry in the United States, with about €21.4 billion (23,322 billion) paid in salaries.

Cruise ship workers include all staff members aboard a cruise ship, and depending on the cruise line and type of ship, cruises may employ hundreds of people in different roles. Royal Caribbean ships offer around 450 different types of employment, including captains, childcare workers, dancers, doctors, chefs, cruise directors, stateroom stewards, and spa therapists.

Total employment in the United States cruise industry, including direct, indirect, and induced employment, roughly doubled in 2022 compared to the previous year. On many cruise ships, the crew totals over 1,000 people, with three or even four passengers per crew member. Regular cargo vessels have a crew of between 18 and 26 depending on size and type of cargo.

Cruise ship workers typically start in entry-level positions, but ambitious cruise ship workers can rise through the ranks. There are 83,400 water transportation workers and 408,300 recreation workers employed in the United States, including cruise ship workers. Cruise ship worker daily hours range from 8-12 on sea days and 4-10 on port days, averaging around 8-10 hours overall.