WOW, these workers have it TOUGH
I just finished a week long cruise on the Discovery Princess…let me just say it was a GREAT experience. The entertainment was on point, the food/drink was excellent, but above all the service was FANTASTIC.
Reflecting on the trip made me realize just how hard the staff on board are working when you consider a few things: (1) Most crew sign month-long contracts with Princess in counties where the labor laws are waaaay looser than the U.S. For crew members, this means they are expected to work 7-days a week, probably 10-12+ hour days, for weeks sailing the same cruise routes back-to-back-to-back and so on. I hope they are granted some kind of off days when the ship makes stops along the cruise routes, but I didn’t see much of this. (2) Their wages don’t compare to what Americans would expect for that kind of contract. At the entry level, they make like 30k in a 9 month period. (3) A lot (but definitely not all) of cruise work is guest-facing, which has to be exhausting! The fact that they can do the same routine week in and week out with minimal rest with a smile on their faces amazes me. THAT IS TO SAY: please give kudos to your stateroom stewards, bartenders, waiters, and anybody else you think is going above and beyond for you on your trip. I know these cruises aren’t cheap, but the workers aboard ship should get their flowers for how hard Princess has them working.
P.S. tipping doesn’t hurt either