How Much Do Cruise Ship Waiters Make? | Shiplife TV
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- In this episode, we're breaking down how much cruise ship assistant waiters make per month. In this specific instance, Svetlana was working on Celebrity Cruises. Remember to take into account that different cruise lines will have different pay and there are several other factors that could affect your pay; However, this will give you a solid idea as to what to expect in terms of how much cruise ship assistant waiters make with their salary.
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We almost always hand an extra cash tip to anyone who serves us directly- waiter and assistant, bar staff, room steward, etc. Not necessarily a lot but something extra. Considering what we pay for a cruise as opposed to a comparable resort on land we figure this in as an acceptable expense. I’d rather do without expensive souvenirs and gambling to afford this. I understand that not everyone agrees or feels like they can afford this but it makes me happy.
Super considerate, Susan :) I love it
Very well said. I completely agree & respect you Susan.
Agreed!
is cruise cheaper?
@@tednguyen7258 The key word is “comparable”. An all-inclusive luxury resort stay can cost more.
30 to 40 at the end of the week??? I travel with family and the server has to serve a table of 7 pax. I tip $10 each time i eat at the main dining room. They were so nice and helped me bring down congee from the buffet line for my toddler.
Always tipped the cleaners by leaving $5/room/day. I don't know how but the lovely guy actually changed our towels twice daily cause he saw we had kids.
If you don’t have to maintain an apartment back home, a fairly major benefit for ship crew is free room and board. Of course, there are some opportunities to occasionally go ashore for fun and sightseeing.
Very true!!
Just accepted a offer to be a cocktail server on NCL. main reason I took the position was because I thought maybe the tips would be good now I’m having second thoughts but I’m still excited for the experience
No worries, I’ve known a ton of cocktail servers. You’ll make decent money in tips regardless.
Where are you from?
@@shiplifetv well that’s definitely good to know. Your video definitely helped me understand the system better. I’m in US. Florida area
NCL Pride of America? That's the only one I would go to, assuming you're a fellow American 🙂 They can only hire US citizens for the crew on that ship because she flies the US Flag. There's a major advantage of course, it makes you a US Merchant Mariner, and it means you can work on container ships, where the lowest ranking person makes 50k base with lots of overtime. It's all union jobs too. 🙂
@@neutrino78x thank you so much for this information. Very pleasing to know! I just accepted the position at part of America. I’m waiting on my training date. I will be a server and I have been wondering about how much money I am expecting to make I really was hoping for about $4000 a month as a server at fine dining restaurants I can accumulate about 1500 a week so I was hoping to see almost the same results on a cruise ship if not more due to it being seven days a week
@@MollysWorld305
I'm not sure; I was on the Navy, on submarines, but haven't worked on a civilian vessel. 🙂
But those guys are union, so it should pay well. 🙂
She is a US Flag ship, so they have to comply with all the meal break requirements in the Fair Labor Standards Act etc. 🙂
Tbh, the pay isn’t bad since you’re getting food, and board. What I’d hate about it, is working 12 hours a day, six days a week.
Preach! 🙌🏼
I talk to the crew a lot when I cruise and the wait staff and cleaning crew said it's 7 days a week, no days off while they're working their contract. Good grief! Brutal 😣
So she is saying she got paid crap for the amount of hours worked,, Take the hours worked divided by pay and they are getting hosed. Really interesting how the “tipping” is for them. I love these podcast,, keep it up!
Thanks! Yeah the pay isn’t great but it’s definitely a worthwhile experience for so many other things besides the pay :)
These workers are paid very well compared to others from their country. Then they don't have to pay for rent or food. Not a great job at all if you are American, but most aren't.
So I’m going on my second cruise in July, my first was on P&O last year for a week, they have automatic gratuities, we took £130 cash to give as tips on top, all staff were very grateful, we tipped buffet staff who were cleaning up, toilet attendees the people who probably don’t get tips, as well as out waiters and steward… we have the princess plus package on our July cruise, can I go to reception and ask for my gratuities in cash so I can dispense it?
That’s a great question. I’m not sure but it’s worth a shot. It’s like asking to pay cash on an automatic gratuity that’s added to a restaurant bill.
The issue that might come up is that they might think you just want to skip on the gratuity. Ships tend to try to skip the cash transactions because it’s easier and you’re likely to spend more.
All this to say, I think they’re going to give you a hard time about it; however, it’s worth a shot.
Cruise ships I've been on charge $17 per traveller per day at the end of the cruise. But I bring smaller bills with me on board to tip, because some employees really are very good and they go beyond their job description or simply very nice. So, I feel bad if I can't tip those.
The idea that money could be "held back" due to survey results or low restaurant volume definitely makes the automatic gratuities seem more sketchy. I mean the gratuities are coming out but i guess the money may not reach the workers? Even more reason to skip the chintsy fake souvenirs in port and put actual greenbacks in the crew's hands
Yup! Really makes you think about how these systems run and where the money goes
It seems to me that not all the auto gratuities on passenger accounts get distributed to staff as management can cut it if you have bad reviews. While cruising, we interviewed some back room staff abt tips, they said they don't get them, only the serving or front line ppl does. Anyway nobody audits the cruise industry on the gratuities unlike in the US where it's illegal if a company keep all or some of the tips. I know this cuz I'm an accountant & worked in a casino hotel where cash & charged tips are accounted for & distributed to tipped employees. And the IRS taxed it as additional income. With the cruise industry they can do what they want with the auto gratuities, they're not under US labor laws.
Another thing these cruise wages are a fortune to these workers compared to the low wages in their home countries. Plus free accommodation & food. I say they're way better than most hourly workers in the US. And remember they spend their money in their home countries where the cost of living is very low compared to the US. I say to each his/her own on tipping, remove or not, give extra or not, up to the person!
Well said! Nice take
"With the cruise industry they can do what they want with the auto gratuities, they're not under US labor laws."
Totally agree, that's why you need to cruise on a ship with a good flag! 🙂
NCL Pride of America is US Flag, they are subject to US labor law.
Same with the 4 US Flag ships for Linblad/National Geographic, also American Queen Voyages and American Cruise Lines.
These are the others I would recommend:
Italy: Costa
France: Ponant
Norway: Viking
UK: P&O Cruises has 3 UK flagged, Princess has 3 that are UK flag, all of P&O Australia has UK Flag
Netherlands: Holland America
Japan: Asuka II is the only cruise ship I know of with the Japanese flag, they mainly sail around Japan
I get 4 months off of work every winter at Christmas. Are there contracts that last from Christmas to March?
That’s a very short contract. Likely it would start around Oct/Nov through March
I can explain more in detail about asst n waiter on cruise ship with my experience😊
DM me on IG if you’ll like to be interviewed and featured on the channel :)
Many ships charge you for tips in the price of the cruise for food and drinks. Gruititys
I still tip on top of that.
About to take my first contract on Pride of America with NCL, wish me luck.
Also, the interviewee looks like Rhea Seehorn and I find her extremely attractive.
Holy crap does she ever!
Good luck, Benjamin!!
Helps to have pretty guests :)
What are the shifts like : 12 hrs day, 7 day on, 2 day off ?
I believe it’s up to 12 hours a day, max 6 hour shifts. Most crew don’t get any days off. It’s maritime law so it’s very different than on land.
I wish someone would clearly explain how the "automatic" tips work. So they don't really get those tips unless they get the positive post cruise survey results?
Everyone is so shady explaining the tips. I would like to take the auto tips off and give money directly.
However, if parts of the "automatic" tips are going to someone I don't actually see (like a cook or someone in housekeeping behind the scenes), I don't want to remove the automatic tips because they will miss out.
The idea that the corporation is keeping part of the tips really makes me mad.
All of the cruises are expensive now, everyone want a tip. I tend to get tip out. I save ones and five before I leave my house.
The long hours they work does not match their pay,but then again...They don't have to pay rent,food,utility bills,etc etc...and the cruise ship pay for their air fare when it's time to go home..Not a bad deal for young single people..
Hey Neil! I agree. This work opportunity certainly isn’t for everyone but it makes sense that the best fit is young people. Most crew are under 30 (at least on the hotel side).
You said that by get in into your website is for free to maximize learning about contact and things like that..
For what the 3 $ so ?
You can become a member for free and I have a vid that’s almost an hour long breaking down a ship contract. I do have a paid product as well but access to the main vid is free :)
Does anione know how much you earn monthly working at the fine dining Palo Restaurant on DCL?
How about the fact that the 'gratuities' you are forced to pay each day do not go to the employees in excess of their contract. This is why I always advocate to ask for a refund of this and then give the employees that really deserve it, cash.
Yup! Definitely not fair
How much basic salary asst.waiter in Aida prima ship
Hi Iteng, I don’t know exactly but I looked up the cruise line and it looks like the pay will be similar to what’s referenced in this video
Shame on those who remove gratuity from on board account. Oh sure, free teeny tiny room, board and the worst food on the ship, you also get to be away from loved ones for months at a time. Terrific.
Yup, not a very good system
The figures the lady is dropping, are those net salaries or before tax etc.? How would salary from such work get taxed - my homeland country's tax or where the ship is registered or sth? Thanks!
Hello! Gross salary. And taxes are from homeland country, state, city
This is taxed by the worker's home country.
Advert at 2:00 mid sentence? Are you kidding? Thumbs down.
Can I apply please 6 year FNB service experience
Hi Kamal, maybe our recruiter list will be helpful for you so you can find a recruiter to apply. You can check it out on our website www.shiplifetv.com
Was she a photographer on Brillance ots in 2018? She looks familiar?
Hello! Nope I don’t believe she was. But there are a lot of Eastern European girls on ships so it’s possible there was a girl that looks just like her :)
@@shiplifetv Thank You for answering back. God Bless You!
Whic one best cruise for crew close be time im start for work cruise ass waiter firstly
Can’t really give an answer as to which is the best because it depends on what you’re looking for. But if you’re just starting out, the larger cruise lines are a better opportunity to get hired because they have more openings
This is why the first thing I do is go to guest service and remove the pre paid gratuities. I’ll tip them directly.
Smart!!
Norwegian charged us a fee for tips.
Does the crew really get tips
Yup, the crew do get tips
Tattoo is allowed on hand in cruise ship job
Depends on the tattoo. How big and whether or not it’s offensive. There may be some cruise lines that look down upon it but won’t say anything. Best thing to do is apply and directly ask about it when you get to the interview stage
I don’t think she understands some off the questions.
It’s definitely possible. English isn’t her first language. Plus, this gives you an idea of the English level of cruise ship workers. Some I’ve met make her look 100% fluent
1000 dollars for 2 weeks pay is good it's more than most people make
Yup. Plus a free room and food!
@@shiplifetv so I feel myself if I was on a cruise and I knew that I would not be too apt to give them a tip out of my hard-earned money considering I don't know anybody that makes that much money
@@okpeace4687that is 13.80$ per hour. And working 72hours per week. Which in my state & country. Washington US the minimium wage is 16$ with max weekly hours (without overtime) is 40hours. So not the best in reality, but yes free housing and food.
It works out to $6.94 an hour…
Ok peace where do you live? Do you have a high school diploma? I made $9 an hour when I was 18. These folks are making like $7 how is that normal?
Not a cruise ship worker. A cruise ship waiter. Show some respect please.
Hello, I’m not sure how calling someone a cruise ship worker is disrespectful. Are you offended by this term? If so, why?
Since gratuities are added automatically to your bill,service has dropped dramatically...I have been cruising for almost 50 years,when Carnival had one ship The Mardi Gras...just to give you an idea..The food quality is unedible for me,mixed drinks is a complete rip off along with the price of beer and wine...The cabin attendant just don't give a dam.The only people that really take care of you are the restaurant staff..and those are the ones that get an xtra envelope at the end of the cruise..The days when cash was king and the staff worked their asses off to make you happy 24/7 is all gone..People had class and morals,dressed accordingly to the occasion,not walking around almost naked with an attitude...I still go on cruises,but on the premier cruises like Viking and the European river cruises..I stay away from the lowlifes....
Wow things were pretty different back then. Cash is king 👑 💵
Would love to see the cruise lines make a change to raise the bar on service. Have you tried Virgin cruise lines yet?
@@shiplifetv No,but Virgin and Disney also falls in The Mega ship Cat...I have friends that cruise yearly on Disney and said their standards has also gone down hill..I live in Florida and one of the port is only a 35 minutes drive away,but prefer to take an 8 hour flight away to board a cruise...The only cruise i will ever do on a Mega ship is an Alaska cruise..I hardly ever leave my stateroom ,not even to dine..The scenery is unbelieveable 24/7...