My first cruise was a Disney Cruise. I tipped my house keeping staff with $100 that I left with a Note. I wrote thank you cards for each of my servers, because I knew that there job couldn't be easy. I put money in those cards as well. Thank you for the work you did.
Ask BAMAGRL26 ur the type of customer people hope and pray for. Someone understanding and empathetic of the struggles of working in the customer service industry.
You did the right thing, but they forgot you 2.2 seconds after throwing the note away. Just hand it to them with a verbal thank you. $100 was way too much. I have cruised 30 times. And extra $50 blows them away UNLESS you got free tips, then you should give more cash.
@@243wayne1 I don't know why you felt the need to be so ugly. Take a look at your life and yourself and figure out why. There's no need to go through life like the way you behaved towards this young gal.
@@bobbywoods684 Why would you say that? If a client wants to hand a server a nice tip with a note, it could mean the WORLD to someone who is far from home/family for months on end. I've played weddings for years. There are those who always view the "help" or musicians as the little people who will be "thrilled with" whatever amount you deem to be proper (usually low amount) and then there are those who tip well for a job well done and yes, even write a kind note that a struggling artist or server might tape to their mirror or keep in a drawer to read now and again when they feel depleted by people like U. Decency and generosity isn't a 'game' that you win or lose. Too many wealthy or wannabe wealthy people think it is. Examine yourself.
@@janellesadler If someone tips $100 cash to a room attendant who is already getting the reported $40, they're just making themselves feel better and have more money than sense. We just disagree over what dollar amount is fair and what's asinine, note aside- fine, write one, whatever. One reason I enjoy reading and making comments on these forums is that people like you draw so many conclusions about someone they don't know from one idea put forth and I think more often than not it's really a reflection of themselves. So I conclude you've lived a hard scramble life you're bitter about and it's gotten no better. You look back on high school as the best years of your life. Probably dozens of failed relationships, a couple of divorces from which your promiscuities have left you hollow, ashamed and with a side order of HPV. So, the vicious circle you find yourself in leads you to assume everyone has a better life than you, more money than you and is happier than you, none or all of which may be true. I don't know if any of that's true about you, but thought I'd return the same crappy observations to you hoping against hope you'll move on a bit more intelligent. So go examine yourself.
Disney has a bad reputation as an employer. I do production work in Hollywood, Ca. and was working on a Disney show for five years. The first three years they paid us $6.00 under scale. By the fourth year, they had to pay us scale. The fifth year, they changed the title of the show, so technically it was a new show and our pay was reduced once again. They are one of the most profitable corporations on the planet and they nickel and dime their employees constantly. Bastards. Good luck in your endeavors. Cheers.
If you ever get a chance to go to the lower decks where the crew lives, it is a completely different world. All those smiles you see above are long goneeee. Kudos to all those hard working people.
I'm thankful you spoke out. I've been on precisely one cruise, and I thought I detected the mid-to-high grade exhaustion with just about every crew member. I'm ethically uncomfortable with participating in that kind of service.
Me too as well. Took a cruise from Turkey to Greece, all I could think about was the poor people who had to live on the boat for 9 years. Can't do it again man.
Alexander Gonzalez I’m not sure where you recieved that information nor do I know anything about contracts. But I do know that the cruise I went on had the people work for 9 months and take a break and go back home for a 3 months. And this would continue on for years! We met people who were working there for over 10 years. Furthermore, even if contracts lasted 6 months, I think it’s pretty sad that they don’t really have a choice but to continue working there because they’re sending money back to family at home.
I'm someone who cruises at least twice a year, and this is exactly why I will not tolerate fellow passengers treating crew members like shit. Their job is already hard enough, so the least I can do is be friendly, not leave any mess for them to clean up, and stand up for them when I see other passengers being rude to them. I have no shame in calling fellow passengers out on being awful towards crew members, because the crew has to walk a fine line with how they act around/talk to guests, and I want the crew on the ship I am sailing at the moment to know that I'm on their side. I'm also from the Northeast US so we are a bit blunt and take no crap as it is lol
Same here!!! I am from Connecticut, and when my husband and I cruise I know how much work goes into taking care of all the pesky passengers....some get so nasty and demanding over the dumbest shit.....and when we are in the buffet I never leave a mess at the table, always clean up the tables....even the MDR I always try and help lol (it's not my fault I was brought up in a proper home with manners) lol
@@AmyCT622 You hit the nail on the head there Amy.....BROUGHT UP WITH MANNERS!!! This is what is lacking nowadays sadly very much so overall....nobody respects anything and everything revolves around narcissistic assholes
You need to mind your own business before someone takes a moment to teach you a lesson on what can happen when you butt your nose in with people who you know nothing about. Obviously, if it directly and personally affects you or yours that's a different story, but that does not include your moral outrage.
@@bobbywoods684 Actually, when someone is acting like an asshole because they think they're above someone in the service business, they deserve everything coming to them. Just because you were raised by idiots, doesn't give you the right to make everyone around you feel uncomfortable because you think your superiority complex is 'charming'.
Gee, this sounds like a typical deployment on a US Navy ship. Long hours, low pay, little time off. About the same... Maybe Disney should be hiring former military personnel. This video points out the reason crew members from the US are rare aboard Disney's ship. Most Americans can make more money with better hours working for McDonalds...
Did so many tours on a carrier as an AO and loved it. Then again I loved the navy and my team members and the experience as a whole. Only thing that sucked was the midrats but beat living off MREs when I was with the Seabees
@@bowdieb7931 Exactly, had the option to quit. And good on ya for thanking them for their service. From a Ret Air Force First Shirt I also want to thank all fellow vets for their service.
I worked for Royal Caribbean, I have the exact same experience... I was told not to show my struggles to anyone or I’d lose my job - I quit when I got home
I'm so, so sorry to hear this. While we loved going on a Disney cruise, it breaks my heart they treat the Disney family so low. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your time and apologize for any one that treated you less than. It seems like a "dream" to work on the DCL and I I tried talking my 10 year old into being a cast member, but now I'm definitely thinking it's not a good idea. I could never throw a loved one into that situation. Thank you so much for this helpful info.
They're 10 years old and you're talking to them about getting a job?? Leave her alone and let her be a 10 year old. Let her figure out where she wants to be when she's ready.
I was a College Program cast member at Walt Disney World and then became DCL youth staff on the Wonder back in 2005. I had the same experience. Shocker! I lasted one contract and never looked back. I agree with everything you said. After a few years I went decided to go back but this time with Royal Caribbean. I had a blast for 6 contracts as a teen specialist. I left after a couple of years when I turned 30 and had to decide if I wanted a life or for RCCL to take care of me. I love working on ships, but ship life was not for me in the long run. Now I live in Houston with my wife, son, the dog and the memories.
Disney is known for being a tough company to work for. I work in television in Los Angeles and its always the last job we want to take. You are not alone... I feel for you and you are worth more!!
I’m glad you’ve made this video. I’ve worked on Royal Caribbean ships and mental health is a real struggle. Ship life is so difficult and hard to adjust to. Took me a while to get over the homesickness. I’ve been aiming to go for Disney cruises but I’m not sure and this video is very helpful. You have to tell the truth and how you felt. The rules for crew members on a ship are crazy at times!
If Royal was bad, i never deserve no one to go to Costa Cruises. Royal is a haven comparing to Costa. About Disney... well she always had this reputation with employees.
I worked on cruise ships for about 2 years and had a blast. I saved a lot of money and made so many friends. It can be exhausting working 7 days a week for 4-6 months. It helps if you have a passion for ships and the ocean and the outdoors and sunsets. It also helps if you make great friends onboard. The jobs that earn tips like waiters and cabin stewards do well.
It kinda sounds like a dream job - if you're like 18. But I saw that "they ordered me to not follow through w/ those molestation charges" & those girlies better be causing scenes & forming alliances. Otherwise, that sounds like a f'n nightmare.
Thank you so much. At one point in my life I wanted to work for a Disney cruise really bad but then I started to hear rumors that it really bad for your mental health. I do think they should give the crew a day off in the week.
This is all pretty much what I would assume working on a cruise ship would be like. Granted, Disney could do better than the competition, but this seems standard. There's a reason why 98% of any of the workers you see on any cruise ship are from foreign countries.
@Hi I’m Ri after I wrote this comment I found your fantasy room tour I dream to work on a Disney cruise when I turn 18 I would love to work in the entertainment department
London Donahoe i don’t think it’s a good idea to work on a disney cruise ship or go on one, there are multiple stories on people that go missing.. there’s a lot of evidence that cruise ships are used to human traffic, if u do end up working or going on one make sure your never alone.
I recently went on a cruise, not Disney but I could sense how unhappy most of the crew members were. They would put a smile on and were nice, but I could just tell they were really forcing it. Which is why I started researching this as soon as I got back on land. Thank you for sharing!
Hello!! your speech is amazing and so true. Thanks for sharing , and I hope you are doing something you love right now, I wish you the best. I'm also taking a break from cruise ship jobs , for "all" the reasons you have mentioned and I'm considering new horizons...let's see...take care !
We did the Disney Dream cruise and it was amazing. But I was disappointed when we had 3 great waiters one night for a late dinner - and I see them at breakfast at 6 am. My heart broke for them. They looked so tired
I know it took alot of yourself to make this video....and good for you!! You look like a beautiful person and you deserve sooo much better!! Good things will come your way!! Keep strong and be well!!!
Why I quit Disney: Things were too goofy! Seriously though, I'm glad that former crew workers are opening up about their experiences because it will help those who are thinking about that line of work. Also, it informs the public (and cruise lines stockholders) what goes on behind the scenes. Best of luck in your future endeavors!
LOL Like the cruise lines and stockholders care. Get real they've been treating cruise staff like slave labor for so long it's going to take a miracle to make changes. There are so many foreigners who are just happy to have a job they'll work for less money and be thankful for it.
I'm so glad that Sarah recommended your site, way back when. You've caused me to have so much more compassion for Disney employees . . . especially during the times when someone is being disrespectful because they hope to make their own "magic". (does this sentence make sense?)
Thanks for sticking around for so long! The guest/cm relationship has always been complex. I won't say that all guests are absent-minded when it comes to thinking of CMs as actual people, but Disney tends to promote how wonderful their service is and not the wonderful humans providing that service. I understand that a lot of time and money goes into planning a Disney vacation and obviously you want it to be perfect, sometimes emotions turn into frustration when things don't go exactly as planned and it's not always the cm's fault. Again, I've had many experiences where guests went out of their way to make me feel appreciated for what I did and that's what made it all worth it.
I could understand how making this and putting it out there could have some backlash. Very courageous of you to do this. I do hope nothing negative had taken place since it's release.
I was on one of the Fantasy cruises while you were working there! I’m so sorry that you had a hard time but thank you so so much for making magic for my family💖💖💖
Thanks for sharing. I understand how you might feel worried by speaking up. I feel like although you spoke of your experience on the Disney Cruise Line, it’s probably about the same on all of them. Looks like a fun, fabulous job, until the reality and rules takeover the experience.
I am also a seafarer or should I say was. I worked for a major Cruiseline where I did 4 contracts between 3 ships. The lifestyle is very crazy, some of what you mentioned, I can attest to it. On another note tho, it is adventurous and fun to travel the world in such short time but it interfered with my personal life and that of my family also. I had to make a decision because it was killing me inside and so I left.
Dada New Money glad that you tried something new and were smart enough to change jobs when you decided it wasn’t right for you !! That can happen with any job in your life but I understand that being on a ship full time can be stressful for people. We love cruising and pack a bag of essentials for our room steward on every trip. We also pack phone cards for the wait staff so they can call home.
The pay is probably the #1 reason why the vast majority of crew on a ship are NOT U.S. Citizens! I'm betting that "lifeguards" don't get tips either, like wait staff and housekeeping. The Cast Members at the Parks don't make much more either (just as Abigale Disney)!!!
I get it. Was an entertainer on a very exclusive cruise ship line for 4 months. I will never do it again. The food, omg. Just awful and because the ship was so boutique/small, we were not allowed to eat anything outside of the crew mess. Anyone who's worked on a ship understands the crew mess..you know. The ports and the experience of travel were cool but constantly tainted by the treatment onboard. The military approach is okay by me. There needs to be rules and order. But bad food for the hard-working, underpaid folks is just a soul suck, day after day. The only way we could eat decently was to have a guest invite us to share dinner with them, which was stressful because over time we felt desperate. It messed with our flow concerning the guests. It was very difficult not to complain in front of them, which is unprofessional. Even if we had GREAT reviews for our work over and over, we never got a reward for better food opportunities. Disgusted by the end of my contract.
Janelle Sadler I knew exactly what line you were referring to as I was an entertainer there as well. 😉 Just listening to this video gave me so much anxiety!
What you describe is completely accurate. I was data center manager for a year for Disney Internet and honestly the mentality even with that is absolutely the same. Good on you
I wish I had known this before going on a Disney cruise few weeks ago. I would had appreciated the crew members even more. Not that I didn't but I would had taken little gifts to them and be extra nice to them. Do crew members recent passengers and just pretend to be nice to them because they have to? Disney cruises are very expensive but not everyone who goes can easily afford them. Some people save for a few years to be able to make their Disney cruise dream come true. Thanks for sharing!
I won't say we don't talk about all the shitty guests while we're together in the crew bar, but not every bad experience is unique. I will say, it feels really good to get 1:1 recognition from the guests or even a letter after the cruise. I'm all for making magic for guests, I know it can be expensive to sail or go to the parks, but cast members are people too.
I also worked on the Disney Magic in 1999-2000 The management treated me terribly because I was a contractor and my boss’s were in Miami. Apparently some of these horrible people didn’t think my job there was necessary. They wanted to control me and couldn’t and they hated that!! When the one group of management would leave ( The cruise director, the shore excursion manager, and children’s camp counselor director) go on their holiday and the staff would change these other particular people HATED me, because we were new to them and they didn’t really want our presence there. I was the shopping in paradise guide. The shore excursion manager actually expected me to sell shore excursion tickets during my desk hours when I was supposed to be promoting shore shopping and giving out maps and VIP packages etc. So we started out on the wrong foot within the first few days of my taking over the ship from the other guide who was actually selling those darn tickets for them. I refused to do it and we started budding heads right away. I experienced horrible hostility, and sexual harassment from both the shore excursion manager and the cruise director. It’s a very long story on all of the things that happened to me. What was my kiss of death was when Eisner’s right hand man came on the ship to observe how things were going. I took it upon myself to have a meeting with him and I told him everything that had happened to me in the previous 10 months. I remember my friend who was a bar manager begging me not to do it, but I’m very stubborn and I didn’t think it through. Well two weeks later my company told me that they were taking me off the ship and going to give me a different one. It was everything to do with my complaints about what was happening to me on the ship. Of course my company never brought it up but I knew exactly why. I was doing such a great job the numbers were the best they had seen since the program started on the ship. My company never did provide me with another ship so I lost my job, I was dating someone who lived in Nassau for most of the 10 months. We ended up getting married ( 20 years this year!) . My husband works for the federal government and as luck would have it the ambassador was having his annual Fourth of July party and the captain of the ship was at the party as he had been invited. We were there as well alongside of all of the other embassy personnel. He was so happy to see me as he never knew what happened to me because we were very close friends. When I lost my job I was told that I was getting off the ship the very next day so I had to pack out my entire cabin that was loaded with so many personal things that I had purchased I didn’t have time to say goodbye to anybody. So when I saw the captain at the party I told him everything that happened to me on the ship. He promised me that he was going to deal with ALL of those people. I don’t know whatever happened, but that’s how karma works. Those people never realized or thought that one day I would see that Captain again. 😊 I remember the lady that was in charge of the children’s program and how absolutely jealous she was that she would see me eating with the captain. She made so much trouble for me that she actually had me demoted to eating in the crew mess even though my contract stated that I was a staff member. I was always dressed up to the nines because of the job that I did and how many times did I end up getting a condiment or something else on my clothes because of that filthy crew mess. I was so angry over that. The shore excursion manager saw me eating an apple walking down the hallway coming out of the crew mess and he made a big deal over it. He also made a big deal over the fact that I would go up on deck during the sale away party and I would be wearing white pants and he told me that he could see my “thong underwear”, through my pants. You could see every woman’s panties through their white pants in the bright sun, yet he had to point that out to me!! The cruise director used to call me “sweet cheeks” and he would squeeze or pat my bum. The level of harassment just continued all of the time. In fact that same children’s camp lady asked me to come on my free time and work with the children. I did it one time, and I did manage to get my employer to put a stop to that. I was not an employee of Disney, they were not paying me to do that, my job was to generate sales for the merchants and collect the money, give the shopping talk and hand out the maps and do desk hours and a jewelry seminar on the four day cruise. I certainly was NOT there to work as a camp counselor. I got over this, but it took me a long time because of the injustice was so unbelievable. I should’ve listened to my friend when he was grabbing the back of my jacket begging me not to go over and talk to him. While talking, the cruise director showed up and this man started having a conversation with him about how Disney wants my company there and asked him if I was being treated well and that they are being accommodating to my needs? I remember his voice going higher and higher and his face got very red and it looked like he was choking on his collar being buttoned up at his neck. He kept pulling on it, I thought he might pass out. Of course he lied through his clenched teeth! Even though because of this conversation I lost my job, it was really worth it in that moment seeing this cruise director behaving this way. Plus my revenge from the Fourth of July party on all of those people. So I totally understand what you went through working on the ship. They robbed all of the joy out of the greatest job on the ship. Everyone else in the company that works on other cruise lines gets a passenger cabin, gets to eat in the staff dining, are very welcome on their ships and have absolutely zero problems. I don’t know what it’s like now for them, but I can’t really see it being that much different because of the jealousy factor. Back in 1999 they were paying me 2000 a month, plus I was getting points from Columbian emeralds international and after the 10 months I walked out of there with a lot of really nice jewelry, including a gold watch. I really did work hard and the sales were huge. None of that mattered at that point to my employers because they wanted this contract so badly. I can’t see port lectures being as important as they were that many years ago as the cruising industry was so new and most of the people coming on the ship had never been on a cruise before. Cruising is so popular now that most people understand the tax and duty laws, they know where they like to shop, they don’t need to go to the shopping in paradise talk. I used to fill the Buena Vista theater. I love doing that job so much, the guests were so nice and the people that I was friends with some of them I still stay in touch with. You definitely did the right thing here. People should know the truth about working on a Disney ship. Best of luck to you.
I worked a land job in which I lived and worked at the place. Luckily, it was a short gig (3 months) because you don't realize until you're doing it that it's emotionally draining. There's no escape and the positions are often salaried so you don't realize that even though you're technically off, you're never "off." At 24/7, I realized my wages were something like $4.25/hr. Never again.
That’s crazy, I was looking into being a lifeguard for Disney cruise line and I’m currently a lifeguard at the Disneyland resort but now I’m changing my mind lol. Those only problem in would have is haircuts because of “Disney look” does the ship have a barber and/or salon for cast? Also them having you pay for WiFi is stupid not like your a guest paying to be there, your there doing a job for the ship
No, get used to having out of control long hair. There’s some crew members who cut people hair though, sometimes not great but it’s a haircut in desperate times.
They do have a barbershop for the crew and I know certain departments could go to the guess salon to get their haircut But I’m not sure if that was available to all departments.
eddie manzo Well almost every department interacts with the guest in some sort of capacity so I don’t think that’s how they do it. I think it may be by rank.
As someone studying to be an officer on ships it's really cool to see this from the service industry perspective. Similar but different in so many ways.
This is so interesting and very frustrating to hear. I am outrageously proud of you for doing what was best for you and for trying to make sure future CMs have more information about what they're potentially getting into. Also I miss you ❤
I worked on the Disney Dream back in 2015, for 3 months, as a piano player in a band. I must say that my experience was quite different. We got certain perks/privileges, and salary was VERY good! It was one of my favorite Cruise lines that I performed on. The food was exceptional too!
Makes sense. You have a skill not many people have. Just like land jobs, the higher the skill, higher the pay. Low skill/easily trainable jobs will get you low pay. Tips for the kids: learn a good skill/trade/study high demand majors
I felt like the bigger the ship, the better the musicians get treated. I gigged on a very small ship, lounge work. You most definitely did NOT get good food, unless you were in the Cast appearing in the showroom. We had to entice the passengers to invite us to dinner with them if we wanted to eat guality food. Can you imagine? Always eating in mess? And not the officer's mess. It was a mess. lol But I made it.
When my wife went on cruise with another cruise line, I asked some of the crew how many It is sad but being from other countries, they have to sacrifice for their family and endure the hardships. hours a day they put in at work. They all basically said 14 -18 hrs a day and no overtime pay and 1 day off.
I have worked 15 years for a cruise line. I worked my way up to 3 stripes in passenger services. Believe me I have heard and seen everything. Some passengers wouldn't be happy unless you gave them the cruise for free. But there are others that thank you profusely for any little thing and they are sweetest kindest people you will ever meet. The crew work tirelessly on long days to ensure the guests have a great cruise. What keeps us going? Each other! The friends you make are the best because you have literally gone to war together. Plus many of us find our love life on the ship. Love is where you find it. Its not an easy life, but those that choose it, love it. We wouldn't do anything else.
Wow ... this is my sons second contract and he says the same thing I am surprised Disney has not noticed this is a trend happing in the fantasy cruise line
They are made aware almost every week through crew lead meetings with the steering committee. However, Disney is in the cruise industry to make money. There have been requests made to have a counselor or a psychiatrist on board, but that would cost too much and one would not be enough to serve 1,500 crew members.
The Disney Execs know it's about about PROFITS, no Cast/Crew Members -- Abigale Disney went undercover in Disneyland and found many Cast Members live in their cars because they can't afford to pay rent. Sad -- thanks for sharing!
I worked on ships in the 90s. It is really on the crew members to manage themselves and their mental health. That type of work is a calling. It is not for everyone. And, as a former crew, I don't think the cruise line should be responsible for counseling for the crew. If you need counseling to work on a cruise ship, it is not the life for you.
This will only change when nobody applies to work for Disney. Execs make all the money and those who actually represent the face of Disney don’t make anything.
Hi Ri: Well done and thank you. Our daughter worked on HAL, I understood much of what you were saying. I'm glad you're off and unscathed. Chalk it up to life experience. Good Luck
Who was in charge of certifying the life guards. I know at one point Disney World used Ellis to certify life guards. I wonder if the cruise line used Ellis too. My friend that was a life guard at the contemporary resort told me how strict they were with rules for the life guards.
THANK YOU!!!!! I worked on the Wonder (before Alaska) and you are spot on! It was emotionally exhausting! And physically was so sick. And, no, the pay isn’t worth it unless you are from a foreign company where the money goes further. You were fair and balanced in saying what happened as a crew member. I never had internet. Was insane. I worked at WDW, too. It is SOOOOO different! Completely different. Keep sharing!
the service industry is brutal enough on land. i have never worked on a ship but i can see why it would be difficult for some. its def for a specific type of person. its ok if thats not you. thanks for sharing your story!
Good video. I was a Chef on Cruise Ships. Very rarely I come across truthful vlogs about crew members life and why they will leave. But now with that virus , my cursing against them came fulfilled. I liked the job in some ways but I needed proper days off and the officers or higher management to do their job and not be just masters over slaves. Also , people who disliked your video , is them.
I have been dreaming about taking a Disney Cruise for a while...and now, after watching this, knowing how the staff is treated, I dont want to take one at all, or any cruise at all. Thank you very much for recording this.
Having been on all four ships and enjoyed every second of each trip, I commend and thank you for holding yourself together enough to make sure passengers enjoy their cruise. One of the best things about Disney Cruises and the Parks is the quality and cleanliness of their properties and the beyond-exceptional customer service. It’s what. brings me back. I wish I could just say I’ll stop patronizing Disney until they pay and treat their cast members and crew better but that wouldn’t bode well for preserving their jobs. All I can do is continue to show my appreciation for them by politeness and praise, and gratuities when necessary. I really resent corporations who don’t show appreciation for their employees and then put the burden of making up a livable wage on their customers. Disney talks the talk about happiness and respecting your fellow man (or beast), I just wish they’d walk the walk. Y’all are worth it. Thanks
Ashley Von Burg She’s literally complaining about traveling the world and having access to amazing food. I’m just saying it could always be worse. Breathing recycled farts on submarines for months on end is no fun.
But we don’t though. We also breathe recycled air and very rarely get to eat ‘guest food’. We both made our choices, this is how I chose to deal with mine. Ideally, this video can give someone more context to know if ship life is for them.
I recognize this is an older video, but I am curious. I have heard that a lot of the consistent labor on a cruise ship comes from foreign countries with pretty bad economies and job markets, where worker rights are limited, and the reason this is done is almost like sweat-shop work. The cruise ship provides slightly better pay and benefits than a job in someone's home country, so it seems like they are doing them a favor. Did you run into very many people on the cruises who were in that situation?
I used to work on ships, and although it wasn’t Disney this is super relatable. I’m my first contract I got transferred to different ships 3 times! They couldn’t understand why I didn’t feel settled and why it was making me uncomfortable. I also had a contract that was the same 1 week itinerary and it was just like ground hog day. That all being said, I feel like I’m in some sort of club and even though I disembarked 3 years ago now it’s still a story that I love to tell.
Crew Members Anonymous, 'Hi, my name is RI and it's been 2 years since I disembarked' I'm glad to have found such a supportive community among Ex-crew members. It's nice to know that you're not the only one feeling alone in these experiences.
I was recently a guest on Royal Caribbean and I could not enjoy my time at all. I am a server on land and have held a multitude of other customer service jobs, so I try my best to pay attention to employees and be kind. It made me extremely uncomfortable as a guest to be supporting RCL after learning that their crew members were only receiving 10 hour breaks and working 7 days a week for such little pay and after observing their working conditions. They all had great attitudes, but it was clear they were being taken advantage of by RCL. I will definitely not be continuing my business with RCL for this reason among quite a few others that came with the guest experience. It saddens me that most cruise lines are like this. I trust myself more to plan a nice vacation that doesn't violate employees and I honestly would be surprised if I took a cruise again. I wish you the best of luck in your future work endeavors, hopefully they will be better than DCL.
I went on the Wonder a few months ago, wish I watched this video sooner. I never knew how hard it is to work on a Disney cruise. I should have appreciated the staff a bit more. Thanks for sharing
As much as I love Disney Cruise Line, I’m not sure if I’d want to work there. I’m a cast member at the parks. I understand what you mean about certain decisions are not your call. Its frustrating, I know. Working upwards of 70 hours per week for less than minimum wage is not healthy after a while. It’s a tough choice. Not everyone can work on a cruise ship. You have a lot of courage to work/live on the ships. You also have courage to know when to say enough is enough.
Roseanne F When you are desperate you don’t have power. We want to think that the people in power make ethical decisions but alas power goes to peoples head and thru out time the truth is watching out for the greater good is not the typical! When you have no power you are at the mercy of those with it!
I went to the Freedom Center here in Cincinnati and this exact situation was described in the modern slavery exhibit. I agree. The fact that they controlled when she could eat, or make safety calls for the guest (when trained as a life guard) is absolutely modern slavery.
I can only see that Disney does not make it a job u wanna enjoy cause they seem to have a certain reputation and want fans of the label to enjoy the trips and all. but make it harder on workers in any way to weed out those who just want a job on a label ship. so if people quit the ships they have good reasons as she mentioned above. and they pay she showed that is basically cheap compared to minimum wage now. not sure anyone wanna work for that pay unless they had no choice to try any other job. so cool she try share what it like so ideas what it like to work for the label or company.
Absolutely wonderful speaking and getting to the point. Normally, I cannot stand such a long video, but you are clearly informative and fast at doing it. Thanks!
I know you made this almost a year ago, but thanks for telling the truth! I've worked for the company before and want to return to the Mouse and was thinking of trying the cruise area, but your video has helped me to realize that the parks are for me.
I also have an unpopular opinion about DCL as a guest. Everyone tells me I'm crazy but my family and I spent a lot of money doing a 12 day caribbean cruise two years ago and I could only say it was sub-par to a lot of other cruises we did. The magic of the character meetings wears off very fast when you realize you need to line up at certain hours to make sure you get a chance to see them in the 20 minutes they'll be at a certain location. Some days at sea turn into waiting in lines to see mickey mouse and his friends. The food is fine for breakfast or lunch but options are limited compared to other cruise ships. Yet, the food in the 3 main restaurants reminded me of cafeteria food and once we became closer to the staff we realized.. they knew they were serving bad food and they apologized for it and you could really tell they felt bad about it but they couldn't really say anything because they had supervisors breathing down their necks. Yet somehow people are enamoured with the disney cruises.. I really don't get it. And my expectations were not really high and I loved Castaway cay and I could stay there for a week but the cruise itself.. blah. And I'd say a third of the ship is reserved for adults and the two better restaurants are also adults-only.. I guess if you're the type of person who thinks a family vacation involves dumping your kid at Disney camp all day and go lay down in the adult-only section sipping margaritas.. it will be a wonderful cruise for you. For me, family vacations are meant to spend time as a family.
With the adults only sections it seems like they are trying to do an adult only cruise and a kid friendly cruise and those are not compatible. If they did an adult only cruise once a year or once a month they would probably find a market like an adults only day at parks would find a market. But you can't do that with kids on the ship too, the adults that don't want kids around can just go to an adults only ship or resort, and the families are left locked out of things.
Francesca E I agree. The weird thing also was in the many hours I waited in line to see characters, I noticed that more than half of the people waiting were adults, alone. Now I get the whole staying young thing, I really do but like, let the kids enjoy the magic. I’ve been to Disney hundreds of times but I wouldn’t return on a Disney cruise. Having seen the adult cruising without kids, I’m sure they could still manage to pack the ships on an occasional adult only cruise. Heck why not do one a month. But at the base of it all, I don’t think the concept works. At least make ONE out of the two restaurants accessible to children, especially given how bad the food is in the 3 main restaurants. And I get a lot of flak for dissing the food but anyone who finds the food is great has never been on a cruise that wasn’t a Disney ship.
Hi Charles. We have cruised a lot (mostly Celebrity, NCL, Princess) and I always wondered what would make Disney "worth" so much more? I'm not a fangirl and don't have kids, so I'm not the target demographic, either. But I appreciate your perspective! Are their margins so much higher? Clearly they're exploiting their people as much or more than the other lines... And the other lines all grind through the young and willing workers of the developing world. And each ship is a microcosm of our brutal global economic stratification! And it's such a bargain as a result - to live like the 'rich' on a floating hotel (which is run with military precision). The crew have to handle such "in your face" iniquities! (It makes me crazy when people treat crew rudely.) Sorry to rant. ;-)
Alison Pickering not sure if their margins are higher but when we booked, my kid had been brainwashed by countless Disney cruise commercials on the Disney channel so I wad comparing pricing between other cruise lines and Disney and went to a few travel agencies and they were all selling DCL as the CRUISE to end all CRUISES. And the food they said.. oh the food is like nothing you’ll ever see anywhere else. I would compare the food to spring break Carnival cruise line ships in the 90s. And there are a lot of adults sailing without kids, which I don’t really get. It has to be people who have never tried other companies. I love Disney. Yet I would never ever go on a DCL cruise ever again. Then people say, Castaway Cay.. ok it’s amazing but it’s one day in the entire trip and you’re paying 30% more than other cruises. I’m guessing the better option If you really want to go to Castaway Cay is to find a deal for a 4 day cruise.
@@ALAKAZOOVOLANT We cruise 2x/year, sometimes more - and we always get a balcony cabin with perks - and including tips we can ALWAYS do it for way under $300/day (using search engines like vacationstogo.com for research, and others - cruisecompete.com has agents mail you their offers on cruises you identify. Disney charges way over $500/day per person. (Do kids sail free?) They have a big entertainment staff, but it can't be SO different and I don't see the value. That being said, I haven't tried premium lines like Crystal/Seabourne/Regent/Azamara. Maybe I just don't know what I'm missing. But a great time can be had by all for under $200/day easy (up to $300 for Baltic and some European, depending on season). Food on Celebrity/Princess/NCL is quite good.
I enjoyed hearing about your opinions about working a Disney Cruise ship and have subscribed. The only thing I might suggest is to lower, I mean really lower that annoying background music. Looking forward to more videos!
I was a Merchant Marine back in the 70s and early 80, and the money was excellent back then. But when we lost a lot of jobs and needed to take a 50 to 80% cut in pay because of foreign registry of cruise ships & Freighters , Ultimately I bailed out. No pun intended.
I am so sorry that is happened. I hope we can spread this information around more so more people will know. I have never heard about this happening on the cruise and I hope this doesn't happen at the parks(I just learned about this and before thought you guys were well paid and given what you deserve) I hope I can spread this information and keep it in mind if I do go on a Disney cruise. I hope everything gets better and works out to where everyone is happy. I hope you have a wonderful day and stay safe.
My friend quit after the first cruise. After fifteen hours a day for a week she told them to stick it! Called her parents to come rescue her down in Florida.
The Disney Crew members re unfailingly friendly & helpful. Like Cast Members at the resorts, they are GOLD! I always add to the tips for the room & dinner servers. I tend to go to the adult coffee shop every morning, so leave a good extra tip for the workers there, too. It's not much, but I hope it lets them know they're appreciated.
That's all we ask for. Yes, tips are nice, but knowing we made a difference and added to your vacation in a positive way really goes a long way. I would get emotional just by a guest stopping to tell me how much they appreciated what we did.
@@RaisaLynn Once at Animal Kingdom, a young CM gave me some good advice about doing the Safari in the rain. I was across the park from it, and wanted to know if it would run in the rain. He said that the animals were actually more lively then, and, boy was he right! A few days later, I ran into him again, and thanked him for the advice. You should have seen the way his face lit up!
Does the crew have their own pool? Do they have an outside deck available to them. While I was on the Norwegian escape the crew had a party on the top aft deck and it was closed to vacationers of course. I was thrilled the crew had something at least. I love the crew on the escape and the Breakaway. They made my vacation great. I want them to have more time off if they want it. I would love to see their pays increase even if the price of tickets goes up. I pay my gratitudes up front and I tip my cabin steward at least 20 a day on top of that. I tip the bar people and wait staff or anyone else that does anything for me. I knew that they were grossly underpaid. I’m all for what ever it takes for the cruise ship staff to have a better life. After all they make our life’s so much better. We work like crazy just to have that week of relaxing on a ship. The staff are incredibly I absolutely adore them.
Yep honestly i think it's getting worse now that they are at like 2nd generation since Walt himself built his Disney empire. Now the heir only care about the Stock Market value and not the magic of Disney anymore. The fantasy dream turned to a Capitalist dream big time.
The internet should be free for staff and passengers alike. They pay enough for these cruises. You should have gotten discount on your drinks. Most work places have a staff discount, even supermarkets.
@@RaisaLynn It should be free for passengers as well. When I go cruising I won't even be taking my cell phone or bothering with the internet. I want a break from all that.
I feel so related to this!! I debarked before you got on board just for a couple of months and Worked for the Small World Nursery on board the Fantasy....We were not allowed to keep our tips, if a guest gave us money we will have to hand it to our managers and it will be used to throw a party for the whole Entertainment area what was really unfair. It was 8 of us inside the Nursery, taking care of children between 6 months and 3 years and sometimes will be 20 screaming children inside the Nursery. And we will have to share our tips with the entertainment area that included: 80 Youth Activities (only 8 from the nursery), lifeguards, technicians and characters and performers!!!! i got tipped more than once because guests really liked the job I did and the connection I had with their children, one of them knew I couldn't keep the money so she gave me candy or jewelry that I was allowed to keep. (Sometimes even the candy we had to send it to the managers office to share with all the other youth activities, what was fine if it was a loooot of candy) I agree so much with the mental health care and pretty much everything you said!!
That is ridiculous. Almost seems that Disney slowly brain washes selected departments to have "low self worth". Sad bc you will carry that feeling possibly a lifetime
If it were for an 8 hour day, 5 days a week, yeah, it wouldn't be too shabby. But it's 12+ hours a day, 7 days a week. So, it's pretty shabby. Cruise jobs are all shabby unless you're an officer.
The things that you are talking about are characteristic of ALL cruise ship work. I came off the Disney Wonder on medical and have had stomach issues ever since. It is HARD work BUT I managed to save enough to have a VERY comfortable start in life. Cruise ship life is made even more difficult as people from first world countries have higher expectations. It is about the experience!
Excellent video! I really appreciate each piece of information you said. Im embarking on the Fantasy in a couple of weeks, knowing that itll be hard but although the wage is under the minimun for Americans, for us (Argentinians) is triple the amount of an average salary. Ps: are work shoes at the crew shop expensive?
Thanks for watching, I'm glad it helped. I don't want to scare people away from the experience if they wish to try it but to be realistic/prepared for what they're signing up to do. Best of luck on your contract! What role did you apply for? I worked with a lot of Argentinian lifeguards and we always had a lot of fun together. I brought my own sandals to wear on the Fantasy but on the Wonder, I was given white tennis shoes to wear for the cooler weather.
@@RaisaLynnWow, didnt know that lots of Argentinians work for dcl. I've heard how difficult is but i really want to give it a try. I applied for dinning room service.
@@karenorellana36 Hi! I saw your post after watching this video :) Thought i'd jump in cause I was in Dining Room Service for 18 months. You'll receive black work shoes free of charge when you embark but will need to purchase white shoes for the Island :) I wish you all the best and good luck! I'm actually putting up a video this weekend of my first week on the ship if you're interested.
@@DebExplores Hey that's super nice from you, thanks! I've been looking for info about that department and that helps a lot, cant wait to see your video hahah.
I’m sorry it did not go well for you. My family tries to take the crew members feelings into account and not ask them for more than than the tremendous amount they are already doing. So I applaud you for trying and giving it your best. It is a very hard job. I can relate tho, serving in the Military, especially the US Navy, this is very similar. Living and working in the same place. Weeks or months on board. It’s not for everyone. Good luck in your future endeavors.
I did 2 contracts, 1 on the fantasy and 1 on the magic in merchandise 2016-2017, made under $6 an hour. I was asked often by guests “if you are from the USA why are you working here?” I worked at WDW previously, and thought DCL would be a nice opportunity. I met awesome people, but I did not enjoy the cabins, and the food crew eat is not the best. I ended up getting a kidney stone(the make dr on board kept saying it was cramps, made me feel like I was loosing my mind until I made them take me to the ER in Miami and it was indeed a kidney stone that was stuck in place) and had to medically debark. I really wanted to go back to do all of Europe but once I got home I decided to not go back because of my experience with the doctor on the ship. Working for DCL just isn’t for everyone. I enjoy going on cruises as a guest but I doubt I will work for a cruise on a ship again.
No it's not for anyone... I've bounced around the world in my job. Namely to the backwoods unknowns of Africa and I've seen a lot of and aided in medical treatment. A ship's doctor brushing off something as serious as a blocked kidney stone as mere cramps... the word "mutiny" comes to mind... I lack the tolerance you and your crew and I give you serious praise for that admirable quality
Sounds like an eye opener for you. I spent a few hitches in the Navy on 2 ships, and with a few minor word changes, it would sound like what I, and thousands of others in uniform deal with every day, with 4 year contracts. Thanks for sharing.
Going to work on the bus in the rain and cold to the same office every day gets old really fast too.......and I got fired when they found out I was pregnant and not married.
The people making safety decisions onboard are the deck officers, specifically the on watch deck officers on the bridge. They are highly skilled and trained officers who understand ship stability, safety etc hence why you where not allowed to make those decisions. They where not sat in the office and they fully understand the risks
Those are not the officers I was referencing. Often times we needed to call the bridge to confirm our decisions to close an attraction. My issue was with our direct management (the port adventures management). Nine times out of ten, they don't have any lifeguarding background and are basing their choice off of the fear of negative feedback from guests. Ie not closing the Aquaduck during a sea day even though the wind speed exceeds 60 knots. Many choices are made so that guests won't complain and tank their satisfaction score at the end of the cruise. I hope that makes sense. In my opinion, it's a very backwards way of managing a pool, regardless if its on land or a cruise ship.
I'd love to hear more comparing and contrasting DCL life vs working in the parks because although it's sad to hear even some of the comments in this video, it doesn't entirely surprise me and sometimes I have to wonder if working in the parks themselves might not be as glamorous as many claim it is except for the fact that cast members get free access in their off hours that ends up being a huge perk most entry level jobs can't offer. I'd imagine cruise line workers stuck in laundry below deck probably have about the same Disney spirit as line cooks at Casey's Corner tasked with cranking out hot dogs for guests as fast as they can for hours at a time... :(
@Sam Hamilton I did CP in 97 Fantasyland Merch and YES Program in 2000. It sounds like many things have changed since then. I miss the magic. I was blessed to work with some of the best cast members. I will say that working the Yes Program we were given more privileges than working Fantasyland Merch.
@Sam Hamilton, The Yes Program stood for Youth Education Series. We gave educational tours of the park. Its home base was the Disney Institute so we got to take all the cooking classes, wine classes, photography classes for free. We also were allowed to use the fitness center at the Institute to work out in. It was an advanced internship. After my group of interns left the institute went through restructuring. Last I knew the Yes Program had moved their office to Celebration.
I never understand this. As a former crew member myself, it amazes me when people gloss over the room and board. Rent where I live is about $1800 month, then another $320 for groceries. Adding 2120 to the money you make per month. Honestly I never felt shorted.
Fair. However, that’s an apartment of a certain square footage, assuming you don’t share a bunk bed with someone, and that nobody is coming once a week to search to make sure you emptied your trash or hoovered your floor. Also taking into account, when you shop for your own food, you have control of what’s on the menu, how it’s cooked & you get to raid your fridge whenever your hungry. Additionally, imagine you have a movie theater, water park and multiple nightclubs in your home and either having to ask for permission to use them or not being allowed to use them at all. Yes, it’s all paid for but there’s no freedom. For me, in the end the the cost didn’t outweigh the payment.
@@RaisaLynn I have worked on many cruise ships across a few different lines, including Disney. I am not just some random cruise passenger. When at home you have to cook your own food, clean your own pots pans and dishes... I never worried about the bunk inspections as I am neither a sob at home or on ship. Maybe I am lucky that I do not suffer from any mental illness, so did not find life on board all that tough. Being North American employees we also tend to get better pay and better jobs on ship.
@@RaisaLynn Again, another good look into the lifestyle of the military when they first get in and are cooped in barracks, dorms, etc. you use the cafeteria or you pay out of pocket for something you want....balance the little paycheck for what you want vs. need.....some do not do well and splurge on vehicles on first entering military...usually a bad idea and they end up getting really sporty vehicles which of course also means hefty insurance....and then your paycheck disappears quickly....your dorms are always subject to inspections, and you can get Health, Welfare and Morale inspections at any time (psst - that is code for Legal Raid into your dorm room) - where they search your belongings for contraband, visitors who should not be in your dorm room (usually females/males, sometimes underage people, or back in the days...same sex people when the gay folks would have flings in the dorm rooms)....they would normally then shuffle you off outside the dorm room and stand in line with your ID....and then it was off for a piss test to be sure you were not doing drugs....all the while the Security Forces personnel were walking with their drug dogs through the dorm rooms, looking inside all the various lockers, wall units, etc. while your lieutenant and first sergeant were coordinating everything from the hallway. As for drama, we had that by spades as well....whether it was between military people or military and civilians...or in a few cases with military and minors....you had some really crazy crap happen....and sometimes it was really bad.....fighting, trying to kill each other, running people over with vehicles, etc. and depending on where you were...you may not have an option to leave similarly to shipboard life...you can only get away so far before you find water.
My first cruise was a Disney Cruise. I tipped my house keeping staff with $100 that I left with a Note. I wrote thank you cards for each of my servers, because I knew that there job couldn't be easy. I put money in those cards as well. Thank you for the work you did.
Ask BAMAGRL26 ur the type of customer people hope and pray for. Someone understanding and empathetic of the struggles of working in the customer service industry.
You did the right thing, but they forgot you 2.2 seconds after throwing the note away. Just hand it to them with a verbal thank you. $100 was way too much. I have cruised 30 times. And extra $50 blows them away UNLESS you got free tips, then you should give more cash.
@@243wayne1 I don't know why you felt the need to be so ugly. Take a look at your life and yourself and figure out why. There's no need to go through life like the way you behaved towards this young gal.
@@bobbywoods684 Why would you say that? If a client wants to hand a server a nice tip with a note, it could mean the WORLD to someone who is far from home/family for months on end. I've played weddings for years. There are those who always view the "help" or musicians as the little people who will be "thrilled with" whatever amount you deem to be proper (usually low amount) and then there are those who tip well for a job well done and yes, even write a kind note that a struggling artist or server might tape to their mirror or keep in a drawer to read now and again when they feel depleted by people like U. Decency and generosity isn't a 'game' that you win or lose. Too many wealthy or wannabe wealthy people think it is. Examine yourself.
@@janellesadler If someone tips $100 cash to a room attendant who is already getting the reported $40, they're just making themselves feel better and have more money than sense. We just disagree over what dollar amount is fair and what's asinine, note aside- fine, write one, whatever. One reason I enjoy reading and making comments on these forums is that people like you draw so many conclusions about someone they don't know from one idea put forth and I think more often than not it's really a reflection of themselves. So I conclude you've lived a hard scramble life you're bitter about and it's gotten no better. You look back on high school as the best years of your life. Probably dozens of failed relationships, a couple of divorces from which your promiscuities have left you hollow, ashamed and with a side order of HPV. So, the vicious circle you find yourself in leads you to assume everyone has a better life than you, more money than you and is happier than you, none or all of which may be true. I don't know if any of that's true about you, but thought I'd return the same crappy observations to you hoping against hope you'll move on a bit more intelligent. So go examine yourself.
Disney has a bad reputation as an employer. I do production work in Hollywood, Ca. and was working on a Disney show for five years. The first three years they paid us $6.00 under scale. By the fourth year, they had to pay us scale. The fifth year, they changed the title of the show, so technically it was a new show and our pay was reduced once again. They are one of the most profitable corporations on the planet and they nickel and dime their employees constantly. Bastards. Good luck in your endeavors. Cheers.
@@robrmartin9369 It was my experience. Facts are facts.
@@robrmartin9369 Stop trolling decent, hard-working people, half-wit!
@@robrmartin9369 You sound like a fucking dumbass. He literally WORKED at Disney. I'm pretty sure he has his facts right.
@@polemius01 facts don't care about YOUR feelings
@@jeffdo9195 Of course, you follow the egregious fraud, Shapiro.
If you ever get a chance to go to the lower decks where the crew lives, it is a completely different world. All those smiles you see above are long goneeee. Kudos to all those hard working people.
I'm thankful you spoke out. I've been on precisely one cruise, and I thought I detected the mid-to-high grade exhaustion with just about every crew member. I'm ethically uncomfortable with participating in that kind of service.
Me too as well. Took a cruise from Turkey to Greece, all I could think about was the poor people who had to live on the boat for 9 years. Can't do it again man.
@@ruthbasta3089 contracts only last on average of 6 months and they choose if they want to do it again.
Alexander Gonzalez I’m not sure where you recieved that information nor do I know anything about contracts. But I do know that the cruise I went on had the people work for 9 months and take a break and go back home for a 3 months. And this would continue on for years! We met people who were working there for over 10 years. Furthermore, even if contracts lasted 6 months, I think it’s pretty sad that they don’t really have a choice but to continue working there because they’re sending money back to family at home.
@@ruthbasta3089 u said 9 years. read your comment again.
Alexander Gonzalez must have been a mistake 🤷♀️
I'm someone who cruises at least twice a year, and this is exactly why I will not tolerate fellow passengers treating crew members like shit. Their job is already hard enough, so the least I can do is be friendly, not leave any mess for them to clean up, and stand up for them when I see other passengers being rude to them. I have no shame in calling fellow passengers out on being awful towards crew members, because the crew has to walk a fine line with how they act around/talk to guests, and I want the crew on the ship I am sailing at the moment to know that I'm on their side. I'm also from the Northeast US so we are a bit blunt and take no crap as it is lol
Same here!!! I am from Connecticut, and when my husband and I cruise I know how much work goes into taking care of all the pesky passengers....some get so nasty and demanding over the dumbest shit.....and when we are in the buffet I never leave a mess at the table, always clean up the tables....even the MDR I always try and help lol (it's not my fault I was brought up in a proper home with manners) lol
@@AmyCT622 You hit the nail on the head there Amy.....BROUGHT UP WITH MANNERS!!! This is what is lacking nowadays sadly very much so overall....nobody respects anything and everything revolves around narcissistic assholes
You need to mind your own business before someone takes a moment to teach you a lesson on what can happen when you butt your nose in with people who you know nothing about. Obviously, if it directly and personally affects you or yours that's a different story, but that does not include your moral outrage.
@@1dashcamboatsandcars Just someone passing on some advice.
@@bobbywoods684 Actually, when someone is acting like an asshole because they think they're above someone in the service business, they deserve everything coming to them. Just because you were raised by idiots, doesn't give you the right to make everyone around you feel uncomfortable because you think your superiority complex is 'charming'.
Gee, this sounds like a typical deployment on a US Navy ship. Long hours, low pay, little time off. About the same... Maybe Disney should be hiring former military personnel.
This video points out the reason crew members from the US are rare aboard Disney's ship. Most Americans can make more money with better hours working for McDonalds...
CAphotos literally sounded like a military base lol
Did so many tours on a carrier as an AO and loved it. Then again I loved the navy and my team members and the experience as a whole. Only thing that sucked was the midrats but beat living off MREs when I was with the Seabees
@@garrettgonzales7614 IYAOYAS! haha i love that. AO or MA is my backup. i just finished swcc training phase 2 @CAphotos
Agreed, except she had the option of quitting. To me, sounds like it just wasn’t a good fit for her. Thank you for your service!
@@bowdieb7931 Exactly, had the option to quit. And good on ya for thanking them for their service. From a Ret Air Force First Shirt I also want to thank all fellow vets for their service.
I worked for Royal Caribbean, I have the exact same experience... I was told not to show my struggles to anyone or I’d lose my job - I quit when I got home
I'm so, so sorry to hear this. While we loved going on a Disney cruise, it breaks my heart they treat the Disney family so low. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your time and apologize for any one that treated you less than. It seems like a "dream" to work on the DCL and I I tried talking my 10 year old into being a cast member, but now I'm definitely thinking it's not a good idea. I could never throw a loved one into that situation. Thank you so much for this helpful info.
You received half the story....
They're 10 years old and you're talking to them about getting a job?? Leave her alone and let her be a 10 year old. Let her figure out where she wants to be when she's ready.
oh my gosh thank you so much i love your channel
I was a College Program cast member at Walt Disney World and then became DCL youth staff on the Wonder back in 2005. I had the same experience. Shocker! I lasted one contract and never looked back. I agree with everything you said. After a few years I went decided to go back but this time with Royal Caribbean. I had a blast for 6 contracts as a teen specialist. I left after a couple of years when I turned 30 and had to decide if I wanted a life or for RCCL to take care of me. I love working on ships, but ship life was not for me in the long run. Now I live in Houston with my wife, son, the dog and the memories.
Disney is known for being a tough company to work for. I work in television in Los Angeles and its always the last job we want to take. You are not alone... I feel for you and you are worth more!!
You should never be afraid to tell your truth. You owe it to your sanity. You are your first priority!
I’m glad you’ve made this video. I’ve worked on Royal Caribbean ships and mental health is a real struggle. Ship life is so difficult and hard to adjust to. Took me a while to get over the homesickness. I’ve been aiming to go for Disney cruises but I’m not sure and this video is very helpful. You have to tell the truth and how you felt. The rules for crew members on a ship are crazy at times!
If Royal was bad, i never deserve no one to go to Costa Cruises. Royal is a haven comparing to Costa. About Disney... well she always had this reputation with employees.
I worked on cruise ships for about 2 years and had a blast. I saved a lot of money and made so many friends. It can be exhausting working 7 days a week for 4-6 months. It helps if you have a passion for ships and the ocean and the outdoors and sunsets. It also helps if you make great friends onboard. The jobs that earn tips like waiters and cabin stewards do well.
Absolutely, I still know plenty of people on the ship who love their life on board. It just wasn't for me.
What cruise line?
It kinda sounds like a dream job - if you're like 18. But I saw that "they ordered me to not follow through w/ those molestation charges" & those girlies better be causing scenes & forming alliances. Otherwise, that sounds like a f'n nightmare.
I worked on Norwegian Cruise Line. All of this sounds about right... they treat you like crap. It’s a harsh life.
Yeah that's why most of the cast members are from the Philippines and places where the dollar goes farther. Glad you enjoy the Alaska experience.
Absolutely, it makes financial sense for them since the exchange rate is in their favor. & Thanks!
Hi I'm Ri Hey Ri can you do a video on good things about working on a Disney cruise ship? If there is any.
Absolutely yes
Thank you so much. At one point in my life I wanted to work for a Disney cruise really bad but then I started to hear rumors that it really bad for your mental health. I do think they should give the crew a day off in the week.
This is all pretty much what I would assume working on a cruise ship would be like. Granted, Disney could do better than the competition, but this seems standard. There's a reason why 98% of any of the workers you see on any cruise ship are from foreign countries.
I really want to know about the rooms / bedrooms for the crew members
I have a video of my crew cabin on the fantasy on my channel, but I'm still working on one for the Wonder. What would you like to know?
@Hi I’m Ri after I wrote this comment I found your fantasy room tour I dream to work on a Disney cruise when I turn 18 I would love to work in the entertainment department
London Donahoe “
London Donahoe i don’t think it’s a good idea to work on a disney cruise ship or go on one, there are multiple stories on people that go missing.. there’s a lot of evidence that cruise ships are used to human traffic, if u do end up working or going on one make sure your never alone.
Daisy your father I went on my first cruise in May of last year, I definitely felt safe as a tween guest, but I get where your coming from
I recently went on a cruise, not Disney but I could sense how unhappy most of the crew members were. They would put a smile on and were nice, but I could just tell they were really forcing it. Which is why I started researching this as soon as I got back on land. Thank you for sharing!
The Queen Mary 2 is a perfect example.
Hello!! your speech is amazing and so true. Thanks for sharing , and I hope you are doing something you love right now, I wish you the best. I'm also taking a break from cruise ship jobs , for "all" the reasons you have mentioned and I'm considering new horizons...let's see...take care !
Thank you! Knowing these things will help me to be more generous to the crew that takes care of us.
I wish you the best in your next job. Glad that you share for others to research before taking this type of job
We did the Disney Dream cruise and it was amazing. But I was disappointed when we had 3 great waiters one night for a late dinner - and I see them at breakfast at 6 am. My heart broke for them. They looked so tired
So proud of you for speaking your truth ❤️ love and miss you so much
OMG! I was a petty officer, too! And was also DENIED all privileges that I got with that! Never could eat above deck. Always told no.
I know it took alot of yourself to make this video....and good for you!! You look like a beautiful person and you deserve sooo much better!! Good things will come your way!! Keep strong and be well!!!
Why I quit Disney: Things were too goofy! Seriously though, I'm glad that former crew workers are opening up about their experiences because it will help those who are thinking about that line of work. Also, it informs the public (and cruise lines stockholders) what goes on behind the scenes. Best of luck in your future endeavors!
LOL Like the cruise lines and stockholders care. Get real they've been treating cruise staff like slave labor for so long it's going to take a miracle to make changes. There are so many foreigners who are just happy to have a job they'll work for less money and be thankful for it.
Now I believed what many crew said about their Disney Cruises stories.
I support you so much! This may burn bridges with Disney, i know they're like that sometimes :(((
I'm so glad that Sarah recommended your site, way back when. You've caused me to have so much more compassion for Disney employees . . . especially during the times when someone is being disrespectful because they hope to make their own "magic". (does this sentence make sense?)
Thanks for sticking around for so long! The guest/cm relationship has always been complex. I won't say that all guests are absent-minded when it comes to thinking of CMs as actual people, but Disney tends to promote how wonderful their service is and not the wonderful humans providing that service. I understand that a lot of time and money goes into planning a Disney vacation and obviously you want it to be perfect, sometimes emotions turn into frustration when things don't go exactly as planned and it's not always the cm's fault. Again, I've had many experiences where guests went out of their way to make me feel appreciated for what I did and that's what made it all worth it.
I worked for Carnival Cruise Line and I had a very similar experience. I hated my time on the ships but glad I have the experience.
I could understand how making this and putting it out there could have some backlash. Very courageous of you to do this. I do hope nothing negative had taken place since it's release.
You are an excellent speaker. I think you have great talents in communication and you're very likable. Believe it! You can do great things!
I was on one of the Fantasy cruises while you were working there! I’m so sorry that you had a hard time but thank you so so much for making magic for my family💖💖💖
The Crewbar saved me during my 7month contract on the DCL :)
I respect 100% your honesty, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It takes a lot of guts to pour out your heart. Kudos!
You seem like a great employee. Good luck on your future. I'm sure you will go far.
Yea I did a disney college program and after working at the magic kingdom for a year I was done with Disney
Thanks for sharing. I understand how you might feel worried by speaking up. I feel like although you spoke of your experience on the Disney Cruise Line, it’s probably about the same on all of them. Looks like a fun, fabulous job, until the reality and rules takeover the experience.
I am also a seafarer or should I say was. I worked for a major Cruiseline where I did 4 contracts between 3 ships. The lifestyle is very crazy, some of what you mentioned, I can attest to it. On another note tho, it is adventurous and fun to travel the world in such short time but it interfered with my personal life and that of my family also. I had to make a decision because it was killing me inside and so I left.
Dada New Money glad that you tried something new and were smart enough to change jobs when you decided it wasn’t right for you !! That can happen with any job in your life but I understand that being on a ship full time can be stressful for people. We love cruising and pack a bag of essentials for our room steward on every trip. We also pack phone cards for the wait staff so they can call home.
You should be so proud of yourself. You did a great job!
The pay is probably the #1 reason why the vast majority of crew on a ship are NOT U.S. Citizens! I'm betting that "lifeguards" don't get tips either, like wait staff and housekeeping. The Cast Members at the Parks don't make much more either (just as Abigale Disney)!!!
Why ask her, because she is nobody as far as Disney goes, other than her last name ,has zero to do with Disney
@@johnheeser She will use her status and the Disney last name to her advantage yet says she doesn't like what the Disney Company does.
I get it. Was an entertainer on a very exclusive cruise ship line for 4 months. I will never do it again. The food, omg. Just awful and because the ship was so boutique/small, we were not allowed to eat anything outside of the crew mess. Anyone who's worked on a ship understands the crew mess..you know. The ports and the experience of travel were cool but constantly tainted by the treatment onboard. The military approach is okay by me. There needs to be rules and order. But bad food for the hard-working, underpaid folks is just a soul suck, day after day. The only way we could eat decently was to have a guest invite us to share dinner with them, which was stressful because over time we felt desperate. It messed with our flow concerning the guests. It was very difficult not to complain in front of them, which is unprofessional. Even if we had GREAT reviews for our work over and over, we never got a reward for better food opportunities. Disgusted by the end of my contract.
Janelle Sadler I knew exactly what line you were referring to as I was an entertainer there as well. 😉 Just listening to this video gave me so much anxiety!
@@WendyWillsSings Girrrrrllll.......
I ate better in the military....
What you describe is completely accurate. I was data center manager for a year for Disney Internet and honestly the mentality even with that is absolutely the same. Good on you
I wish I had known this before going on a Disney cruise few weeks ago. I would had appreciated the crew members even more. Not that I didn't but I would had taken little gifts to them and be extra nice to them. Do crew members recent passengers and just pretend to be nice to them because they have to? Disney cruises are very expensive but not everyone who goes can easily afford them. Some people save for a few years to be able to make their Disney cruise dream come true. Thanks for sharing!
I won't say we don't talk about all the shitty guests while we're together in the crew bar, but not every bad experience is unique. I will say, it feels really good to get 1:1 recognition from the guests or even a letter after the cruise. I'm all for making magic for guests, I know it can be expensive to sail or go to the parks, but cast members are people too.
Yes I want to take my kids on Disney but it’s so much
@@sherinash2012 take them on MSC Cruises, it is a better value for money and far less expensive.
@@odkbull depends on what you like about cruising. There is no better value or worse value.
@@blewyd 4 cruises in wth MSC, 2 more coming this year. We love the line!
I also worked on the Disney Magic in 1999-2000
The management treated me terribly because I was a contractor and my boss’s were in Miami. Apparently some of these horrible people didn’t think my job there was necessary. They wanted to control me and couldn’t and they hated that!!
When the one group of management would leave ( The cruise director, the shore excursion manager, and children’s camp counselor director) go on their holiday and the staff would change these other particular people HATED me, because we were new to them and they didn’t really want our presence there.
I was the shopping in paradise guide. The shore excursion manager actually expected me to sell shore excursion tickets during my desk hours when I was supposed to be promoting shore shopping and giving out maps and VIP packages etc.
So we started out on the wrong foot within the first few days of my taking over the ship from the other guide who was actually selling those darn tickets for them. I refused to do it and we started budding heads right away.
I experienced horrible hostility, and sexual harassment from both the shore excursion manager and the cruise director.
It’s a very long story on all of the things that happened to me.
What was my kiss of death was when Eisner’s right hand man came on the ship to observe how things were going.
I took it upon myself to have a meeting with him and I told him everything that had happened to me in the previous 10 months.
I remember my friend who was a bar manager begging me not to do it, but I’m very stubborn and I didn’t think it through. Well two weeks later my company told me that they were taking me off the ship and going to give me a different one.
It was everything to do with my complaints about what was happening to me on the ship. Of course my company never brought it up but I knew exactly why. I was doing such a great job the numbers were the best they had seen since the program started on the ship.
My company never did provide me with another ship so I lost my job, I was dating someone who lived in Nassau for most of the 10 months. We ended up getting married ( 20 years this year!) . My husband works for the federal government and as luck would have it the ambassador was having his annual Fourth of July party and the captain of the ship was at the party as he had been invited. We were there as well alongside of all of the other embassy personnel.
He was so happy to see me as he never knew what happened to me because we were very close friends.
When I lost my job I was told that I was getting off the ship the very next day so I had to pack out my entire cabin that was loaded with so many personal things that I had purchased I didn’t have time to say goodbye to anybody.
So when I saw the captain at the party I told him everything that happened to me on the ship. He promised me that he was going to deal with ALL of those people.
I don’t know whatever happened, but that’s how karma works. Those people never realized or thought that one day I would see that Captain again. 😊
I remember the lady that was in charge of the children’s program and how absolutely jealous she was that she would see me eating with the captain. She made so much trouble for me that she actually had me demoted to eating in the crew mess even though my contract stated that I was a staff member.
I was always dressed up to the nines because of the job that I did and how many times did I end up getting a condiment or something else on my clothes because of that filthy crew mess.
I was so angry over that.
The shore excursion manager saw me eating an apple walking down the hallway coming out of the crew mess and he made a big deal over it.
He also made a big deal over the fact that I would go up on deck during the sale away party and I would be wearing white pants and he told me that he could see my “thong underwear”, through my pants. You could see every woman’s panties through their white pants in the bright sun, yet he had to point that out to me!!
The cruise director used to call me “sweet cheeks” and he would squeeze or pat my bum.
The level of harassment just continued all of the time. In fact that same children’s camp lady asked me to come on my free time and work with the children. I did it one time, and I did manage to get my employer to put a stop to that. I was not an employee of Disney, they were not paying me to do that, my job was to generate sales for the merchants and collect the money, give the shopping talk and hand out the maps and do desk hours and a jewelry seminar on the four day cruise.
I certainly was NOT there to work as a camp counselor.
I got over this, but it took me a long time because of the injustice was so unbelievable.
I should’ve listened to my friend when he was grabbing the back of my jacket begging me not to go over and talk to him.
While talking, the cruise director showed up and this man started having a conversation with him about how Disney wants my company there and asked him if I was being treated well and that they are being accommodating to my needs? I remember his voice going higher and higher and his face got very red and it looked like he was choking on his collar being buttoned up at his neck. He kept pulling on it, I thought he might pass out. Of course he lied through his clenched teeth!
Even though because of this conversation I lost my job, it was really worth it in that moment seeing this cruise director behaving this way. Plus my revenge from the Fourth of July party on all of those people.
So I totally understand what you went through working on the ship. They robbed all of the joy out of the greatest job on the ship. Everyone else in the company that works on other cruise lines gets a passenger cabin, gets to eat in the staff dining, are very welcome on their ships and have absolutely zero problems. I don’t know what it’s like now for them, but I can’t really see it being that much different because of the jealousy factor.
Back in 1999 they were paying me 2000 a month, plus I was getting points from Columbian emeralds international and after the 10 months I walked out of there with a lot of really nice jewelry, including a gold watch. I really did work hard and the sales were huge. None of that mattered at that point to my employers because they wanted this contract so badly.
I can’t see port lectures being as important as they were that many years ago as the cruising industry was so new and most of the people coming on the ship had never been on a cruise before. Cruising is so popular now that most people understand the tax and duty laws, they know where they like to shop, they don’t need to go to the shopping in paradise talk. I used to fill the Buena Vista theater.
I love doing that job so much, the guests were so nice and the people that I was friends with some of them I still stay in touch with.
You definitely did the right thing here. People should know the truth about working on a Disney ship.
Best of luck to you.
I worked a land job in which I lived and worked at the place. Luckily, it was a short gig (3 months) because you don't realize until you're doing it that it's emotionally draining. There's no escape and the positions are often salaried so you don't realize that even though you're technically off, you're never "off." At 24/7, I realized my wages were something like $4.25/hr. Never again.
That’s crazy, I was looking into being a lifeguard for Disney cruise line and I’m currently a lifeguard at the Disneyland resort but now I’m changing my mind lol. Those only problem in would have is haircuts because of “Disney look” does the ship have a barber and/or salon for cast? Also them having you pay for WiFi is stupid not like your a guest paying to be there, your there doing a job for the ship
No, get used to having out of control long hair. There’s some crew members who cut people hair though, sometimes not great but it’s a haircut in desperate times.
They do have a barbershop for the crew and I know certain departments could go to the guess salon to get their haircut But I’m not sure if that was available to all departments.
TaylorWMusic22 ahh ok, I would assume departments that interact with guest than
eddie manzo Well almost every department interacts with the guest in some sort of capacity so I don’t think that’s how they do it. I think it may be by rank.
As someone studying to be an officer on ships it's really cool to see this from the service industry perspective. Similar but different in so many ways.
This is so interesting and very frustrating to hear. I am outrageously proud of you for doing what was best for you and for trying to make sure future CMs have more information about what they're potentially getting into.
Also I miss you ❤
I worked on the Disney Dream back in 2015, for 3 months, as a piano player in a band. I must say that my experience was quite different. We got certain perks/privileges, and salary was VERY good! It was one of my favorite Cruise lines that I performed on. The food was exceptional too!
Calvin Carrington Being a performer and being a crew person is totally different
Makes sense. You have a skill not many people have. Just like land jobs, the higher the skill, higher the pay. Low skill/easily trainable jobs will get you low pay. Tips for the kids: learn a good skill/trade/study high demand majors
D Mifflin Tip for the world: make sure all kids have access to the education that will provide those types of jobs.
Performers, probably get better treatment because limited number of them.
I felt like the bigger the ship, the better the musicians get treated. I gigged on a very small ship, lounge work. You most definitely did NOT get good food, unless you were in the Cast appearing in the showroom. We had to entice the passengers to invite us to dinner with them if we wanted to eat guality food. Can you imagine? Always eating in mess? And not the officer's mess. It was a mess. lol But I made it.
When my wife went on cruise with another cruise line, I asked some of the crew how many It is sad but being from other countries, they have to sacrifice for their family and endure the hardships. hours a day they put in at work. They all basically said 14 -18 hrs a day and no overtime pay and 1 day off.
I am sorry for the messed up comment. iPad app on writing is terrible and keep doubling back on my comment.
I have worked 15 years for a cruise line. I worked my way up to 3 stripes in passenger services. Believe me I have heard and seen everything. Some passengers wouldn't be happy unless you gave them the cruise for free. But there are others that thank you profusely for any little thing and they are sweetest kindest people you will ever meet. The crew work tirelessly on long days to ensure the guests have a great cruise. What keeps us going? Each other! The friends you make are the best because you have literally gone to war together. Plus many of us find our love life on the ship. Love is where you find it. Its not an easy life, but those that choose it, love it. We wouldn't do anything else.
Hii hows working in laundry? In cruise ship
@@yesssboss2219 I am now the Hotel General Manager
@@RichardDaniels-xo7pk ok which hotel?
@@yesssboss2219 What do you mean, which hotel?
@@RichardDaniels-xo7pk im asking hotel name and which country...
Wow ... this is my sons second contract and he says the same thing I am surprised Disney has not noticed this is a trend happing in the fantasy cruise line
They are made aware almost every week through crew lead meetings with the steering committee. However, Disney is in the cruise industry to make money. There have been requests made to have a counselor or a psychiatrist on board, but that would cost too much and one would not be enough to serve 1,500 crew members.
The Disney Execs know it's about about PROFITS, no Cast/Crew Members -- Abigale Disney went undercover in Disneyland and found many Cast Members live in their cars because they can't afford to pay rent. Sad -- thanks for sharing!
Dj1972 Repoman , there is an endless supply of young adults to replace them. 😢
I worked on ships in the 90s. It is really on the crew members to manage themselves and their mental health. That type of work is a calling. It is not for everyone. And, as a former crew, I don't think the cruise line should be responsible for counseling for the crew. If you need counseling to work on a cruise ship, it is not the life for you.
This will only change when nobody applies to work for Disney. Execs make all the money and those who actually represent the face of Disney don’t make anything.
I was going to apply for a cruise ship job many years ago.
The first thing they wanted was $50 for the info book!!
Used to work on the wonder. Love Disney but cruise was not for me.
Did 9 years for Disney parks I can relate! Looked you up on fb and we have 15 mutual friends. Our paths must have crossed I also did DPI for a bit
Hi Ri: Well done and thank you. Our daughter worked on HAL, I understood much of what you were saying. I'm glad you're off and unscathed. Chalk it up to life experience. Good Luck
Alaska was amazing! 2004 on princess dawn. Love to do it again.
Who was in charge of certifying the life guards. I know at one point Disney World used Ellis to certify life guards. I wonder if the cruise line used Ellis too. My friend that was a life guard at the contemporary resort told me how strict they were with rules for the life guards.
Yes, we trained under Ellis, too. I didn’t have an issue with the certification, it was mostly managers.
THANK YOU!!!!! I worked on the Wonder (before Alaska) and you are spot on! It was emotionally exhausting! And physically was so sick. And, no, the pay isn’t worth it unless you are from a foreign company where the money goes further. You were fair and balanced in saying what happened as a crew member. I never had internet. Was insane. I worked at WDW, too. It is SOOOOO different! Completely different. Keep sharing!
the service industry is brutal enough on land. i have never worked on a ship but i can see why it would be difficult for some. its def for a specific type of person. its ok if thats not you. thanks for sharing your story!
Good video. I was a Chef on Cruise Ships. Very rarely I come across truthful vlogs about crew members life and why they will leave. But now with that virus , my cursing against them came fulfilled. I liked the job in some ways but I needed proper days off and the officers or higher management to do their job and not be just masters over slaves. Also , people who disliked your video , is them.
I have been dreaming about taking a Disney Cruise for a while...and now, after watching this, knowing how the staff is treated, I dont want to take one at all, or any cruise at all. Thank you very much for recording this.
Having been on all four ships and enjoyed every second of each trip, I commend and thank you for holding yourself together enough to make sure passengers enjoy their cruise. One of the best things about Disney Cruises and the Parks is the quality and cleanliness of their properties and the beyond-exceptional customer service. It’s what. brings me back. I wish I could just say I’ll stop patronizing Disney until they pay and treat their cast members and crew better but that wouldn’t bode well for preserving their jobs. All I can do is continue to show my appreciation for them by politeness and praise, and gratuities when necessary. I really resent corporations who don’t show appreciation for their employees and then put the burden of making up a livable wage on their customers. Disney talks the talk about happiness and respecting your fellow man (or beast), I just wish they’d walk the walk. Y’all are worth it.
Thanks
Thank you for sharing your experience! I’m so sad to hear that any employee is treated this way.
Try spending 7 months a year submerged on a submarine. 5 times....
Now that sucks.
uhhh totally
Timothy Poole i would freak out🤦🏾♂️ thanks for your service
It's not a competition. Don't invalidate others because you feel you had it worse...
Ashley Von Burg She’s literally complaining about traveling the world and having access to amazing food. I’m just saying it could always be worse. Breathing recycled farts on submarines for months on end is no fun.
But we don’t though. We also breathe recycled air and very rarely get to eat ‘guest food’.
We both made our choices, this is how I chose to deal with mine. Ideally, this video can give someone more context to know if ship life is for them.
I recognize this is an older video, but I am curious. I have heard that a lot of the consistent labor on a cruise ship comes from foreign countries with pretty bad economies and job markets, where worker rights are limited, and the reason this is done is almost like sweat-shop work. The cruise ship provides slightly better pay and benefits than a job in someone's home country, so it seems like they are doing them a favor. Did you run into very many people on the cruises who were in that situation?
I used to work on ships, and although it wasn’t Disney this is super relatable. I’m my first contract I got transferred to different ships 3 times! They couldn’t understand why I didn’t feel settled and why it was making me uncomfortable. I also had a contract that was the same 1 week itinerary and it was just like ground hog day. That all being said, I feel like I’m in some sort of club and even though I disembarked 3 years ago now it’s still a story that I love to tell.
Crew Members Anonymous, 'Hi, my name is RI and it's been 2 years since I disembarked'
I'm glad to have found such a supportive community among Ex-crew members. It's nice to know that you're not the only one feeling alone in these experiences.
@@RaisaLynn what was your position there?
Hi I'm Ri I feel like we need badges 😂
@@chubbybunniesssss for what?
Thank you! I worked with DCL for 5 years. Everything you said is 101 percent correct. I worked on 3 ships the dream, the fantasy and the wonder.
I was recently a guest on Royal Caribbean and I could not enjoy my time at all. I am a server on land and have held a multitude of other customer service jobs, so I try my best to pay attention to employees and be kind. It made me extremely uncomfortable as a guest to be supporting RCL after learning that their crew members were only receiving 10 hour breaks and working 7 days a week for such little pay and after observing their working conditions. They all had great attitudes, but it was clear they were being taken advantage of by RCL.
I will definitely not be continuing my business with RCL for this reason among quite a few others that came with the guest experience. It saddens me that most cruise lines are like this. I trust myself more to plan a nice vacation that doesn't violate employees and I honestly would be surprised if I took a cruise again. I wish you the best of luck in your future work endeavors, hopefully they will be better than DCL.
I went on the Wonder a few months ago, wish I watched this video sooner. I never knew how hard it is to work on a Disney cruise. I should have appreciated the staff a bit more. Thanks for sharing
As much as I love Disney Cruise Line, I’m not sure if I’d want to work there. I’m a cast member at the parks. I understand what you mean about certain decisions are not your call. Its frustrating, I know. Working upwards of 70 hours per week for less than minimum wage is not healthy after a while. It’s a tough choice. Not everyone can work on a cruise ship. You have a lot of courage to work/live on the ships. You also have courage to know when to say enough is enough.
Paul Tully get yourself out of Disney.. it really isn't worth it.. there are plenty of jobs out there that pay alot better and you can work alot less.
Anyone that wants to work on a cruise ship theres one word. SLAVERY period. If people would not accept these jobs they would have to pay more
Roseanne F When you are desperate you don’t have power. We want to think that the people in power make ethical decisions but alas power goes to peoples head and thru out time the truth is watching out for the greater good is not the typical! When you have no power you are at the mercy of those with it!
I went to the Freedom Center here in Cincinnati and this exact situation was described in the modern slavery exhibit. I agree. The fact that they controlled when she could eat, or make safety calls for the guest (when trained as a life guard) is absolutely modern slavery.
I can only see that Disney does not make it a job u wanna enjoy cause they seem to have a certain reputation and want fans of the label to enjoy the trips and all. but make it harder on workers in any way to weed out those who just want a job on a label ship. so if people quit the ships they have good reasons as she mentioned above. and they pay she showed that is basically cheap compared to minimum wage now. not sure anyone wanna work for that pay unless they had no choice to try any other job. so cool she try share what it like so ideas what it like to work for the label or company.
tyrone b or unless they want to go to Alaska and then quit.
Oh please. Slaves, whether historically or modern barely got fed never mind paid and it wasn't a choice
Absolutely wonderful speaking and getting to the point. Normally, I cannot stand such a long video, but you are clearly informative and fast at doing it. Thanks!
I know you made this almost a year ago, but thanks for telling the truth! I've worked for the company before and want to return to the Mouse and was thinking of trying the cruise area, but your video has helped me to realize that the parks are for me.
I also have an unpopular opinion about DCL as a guest. Everyone tells me I'm crazy but my family and I spent a lot of money doing a 12 day caribbean cruise two years ago and I could only say it was sub-par to a lot of other cruises we did. The magic of the character meetings wears off very fast when you realize you need to line up at certain hours to make sure you get a chance to see them in the 20 minutes they'll be at a certain location. Some days at sea turn into waiting in lines to see mickey mouse and his friends. The food is fine for breakfast or lunch but options are limited compared to other cruise ships. Yet, the food in the 3 main restaurants reminded me of cafeteria food and once we became closer to the staff we realized.. they knew they were serving bad food and they apologized for it and you could really tell they felt bad about it but they couldn't really say anything because they had supervisors breathing down their necks. Yet somehow people are enamoured with the disney cruises.. I really don't get it. And my expectations were not really high and I loved Castaway cay and I could stay there for a week but the cruise itself.. blah.
And I'd say a third of the ship is reserved for adults and the two better restaurants are also adults-only.. I guess if you're the type of person who thinks a family vacation involves dumping your kid at Disney camp all day and go lay down in the adult-only section sipping margaritas.. it will be a wonderful cruise for you. For me, family vacations are meant to spend time as a family.
With the adults only sections it seems like they are trying to do an adult only cruise and a kid friendly cruise and those are not compatible. If they did an adult only cruise once a year or once a month they would probably find a market like an adults only day at parks would find a market. But you can't do that with kids on the ship too, the adults that don't want kids around can just go to an adults only ship or resort, and the families are left locked out of things.
Francesca E I agree. The weird thing also was in the many hours I waited in line to see characters, I noticed that more than half of the people waiting were adults, alone. Now I get the whole staying young thing, I really do but like, let the kids enjoy the magic. I’ve been to Disney hundreds of times but I wouldn’t return on a Disney cruise. Having seen the adult cruising without kids, I’m sure they could still manage to pack the ships on an occasional adult only cruise. Heck why not do one a month. But at the base of it all, I don’t think the concept works. At least make ONE out of the two restaurants accessible to children, especially given how bad the food is in the 3 main restaurants. And I get a lot of flak for dissing the food but anyone who finds the food is great has never been on a cruise that wasn’t a Disney ship.
Hi Charles. We have cruised a lot (mostly Celebrity, NCL, Princess) and I always wondered what would make Disney "worth" so much more? I'm not a fangirl and don't have kids, so I'm not the target demographic, either. But I appreciate your perspective! Are their margins so much higher? Clearly they're exploiting their people as much or more than the other lines... And the other lines all grind through the young and willing workers of the developing world. And each ship is a microcosm of our brutal global economic stratification! And it's such a bargain as a result - to live like the 'rich' on a floating hotel (which is run with military precision). The crew have to handle such "in your face" iniquities! (It makes me crazy when people treat crew rudely.) Sorry to rant. ;-)
Alison Pickering not sure if their margins are higher but when we booked, my kid had been brainwashed by countless Disney cruise commercials on the Disney channel so I wad comparing pricing between other cruise lines and Disney and went to a few travel agencies and they were all selling DCL as the CRUISE to end all CRUISES. And the food they said.. oh the food is like nothing you’ll ever see anywhere else. I would compare the food to spring break Carnival cruise line ships in the 90s. And there are a lot of adults sailing without kids, which I don’t really get. It has to be people who have never tried other companies. I love Disney. Yet I would never ever go on a DCL cruise ever again. Then people say, Castaway Cay.. ok it’s amazing but it’s one day in the entire trip and you’re paying 30% more than other cruises. I’m guessing the better option If you really want to go to Castaway Cay is to find a deal for a 4 day cruise.
@@ALAKAZOOVOLANT We cruise 2x/year, sometimes more - and we always get a balcony cabin with perks - and including tips we can ALWAYS do it for way under $300/day (using search engines like vacationstogo.com for research, and others - cruisecompete.com has agents mail you their offers on cruises you identify. Disney charges way over $500/day per person. (Do kids sail free?) They have a big entertainment staff, but it can't be SO different and I don't see the value. That being said, I haven't tried premium lines like Crystal/Seabourne/Regent/Azamara. Maybe I just don't know what I'm missing. But a great time can be had by all for under $200/day easy (up to $300 for Baltic and some European, depending on season). Food on Celebrity/Princess/NCL is quite good.
I enjoyed hearing about your opinions about working a Disney Cruise ship and have subscribed. The only thing I might suggest is to lower, I mean really lower that annoying background music. Looking forward to more videos!
I was a Merchant Marine back in the 70s and early 80, and the money was excellent back then. But when we lost a lot of jobs and needed to take a 50 to 80% cut in pay because of foreign registry of cruise ships & Freighters , Ultimately I bailed out. No pun intended.
I am so sorry that is happened. I hope we can spread this information around more so more people will know. I have never heard about this happening on the cruise and I hope this doesn't happen at the parks(I just learned about this and before thought you guys were well paid and given what you deserve) I hope I can spread this information and keep it in mind if I do go on a Disney cruise. I hope everything gets better and works out to where everyone is happy. I hope you have a wonderful day and stay safe.
My friend quit after the first cruise. After fifteen hours a day for a week she told them to stick it! Called her parents to come rescue her down in Florida.
wow, what position was?
The Disney Crew members re unfailingly friendly & helpful. Like Cast Members at the resorts, they are GOLD!
I always add to the tips for the room & dinner servers.
I tend to go to the adult coffee shop every morning, so leave a good extra tip for the workers there, too.
It's not much, but I hope it lets them know they're appreciated.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Disney is not the greatest employer, alas.
But, I still love it!
That's all we ask for. Yes, tips are nice, but knowing we made a difference and added to your vacation in a positive way really goes a long way. I would get emotional just by a guest stopping to tell me how much they appreciated what we did.
@@RaisaLynn Once at Animal Kingdom, a young CM gave me some good advice about doing the Safari in the rain. I was across the park from it, and wanted to know if it would run in the rain. He said that the animals were actually more lively then, and, boy was he right!
A few days later, I ran into him again, and thanked him for the advice. You should have seen the way his face lit up!
I wanted to serve on the Enterprise, but they put me on the Excelsior. I feel your pain.
Hilarious star trek reference!
Does the crew have their own pool? Do they have an outside deck available to them. While I was on the Norwegian escape the crew had a party on the top aft deck and it was closed to vacationers of course. I was thrilled the crew had something at least. I love the crew on the escape and the Breakaway. They made my vacation great. I want them to have more time off if they want it. I would love to see their pays increase even if the price of tickets goes up. I pay my gratitudes up front and I tip my cabin steward at least 20 a day on top of that. I tip the bar people and wait staff or anyone else that does anything for me. I knew that they were grossly underpaid. I’m all for what ever it takes for the cruise ship staff to have a better life. After all they make our life’s so much better. We work like crazy just to have that week of relaxing on a ship. The staff are incredibly I absolutely adore them.
Happiest place on earth to the guests but a prison cell for thee employees.
My husband likes to quip about the "Disney Gulag" for any employees that aren't smiling and cheerful at all times.
Yep honestly i think it's getting worse now that they are at like 2nd generation since Walt himself built his Disney empire. Now the heir only care about the Stock Market value and not the magic of Disney anymore. The fantasy dream turned to a Capitalist dream big time.
The internet should be free for staff and passengers alike. They pay enough for these cruises. You should have gotten discount on your drinks. Most work places have a staff discount, even supermarkets.
They did just announce that crew can now text each other on the ship for free. so 🤷
@@RaisaLynn It should be free for passengers as well. When I go cruising I won't even be taking my cell phone or bothering with the internet. I want a break from all that.
This is what grinds my gears about the whole situation. They could do better in regards to the little things for employees aboard ships.
I feel so related to this!! I debarked before you got on board just for a couple of months and Worked for the Small World Nursery on board the Fantasy....We were not allowed to keep our tips, if a guest gave us money we will have to hand it to our managers and it will be used to throw a party for the whole Entertainment area what was really unfair.
It was 8 of us inside the Nursery, taking care of children between 6 months and 3 years and sometimes will be 20 screaming children inside the Nursery. And we will have to share our tips with the entertainment area that included: 80 Youth Activities (only 8 from the nursery), lifeguards, technicians and characters and performers!!!! i got tipped more than once because guests really liked the job I did and the connection I had with their children, one of them knew I couldn't keep the money so she gave me candy or jewelry that I was allowed to keep. (Sometimes even the candy we had to send it to the managers office to share with all the other youth activities, what was fine if it was a loooot of candy)
I agree so much with the mental health care and pretty much everything you said!!
omg disgusting
That is ridiculous. Almost seems that Disney slowly brain washes selected departments to have "low self worth". Sad bc you will carry that feeling possibly a lifetime
when I was working about 17 yrs ago there was no Alaska in Wonder....
$450 a week plus room and board. If you have no other life responsibilities that ain’t to shabby.
If it were for an 8 hour day, 5 days a week, yeah, it wouldn't be too shabby. But it's 12+ hours a day, 7 days a week. So, it's pretty shabby. Cruise jobs are all shabby unless you're an officer.
That is a joke.
Plus you have to hide in your free time
The things that you are talking about are characteristic of ALL cruise ship work. I came off the Disney Wonder on medical and have had stomach issues ever since. It is HARD work BUT I managed to save enough to have a VERY comfortable start in life. Cruise ship life is made even more difficult as people from first world countries have higher expectations. It is about the experience!
Excellent video! I really appreciate each piece of information you said. Im embarking on the Fantasy in a couple of weeks, knowing that itll be hard but although the wage is under the minimun for Americans, for us (Argentinians) is triple the amount of an average salary.
Ps: are work shoes at the crew shop expensive?
Thanks for watching, I'm glad it helped. I don't want to scare people away from the experience if they wish to try it but to be realistic/prepared for what they're signing up to do. Best of luck on your contract! What role did you apply for? I worked with a lot of Argentinian lifeguards and we always had a lot of fun together.
I brought my own sandals to wear on the Fantasy but on the Wonder, I was given white tennis shoes to wear for the cooler weather.
@@RaisaLynnWow, didnt know that lots of Argentinians work for dcl. I've heard how difficult is but i really want to give it a try. I applied for dinning room service.
@@karenorellana36 Hi! I saw your post after watching this video :) Thought i'd jump in cause I was in Dining Room Service for 18 months. You'll receive black work shoes free of charge when you embark but will need to purchase white shoes for the Island :) I wish you all the best and good luck! I'm actually putting up a video this weekend of my first week on the ship if you're interested.
@@DebExplores Hey that's super nice from you, thanks! I've been looking for info about that department and that helps a lot, cant wait to see your video hahah.
I’m sorry it did not go well for you. My family tries to take the crew members feelings into account and not ask them for more than than the tremendous amount they are already doing. So I applaud you for trying and giving it your best. It is a very hard job.
I can relate tho, serving in the Military, especially the US Navy, this is very similar. Living and working in the same place. Weeks or months on board. It’s not for everyone. Good luck in your future endeavors.
I did 2 contracts, 1 on the fantasy and 1 on the magic in merchandise 2016-2017, made under $6 an hour. I was asked often by guests “if you are from the USA why are you working here?” I worked at WDW previously, and thought DCL would be a nice opportunity. I met awesome people, but I did not enjoy the cabins, and the food crew eat is not the best. I ended up getting a kidney stone(the make dr on board kept saying it was cramps, made me feel like I was loosing my mind until I made them take me to the ER in Miami and it was indeed a kidney stone that was stuck in place) and had to medically debark. I really wanted to go back to do all of Europe but once I got home I decided to not go back because of my experience with the doctor on the ship. Working for DCL just isn’t for everyone. I enjoy going on cruises as a guest but I doubt I will work for a cruise on a ship again.
No it's not for anyone... I've bounced around the world in my job. Namely to the backwoods unknowns of Africa and I've seen a lot of and aided in medical treatment. A ship's doctor brushing off something as serious as a blocked kidney stone as mere cramps... the word "mutiny" comes to mind... I lack the tolerance you and your crew and I give you serious praise for that admirable quality
Sounds like an eye opener for you. I spent a few hitches in the Navy on 2 ships, and with a few minor word changes, it would sound like what I, and thousands of others in uniform deal with every day, with 4 year contracts. Thanks for sharing.
Going to work on the bus in the rain and cold to the same office every day gets old really fast too.......and I got fired when they found out I was pregnant and not married.
The people making safety decisions onboard are the deck officers, specifically the on watch deck officers on the bridge. They are highly skilled and trained officers who understand ship stability, safety etc hence why you where not allowed to make those decisions. They where not sat in the office and they fully understand the risks
Those are not the officers I was referencing. Often times we needed to call the bridge to confirm our decisions to close an attraction. My issue was with our direct management (the port adventures management). Nine times out of ten, they don't have any lifeguarding background and are basing their choice off of the fear of negative feedback from guests. Ie not closing the Aquaduck during a sea day even though the wind speed exceeds 60 knots. Many choices are made so that guests won't complain and tank their satisfaction score at the end of the cruise.
I hope that makes sense. In my opinion, it's a very backwards way of managing a pool, regardless if its on land or a cruise ship.
I'd love to hear more comparing and contrasting DCL life vs working in the parks because although it's sad to hear even some of the comments in this video, it doesn't entirely surprise me and sometimes I have to wonder if working in the parks themselves might not be as glamorous as many claim it is except for the fact that cast members get free access in their off hours that ends up being a huge perk most entry level jobs can't offer.
I'd imagine cruise line workers stuck in laundry below deck probably have about the same Disney spirit as line cooks at Casey's Corner tasked with cranking out hot dogs for guests as fast as they can for hours at a time... :(
@Sam Hamilton I did CP in 97 Fantasyland Merch and YES Program in 2000. It sounds like many things have changed since then. I miss the magic. I was blessed to work with some of the best cast members. I will say that working the Yes Program we were given more privileges than working Fantasyland Merch.
@Sam Hamilton, The Yes Program stood for Youth Education Series. We gave educational tours of the park. Its home base was the Disney Institute so we got to take all the cooking classes, wine classes, photography classes for free. We also were allowed to use the fitness center at the Institute to work out in. It was an advanced internship. After my group of interns left the institute went through restructuring. Last I knew the Yes Program had moved their office to Celebration.
Excellent, insightful, realistic report of working on a cruise ship.
I never understand this. As a former crew member myself, it amazes me when people gloss over the room and board. Rent where I live is about $1800 month, then another $320 for groceries. Adding 2120 to the money you make per month. Honestly I never felt shorted.
Fair. However, that’s an apartment of a certain square footage, assuming you don’t share a bunk bed with someone, and that nobody is coming once a week to search to make sure you emptied your trash or hoovered your floor. Also taking into account, when you shop for your own food, you have control of what’s on the menu, how it’s cooked & you get to raid your fridge whenever your hungry. Additionally, imagine you have a movie theater, water park and multiple nightclubs in your home and either having to ask for permission to use them or not being allowed to use them at all.
Yes, it’s all paid for but there’s no freedom. For me, in the end the the cost didn’t outweigh the payment.
@@RaisaLynn I have worked on many cruise ships across a few different lines, including Disney. I am not just some random cruise passenger. When at home you have to cook your own food, clean your own pots pans and dishes... I never worried about the bunk inspections as I am neither a sob at home or on ship. Maybe I am lucky that I do not suffer from any mental illness, so did not find life on board all that tough. Being North American employees we also tend to get better pay and better jobs on ship.
@@RaisaLynn Again, another good look into the lifestyle of the military when they first get in and are cooped in barracks, dorms, etc. you use the cafeteria or you pay out of pocket for something you want....balance the little paycheck for what you want vs. need.....some do not do well and splurge on vehicles on first entering military...usually a bad idea and they end up getting really sporty vehicles which of course also means hefty insurance....and then your paycheck disappears quickly....your dorms are always subject to inspections, and you can get Health, Welfare and Morale inspections at any time (psst - that is code for Legal Raid into your dorm room) - where they search your belongings for contraband, visitors who should not be in your dorm room (usually females/males, sometimes underage people, or back in the days...same sex people when the gay folks would have flings in the dorm rooms)....they would normally then shuffle you off outside the dorm room and stand in line with your ID....and then it was off for a piss test to be sure you were not doing drugs....all the while the Security Forces personnel were walking with their drug dogs through the dorm rooms, looking inside all the various lockers, wall units, etc. while your lieutenant and first sergeant were coordinating everything from the hallway. As for drama, we had that by spades as well....whether it was between military people or military and civilians...or in a few cases with military and minors....you had some really crazy crap happen....and sometimes it was really bad.....fighting, trying to kill each other, running people over with vehicles, etc. and depending on where you were...you may not have an option to leave similarly to shipboard life...you can only get away so far before you find water.