Cabin and Bedroom Stewards

Cruise line cabin and bedroom steward jobs are some of the toughest, most important, and better paying entry-level positions on the high seas, drawing in a lot of applicants eager to travel and earn some money.

Cabin and bedroom stewards are responsible for every aspect of passenger staterooms: making beds, daily cleaning, evening turndowns, room service, and other special requests from passengers regarding the room. Bedroom stewards spend most of their day working alone, and the work itself is very demanding. At times a bedroom steward might spend hours at a time making beds or cleaning rooms.

Bedroom stewards work mainly alone so the position is a good one for people who are independently motivated and have a strong work ethic. Cleaning jobs and attending to rooms isn’t glamorous and employees in this position need to understand that while the pay is better on average for this entry-level position, that conversely, people in this position work hard. This job doesn’t typically allow for a lot of shore leave, so free time at port isn’t something to rely on.

Ships that sail under a foreign flag will often employ citizens from developing countries as bedroom stewards. In fact, positions of this kind are often reserved of people from developing nations and the position is regarded as a high paying one, requiring little previous experience.

Cabin stewards are expected to have a strong command of the English language or the dominant language spoken onboard.

Income for cabin stewards depends primarily on tips and as a general rule passengers tip bedroom attendants very well. Those who develop particularly strong relationships with passengers will likely see an even larger tip. Although the work hours can be long and hard, the earning potential is high and travel experiences unforgettable.
Learn about applying for a cruise ship job and other entry-level positions onboard a ship in this section.