Crew Accommodations & Job Relocation

Accommodations while working on a cruise ship are provided by the cruise line and of course, are one of the many benefits of working in this industry.

Many employees find it very easy to save most of their earnings because they are not required to pay for room and board. However, there are other issues to consider. If you are thinking about working in the cruise industry on a permanent basis, it would be wise to relocate to an area closer to a cruise line’s homeport. It is from a homeport that cruises originate. Most homeports are in or near large, coastal metropolitan areas, such as Miami, Tampa, or Los Angeles. Because there is no guarantee that you will have continuous contracts, there may be a couple of weeks or months in which you are between work and thus will need a place to live until you are called back onboard. Also, if you have a family to support, realize that cruise lines only provide room and board for actual employees. Family members are not allowed to live on board. Pets are not allowed, either. Most people going into this industry for the long haul pare down their possessions, relocate to their cruise line’s homeport, and make arrangements to share an apartment or house with others when they are between contracts.