Is Royal Caribbean Working Its Crew Members to Death?
Two weeks ago a television program in the U.K., "Cruises Undercover: The Truth Below Deck," revealed the harsh working conditions aboard cruise ships operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises' subsidiary, Celebrity Cruises. The difficult working conditions and low pay are almost unimaginable by U.S. standards: 12 plus hour days, 7 days a week, 30 days a month with no days off over the course of 6 to 10 month contacts, for as little as $550 a month for non-tip earning ship employees.
The result of such a grueling schedule is exhausted and demoralized crew members who are often isolated from their families whose birthdays and anniversaries they miss on a regular basis.
The mental health and emotional well being of crew members is not a topic that is discussed in the U.S.
Few Americans seem concerned with the working conditions on cruise ships faced by citizens of the greater world community. Most U.S. citizens respond to the exploitation of crew members from India or Jamaica with the rationalization that whatever pittance the "foreign" crew members are receiving for 
working 90 hour weeks is more than the workers can receive back home. "If they don't like the work, they can quit" is the common wisdom. No doubt many crew members are easily replaceable considering that a country like India has hundreds of millions of people unemployed.
A week before the "Cruises Undercover" program aired, a Royal Caribbean crew member disappeared from the Serenade of the Seas as it sailed to Italy. The incident was briefly mentioned in the Italian press, as well as in newspapers in Croatia and Spain. We mentioned it in our article "Crew Member Goes Overboard From Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas," but no major media outlets in the U.S. was interested in covering the story.
For a U.S. based cruise industry whose mantra is the "safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority," there is little expression of such a sentiment when a crew member disappears at sea.
This weekend another Royal Caribbean crew member disappeared. While this is not uncommon as I will explain below, what is unusual is that the disappearance involved the the same Royal Caribbean cruise ship, the Serenade of the Seas. This incident was briefly mentioned in an Italian newspaper but, again, no one in the U.S, mentioned it. We reported on it on Saturday - "Another Crew Member Goes Overboard From Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas." Now two days later, no one else in the U.S. has reported on the story.
Yesterday, I posted a photograph of the Serenade of the Seas on our facebook page and asked "why are so many crew members going overboard from Royal Caribbean cruise ships? A number of former crew members commented and the consensus seems to be that cruise employees are working harder than ever for less money, One crew member said that working on a ship is "like going on a marathon before preparing yourself for it." Several former Royal Caribbean crew members left their thoughts which are worth reading.
The concern that I have is that there are so many crew members employed by Royal Caribbean who have gone overboard. Were these employees overwhelmed by work and felt hopeless away from their families? There is great stress placed on the cleaners, cabin attendants and waiters by their supervisors and department heads as Royal Caribbean struggles to stay profitable. Consider that in the three years I have written this blog, the following crew members have gone missing from Royal Caribbean / Celebrity cruise ships:
December 2009 - Majesty of the Seas - crew member jumped.
December 2009 - Monarch of the Seas - crew member jumped.
March 20102 - Radiance of the Seas - crew member jumped.
May 2010 - Explorer of the Seas - crew member jumped.
May 2010 - Oasis of the Seas - crew member disappeared.
March 2011 - Grandeur of the Seas - crew member disappeared.
March 2011 - Constellation - crew member disappeared.
May 2011 - Eclipse - crew member jumped.
December 2011 - Summit - crew member jumped.
January 2012 - Monarch of the Seas - crew member disappeared.
September 2012 - Serenade of the Seas - crew member disappeared.
October 2012 - Serenade of the Seas -crew member disappeared.
The official investigation into these types of incidents lies with the flag state. But countries like the Bahamas will never go onto a Royal Caribbean ship to investigate a crew death or disappearance and will never, ever criticize the cruise line.
An independent and objective investigation is needed to determine why crew members are going overboard from Royal Caribbean ships. If the cases involve suicides, an inquiry is needed to determine whether the long hours and low pay are contributing causes. There is no question that the crew members need greater rest and greater pay.
If I ran a large business and one dozen of my employees ended their lives or just "disappeared," I would launch an investigation and get to the bottom of the problem.
But cruise line executives think differently. None of this puts money in the cruise line's pockets. The crew are viewed as cogs in the machine. When they break, they are easily replaced.
If you have thoughts about this issue or have information about any of these cases, please leave a comment below, or join the discussion on our facebook page.
Photograph: 24ORA.com
Jim Walker is a maritime lawyer who has attended seven Congressional hearing on issues of cruise ship crime, passenger disappearances,
Just to say thank you finally someone speaks out about what and why some of the crew decided to go over board maybe because of to much pressure specially the waiters who works for tips and40% of passengers now a days dont pay the waiters intentionally after a long cruise and in return they will give the poor waiter a poor raiting that will ruin the waiters rating system of rccl that will result of less guest to be serve next cruise! Less guest less money for the family! Plus the bad rating that a guest give to the waiter will take at least amonth to recover . It affect us mentally very bad streess us more and i think its one of the reason why some of the crew plan or jump over board hope somebody can look in to this to help us chnange this system regarding this rating and how guest tipping system on board rccl cruise line!
This is a fact! Don't like, go home! This is what we listen in the life on board. I'm brazilian and, like me, almost all crew members in the cruise ship has option of job in our country. Because this, almost everybody ask sign off in the first week of work.
But for our collegues from another countries this is not the reality. They don't have choice. That's why when they don't stand the pressure, they make something crazy.
We need help! We need somebody to look for us and make something to put an end in this situation.
Hi,
Please include Star Cruises in your reserch and analysis also. There have been many crew 'incidents' there also.
All that written above is true for 100%,,we need a strong union to help us,for better life on board,and during off board for vacation.
As a witness of an actual crew member jumping overboard from the Sun Princess near Pacific coast of Panama back in 1999 and the many stories close friends told me about years later, i can honestly say the reasons for someone jumping overboard are never single reasons but a combination of various circumstances.
Certainly working 11 hours a day for 11 months plays a key role, the competition among cruise lines makes a living hell week in week out for every crew member that gets tips, falling to a certain personal percentage of satisfaction on some cruise lines might mean you may be losing your rank.
Managers and supervisors have to deal with so many regulations, USPH inspections, security briefings, environmental meetings, safety ongoing training, fleet wide protocols, etc., that is practically impossible for you to spend time with your team, i know this first hand, i spent 16 years at Princess, 10 of those as a supervisor.
But what i feel is the main reason why crew jump is the inability of cruise lines to carry enough extra personnel to cover up for sick crew members and those who are not mentally fit to perform.
Often times, when a crew member falls sick, and for that i mean is really sick for a ships Dr to issue a permission not to work, it only means hell to the rest of the team, because they will have to cover for the work that crew is not going to perform.
But for those who are having problems back home, problems that if you were home might not cause you so much stress, on board they magnify a great matter, right there you are not mentally prepare to deal with the every day job, but even if you seek help, you will still need to work, nobody is going to issue you a break for something that no one can understand and feel but you. That is when bad things happen, that is when an assistant cook stabs an Italian chef or you end up jumping overboard as an statement that you need help.
The truth of the matter is that, depending of what country you come from, is the amount of attention you can generate, to make this a clear example, British and Italian crew members have a 6 month long contract on board Princess ships, Portuguese and South Africans 7, Mexicans 9 and Filipino 11, right there you have plenty reason to throw yourself over board
Contact me if you have specific questions, i will be more than happy to answer you
its also about time that crew get proper and decent meals. How can crew be expected to eat most of the meals they get given. They cant dare to complain. Long hours, very bad meals, being over tired, being away from home for many months, work pressure, worried about their families, low pay ect will lead to all the issues aswell as deaths of crew that cant handle it all anymore.
cnn heve to visite any of the ships of rccl ,make a records and present to publish how is realy treatet crew,thanks...
Yes !! Very poor food,long hours ,to much pressure ,
low wages like Liberia ...
WE NEED HELP PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!
Mr Walker, crew from all around the world needs you to be their spokesman, by themselves they have no chance to even be heard by anyone, none of their requests to the shipping companies they work for sound unreasonable. These people are humans, they have parents who love and care for them, wifes, children.
It all depends upon u r contract what it says . I believe all of us, read the condition of the contract before sign.If u c leaving condition it better to stuck up..........
How UNFORTUNATE this is.
Indians dream of that Shippee job and invest so much of their Time, Money and Efforts only to be dealt Cruely.
Moreover they have little to no Support when on Ship because of which they are forced to take such drastic steps.
Pray to GOD that all Shippees (not just Indians) get better working conditions in the near future.
I have noticed the changing morale and attitude of cruise crews (on another line but from Carnival group). It is not good at all and it is so obvious that the cruise lines, not just RCI, have only one focus... profit.
It is time to pay service staff a civilised salary and dump this system of utilising tips to suplement poor wages. A tip is intended to be a reward for good service not a cheap way out of paying staff proper salaries.
Time for proper working conditions too... it is obvious that they work like slaves and this day and age that is just not acceptable.
yes that is true can you imagine we are work from 7am to 10 pm break 12 noon to 3 pm all the time in section with high pressure i was crew for fill position pool attendant
job is very hard and low wage 250 ero next contark is 547 us can you imagine how big mafia this company ..
most of as is asian crew india /indonesia/filipines.
i think becouse small money and before go on board they have to pay for agen fee from 3000us to 5000us more.
i think the company dont know or dont want to know about they patner ask big money for join in they company so this the resaon some crew man over board becouse can not handel the job and no money back after 1 contarak this true hapan in bali indonesia
before they go to job they have spent money around 5000us ...here also i remain all agency in bali ask money foe join and rejoin REMAIN ALL AGENCY CRUISE LINE
carnival cruise lines follow the same as well.,plz include that also in this topic.,
What happened to the crew member that was found dead in a cabin in sydney this week
I was reading your article and well I worked there for way looong time and believe me the amount od indians on this ship is outstanding hotel director most of management bagr manager fb manager maitred headwaiters it manager....and keep on going.....tobe honest i think some maifas are onboard because of thta indian control the ship and of course their people is scared about it to fail to make mistakes before their supervisors because it could affect their lives once they go back home i heard stories of management borrowing money and strange promotions between themselves same nationality but these favours should have a price....me i quit the ship just because I wanted to try something diffrent im now in Costa and is completely opossite the story to serenade i feel im working on a ship just now before i dont know what was that but believeme somebody should check themafia sin there im not amazed this lovely boy fell to be involved in that besides that managers and supervisors are always covering eye to their indian people so you see crewmembers every turn around fired....its too obvious the influence of indian crew has destroyed the moral of the crew onboardthis ship`...im not amazed at all about waht this guy did and maybe he was pushed outside....but we will never know ---well i feel happy i took this from my chest .....i dont expect any result anyway.
Thanks!:D
Armando
Peru
i am in housekeeping.working for royal carribean for 5 years now.the rating system is very bad.even if all your guest give you excellent rating but you do not get any comments from guests you go back of the house.which means no pay for 2 weeks.during this time you get paid 10$ a day.which is very less.some crew members ask guest to write comments to survive.if we get caught telling guest about it we get fired.if we get good comments and good ratings for the company the management gets good bonus.both ways it is win win for the company.we have to manage with whatever tools we get as management onboard tries to cut budget the get thier budget bonus.it is very difficult to work in this environment but i have no choice as i have to support my family.this really makes you suicidal.i hope some would help us.
We are in Long Beach CA, providing some local transportation service for crew members , currently for canival: inspiration and splendor , splendor will change its route to south america, crew members are really hard working sisters and brothers , many are 10 hrs working each shift, no insurance, many of them have no enough sleep, and always in a hurry to buy some necessities for themselves before going back to work. it seemed that crew members should have a union , However, all the crew members are contracted with their agents at home country , have no direct contractual relation with the cruise line management , is that right ? and crew members always come and go ,and from different countries, so it is quite difficult to get united , not like clerical workers at the port of Long Beach and Los Angles,
Hi. I don't know the situation and the problems that are you talking about. but i'm waiting for to start with royal. I'm italian, and i'm hired like sportstaff. this is my first experience on the ships
Can you say me something more about life on board and sportstaff job?
thank you. I know that this is not a community for this type of question..but i hope that someone can help me!
Good luck!