Three and a-half years ago, I wrote about a large fine leveled against Royal Caribbean for violating labor rules and regulations while the Oasis of the Seas was dry-docked in the Netherlands. Dutch labor inspectors had arrived at the shipyard in Rotterdam and found that numerous employees who were working on the Royal Caribbean cruise
Oceania Crew Members Pay the Price When Norovirus Hits
The Oceania Riviera, which was scheduled to be on a cruise until tomorrow, returned to the port yesterday with passengers sickened by norovirus.
The virus has reportedly sickened at least 119 of 1,225 passengers, which is 9.72% of the passenger population on the ship. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has verified that…
MSC Convicted of Treating Crew Members Like Slaves
A Brazilian labor court ordered the payment of fines, wages, overtime and "moral damages" to eleven (11) crew of the MSC Magnifica after finding that they had been subjected to working conditions similar to "slaves." You can read the order here.
According to Defonsoria Publica Da Uniao, in 2014 eleven crew members were…
Netherlands Fines Royal Caribbean Over $750,000 for Overworking Crewmembers
A newspaper in the Netherlands reports that Royal Caribbean has to pay at least €600,000 in fines for violating labor rules and regulations while the Oasis of the Seas was in the Netherlands. The newspaper says that ship employees lacked proper residence papers and worked excessive hours. Some of the crew members worked "up to 16 …
Overworked & Underpaid on the High Seas
This weekend I read an interesting article in the Springfield Register-Guard about Royal Caribbean Cruises’ plans to add employees at its call center in Oregon.
There are currently over 700 employees at the call center in Oregon, according to the newspaper. The cruise line is planning to add another 220 mostly full time employees.
What…
A Comment from a Former Crew Member: “So Many Injustices”
Cruise Law News from time to time will feature a comment to our articles by one of our readers.
Comments by crew members are often poignant. The cruise industry’s current state of affairs places tremendous pressure on ship employees from Carnival, Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines. Hours are longer notwithstanding the lofty goals of…
Extreme Work Load & Grueling Hours Exhaust Royal Princess Crew Members
A number of crew members have contacted us about the difficult work and long hours the crew are required to work aboard the Royal Princess cruise ship.
We are informed that 12 dishwashers signed off the Princess cruise ship in just the last 2 months because of what is being described as a heavy work…
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…