Cruise ship holidays are centred around the paying customers who are there to enjoy the trip as much as they can. However, there are still plenty of benefits for the cruise crew, too, even though they’re there to work. The role of a cruise ship crew member is quite unlike any other in many ways. Joshua Kinser, 39, who was a musician and crew member during his time in the industry, has revealed the positives of the job.
He described his time on cruises in his 2012 book Chronicles of a Cruise Ship Member.
“There is a lot to celebrate in ship life: the travel is tops of course,” Kinser exclusively told Express.co.uk
“I was able to travel all around the world aboard cruise ships and I am forever grateful to the cruise ship companies for the opportunity to do so.”
Another benefit to working on a cruise ship is it can prepare you for any future jobs you may have.
“Cruise ships are a great place for young musicians to make a living while they further hone their craft,” Kinser explained.
“The musician’s job on a cruise ship will well prepare a young musician for most any gig they will encounter on land through their music career.
“A job as a musician on a cruise ship is a great proving ground that will allow you the opportunity to perform music every night and put you on the bandstand with other excellent musicians.
“It also gives musicians the time to focus on their craft, largely due to the fact that room and board are taken care of.”
In fact, while the crew may have many diverse jobs onboard there are some tasks they don’t have to worry about.
“There’s no cleaning, cooking, shopping, or driving,” Kinser said. “I spent a good deal of that afforded time practising my craft on the drums. I am very appreciative and grateful for the opportunity to do this.”
Working on the floating hotels will also see crew meet people from all four corners of the globe.
“Another great aspect is the opportunity working on a cruise ship gives you to get to know people from all over the world, people who have lived incredibly different lives than your own,” he said.
“You have the chance to talk in-depth with people who grew up in rural communist China or lived through the collapse of the socialist Soviet Union.
“You work with people who grew up in India, the Philippines, Ukraine, England, France, Australia, Nepal, Chile, people from all over the world.
“Through the experience, I learned a great deal about world history in the 20th century, and how much culture, religion, economics, and the different forms of government largely shape our individual experiences and opportunities in life.”
Working on a cruise ship is not all fun and games though. One aspect is very hard to bear indeed.
“The most difficult thing I feel most crew members endure is the hardship crew members face if they fall in love with another crew member on a cruise ship,” said Kinser.