What People Think vs. What It’s Really Like: Life Working on a Cruise Ship
When I say I’ve worked onboard cruise ships, the reactions are pretty much instant and automatic and usually full of assumptions. Most people picture adventure, sunshine, and cocktails by the pool. My friends thought I was living in luxury. Others were quietly convinced I was on a slowly sinking ship and didn’t want to be anywhere near it. And me? I know the truth—it’s all of that, and none of it.
There’s a meme that perfectly sums it up. It shows four different images—although not all true for me, for some cruise ship workers it’s the absolute truth:
- People see seafarers: Surfing on deck, all fun and freedom.
- Friends see crewmembers: Pulling up to a mansion in a Lamborghini.
- Crew see themselves: Carrying supplies in a long, sweaty line with no end in sight.
- Parents see their offspring: A ship capsized, disaster looming.
That’s the joy of reality vs. perception of cruise ship life in a nutshell and one of the reasons I wanted to give another side…
The Glamorous Myth
From the outside, it looks like a dream gig: waking up in a new country, travelling the world and getting paid, meeting and living with lots of people, dancing on deck under the stars. And yes, those things happen. And for me this was my dream gig, but not for the same reasons. What I was most excited about was positioning myself as the perfect person for the role – I was ready for a new environment, new people to share my space with and people to talk to at work.
Boy was I ready! But what doesn’t make the Instagram reel are, for most, the back-to-back 12-hour days, the missed family birthdays, the constant motion (physical and emotional), and the fact that sometimes, you just really miss land and everything that comes with it—Wi-Fi, loved ones, pets and familiar haunts.
Now if you’ve only ever worked on land, then you could be missing out on the experience of a lifetime and the training ground that comes from working outside the country you were born, typical workplaces on land and the laws you get used to as a British Citizen!
The Real Deal
Working onboard is one of the most intense, exhausting, and transformative things you can do. You live where you work. You share a tiny cabin—sometimes with up to three other people from different parts of the world. Your “office” is also your home, gym, escape, and sometimes your prison.
There’s no real clocking out. You’re always representing the brand, always “on.”
But…
It’s also where you learn to navigate people, pressure, and purpose in real time—and what can be a real struggle when it’s time to come home. It’s where strangers become your family and connections are made quickly.
One 24 hours onboard can feel like a week on land in terms of what can happen, change, and be created—for yourself and for others. A 30-minute port stop becomes your therapy. Music, performance, and connection are more than a job—they’re survival.
Wearing All the Hats
You might be a DJ, dancer, musician, or host, but you’re also:
- A tech troubleshooter
- A motivational speaker
- A crowd controller
- A safety marshal
- A big sibling
- A therapist
- A human duct tape
You learn how to smile through exhaustion, how to hold space for others while barely holding yourself together, and how to make magic happen in tight time slots and tighter spaces.
Why We Do It
Because the stories are unforgettable. Because the view from the crew deck at 6am is worth it, as are the connections you make—some that last a lifetime.
Because that moment when the crowd comes alive to your set, your energy, your presence—that moment changes everything for you and for them on their holiday. It’s the best feeling ever!
Because even when it’s hard, you’re part of something bigger. Something wild and global and beautifully temporary.
Want the Full Story?
If you’ve ever wondered what ship life is really like—the truth behind the uniform, the pressure behind the parties, the moments that broke me and the ones that almost cost me dearly and built me back up—I wrote it all down and share it with you in my book Ship Life.
It’s raw, honest, funny, and painfully real. Whether you’re an avid cruiser, crew, ex-crew, or just cruise-curious, this book is for you.
Grab your copy of Ship Life here: https://pay.gocardless.com/BRT0003JC7BWSC7
And if you’re more of a listener than a reader, stay tuned for the full audiobook version coming soon, where I unpack all of this with behind-the-scenes stories that didn’t make it into the book.
Have you lived the ship life? Or dreamt about it?
Comment below or message me with your favorite memory (or worst nightmare). Let’s pull back the curtain together.
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