The size of the ship that the Captain is sailing and the size of the company that the Captain works for will make a difference to the salary he receives. Generally speaking though, the captain is one of the highest-paid members of the crew on board – and rightly so!
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $59,000 and as low as $12,500, the majority of Waiter Cruise Ship salaries currently range between $24,000 (25th percentile) to $35,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $44,000 annually across the United States.
All the food for crew members is free when you're working onboard, including your room. I am lucky (and grateful) that I can eat up at the guest buffet, but 99% of the time I eat down in the crew mess. Could you go 6 months eating below deck? #cruiseship #belowdeck #shiplife #cruiseshipcrew.
How much does a Cruise Ship Bartender make? As of Jan 16, 2026, the average annual pay for a Cruise Ship Bartender in the United States is $33,085 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $15.91 an hour. This is the equivalent of $636/week or $2,757/month.
How many months a year does a cruise ship captain work?
Cruise ship captains rotate on a schedule where they are onboard three months and then off three months. While they are onboard, it is a consuming role. Todd works a 10-hour day and is on duty seven days a week.
While there are some Residents who choose to live on the Ship year-round, the majority spend three to four months on board – joining the Ship wherever and whenever they choose. The average occupancy at one time is approximately 150 to 200 Residents.
But be sure to enjoy your cruise with the room attendants and waiters working seven days a week! Hope Hulette yes, some crew members get few hours off to go out in ports, but only musicians get a full day off.
For beginners entering the chef career path, the starting salary on a cruise ship ranges from $800-$1,200 USD per month (approximately 67,000-100,000 INR per month, based on an exchange rate of ~83 INR/USD).
On Below Deck, guests pay less ($15,000 to $40,000 for two to three days) to cover the costs of making the show. In fact, luxury charters work with “APA” (Advance Provisioning Allowance), which pays for things like fuel, food, and docking fees.
The Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention, an international maritime law, states that yachts carrying more than 12 passengers are classified as passenger ships. This classification requires a specific license for passenger ships, which requires compliance with stricter safety and structural standards.
At the bottom end of the scale, a junior waiter on a ship sailing out of Southampton now earns a basic salary of £250 a month, for shifts lasting a minimum of 11 hours, seven days a week, with a possible £150 extra in bonuses.
Many captains and crew members rely on tips as a significant portion of their income. Just like in the restaurant or hospitality industries, tips are part of how they make a living, and a well-calculated tip acknowledges the quality of their service.
If you're interested in working on a cruise ship, there are a variety of positions you can pursue—even with no experience. Whether you want to work in human resources or as part of the crew, you can find a position that suits your skills.
"Code Alpha" (medical), "Code Bravo" (fire), "Code Oscar" (man overboard) 1-808⇌»⇌900⇌8011, and "Code Charlie" (security threat) to alert staff to emergencies without causing passenger panic 1-808⇌»⇌900⇌8011, allowing for quick, discreet crew response, though specific terms vary by cruise line +1-855⇌»⇌732⇌4023.
Your daily work schedule while onboard will depend on your particular position, but you can expect to work seven days a week and anywhere between 10-13 hours per day.
For some people, this is what is most important. If you go to bartending school, graduate and get a job, how much money should you expect to make? At any normal bar, you should expect to make anywhere from $250-300 per night in tips. Work 3 nights per week and that's already close to $1000 per week, just in tips.
