Sea days are busy for crew members. Although they're ideal for passengers to kick back and relax, the behind-the-scenes reality for crew members is vastly different. Still, there are opportunities for the crew to take time away from demanding passengers, collect themselves, and possibly win a special prize. 

Bryan James, an entertainer for Royal Caribbean who has worked on numerous ships in the fleet, shared incentives offered to crew members on busy sea days, when many are working 10 to 13-hour shifts. 

"There is one part of the day, though, that gets kind of relaxed around here," he says in a reel shared to TikTok, "It's called Tea Time."

On this specific day, Tea Time took place in the crew mess and came with a fun twist: crew-only bingo. 

Passenger bingo is a popular activity, as the prizes often include onboard credit, free cruises, and more. However, playing isn't free. Royal Caribbean offers different packages, with the cheapest costing around $40 for 3 paper cards. 

Cruisers line up in advance to secure their playing cards and seats ahead of the highly anticipated game. Comparatively, the attendance for the free-to-play Tea Time session in James' video was scarce, with the crew presumably catching up on rest, tackling other duties, or spending their break eating lunch in the mess. 

Crew bingo offers rewards and doesn't cost the crew money to play

"They just announced the prices," James continues, "First place is some headphones, Skull Candy; second place is a bottle of wine; and third place is a case of water." His voice sounded disappointed, as he initially thought crew members were playing for a cash prize. 

Cash prizes for passenger bingo depend on how many guests are playing and how many cards have been sold. It's not uncommon to hear of jackpots as high as $5,000 or $6,000 being won by lucky passengers. 

As mentioned, the cheapest package to buy into bingo costs $40, but some cruisers are willing to pay for the top-tier options that cost upwards of $70 and include over 35 ways to win on a special tablet. 

"There's typically only one or two sea days per cruise"

According to James, port days are more balanced. While the days are still long, there's a different rhythm compared to sea days, when thousands of guests need to be constantly entertained and fed.

However, there are sailings, including Transatlantic and Transpacific voyages, where passengers might be at sea for 7, 8, or 9 days in a row. "They make you wonder, 'Why do I do this job?'" James jokes. 

"But then you realize at the end of that 7-day sailing, you wind up in Tokyo or you're in Australia," highlighting one of the perks of working on a cruise ship, despite the grueling hours and sometimes unpleasant guests. 

James is currently working aboard Allure of the Seas

Allure of the Seas is in Europe for the first time since 2015. She just underwent a major revitalization, bringing new concepts to the 14-year-old vessel, including Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, the Mason Jar, the Pesky Parrot, a resort-style pool deck, the Ultimate Abyss dry slide, and so much more. 

James has been sharing glimpses of his life as a crew member on cruise ships across various social media channels, including TikTok (831k followers) and Instagram (305k followers), for three years. However, James claims that his contract on Allure of the Seas, which lasts until August 21, is his last. 

"For me, this is actually my last contract ever," he said in a TikTok posted on April 10, "If working on ships has taught me anything, it's that I don't have to hunker down and have that typical 9 to 5 job. I want to be able to continue to travel and work on my own terms." 

One Royal Caribbean performer lost their job for over 6 months due to a visa disaster. 

Lera, an artistic swimmer from Russia who had worked on Royal Caribbean ships for 6 years, lost a contract when she didn't get her visa renewed in time. 

While working on cruise ships, she had been sharing behind-the-scenes videos of what it's like to be a crew member on her social media, with her YouTube channel amassing nearly 9,000 subscribers. 

These include tiny cabin tours, a crew-only beach in Labadee, and sailing on a repositioning cruise without passengers. 

Last year, she realized her visa was close to expiring, so she went to the U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas during a port day. 

"Spoiler alert: This was the worst decision ever," she says in a video shared to her YouTube channel. 

Lera booked an appointment for March 25 and brought all the required documentation, including proof of a new contract offer. 

She claims this interview was different compared to other ones. She was asked questions about whether she was traveling to the U.S. for personal reasons and exactly how many days she planned to be in the country. 

"At the end of the interview, I thought, 'That's it. I'm fine. Everything is good,'" Lera explains. However, she was given a piece of paper and told that her documentation needed to be sent for administrative processing.

She began researching what administrative processing was, learning that it's an extra background check. Still, she never learned why her application was flagged or how long the process would take. 

"Believe me, I am doing everything legally. I'm working with one of the biggest cruise ship companies in the world. I never break any rules," she remarks. 

Unfortunately, her hope quickly faded when she discovered a chat with other foreigners going through similar issues — some had been waiting for years!

"No visa means no contract, no work, no nothing...My whole life is built around my contract"

Reading comments about other people who had been waiting 2 to 3 years consumed her, and Lera started to feel down. Because she didn't have a visa, her next contract was canceled. 

"I was feeling so sad because everybody in my cast started receiving contracts," she says. 

Her husband, Mario, also refused his contract because they didn't want to spend 10 to 11 months without seeing each other. 

While they want to settle down and have a family, she claims it's different when you're choosing to make that decision versus when you're forced to do it. 

The last month of her contract wasn't as happy as expected. Not only was she sailing through Europe, which was a dream, but her parents came on board. 

"I was just so exhausted. I was trying to process everything...My whole life is performing on a cruise ship," she confesses. 

However, she had accepted her fate by the very end, saying that she remembers telling herself to enjoy her last show. 

Once the contract ended, she returned to Russia and spent time with her family, but she spent a lot of time lying in bed and thinking about her next steps. 

With time, she began to feel better, celebrating her 30th birthday:

"I am healthy. I have my husband. I have my family and friends...I will be okay."

After her birthday, she visited Colombia and kept emailing the Embassy

After six months of waiting, she finally received an email instructing her to return to the Bahamas, but not revealing whether she would receive her visa or not. 

Initally, Lera booked an Airbnb for five days. Because of the lengthy process, though, she spent over two weeks in the Bahamas. She couldn't leave because the Embassy had her passport. 

"Honestly, those two weeks [were] the worst," she says. Since she wasn't there on vacation, she was constantly anxious.

She finally received her passport but was disappointed to learn that she had only been granted one visa. Lera didn't get the visa needed to travel to Miami, Florida, for rehearsals. Royal, however, assured her that everything should be fine. 

She got a contract to work aboard Allure of the Seas

Lera was excited to be working aboard Allure of the Seas, an Oasis Class ship that just re-entered service after a $100+ million revitalization. Still, after getting the visa and contract, she felt everything was too good to be true. 

With rehearsals scheduled to begin in late February, she started planning her life around her new contract. Her gut feeling was right, as she received an email saying immigration rules had changed, and she couldn't travel to Florida without a tourist visa. 

Lera claims she's the "most controlling person ever," yet she had no control over her life. 

She felt lucky that Royal wanted to continue working with her

Instead of revoking her contract, Royal agreed to let Lera travel straight to Allure. She was supposed to leave at the end of March ahead of Allure's April 11 voyage, but she needed to obtain a Schengen visa.

This added another complicated layer to her already tight travel timeline, especially since she says that right now isn't the best time for Russian citizens to obtain visas. Because she was still in Colombia, she needed to return to Russia to apply. 

"I don't know who cursed me. Please, can you lift that curse? I cannot handle this anymore," she half-joked.

After applying for the visa, she was stuck in yet another limbo, waiting for the country to return her passport. 

Though they had confirmed her passport had been mailed, they didn't disclose whether she was granted the right visa. Without the Schengen visa, she couldn't work on Allure of the Seas, which is where her husband is working.

In the meantime, she tried to keep herself busy by rehearsing using videos sent to her of the choreography, utilizing her phone and laptop to watch the other casts' movements. 

"I'm trying to keep my head high and hoping that I will get the Schengen visa," Lera says. 

She doesn't end the video on a negative note

With hopeful music playing in the background, Lera opens up a package containing her passport. She's shaking and scared. 

However, she quickly breaks down into tears when she realizes she got the necessary Schengen visa.

"I did not expect to react like that...I'm going to a ship!" she happily remarks. If you're sailing on Allure of the Seas this summer, keep an eye out for Lera, who is ready to return to work on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship! 

Crew members work very hard on cruise ships, but have you ever wondered how much they make?

Chris Wong is a crew member onboard Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas working in the casino onboard. He also produces in-depth videos about living and working on a cruise ship on his YouTube channel, Chris Wong Vlogs. In fact, he claims in the video he might be one of the world’s most followed casino hosts on YouTube!

To celebrate his recent milestone of achieving 100K subscribers, Wong wanted to provide insight into his current salary working for Royal Caribbean on his channel. He just received a promotion within the company to a senior-level position in the casino while also posting regularly to his YouTube channel with 107K subscribers.

Wong has been working for Royal Caribbean over the last decade and started his YouTube channel a few years after. Although Wong is currently working on Quantum of the Seas, he previously worked in the casino onboard Icon of the Seas, which is Royal Caribbean’s newest and most innovative ship to date.

The video is extremely insightful, especially for those looking to potentially begin a career working on a cruise ship. Throughout the video, Wong shares a transparent look into his personal finances, and explains why he doesn’t plan to leave Royal Caribbean anytime soon.

Wong shows his first paycheck for $2,890.21, followed by a second paycheck for less.

Continuing in his video, Wong shares how Royal Caribbean pays employees on a biweekly basis. This means each crew member is paid twice per month, but not every paycheck for Wong is the same amount.

In the video, Wong shares a glimpse into his actual paycheck from Royal Caribbean. He shows his first paycheck (with sensitive information redacted) with a total net payment of $2,890.21. This paycheck covers the first two weeks of January 2025, as Wong says he filmed the video back in February 2025.

Next, Wong shares his second payment from January 2025. This time, the total net payment was less at only $1,450.09. This brings the total monthly payment to $4,340.30 for Wong in USD.

He has also blurred out the itemized paycheck, which Wong says includes commission, tips and several other factors. Ultimately, Wong says this is a fantastic salary for him, especially considering the rising cost of living and inflation. He states he wouldn’t be able to make this much working back in his home country of the United Kingdom.

In addition, Wong emphasizes that he has very few bills to pay by living onboard. He said he only pays for his cell phone bill and internet usage onboard. Wong states he will occasionally spend money in ports of call. However, he doesn't currently have any large payments, such as a mortgage or car payment.

Why his pay fluctuates so much

Interestingly, Wong’s paychecks appear to vary drastically, as his first paycheck is about $1,440 more than the second paycheck. What is causing this fluctuation? Wong says there are multiple factors at play that contribute to each biweekly paycheck.

While Wong says he can’t provide too much detail for confidentiality reasons, he says the combination of commission, tips and “a bunch of other things” are factored into each paycheck.

Further, Wong emphasizes that casino host salaries can vary across Royal Caribbean’s fleet depending on the ship and itinerary. Currently, Quantum of the Seas is sailing around Australia, although the ship was previously sailing in Alaska and also spent some time in Asia.

According to Wong’s video, he is actually getting paid less working on this ship compared to his time on Icon of the Seas. The biggest reason for this involves the ship’s destination and tipping culture. 

Wong states that crew members usually have the highest earning potential when sailing from the United States to the Caribbean. Because tipping culture is more prevalent in the United States, crew members often get paid more.

In fact, Wong says he was making more as an assistant casino host on Icon of the Seas sailing to the Caribbean than he currently makes in a more senior position on Quantum of the Seas. The most he was paid for one month working as an assistant on Icon of the Seas was closer to $5,000, according to Wong.

In general, he states that crew members typically earn the most when sailing to the Caribbean. However, each position varies onboard and some are paid differently. Realistically, crew members should plan to earn a smaller starting salary when first beginning their career with Royal Caribbean or any other cruise line.

How are crew members paid?

Wong also shared interesting insight regarding how crew members on cruise ships actually receive the money. When you first board for the start of your contract, Wong says you will be set up with a US-based bank account to receive payment. This is how you will receive your paychecks while onboard. 

This account is given for the sole purpose of Royal Caribbean paying employees their salaries. Crew members are not paid to their personal bank accounts. Once he receives his paycheck in this account, he can do whatever he wants with it.

Why Wong isn’t planning to leave Royal Caribbean anytime soon

At the end of his video, Wong shares that many subscribers often inquire about whether the casino host plans to get a land-based job anytime soon. Ultimately, the answer is “no”.

Between his low living expenses, comfortable paychecks and engaged online YouTube audience, Wong is very happy with his current lifestyle. He states he has been able to save so much money by working on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship and doesn’t plan to leave in the near future.

In addition, Wong says he would need to restart his career from the bottom if he pursued work back in the United Kingdom. The casino host questions why he would want to leave a comfortable salary onboard to make less money and have more bills to pay on land. 

Of course, Wong clarifies that he misses his family and friends; however, he is very comfortable living and working on the cruise ship. Essentially, Wong is happy with the life he’s built onboard and online. Between the stream of income from YouTube and his salary from Royal Caribbean, he doesn’t plan to leave the ship life for a “normal job” in the United Kingdom.

Wong says he first started his YouTube channel about five years into his Royal Caribbean career when he was still working in the online retail shops. During the pandemic, Wong says he channel really exploded in growth during the pandemic and continues to be a steady source of income for him. Now, he shares in-depth looks at the crew member lifestyle to his thousands of followers. 

Royal Caribbean has given a proper send off to one of its most beloved ship captains.

Captain Johnny Faevelen announced he would be retiring after 50 years of working in the maritime industry, and Royal Caribbean wanted to make sure he was recognized for his hard work.

Executives and friends were on Symphony of the Seas when he was invited to a gathering where the Captain got an official thank you.

"Bittersweet day as we celebrate the legendary Captain Johnny’s retirement," wrote Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley on Facebook.

"50 years of your dedication and leadership at Royal Caribbean will always be honored! We will greatly miss you and your Harley but not too long until we’ll see you cruising on Star of the Seas!"

As part of the celebration, he was awarded his own glitzy "Royal Bling" necklace.  

The crew members chipped in and bought him a personalized motorcycle helmet that he can wear on shore to remember his time as Captain.

The significance of the motorcycle helmet is Captain Johnny is an avid Harley Davidson motorcyle fan and would keep a motorcycle onboard his ships to take on shore for joy rides.

Captain Johnny's favorite cruise memories

After 50 years of working on cruise ships, anyone would be curious what stands out.

He's spent so many years at the helm of the world's biggest cruise ships and been a very prominent figure within the fleet.

Captain Johnny was asked what his top cruise memory was and he picked one from when he was Captain of Mariner of the Seas.

"Top one would be we sailed Mariner of the Seas around Cape Horn," he reminisced in a video.

Cape Horn is the southernmost point  of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and it's a challenging and dangerous place to sail because it's where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet. It's considered one of the most difficult yachting challenges in the world.

His second favorite memory was about being the Captain on a brand new cruise ship, "Number two would be taking out seven of the biggest cruise ships in the world."

Among the ships in the list include Symphony of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, and Harmony of the Seas.

But one memory he treasures a lot is a personal one, "Top memory I have from 50 years is actually when I gave away my daughter. You know, a Captain can marry people, and my daughter and future son-in-law contacted me and said, 'Daddy, can you marry us?'."

"And in doing that, have a Captain's hat on one minute, and then being the father the next one and I could marry them, that's the pinnacle of my life as a Captain with Royal Caribbean."

Cruise fans share their favorite Captain Johnny memories

News of Captain Johnny's departure from the fleet spread quickly, and it seems many cruise fans will miss him.

Many of them shared anecdotes and stories on Facebook.

Chris Birdsong wrote, "My first captain I ever had on Royal! Well deserved retirement, will miss seeing him around the ship."

Fabian Rodriguez posted, "I was fortunate and honored to sail alongside Captain Johnny for several years, sharing wonderful moments as part of the Freedom and Mariner crew. You will be missed Captain. Stay safe and take good care of yourself."

"That Around The Horn cruise on Mariner was also our favorite memory of our own 35 years of cruises... Well done, Captain Johnny," wrote Robert Lorrey.

A career spanning decades of incredible ships

Looking at Captain Johnny's resume, you'll quickly discover an impressive array of ships he has worked on.

He began his journey with the company in 1975 as an Ordinary Seaman aboard the Song of Norway, Royal Caribbean's first purpose-built cruise ship. 

He spent some time working on cargo ships in order to move his career forward, but eventually returned to Royal Caribbean and achieved the rank of Captain in 1994, with his first command on the Nordic Prince. 

Over the years, Captain Faevelen helmed several notable ships, including the Monarch of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas. 

One thing that always set him apart from other Captains was his style and outgoing personality. He drove a motorcyle, had a Segway that he used around the ship, and even had a pet parrot for a time.

In recent years, he has been open about his battle with melanoma, sharing updates on his treatment and recovery. 

As he steps into retirement, Captain Faevelen looks forward to dedicating time to his family, including his wife, two children, and soon-to-be five grandchildren.

Being on vacation isn't an excuse to do anything you want, and sometimes cruise ship passengers are guilty of things that annoy the crew.

Most passengers try to do the right thing and act according to the rules, but there some that do things that leave you scratching your head.

I remember I was waiting in a line for a show in the theater on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship when a passenger walked right past the crew member without waiting in line because they were "a Diamond member".

I was astounded by the audacity of the passenger to flagrantly ignore the crew member. That sort of rudeness, unfortunately, isn't isolated to that one person.

YouTuber Jasyon Judson shared a short video of things that annoy crew members, and I couldn't agree more with the list.

Going to cabin before they open

On any Royal Caribbean cruise, you'll need to wait for your cruise cabin to open before you can access it.

Before they open, crew members are busy cleaning and preparing the cabins for the guests arriving on embarkation day.

Usually you have to wait until 1pm or 1:30pm for cabins to be ready for passengers.  On my Anthem of the Seas cruise in Europe last summer, I had to wait until 2:30pm, but that was unusual.

While the cabins are being prepared, the fire doors are closed to block access to the hallway and there's a large sign warning passengers when cabins will be ready.

Some guests ignore the sign and open the fire door to get into their room.

Aside from the possibility your room is still being cleaned, you're getting in the way of crew members that are working hard to get it all ready.  Passengers walking into their work area is going to hinder what they're doing, even if all you're doing is dropping off carry-on bags.

If you truly want to relieve yourself of carry-on bags, you could buy The Key, which has that option.

It's possible these passengers are used to another cruise line that does allow you to access your room before it's ready, like Celebrity Cruises.

However, it's prohibited on Royal Caribbean.

Bringing own toilet paper or wet wipes

I almost made this mistake until someone told me I'd be creating a problem, rather than solving one.

The toilet paper on a cruise ship is pretty awful. It's single ply, super thin, and has the soft texture of sandpaper.

Bringing your own toilet paper or wet wipes will break Royal Caribbean's toilet system and result in a major delay until it's fixed. One clogged toilet can inconvenience hundreds of passengers because of the nature of the suction plumbing cruise ships have.

Cruise ship plumbing is very sensitive, and it cannot handle things you might flush at home. It's important that you don't flush anything down the toilet aside from the toilet paper that Royal Caribbean provides. 

Moreover, "flushable" wet wipes aren't allowed either to be flushed.  While the wipes might be flushable they are not flushable on the ship and are almost guaranteed to clog the plumbing. That then requires the maintenance crew members to come out and fix it.

Complaining about the weather to Guest Services

I really don't know what someone thinks a crew member can do about it, but some people go to Guest Services to complain about the weather.

I suspect they think the ship's Captain can steer the ship away from clouds or rain and find better weather, but it's not quite that simple.

Cruise ships have a strict schedule to adhere to, and they need to get passengers to the next port of call on time, or deal with far more frustrated guests.

Plus, weather systems are big, and chasing rays of sunshine isn't practical. Not to mention deviating off course wastes fuel.

No matter what the weather, no crew member can do anything about it, so don't bother complaining to them.

Asking crew members to break rules for you

I've witnessed guests being told about a rule, and then asking for the rule to be bent or broken.

A classic example is in the Suite Lounge, when someone is staying in a suite and wants to bring their friend that isn't in a suite into the lounge.

Every suite guest receives a letter in their stateroom informing them in bold letters that this practice is not allowed.

Similarly, some passengers ask crew members to allow their kids that are too short to go on water slides, sneak people into reserved seating, or serve their underage kids alcohol.

Not only will you annoy the crew member with the request, you're putting them at risk to get in trouble or even fired for complying.

Not speaking up if there's a problem

Things break and issues arise on a cruise ship, but the crew can't step in to make it better if you don't say something.

This is actually a pet peeve of mine too, as I'll read about someone's "horrible" cruise experience after they got home, but didn't say anything about it while onboard.

Whether it is a malfunction in the cabin, accident onboard, disagreement with a crew member, or anything else that stops you in your tracks, problems should be addressed onboard and not after the cruise.

If you have a billing discrepancy on your bill, speak to Guest Relations on the ship. If something is not working properly in your cabin, alert your stateroom attendant.

Captain Johnny Faevelen announced his retirement from Royal Caribbean International. 

He began his career with the cruise giant in 1975 as an Ordinary Sailor, Abalbody Seaman, and Quarter Master, according to Faevelen's LinkedIn profile. 

Since then, he's worked as a Captain on ships ranging from one of the first modern purpose-built cruise ships, Nordic Prince, to Monarch of the Seas; Voyager of the Seas; Allure of the Seas; Harmony of the Seas; and Symphony of the Seas, just to name a few.  

"50 years has [passed], and it’s time to say [goodbye] to Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. 😢 It is with mixed feelings I have handed in my resignation," reads Captain Faevelen's Facebook post. 

"I have been in the thinking box for the last months, 😵‍💫 and come to the conclusion that after 50 amazing years working for such a fantastic company, it’s time to start a new career;🏆 As of January 26.2025 I will start...a new 'job'."

He plans on being "100%" present with his family, including his wife Sissel, two children Erlend and Eirin, and four—soon to be five—grandchildren ranging in ages from newborn to 10 years old. 

"I have met and worked with so...many wonderful people in my career, no one mentioned - no one forgotten. You know who you are 💞 Thank you all for [having] been a part of my life for 50 years. 🥳," he adds. 

He began working with the company in 1975 when he was just 20 years old

Captain Faevelen joined the Song of Norway as an Ordinary Seaman. 

The Song of Norway was the first cruise ship built for Royal Caribbean International and launched in 1970. She initially had a gross registered tonnage of around 18,000. 

However, the demand for cruising was so high that Royal Caribbean lengthened the vessel in 1978, increasing her GRT to 23,000.

Time as a 2nd Officer

Eventually, Captain Faevelen had to stray from the Royal Caribbean brand to gain experience to be considered for further promotion. 

"[This] is me doing celestial navigation...when I was a 2nd. Officer for the first time onboard Skauboard," he explains.

Royal Caribbean didn't have 2nd Officers, so Captain Faevelen sailed on cargo ships to gain the necessary experience and qualifications. 

The work paid off because he became a Captain in 1994

It took the accomplished sailor nearly 20 years to finally be promoted to Captain. 

His first contract was aboard the Nordic Prince in 1994. He didn't just cruise to the Caribbean; he was tasked with sailing through Alaska's icy waters. 

Ending as Captain of one of the world's largest cruise ships

Captain Faevelen's LinkedIn reveals that he's been the Master of Oasis Class ships since 2010 when he became Allure of the Seas' Captain. Since then, he's also been the Captain of Harmony and Symphony of the Seas. 

He's ending his 50-year stint as Symphony of the Seas' Captain. Symphony is currently the 4th largest cruise ship in the world behind Icon, Utopia, and Wonder of the Seas. 

Read more: Take a look inside a cruise ship captain's living quarters

Known for his flamboyant style

Captain Faevelen wasn't your average cruise ship Captain. 

While he is passionate about the sea and the well-being of passengers and crew members, he's also a motorcycle enthusiast and proud Parrot owner. 

Not only that but, as a Captain, he had the privilege of giving away and marrying his daughter on a cruise ship. 

Unfortunately, Captain Faevelen was diagnosed with Melanoma and shared tidbits of his journey on social media. 

"Back again at Kristiansand Cancer Center for my 5th. of 12 Immune Therapy treatments, to prevent further development of melanoma cancer. All good and...I’m in the best hands🥰 ," he wrote on X.

However, at the beginning of 2024, he optimistically shared that he finished his last immune therapy to prevent the cancer cells from returning: "A full PET scan remains, and then I'm ready for whatever 2024 brings!" 

Fond farewell

Sometimes, the crew is just as important as the ship, and it's safe to say that Captain Faevelen was one of the most popular Captains sailing for Royal Caribbean. 

"Best Captain ever on the high seas , you will surely be missed , good luck and enjoy the future with your family 🥰," commented Tracey Ann Lemon on Faevelen's Facebook post. 

Ken Muskat added, "Congratulations to you Captain Johnny. What an incredible career and it was a pleasure getting to know you from my time at Royal. Wishing you the best in your role as 100% family man!"

Crew members travel very differently than guests aboard crew ships. They have separate dining facilities, fitness centers, laundry rooms, and smaller cabins. Though life at sea for crew members isn't as glamorous as it is for passengers, plenty of rewards come with the job. 

Ella, a dancer in Mamma Mia on Allure of the Seas, had a recent TikTok video offering a glimpse into her windowless cabin go viral, with over 1.4 million views and 44k likes. It sparked curiosity about what life is really like behind the scenes on a cruise ship.

"Have you ever wondered what a crew cabin on a cruise ship looks like?" she asks. 

The dancer shares the cabin with a fellow cast member

Ella and her roommate Samara prioritized making their small space cozy with tons of pictures on the walls, fake plants, and pineapple string lights—fitting as the ship is currently sailing to The Bahamas from Florida. 

"We wanted to really make our cabin look cozy because obviously when you're living here for nine months at a time, you want it to feel as homely as possible," Ella explains. 

The video also shows how Ella and her roommate utilize the cabin's magnetic walls by hanging up small magnetic hooks for their jewelry and shelves for more storage. 

Read more: I stayed in an inside cabin for 5 nights on a cruise ship. The lack of natural light was worse than expected

Because the cabin is windowless, Ella talks about the importance of their sunrise alarm clock: "This is our sunrise alarm clock, which is an absolute lifesaver because we don't have a porthole, so we never see natural light...this turns itself on in the morning, so we at least don't wake up in the pitch black every day." 

Another must-have item is her hanging shoe organizer. It's no surprise that their stateroom isn't the largest. To increase the amount of available floor space, Ella and Samara keep their shoes neatly arranged in the hanging organizer on the back of their door.

"If you are looking to do a cruise ship in the future, a shoe rack on the back of your door is an absolute essential because you are going to need to save that space in your cabin," she remarks. 

They also purchased two matching drawer towers for more storage space since they share a single wardrobe. Though she doesn't give viewers a peek into the closet, she shows her "bits and bobs" drawer where she keeps things like her sunglasses and wallet, and her snack drawer. 

Ella also talks about her recent whiteboard obsession, showing a smaller whiteboard with the roommates' weekly schedule, as well as a larger one with their monthly schedule and a whiteboard with a countdown until she returns home. 

When she posted the video, she had 21 weeks left onboard Allure of the Seas, meaning her contract is scheduled to end around the end of February—assuming she posted the TikTok around the same time it was filmed. 

Whiteboards have become popular cabin door decorations for passengers, too. While they don't serve as practical a purpose as they do for crew members, they can be used to leave messages for other travelers. Some guests will even ask daily questions for others to respond to, such as where you're from, your favorite port of call, and more. 

They also have a coffee corner in their cabin that's home to cute mugs, instant coffee from Trader Joe's, and coffee beans to brew a fresh cup. 

Above their coffee station is a bookshelf piled high with books to read during their downtime. 

At night, Ella transforms the space into a cozy retreat by adjusting the mood lighting. "Here's my bed," she says, "It's so cute and cozy. I've got my LED lights...and I've packed my walls with photos of my family, my friends, [and] my boyfriend." 

There's also a television screen at the foot of each bed with "loads of movies and TV shows to choose from." 

Read more: Photos show a tiny crew-only cabin on Icon of the Seas

Tiny yet functional bathroom

Ella doesn't spend much time in the bathroom, claiming it's not very exciting. Overall, it is a standard crew bathroom. It has everything they need, but it's a far cry from a luxury bathroom. 

They have a capsule shower with a curtain instead of a plexiglass door. The sink is also much smaller compared to guest cabins, with counter space noticeably absent. 

One thing she does emphasize is the importance of a filtered shower head "because the water on ships really dries your hair [out]." 

Read more: I paid $830 for a cheap tiny and windowless cabin on Allure of the Seas

Allure of the Seas is an Oasis Class ship launched in 2010

The 225,282 gross registered ton ship will undergo a $100 million-plus renovation in March 2025. 

Once the drydock is complete, the amplified Allure of the Seas will feature a redesigned resort-style pool deck, Ultimate Abyss dry slide, Perfect Storm waterslides, Splashaway Bay, Pesky Parrot Bar, two new specialty restaurants, El Loco Fresh, an escape room, glow-in-the-dark laser tag, the Ultimate Panoramic Suite, and revamped Adventure Ocean spaces. 

Following the renovation, Allure of the Seas will remain in Europe for the summer 2025 season, a first since 2015. She'll sail from Barcelona and Rome (Civitavecchia) on 7-night cruises to Spain, France, and Italy. 

Tipping is a controversial topic, especially when it comes to cruise lines, where gratuities are often pre-paid or automatically added to your bill. 

Instead of getting caught up on the monetary aspect, one crew member took to Reddit to share their thoughts on how you can show your appreciation to those working to make your time onboard so memorable.

The crew member, known by their Reddit name SolAreiaLivros, explains how they've worked on ships like Adventure, Allure, and Wonder of the Seas. 

"Your cash tips, no matter how big or small help us (most especially [crew] from 'developing' countries like myself) tremendously. We are paid a livable wage, and well! But every dollar is something extra we can bring back home to our families," they write in the post shared to the r/royalcaribbean thread. 

"But if you prefer not to tip, that is completely okay!! Here are some other ways you can show your appreciation to [the crew members who] made your cruise extra special."

Post-cruise surveys

There's a reason so many crew members talk to guests about the post-cruise surveys. Not only do they allow you to provide feedback on your cruise vacation but you also have the opportunity to shout out hardworking crew members. 

The survey itself is short. In addition to a few brief questions about crew members, you're also asked about the food's quality, shore excursions, the ship's overall maintenance, and entertainment. 

SolAreiaLivros shares that when they're personally mentioned in surveys and reviews, they can earn a day off, a Very Important Crew (VIC) scratch card, a free specialty meal, or stay in a guest cabin for one sailing. 

The VIC card lets them scratch for perks like free internet and room service, a day off, discounts at the crew store, cash, and more. 

Surveys are especially important to crew members like waiters. When their ratings go down, they're at risk of having fewer tables to wait on, resulting in fewer tips. For waiters in specialty restaurants, low ratings could even lead to them being reassigned to the Main Dining Room, which is typically much more stressful and demanding.

"If mentioned enough times, we can get nominated to be [the] Employee of the Month. Winning Employee of the Month has quite a sum of cash prize," they add. 

Read more: Tipping on a cruise ship: What you should and shouldn't do

Small notes and letters

Did one crew member go out of their way to deliver an exceptional experience? Don't be afraid to write them a short thank you note before disembarking. 

Whether a bartender who made your drinks perfectly or a fun activity host, taking a moment to show your appreciation with a handwritten note can make a huge difference.

SolAreiaLivros says, "I have personally received small notes folded into fun shapes from guests and I still have them in my wallet to this day. Reading these notes from guests at the end of a long day of work makes all the hard work feel worth it."

Read more: 7 most important crew members to meet on your cruise ship

Remembering the crew member's name

SolAreiaLivros emphasizes how much a simple acknowledgment, like remembering a crew member's name, can mean: "...a guest remembering us and calling us by our names makes us feel seen and appreciated."

"As you all well know, we work onboard without [days off] and days can be really long. You have no idea how a simple thank you can make a crew’s day."

For example, when you see your cabin steward in the hall, address them by their name and ask how they're doing. Similarly, you can greet your Main Dining Room staff each evening by their names.

Collecting cruise ducks

What started as a quirky activity for those who wanted to share their love of cruising has grown into a worldwide craze, with Facebook groups and online forums dedicated to duck hunting on cruise ships. 

However, passengers aren't the only ones who love collecting ducks! "[Crew members who] have little kids back home LOVE collecting ducks," says SolAreiaLivros, "My cousin whose dad also works for Royal [Caribbean] grew up looking forward to receiving new duckies from her dad after every contract."

That said, SolAreiaLivros added that she knew a fellow crew member who was fired because of collecting ducks. If you're cruising and a crew member mentions they have young children at home, consider giving one directly to them. 

Read more: Why some people hate hiding ducks on a cruise ship fad

Be careful with larger gifts

While on the topic of giving gifts to crew members, be aware of things that could get them in trouble, like alcohol and items purchased from the shops onboard. 

"[We cannot] bring home any item from the shops unless we have the receipt," explains SolAreiaLivros, "[If you want to gift something from the store,] find the manager of that department and let them know that you're going to give this certain gift to (insert name of [the] crew [member])."

They add it's best to be done in an area where CCTV is available. However, note that some crew members may reject gifts if they're afraid they'll get in trouble over it. 

Read more: 7 things you should never buy on a cruise ship

The best gift SolAreiaLivros received was a picture of themself and a few guests while working in 150 Central Park, a specialty restaurant on Oasis Class ships. 

"I did not expect [for them to] buy it and gift it to me. It was in that nice 150 [C]entral [P]ark folder with a keychain inside and a note from them wishing me blessed years ahead in my career." In fact, they say they got a promotion two sailings after receiving that present! 

Another gift idea from SolAreiaLivros is laundry detergent. Crew members must buy their own in the crew grocery or in port, so gifting it helps save them money. 

Royal Caribbean gratuities 

Royal Caribbean automatically charges each guest's SeaPass account a gratuity fee each day of the cruise to recognize the service provided by crew members including cabin stewards, head waiters, waiters, and assistant waiters. 

As of November 1, 2024, the daily gratuity amount is $18.50 per guest, per day for guests in standard staterooms (i.e., inside, ocean-view, and balcony cabins, as well as Junior Suites). 

Guests in Grand Suites and above will pay $21.00 per person, per day in gratuities. The daily gratuity amount is the same for all passengers, regardless of age. This means a family of four staying in a balcony stateroom will pay $518 in gratuities during a weeklong cruise, while the same family in a suite can expect to pay $588 for a 7-night cruise. 

Gratuities, or tips, aren't included in Royal Caribbean's base fare. Some passengers prefer to prepay them in advance, as it helps them appropriately budget for their vacation. Plus, guests who prepay their gratuities don't have to worry about increases, as they're grandfathered into the lower rate. 

These automatic gratuities are controversial because they can feel impersonal or mandatory to some passengers, taking away the choice of rewarding exceptional service.

SolAreiaLivros concluded their post by saying they aren't well versed about gratuities, asking respondents to refrain from asking questions about them to avoid misinforming people.

Read more: Gratuities on Royal Caribbean: How tipping works

Crew members live and work onboard cruise ships, and while many of their cabins are quite small, there are a few bigger ones.

A video shared on TikTok shows what the largest crew cabins are like on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas. 

Bryan James, an entertainer for Royal Caribbean, has worked on numerous ships in the fleet, including Wonder of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, and Quantum of the Seas. He also shares glimpses of his life as a crew member onboard Royal Caribbean vessels on various social media channels, from TikTok (819k followers) to Instagram (273k followers). 

Though he's currently on Utopia of the Seas, a video shared on his social media in May shows his cabin while working onboard Quantum during the ship's seasonal stint in Alaska. 

Unlike his living quarters while on Utopia, he shares five reasons he loves this massive cabin, from the private, full-sized bathroom to the porthole window. 

#5: Storage space

Cruise ship cabins aren't known for being the most spacious. Crew staterooms are even smaller than standard passenger cabins, meaning they have even less storage space despite living on the ship for months at a time. 

James has been working on Royal Caribbean ships for years and is used to small closets. While he admits it isn't an issue, he appreciated having more space on Quantum. 

"...[small closets are] fine because I don't have a lot of clothes, but just to know I've got the extra space...or [if] I have people come [to] visit me on the ship like my mom just did, it's great to have a place for them to put their clothes, too," he says. 

Read more: Ultimate Cruise Packing List

#4: Full-size bathroom

Sometimes, crew members have to share bathrooms during their contracts. While on Quantum, however, James had his own bathroom. Not only that but it was larger than others he's had in the past!

"You don't have to be in the shower and on the toilet at the same time," he remarks, "They are two separate entities." 

Above the sink, which is also in the bathroom unlike on Utopia of the Seas, there's a huge medicine cabinet with space for toothbrushes, toothpaste, and other toiletries. 

Noticeably missing from the bathroom is the standard glass shower door in passenger staterooms. Instead, crew members are given a shower curtain.

#3: Full-size desk

James compares his desk onboard Quantum to one on a previous contract. "...clearly a massive upgrade," he says. 

In his cabin, the desk takes up nearly one wall, giving him plenty of space to edit videos for his social media channels and unwind by playing video games. 

The desk in his old cruise ship cabin pulled out from the closet, and there wasn't enough floor space to keep the stool out full-time. Instead, he stored it when it wasn't in use to free up floor space. 

#2: Full-size bed

Could you imagine sleeping on a twin-sized bed for months at a time? Typically, that's how cruise ship crew members experience life at sea. In this case, James was surprised that he had a full-sized bed. 

Even better, it wasn't two twin-sized beds pushed together, which is the case in passenger cabins. Guests can elect to have them separated or keep them pushed together, depending on their preferences. 

"Normally, they take two mattresses [and] they squish them together...this is an actual real mattress," he explains. 

His cabin also had a pullman bed, ideal when guests stayed with him while onboard. 

#1: Porthole

Some cruisers refuse to pay extra for balcony cabins, whereas others can't imagine stepping foot on a ship without having access to a private verandah. Crew members don't get to decide whether they have an inside or ocean-view room. Most, however, stay in tiny cabins without any natural light for the duration of their contact. 

On Quantum, James was most pleased with his porthole, allowing him to catch glimpses of Alaska's natural beauty inside his stateroom. 

"Not only do I get sunshine during the day," he says, "but I can stick my phone up to the window and get cell service so I don't have to use the internet....This is the dream, guys." 

Read more: I always stay in an inside cabin on a cruise ship

Quantum of the Seas will return to Alaska in May 2025

Following her season in Australia and the South Pacific, Quantum of the Seas will return to Alaska in May, offering 7-night roundtrip cruises from Seattle, along with one 5-night sailing to Sitka and Victoria, British Columbia. 

The 168,666 gross registered ton vessel is the namesake ship of the Quantum Class, the first to feature innovations like a skydiving simulator, indoor SeaPlex used for roller skating and bumper cars, and the North Star Observation Capsule. 

During Quantum's Alaskan itineraries, guests can lounge on the top decks to take in the stunning views of glaciers and fjords and take advantage of numerous outdoor activities in port, including hiking, kayaking, and whale watching. 

Read more: I went on a 7-night cruise to Alaska

Cruise ship passengers are all too familiar with the extra costs that come with cruising. But what do crew members pay extra for?

Krista Joselyn is a cruise ship singer onboard Freedom of the Seas.

She performs in onboard shows such as the Welcome Aboard show and Once Upon a Time.

The Freedom Class vessel has about 1,365 crew members onboard, and each employee has the freedom to determine exactly what they spend extra on.

In a recent YouTube video, Krista shared a breakdown of her current weekly expenses as a crew member living onboard.

"A top perk of this job," she says, "is getting to save a lot of the money that you make. We have very limited expenses."

Budgeting is entirely up to each crew member, according to Krista. 

"If you wanted to spend $0, you could."

What's free for crew members?

First, Krista explained the items that she doesn't have to pay for while living onboard.

These include:

• Accommodations
• Living expenses
• Laundry
• Gym memberships
• Crew parties

Crew members don't pay extra for cabins and the resulting water and electricity bills. Living expenses aren't taken out of paychecks, either.

The laundry room is free to use onboard, but Krista does have to bring her own laundry detergent. She buys one big package at Costo, so estimates she only spends about 50 cents a week on laundry.

Crew members can also use the crew gym for free. 

As a matter of fact, cast members are required to log gym hours.

 "As a cast member we are required to do five gym hours per week to keep up stamina for the shows," Krista says.

Krista explains that, back home, she would usually spend anywhere between $10 and $50 a month for a gym membership.

"So it is really nice to have such a beautiful gym to use for free."

Royal Caribbean HR also throws free crew parties weekly. These parties have fun themes like White Night, Beach Party, and School vs. Drool.

According to Krista, alcoholic drinks are provided free of charge, and it's a fun opportunity for cast and crew members to enjoy a night together.

Read more: Royal Caribbean crew member shows off daring high dive on cruise ship: "Should be illegal"

What do they spend in a week?

Crew members do get access to a crew mess hall for free, so food isn't a necessary extra fee.

However, Krista says that the menu options and rotation "get a little boring," so she and her boyfriend sometimes splurge on specialty restaurants.

Specialty dining: $50

Crew members can go to the same restaurants cruisers are familiar with onboard: Giovanni's, Chops Grille, Izumi Sushi, Playmakers, and Johnny Rockets.

Krista says they usually get a 20% discount—or more. Even with this discount, specialty food is one of her biggest expenses onboard.

She estimated that she spends about $50 a week on specialty dining.

Water: $3

Bottled water is sold once a week—on sale for $3 a pack.

When it comes to alcoholic drinks, Krista says she saves a lot of money by purchasing liquor from the crew bar and making her own beverages.

However, drinks are very cheap at the crew bar.

According to Krista, you can get a margarita for $4, whereas on land it would be $10. In comparison, passenger bars onboard Freedom of the Seas charge $14 for a margarita.

WiFi: $0

Crew members only get two free hours of WiFi per week, so most crew members pay extra for more time. The WiFi costs $3.99 per hour (depending on the package purchased).

However, Krista invested in a side job so that she wouldn't have to pay extra for more hours of WiFi.

She works an hour or two a week at the WiFi desk onboard. For one hour of work, she received 300 free minutes of WiFi.

Thanks to her job there, she gets between 5 and 10 hours of free Internet each week.

Krista spends about $200 a week onshore

Freedom of the Seas currently sails alternating 7-night itineraries in the Caribbean out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

In a typical week, the vessel visits destinations such as St. Thomas, San Juan, the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, and Jamacia.

Krista says that excursions in the Caribbean cost more than she expected.

"A lot of the places that we're going to in the Caribbean here are very touristy and so they are just more expensive and so I really did not expect that."

On many port days, Krista does grab lunch off the ship, visit a nearby beach, or splurge on an exciting shore excursion.

On turnaround day, the ship disembarks in Fort Lauderdale. 

Krista and her boyfriend usually head to Publix to purchase groceries, and then a cafe for food and WiFi.

The ship WiFi isn't always strong enough to download everything Krista wants for the week, so she spends her time gathering new music, podcasts, and Netflix shows.

When the ship stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay, most activities and dining are free for the crew, so Krista never spends money on Royal Caribbean's private island.

However, if there are particular activities she wants to experience she will splurge, for example, visiting a waterpark in Nassau. It's worth it for a fun day with the crew!

However, there are also some weeks where Krista doesn't get off the ship, so every cruise is different.

Since Krista doesn't have expenses back home (such as rent and bills), she's usually willing to spend a little more money on experiences like excursions.

She only spends $253 total each week

Every week is different, but according to Krista's calculations of an average week, she would only spend about $253 on both onboard and shore expenses.

Krista is aware that her costs of living on a cruise ship as a crew member are less than what she'd spend living on land.

"Every once in a while I get a little nervous for the day that I'm going to have to start paying rent again," she joked.

"[I'll have to] live in a house and deal with all of those adulty things that I haven't had to deal with in my 20s."