Cruise line culture; live the cruising life
Each cruise line is different in what they offer – unique destinations, varied mix of guests and demographics, diverse forms of entertainment. One commonality most cruise lines have is they want their crew to live the cruising life. In many instances, this means that crew can experience many aspects of the guests’ voyage. Whilst there may be some areas exclusively for guests, crew can, for the most part, visit the various lounges, watch world-class performances and Broadway shows in the theatres, and more as long as they adhere to dress codes. This may be a simple guideline such as wearing all black.
There is a level of discretion required in front of guests, and it is understood that sometimes we want to just relax and be ourselves. For those instances, there is always a crew bar where officers, staff and crew meet to socialise amongst themselves. Most ships, especially larger vessels, also have a crew sunbathing deck with a pool as crew cannot use passenger pool areas. The private crew deck can offer a wonderful escape during time off or a break. On some smaller ships, staff can sometimes use the passenger pool area on port days.