Working Hours of Crew - I would not want to do it, no matter what!

[pearlieq]

I would totally do it if I were young and lived in one of their recruiting areas.

The nationalities of the ship's staff are no accident. They're recruited from economically depressed developing nations--usually nations with poor employment prospects and very high unemployment.

DCL might be hard work, but it's a guaranteed place to sleep, 3 meals per day, and more money than most of the crew members could ever dream of!

Here are 2003 World Bank annual per capita income figures from countries where DCL recruits:

India - $530
Indonesia - $910
Vietnam - $480
Phillipines - $1080
South Africa - $2780

As you can see, the amount made on the ships is astronomical compared to the average income at home. Say you're a server on DCL and you work 8 months out of the year. At $1,000 per week average X 32 weeks, you're pulling in $32,000 per year. If you hail from India you're making 60 times the average salary!! If you're from Indonesia it's 30 times the average salary.

For comparison's sake, the chart shows the US average salary at $37,500. If someone offered you a job that pays 30 times the average salary, which would be $1,125,000, wouldn't you be willing to work 70 hours a week and smile like a maniac while you're doing it?

 

[Trixiezzz]

That website was very interesting!

Especially the crew's quarters. Woooa, and I thought the Cat. 12 were the smallest!

And here's what the website says about their pay. It says it's by check, not cash:

Crew Pay
Crew Members are paid bi-weekly in US dollars by check. All Crew Members are responsible for paying their own taxes. US citizens or residents have Federal taxes withheld from their checks. Other Crew Members must check with their own country's tax service to find out what guidelines they should follow.
Crew Benefits
Crew benefits include medical coverage while on contract. GAP insurance is available for purchase for coverage between contracts. Crew accommodations, meals, and costumes/uniforms (except shoes) are provided to the Crew at no expense.

As a Crew Member of Disney Cruise Line, you will receive complimentary admission to most of the Disney Theme Parks and other discounts on Disney merchandise at most Disney locations (check with your Human Resources Representative - restrictions apply).

from: http://www.dcljobs.com/benefits.asp