Officer contracts

I know how long dining and room stewards contracts are, but how long are the officers contracts? I was just on Royal and someone said they were for 4 months with 6 weeks vacation. I thought the captain said he got a 6 week vacation.

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Captains on Royal are typically 10 weeks on and 10 weeks off.

Room stewards and dining are usually 6 months . Many have been extended to 9 months. Deck officiers are usually 3 to 4 months depending on their rate.

It varies by line. Captains are often on for 6 weeks and off for 6 weeks. Other crew contracts run as long as 10 or 11 months.

Cadets sometimes are on for six months. The other six are spent in school or r taking exams.

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It varies line by line. On a few lines, Captains and the other very Senior Officers work approximately 3 months on and 3 months off. We have a friend who is a recently retired cruise ship Captain. He once told us that as a Senior Officer on a cruise line (he was the Master at that time) he technically worked 24/7. And it was the same for his Chief Engineer and other senior staff. While they might have off-duty time, they were always on call and always had their areas of responsibility. So even when a Captain was asleep in his/her cabin....they were still the Captain and always responsible for every soul aboard. For the less senior staff. there is even more variance by cruise line. And work schedules can change for many reasons..so things do not always work as perfectly as some would hope. Senior Officers do get sick, have family emergencies, etc. Their jobs must be covered and the home office folks who deal with staffing much sometimes think out of the box.

Hank

It varies line by line. On a few lines, Captains and the other very Senior Officers work approximately 3 months on and 3 months off. We have a friend who is a recently retired cruise ship Captain. He once told us that as a Senior Officer on a cruise line (he was the Master at that time) he technically worked 24/7. And it was the same for his Chief Engineer and other senior staff. While they might have off-duty time, they were always on call and always had their areas of responsibility. So even when a Captain was asleep in his/her cabin....they were still the Captain and always responsible for every soul aboard. For the less senior staff. there is even more variance by cruise line. And work schedules can change for many reasons..so things do not always work as perfectly as some would hope. Senior Officers do get sick, have family emergencies, etc. Their jobs must be covered and the home office folks who deal with staffing much sometimes think out of the box.

 

 

 

Hank

Thanks much!

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It varies by line. Captains are often on for 6 weeks and off for 6 weeks. Other crew contracts run as long as 10 or 11 months.

That may be so as to varying by cruise line, but regarding Captains the OP was referring to RCI, which Bob correctly identified as 10 weeks on with 10 weeks off.

It varies line by line. On a few lines, Captains and the other very Senior Officers work approximately 3 months on and 3 months off. We have a friend who is a recently retired cruise ship Captain. He once told us that as a Senior Officer on a cruise line (he was the Master at that time) he technically worked 24/7. And it was the same for his Chief Engineer and other senior staff. While they might have off-duty time, they were always on call and always had their areas of responsibility. So even when a Captain was asleep in his/her cabin....they were still the Captain and always responsible for every soul aboard. For the less senior staff. there is even more variance by cruise line. And work schedules can change for many reasons..so things do not always work as perfectly as some would hope. Senior Officers do get sick, have family emergencies, etc. Their jobs must be covered and the home office folks who deal with staffing much sometimes think out of the box.

 

 

 

Hank

Carnival just had a Captain pass away, they had to call one off vacation to cover.

Carnival just had a Captain pass away, they had to call one off vacation to cover.

I cannot resist but tell this amusing tale. The Celebrity Silhouette has a very popular Captain known as "Captain Demitrius" who is a Greek gentleman who could have his own late night comedy show. Every cruise he gives a talk (in the main theater) about the Bridge and ship operations...and its generally SRO...with most coming for the jokes. On one of these occasions he took questions from the passengers and a lady asked, "what happens if you get sick or are incapacitated." He responded, " my Staff Captain would take over...and he is a fully qualified Captain...and also Greek!" The lady then asked, "and what if he is also sick." Captain Demitrius responded, "My First Officer is also a licensed Captain and would easily take over.....and he is Greek!" And then somebody shouted out... what if he is also sick. Captain Demitrius took a long pause and then answered "Then, we are all having a very bad day. The next in command is not yet licensed as a Captain....and he is NOT Greek."

Hank

Not cruise lines but on a French-managed container line, the non-French E.U. national officers are on for 3 months and off for 3 months. For French officers, it is 2 and 2. The sole Filipino (2nd) officer was on a long contract (at least 6 months if not longer). One of the E.U. national officers said he left a German line because they were trying to get their E.U. national officers to go on a 6 months on 6 months off.

A friend (USC) who when he was a 1st Officer on APL (was a captain last time I looked) had 3 month on and 3 month off, while the captains at that time did 6/6.

I cannot resist but tell this amusing tale. The Celebrity Silhouette has a very popular Captain known as "Captain Demitrius" who is a Greek gentleman who could have his own late night comedy show. Every cruise he gives a talk (in the main theater) about the Bridge and ship operations...and its generally SRO...with most coming for the jokes. On one of these occasions he took questions from the passengers and a lady asked, "what happens if you get sick or are incapacitated." He responded, " my Staff Captain would take over...and he is a fully qualified Captain...and also Greek!" The lady then asked, "and what if he is also sick." Captain Demitrius responded, "My First Officer is also a licensed Captain and would easily take over.....and he is Greek!" And then somebody shouted out... what if he is also sick. Captain Demitrius took a long pause and then answered "Then, we are all having a very bad day. The next in command is not yet licensed as a Captain....and he is NOT Greek."

 

Hank

Love him! We had the opportunity to sail with him twice. Do you know if he still "captaining" for Celebrity?

I cannot resist but tell this amusing tale. The Celebrity Silhouette has a very popular Captain known as "Captain Demitrius" who is a Greek gentleman who could have his own late night comedy show. Every cruise he gives a talk (in the main theater) about the Bridge and ship operations...and its generally SRO...with most coming for the jokes. On one of these occasions he took questions from the passengers and a lady asked, "what happens if you get sick or are incapacitated." He responded, " my Staff Captain would take over...and he is a fully qualified Captain...and also Greek!" The lady then asked, "and what if he is also sick." Captain Demitrius responded, "My First Officer is also a licensed Captain and would easily take over.....and he is Greek!" And then somebody shouted out... what if he is also sick. Captain Demitrius took a long pause and then answered "Then, we are all having a very bad day. The next in command is not yet licensed as a Captain....and he is NOT Greek."

 

 

 

Hank

That is hilarious!!

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Not cruise lines but on a French-managed container line, the non-French E.U. national officers are on for 3 months and off for 3 months. For French officers, it is 2 and 2. The sole Filipino (2nd) officer was on a long contract (at least 6 months if not longer). One of the E.U. national officers said he left a German line because they were trying to get their E.U. national officers to go on a 6 months on 6 months off.

 

A friend (USC) who when he was a 1st Officer on APL (was a captain last time I looked) had 3 month on and 3 month off, while the captains at that time did 6/6.

Could it be that lines also follow the labor laws on overseas employment of the officer's country?

I cannot resist but tell this amusing tale. The Celebrity Silhouette has a very popular Captain known as "Captain Demitrius" who is a Greek gentleman who could have his own late night comedy show. Every cruise he gives a talk (in the main theater) about the Bridge and ship operations...and its generally SRO...with most coming for the jokes. On one of these occasions he took questions from the passengers and a lady asked, "what happens if you get sick or are incapacitated." He responded, " my Staff Captain would take over...and he is a fully qualified Captain...and also Greek!" The lady then asked, "and what if he is also sick." Captain Demitrius responded, "My First Officer is also a licensed Captain and would easily take over.....and he is Greek!" And then somebody shouted out... what if he is also sick. Captain Demitrius took a long pause and then answered "Then, we are all having a very bad day. The next in command is not yet licensed as a Captain....and he is NOT Greek."

 

 

 

Hank

When we boarded the Silhouette in April (first Celebrity cruise) the women and he (himself) referred to him as Captain Gorgeous. My wife didn't see it but the rest of the women passengers did.

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