Ending of a cruise and gratuities

[datolim]

In this case, the 1 day a week off is part of the "staffing" agreement between the cruise lines and the staffing agency, so the government requirement is on the staffing agency, and not the cruise line, and would be a pre-condition of obtaining staff through them, and while it would only legally apply to those crew obtained by Chinese staffing agencies, it would most likely be applied by the line across the board. There are many requirements that staffing agencies in the Philippines and Malaysia place on crew hired through them, and if they wanted a day off, and their government passed a law requiring it, then it would be applied.

Yes you are right here. I always wanted to be a gentleman and let you have the last word. That is how most labour policies are implemented. I believe the guiding hand of government is always there. Need not resort to hard legislation but government public policy should be seen as appropriate and beneficial to many.

I have always valued your contribution to this forum and hope to hear more from you in the coming days.

[SRF]

Please give your source for your claim that "can employ third world countries personnel at as little as US300/months"? I've given you my facts, what are yours?

 

You can hire people for that much, even less in a lot of countries. But not to work aboard ships (due to the rules you have posted). :D

 

I know many places where an entire household staff (gardener, housekeeper, and cook) will cost you less than $100 per month.

 

This is one reason why ship employment is a big deal for people from many countries. They are making MANY times the monthly pay they could get at home.

[AmazedByCruising]

This is one reason why ship employment is a big deal for people from many countries. They are making MANY times the monthly pay they could get at home.

 

That's compared to the average salary in the Phillipines and Indonesia. Of course they earn more on a ship than at home, otherwise they wouldn't voluntarily work those hours. Yet I think, please correct me if I'm wrong, most crew actually have a very decent, certainly more than average, education and could earn much more than average at home as well.

[GUT2407]

That's compared to the average salary in the Phillipines and Indonesia. Of course they earn more on a ship than at home, otherwise they wouldn't voluntarily work those hours. Yet I think, please correct me if I'm wrong, most crew actually have a very decent, certainly more than average, education and could earn much more than average at home as well.

Nowhere near what they make on the ships though.

[Gloworm2]

Thank you for the clarification. I always add to the prepaid daily service charge but didn't realize just how important it is. I do have another question. If we give them cash directly versus adding it to their account, do they have to report it?

 

 

 

It is my understanding that if prepaid gratuities are removed then they do report it. This way it does not appear as if they had done a poor job.

 

 

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[datolim]

That's compared to the average salary in the Phillipines and Indonesia. Of course they earn more on a ship than at home, otherwise they wouldn't voluntarily work those hours. Yet I think, please correct me if I'm wrong, most crew actually have a very decent, certainly more than average, education and could earn much more than average at home as well.

Being from a neighbouring country I think I can give some insight into the foreign workers situation. We do get alot of them in Singapore.

There are just no jobs in their country. Yes some of them are highly educated but getting a menial job is better than no job. Often an overseas job is not just about themselves but able to support their extended families of up to 10 people.

Getting an overseas job is no walk in the park. There are government officials to be paid off or bribed for the required permit. Then there are the employment agencies or labour contractors who can handle every thing. But they charge a tremendous amount and it takes the worker sometimes up to 2 years to pay them off. So bear in mind it is after this time that they start to see the real income.

So what sort of wages are the cruise lines paying them. Let just say very little. But the real advantage to the cruise line is the worker can be worked until they are incapacitated or really really sick.

But before you feel sorry for them and hand them a very large tip just remember their employer is ever present and "make sure" you don't spoil them and even the cash tip you give must be reported and handed over to the employer under the pain of instant firing.

[SRF]

That's compared to the average salary in the Phillipines and Indonesia. Of course they earn more on a ship than at home, otherwise they wouldn't voluntarily work those hours. Yet I think, please correct me if I'm wrong, most crew actually have a very decent, certainly more than average, education and could earn much more than average at home as well.

 

Not necessarily.

 

I have run into PhDs in some countries working in blue collar labor jobs, as that is the best they can get.

 

I was doing training in one country, and had 4 PhD physicists in the class. And 3 of the 4 were warehouse workers.

 

I have also run into MDs working as tour guides part time to supplement their incomes.

 

Education does not translate to higher wages in many locations.

[chengkp75]

That's compared to the average salary in the Phillipines and Indonesia. Of course they earn more on a ship than at home, otherwise they wouldn't voluntarily work those hours. Yet I think, please correct me if I'm wrong, most crew actually have a very decent, certainly more than average, education and could earn much more than average at home as well.

 

Not necessarily.

 

I have run into PhDs in some countries working in blue collar labor jobs, as that is the best they can get.

 

I was doing training in one country, and had 4 PhD physicists in the class. And 3 of the 4 were warehouse workers.

 

I have also run into MDs working as tour guides part time to supplement their incomes.

 

Education does not translate to higher wages in many locations.

 

I would not say that cruise ship crew have "certainly more than average" education. Average, sure, but not necessarily "overeducated" for the jobs.

 

Socio-economic factors are also present in many of these countries that we in the West simply don't understand. I remember, years ago, when working in the offshore industry in Egypt, we had a cabin steward who had a degree in chemical engineering, but whose parents were "peasants" (and despite Nassar's goal to educate everyone in Egypt regardless of birth), and so he was considered by many to be a "peasant" as well, and therefore had no chance of getting a job as an engineer in Egypt. Until he had served in the Egyptian military, he could not get a passport to get a job overseas, so he took whatever job he could get.