Working on a cruise ship means working and living with persons from cultures different from your own. No two persons are exactly the same, so logically, there will be slight differences in how we behave, with or without the cultural differences. This means, there are differences within cultures as well.

Because each crew member is unique, we need to operate with respect and understanding. Also, we need to demonstrate that we value the different nationalities. Keep in mind that some ships have over 50 different nationalities. But we all work together with a common goal – to deliver quality service to the guests. But at the same time, we should never forget our fellow crew members. They too deserve your respect and quality service. We live and work with them for several months, so it is in your best interest to “let peace reign”.

So in this post, we will explore culture and some common challenges that ship crew may face and how to overcome them.

What is Culture?

Culture is basically the way of life of people. It is a set of accepted behaviour patterns for a group of people. This includes, values, religion, language, assumptions, and social habits and so on. A person’s culture will greatly influence how they create, send, process and interpret information.

What is Cultural Awareness?

I always encourage crew members to develop sensitivity and consideration for other cultures on board. This means, to be more culturally aware. It involves being open-minded and flexible in how we relate to other crew members. Basically, it means being aware and respectful of the different cultures on board. Being culturally aware challenges you to make some internal changes, in terms of your attitude toward others.

Cultural awareness can be further improved if you actively try to gain more knowledge about others. This means trying to learn about the different cultures. Whether by doing online research or just interacting more with crew members from differently nationalities to have hands on experience.

Some ways in which you can develop cultural awareness:

1. Avoid stereotyping (labelling) other crew based on their nationality. It prevents you from getting to know each crew members as an individual
2. Avoid discriminating. Do not treat other crew poorly based on their nationality
3. Do not compare your culture to others. When you do this, you tend to focus on everything that makes you feel uncomfortable
4. Be willing to learn enough to work and live in harmony with other crew members
5. Practice general good manners and act in a friendly manner. Let go of the hostility
6. Practice respect by being curious and asking more questions and getting to know your fellow crew
7. Include other crew member’s values into how you interact with them
8. Adjust your personal style to accommodate other beliefs and values
9. Respect individual privacy and more personal matters, regardless of how well you get along with other crew members

What is Culture Shock and how to deal with it?

Culture shock is a feeling of anxiety or confusion in response to a new culture or foreign environment, where the lifestyle is different from what the other person is used to. These feelings tend to be worse if you are not adequately prepared for the new encounter. Most of this preparation, is mental preparation. Working with different cultures on a cruise ship can greatly improve your personal and professional development.

Here are some useful tips on dealing with culture shock:

1. You are not alone. Because it happens to many persons, especially the brand new crew members. The shock does not mean that the other culture is wrong or bad, it’s just not what you are used to. Eventually, the newness will fade.
2. Accept that you will have to work and live with the different nationalities and adapt your attitude for a more successful contract
3. Be open-minded and take the time to learn about the other cultures
4. Try to make friends with several different nationalities. This will help you to be more rounded. And it certainly will help you, if or when you get to a supervisory or managerial level. When you have a position of authority on a cruise ship, it is never a good idea to use a “one size fits all approach”.
5. Be positive. There maybe a few aspects of other cultures that you might not necessarily like. But let us not focus on what “seems” negative, focus on the positive and how this can help you to develop.
6. Observe more and talk less. Take your time to truly explore and observe the environment and people in it.

What are some differences among ship crew members?

There are many difference among ship crew members. Some more obvious than others. For example, a few that I have noticed are:

1. Education level
2. Language
3. Race
4. Values and beliefs
5. Gender
6. Personal grooming
7. Rank (position or job title)
8. Family obligations
9. Body gestures
10. Sexual orientation
11. Housekeeping
12. Attitude and behavior toward authority

And guess what? These differences can easily be found within individual cultures as well. So, if you chose to do a comparison with your own culture, you will find that there are many similarities in terms of the differences.

Quick tip: Be more willing to share cabin with a crew member from a different nationality. Think about it, if you truly wanted to be around people only from your nationality then you probably would have stayed home. Remember Working with different cultures on a cruise ship can be very exciting and rewarding. So enjoy the adventure! and remember, understand that there will be differences but respect them.