Ever wondered about the crew cabins on a cruise ship? Well, a ship is designed to carry hundreds, sometimes thousands of guests and crew. For this reason, the space is used as efficiently as possible. This is to comfortably accommodate all the guests, guest facilities, crew and crew facilities.

Some questions that persons usually ask me are:

Are the crew cabins big?

The crew cabins on a cruise ship are not very big (it’s cosy) for efficient use of space. Therefore, storage is limited. So, it is always a smart idea to pack light. Likewise, packing light also makes it easier to travel around, especially if you have several connecting flights. Additionally, work on a ship is very dynamic so there can be changes. For instance, you may be transferred to another ship based on operational needs.

Will I be in the cabin by myself?

Depending on your rank/position and also the cruise line company, you will be assigned to a single, double, triple or sometimes quad occupancy cabin. Higher ranks are usually assigned to a single or double cabin. Therefore, most crew on a ship will have a shared cabin. With this in mind, your cabin mate may be of a different nationality or work in a different area of the ship. This is one of the many advantages of working on a ship. Because you are exposed to many cultures different from your own, it helps you to develop good communication skills. But many will say this is one disadvantage to working a a cruise ship. But to me, it is an amazing opportunity to develop your people skills.

Will someone clean my cabin?

Some cabins are cleaned by the housekeeping department. The crew who clean (service) the crew cabins are usually called “officer/staff stewards”. Cabin service is limited to those crew who have the privilege (varies across companies and ships). Different ranks have different privileges on the ship. These are usually, the officers, the concessions (shops, salon, photo etc), managers and supervisors.

The cabin set up will vary depending again on the ship you are assigned to, but generally cabins will have the following:

• Bathroom with shower, face basin, cabinet with mirror and toilet (some ships have communal bathrooms)
• Television
• Telephone
• Bed (usually bunk beds depending on the occupancy)
• Desk/Table
• Chairs
• Drawers
• Locker/closet
• Mirror
• Small garbage bin
• Metal safe unit (sometimes, so do not expect it)
• Small refrigerator (sometimes, so do not expect it)

When crew members complete their contracts, they are expected to clean the cabin and leave fresh linen in the cabin for the newcomers. Sadly, this rarely ever happens. So, although you maybe very tired and disoriented, you might have to get new linen. The linen is located in the linen store and managed by the Linen-keeper. Usually, new crew will collect shower curtain, bed sheets (fitted and cover), pillow cases, blanket and towels. The Linen-keeper is also in charge of your uniform (shirt, pants, skirt, apron, scarf etc)

This will be your home for the duration of the contract and you have to share it with others (sometimes person from different nationalities). So be respectful and keep it clean and tidy.

Also note, there is a weekly scheduled crew cabin inspection. The reason for this is to check the overall cleanliness of the cabin and to address maintenance issues. You will be advised when there is an inspection and the requirements are usually posted or outlined in the company procedures or crew handbook. Depending on the circumstances, random cabin inspections are also a possibility, so just be clean and you will be fine.

Remember, the cabin is your home away from home and you might not be the only occupant, so be respectful, and maintain it in good, clean condition.