The median employee for each of the three largest cruise companies — Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings — made over $10,000 less than the median American worker in 2018.
The companies reported in regulatory filings the following median annual earnings for 2018:
- Carnival: $16,622
- Royal Caribbean Cruises: $19,396
- Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings: $20,101
Read more: Cruise-ship workers reveal how much money they really make
Each company said its median employee worked on one of its ships. Carnival said many of its ship-based employees worked between six and 11 months each year, while Norwegian said six to 10 months was common for its ship-based staff.
The median annual income in the US was $31,561 in 2017 (the latest year for which data is available), according to the Social Security Administration.
"Wages aren't the full story when you are talking about seafarers. In addition to wages, cruise lines provide room and board, meals, training, free medical care, and many other benefits that aren't included in the average US job," a representative for the Cruise Lines International Association, a trade association for the industry, said.
"Employee-retention rates in the cruise industry are upwards of 80% — unheard of in other industries."
Carnival declined a request for comment. Norwegian and Royal Caribbean did not respond to requests for comment.
Have you worked on a cruise ship? Do you have a story to share? Email this reporter at mmatousek@bjinnox.com.
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