One of the perks of living on a cruise ship is not having to find housing or pay rent. But for some, it comes with a price: small, spare living quarters.
That's particularly true for lower-paid workers like waiters, bar servers, and those in customer-service roles, known as crew or staff members. Some of the 39 current and former cruise-ship employees who spoke with Business Insider said they didn't have much room to move in their cabins. (Most of those mentioned in this story requested anonymity due to a fear of reprisal from their former employer.)
"I was sharing a cabin with another hostess, so obviously we'd have to get ready at the same time, and it was not possible," a former hostess for Costa Cruises said. "We'd have to take turns."
Costa Cruises did not respond to a request for comment.
"I couldn't open up my arms without hitting something," a former art-auction contractor who worked on a ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line said. "It was so narrow."
Norwegian Cruise Line did not respond to a request for comment.
Read more: Cruise-ship workers reveal what it's really like to live at sea
Crew and staff members often have one roommate, though they sometimes have three. Their rooms are furnished simply, giving occupants some combination of a bed, a desk, a closet, a few shelves, and a small bathroom. Workers may also share a bathroom with the room next to theirs or use a communal bathroom with the rest of their floor-mates.
"Seafarers on cruise ships are indispensable to the industry and the cruise travel experience," said a representative for the Cruise Lines International Association, a trade association for the cruise industry. "While space constraints are always something cruise lines have to keep in mind both from a crew and guest perspective, crew members almost always have access to other sections of the ship that are just for them, such as gyms, pools, dining areas, and lounges."
Managers and those responsible for steering the ship, known as officers, get their own rooms, though they aren't necessarily luxurious. In addition to extra space, they may have a few additional accessories, like a television or a refrigerator.
"Compared to some of the crew cabins, you had a nice cabin," said a former inventory manager for Royal Caribbean Cruises.
But when you're used to having a roommate, moving to a solo cabin can seem like a major upgrade.
"The solo cabin was actually humongous," said Chad Stone, a former production manager for Seabourn Cruise Line who moved from a shared room to an individual one after receiving a promotion. "I couldn't believe how big it was."
Have you worked on a cruise ship? Do you have a story to share? Email this reporter at mmatousek@bjinnox.com.
