# Why are cruise ship employees so nice? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 3, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885 "2005-07-03T00:28:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![NoPretentiousCodename](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/82dd89/32.png) [@NoPretentiousCodename](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoPretentiousCodename)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/21 "2005-07-06T13:32:02Z")
> [@RandomLetters](#): > > There is a very simple reason why all the employees on cruise ships are so nice: > > If the employee isn’t nice, the Captain of the cruise ship makes them walk the plank, for the enjoyment of everyone on board. > > Arrrrrrrrr, matey. Really? On my cruise the preferred method was keelhauling… ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/22 "2005-07-06T21:09:24Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > Crew wages do seem low, but are they that bad compared to those of, say, flight attendants, or those who do similar service work elsewhere? I think you’ll find that flight attendants get paid quite well. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/23 "2005-07-06T21:33:44Z")
> [@NoPretentiousCodename](#): > > Really? On my cruise the preferred method was keelhauling… It depends on the whims of the captain. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/24 "2005-07-07T09:02:04Z")
> [@1920s Style "Death Ray"](#): > > I think you’ll find that flight attendants get paid quite well. Except if the flight attendant has to maintain a home in a large expensive city, wouldn’t the expenses associated with that eat up much of the differential in his/her salary, as compared with that of a cruise ship crewperson? Of course, the flight attendant would still obviously enjoy a better life, and is presumably not being worked as hard. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/25 "2005-07-07T11:39:46Z")
The whole flight attendant allure was lost on me after 9-11. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/26 "2005-07-07T13:36:56Z")
How much is culture driven? In some cultures, it is rewarding to one’s self to be extra nice and respectful of those from – or perceived as coming from – higher classes. I know that in the U.S, poorer classes are inherently hateful of educated people or people who have more. (I’m being harsh, but making a point). ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/27 "2005-07-07T13:48:51Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > How much is culture driven? In some cultures, it is rewarding to one’s self to be extra nice and respectful of those from – or perceived as coming from – higher classes. > > I know that in the U.S, poorer classes are inherently hateful of educated people or people who have more. (I’m being harsh, but making a point). I don’t perceive this at all. Never, when being served by those in low-wage jobs, and presumably from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, have I felt I was being resented or hated. Of course, that doesn’t include those who’ve been so shafted by the system that they’re not even able to work or find a job. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/28 "2005-07-07T20:46:01Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > Crew wages do seem low, but are they that bad compared to those of, say, flight attendants, or those who do similar service work elsewhere? I can’t imagine flight attendants doing the kind of stuff the folks in **Fionn’s** article have to do. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/29 "2005-07-08T01:45:10Z")
Cruise ships are probably like Disneyland. They are very careful about hiring people. You don’t just fill out a form, show some ID and pass a drug test like say, a movie theatre usher. Plus, I doubt that many cranky people even apply to work on a cruise ship and if they do they probably work in non-customer areas like the laundry. Of course if you went to the crew only lounge you would hear them saying how much the hate the goddamn guests and they how they want to murder you in your sleep. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/30 "2005-07-08T03:03:26Z")
Dude, they work on a CRUISE SHIP. All Kathie Lee and singing “If they could see me now!” EVERY DAY. Seems easier to be chipper on a CRUISE than in an OFFICE. or at Applebees. If my friends could see me now! ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/31 "2005-07-08T04:08:28Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > I can’t imagine flight attendants doing the kind of stuff the folks in **Fionn’s** article have to do. I think it is probably fruitless to try to compare an FAs job with a cruise ship employee’s. The jobs are not in any way related as far as I can see. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/32 "2005-07-08T19:02:46Z")
I’ve had co-workers who have cruise ship experience on lines that sail from the United States. The general report they gave me was 15 hours a day for four days in a row, followed by three days off. Wages run in the ten dollar an hour range, better than what you’d get at a hotel, and some employees get extra from tips. On top of that room and board are free, so it’s pretty good money compared to other jobs that you can get with no college at all. That article that was linked to talks about Royal Caribbean, a company with a terrible reputation. There are better cruise lines such as Holland America, which as I understand it has to live by European labor regulations, and some of the other cruise lines are union, which means much better pay and conditions. Ultimately cruise workers are just getting more than comparable workers at resort hotels. I would imagine they’re friendly because it’s necessary for keeping their jobs. I can personally asure you that no hourly worker cares one way or another about the company’s profits, nor is there any reason why they should. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/33 "2005-07-08T19:11:49Z")
Well, I don’t work on a cruise ship, but sometimes handle floor time at my Realty office. We are always pleasant to clients. In the long run, it will probably translate to sales, but that’s not on my mind when I greet someone who walks or calls in. A typical customer is someone on vacation or here because of our resort area. As long as we are making money and they are getting what they want in terms of real estate services, they are happy, we are happy, everyone’s happy! 🙂 I hope that’s not too over the top to be real. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/34 "2005-07-08T21:21:12Z")
Having never been on a cruise won’t stop me from putting in my $.02 If the employees are treating the customers well, it is a strong indication that management is treating the employees well. Unhappy employees don’t provide good service, and you can’t browbeat or otherwise force people to be happy. And “treating them well” doesn’t have to mean large salarys. If employees are treated as disposable liabilities, berated for offering thier ideas, sexually or otherwised harrased, etc. you won’t be able to pay them enough to ever provide decent service. I’ve heard storys of employees on cruise ships, and 5 star hotels going to extraordinary lengths for customers. While this certainly requires some initiative of the employee, it also requires managment that encourages, supports, and hopefully rewards such heroics. Most of the people who go on about it have no freaking clue, but “corporate culture” is real, and really makes a difference. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885/35 "2005-07-08T21:36:43Z")
I would also say it’s more that cruise-ship employees are happy perky people anyway and those who aren’t get themselves fired. I used to work at a famous bar. Everyone was supposed to be perky, cheerful, helpful, friendly, and happy in front of the customers. It didn’t matter if you didn’t really feel that way – you should fake it, then. It was a job requirement to make the customers feel like they just entered the most fun happy place on the planet. It wasn’t that hard to be happy – even while working long hard hours - because most of the other employees were fun smart people and it was nice to work with them. Of course we bitched about some customers when we were alone in the kitchen, but out front – we were shiny happy people. Employees who couldn’t be happy and helpful and _100% customer-service-oriented_ soon found themselves out of a job. There were hundreds of other people waiting in line to take their places. I imagine it’s the same on a cruise ship. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-cruise-ship-employees-so-nice/310885.md?page=1)