A common perception of crew life onboard is that it is one big party below decks every night. Crewmembers that work onboard cruise ships TODAY will disagree with this false perception.
Yes, there was a time (about ten years ago) when crew parties were the norm. But, today crew life is far less of a party. Code of conduct on cruise ships has changed dramatically in the last ten years with a no tolerance for crew drunkenness. Crew members are breathalized and terminated if and when they are caught.
This doesn’t mean that crew members don’t have fun it just means that crew must be extra aware of how much they drink. In fact, crew discos are usually held once a cruise. But, it’s not like a land-based job where you can go to the bar or a club after work and your employer doesn’t know how much you drink. On a cruise ship your employer can see how much you drink and how you behave.
Unfortunately there are YouTube videos, books and interviews that are out there that depict that crew life is one big party. It is important to note that many of these crew members are ex-crewmembers that worked onboard during the days that crew partying was acceptable. They are out of touch with today’s crew environment.
Since today’s crewmembers have worked hard to gain their positions onboard, most of them fully understand the consequences of complying with the cruise lines’ code of conduct and take their jobs seriously. If they don’t, then their days are numbered before they are sent home without a job.
For more info, WorkOnCruiseShips.com members can read Cruise Lines Code of Conduct.