Think working on a cruise ship sounds glamorous? For the servers keeping the main dining room running, the reality is equal parts rewarding and relentless. Royal Caribbean crew member Emmy Cruises recently shared a candid look at what the job actually involves — and some of the details might surprise even seasoned cruisers.
One of the first things Emmy flags: dining room waiters need to guard their trolleys like gold. Servers rely on these rolling carts to handle large orders and clear tables efficiently, and an unattended trolley can disappear fast. Her solution is a simple bike lock, which she calls one of the most essential items a new waiter can bring aboard. Beyond the trolleys, servers are responsible for washing and polishing their own silverware between every meal service, making sure everything is spotless and back in place before the next guests sit down.
Off the floor, crew members deal with a surprisingly heavy administrative side to the job. Before even stepping aboard, prospective hires must complete STCW Basic Safety Training, pass a medical clearance exam, secure a visa for international travel, and — depending on their home country — obtain a Seaman's Book to document their sea-going experience. Once onboard, small daily costs add up too: Emmy says she spends around $100 a week on Wi-Fi, buying data in small increments of $6 for 120 minutes at a time.
Life at sea also reshapes your sense of time entirely. Instead of tracking days by name, crew members orient themselves by where they are in the itinerary — Day 1, Day 2, and so on. Servers are also issued their own physical menus at the start of a contract and are expected to keep them throughout; Emmy marks hers with a green corner so she can quickly sort them from the pile at the end of a shift. As for the bigger picture, Emmy is honest that no one eases you in gently — your first day aboard is your first day on the job — and that the work is physically demanding and sometimes thankless. Still, she's quick to note the upside: waking up in a new country every day is a perk very few careers can match.
This story originally appeared on Royal Caribbean Blog.
