Capitan1962- not sure- if you find out please share with the class
I know a bit about their small ship competition's pay-My old company paid 3M $240 to start (OS $120) and that's probably a little higher than Cruisewest- they told me OS pay is $110. I overheard one of my captains on the Empress mention he made $500 a day- but that was a little larger of a ship.. doubt American pays that much...
The fact that you mentioned lower stress levels is a good sign. I've had captains who LOVED being a cruise captain- and others who had to fake it.
You not only have the normal duties- and the lives of a lot of people in your hands- but also unique challenges-
1-Crew- much larger than a regular ship- and many are young, have never been on the water, and never had a "real" job. You have to play counselor when there's an issue. As you are in port a lot- alcohol becomes a BIG issue. There's a lot of crew turnover
2- You have the hotel department to deal with- hotel manager, cruise director,larger galley staff, housekeepers, bartenders- etc
3- SOLAS- extra duties- such as the pre embarkation drill.
4- Not only are you captain and counselor- but you're usually expected to hosts dinners, bridge tours,etc. You MUST be a people person- or a good actor.
5- Hate crew change day? Magnify it by 10! Trash, guests,luggage, and crew off- water, stores, crew, passengers, and luggage on- within a few hours. OH- and the entire ship has to be cleaned too
I love working on cruiseships- but it's not for everyone...
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