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How much do nurses make on cruise ships?

Author

Emily Sparks

Published Jan 14, 2026

You will earn roughly US$4,000 per month if you're a paramedic or nurse and US$9,000 per month if you're a doctor. Expenses such as accommodation, laundry, food and drink are covered. This means that you can use your time on board to save money.

What do nurses do on a cruise ship?

The daily tasks of a cruise ship nurse are very similar to nursing ashore. They are responsible for coordinating healthcare amongst the crew, performing medical examinations, and abiding by all local laws/regulations. The nursing duties can be divided into two distinctive areas: onboard the ship and shore side.

How much do you get paid to work on a cruise ship?

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $105,000 and as low as $17,000, the majority of Cruise Ship Worker salaries currently range between $26,500 (25th percentile) to $55,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $96,000 annually across the United States.

How much do nurses make in the Caribbean?

Most common benefits. The average salary for a registered nurse is $37.61 per hour in Virgin Islands and $11,301 overtime per year. 2 salaries reported, updated at December 23, 2021.

Do cruise ships hire nurses?

Cruise lines employ a team of nurses, so someone will be available to provide healthcare at all times. When serious problems do occur, your team of nurses and other physicians will work to keep the patient healthy until they can be transferred to the nearest healthcare facility on land.

33 related questions found

How can a nurse get rich?

Nurses' strategies to generate significant wealth include selecting a high-paying occupation, investing/saving money wisely, and limiting expenses. The biggest obstacles for nurses that want to secure wealth are education and managing money sensibly.

Do cruise ship workers get days off?

6-8 week vacation in between contracts

On ships, crew members must have a minimum of six weeks of time off between contracts, because, well you don't have any days off for your entire contract. While this period is unpaid, it does provide ample time to travel freely for more than just a week.

Which cruise line pays the best?

  • #1. Celebrity Cruises. #1 in Best Cruise Lines for the Money. ...
  • #2. Holland America Line. #2 in Best Cruise Lines for the Money. ...
  • #3. Royal Caribbean International. #3 in Best Cruise Lines for the Money. ...
  • #4. Norwegian Cruise Line. ...
  • #5. Carnival Cruise Line. ...
  • #6. Princess Cruises. ...
  • #7. Costa Cruises. ...
  • #8. MSC Cruises.

Who is the highest paid person on a cruise ship?

5 Highest-Paying Jobs on Cruise Ships

  • Executive Chef.
  • Cruise Director.
  • Chief Purser.
  • Hotel Director.
  • Human Resources Manager.

What type of registered nurse makes the most money?

Highest Paid Nursing Jobs:

  • Family Nurse – $113,000.
  • Urgent Care Nurse – $113,000.
  • Oncology Nurse – $113,000.
  • Orthopedic Nurse – $115,000.
  • Cardiac Nurse – $116,000.
  • Emergency Room Nurse – $116,000.
  • Neonatal Nurse – $127,000.
  • Nurse Anesthetist – $189,000.

Is there medical staff on cruise ships?

ships have shipboard medical facilities that are built, staffed, stocked and equipped to meet or exceed guidelines established by the American College of Emergency Physicians Cruise Ship & Maritime Medicine Section.

How much do nurse practitioners make on cruise ships?

As many cruise ship nurses decide to become nurse practitioners, it can also be helpful to know about their average salary, which is currently $113,846 per year.

Do cruise ship workers get paid well?

The 35 current and former cruise-ship employees who spoke with Business Insider had average monthly earnings of about $3,233 and median monthly earnings of about $2,600.

Do cruise ship workers get free food?

Yes, crew members receive free food for working onboard a ship, along with a cabin to sleep in (more on that later). Similar to the guests, crew members have their own buffet style restaurant to get their meals from throughout the day.

Do cruise ship workers pay taxes?

All U.S. citizens working for a U.S. based cruise line such as Norwegian Cruise Lines or Carnival Cruise Lines, will automatically have income tax deducted from their paychecks as per federal and state laws.

How many hours a day do cruise ship workers work?

Your daily work schedule while onboard will depend on your particular position, but you can expect to work seven days a week and anywhere between 10-13 hours per day.

How much do cruise ship captains make?

Salary Ranges for Cruise Ship Captains

The salaries of Cruise Ship Captains in the US range from $18,053 to $476,518 , with a median salary of $86,503 . The middle 57% of Cruise Ship Captains makes between $86,503 and $216,093, with the top 86% making $476,518.

Where do cruise ship workers sleep?

Unlike guest staterooms, crew cabins are pretty small and usually located on deck 0, or below the sea level – deck A and B. Most of the crew cabins don't have portholes (windows) – this luxury is reserved for some staff and officers – so for first-time crew members this might be a little confusing.

Is it hard to work on a cruise ship?

In a nutshell: cruise ship work is actually really difficult. To be honest, it's already hard enough to work at a restaurant on land. But at sea, it's a whole other story. In fact, most cruise ship servers have to take care of up to 30 diners at the exact same time.

Where do most cruise ship employees come from?

The Caribbean, the Philippines, and Eastern Europe are major sources of cruise-ship employees, and only about 5% of cruise-ship employees are American citizens or residents, Walker said. Americans don't take the worst jobs, and tend to work instead as ship directors or entertainers, he added.

What do cruise ship workers do in their free time?

You'll find them drinking, swimming and getting lots of sun until a few hours before the ship has to leave. If the ship doesn't have a crew gangway then the crew will leave a little early to avoid the long passenger lines to get back onboard.

How old do nurses retire?

RNs, on average, retired at 58.1 years and AHPs at 59.4 years. More than two thirds retired before age 65. Among RNs, caregiving demands predict early retirement – policies supporting employed RN caregivers may reduce early workforce exits among publicly employed RNs.

Can nurses make 6 figures?

Can Nurses Make Six Figures? Yes, you can 100% make six figures as a nurse. The disclaimer is that working in some states may make this easier than working in other states. Geographic location is a huge indicator of starting salary and can be a reason why some of you are not as close to others when looking at raw data.

Where do nurses get paid the most in the world?

1. Luxembourg - $91,000 (USD) Currently topping the list as the highest-paid country in the world for nurses, this tiny country in Western Europe pays its nurses very well. Because of the tiny size of the country and its tax haven laws, getting a job as a nurse is extremely difficult.

Do cruise ships have jails?

There's a special place, however, for those who commit serious crimes at sea — the ship's jail, or “brig” in nautical terms. These steel rooms are located on one of the bottom decks of the vessel, usually near the security office. And if you end up down there, you won't be staying there for the duration of the cruise.