Disney Kids Club job. 70hrs a week. No days off.

My daughter works cruise ships and she gets days off whilst on board. She has been to some wonderful places and has been able to spend her days off in some lovely settings if they coincide with a port day. She does work long hours but loves it. Food is free if they are eating in the staff restaurant. They are allowed to use some of the paying restaurants when off duty if they want too. The accommodation is free as well but she does have to do her own laundry. Her contract is 3-4months on board then 6 weeks off. Flight to cruise and flight home is paid for as is any need for a hotel stay between connections, she just has to pay for travel to and from the UK airport to home.

I used to work on the cruise ships in my 20s. The best experience I have ever had! Friends for life and amazing memories.
Encourage her to go and try it out. If she hates it, it's only 4 months of her life.

I think that type of job is sought-after as it's seen as a brilliant experience, so they can 'name their terms' as they won't be short of applicants, however arduous the contract. They can easily work round employment rights as it's a ship - a mobile thing - so they can register it where they like within reason.

It sounds to me like an OK thing to do if you're young, full of energy and want the experience - it will be good on her CV - but definitely not something you'd want to do forever.

I think this is normal op, I worked as a holiday rep in my 20’s, didn’t make me rich but meals & accommodation (inc all costs) included, no days off but always could grab an hour or so, brilliant experience. Couldn’t do it now though! Definitely for young single people

Yep, I worked on cruise ships and this was standard. 10 hrs a day, 7 days per week. But I loved it and was fine. Your daughter will have a great time. And if she doesn't like it, just doesn't sign up for another contract.

It really isn’t. If she’s in the kids club she’ll be ‘on’ all the time with multiple kids. That is a heck of a schedule. No tv to entertain them, probably no naps if it’s the older ones.

I actually wouldn’t be that happy knowing someone providing care to my own child was doing 70 hours a week with no day off.

Normal, I know people who work on yachts and they work 12 hours a day for 3-4 months. They make brilliant money though - and while stressful, its fun because there is a good sense on camaraderie within the crew. Everyone is young and up for adventure.

When you're young without any responsibilities you can cope with these long days pretty easily.

Then you get a chunk of time off at the end, which you can generally enjoy because of the money you've earned.

I will say though, once you are ingrained in this type of lifestyle it is very hard to get out! My friend has been doing it for years and has become very used to the long breaks + the money - she tried a 'normal job' and found the transition VERY difficult.

The holiday restrictions, the lower wage, the lack of 'fun.

You have to be out of the uk for a certain amount of days (more than 6months) I THINK. And then you claim tax back.

Yeah- not sure on that. If she was always on ships other than short shore leaves then likely not ( as not uk resident) but if she does one 4 month contract and then in UK for rest of the tax year then she’d be uk resident for that year and taxed on income earned anywhere in the world. However there may be other rules for ship workers as I believe there are for people who work on rigs and stuff like that

I think this, if she wants to work for that long then it is 4 months not a lifetime she will get downtime between cruises surely?

It’s basically like being a parent.

It’s great if all she wants to do is earn a chunk of money. If it’s for fun/to see the world obviously she needs to find a cruise with better hours.

What's the pay?
I assume she won't be paying much/any tax?
She's young, she can cope. Cruise ship work is well paid but exhausting and unhealthy. If you go into it knowing that and you're young enough to cope then why not?

Normal for working at sea.

Work long blocks. Get paid for that work so earn much more than would in the land equivalent job. Either then take time off that have missed or earn more.

As a young person with no other responsibilities I think it’s fine, she’ll cope with it. I don’t agree that employers should be able to take advantage of people in this way with no days off and long hours, but they do and as others have said, it’s standard in this industry.

Sounds like a great thing to do in your 20s when you have bundles of energy.

Longer term, not so much.

Presumably she gets various free/subsidised accommodation and food. My advice would be to have fun but also make sure to save a good chunk of pay for what comes next.

Friend worked the cruises years ago and it was hard going but she loved it and the money she made was huge. Your daughter could start at this one job, train to do something else and go on another ship doing her new trade that would have tips, i.e. the beauty section. It's meant to be hard work but good fun and again good money. This girl also met her husband on the ship and they were able to work on different cruises together making money that set them up for settling down.

She’ll have a brilliant time! In your 20s, 10 hour days are nothing. It’s only 4 months, as well. What a great life experience for her.

Maritime laws are different. The ships are governed by whoever has the laws that favour them most so usually Malta or the Bahamas.
That said I did a few cruise ship contracts in my early twenties it was great fun despite the 13 hour days- my department did 9 month contracts but 4 months sounds very doable. I think it’s a great life experience and your daughter will get to meet lots of great people from all over the world. The ships used to put on great parties for the crew back in my day.

Yes, I know lots of people who work on cruise ships and this sounds about right. You get all your 'days off,' in a bulk at the end, not on the ship.

It's one of those things people love or hate. I know lots of people who keep doing ship contracts because they much prefer it, even though it is incredibly hard. Also you can make Incredible money. One friend did non stop rotations in the spa for 5 years and bought a nice house outright, no mortgage.

That said, sharing rooms with tiny quarters with a stranger, very, very strict rules and no time off. It depends what she's like

A friend’s DD did this. The parents were nervous before she started but the DD pointed out that she was routinely dancing 7 days a week anyway. It all worked out brilliantly for her as she loved the job and is now in a West End show and isn’t finding the workload of that too intense compared to her cruise experience. However, I get the sense that her’s is one of the few “dream” stories. I think it’s really important to understand what happens if they are ill or injured, and, with an injury, if it is treated any differently if it is some sort of dance related repetitive strain injury or if she slips on the stairs moving around the ship and injures herself somehow. As a PP has said, the ships tend to be registered in a limited number of countries partly to avoid having any real duties as an employer.

Actually, It is very different yes because her DD is working 10 hours a day. They work eight hours on eight hours off, on rotation throughout the day and the night. That’s a minimum of 16 hours, before things happen outside of the norm. They also have to eat and shower, etc, in the eight hours off. So sleep is a luxury.

My GD is an entertainer on a major cruise line. She does 6 months at work, full on, no rest days, but then get 6 weeks off before the next cruise.

She’s been all over the world, gets fantastic pay, and loves it - but the employers expect their moneys worth.

And then for added fun if the weather is bad and they can’t make it into port they can’t get off after nine months or if they’re relief partner doesn’t turn up, as part of their contract they have to stay on board until someone else can relieve them.

That was just an example they can work up to 9 months away in the same pattern…