How Much Time Off Do You Get Working on Cruise Ships?
I stopped knowing what day of the week it was by my second week onboard. Not because I was too busy – though I was – but because weekdays didn’t matter anymore.
There were no Mondays or Sundays. Just port days, sea days, embarkation days. Days where the ship tendered. Time became a cycle of routines, each depending on where the ship was, who was boarding, and what the guests expected.
Cruise ships run 24/7. So did we.
Technically, seafarers are protected by the Maritime Labour Convention. It says we can work up to 14 hours a day, or 72 hours a week, as long as we get 10 hours of rest every 24 hours.
On paper, that sounds manageable.
But in practice, those rest hours are often broken up or hard to use meaningfully. You might finish late and start early. A “break” could just mean a short nap in uniform or a rushed meal between duties.
The MLC doesn’t promise full days off. It just makes sure we’re not on our feet all 24 hours.
That version of “time off” takes some getting used to.
How Time Off Works When You Work on a Cruise Ship
Time off on ships rarely looks like a full day to yourself. Most of us get it in pieces – a few hours between duties, a long break in the middle, or early finishes that aren’t quite early enough.
Some departments work straight morning shifts. Some rotate day and night. Some get stuck with split shifts: an early start, a long break, and a late end.
When I started, I used to like split shifts. If the itinerary was good and the timing worked out, I could slip ashore in the afternoon and see somewhere new. That middle break gave me a life outside work.
But over time, I started wanting naps more than port adventures. Split shifts meant waking up early for the morning shift, staying alert for the evening one, and being in this state of half-rest all day. Some people thrive on it.
Even if you’re on the day shift, your time off can feel wildly different depending on how your schedule is arranged. If you finish late and start early the next morning, it barely feels like a break. But if you finish early and don’t start until later the next day, that stretch of hours can feel like a proper recharge, even if the number of rest hours stays the same on paper.
Then there are night shifts. You technically get the most time during the day, but it’s not straightforward time. You might finish at 8 a.m., the ship docks at 10, and you’re faced with a decision: sleep, or get off. You probably need both, but you won’t get both (or at least, not enough of both).
Straight shifts – say, 8 to 6 – give more structure. You work, you’re done, you rest. Maybe with time to unwind at the crew bar. Not many departments work this kind of rhythm.
All of this, of course, depends on the ship’s itinerary, operational needs, how understaffed your team is, and your manager’s discretion. Your rank matters too. Sometimes your work performance plays a part, but that’s more of an unspoken rule than anything official.
There’s no such thing as requesting time off for your birthday. Or to visit a family member who’s sailing onboard. Or even for major life events. The schedule takes precedence, always.
If you do get a longer break on a quiet day, it’s usually a gesture, not an entitlement. On rare occasions, you might be able to negotiate with your team – swapping shifts with a colleague or quietly working something out within the department.
Which Departments Seem to Get More Time Off?
I won’t pretend to know the full schedule of every department onboard – ship life can be surprisingly siloed. But over multiple contracts, I’ve noticed some patterns.
Casino crew often seem to have the most time off. Entertainers too, depending on the ship’s entertainment program. Their work revolves around guest activity, and when the guests go ashore, so does their workload.
On the flip side, departments like Housekeeping, Galley, and F&B tend to have tighter, more fixed schedules. Their responsibilities revolve around mealtimes, cabin readiness, and overall service, which means early mornings, late evenings, or both.
Front Office teams also have limited time off. Their peak hours often clash with the best times to go ashore, especially on embarkation days.
Then there are the behind-the-scenes admin roles – Finance, Personnel, Training. These teams usually follow something closer to land-style office hours. But those hours often overlap with the best window for shore leave.
Time off at sea doesn’t always come in the form we expect, but it does come. It also reflects how the cruise ship world runs: structured, hierarchical, and sometimes unfair.
Some departments get lucky with lighter schedules. Others run on a near-constant loop of guest-facing work, with little room to breathe.
I’ve had contracts where time off felt manageable, even generous. I’ve had others where stepping off the gangway felt like a rare privilege. That contrast still shapes how I think about ship life.
If you’re considering working on a cruise ship, I don’t say this to scare you off. But I do think it’s worth being honest with yourself about what kind of structure you’re walking into, and whether that trade-off feels worth it for you.
It’s not just about the hours you get off. It’s what those hours cost.
If time off is one of your biggest concerns before signing a contract, you might want to read about how crew typically spend free time onboard or make the most of shore leave.
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