Crusie ship Wages

[arran25]

Hey, how much is starting wage after training is complete for working on a cruise ship as an engineer? How long does it normally take to become third engineer?

Just Curious

Thanks Arran

[Randomist]

Re: Crusie ship Wages

As far as I'm aware it's a 3 year course, the same as the deck guys. I'm not sure about the starting wage, I think the 3 EO's on ship were on around ?27,000 a year, around the same as the 3O's but am not sure.

[SJ1888]

Re: Crusie ship Wages

Really? That's quite a bit. I was expecting around the 25k mark. So is that the same for offshore even though you can go straight to 2nd Officer after training?

[Malim Sahib]

Re: Crusie ship Wages

27k sounds a bit much for a newly qualified 3/O on a passie boat.
Certainly in 2007 (when I did a bit of cruise ship time) newly qualified cadets with Carnival (P&O/Cunard/Holland America etc) would be promoted to 4/O and be on 16k/year. Then, after a year or so they'd be promoted to 3/O and their wages would go up to 21k.
To sail as 2/O (and therefore get in the high 20s wage wise) you had to have a Chief Mates ticket, and any higher rank above that required a Masters ticket.
A good mate of mine was sailing as a 1/O (with a Chief Mates ticket) with Saga last year and he was only earning 33k/year and working 3 months on/6 weeks off. This is in contrast to say a 2/O (with Chief Mates) on a Tanker who'd be earning about 38k/year and working 3 months on/off.
Cruise ship people - especially junior officers - are generally paid less than their equivalents on cargo ships and tankers, and also earn a lot less leave.
Unless you are fortunate enough to have a full DP ticket and can therefore work on offshore support vessels, then the best wages and leave entitlement in the industry are generally to be found deep sea on cargo ships/tankers.

[rennells]

Re: Crusie ship Wages

With Saga Cruises, I was told at my interview that:

- as soon as you qualify you'll be a 4th Officer on ?26K Tax Free
- six months later you'll be promoted to 3rd Officer
- six months after that you'll be promoted to 2nd Officer

Sounds like a pretty good start to me!

(Note: Newly qualified school-teachers are only on around ?22K, and that's certainly not tax free, not to mention they have all their student debts to pay off too!)

[kayak]

Re: Crusie ship Wages

Crikey thats fast promotion if they stick to that scheme!

[rennells]

Re: Crusie ship Wages

Saga also eventually pay for you to do the Chief's course and the Master's course.

[CharlieDelta]

Re: Crusie ship Wages

I'm assuming then that Saga don't require the mates ticket for 2/Os

[Malim Sahib]

Re: Crusie ship Wages

Crikey thats fast promotion if they stick to that scheme!

That's because Saga like their watchkeepers to have at least two stripes - makes them look good in front of the passengers. Newly qualified cadets go through 'the motions' as 4th and 3rd Mates just so you've got it in your discharge book, but in reality its a meaningless step up as you're effectively doing exactly the same job.
Holland America and Windstar are the same - their cadets don't wear traditional Cadets gorgettes, instead they have a thin single stripe like a third mate. All to look good in front of the passies, smoke and mirrors as they say.
If memory serves with Saga it's the 1/O who actually does the traditional 2nd Mates job, the other two 2/O's are basically Watchkeepers.
In any other company it would take at least 3 years or so to get to 2/O, but with them you'd actually be doing the 2/O's job.

[Malim Sahib]

Re: Crusie ship Wages

I'm assuming then that Saga don't require the mates ticket for 2/Os

No they don't, which is quite a contrast to a lot of Cruise ship companies.

[rennells]

Re: Crusie ship Wages

Thanks for clearing that up for us

[Randomist]

Re: Crusie ship Wages

With Carnival you graduate as a 3rd officer on around ?27,000 and then you stay as third for 18 months while you get sea time to take chief mates before you get promoted to 2/O

[Malim Sahib]

Re: Crusie ship Wages

Which part of the Carnival Empire is that? It's certainly going some if the wages for a first tripper have effectively gone up 11 grand in 3 years.
Graduate? Was always known simply as 'Qualify' when I was at college.

[Randomist]

Re: Crusie ship Wages

Was referring to Carnival UK and I meant qualify. =]

[steamer]

Re: Crusie ship Wages

There's an awful lot of feeling that promotion is gained through a set period of time ie I will be made 2/O in 18 months etc etc. Promotion only happens when there is a vacancy and when you show the aptitude to fill it-don't rely on promotion being automatic...you might be disappointed.