It takes many people to run a large cruise liner, with mega-ships employing up to 2,300 people at a time. On average, a cruise ship hires one staff member for every 2.25 passengers. But on some luxury liners, the ratio drops to 1:1. The sheer number of people it takes to run a ship raises a big question: how much do they get paid?
Royal Caribbean dancer Alley Kerr, known on social media as Wanderlust Alley, got personal about how much she makes as a cruise ship performer. Her pay varies depending on whether she’s on land or at sea and which responsibilities she takes on as a performer. For those of us who work on land, that money means something totally different because life at sea comes with an incredible number of perks.
When you work on a cruise ship, the biggest benefit is that you don’t have to pay rent, though your living space in the crew cabin is small. You also get free meals on board, though some fine dining may be off-limits or available for a small fee. You also receive full health benefits. Another incredible perk is free access to ports, and depending on the schedule, you may be able to visit some wonderful destinations when the ship docks.
How much does a cruise ship performer get paid on land?
In her video, Kerr admitted she doesn’t make much money when the ship is docked in a port between destinations or when her team is preparing for new performances. “Staff are probably getting paid more now, but I got paid $300 a week. So that ends up being about $1,328 per month which, even though you’re not paying rent, it’s honestly not a lot,” Kerr said.
Even though when she’s “on land” she has a place to stay in a cruise cabin, the normal perks, including all-inclusive food, aren’t available. “I find that during this time, for a lot of dancers especially, it’s a net loss. Sure, there are ways to budget and everything, but grocery stores are not close by, everything is really far away, and then even though you’re getting housed, it has nothing in it, so you end up spending quite a bit on services like food, Ubers, and cleaning supplies.”
How much does a cruise ship performer get paid at sea?
Things get much better for Kerr when Royal Caribbean sets sail, where she receives $ 3,800 a month as a base rate. “As a dancer/vocalist in a Broadway show, they’re paying for me to know the shows, maintain the shows, rehearse the shows, and then as well as do things like Muster 2.0 [Royal Caribbean safety drills], spotting and dressing for the ice skaters, and then pretty much any other thing that the cruise director would ask us to do in the realm of entertainment,” she continues.
But base pay is just the beginning of her salary; there are several ways she can add to her salary:
Fly pay: Being an aerial performer is an additional $450 a month.
Singing: Performing as a vocalist is an extra $1,000 a month.
Understudy pay: Being prepared to step in when the regular performer can’t make it on stage is another $180 a month. She gets an additional $100 per performance when she steps in and takes over the role.
Company manager/Dance captain: When she takes on additional managerial roles, she receives an additional $1200 a month.
All in all, on this cruise contract from two years ago, Kerr made about $6500 a month at sea.
If Kerr spent the entire year at sea, she’d make around $78,000, above the national average of $70,000. She also gets free food and rent, which saves her at least $25,000 a year. So, if you can handle life at sea, away from friends and family, working as a cruise ship performer isn’t a bad way to make a living.
