Cruising in the 21st century: Who works while others play?

The cruise industry is growing in scale and importance annually. Influences such as multiculturalism, globalisation, the increase in numbers of mega-cruise ships and changing passenger demography, suggest that the work environment is not as it might once have been and yet there is very little research to reveal insights into this complex and seemingly unique world. This paper aims to find out what it is like to work and live on a modern cruise ship by examining the views of employees across a number of cruise brands.