Royal Caribbean Bartenders' Salary Exposed (Leaked Pay Stubs)

2024-12-10 - Tags: #Royal Caribbean #Travel

Working as a bartender on Royal Caribbean ships offers unique opportunities to earn while exploring the world, but leaked pay stubs reveal the surprising truth about the pay structure. Learn about guaranteed salaries, the impact of card and recorded tips, and how cash tips make a difference in crew members' earnings.

Working as a bar waiter on Royal Caribbean ships is a unique experience with its perks and challenges. Based on a six-and-a-half-month contract, here's an in-depth breakdown of earnings, expenses, and insights for anyone curious about the life of a crew member in this role.

Salary Overview

A bar waiter's salary varies depending on the ship, route, and tips earned during the contract. Here are real figures from a recent contract: (Scroll to the bottom for the leaked documents)

1/11 – 4/31 (Spectrum of the Seas):
- Total Salary: $5,796
- Average Monthly Salary: $1,499
5/1 – 7/28 (Wonder of the Seas):
- Total Salary: $8,110
- Average Monthly Salary: $2,703

Contract Total (6.5 months): $13,906 (excluding cash tips) Average Monthly Income: ~$1,900

Tips play a significant role in a bar waiter's income. On U.S. routes, cash tips are more common, with patrons often leaving:

$1 for a single drink
$5 or $10 for larger orders

The more drinks served, the higher the tips. Some bartenders choose to skip breaks to maximize orders, often earning significantly more through their hustle. In addition, working under more lenient supervisors allow the bartenders to pocket more of the cash tips, resulting in higher pay. But why is this pocketing necessary?

One lesser-known aspect of working as a bar waiter or bartender on Royal Caribbean (and many other cruise lines) is how tips are handled, specifically card tips and recorded tips. While tips are often seen as bonuses for hard work, in this case, they may not entirely benefit the staff.

Plot Twist: Tips Are DEDUCTED from the Crew Member's Guaranteed Base Pay!

How it Works

Guaranteed Pay: Royal Caribbean offers crew members a guaranteed base pay for their contract. This ensures a minimum income, regardless of how much they earn in tips.
Tip Deductions: Tips paid via card or included in pre-paid service charges are deducted from this guaranteed pay. Essentially, these tips are not "extra" income but instead count toward what the cruise line considers part of your guaranteed salary.
Cash Tips: In contrast, cash tips are not reported or deducted. This means cash is a more direct and valuable addition to a crew member's earnings.

What This Means for Crew Members

While this system ensures that crew members have stable earnings even on slow routes or during less lucrative contracts, it also means:

The hard work put into earning card tips doesn't directly translate into more income unless it exceeds the guaranteed pay.
Crew members rely heavily on cash tips for additional income.

Living Expenses

One of the major benefits of working on a cruise ship is the minimal living expenses: No rent, food costs, utilities, or transportation costs. This makes it much easier to save a large portion of their income. However, working long shifts and living onboard can be challenging, and your spending habits at ports or onboard can impact savings.

Work-Life Balance

A typical shift might include:

Serving guests at the pool or dining areas from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Rest periods vary based on the supervisor's leniency.

It's a demanding job, and maximizing income often requires sacrificing breaks and personal time.

To dive deeper into bartending schedules and hours, Check out my other post: Royal Caribbean Bartenders' Grueling Hours Exposed.

Is It Worth It?

For some, working as a bar waiter is a way to save money while traveling the world. Others see it as an adventure that helps them achieve personal goals, like exploring new destinations and meeting people from all walks of life.

The role is not for everyone, it requires long hours, physical endurance, and strong customer service skills. However, for those willing to work hard, it can be a rewarding experience both financially and personally.