All Work and No Play : Migrant Labor in the Cruise Industry

The Cruise Industry has been instrumental to setting the standard of creating and establishing the presence of international crews. Encouraged by open ship registries and the globalized labor market, the cruise industry finds its employment from international manning agencies provide cheap and reliable labor. With most of the crewmembers coming from South East Asia and Eastern Europe, the community of crew members that is found onboard creates for an interesting dynamic. Furthermore, most of the lowest positions onboard are dominated by individuals from countries that are outside the economic core while the higher ranking positions are dominated by individuals whose home countries are apart of the economic core, furthering the ideology of colonialism. The benefits, challenges, and dynamics of migrant cruise ship workers provide for a distinguishable social environment.