How long do crew serve between breaks?

[mab2012]

Wow.

Okay, so back on topic before this thread gets closed...

I have no idea what is "typical", but when we were on Magic last summer we were chatting with the Canadian hotel director, who lives in our home province. We asked if she got home much, and she said she was on a 6-week rotation (6 weeks on, 6 weeks off).

I thought that was a pretty sweet deal. Not so conducive to a "normal" family life maybe, but otherwise a pretty nice setup. I assumed (but didn't ask) that she just alternates with another individual.

 

[Poohforyou]

You have to take care of yourself if you believe it or not is up to you.
If I get sick it’s my fault.

 

[AquaDame]

We're gonna have to agree to disagree on this one.... let's all do it nicely and stay on topic, ok?

 

[dcassetta]

Wow.

Okay, so back on topic before this thread gets closed...

I have no idea what is "typical", but when we were on Magic last summer we were chatting with the Canadian hotel director, who lives in our home province. We asked if she got home much, and she said she was on a 6-week rotation (6 weeks on, 6 weeks off).

I thought that was a pretty sweet deal. Not so conducive to a "normal" family life maybe, but otherwise a pretty nice setup. I assumed (but didn't ask) that she just alternates with another individual.

Was that Lisa? She is terrific!

 

[Shellyred8]

Each person onboard is on a specific contract and they do not move as a group. When the contract ends, they can take a break - of various duration - or continue immediately. Our most recent assistant server was soon leaving for a three months break after spending 6 months onboard. Our main waiter only took a few weeks between contracts. Most server contracts last 6 months. I think it is the same for stateroom hosts. Other positions have lengths between 3 months and 6 months. I don’t think DCL goes longer than that, at least for CMs in contact with guests.

Senior officers are not on contracts of set durations but rather have permanent positions that include time on and time off periods. A Captain will likely have a 2:1 ratio, so he could be 4 months on then 2 months off. Other officers have contracts.

That’s the info I gathered while chatting up CMs or during presentations. You can look up job applications on Disney Careers. For example, there’s a Chef de cuisine position offered right now that’s 4 months on, 2 months off. For youth conselor, they mention the average is 4.5 months on, 6-8 weeks off.

If I recall correctly from a conversation we had with one of the DCL Theater directors is that the live Stage Shows (at least some of them) are set up as a group and that one group all has the same contract. When one group's contract comes to an end, the next group that has been rehearsing for the previous few months comes on board and takes over the show. This was a couple of years ago, so things could've changed in that time.

 

[mab2012]

Was that Lisa? She is terrific!

It was! She was very friendly.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

We were on a Royal Caribbean cruise recently and one of our servers was telling us how much he envied the Disney crew because they has a much shorter period at sea. He said Disney servers work for 6 months before a break and for him it was 9 months.

Does anyone know if he was correct?
What is the typical rotation for crew?
Is it different for servers and stateroom hosts?
How about Cruise Directors and officers?

I'm very curious but wouldn't know how to find out.

A cm on Dcl once told us he envied employees on other lines because they made more money. He said his friends had it better elsewhere. Apparently the mouse is tight with employees at sea. Lol.

 

[Simba's Mom]

If I recall correctly from a conversation we had with one of the DCL Theater directors is that the live Stage Shows (at least some of them) are set up as a group and that one group all has the same contract. When one group's contract comes to an end, the next group that has been rehearsing for the previous few months comes on board and takes over the show. This was a couple of years ago, so things could've changed in that time.

Princess Cruise Lines used to do the same thing. When DS worked for them, the contracts varied with the position. The housekeeping and restaurant staff did tend to stay on longer. And even per person, it could vary a little (though not too much). His contracts were about 4-6 months (not an etched in stone date) with roughly 3-6 weeks off, and although he was in the category of entertainment, he was a music manager. Although his next contract usually began when the next trip was about to begin, he occassionally would meet the ship in one of its stops. If you've ever noticed, there are usually a few new crew members joining the ship at every port you stop at.

 

[Dug720]

If I recall correctly from a conversation we had with one of the DCL Theater directors is that the live Stage Shows (at least some of them) are set up as a group and that one group all has the same contract. When one group's contract comes to an end, the next group that has been rehearsing for the previous few months comes on board and takes over the show. This was a couple of years ago, so things could've changed in that time.

Yes. The show teams move as a group. There is a crossover week where both teams are on - the new one is rehearsing and watching the outgoing cast for a week, then the outgoing cast leaves and the new cast takes over. In an extreme emergency, they do usually keep in contact with former show cast and if absolutely necessary (as in the show will not happen without that role) they will get someone from that role in a previous cast on board. But that is an extreme situation.

On Disney, the only bring CMs on at their embarkation ports. Again, unless there is a dire emergency.

 

[aboveH20]

I was wondering how cruise lines factor in employees not returning when expected or getting delayed enroute. Surely it happens that someone has a contract to start on a certain date and then falls hopelessly in love and decides they don't want to be at sea for six months. Or a family member becomes ill, or they break a leg, or . . . Do crew members actually report somewhere a few days before sailing so Disney knows they are actually going to be on board?

I hope I made my question clear because I've been wondering about it since our last cruise. With such a huge number of employees, there are bound to be no shows.