Work–Life Balance on Board Cruise Ships: A Survey on Crew Members' Well-being

Abstract

The cruise industry is a still-growing tourism sector in need for many personnel. However, criticism regarding the working and living conditions on board cruise vessels is a frequently seen topic in the news as well as in research literature. The well-being of the people running the floating hotel resorts is a critical success factor for the industry. Recently, the topic of employee well-being is bonded to concepts of work–life balance. There is rarely any literature on this topic with regard to the cruise industry. This research aims at examining whether the concept of work–life balance is applicable to working and living on board, as well as finding out the extent to which the critically discussed characteristics of this unique environment relate to well-being. To meet the aim of this study an online survey was conducted. It was spread on social networks to reach former and current employees of different cruise lines and was closed with a sample of 212 respondents. The study revealed that all chosen factors, including the ones often criticized, are related to the work–life balance of crew members on board. The only factor that was not a significant predictor of well-being was the multicultural environment employees are living and working in. The overall work–life balance on board was positively rated by the survey's participants.