A cruise ship worker has shed light on what he calls the 'number one perk' that comes with the job. And it can save you thousands if you take advantage.
Social media is overwhelmed with cruise ship advice, with them one of the most unique forms of holidaying a person can go on in their lifetime.
From the best tips you can learn from when it comes to booking the pricey drinks packages to making sure you don't break a cruising golden rule, there is so much to take on board (no pun intended) before you set sail on your cruise.
One of the biggest topics for those holidaying on the open seas is cost and specifically, how to save money and where all your money could get swallowed up. And then there's the STI fear that exists among some crew members.
When it comes to the 'number one perk' when working on cruise ships, it's one you can actually benefit massively from as a general traveller not working on the massive ships.
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Bryan James shared the tip while living and working on Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas for six months. It's also not the first insight in to the experience.
The recent video, which he published to YouTube Shorts, showcases the 'number one perk' he has while he works on cruise ships as a musician.
"So there's a million perks for working on cruise ships," Bryan says. Of course the food is free, the lodging is free and the travel is free.
"But the number one perk for working on a cruise ship is the Buddy Pass."
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He explains: "Kind of like the airlines you can bring anybody you want on to the ship to cruise with you for super, super cheap.
"There's two different ways to do it. If you're a crew member that shares a room with somebody else, you get a Buddy Pass that's dependent on if the cruise is fully booked or not.
"if there are rooms available they can then stay in a guest room on the ship for for $40 (£31.90) a day.
"Of course, yes, it adds up over a seven day or 10 day cruise. But it is so much cheaper than what you would normally pay to be on that ship.
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"The ultimate perk is if you have a room of your own. I'm super lucky, I got to a solo room this time around.
"Which means I have not only had my own bed but I have a second bed that somebody can stay in. So a couple of weeks ago I invited my mum on to the cruise ship and she stayed in my room for $10 (£7.98) a day.
"She got to do all the things that people paid thousands and thousands of dollars for, for basically free."
Responding, one person said: "That’s awesome and a great perk. I know crew members work a million hours, so it’s nice you get hooked up with stuff like that."
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A second YouTube user wrote: "As a cruiser and airline employee, thank you for the transparency. The gift of global travel is the greatest thing I can give my family."
Topics: Cruise Ship, Holiday, Travel, US News, World News, Money
Tom Earnshaw