Carnival Cruise Line is offering a variety of support measures to its crew members who are impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Cruise lines are unique work environments, and the Carnival family is coming together to support its family members with connections to both Ukraine and Russia.
Carnival Supports Crew Members
In a letter provided to guests onboard its ships, Carnival Cruise Line has commented that it is providing support to crew members from Ukraine and Russia. While the letter does not detail how many crew members hail from each country, there are more than 120 countries represented across the Carnival fleet.
“Some of them are directly impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We have both Russian and Ukrainian nationals across our fleet – none of whom have anything to do with the invasion, but all of them concerned about their family and friends back home.”
The letter does not outline precisely what support options are being offered, but does state that “we are providing support to those team members impacted, just like we would do so for any team member that is dealing with a personal event or natural disaster back home.”
Measures Carnival has taken in the past include offering facilitated email or phone communication, arranging safer travel plans for crew members ending their contracts, and providing counseling support. It is likely that similar measures are now being offered for both Ukrainian and Russian crew members.
Recently, Royal Caribbean announced similar support measures for its crew members from Russia and Ukraine. Carnival Cruise Line, along with other major and smaller lines, has also begun working to remove Russian ports of call from its itineraries in the coming weeks and months to ensure the safety of guests and crew members.
What Can Cruise Guests Do?
While it may not seem like cruise passengers can do much to help, showing support for Russian and Ukrainian crew members can be done in many ways.
All Carnival team members have their home countries printed on their name tags. Guests who see Russia or Ukraine on a name tag can show support by simply asking the crew member about their family, and listening to their story.
Offering small gestures, such as a sincere thank you, an extra gratuity, or taking steps to make the crew member’s work lighter – such as keeping a stateroom tidy for a Ukrainian or Russian steward – can make a world of difference when a crew member’s personal life may be in turmoil.
Guests can also mention crew members by name in post-cruise surveys, pointing out their exceptional work even while under such devastating personal stress. These surveys, which are emailed to Carnival guests several days after a cruise ends, are used in part to determine crew members’ bonuses and promotions.
Cruise Hive’s thoughts remain with all crew members, from all cruise lines, impacted by this conflict, with hopes for a peaceful resolution and safety for everyone involved.
