While cruises are a great way to travel, they are also a great way to be employed! TikTok creator Amber Olivia recently shared a video that highlighted what a day in her life looks like as an entertainer on a cruise ship.
Amber, known as @amboliviaa on TikTok, has had great success with her cruise-centric content, amassing 93,000 followers.
Amber works as an actress for Princess Cruises’ entertainment team as well as being a resident guest entertainer, meaning she has certain guest privileges.
She currently plays Fortuna Luck (the luckiest lady on the seven seas) and a pirate, the two roles consistently played by a single employee for 5-7 months at a time.
A day in Amber’s life working in entertainment starts with her immediately getting into her Fortuna Luck costume.
You may think her getting into character might not take time, but this character requires Amber to get on a red wig to fully hide her blonde hair, making her almost unrecognizable. She also does her character makeup herself.
From there, she will head to a show or event, depending on the schedule for that day.
Following her first performance, Amber gets out of her costume and takes a walk around the track outside, even when it’s raining!
Then, it is time to get back into character as Fortuna Luck for her next show. After Amber gets mic’d up, Amber participates in The Voice of the Ocean, which is Princess Cruises’ interactive version of the TV show The Voice.
Princess Cruises rolled out the Voice of the Ocean in 2016, allowing guests to compete during their cruise. After she finishes at the Voice of the Ocean, she then heads to the gym followed by having dinner with her fellow crew members.
Because two times just is not enough, Amber then gets into her Fortuna Luck costume for the third time for one more show.
She emphasizes that the crew has so much fun during their performances that it hardly even feels like work. After work, she spends time with other crew members at the crew bar.
While this day did not include Amber’s other character, the pirate, she was constantly in and out of costume. This role and its costumes do come with a huge perk.
Amber’s position playing two fully costumed characters also classifies her as a resident guest entertainer. While out of costume, she does not need to wear an ID badge, so she can explore the ship freely without being stopped by guests.
Read Also: Galveston Cruise Port – Essential Guide for Your Cruise
While she has not directly confirmed it, given the information provided by her videos, Amber is likely currently on the Regal Princess. This ship was built in 2014 and is currently based out of Galveston, Texas.
The Regal Princess is currently on its 8-day Western Caribbean cruise, which departed on January 29th from the popular homeport.
The Regal Princess has three more cruises scheduled for the month of February, the next departing on February 9th. This ship will be dry-docked at the end of April for repairs.
It is a large ship sitting at 142,714 gross tons, as well as having 1,350 crew members and a maximum guest capacity of 4,272.
What do cruises pay for?
Amber’s day in the life video showcases what her schedule is like being a crew member, but it leaves one to wonder what the crew members have to pay for. Do they pay for their own food? Do they have to rent their rooms?
One of Amber’s most viral videos answers all of this!
Cruise lines do pay for crew living accommodations, but you are not able to choose the size of your room. You may up in a small room with a bunkbed and a roommate or if you are lucky enough a single room with a window!
The cruise lines also pay for their crews’ food to an extent. Employees usually have set dining areas, but some have access to the passenger dining areas where their food will still be paid for.
Something the cruise lines do not cover is any food at onboard restaurants; however, crew members often get discounts.
Crew members can also apply to be an escort on shore excursions, and if approved, they can attend them free of charge!
An added bonus for crew members coming directly from the UK is that you can apply for the Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction, which applies to 100% of one’s earnings. To put it simply, if you meet the guidelines, you will not pay taxes on your income while working on a cruise ship.
Probably already have an application open already, huh?
