Living and working aboard ship requires a special ability to work closely along side with hundreds of people with diverse backgrounds, traditions, languages and cultures. Each ship is different yet all are basically the same. Living quarters vary from ship to ship and from department to department. Some staff and officers have single, passenger class cabins while others will be in crew cabins that accommodate 2 to 4 persons. Although four persons to a cabin may seem a lot, if you are a crew or staff member, due to your schedule you rarely spend much time in your cabin anyway.
Cruise lines understand the importance of having a happy, stable work force.
Efforts are made to assure that crew and staff have a place to call their own on board ship. Food prepared there includes specialties that cater to the ethnic diversity found on board from Greek to Filipino. Meal hours are designed to assure that all departments are accommodated regardless of their work schedule. Occasionally, these facilities are used for crew and staff meetings between meals. Religious services and bible study meetings for crew are held there on many ships.