Cruise to nowhere strike scandal

On 2nd December, some of the 150 non-American crew who live and work on the Palm Beach Princess – a gambling cruise ship that runs regular ‘cruises to nowhere’ went on strike.

Their action has brought the spotlight to bear on issues of safety and working conditions aboard cruise-to-nowhere ships. While the strike itself ended after a couple of days, there has been a lot of press coverage about the conditions under which the staff of such cruises are forced to operate. The Palm Beach Princess has a predominantly Filipino crew and they say they are stretched too thin: trying to balance competing sets of work duties and working rotations much longer than the usual 10 months. An attorney for the International Transportation Workers' Federation said that at least one worker has lived and worked on the ship 15 months continuously without a holiday. Other complaints include pay cheques arriving late and leaving staff in debt and trouble collecting overtime payments.

Cruise-to-nowhere cruises are an American phenomenon, usually aimed at letting people gamble off the coast where strict gambling laws on land would limit the hours and stakes that could be offered. And the wages paid for the staff on such ships are pretty dire: a waitress typically earns $50 (£25) dollars a month, plus tips. Casino workers get $13 (£7) a day plus tips and while they all get a room and catering on the ship, they must usually work 6 and a half days a week, 12 hours a day.