"Every day on the ship is Monday." A Belarusian Woman Talks About Her Work on a Cruise Liner
Imagine a job where on your way to the dining room you can meet people from dozens of countries, where your work takes you to the Caribbean, Asia, New Zealand. It seems like an ideal profession for someone who wants to see the world. There's just one detail: you'll have to work ten hours every day. Seven days a week.
Minsk resident Yana Kurushka has been working as a waitress on cruise liners for four years and shares her experience on social media.
On TikTok, which Yana has been running since late 2025, she has almost 148,000 followers. She launched her YouTube channel in April 2026: in a few months, its audience grew to 15,000 subscribers, and 205 published videos collectively garnered over 16 million views.
As Yana mentions in the video, she came to work on a cruise liner almost by accident. Before that, the girl worked in the catering industry in Minsk and St. Petersburg, and after the start of the pandemic, she returned to Belarus. She wanted to find something more interesting, so she started researching vacancies on cruise liners, found an agency, and submitted an application.
The process went quickly: after two interviews, one of which was with representatives of the cruise company in English. A few days later, Yana received a contract and began processing visas and medical documents. According to the girl, everything happened very fast. She submitted her application at the end of February, and on April 4, she left for her first contract.
"On cruise ships, you'll make many friends and acquaintances from different countries. You'll speak several languages at once, sometimes even in the same sentence. You'll be taught to dance salsa and bachata. You'll find your favorite dish from every cuisine in the world.
There will be many more holidays, as you'll celebrate not only your own but also those of other countries. Every day here is someone's birthday, so there will be many parties. Just don't forget that on a ship, every day is like Monday," Yana says in the video.
Six Months Without Days Off
A typical contract on a cruise liner, according to Yana, lasts about six months. After that, the employee gets approximately two months of vacation, and then can go on to the next contract. Working for the same company does not mean returning to the same ship.
"We have eight liners. Each has its own unique route. They are all located in different parts of the world. So, for example, on one contract you can see Europe and the Caribbean Islands, and on another — Asia, Australia, and New Zealand," the Minsk resident explains.
But she immediately warns:
"If you want to work on cruises, be prepared for no days off. The work schedule is seven days a week, ten hours a day."
The girl pays special attention to the duration of cruises. Contrary to logic, seven-day cruises turn out to be much harder than long ones. As the Belarusian explains, guests try to do absolutely everything in a short week: visit all shows, dine in all restaurants, and try as much as possible. This creates a heavy workload for the staff. In addition, the passenger changeover day, the so-called embarkation day, is one of the most difficult: you have to see off some guests, meet new ones, and re-memorize names and cabin numbers.
The staff schedule, according to Yana, changes every cruise. There is a so-called rotation: the schedule is distributed in advance, and everyone has their turn. Some may be lucky enough to get a straight shift, working one long block from 11 AM until evening with a short break. Others end up on a split schedule, where work is broken into parts: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
There are also night shifts — Night Shift. Although they have to work all night, such employees have the whole day free to go ashore.
"But most people here work not for travel, but for the earnings," Yana notes.
Moreover, the schedule doesn't always allow going ashore, and sometimes one has to admire the city only from the ship.
"Today we depart at three o'clock. And my break is from two to six. So I'll have to do something else. I can go to the gym or have coffee on the open deck, watch movies, but my favorite thing is to sleep," she admits on social media.
There are also more significant inconveniences:
"On the liner, the food is not like at home, and you won't have the opportunity to eat whatever you want, whenever you want. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are on a schedule, so sometimes I choose to sleep longer instead of eating. There's not enough sleep, sun, and fresh air, so to feel normal, I take vitamins."
The girl also talks about strict punctuality rules. The liner waits for no one. If an employee is late for the boarding time — usually an hour before departure — they may receive a warning. And if they completely miss the ship, they can be fired and sent home from the port where they were left behind. Departure time is related to safety, port schedules, and the company's docking costs.
From Coffee to Food Service Management
During her time working, Yana's duties changed. The girl worked in various restaurants on the liner and in the bar.
Currently, our compatriot works at the restaurant's reservation desk — Reservation Desk. As she herself clarifies, this is not a promotion but a change of duties with the same salary. She books tables in restaurants, organizes greetings for guests, and also handles requests from those with allergies or special dietary requirements.
Yana calls the bar one of the most comfortable places. The reason is the shift from 6 AM to 12 PM. Here you don't have to carry heavy trays or clear dirty plates. The main activity is brewing coffee and talking to guests.
Many of them visit the bar regularly, so over time, Yana learns a lot about them: from where they are from to the name of their dog. It's also important to remember who likes a double shot of espresso and who drinks an iced latte. Such attention can also affect tips. Although, at six in the morning, engaging in conversation with guests, according to Yana, is not always what she wants to do.
What Happens If You Get Sick
There is a medical center on board, where a doctor and nurses work. If an employee has a fever, food poisoning, or a cold, they can be given medicine and temporarily relieved from work. A headache or seasickness, according to Yana, does not yet mean sick leave: in such a case, they might be given a pill and sent back to their shift.
"If something serious, like appendicitis, happens, you will be hospitalized in the nearest port. That's because there is no operating room, no dentist, gynecologist, or X-ray on the liner. The company will cover the costs of your treatment. If you have an illness that requires long-term treatment, or if you become pregnant, you will be sent home.
But don't worry, you won't be blacklisted, and later, if you wish, you can return. If you have COVID or diarrhea, you will be isolated for five days. And if something urgent happens in the middle of the ocean and there's no time to wait, a helicopter will arrive," she explains.
As for communication with the outside world, according to Yana, Starlink now works on most liners. Messengers are usually free for staff, but full internet with streaming requires payment. Therefore, many employees buy local SIM cards in ports or use the internet in port terminals.
How to Get a Job on a Liner
For a significant portion of vacancies, a special higher education is not required. When it comes to restaurant, bar, spa, housekeeping (cleaning) and similar positions, Yana names work experience and English language as the main factors.
Without experience, you can still get some positions, but without English, it's almost impossible. The better your language skills and the more experience you have, the higher position and salary you can get.
For reception work, knowledge of additional European languages such as Italian, French, German, or Spanish will be an advantage. For doctors, engineers, officers, and other specialized positions, professional education, diplomas, and certificates are mandatory.
As for age, in most companies, the minimum age for employment is 21, although for some positions, they might hire at 18. However, this is more of an exception.
"There are two reasons why it's specifically twenty-one. The first is that the liner calls at various countries, and some of them have age restrictions for crew members. So it's easiest to set a single minimum age. And the second reason is related to alcohol. Our company, like many others, is American, and there alcohol is permitted only from the age of 21. And on the liner, there's a lot of alcohol: it's sold and served — to both guests and staff," Yana explains in the video.
However, there is usually no upper age limit, according to the girl. People aged 50-60 and older also work on liners.
"Another question is how comfortable you yourself will be. After all, many positions on a liner are both mentally and physically very demanding. For example, I don't know if I'll be able to handle such work at 50," she admits.
Top 3 Most Frequent Questions from Liner Guests
Yana highlights three questions that guests ask her most often. The first is where she is from.
"Many guests don't know where Belarus is. So this conversation always lasts about 15 minutes."
The second question is how long she has been working on cruises. According to Yana, after three or four contracts, people stop counting the time they've worked. It's easier to answer how much time is left until vacation.
The third is whether she likes working on the liner and if she enjoys it.
"Especially relevant around 6 AM during the last month of a contract. When you're hungry, tired, and don't want to talk to anyone. But the answer is always the same: a dream job!" Yana jokes.
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