Activities of Cruise-Ship Employees in Cozumel, Mexico

Abstract

Despite the increasing importance of cruise tourism worldwide, very little is known about the lives of cruise-ship employees, and how they use their free time at the ports of call. This paper presents the results of a small-scale exploratory research on the activities of cruise crew and staff members on the island of Cozumel, Mexico, an important port of call for Caribbean routes. Conducted in 2009, qualitative research for this paper included participant observation and several informal conversations and semi-structured interviews with twenty cruise-ship employees and six owners and employees of local businesses. Our conclusions confirm other authors' findings and provide fresh information on the factors that determine these individuals' choices of activities, places and company. Availability of time and money depends on each worker's place in the labor hierarchy, but choices are also influenced by cultural background. More in-depth research will be needed at the demand as well as the offer sides to complement these preliminary findings.

Keywords

• cruise ship employees
• activities at ports of call
• cultural factors
• job-related factors