Very often, we get to hear crew members joking about how they're never coming back and that this is their last contract.

How often did we say that while working on the cruise ship? You know this phrase that's it for me; I am done with the ships...I don't want to work on anymore...

But the simple truth is that we always come crawling back for just that one more contract because once you get a taste for life at sea, living anywhere else will never be the same.

Sometimes is hard to explain precisely why we always say, "just one more contract,"

That's just the inner fight we have inside our hearts. Once you taste the cruise ship's pros and cons, settling into some "normal" work-life balance on land becomes challenging.

Here we will mainly focus on positive reasons why people decide to stay and work on cruise ships for many years.

Here are some reasons why people are getting addicted to working on cruise ships for a long time.

One of the biggest and well-known perks of working on ships is getting paid to travel, and for a good reason. It sounds ideal, but it's true. Most people are saving money to fulfill their passion for traveling and visiting different places worldwide. We are different; for crew members, you are saving money while traveling.

How cool is that?

Some of you might think that is not ideal, but there is a lot of explanation for why. However, you generally wake up in different countries, ports, and beautiful destinations. Often, due to our long working hours and loneliness, we do not appreciate the fact that we are traveling around the world for free. For the young, single person, in my humble opinion, that is the best job in the world from that point of view.

The second reason why ship life can be very addictive, there is no cost of living. On ships, you live where you work.

Unlike life on land, there is no rental fee to be paid or monthly utility bills that need to be taken care of. On the other hand, we don't worry about those on the ship. All basic living expenses are covered at sea for crew members: accommodation, water, electricity, and food(internet costs like gold). This also gives you a feeling of comfort and security; you won't need to worry if it is the 1st of the month and you are due to pay rent or a mortgage.

Moreover, while we are working on the cruise ship, we have free medical care. Most of us will take this one for granted, but surely this is a big one. Medical care affordability is a global issue in most countries, but when you work on a cruise ship, you don't have to worry about it. It comes for free. Many things on cruise ships may sometimes be taken for granted; that is a fact.

Back on land, most people only see their healthcare provider if they have to because they know how much it'll cost.

While this varies by company and possibly by job, ships generally pay for crew flights, and we don't have to worry about those. This is also some kind of free traveling, not to be disregarded. While working on the cruise ship, I always enjoyed my flight traveling time(especially when I sign off from the ship).

One of my favorite perks is the short work commute. You know, that feeling when you wake up 10 minutes before your actual job starts. It takes only an elevator ride to reach your working area. Compared to the jobs on land, this is a huge advantage.

This is especially the case after you've made it onto the ship. But once onboard, your daily commute to work is just a few minutes. On the land, you must get in your car, go in the traffic, and look for parking(or squeeze inside the public transportation). Most of the time, you get tired before reaching your job.

Moreover, you can save most of your money. If you're smart, you can save most of your CPG because there are no costs of living or constant bills that need to be paid every month. You don't have to think about the electricity bill, water bill, internet provider, taxes...I only got to appreciate this part after I stopped working on the cruise ship. Looking back on my life on board the ship, I did not need to worry about monthly bills payment. It comes for free; our job is to perform and work hard.

While working on the cruise ship, you get discounts in different places. I remember when I went to Cozumel, everything cost the guest and crew differently, including the beer in the restaurants. When we showed our crew IDs, my friends and I got the bucket of beer for half price. And not only there, in most Caribbean ports, but you will also get a discount for showing your crew member ID upon transaction.

While most cruise guests might be primarily from one country, the crew area is like a small, diverse city with people from many different countries. You get to work and live with people from around the world, and it's such a unique, beautiful experience to learn about their lives and country through interaction. This is great, in my experience. I have worked with people from over 70 nationalities for over ten years. It made me who I am today, expanding my cultural understanding while having this amazing opportunity to learn about other countries and cultures.

This is the beautiful part of working the cruise ship, which can undoubtedly be addiction itself...