With more record-breaking capacity ships on the horizon, could there soon be a squeeze on crew availability? Following concerns raised by leading industry authority Larry Pimentel, Dave Monk investigates

Cruising could soon be facing a crew crisis as the growing numbers of ships outstrip the supply of new staff, according to a highly experienced leader in the industry. In a career spanning more than 30 years in luxury travel, Larry Pimentel has been president of Seabourn, Cunard, SeaDream, Azamara and Four Seasons Yachts.

He was also chief experience officer at Royal Caribbean Group, on the board of Virtuoso Travel and a cruise industry consultant before taking up his present role of cruise executive in residence at the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management in Miami.

Posting on LinkedIn, Pimentel said that projections showed an alarming potential shortage of up to 125,000 seafarers by 2030.

Meanwhile, cruise passengers are expected to grow to 42 million a year by 2028, according to CLIA’s State of the Industry Report 2025, and the global fleet could easily hit 500 ships within the next decade.

Pimentel tells Cruise Trade News that the staffing issue is “a real and growing challenge”, and that some lines are more at risk than others. He explains: “The big guys are jumping into the recruitment business to protect themselves.

“The Royal Caribbeans, Carnival Corps, MSCs and NCLs of the world are going to make sure their brands are protected. It is a central concern for a very specific reason, the brand is delivered by the crew. We need certified officers and engineers and just think of the more technical roles.

“We have new green fuels, navigation aids and advanced vessel systems, all of which require retraining. It’s not just about getting new people in; it’s taking the people we have and bringing them up to date with technologies.”

Part of the solution could be to bring more women into the industry and seek out new sources of labour. “We’re getting more African employees, in particular from Kenya and Zimbabwe,” Pimentel says. “You can have 70-plus nationalities and thousands of crew on a big vessel, so you need to have really skilled HR people. Culture is a very important element.”

While Filipinos make up nearly 30 per cent of the global maritime workforce, other countries help provide officers and technical staff; hospitality, housekeeping and food services crew; deck crew and entertainment staff. Although the large lines need to hire more people, the expanding number of small luxury ships require specialist, highly trained and experienced staff to deliver the level of one-to-one service expected says Pimentel.

“Look at classic products like Cunard. When you go to the Queens Grill, you have the most experienced staff. They know what they are doing. They know guest engagement. They know their product. They know their delivery standards. They are trained in luxury service. That doesn’t happen in a moment, that happens over time.

“In the luxury sector, the expectation of the guest is associated with the price point. The rates for Four Seasons Yachts look to be roughly $3,000pp a night. So, if you as a couple are paying $6,000 a night, goodness gracious you are going to expect an awful lot.”

CLIA says cruise lines employ nearly 300,000 seafarers, with tens of thousands more workers on land. Retention rates are above 80 per cent, compared to a turnover of 70 per cent ashore, with working conditions governed by international bodies.

A CLIA spokesperson says: “Our industry wants to attract the best talent for our future growth, and to inspire the next generation to consider a career in cruise.” When approached by Cruise Trade News, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, NCL and Viking declined to discuss their recruitment and training policies.

However, at Carnival Corporation, global chief human resources officer Bettina Deynes has shared some insights in how the company finds and develops its employees. She says: “We have longstanding partnerships with leading maritime universities which provide students with at-sea experience, training placements and recruitment opportunities that help prepare the next generation of officers, engineers and hospitality professionals.

These programmes supply highly skilled, industry-ready graduates who continue to contribute to our ships and the wider cruise industry.” She cites collaborations with the Caribbean Maritime University, the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy and Systems Technology Institute and the Maritime and Port University of Mexico.

Deynes adds: “In the UK, we help grow future maritime talent through a mix of practical training and early career development – from cadet programmes in deck, engineering and electro-technical roles that guide students from the classroom to full officer qualification, to engineering graduate schemes that give qualified engineers a faster path on board. We also team up with maritime colleges, so students get the right blend of academic learning and real hands‑on experience.”

Once on board, crew can further their career through leadership programmes. Deynes continues: “Our goal is to strengthen the maritime talent pipeline while creating meaningful, long-term careers for our 160,000 team members worldwide.”

The cruise industry is competing fiercely for qualified engineers, many of whom are attracted by well-paid shoreside roles.

So, is Pimentel right to be worried? An insight on some of the issues facing the cruise sector comes from Paul Rutterford, operations director for Viking Crew, established in 1988, which provides workers for several UK and international lines.

He says: “We are simply not training enough cadets to become the captains of tomorrow. At the same time, in an ever-expanding world of luxury hospitality, it is worth asking whether working in the cruise industry still holds the same career appeal it did 10 or 20 years ago.”

It’s not simply about finding enough people, he says. “Retention and promotion are equally critical. The cruise industry is competing fiercely for qualified engineers, many of whom are attracted by well-paid shoreside roles.

“There is also a shortage of European-trained chefs who are willing to ‘go to sea’, working seven days a week for contracts that can last six months or more”. Rutterford believes the traditional attraction of going to sea – travel, adventure and global experience – does not resonate as strongly as it once did.

“For many, the work-life balance associated with shipboard employment no longer aligns with modern expectations. As a result, while the industry continues to move forward operationally and technologically, the employment benefits and conditions on offer do not always match what the next generation of workers are seeking.

Unsurprisingly, many choose to pursue careers elsewhere.” And yet, those who work in the cruise industry believe it still offers exceptional opportunities for career growth, professional development and progression, with the experience gained on board difficult to replicate ashore.

“The challenge now is for the industry to continue evolving its approach to recruitment, retention and employment conditions so that we can successfully attract and develop talent.”

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) represents around 90 per cent of the cruise sector. Its seafarers’ section coordinator, Fabrizio Barcellona, says: “It’s very clear that the cruise industry is on the up at the moment, including with the building of bigger ships. Such an expansion clearly has an impact on crewing, which also reflects a wider problem with recruitment and retention – albeit for different reasons – across shipping.

“The ITF, which holds collective bargaining agreements across a large proportion of the cruise industry, will do its utmost to ensure that existing crew and any new seafarers receive the pay and conditions they deserve.”

Crew shortages may cause inconveniences like a longer wait at the bar, but in one area it could be a matter of life and death. Valéria Santos, a senior registered nurse with more than 15 years of experience, tells us: “Hiring nurses and doctors with limited maritime or critical care experience can compromise guest and crew safety, put extra pressure on the medical team and impact service quality. Onboard medicine requires autonomy, quick decision-making and maritime-specific training, all of which are crucial to maintaining safety and guest confidence.

“I have seen situations in which proper medical preparation and early clinical recognition could have been vital to patient outcomes, underscoring the importance of recruiting and retaining well-trained, experienced medical professionals.”

Summing up the global situation, Pimentel says: “There are no longer 18 people who want the same job. The crew can choose where they want to go and they’re going to pick places where the ship is their home. The smart companies are providing better conditions and better wages and better benefits.”

Asked if new technologies and artificial intelligence will help fill the staffing gap, Pimentel adds: “Automation is fine when it works, but when it doesn’t, it frustrates the living heck out of people. And service is not defined by automation, it’s defined by human connection. Also, we’re in the very early days of AI but I think it is going to make a difference.”

Despite his warnings, he remains optimistic. “The cruise sector is innovative and creative. I’m confident that the industry will sort through it – but there will be some rough seas along the way. Which lines will be successful? Those who figure out the magic behind good training. Those who figure out how to appreciate people. Those who understand how to say ‘thank you’.”