A former Seabourn Cruise Line production manager said the hours he worked were "grueling."
"It was like working for minimum wage some days just due to the workload," he said.
Seabourn did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rather than working traditional five-day weeks, cruise-ship employees often work seven days a week for the duration of their contracts, which can range from about two months to 11 months. Between four and eight months was the most common contract length cited by 31 current and former cruise-ship employees who spoke with Business Insider.
The hours can also be intense, from about eight to nearly 20 hours a day. The employees Business Insider spoke with reported an average of about 12 hours.