People left surprised after cruise ship worker shares payslip
A Royal Caribbean cruise ship worker has revealed how much he takes home as a casino host on board the brand's liners.
Brit Chris Wong has worked at sea for the company since 2013, regularly posting content online about his life on the ocean waves.
This week he announced his current contract will be his last, as he sails into new waters in 'the next phase of my life'.
However, A recent YouTube post saw the entertainment employee sharing the sums of his most recent pay slip.
With 114,000 followers on YouTube, he describes himself as probably the most followed casino host on land or sea - and explained that previous insights into his salary had been amongst his most popular content ever.
Around 2 minutes 40 seconds into the 17-minute-long clip, Wong bravely goes where many employees might not - he shares his payslip on screen for all to see.
The white and blue financial document clearly carries Royal Caribbean's branding, although Wong has covered up confidential details such as his employee number and address.
The one piece of information most people want to see though hasn't been scratched out; how much he brings home for a month's work.
Receiving two pay slips, one for salaried pay, the other for additions such as tips, Wong revealed he earned $4,340.30 (£3,222.93) in a month this year
Wong explains in the clip, entitled 'How Much Money I Currently Earn Working On A Cruise Ship in 2025': 'The only thing I haven't scribbled out is the bottom, which is my net pay and this is exactly how much money I was paid for that two week period.'
Showing two two-week pay slips, the first sum is $2,890.21 (£2,145.52), while the second, based solely on additional earnings such as tips and commission, is $1,450.09 (£1076.50).
The grand total for his work in January this year comes to $4,340.30 (£3,222.93).
He explains that he's on 'fantastic money', saying: 'For me to earn something like that in the UK, it's actually quite difficult at this point in time, with the way inflation is and everything'.
He adds that earning that sum without having to pay for rent, with only minimal bills for his phone and internet use, and no large outgoings such as a house or a car, means he's very happy with his salary.
Those tuning into the video admitted they were impressed by Wong's earnings and his job, saying: 'Congrats! So happy to see you doing well!!!! Don't listen to the naysayers, make as much $ as you can and save, save, save!'
Another added: 'As long as you like/love what you do and feel your compensation is fair, stick with it as long as that remains true.'
This week, Chris revealed that he was handing over the casino host baton to a colleague after deciding to leave Royal Caribbean.
'On a Royal Caribbean Blog discussion forum, he posted: 'I have officially announced and decided that this will be my last ever contract as a crew member for Royal Caribbean.
After a long career with this company, it is now time to move on to the next phase of my life. I am excited and nervous for what is to come.'
Last month, another cruise crew member lifted the lid on what it's like to work as a member of guest services - and who the happiest employees are on a ship.
Posting on Reddit, the employee revealed that their biggest pet peeve is when holidaymakers 'demand' to speak to the manager'.
'Most of these people I would be happy not to have to deal with, however what they fail to realise is that I might get in trouble if I immediately call a supervisor without trying to resolve the issue by myself first,' they explained.
'If seeing the manager is warranted, I promise you won't have to say it.'
And luckily it's really pretty easy to keep cruise crew happy, according to the staff member.
They said: 'Be nice. That's literally it. We deal with all sorts of entitled complainers.
'Now some, if not most, complaints are perfectly valid but if you're not an a**hole about it, we'll do everything we can. And we will appreciate you being nice to us.'
But if you are looking to hit the high seas as a crew member, there's one job that's the most desirable position onboard, according to the cruise worker.
They revealed that entertainers are 'by far' the happiest members of staff onboard the ship.
The crew member said: 'They have the most time off and are very well paid.'
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