Gianna Alexis worked at the “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique” on the Disney Dream cruise ship. Gianna Alexis
Gianna Alexis worked for Disney Cruise Lines on the ship Disney Dream at the age of 24.
She worked long hours and quit after just four months due to burnout.
Alexis says she had to work at least 70 hours a week and was paid less than minimum wage.
This is a machine translation of an article from our US colleagues at Insider. It was automatically translated and checked by a real editor. We welcome feedback at the end of the article.
This article is based on a conversation with Gianna Alexis, a former Disney Cruise Line crew member. The following text has been edited for length and clarity.
I was three years old when I went on my first Disney cruise and I just thought it was cool. It was the best vacation ever and I went every few years after that.
I always wanted to work for Disney and applied to Disney Cruise Line in 2017. When I found out I got the job, I was so excited I cried.
The job was different than I imagined
Before we started work, Disney took us through a training session designed to motivate us for work. On the last day of the training, we were asked to get ready at four in the morning. Then the company deployed a sniffer dog to smell our suitcases, which I wasn’t expecting at all – everything seemed so different. The only experience I had of boarding a cruise ship was from a guest’s perspective.
I was initially hired as a store clerk, then the company transferred me to the “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique,” which was an absolute dream of mine. In this boutique, children between the ages of three and 12 are given a makeover – we do their hair, make-up and nails.
Many of the girls I did their hair for came back the next day just to see me. I was like a fairy godmother in her eyes – it made me feel like this was the most magical job I’ve ever had.
In addition to this job, I also helped workers bring groceries, merchandise and toys to the stores. I didn’t know the job would be physically demanding – I thought I would just do the kids’ hair, makeup and nails.
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I quit after just four months
As a young 24-year-old, I went into this job blindly and wasn’t really prepared for it. I worked from 8:30 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. Before I started this job, I had no idea what an 80-hour week without a day off would be like. There was no work-life balance.
I had so little time for myself. In my free time, I didn’t even want to watch TV or movies. Once I had watched for 30 minutes, I preferred to sleep because I was so tired – sleep was my priority. The only “me time” I allowed myself was a quick face mask in my room and that was it. My room was so small that I could almost touch both walls with my arms outstretched.
I got a stress fracture in one of my feet from standing in my costume shoes for 80 hours a week – I had such a hard time standing. In a normal job you can call in sick if you don’t feel well. But if I didn’t show up for work, my boss could come down from the shop floor to see what was wrong with me, how long I needed to be on sick leave, and whether I needed medical attention or if I was just pretending to be sick.
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Working on a cruise ship meant that my living space was also my workplace. Supervisors and employees could see us when we were out at night. I had to be “on” most of the time, and that was a big part of why I burned out so quickly.
By the fourth month of my contract, I was feeling so defeated and exhausted that I decided to quit.
The Disney Dream cruise ship. David Roark/photographer
I earned less than minimum wage
I worked at least 70 hours a week and was paid $423 (around 400 euros) per week, or about six euros per hour. Overtime was not paid at all.
We receive perks including onboard medical care, free admission to Disney theme parks, discounts at select resort hotels, and Disney merchandise at Disney locations worldwide.
Many employees come from all over the world. They earn in US dollars, and sometimes even more than doctors or lawyers in their home countries. A girl from Portugal worked on the ships for ten years. She loved it because she made a good living for herself and for her family overseas – she sent them money regularly.
For her, life on a cruise ship was totally worth it, but for me there were other, better paying jobs I could have easily applied for. Some crew members on the ship thought I was taking a job away from someone who would have been more worthwhile, such as someone who needed to support their family in another country.
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The crew doesn’t get the same food as the guests
Crew members eat in the crew cafeteria, a large cafeteria that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is a small salad bar and some cooked options. I usually ate hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. I ate veggie burgers for lunch and dinner (I was vegetarian at the time). Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas featured specialties like cake and ice cream.
Sometimes the company would throw parties for us. For example, when our service received high marks in guest surveys and feedback, we received the better tasting guest food. I remember one time they brought jalapeno poppers.
The Buena Vista Theater inside the Disney Dream cruise ship. Matt Stroshane/photographer
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Not everyone on the ship has the same freedom
Not everyone has the same freedom in terms of what they can do or where they can go on the ship. Anything above the deck where we lived was a “privilege” – meaning we were not allowed to move freely around the ship.
For example, if we wanted to go to the movies, we had to call our manager in advance and get it approved in writing. If the cruise was very full, we may have to make room for guests. I worked in the stores and our team was a small group of 30 crew members. This meant we could easily visit several places on the ship.
Normally the larger teams couldn’t get permission. The dining room team, for example, consists of 300 people. If the manager gave all members of this team permission to move around the ship, the guest areas would become too crowded.
I had a friend who worked as a waitress in the dining room. She couldn’t go to the movies or the pools like I could. She was only allowed on the floor where she lived and in a place called “Deck 14,” a small outdoor smoking deck.
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I left the ship and was almost put on Disney’s “do not rehire” list
Working on the ship for several months put a lot of mental strain on me. A week after my 30 day notice, I told my manager that I would be leaving the ship the next time I was in port.
I remember being told that quitting before the 30 days would mean I could no longer work for Disney or any of its subsidiaries like ESPN and ABC.
That was a scary thought because Disney was the only company I ever worked for growing up. But my foot pain and burnout were so serious that all I wanted to do at that point was jump ship. So I left after four months.
The work on the cruise ship wasn’t all bad
But there were also positive aspects. Working in the boutique was so much fun. I also had a wonderful roommate and became friends with the people in my hallway. It was like being in a college dorm, and we became close friends in no time.
The unique experience of a cruise has brought us all closer together. Those who have not lived on a cruise cannot understand this. Overall, I value the friendships I have made with my colleagues.
Disney did not respond to a request for comment.
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