Below deck on the "Love Boat": intimate relationships between cruise ship workers in a globalized environment

Abstract

This study was conceptualized from my own experience working on board cruise ships and from the lack of studies of relationships on board cruise ships. This thesis examines the question: how does globalization in the form of accelerated capitalism and inter- connectedness through the sharing of food and drink across national identities that takes place in the space of cruise ships affect intimate relationships of cruise employees? Through the examinations of narratives of nine ex-crewmembers, developed through qualitative interviews, by using both the phenomenological and narrative methodology a couple of prominent themes appeared. The interviewees described working on a cruise ship as “intense” and the passage of time appears faster on board ship. It appears throughout the narratives, the nature of accelerated capitalism in the cruise ship industry affects the way the majority conduct their relationships.