Hey Sailors

As a crew member working on a cruise ship you will of course have many rules to follow.  One of the top rules and the rule that is the most frequently broken is the Drinking rule.

As crew members, we are only allowed to drink the equivalent of a small bottle of beer, depending on the size of the person who is drinking it.  You must not have more than 5% alcohol intake in your system.  If you exceed this then you run the risk of being fired.

All crew members know about this rule but not everyone knows why this rule is in place.

Well, the reason is that a cruise ship can go into an emergency state at any time.  There could be a fire, a collision, an oil spill, etc.  All crew members have an emergency duty onboard the ship and have to be able to fulfill this at all times.

Let’s say you have gone out and had loads to drink.  Then you won’t be as reactive and will probably struggle to perform your duty, but if you have gone out and had just one beer then you should be able to snap into action.

Of course, it’s very rare that cruise ships go into emergencies.  In my 4 years on ships I have never been in a real emergency, but when you go out for a drink, you have to be aware that there is always a possibility.

Thank you for reading, I hope this has answered your question.