Presenter: Jennifer dos Santos Rong

Faculty Sponsor: Carolyn Crotty Guttilla

School: Massachusetts Bay Community College

Research Area: Communication and Media Studies

Session: Poster Session 2, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM, Auditorium, A78

ABSTRACT

The cruise industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors of tourism, and the United States represents one of the largest cruise markets in the world. Since 2008, the number of cruise passengers has increased almost every year. According to (AAA 2025), about 19 million Americans are projected to take cruises in 2025. The industry continues to show steady and responsible growth, with approximately 37.7 million cruise passengers projected worldwide in 2025. Additionally, the cruise sector generates more than $168 billion in global economic impact and supports about 1.6 million jobs ( Cruise Lines International Association, 2025).

This poster highlights key risk factors affecting the mental and physical health of cruise ship workers and emphasizes the need for better support systems as the cruise industry continues to expand.

 Anxiety 12.4%, depression 14.1% PTSD symptoms. Longer time onboard was associated with higher odds of depressive and intrusion symptoms. (Baygi et al. 2022)

Crew members work long hours with little time to rest, and their jobs require a lot of physical effort, which can cause body pain and fatigue. (Brooks & Greenberg, 2022) At the same time, irregular shifts, poor sleep, long periods at sea, constant noise, and being away from their families increase stress and can seriously affect their mental health.

A lack of social and organizational support, poor teamwork, scheduling uncertainty, and negative perceptions of management can further worsen their well-being.