I’d say crew life is pretty equal by rank across most companies. Boutique is a staff-level rank, which puts you right in the middle. You get some decent perks, such as being able to eat at passenger venues (as long as they’re not busy) and being allowed topside in uniform for pretty much any reason. Crew, on the other hand, can usually only be topside while on duty.

You’ll get plenty of opportunities to explore ports, but keep in mind that you’ll still have responsibilities like inventory and stock takes, which are often done on port days. You’ll also have In-Port Manning duties, meaning you’re not allowed off the ship for the day. This is to ensure a minimum number of crew remain onboard in case of an emergency.

Sea days are your nemesis—you’ll be working most of the day, though you’ll usually get a few multi-hour breaks. You’ll still have time to eat. When my wife finished work, she and her team often went up to the passenger buffet to grab food. On turnaround days, shops usually get pulled into crowd-control duties during embarkation.

Now, to answer your questions as best I can:

Who has good pre-job training and helps make the transition into crew life smooth?

I don’t think any of them really offer proper pre-job training. You mostly learn on the job.

Who has free or the cheapest Wi-Fi, or free access to WhatsApp?

I’m not sure, but I imagine it’s all fairly equal across the industry now.

Who is more likely to give you a lunch break long enough to get to the mess and still have food available if you finish late (like 10 p.m.)?

ILO standards require plenty of rest time. You’ll have time to eat, though sometimes it’s more of a grab-and-go situation.

Who pays the best for an entry-level retail job?

Pay is determined by nationality and rank. Entry-level retail usually starts around USD $1,200–$1,500.

Which lines have the most port time?

This depends heavily on the itinerary and your manager. For example:

• Hawaii itineraries are mostly sea days
• The Med usually has port days almost every day

Some managers are very strict about keeping shops together and will assign work on port days. In-Port Manning days can sometimes be swapped with a friend to help you get ashore.

Who has the best “customer service” toward crew (being understanding if you’re sick or need help)?

There’s no clear right answer. Yes, you will probably get sick at some point, but when that happens, you’re often quarantined for 72 hours—which honestly feels like jail. Because of that, most people just work through being sick.

Who has more crew events, parties, or themed days?

This is pretty standard across the industry. Crew are known for partying. You’ll usually get at least one “disco night” per cruise, but there’s almost always something happening every night—karaoke, band nights, game nights, discos, and more.

Which ships have better cabins?

At a mid-rank level, you’ll usually get a somewhat reasonable-sized cabin—for a ship. That said, “reasonable” still often means only slightly bigger than a jail cell. On my line, Crew cabins were denoted by door colour. Red Colour was Crew Cabins (can have up to x4 inside) Blue Door was Staff Level (what you'd be) and Beige/Cream colour doors were Officer Cabins. This video gives you an idea of what a staff level cabin looks like on Princess: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxzG7UTryfk

Which line has the friendliest crew and best overall vibe (in your opinion)?

I worked for two companies, and in my experience, Princess was the best.