Staff on Castaway Cay About This Page:

[slimkat]

This may be a silly question but who staffs Castaway Cay? Does DCL use the same staff from the ship or do they have employees that "live" on the island? I was just wondering. Thanks.

[Dave Marx]

They have a mixture of both. If I remember correctly, there's a resident staff of about 35-50. Each ship adds greatly to those numbers - everyone in food service comes from the ship, everyone involved in the kids programming comes from the ship. I'm not sure how much of the water safety team is from the ship, or whether they have some permanent staff on the island.

Now, in addition to the resident staff and the ship's staff, there are also Bahamians who commute over to the island when a ship is in port - mostly the hair braiders, the folks in the post office, excursion and watercraft staff, and the like.

[slimkat]

Thanks for the speedy response Dave. I knew you would have the answer. Thanks.

[cubfancolleen]

And the next question I have is how to become one of those lucky resident employees?!?!

[chezp]

I'm intrigued by being a resident employee as well. I'd love to know what they do on days when the ships aren't in port. I guess there's a lot of maintenance to do. I'd love it if someone did an article or a book about their lives on the island....

[iloverags2]

Originally Posted by chezp

I'm intrigued by being a resident employee as well. I'd love to know what they do on days when the ships aren't in port. I guess there's a lot of maintenance to do. I'd love it if someone did an article or a book about their lives on the island....

Cheryl, I think you just gave yourself a new assignment! Considering what a good writer you are, I think you would be perfect to write said article or book. (And just think...it would require a business trip, possibly even overnight, to get the down and dirty details!)

[CruiseCarol]

In April I attended the Castaway Cay animal program they offer for Platinum Castaway Club. They told us with the expansion of the Castaway Cay and the addition of the Dream they now have up to 100 cast members living on the island. They have a full time cook staff who prepares all the meals for them. They also said it is very dark at night and the mosquitoes are bad.

Island crew members live in similar quarters to the cast members on the ships. Living quarters are small. The cast members have access to a recreation room with board games, books and television, a gym, store, cafeteria and free Internet room and free access in crew areas.

Also on Castaway Cay there is a team that assists an onsite marine biologist from Epcot’s Living Seas in the ongoing care and monitoring of the island’s own group of native stingrays. That team also supports ongoing research programs such as maintaining the health of coral reefs and other marine life native to the Bahamas. When I was there last September they were actually bringing two special tanks filled with fish back on the Wonder. The fish would be quarantined for six months than added to the tank in the Living Seas.

[cubfancolleen]

Originally Posted by Carolcruisingco

In April I attended the Castaway Cay animal program they offer for Platinum Castaway Club. They told us with the expansion of the Castaway Cay and the addition of the Dream they now have up to 100 cast members living on the island. They have a full time cook staff who prepares all the meals for them. They also said it is very dark at night and the mosquitoes are bad.

Island crew members live in similar quarters to the cast members on the ships. Living quarters are small. The cast members have access to a recreation room with board games, books and television, a gym, store, cafeteria and free Internet room and free access in crew areas.

Also on Castaway Cay there is a team that assists an onsite marine biologist from Epcot’s Living Seas in the ongoing care and monitoring of the island’s own group of native stingrays. That team also supports ongoing research programs such as maintaining the health of coral reefs and other marine life native to the Bahamas. When I was there last September they were actually bringing two special tanks filled with fish back on the Wonder. The fish would be quarantined for six months than added to the tank in the Living Seas.

What a cool experience, Carol! I am about to hit gold status so it will be a bit before I am platinum. But would love to do that kind of presentation. I am sure the staff don't have the glamorous life we imagine when we think of living on CC!

[marisag]

I was at a talk with Carol and it was very interesting

They told us how they get all their fresh food from the ships so they are even more disappointed than the passengers when the ships can't dock at Castaway Cay.

They also told us that there is a colony of feral cats that live on the island. They feed and vet them.