Princess Cruises Changes Payroll Process for Filipino Crew

Princess Cruises is introducing changes to the way salary allotments and mandatory deductions are handled for Filipino crew members, with the revised payroll process due to begin in September 2026.

According to a payroll notice issued onboard, the cruise line will start handling mandatory Philippine deductions internally rather than sending the allotment portion of a seafarer’s salary to its Philippine Global Talent Partner, Magsaysay, for processing.

Under the existing arrangement, Princess Cruises’ Shipboard Payroll deposits a crew member’s net salary into their Brightwell account or nominated bank account.

The portion of their salary designated as an allotment is sent separately to Magsaysay. Mandatory Philippine deductions and contributions are then processed before the remaining money is deposited into the bank account of the crew member’s chosen allottee.

The notice states that the allotment portion of crew wages will no longer be transferred to Magsaysay by the Shipboard Payroll team. Instead, Princess Cruises will process the required Philippine deductions in-house.

Filipino crew members will not receive any reduction in their overall salary as a result of the change. However, because the allotment will now form part of the net wage calculation, a larger proportion of each crew member’s salary will be paid directly into their Brightwell account or nominated bank account.

The most significant change for seafarers is that they will then be responsible for transferring the required allotment to the bank account of their designated allottee themselves.

Magsaysay will continue to manage required contributions to Philippine agencies after receiving the deductions processed by Shipboard Payroll, according to the notice.

What are Crew Allotments?

For Filipino seafarers, an allotment is a proportion of their monthly salary that is designated for payment to an allottee in the Philippines. The allottee will typically be a family member or another nominated beneficiary, such as a spouse, parent or child.

Traditionally, the process has been managed automatically through the seafarer’s employer and its local manning agency. This means the crew member has not needed to personally transfer the allotted portion of their wages each month.

Under Princess Cruises’ new arrangement, the cruise line will no longer send this part of the salary to Magsaysay for onward distribution. Instead, the money will be paid to the crew member, who will then be responsible for transferring the appropriate amount to their nominated allottee.

Brightwell will also continue to process deposits for crew members, while Magsaysay will remain responsible for issuing the necessary contributions to Philippine agencies.