Life on sea

 

Being two days from finally signing off to take on the long journey flying home, I guess the head of this blog is kind of appropriate.

Many people, myself included, have an idyllic view on the life on a cruise ship. It always seems so romantic working not only in a holiday environment, but the idea of a cruise ship even more so.

First comment on that, working in a holiday environment is not that easy at all. People come with lots of expectations and demands. Americans even being worse in demanding customer service.

Secondly working hours on a cruise ship is not fun. An average day will be anything between 10 and 12 hours, 7 days a week. There is not such a thing as a weekend, and I for example never have a day off, some crewmembers do have a day of, depending on the job, department and company. So gues be thankful for those Monday to Friday 9-5's!!! Nevertheless, every workplace and every job has its own challenges and joys...

Thirdly, the ship I was on we did three and four day cruises. As good as it seems, it is totally the opposite. You are always starting a cruise, never really build a relationship with the passengers and the passengers never really get the hang of it. Before they really no there way around they are going home, and everything starts all over again, making it really exhausting.

The worst part for me on the Fascination was the type of passengers we got, but I am not going to elaborate on that, except to say that on average it was difficult to dealt with.

So, here I am, ready to go home, after a long five months, which, looking back, seems though to have passed quickly. But I am glad to head home, as I miss our beautiful country and fantastic people so much.

So now for the last challenge, accept of finishing everything, to get everything in my bags again and hope and pray it do not weight too much!!!

Until next time, Bon Voyage!!!!

 

So here we are! It is Christmas time. The year has came to an end at the speed of light and it was just the other day when it was Thanksgiving here in the States and we said to each other, in a months time it is Christmas.

I still suffer from bomb shock from last Christmas and here we are already at the end of 2007.

And what a year it was. The Rugby World Cup is ours in tune with our hopes but against our common sense. The proud for Green and Gold and to be a South African were felt from far and near.

And then the other unexpected, like just a week ago, Jacob Zuma being elected as president of the ANC in quite an interesting democratically political move. Indeed we had a very exciting year behind us and we do life in a great country.

But, being away from home during Christmas is not really exciting. To be away from your family and friends and all that is well known to you and is so part of you is not lekker.

But thank God for modern communication, telephones, emails and IM (chat). We can stay in touch and talk to each other.

Not much is happening on the ship during Christmas. The ship was decorated in Christmas decorations just after thanksgiving, and I have heard some Christmas corals over the loudspeakers.

But all of us are working our normal shifts, so no difference in routine. Live just go on as normal on the ship. Nothing changes. The upside of this is that it doesn’t really feel like Christmas and you don’t really miss home so much at the end being busy and all that.

In some of the departments the guys gave each other presents and apparently the crew lounge was quite busy last night. As I am a single person department I couldn’t really participate and my friends were all involved with their own departments. I preferred a night on my own (not a regular thing for me, believe me, but on days like this I need the personal space and time for reflection). We were in Key West this morning before sailing out to Mexico. The city was really quiet and at least I could spend some time on the phone with the family and the kids and that was really great.

Although not much of a traditional Christmas, many of the guys did wished each other a Mary Christmas this morning and now I am just looking forward to a splendid Christmas Dinner tonight!

Merry Christmas everyone!

I had a fellow crew member, who grew up in Zimbabwe, lived in London for many years and traveled the world, once told me that he had never saw so much poverty as in America. I couldn’t believe that, I mean coming from Africa and all that.

Then when I walked the streets of Boston for some months on my previous contract, I realized that maybe some of what he said may be true. Tramps all over the place just like our Bergies in Cape Town, beggars on the street corners, a few travelers bugging you for a dollar.

Now those of you who grew up in the glory days of Miami Vice, the real proper one with Jon Johnston (I’m giving away my age again – lol), will know what I am talking about when I say that my idea of Miami was really a place of glamour and riches.

This perception was pretty much alive till I hit downtown Miami the first time on this contract. Man, was I in for a shocker! I couldn’t believe my eyes. The place is dirty, the people look like something out of the ghettos, and there is nothing pretty about the city. In comparison with other cities in America Miami is really ugly. Although it is nice and green with lots of vegetation due to the tropical weather (one of the few warm places in the States), it is like really grayish. Everything is concrete. Most other cities have beautiful old architecture and even the modern buildings and skyscrapers have a distinct uniqueness about them. But in Miami most places (there is off course exceptions) are just grey and like big blocks.

What really opened my eyes for the poverty in the city, was when I jumped on the (free) overhead sky train that transport people through the downtown (in South Africa it is the city center or CBD) area. You see people from different backgrounds, white, black, Hispanic etc. People with a poverty mentally they carry very visible around. I remember one white guy on the sky train. He had glasses on, patched with sellotape (scotch – American) and plaster (band aid – American) to keep it together. He was trying to read an old newspaper he got from a dustbin (trash can – American) somewhere. It was such a pathetic site and my heart really went out to the guy.

My second eye opener was on the bus to a mall one day. And don’t get me wrong, the malls are really glamorous – although I really prefer South African malls – nothing comes near Canal Walk!.

Particular the one time I saw the two worlds very distinctly, and it so much reminded me of South Africa with our unequal standards. I was traveling to the Aventura Mall (the name of the area). We were en route via the Miami Beach area. In similarity you can compare it with Seapoint combined with Golf Estate Houses. It is really beautiful with huge apartment buildings, glamorous hotels and houses on the edge of the lagoon or river and it looks definitely like worth a million dollars or more!

Coming back from the mall to the port I was on a bus and this time en route downtown through, what I later discovered later is quite the norm in Miami and not so much the “other” side as I presumed (Miami Vice in the back of my mind), real ordinary and poverty striking houses.

Small houses, old, mostly in need of maintenance and on small plots right next to each other. Garages are out of the ordinary and the only newer or big thing you saw from time to time in the front yard is an American “truck” (bakkie).

Looking out the window, the streets, shops and small malls every so few blocks look very much like Voortrekker street in Cape Town (Parow, Belville etc.), Voortrekkeer, Hamiltonstreets in Pretoria, Ontekkersweg in Roodepoort. You’ll get the picture.

The most astonishing thing, especially in Florida and Miami is the lack of English. I once heard some statistics on the number of people in America that can’t speak English (I’m not talking about the majority that can’t speak any decent English!). Not only on the ship we encounter them quite often and in large numbers, but in the streets and shops in Miami you many a time came across someone that can’t speak or understand a word English. One day me and my one mate, Johan went searching for a specific place. As we try to get directions it became a game of survival – something like a scene out of Amazing Race in a foreign language speaking city. Street vendors, shop assistants, no one seems to speak English in this place.

Is there any good things about the place? Of course there are many. Like the public transport. You can travel any place in the larger city area on either a bus or train and there will be a bus on any given route every ten to fifteen minute. For a $1, 50 you can go any place. The Sky trains are free to use. There is a lot of development and building going on all over the city. There is nice Malls all over the place.

In short, America is a land of opportunity for the fittest. Those who can conquer the jungle can make a decent living. For the rest, they can live. They are looked after – at a price and most of those know how to use and abuse the system to their advantage – sounds familiar?

Like this “lady” we encountered in the streets of Miami, big and really overweight – typical American – in a wheelchair. So she asked if we may have a dollar to exchange for her quarters. As we gave her the dollar she asked if we really want the quarters as she really need it. What a clever way of begging!

Some may say Miami is a interesting metropolitan city with people living there from all over the world. Call me common, call me stupid, but rather give me Cape Town, problems and all!

I am a Cape Townian, and proud of it!

 

I haven’t done much updates recently on this blog of mine, but none the less, time has flied passed us, once again at the speed of light.

Who can imagine that Christmas is now only 2 week away! For those planning to go on vacation, this will be the last dying moments for any productive efforts before the rut race starts all over again for the new year. As for us, except for the Christmas decorations, life is pretty much the same.

And here have I passed the halfway celebrations in quiet ignorance. Thought of getting this posting online, another cruise or two or week has passed before I actually got to the point of going over into action.

So I am halfway through my contract, not that I think it is really of any interest to whoever out there, but let me just mention it for academic purposes. At least I can feel good about it! I’ve told it to somebody, whoever is so kind to actually read this.

So this coming Friday I will be here for exactly three months, with exactly two months to go.

Here we count the days, the weeks and actually the cruises you have left. One of my pasanos (fellow countryman in ship jargon) actually counted down the hours since last week till he left on Friday morning. He was on Thursday evening like, ok dude, only 7 hours 30 minutes and 20 seconds then I’m off this ship!

You may say this sound terrible, and yes in a sense your right. Sometimes, listening to fellow crew members we sound like inmates. I guess you will hear the same in a prison – so tell me, how many years, months, and days have you got left in this place?

On the ship it is a question you will answer or ask, probably at least once a day, “so tell me how many months do you have left? How long is your contract?”

Maybe a ship is a little bit like prison. Except that you a do this out of your own free will and get paid to actually do it.

But for the duration of your contract you are pretty much subdued to the four walls, 12 whatever decks of the ship, have to go through security every time you want to go out, declare everything you take off the ship, have to eat the food they fed you, live in a small consumed space, most probably sharing that space with at least one other person (your most probably not romantically involved with), work 10 plus hours per day, seven days a week, many with no days off. And the worst part of it all, deal with passengers (and even fellow crew members from time to time), mostly Americans and as on this ship, low class uneducated cheap Americans, that will insult and humiliate you just because they can.

So why do we do this you may ask. Is it all that bad?

Well there are different reasons why people come and work on ships, many returning for one contract after the other.

For some it is the money, for others it is the experience, some people just want to travel, meet new people get exposure or adventure, gain experience and yes, many people looking at cruise ships sees a romantic picture of glamour and fun.

And you know what, after all we have a lot of fun and glamour and for that reason many come back for a second or third contract and when they finally stay home, wish they could return

Because we have a lot of fun, we make many friends, of which quite a few will probably leave while your doing your contract, or you may leave them. We see places. We can swim in the Caribbean, in the middle of the week when you have to sweat it out in the office. We walk up from our Cabin to our workplace, or go to the crew bar after work while you are sweating and swearing in traffic. We work out in the best gym, not paying for it and just take the elevator up. Eat three to four meals a day, which we didn’t, have to sweat paying for or preparing it. We see places and exotic locations you only dream about or read in magazines. We snorkel, scuba or do other fun things. We earn dollars. We make friends with people from all over the world, speaking different languages and with strange customs. It is just something in the vibe on the ship and in ship life that get you hooked.

We laugh and party and work hard, but we love the challenges, we love the world, we love life and we love the beauty of Gods creation in all of its diversity.

So as I have promised some friends to write on this subject, I assume this blog will not be relevant for the masses other than that it may make for some interesting reading material. Those working on cruise ships may find it amusing. Maybe it will at least help someone out there who has to choose between cruise lines who might find this blog of some significance.

Before I jump right into the whole thing, let me clarify a few things right in the beginning.

So to be upfront, I most definitely don’t see myself as a pro in this area. I think there is a few Internet Café Managers with far more experience and thus qualifications to actually write this blog. Having said that, this is absolutely based on my (limited) experience which is unique to me as a individual and it may be that another individual may have a different view on this subject.

Also, my experience is limited to the ships I’ve been on and it is important to know that not all ships in any given cruise line is the same.

With that, I also have to emphasize that my experience is limited to my current job, and ones experience to life on any given ship may also vary depending on the job you have onboard.

Let me also say lastly that I am only one month and a bit down in this current contract and that ones experiences my change significantly, either negative or positive in the duration of a contract.

Now with all that been said, lets get down to business.

I’ve been on Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) on my first contract. This is a relatively small cruise line in compared to Carnival, with 10 ships and some interesting ships to come out in the next few years.

In my current contract I am with Carnival Cruise line (CCL), not only the biggest cruise line in the industry, but the Carnival Corporation also owns most of the other smaller cruise lines in the marketplace.

To sum life on cruise ship up, let me say the apparent, a cruise ship is a cruise ship and life on a cruise ship is pretty much the same, no matter what ship or cruise line or iternary.

You have to deal with the fact that you live, work and play with the same people 24/7 for the duration of your contract and that these individuals comes from all over the world and from many different countries and cultures.

For example concerning officers on the different cruise lines, on NCL you mostly have to deal with the cold Norwegians and Danish people. On Carnival Cruise Line you get the arrogant Italians again. If you go to Holland America Cruise Line you will have to put up with the Dutch (at least some of us can understand them – in a way) or on the P&O Cruise Line you have English officers.

As for my position on the ship, on NCL I had much more managerial privileges and advantages, but then again a lot more responsibility and work.

CCL is known for its good crew life, but I couldn’t find that as of yet. Crew life is pretty much the same accept for an open bar and the ability to use cash in the crew bar. We had great theme parties and other fun activities on the Majesty and I cannot say that anything on the Fascination so far exceeded that.

I do have to emphasize that CCL really do a lot for the crew. Training and development is high priority. Once again this may only be the fact that ship I’ve been on in NCL (Majesty) is very small, but on the Fascination for example is a crew conference room as well as a crew training room all equipped with state of the art audio visual equipment and material to use in order for self-improvement and development. CCl has a whole team of dedicated crew trainers responsible for all the different training on the ship, whereby on NCL a lot of the training was done by the officer in charge. For example the environmental training was done by the Environmental officer. On CCL the training Centre take care of that, obviously helping when it come to the ability to keep the training interesting and professional.

CCL also has some crew benefits like pension plans etc that you can make use of and is something to consider if you plan to make a career out of this.

Up to now NCL’s safety training and safety awareness is much better as CCL’s and I felt much safer with NCL, but CCL is as we speak busy with a new safety drive and I guess they will eventually be on the same level as NCL.

As for food, ship food is ship food, although up to now I think the food on CCL is better, although they tell me that the food is the same throughout the fleet. On NCL we ate with the officers in the officer’s mess and could order from restaurant menus. On CCL you have a separate officer mess (for the Italians) and a staff mess where basically all the managers, concessionary’s, youth staff, entertainers etc eats.

As for the cabins it is difficult to really compare as this will really differ from ship to ship. On NCL I had my own cabin. Ion CCL I have to share. Although the cabin is quite spacious in comparison to my single cabin, I prefer my little tinier single cabin. Just one comment on cabins, as CCL builds its own ships and they are all basically the same, the crew in crew cabins for example has to make use of communal showers and toilets. The size of cabins I think is basically the same it seems.

I think the big difference for me is the difference in style and type of passengers.

CCL is the fun ships and that is the vibe on the ships. The feeling for me is like that of a cheap casino. The passengers generally coming on CCL is here for the fun. So there is a lot of fun going on.

NCL has much more style and much more stylish or upper class passengers. On the fascination I have hardly seen anyone reading so far during a cruise. On NCL you see most of the passengers with a book on a sea day. Me personally feels more comfortable in the NCL atmosphere. But I know there are some of the other managers that hate the NCL vibe.

In general I think it’s a matter of personality, personal preference, values and expectations.

At the end of the day, you join a cruise ship to work for a set period of time and for the time your on board, your life very much consists of work and a sense of survival (very much the same as the survival mode back home from a Monday through to a Friday as you try to get through the week).