Travel Tips

The sign saying 'welcome home' was the first thing I noticed coming through a crewmembers entrance. A 15 deck Cruise Ship, inside colourful, gold and sparkling the exceptional beauty overwhelmed me. It seemed to be impossible; this huge machine could float on water. Are you afraid of hard work? - asked the Indian Manager! - No I replied, so welcome on board and that's how I became part of a sailing city, which later I called my home.

The job description for restaurant waitress showed many advantages of living on board: international environment, life lasting friendships, free travels, accommodation, food and entertainment. The offer was great: money and adventure included. Only one small notice at the bottom of the paper dropped a hint that I will be required to work extra hours.

Firstly I joined Fantasy Ship - one of many carnival cruise line vessels. My homeport - Cape Canaveral in Florida, wasn't too interesting (except the beautiful weather and NASSA centre). Three and Four day's cruises were taking us to Freeport and Nassau on the Bahamas Islands. I could only dream about these places before, for us Polish people these tropical destinations were always beyond our reach.

On board 'Fantasy' I started my one-month training (carnival college). Full of good thoughts and eager, I made friends with 30 other new crewmembers. We were all the same nervous and lost in our new environment. For most of us it was our first experience on board a ship, others told us how lucky we are because college is usually a promotion - a prize for hard work done on lower decks. Restaurant is work only for a chosen few - Asian people said it was very good money but the work is hard. There were not many girls allowed in this sector because rules stated men only. Pretty soon I found out the reason for the change. My colleagues came from all over the world: India, Philippines, Thailand, Latin America, but Europeans were the ethnic minority. After filling in hundreds of forms our passports were taken away and we were sent to our allocated cabins.

My cabin was below water level and was the size of a square birdcage and far from luxurious. There was a wardrobe, desk, small TV and bunk bed.
My cabin companion a Bulgarian girl was wonderful her optimism helped me reduce homesickness by speaking Polish. Other languages excluding English were forbidden but the rule was always broken.

After half an hour and our luggage unpacked the first safety class was called. Everything went so quickly that I didn't notice we had set sail, only the engine vibration made us wary and realise that we were moving.

First few days were spent loosing our way through the maze of similar looking corridors. All crew decks looked exactly the same except the cabin numbers were different and showed the direction you were going in.

At the end of each deck the crew shared the bathroom, which was never clean, and slowly my dream began to fade. The brochure showed beautiful pools, clubs and gyms but only the passengers could use these. Our facilities consisted of a salty pool, small bar with cheap drinks and were tired and hungry crewmates met.

After 2 weeks training of 12 hour-long lectures, we learnt to study everything: company history, safety procedures, food and beverages services but also stress, loneliness and homesickness. The best session was the wine tasting.

A further 2 weeks training was the practical side including the garbage separation, loading and unloading, dishwashing etc. My body suffered a lot and it is hard work for a woman. Our working day lasted 14-16 hours then the 2 weeks was at an end and our certificates were ready to join a restaurant team.

After a month on board I started my regular work as a team waitress. My days started at 5.30am on the Lido deck (top deck), which is a self-service buffet. Here waiters job consisted of cleaning tables and clearing hundreds of dirty dishes to the galley. This job was nicknamed Zombie work, because we looked terrible and struggled to stay awake after the previous long shift despite pain and tiredness a smile couldn't disappear from out faces but we were ready for any wisps and whims from the passengers.

On the ship we were required to do garbage separation. Each of us had a stand with 4 buspans on it: dirty plates, cups, food waste, paper and plastic. Full buspans are very heavy and you carried them a particular way to prevent back injury.

Finally after finishing a shift on Lido deck at 1.30pm we were allowed 3 hours break, and then back on again at 5.30pm when dinner in main restaurant started and where we could make some money. Each waiter. waitress were given a station of 15-26 guests to serve on which we had to know all their names by heart. Restaurant staff and cabin staff didn't receive a wage we were a tipping crew (our wages were what tips we earned).

The 5 star restaurants are different from Lido, from smart and elegant to entertainment from singing waiters to meals on time. Each sitting lasted 2 hours with 30-minute breaks between but no matter how short of time we were, we were not allowed to show stress or look pressured.

Second sitting finished at 11pm then its ready for the midnight buffet. All food and beverage departments work under the rule of USPH. All nails and shoes are checked by a supervisor and every step planned and checked. No staff are allowed to eat or drink whilst on duty, which isn't very convenient whilst in the tropical hot climates.

As time goes on our sleeping time became ? hours a night. I was one of the lucky ones whose supervisor was lovely, some staff are unfortunate to have a supervisor who is rude and unrespectful.

So be warned ship's life is not easy. There is sexual harassment and crime on board, jealousy and gossip a common thing between crewmembers, being between people from different countries and various traditions 24 hours a day without privacy requires very strong and open characters.

But for all that some good times were had. Once a week officers organise a crew party and a chance to find a girl/boy. People played music from there own country and steps and words were taught, the most popular were the hot salsa and merange.

The thing is that even though the work was hard and times were tough the beautiful views of the islands make up for it all.

Unfortunately after 4 months the crew life was just too much I was tired and in pain because of my back and a weeks rest was advised.

After my weeks rest it wasn't easy to come back on board a ship, but I was placed on the ship 'Sensation' sailing from Tampa.

My next 7 days cruises from Florida, Grand Canyon, Conzumel Mexico to New Orleans. For the next 4 months I promised myself it would be my last contract, but its like a drug and you just keep going back, (just as the other crew members said) and guess what! I did.

I was sent to the 'Paradise' vessel sailing from Miami to Jamaica via Mexico, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Bahamas and Caymans and I was more aware of work on the ship and chose to do the midnight shift working 1.30pm to 3am, but after a few months I was transferred again to Europe to pick up a brand new vessel 'Legend' sailing from Finland, but that's for another day.