If you had to (or got to!) work on a cruise ship.......

[sissymaryuk]

The lighting manager was the person who told me that he was employed with Royal Caribbean Productions and that he is a 2.5 stripe officer. Maybe the sound and lighting managers also get an extra half stripe?? Maybe he alone gets the extra half stripe because he is typically going from ship to ship to fix problems?? Either way, and setting aside all of the significant negatives about working hours and living conditions, it sure would be fun to play with all of that tech and use it to entertain people.

As a light tech for RCCL for several years I can tell you quite catergorically that there are no 2.5 stripe techs in the fleet. There is no position of sound or lighting manager (just technician). Tech's dont really get sent to other ships to fix things unless it's an absolute emergency. Royal Caribbean Productions does not employ anyone on the ships but the on-stage people. There is a position of Head Sound & light on every ship, but you just get paid a bit more, and there's no other privileges, and it's just a temporary position. Sounds like this guy was embellishing or just making stuff up for fun at the backstage tour (techs often do this!).

[Bookish Angel]

I'd give insight into the culture, literature, music, history, etc. of the ports so that people could be enlightened travelers.

[done it]

Captain. The crews quarters (that you never see) are more like small prison cells.

[bluegirlum]

I hear what you are saying but how many people can say they go to work and everything is wonderful, for many years I worked long hours.

 

I totally agree. I work long hours now and while I enjoy my job most days, there are many days where I don't (like all of this week! :eek: ). I don't think there's a "perfect" job out there. I think it says a lot about what good employees the crew/staff are that they do such a good job of making our cruises so enjoyable even under hard conditions for themselves.

[GCurry]

Captain. The crews quarters (that you never see) are more like small prison cells.

Have you ever been on a US Navy ship, and do you know what the term "hot bunking" means?? As an old Marine let's just say privation is where you find it, and you never have to look far!!:)

 

I write and produce for public radio so I would lecture

I'd give insight into the culture, literature, music, history, etc. of the ports so that people could be enlightened travelers.

I'm sure we all need a good lecture now and then, and we can usually count on our loved ones to provide one without having to rely on strangers!:D

Richard of Panama on HAL really has a good presentation among so many others we've enjoyed.

 

I am, by the way, a long long fan of Prairie Home Companion, love the show, hate the politics, but like cruising, the realities don't keep me from doing it.

[Dolly Rocker]

I've worked with Princess & P&O.

 

Worked retail so classed as staff. Still had to work my ass off stay in a crap cramped cabin & eat the worst food unless I was willing to pay to eat in passenger areas.

 

I only had this privelege due to bein classed as staff.

 

Crew who are cabin attendants, chefs, waiters etc these are the people who have no choice & just have to eat in crew mess.

 

Daily there would be a selection of cereals, toast, rolls, cheese, meat & rice for breakfast.

Lunch would be all of the above minus the cereal plus something hot like pasta, chicked, squid.

Dinner would be all of the above with some deserts little cake slices.

 

I was so sick of eating rice daily!!! Crew mess is only open at certain times of the day so if you missed it you didnt eat.

 

Work day would have been 8am till 11pm on a sea day port days we would work in the morning get off the ship then back to work after port day till 11pm again. Maybe had about 3 whole afternoons/evenings off work the whole time I was there!

 

Wont stop me cruising though will just make me appreciate all who work there to privide us with the most amazing holiday

 

L

xxx

[sissymaryuk]

"Hot bunking" used to go on in the cruise industry. I had a boss who used to work for Norwegian way back who told me about it. Worst I've seen was 4 in a cabin on Nordic Empress (although that was rare). Worse still was that in one of these cabins they had 2 married couples sharing!

[ccruisequeen]

despite the accommodations, I'd love to run the name that tune & trivia contests!

[Shooraq]

I agree completely BUT that one customer just really gets under my skin when I have busted my butt doing things trying to make him/her happy and never succeeding. It only takes one problem customer to really mess with my head.

 

Tim

 

Same here.. I dwell on it a little too much. :rolleyes:

[stompy]

Which job would you want and why????

 

For me...I'd like to be the piano player in the band....I have -0- talent so this "dream" will have to fade.

 

How 'bout you?? Ever think about this??

 

Years ago I was surfing around RC's employment site and I came across a posting for a rooms director. I read the job description and EVERY SINGLE ITEM was something that I'd done in my career.

 

I guess it'd be the front desk staff for me although I never really envied those people, with all the complaints they must field and all the really STUPID questions that'd get asked all day long.

[traveler0338]

I am a massage therapist and would love to work on a cruise line.

Anybody know how I would go about doing this?

Who would I contact at each cruise line, or how would I make the initial introduction?

 

Thanks

[BillOh]

Chair hog patrol. Or Flowrider photographer. Maybe the buy who pulls up the walkway when he sees the last group still 100 yards from the ship.

[maria_sienna]

The crew gets time off.

My cabin steward and I had lunch at the same Filipino restaurant at Juneau.

I was just too happy to get Filipino food in Alaska of all places.

[Idahobaker]

Either a craps' dealer, black jack dealer, or the person in charge of making sure the Pole Dancer doesn't hurt herself (I'm CPR trained, don't you see?)...:D

[bob brown]

First choice --Captain.

Second choice--any navigation officer on the bridge in descending order of rank...

 

Final (and most realistic choice)-- Tender Boat helmsman, so long as I don't have to spend time chipping paint, and other mundane deck dept. duties....:)