My friend just got a job on a ship...

[Terre]

Sorry can't help, but in all my cruises I have never seen an american waiter/waitress or cabin steward.

Doesn't NCL America have one ship left in the Hawaiian Islands. The do not touch foreign soil, and I believe that most that work aboard are from the U.S. Maybe someone can correct me on this.

Rick

On our Pride of America cruise to Hawaii, all of the crew were American or from one of the American colonies. That was part of the requirement from the state of Hawaii when they agreed to have ships sail from there.

I think NCL had three ships there when we booked the Pride of America, but now only the POA is there. I think there is another cruise line has sails from Hawaii, but can't remember who it is...Princess, maybe?

You are so right!

NCLA is still sunning the Pride of America doing all the islands.

Like you said, they are rude, lazy and can't or don't want do the work resulting in the passengers suffering from that.

Certainly not my idea of a fun cruise.

 

***

None of the crew we encountered was rude or lazy. In fact, they all went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed. Everyone we talked to loved working on the ship and some had renewed their contracts. They did say they didn't realize how hard it is, but all still said they loved it. All were very friendly.

[ccruisequeen]

Hi Gator! Haven't read Barber's book, but Devils on the Deep Blue Sea is my absolute favorite cruise book! Wish Mr. Garin would write a sequel. :cool:

 

Permanent Passenger: My Life on a Cruise Ship is also good

[critterchick]

The point is NCL America ships are US flagged and thus have to abide US labor laws.

 

Ship. It would appear that the line isn't doing well.:)

 

And I must dispute the poster who said that Americans don't have the work ethic that other nationalities have. We are fortunate that we have professions such as medicine and law that pay more than what a cruise ship waiter earns. In other countries the waiter makes far more. So if we're going to put that much blood, sweat and tears into a job, it's going to be one that pays a hell of a lot better than working on a ship. Just my opinion, of course.

[aggie1]

My DH and I were on the Pride of Aloha (which is no more) several years ago. His company had a meeting for a week on the Big Island and after several of us took this cruise. I would never do it again, but it was inexpensive and the company had taken care of air fare. I know everyone working onboard was American, but we had the best waitress in the MDR. She was a retired Wal-Mart employee from Bentonville, Arkansas. She took the job because her son and kids lived in Hilo and she could see them once a week. All I say was that she was awesome. A lot of the other crew were terrible and really did not want to be there. We did not enjoy that cruise at all.

[phred119s]

There are a couple of other rather entertaining and interesting books.

 

Below the Waterline by Steven Barber.

Devils on the Deep Blue Sea - Kristoffer Garin

 

Permanent Passenger: My Life on a Cruise Ship is also good

I'll have to keep all of those in mind. :) thanks!

[thelion]

Worked several contracts on the America. I don't want to hear that we were lazy workers. We worked out butts off. You want someone to blame? How about the company that did NO training whatsoever. Or the company that refused to hire more than 75% of the staff we needed. Or the company that provided shoes that LITERALLY caused broken arches etc. Or the company that required us to work from 5am until 1am on turn days without a single break (nothing like eating meals standing in the galley). Or the company that made us work in a kitchen that had condensation pouring down the steel walls because it was so hot. Or the company that crammed 5 people into a room without five beds (hello rollaway!) Or the company that made you work even when you had been throwing up for the last six hours. Or the company that wouldn't let you live the ship for up to three weeks at a time because your roommate didn't like to line up her shoes properly.

 

Don't blame the workers, we worked hard. Harder than most of the guests can imagine. Blame the company. NCLA is the worst cruise line and I will never work for them again. Yeah. I'm bitter. I'm still trying to get them to pay the medical bills they owe me.

[Ditch]

Worked several contracts on the America. I don't want to hear that we were lazy workers. We worked out butts off. You want someone to blame? How about the company that did NO training whatsoever. Or the company that refused to hire more than 75% of the staff we needed. Or the company that provided shoes that LITERALLY caused broken arches etc. Or the company that required us to work from 5am until 1am on turn days without a single break (nothing like eating meals standing in the galley). Or the company that made us work in a kitchen that had condensation pouring down the steel walls because it was so hot. Or the company that crammed 5 people into a room without five beds (hello rollaway!) Or the company that made you work even when you had been throwing up for the last six hours. Or the company that wouldn't let you live the ship for up to three weeks at a time because your roommate didn't like to line up her shoes properly.

 

Don't blame the workers, we worked hard. Harder than most of the guests can imagine. Blame the company. NCLA is the worst cruise line and I will never work for them again. Yeah. I'm bitter. I'm still trying to get them to pay the medical bills they owe me.

 

I agree, the staff onboard any cruise line, including NCL work their butts off. What I don't understand is if the cruise line only hired 75% of the required workforce, then why are the putting five bodies in one cabin?

[madforcruising]

Ship. It would appear that the line isn't doing well.:)

 

 

I stand corrected on the "s";):D

[browneyes7]

Worked several contracts on the America. I don't want to hear that we were lazy workers. We worked out butts off. You want someone to blame? How about the company that did NO training whatsoever. Or the company that refused to hire more than 75% of the staff we needed. Or the company that provided shoes that LITERALLY caused broken arches etc. Or the company that required us to work from 5am until 1am on turn days without a single break (nothing like eating meals standing in the galley). Or the company that made us work in a kitchen that had condensation pouring down the steel walls because it was so hot. Or the company that crammed 5 people into a room without five beds (hello rollaway!) Or the company that made you work even when you had been throwing up for the last six hours. Or the company that wouldn't let you live the ship for up to three weeks at a time because your roommate didn't like to line up her shoes properly.

 

Don't blame the workers, we worked hard. Harder than most of the guests can imagine. Blame the company. NCLA is the worst cruise line and I will never work for them again. Yeah. I'm bitter. I'm still trying to get them to pay the medical bills they owe me.

 

I'm sure you weren't lazy! We always spend a lot of time talking to the workers. They work extremely long hours, usually 12 hours at a time. I'm a retired teacher, and worked 10 to 12 hours everyday, but I was allowed to sit down when I needed to. You have to be a special kind of person to work on a cruise ship! It would be difficult to be sweet and friendly all day when you are so exhausted. Also, some of the cruise passengers can be really rude to the workers.:(

[thelion]

I agree, the staff onboard any cruise line, including NCL work their butts off. What I don't understand is if the cruise line only hired 75% of the required workforce, then why are the putting five bodies in one cabin?

 

To give the Jr. Officers their own crew cabin. The ship was set up so that crew would be 3-4 to a cabin, Jr. Officers (1/2-1 1/2 stripes) would be 2-3 to a cabin, Officers would be 2 to a cabin max and Sr. Officers would be 1 to a stateroom. However, the company decided to give Jr. Officers their own crew cabins (making them 2 to a cabin max) thus leaving them short on crew cabins, so we got screwed.

 

I'm sure you weren't lazy! We always spend a lot of time talking to the workers. They work extremely long hours, usually 12 hours at a time. I'm a retired teacher, and worked 10 to 12 hours everyday, but I was allowed to sit down when I needed to. You have to be a special kind of person to work on a cruise ship! It would be difficult to be sweet and friendly all day when you are so exhausted. Also, some of the cruise passengers can be really rude to the workers.:(

 

Most of the passengers were amazing, honestly. But I'll never forget one.

 

I was in the Buffet upstairs and a guy asked me to get him coffee. Normally, we don't get coffee and drinks for the guests but it was a simple request so why not. Unfortunately, when I grabbed the ceramic cup and went to turn around his wife bumped into me causing me to hit the cup against the coffee machine, shattering it. The cup cut my hand (so deep I needed stiches). I apologized and stepped aside, shielding the glass on the ground. He had the nerve to start yelling at me to get him his coffee! While i stood there bleeding. I couldn't leave since there was glass on the ground (someone might get hurt) and all I had was napkins to hold onto my hand. He was such a jerk. Even his wife chimed in talking about how lazy Americans were and so on. Ugh.

[fwacruiser]

The experience will probably be quite different on an American-flagged ship, but a great read is: Cruise Confidential, by Brian David Bruns. He's one of the few Americans to ever be hired by Carnival as a waiter -- it's very informative, as well as entertaining! :p

 

^^^This.^^^

 

I just read that book a couple months ago and it is both fascinating and entertaining. You'll have new respect for the people who take care of you on your cruise after reading that book.

[The_Big_M]

I was in the Buffet upstairs and a guy asked me to get him coffee. Normally, we don't get coffee and drinks for the guests but it was a simple request so why not. Unfortunately, when I grabbed the ceramic cup and went to turn around his wife bumped into me causing me to hit the cup against the coffee machine, shattering it. The cup cut my hand (so deep I needed stiches). I apologized and stepped aside, shielding the glass on the ground. He had the nerve to start yelling at me to get him his coffee! While i stood there bleeding. I couldn't leave since there was glass on the ground (someone might get hurt) and all I had was napkins to hold onto my hand. He was such a jerk. Even his wife chimed in talking about how lazy Americans were and so on. Ugh.

 

Definite ugh. It's passengers like that who spoil it for everyone, and discourage anyone from helping others.

[Rowtyd]

If she is American, I am going to take a shot in the darks and say she got hired on to NCL America. If that is the case, it sounds like she is either a Dining Room Steward or a Jr. Waiter. If she is a Jr Waiter, she gets tips. If she is a Dining Room Steward, she does not.

 

NCLA is unionized and their pay is negotiated every five years. This means that towards the end of those five years, their pay can seem REALLY crappy. But on the plus side, there are long hours and uncomfortable shoes (tell her to buy her own non slip shoes, the ones provided will KILL her feet, literally).

 

If she is with NCLA, tell her to enjoy the America. I miss it :(

 

Please explain this "plus side" or am I missing something? :D