Is Cruise Confidential a realistic portrayal?

[fergusonvt]

Read the first two. Did the 3rd just come out? Amazon here I come.

[jeschwartz82]

just finished the first, halfway done with the second and enjoying both tremendously!

[Dave85]

Read the first two. Did the 3rd just come out? Amazon here I come.

 

Yep, "Unsinkable Mister Brown" it is called. Happy reading.

[jsmac3]

I read Cruise Confidential and when buying it, the web site recommended I also buy Selling the Cruise Industry (or maybe Cruise Business) which I did. It is a more objective explanation of the cruise business and how it operates. It is worth reading.

[justjim312]

I wondered about it but also notice that if conditions were that bad the cruise ships would have trouble finding employees and they seem to not have that problem.

 

 

Stu, would you work those hours and get their current pay (including tips)? I sure wouldn't.

[Cushing985]

The MDR waiters ,Bar tenders and room stewards make more money and have a better life than our Miltary that are humping sand right now.

 

They also made a choice

 

Very true! And BTW...I have read Cruise Confidential and found it a waste of money. This guy seems to love himself a bit much. I found it boring and badly written but if you're dying to read it try to grab a copy at the library

[golfadj]

Stu, would you work those hours and get their current pay (including tips)? I sure wouldn't.

 

No I would not but the people working these jobs do better working on the ships than staying at home.

 

My dad worked 15 hour days driving a taxi to support his 4 kids so we can have a better life.

 

People working on the ships are doing the same thing.

[jsjjkelly]

My husband and I have read all 3 books and found them quite entertaining. It is also an eye opener on how little the crew members get paid. My husband just finished reading them before we went on our last cruise, and almost flipped out when my aunt removed her auto tips because she thought they were too much! Our whole party of 10 turned on her and her husband because they were being so cheap!!! He told her she needed to read the book before she cruised again...

 

Everyone has their own opinion, but by no means would we cancel a cruise because the industry is what it is. We thought the books were good.

 

Shawn

[Truluv]

I know this is an older thread, but I just read the book and wanted to add a comment.

 

I really enjoyed Cruise Confidential (although I wanted to warn David Bruns about alcoholism and alcohol poisoning....hard to imagine anyone could metabolize so much alcohol). The book also reminded me of many of the memorable service people from our cruises, including a young (very homesick) assistant waiter from South Africa on an Alaskan Celebrity cruise about 15 years ago, and a fascinating waiter from Romania on a Carnival cruise. The Romanian waiter introduced himself the first night, and made it clear that he was college educated and his family owned hotels. He said he was only there to learn. He definitely wasn't about to start singing or waving napkins. Let's just say that we didn't waste his time joking around with him, and that we were very conscious of our table manners under his critical eye. However, we also learned a lot, since he spent some time each meal instructing our kids about the history, geography and economics of Romania!!!

 

Anyway, I think the book is great if you're wondering what the life of a crewman is really like. I'm glad I bought it.

[Rockee4055]

I just finished reading Cruise Confidential and my heart has sunk. I know the employees are mainly from third world countries but does that give any corporation the green light to treat them like slaves with work hours so long that they can barely function? I can understand a 12 hour day, 7 days a week BUT requiring more than those 12 hours and not allowing a decent time to sleep seems so inhumane to me.

Is Carnival worse than the other cruise lines to their employees? I currently have one more cruise booked in Jan. '13. As much as I love cruising this is a deal breaker for me and I am very unlikely to support the cruise industry after this.

 

I read the book as well. I was quite stunned by many of the things I read. Yes, I do believe it's how all the cruise lines work it.

 

You have to keep in mind that it may have been sensationalized a bit for effect.

 

Now I say you need to read on to the 3rd book to find out what "really" happened to Bianca.

 

If you go to one of the websites he spoke of in the book you can see pictures of many of the things he wrote about, including Bianca.

 

Our next trip to his home town we hope to have dinner with him, at our expense, of course.

[Rockee4055]

I read Cruise Confidential as well and I know we have talked to quite a few Carnival cruise ship employees that say they work 16+ hours a day. :o you will never find Americans working in the service positions on a cruise ship because we could never work hours like that for the pay that they receive :(

 

The amazing thing is Brian was an American and did make it through his full contract as a waiter. Of course he didn't get where he wanted to go but being an auctioneer certainly paid off for him...$$$$$ bucks.

[Rockee4055]

Your concern is most impressive. Please note that my time on Carnival as a waiter was a full ten years ago (anniversary next Jan.). Years back the cruise industry was outed for their treatment of crew and have since taken pains to keep workers at 80 hours a week. Even in my day, 80 hours a week was standard. My rough time on Legend (as stated in the book, and why) was not the norm. Further, there are many industries that split shifts in the manner of sailors, so denial of a full night's rest is simply not that big a deal. I think a great many people forget it's not a hotel, but a ship. That means traditional maritime thinking.

 

As far as the posts stating I was nothing but a drunken whiner, well, my work record speaks for itself. How many Americans do you see in the dining rooms today? How 'bout during the worst of our financial crisis? Few indeed. In my day, everybody drank like fish. I was far from the worst. Carnival provided free hard liquor at parties, for cryin' out loud. If you've EVER met sailors, you know how they behave when in port. Those aren't just fairy tales. Those days on cruise ships are gone, however. Cruise Confidential was my first book, so I thought it would be appropriate to write about the wilder stuff and the extremes, rather than the day to day drudgery. Alas, my diary did not record how many rolls of silverware we produced per shift (as I've been criticized for not documenting, I might add). It did, however, record some amazing experiences completely outside the box. They are meant to be enjoyed and add some enlightenment to an industry I love, but some things are out of date.

 

Very well stated Brian. Don't forget, we have a dinner date when the DW and I head out your way! I'll bring the books and we can go through it chapter by chapter. LOL :eek:

 

Brian, I loved your book(s). I do feel it was a true depiction of cruise life and think you described it very well. Of course, I have so many more questions.

 

I still want to know what happened to Bianca! :rolleyes:

[babyclaytonmom]

Well here's my two cents. I have not read the books but know the gist of them from seeing him interviewed. This is EXACTLY what my ex-husband described when he worked for the cruiselines (2 or 3 different companies). 16+ hour days was the norm. His biggest beef was when he severely injured his back he was made to keep working or get fired. The employees put up with this horrible treatment because there is no way the non-Americans could make this much in their countries.

[Rockee4055]

Read the first two. Did the 3rd just come out? Amazon here I come.

 

I think its been out for a while.

 

I got about 3 chapters into the first book and Amazon there I went for the other three.

 

I was so glad the books arrived in 3 days because I was without reading for an entire day and a half.

 

You MUST get the 3rd. Oh Bianca! :)

[Rockee4055]

I read Cruise Confidential and when buying it, the web site recommended I also buy Selling the Cruise Industry (or maybe Cruise Business) which I did. It is a more objective explanation of the cruise business and how it operates. It is worth reading.

 

I'll be reading that one as well. I have it ready to be packed for our cruise in less then 2 weeks.

[Rockee4055]

[quote name='jsmac3']I read Cruise Confidential and when buying it, the web site recommended I also buy Selling the Cruise Industry (or maybe Cruise Business) which I did. It is a more objective explanation of the cruise business and how it operates. It is worth reading.[/quote]

I think it's called "Selling the Seas" by Bob Dickerson, isn't it?

[sanmarcosman]

[quote name='golfadj']I wondered about it but also notice that if conditions were that bad the cruise ships would have trouble finding employees and they seem to not have that problem.[/quote]

I thought that too then my spouse reminded me that none of our children (or us) knows hunger. That put it is perspective in a hurry for me. :o

[Truluv]

First one hooked me. I'll be ordering the other books too!

[Seago2]

I loved the book. I put it up there with Kitchen Confidential (Anthony Bourdain). Anyone who has ever worked in restaurants in resort communities can understand Bruns' work, even if they have never work on "the ships". This is why you had better tip extra in my book. My book ;).

Whether or not our servicemen work harder or the cruise ship crew are given an opportunity they wouldn't otherwise get is immaterial. They get an 8-10 month contract and after that- if they re-up it's on them. No surprises. So when I have a waiter on his 6th contract I have to assume he's made a knowing and voluntary choice.

Devils on the Deep Blue Sea has a chapter that is much more harsh on the cruise lines and the way their crew is treated. Definitely helps to know how things are (were).

[RyanDMB99@aol.com]

[quote name='tarps14']Mr. Bruns, thank you for pointing this process out. Our daughter currently in her first contract on the Pride. She works with the youth department so is therefore listed as part of the entertainment staff. While I realize the living and working conditions may be different in this area (i.e. two to a room as opposed to four, split shifts with scheduled breaks and a definite limit to the number of hours worked), she has told us that the crew is not treated badly. Each person is made well aware of the hours they are expected to work, the pay (yes, she is salary as opposed to reliant on tips), and the living conditions before the contract is signed. In fact, you don't even sign a contract until you reach your assigned ship giving each one ample opportunity to back out. The interview process is very stringent and as you stated, many are turned away. Complete background checks are done as well as an extensive pre-employment physical. This is not indentured servitude. They are each able to walk away from a contract at any time. They would have to pay their own way home, but, it is an option none the less. As a previous poster stated, if it was indeed as bad as depicted at times, why are many, many into 3rd, 4th and 5th contracts? Our daughter has stated that, yes, you absolutely work your butt off. But, she also has a wonderful supervisor who works with each youth staff member to make the schedule as "user friendly" as possible. I see very little difference between her environment and corporate America. While she works seven days a week, she is also given time to get off the ship in various ports. In fact, this coming week, she will be able to visit 2 of the 3 ports.

I appreciate you pointing out the context with which you wrote your first book and for pointing out that it was written to highlight the extreme. Alot of folks just don't realize that talking to a staff member for moments at a time in any given week only gives a partial picture. You must have knowledge of the whole of a situation (of which even I don't have at this point) to accurately judge.[/QUOTE]

How did your daughter get a job aboard the pride? Carnivals website isnt very clear on how americans go about obtaining jobs

[Cruizinman]

[quote name='tree.critter']I just finished reading Cruise Confidential and my heart has sunk. I know the employees are mainly from third world countries but does that give any corporation the green light to treat them like slaves with work hours so long that they can barely function? I can understand a 12 hour day, 7 days a week BUT requiring more than those 12 hours and not allowing a decent time to sleep seems so inhumane to me.
Is Carnival worse than the other cruise lines to their employees? I currently have one more cruise booked in Jan. '13. As much as I love cruising this is a deal breaker for me and I am very unlikely to support the cruise industry after this.[/QUOTE]

Is Cruise Confidential a realistic portrayal? Reading this thread for a while now.
[B][SIZE="3"][SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkGreen"]Realistic [/COLOR][/SIZE][/SIZE][/B]

[dclark]

Probably is true. I think all cruise lines (except for NCL America) exploit their workers. If you don't like it, you can stop cruising but keep in mind that anything you buy that is from Asia was probably made by employees just as exploited if not more so than on CCL.
For example, some major companies (like Disney) have been caught using factories that use children in their sweat shops.

[swedish weave]

[quote name='RyanDMB99@aol.com']How did your daughter get a job aboard the pride? Carnivals website isnt very clear on how americans go about obtaining jobs[/quote]

You probably won't see a response from Tarps. Their last post was November 2012.

[swedish weave]

To put this in the proper perspective, you need to realize that the jobs on cruise ships are much better than some of the workers can get at home. Some love the lifestyle, and some don't, but many that I know personally have done this for years and have no plans of leaving.

They do work long hours (normally 10 to 12) and 7 days per week. On some lines, your favorable comment cards can result in extra time off for the person.

Most work on contracts that run from four months to ten months and renewal is their choice.

[mrsdoc3]

[quote name='justjim312']Stu, would you work those hours and get their current pay (including tips)? I sure wouldn't.[/QUOTE]

Does that mean it is horrible working conditions because it is a job you wouldn't do? People have the jobs they have for all different kinds of reasons. They keep doing those jobs for all different kids of reasons. Working conditions is only one of them. And just because YOU think they are horrible conditions doesn't mean that the people who do them think they are horrible conditions.

I can't understand why people get tattoos and body piercings, but lots of people do it.