Regatta In Drydock

[sailboy]

We have just returned from the 12-day Regatta Miami to Miami Caribbean trip and while waiting in our stateroom for disembarkation instructions were chatting with our cabin steward about her job, etc. She mentioned that after the ship repositions from Miami to Barcelona on March 30 that she will go into drydock for 2 weeks. We then incorrectly assumed that this would give her some much needed time off, family time, etc. Wrong. She commented that this is when the crew actually works longer and harder than during normal crusing operations. They thoroughly and completely clean and make repairs to the ship from bow to stern, port to starboard, floor to floor etc etc - activities which cannot be accomplished while transporting passengers. I never thought of this but it does make sense. After hearing this I really felt compelled to add even more $ to her automatic gratuity than originally planned. These cabin stewards really work hard.