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A Day in the Life of a Crew Member

partybarbie

By partybarbie,
in Princess Cruises

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shredie

shredie

Posted
Posted
I saw a young woman who cleaned the public bathrooms on our last Princess cruise crying. When I ask her what was wrong, she told me "tears of joy".

She and her husband (floor cleaner) had both been told today their contracts had been renewed and would be working on the same ship when they returned from their 3 month leave.

She's not the first person I've seen who was so happy to have contracts renewed.

 

She is also lucky to be on the same ship as her husband. It must be so lonely for some of them to be away from their families for such long periods of time.

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zahav1

zahav1

Posted
Posted (edited)

Thank you :) partybarbie for posting, very nice, and is it's a PR and still very interesting. Sorry this post has been turned into everything else about ship's crew. No one is forcing anyone to work on the ship, it's their decision and obviously better than what they can do in their country.

 

These nasty comments and hijacking of posts has happened to me and I've taken posts off CC. Thinking, why did I bother. I've stayed away from posting a lot of information because of the negative feedback.

Edited by zahav1
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partybarbie

partybarbie

Posted
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Thank you :) partybarbie for posting, very nice, and is it's a PR and still very interesting. Sorry this post has been turned into everything else about ship's crew. No one is forcing anyone to work on the ship, it's their decision and obviously better than what they can do in their country.

 

These nasty comments and hijacking of posts has happened to me and I've taken posts off CC. Thinking, why did I bother. I've stayed away from posting a lot of information because of the negative feedback.

 

Yes, one has to have thick skin to post here, lol. ;) I don't take it personally, because it's just anonymous people posting their opinions. Thank you for your kind comments and I'm glad that some people found it interesting.

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GUT2407

GUT2407

Posted
Posted
Yes, one has to have thick skin to post here, lol. ;) I don't take it personally, because it's just anonymous people posting their opinions. Thank you for your kind comments and I'm glad that some people found it interesting.

 

Well I did

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whitecap

whitecap

Posted
Posted
Thanks for the link. I probably wouldn't have taken the time to find or open it otherwise.

 

Oh, and I guess some people just can't take a good story.

 

OP, thanks for the posting and link. Some people on CC never cease to amaze me.... "I worked on a cruise ship 13 years ago and we didn't have internet, gym or recreation area", "well I know a guy who said.......", "I was once on the ...... and a waiter told me.......". Gee people, did you not see right from the beginning that this was a Princess produced video? Did you expect it to be a disgruntled employee tell all their secrets? What I saw in the video was a nice dinning hall, gym and recreation area and several employees who were very happy to be in their position.

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peninsula_2014

peninsula_2014

Posted
Posted
The only issue I have with the well-edited video is the title- it doesn't show a day in the life of any crew member. It's a compendium of happy relaxed smiling crew faces.

 

Speaking from experience, having been a musician on a Royal Caribbean ship for 44 cruises (30 years ago so no wi-fi rooms and Crew disco) my work week was

6 days averaging 3.5 hours a day (mostly after midnight in the Disco)-so a 21 hr workweek with every Tuesday off (Ocho Rios). The guys who came to my crew cabin (2 bunk beds) serviced by a room steward each day, for drinks when I wasn't on stage were waiters and room stewards among others. They worked 12 hour days 7 days a week- 4 times more than I. They ate only in the crew mess where the food was "interesting". I ate there too if there was something that appealed but the majority of my meals were in the MDR eating what the passengers were eating. My breakfasts were by the pool buffet-open to passengers,musicians, visiting entertainers and casino crew only.

 

I could socialize with passengers, drink in any of the bars. Service crew members couldn't. Their socializing was restricted to the crew mess. There was no bar there but the ship did sell cases of beer at rockbottom pricing ($7 for a case of 24).Liquor was sold too but I didn't indulge much. The crew could smoke there and in their cabins.

 

I liked to smoke leaning over the railing on Promenade Deck but I would only be joined by Casino staff or Musicians or Photographers. No service staff. Engine room staff might come up for some air and a smoke. There are crew members who seldom glimpse the sea when the ship is moving. (Laundry staff I feel your pain)

 

So a privileged life on board. Ashore at every port. There would be some service crew on the beach as they had a few hours off between shifts. I'd have as long as the passengers.

 

Norris

 

 

"THEIR SOCIALIZING WAS RESTRICTED TO THE CREW MESS". I am just curious. Is there a place called CREW MESS? If so, what a name !

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Colo Cruiser

Colo Cruiser

Posted
Posted
"THEIR SOCIALIZING WAS RESTRICTED TO THE CREW MESS". I am just curious. Is there a place called CREW MESS? If so, what a name !

 

 

Military/Naval term......

 

A mess (also called a messdeck aboard ships) is an area where military personnel socialize, eat, and (in some cases) live. In some societies this military usage has extended to other disciplined services eateries such as civilian fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" (cf. modern French mets), drawn from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send" and "to put" (cf. modern French mettre), the original sense being "a course of a meal put on the table"; cfr. also the modern Italian portata with the same meaning, past participle of portare, to bring. This sense of mess, which appeared in English in the 13th century, was often used for cooked or liquid dishes in particular, as in the "mess of pottage" (porridge or soup). By the 15th century, a group of people who ate together were also called a mess, and it is this sense that persists in the "mess halls" of the modern military.

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davekathy

davekathy

Posted
Posted (edited)
"THEIR SOCIALIZING WAS RESTRICTED TO THE CREW MESS". I am just curious. Is there a place called CREW MESS? If so, what a name !

 

Yes there is and it's a Nautical terminology. Also known as mess deck. I believe the US Navy still uses the terminology Officers and Crew mess.

Edited by davekathy
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Pierlesscruisers

Pierlesscruisers

Posted
Posted
Military/Naval term......

 

A mess (also called a messdeck aboard ships) is an area where military personnel socialize, eat, and (in some cases) live. In some societies this military usage has extended to other disciplined services eateries such as civilian fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" (cf. modern French mets), drawn from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send" and "to put" (cf. modern French mettre), the original sense being "a course of a meal put on the table"; cfr. also the modern Italian portata with the same meaning, past participle of portare, to bring. This sense of mess, which appeared in English in the 13th century, was often used for cooked or liquid dishes in particular, as in the "mess of pottage" (porridge or soup). By the 15th century, a group of people who ate together were also called a mess, and it is this sense that persists in the "mess halls" of the modern military.

 

Another place that you found the term "mess" besides the "mess halls" was when talking about the "Officer's Open Mess" and the "Non-Commissioned Officer's Open Mess" which were also known as the "O Club" or the "NCO Club." there was also the much rarer "Officer's Closed Mess" or Non-Commissioned Officer's CLosed Mess." The only place I ever ran into one of those was at the Navy Base in Oakland. Now, however, I think that the Open Messes are just about gone at least in the sense of how they used to exist. One of many, many changes from how things "used to be!" :o

 

Tom

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Aus Traveller

Aus Traveller

Posted
Posted
She is also lucky to be on the same ship as her husband. It must be so lonely for some of them to be away from their families for such long periods of time.

There are a lot of couples working on board. Our cabin stewardess on our last cruise was married to the Second Engineer. After crew complete one contract without a disciplinary offence, they can apply to move to another ship of their choice.:)

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Aus Traveller

Aus Traveller

Posted
Posted (edited)
Crew? No way.

 

Officers? Maybe.

 

Dancers and entertainers usually get a choice of up-coming contracts.

Crew can move to another ship after completing one contract without a disciplinary offence. The notice I saw was in the M1 in the crew area near the medical centre. The notice did not stipulate officers and if it only applied to officers I suggest that the notice would be in the Officers' Mess, not in a noticeboard for general crew.:)

 

By the way, I am talking about Princess. I do not know about other cruiselines. As this is the Princess section of the Board, it would probably be assumed I was talking about Princess anyway.

Edited by Aus Traveller
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Aus Traveller

Aus Traveller

Posted
Posted
Should I repeat what I posted too? Seems rather pointless.

I have to point out that my post included additional information on where I got the information. I did not just repeat my previous post. I included a few words on the subject we were discussing so other people reading my post would realise what I was talking about.

 

Sorry, but you seem to have misunderstood or not fully read my post. :)

 

I will add more information: Princess promotes a scheme for the crew (I think it is called Links) where crew members can request the transfer to another ship to join a partner (under the conditions I mentioned previously). I apologise if I have the name wrong as it is exactly a year since I was told about this and it was only mentioned in passing because it doesn't directly affect me.

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floridalover5623

floridalover5623

Posted
Posted

While the Princess version is like a commercial to attract customers this one seems like one of just exaggeration. Neither seem to portray the real life of the working crew.

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pablo222

pablo222

Posted
Posted
I will add more information: Princess promotes a scheme for the crew (I think it is called Links) where crew members can request the transfer to another ship to join a partner (under the conditions I mentioned previously). I apologise if I have the name wrong as it is exactly a year since I was told about this and it was only mentioned in passing because it doesn't directly affect me.

 

Yes! Crew can link their contract with another crew member, and

the company will attempt to assign the two people together.

 

The part of your post that I have a problem with is whether

crew is assigned, or can request a ship.

 

Based on the people I know well, they are assigned. Realistically,

how else could it work? Princess has nearly 20 ships. The staffing

requirements are very precise. When one first officer signs off,

you need a replacement already on board so the ship can sail.

 

It would simply not be possible to do this with a request system.

 

If (for instance) Grand Princess needs a first officer on a specific

date, what do you do if there are no matching requests?

 

I am most familiar with dining. Around a month before the end

of your contract, you will be given your 'rotation' -- next ship,

and next joining date. You don't get to request this, it is

assigned to you.

 

There are ways to try and change this, but often with negative

consequences. For instance, if you don't accept the next assignment,

you basically go to the back of the line, and you may stay at home

for 3-4 months waiting. Not good if you want to make money.

 

This is all based on what I know for people joining ships in North America.

Maybe it's different in Austrailia...

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