What do they do with the crew?

[karensj]

When a ship goes into dry dock what happens with the crew? The Zaandam is scheduled for dry dock next month. Does the crew get vacation time or are they sent to another ship? Will the Zaandam have a new crew when it comes back from its EOS upgrade? Will the crew be out of sorts when they come back or will they be rested and ready to go? Any thoughts?

 

Karen

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we got on the Maasdam Nov 2003 right after she came out of dry dock, we asked some of the crew members what they did during that time. Some were moved to other ships - contracts - a few were scheduled to go home. The rest stayed on the ship - cleaning - do whatever they were told to do. We knew several of the crew members from previous cruises and they told us that they suffered all day and night - no air-conditioning. And there would be a couple of hours each day when all the electricity would be turned off while they were rewiring the ship for the Neptune Lounge and Pinnacle Grill additions.

[maril]

We were on the Rotterdam two weeks ago. It is also to be drydocked sometime soon. I asked one American staffer what happens and she said that she will be flown to LA and put up in a hotel for a few weeks at HAL's expense until she gets the call to come back to work.

guess the rest will be well deserved

maril

[Pincus]

Often the crew works harder than usual in these periods. Some dry docks involve round the clock work with three shifts of workers, some of whom are not local and staying aboard the ship. The housekeeping and mess crews work doubly hard making beds and serving meals to these shift workers around the clock.

 

We learned this from cabin stewards and dining room stewards on our cruises.

 

So, dry dock for them rarely means "paid vacation." It sometimes means a bus tour to a local tourist site, or a day off.

[Esme]

We were on the Rotterdam two weeks ago. It is also to be drydocked sometime soon. I asked one American staffer what happens and she said that she will be flown to LA and put up in a hotel for a few weeks at HAL's expense until she gets the call to come back to work.

guess the rest will be well deserved

maril

 

 

What that American staffer told you aboutt HAL flying them all the way to LA and putting them up in a hotel for 2 weeks, just doesn't sound right. Drydock will be in Freeport, Bahamas in March. Fort Lauderdale would sound more feasible. I don't think HAL is that generous about where they put up staff. I have seen some of the hotels that crew are billetted at in FLL, and most of us would not stay there. Maybe this staffer was kind of confused and was hoping it would be LA.

 

Pincus is right - those on board work their butts off during this period. A very good friend who is an F&B Mgr. told me how hard they worked on the Ryndam and now he will be going to each of the ships as they come up for the SOE to oversee certain projects on the ships. They really all need a holiday AFTER the drydock.

[maril]

esme

that staffer was a casino worker. guess i should have mentioned that she will be changing ships during the drydock

sorry

maril

[CaptData]

I agree, it all depends where they work and their contracts. An example is the waiters, room attendents still need to work to care for those who are left behind althought it will not be fully staffed. Some will be on vacation, some will be changing ships. If their job is say in the kids area, they will either be on vacation or change ships unless their contract state that they clean the ship during this period. One crew told me that they are put up in the cheapest hotel that can be found in the local area unless they pay for their flight and cover any extra charge for the hotel they use. He chose the second option a flew up to his brother's place in Canada. He had vacation time between contracts. When he went back he was on a diffent ship.