Dirty Jobs

I am in St. Petersburg today and so is someone else you may know… Madonna. Ha ha! Madonna is having a huge concert for her tour tonight in palace square right in the center of the city and over 70,000 people are planning on attending. I was planning on trying to get in… until it started raining. Anyway- for today’s entry I really wanted to draw attention to the unsung heroes of the ship. These are some of the jobs on the ship that sometimes go without notice and the high respect they deserve. Of the 450 crew, the ship cannot run with one department not performing at the top of their game. It certainly takes a small city to keep this place running and here’s a little salute to some jobs you may never think about on board.

Galley: With around 450 crew and up to 700 guests, the executive chef and his team in all the galleys onboard are INSANELY busy. They are cooking three full meals a day for 5 restaurants plus doing room service, special events on board, tea time, etc. To imagine their work load and responsibility is just horrific. I’m glad I’m not the Food and Beverage Manager.
Deck: These guys are in charge of keeping the outside of the ship in tip top shape. There is a full time group of painters that are constantly painting, staining, and sealing the ship. Once they have covered everything it’s time to start again. They are hanging off the ship in some precarious positions and having to coat this ship to make sure it’s looking 6-star ready for the guests!
Bar (tenders, wait): On a ship that has alcohol flowing freely like water at any and every venue on the ship at EVERY hour, these guys are some of the busiest folks on the ship. We have a rock star team of bartenders that rotate around every few weeks to cover the different lounges and a team of bar waiters to run drinks at events and in lounges.
Housekeeping: Making up a huge chunk of the crew on board, the housekeeping staff covers those folks who clean the toilets, floors, windows, vacuum every piece of carpet, etc. They also are the stewards and stewardesses for the individual cabins, keeping everything tidy, cleaning sheets, and running errands for the guests. Finally there are a team of butlers for some cabins that are specially trained to really make their guests feel particularly special and taken care of. From providing special snacks or just the right tour to finding a jacket for dinner with the Captain, they can do just about anything.
Laundry (tailor): Some of the hardest working people on the shift work downstairs in the laundry. Just consider this… they wash all the sheets, hundreds of table clothes each day, laundry for the guests, uniforms, napkins, and do dry cleaning. It is constantly busy in their space, plus there is a tailor on board always at work as well!
Provisions: The provisions area is in charge of dividing up and ordering all supplies for each cruise. They get huge shipments in of alcohol, meat, veggies, bread, cards, anything needed in the boutique, any supplies for computers, paper, etc. This is a huge job to be responsible for sustaining the ship each week.
Incinerator: According to International Maritime laws, cruise ships have to be extremely efficient and careful with any waste they may have on board. This means that all the general garbage is divided very carefully into plastic, paper, natural wet garbage, etc. There is a certain amount of glass and wet garbage that is ground up and put back into the ocean. All waste is purified and goes through incredible processes on board as well. This can be a messy and draining job.
Electricians/Engineers: Of course to keep the ship running on course and everything there are brilliant teams of engineers and electricians that keep everything working properly. This includes engine cadets who work all hours on watch or fixing mechanical issues and keeping the engine clean and ready to work.
Dining Room: The dining room staff of waiters is incredibly extensive as well. There are Maitre d’s and a full team of sommeliers also that make the dining experience completely special for each guest.
Human Resource: The Human Resource manager is in charge of keeping all crew affairs in order and keeping the crew happy and healthy on board as well.
Pursers: These are the folks in charge of money on the ship. They are constantly dealing in different currencies and also keeping track of all passports and other legal documents.
Destination Services: This is the team in charge of shore excursions and tours for the guests.
Concierge: Along with the reception and bell team, the concierge is pretty much at the demands of any guests and their needs. They are answering questions and making wishes realities for passengers all day.
Safety/Security: Not only are they patrolling the ship each day, but they also work with local authorites to make sure the ship is safe in port and are in charge in case of any sort of emergency such as a fire, terrorists, etc.
Boutique, Casino, Band, Reception, Fitness Instructor, Stage Team, PGT Cast, Spa/Salon, Social Hostess, Internet Manager, Broadcast Manager, Desktop Manager: This is the entertainment and some other front-of-house staff on the ship. From producing the daily newsletter to making sure people have internet access and can keep trim and fit, we cover a lot of the face to face contact with guests.

We have an excellent life on board and it is because of so many of the hard working people mentioned above. For instance we bow to the men working in the incinerator; if one of them was not working or a machine broke, the ship would be unlivable in a half a day because of the smell. THAT is an important job. A dirty job… but somebody’s got to do it. Thanks to all of them!

Love,
Tripp