UPDATE
Four cruises later, I’m beginning the transatlantic cross.
It began with an early disembarkation and checking in approximately 500 guests
who were staying on back-to-back cruises. This 14 day voyage will be the
longest I’ve been on, and my fingers are crossed that it’ll be a smooth one;
meaning that after consecutive days at sea, passengers or crew don’t start
going crazy. What I’m looking forward to? Gaining one hour every two days and
finally being on the same (or almost) time zone as friends/family at home, the
Caribbean sun/beaches/atmosphere/currency, learning more about how my position
may/may not change.
For those unaware, the past month has been spent on the
eastern Mediterranean on the Celebrity Equinox. We’ve been leaving out of
Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy and going to places like Turkey (Kusadasi,
Istanbul), Greece (Rhodes), Malta (Valleta), and other cities in Italy (Naples,
Messina/Sicily, and Livorno). I only point out the ones I’ve been able to visit
since Athens, Santorini or Chania, Greece were spent on board. Like some
friends have pointed out, cruising through these ports has been a taste test of
places I would or would not like to revisit. Turkey is definitely a country
that needs a more thorough visit.
Keeping in mind that I came to work, I’ll explain what my
position entails. As one of two International Hostesses, I’m responsible for
catering to all international guests. The title is self-explanatory, but it
encompasses a bit more. We translate the daily activity newspaper, do all
announcements, drill, film daily activity updates, give galley tours, interpret
for guests, and are in charge of guests staying on back-to-back cruises
(yep…those 500). It’s a fast paced environment and sometimes inconvenient,
since living at work makes it challenging to get away. During this short month,
my appreciation for anyone working guest relations/customer service positions
has increased, and I take my hat off to any of you readers that have done so.
There seems to be quite a bit more that I need to learn about my position, but
I’m trying to take it as it comes.
The ship, Celebrity Equinox, is a monster that fits about
3,000 guests and 1,200 crew members. That, friends, is twice the size of
Converse, IN … where I grew up. Most of the crew members come from Philippines
(60%), then maybe China, India, followed by Eastern European, and Central
America. Of course, there is a sprinkling of other nationalities. My opinions
about work conditions have begun to develop, but I’m holding my tongue until
I’ve been on board a bit longer.
For now, I’m preparing for 6 straight days at sea…
p.s. no flippy floppies allowed on board
