Preparing for a cruise is always exciting and not always in good ways. Of course, there is the fun of anticipation but then there are the problems we encounter along the way.

Right now Chet and I are working out the details of our next cruise: We are sailing the Seabourn Spirit from Dubai to Singapore in December. It is an exciting itinerary that will take us to Oman, India, Thailand and Malaysia. All of the ports will be new to us so there will be a lot to write about here.

First, we had to figure out our air flights, which took awhile because it was one way to Dubai and one way back from Singapore. The Seabourn air staff did a great job of helping us work out the flights at a very decent cost.

Then we had to apply for our India visas. Fortunately, Seabourn gives you very specific instructions on how to do this but it does involve filling out several forms, getting photos taken and having all of the right documentation. But we pulled it all together and sent it off on Monday (9/27), only to have a call on Tuesday (9/28) from the ZVS/CIBT Visa Service telling us that we did not have the correct birth certificate for Chet. We had to send one that had both of his parents’ names on it.

Now, the small little certificate that we submitted was the only one he has ever had in his 70+ years. We weren’t even sure we could get a full certificate with both names. She said that India would not issue a visa if we did not have this. Wow! Panic time…

So, we went online and discovered there are many companies offering to get your birth documents for you. But we chose to use VitalChek because it was part of Lexis/Nexis and also recommended by the City of Detroit Bureau of Vital Statistics. We filled out the online forms, checked everything offering speedy service, and we ordered a full copy of his birth certificate. They told us we would probably have it in 7-10 days, but would not guarantee that it would have the names on it. That was Tuesday.

Today, Thursday (9/30), we received a call from UPS telling us that an overnight package would be arriving today and needed a signature. Lo and behold, it was the two copies of the birth certificate that we ordered…and, yes, it did have both parents’ names. The total fee was $65 but we did not care…we had it in two days! And it was an actual photocopy of the document filed way back when!

I scanned in the certificate and e-mailed it to Barbara Moreno at the visa service who was handling our applications. She acknowledged that she had received it, said it looked fine and that she would drop it off at the Indian embassy in Chicago tomorrow. We should have the visas and our passports back in about ten days. She even agreed to delay mailing them to us until we could be sure to be home to receive them. Perfect! We don’t leave until Nov. 27.

My compliments to the people at VitalChek (www.vitalchek.com) for the speed at which they handled our application for the birth certificate. I thank the clerk in the Detroit Bureau of Vital Statistics who processed the request in one day. And I thank Barbara Moreno at the visa service (www.zvs.com) for the personal attention she gave our case.

I recommend either of these services if you need copies of your personal documents or if you need a visa or passport in the future.

Okay, now I have to find a hotel in Dubai for before the cruise…

To celebrate its inaugural Alaska season, Oceania Cruises has announced Double Bonus Savings on 10 new voyages for summer 2011. The limited-time promotion offers per stateroom savings of $1,000 off cruise fares plus a $1,000 shipboard credit on top of two-for-one prices and free airfare. In addition, third and fourth guests in a stateroom may travel for only $999 per person, cruise-only.

Depending on the cruise, scenic highlights encompass Hubbard Glacier, the Gulf of Alaska, Tracy Arm and College Fjord. With two-for-one cruise fares and Double Bonus Savings, a 10-day Alaska cruise starts at just $2,999 per person, based on double occupancy. This special offer expires Dec. 31, 2010.

“We are offering our best fares ever on our inaugural Alaska sailings as we kick-off the traditional Alaska selling season,” stated Bob Binder, president of Oceania Cruises. “We have a long-standing tradition of offering the best fares and promotions up-front to reward our loyal guests and encourage them to book their preferred voyage and accommodations as early as possible.”

Distinctly Different Alaska Cruises

Known for its award-winning itineraries to the world’s most alluring ports, Oceania Cruises inaugural Alaska cruises explore the Inside Passage in depth. Itinerary highlights include at least one full day exploring the Inside Passage and one or two complete days of glacier viewing on every cruise, as well as a mix of marquee as well as off-the-beaten-path ports. In addition to Sitka, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, itineraries feature quaint, less-visited outposts, such as Kodiak, Homer and Hoonah.

For example, Oceania Cruises’ 12-day Glacial Wilderness voyages, between Anchorage and Vancouver, sail directly to Anchorage, affording spectacular scenery and convenience. The line’s 10-day Frontiers and Glaciers cruises, roundtrip from Vancouver, not only offer guests the best of the Inside Passage, but also a taste of the Gulf of Alaska with a visit to remote Kodiak. Majestic Alaska cruises, which operate round-trip from San Francisco, present a comprehensive Alaska experience in 14 days. Oceania Cruises’ 12-day Alaskan Grandeur sailings between San Francisco and Vancouver combine the Inside Passage with the charm of coastal towns in the Pacific Northwest.

Choose From Four Intriguing Itineraries

Majestic Alaska – 14 days roundtrip from San Francisco, a maiden port for Oceania Cruises, visiting Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia; Sitka, Hoonah, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, Alaska; and Astoria, Ore. Departures: May 12, Aug. 26.

Alaskan Grandeur – 12 days between San Francisco and Vancouver. Ports include Astoria and Victoria, as well as Wrangell, Juneau, Hoonah, Sitka and Ketchikan. Departures: May 26, Aug. 14.

Frontiers and Glaciers – 10 days roundtrip from Vancouver, calling at Sitka, Hoonah, Kodiak, Wrangell and Ketchikan. Departures: June 7, Aug. 4.

Glacial Wilderness – 12 days between Vancouver and Anchorage, with visits to Ketchikan, Wrangell, Juneau, Hoonah, Skagway, Sitka, Seward and Homer. Departures: June 17 and 29, July 11 and 23.

Enjoy Gourmet Pacific Northwest Specialties

Travelers will discover Alaska aboard Oceania Cruises’ 684-guest Regatta – an intimate ship known for its gourmet cuisine, luxurious public rooms and accommodations, and attentive service. As a special highlight, Pacific Northwest specialties will be featured during lunch in the casual Terrace Café and in the ship’s elegant Grand Dining Room. Regional specialties will also be showcased in all four of the ship’s open-seating restaurants; all of which are available with no surcharge.

When provisioning locally, the ship’s executive chef seeks the freshest catch and shellfish, making on-the-spot decisions. Consequently, not all selections will always be available and there may be surprise menu additions. Depending on the voyage and venue, appetizers might include Fresh Halibut Velouté – a creamy fish soup with saffron rice and julienne leeks – or Alaskan King Crab Legs, sure to be a guest favorite.

For reservations or to order a brochure, contact a travel agent, visit OceaniaCruises.com or call toll-free at 800-531-5658.

By Emilie C. Harting

“I’ve seen pictures of river cruises where you can walk along the side while the boat is moving,” said my friend.

“What you actually want is a hotel barge.  Very often you can walk or bike along the side because the boat goes through canals, and there are often paths alongside.  On a river cruise you cannot.”

“But I like luxury,” he said.

I pointed out that hotel barging is different from river cruising, but is often just as luxurious.  The barge is a floating luxury hotel with a trained chef who cooks the meals, often relying on quality produce, fish and meats from markets along the way.  The cuisine is paired with fine wines and cheeses.

Hotel barges are much smaller.  While river cruises often have 100 passengers, the average hotel barge has eight to twelve.  Since there are many fewer people, and the water on canals is extremely calm, you hear the sounds of birds, the wind blowing the trees, and the tiny waves lapping along the side of the boat.   Most have minibuses that make daily excursions into villages, vineyards, castles, archeological sites, and artisans’ shops.

I told my friend to search the European Waterways site (Go Barging in the U.S.)  because the company travels to nine countries and has guided tours of castles, chateaux, Vineyards, and markets along the way.

The  Scottish Highlander cruises on the Caledonian River,  passes Lough Ness, the lake with the purported monster, and has a Scottish cuisine featuring salmon, game, and venison.  At certain times they have cruises focused on fishing and golf.

The largest vessel, La Bella Vita, begins with a tour of Venice and travels up the Venetian Lagoon and along the Bianca Canal to Lombardy, with stops at the Adria, an ancient archeological ­­­­­town, and Ferrera, a walled Renaissance city.

In England, the Magna Carta sails on the Thames with stops at Hampton Court, Windsor, and Henley,  and offers a number of themed trips: antiques, families with children, golf, and  English Christmas.

Francophiles often argue about which area of France is the most picturesque.  At various times in the spring, summer fall season, European Waterways hotel barges explore the Loire Valley, often called “The Garden of France” for its historic towns and vineyards.  The company has multiple barges operating in Upper and Lower Burgundy, the most popular barging area in the country.  In the southern Languedoc wine region several barges cruise on Canal du Midi, which is known for the  biking and walking.  There’s also a barge that cruises on the Canal Lateral à la Garonnein in the southwest.  Other trips go to Champagne, Provence, Paris, Alsace Lorraine, Northern France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Holland, and Ireland.

Check out the enticing choices on www.gobarging.com and www.europeanwaterways.com, which has a number of photos and maps.    Historic Canals of Europe http://www.worldcanals.com/vev/uk/canaux.htm is helpful for understanding the routes and the canals.

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Sad news for loyal customers of small ship cruise line Cruise West: the line officially closed its operations this past weekend, on September 18, 2010.

The line, which had operated for nearly 64 years, had aggressively pursued financing options over the last year to maintain operations, but was unable to procure the necessary funds.  CruiseWest’s CEO and Managing Director Dick West is “…heartbroken that this family legacy has come to an end.”

With the exception of the September 22 Danube cruise, CruiseWest has cancelled all cruises in 2010 and beyond.   ”It is with a heavy heart that we close our doors, knowing that guests, travel agents, and partners will not receive the personal attention that they have grown to expect from us,” said Dick West.

Their Galapagos partner, Canodros, operator of the Galapagos Explorer II, is working with CruiseWest to provide an alternate program to passengers who have already booked a cruise. Guests who have booked the Galapagos program for dates in 2011 – may contact the operator by e-mail – lmontalvo@canodros.com

For booked guests who have not yet traveled, Cruise West recommends the following steps:

1. If third-party travel insurance was obtained, a claim should be placed immediately with the insurer.
2. If payment was made by credit card, a claim should be placed immediately with the card issuer.
3. If the payment was made by cash or check, and you have no travel insurance, and the cruise departs from a U.S. port, you may file a claim with Cruise Claims c/o Wells Fargo Disability Management, PO Box 1567, Abingdon, Virginia 24212; phone: 877-371-9700, extension 6059; faxed to: 276-6760152; or sent as an e-mail attachment to: dara.meade@wellsfargo.com.  The e-mail should specify the claim is for cruise fare reimbursement.
4. If the payment was made by cash or check, and you have no travel insurance, and the cruise departs from a foreign, non-U.S. port you may file a claim with USTOA, visit their web site – www.ustoa.com.

CruiseWest recommends that their travel partners contact their clients and relay the information above regarding claims.

What happens when a ship is going to be ready in advance of its delivery date? Well, Seabourn decided to add a couple of extra “pre-inaugural” cruises and amp up the benefits for those already signed up for the formal “maiden voyage.”

Here are the details:

Construction of The Yachts of Seabourn’s third new ultra-luxury yacht, Seabourn Quest, is progressing well, and the company expects to take delivery of the vessel several weeks earlier than anticipated in May 2011.

Following the delivery, Seabourn will operate two pre-inaugural cruises: a three-day round trip voyage from Monte Carlo starting from $1,299 per person, and an eight-day cruise from Monte Carlo to Barcelona beginning from $3,499 per person. Both voyages can be combined for an 11-day sailing starting from $4,549 per person.

The two sailings will offer travelers opportunities to have a “sneak peek” at the company’s newest yacht prior to its maiden voyage. The three-day pre-inaugural voyage will sail June 9-12, and call at Livorno, Italy, the port for Florence, Pisa, Lucca and other Tuscan highlights, as well as the picturesque port of Bonifacio, on the French island of Corsica. That will be followed by an eight-day cruise, June 12-20, visiting Portofino, Italy; Cannes, Ile de Porquerolles and Port-Vendres, France; and Valencia, Spain.

Seabourn Quest’s official debut will be June 20, with a gala naming ceremony featuring fireworks over the city of Barcelona, and a 14-day maiden voyage to Athens. Maiden voyage guests will participate in the festive ceremony, and their names will be engraved on the commemorative onboard maiden voyage plaque to honor them. They will also mingle with Seabourn’s President and CEO Pamela C. Conover, who will be onboard and joining guests in a number of special gala events and activities throughout the cruise.

“It’s impossible to predict at the start whether everything will go perfectly in a complicated construction project,“ noted Conover. “Of course we had to plan our 2011 schedule at that point, too, but we are delighted that the building has gone beautifully and that we will have the chance to welcome guests aboard Quest earlier than we had thought. In addition, our guests who are booked on the maiden voyage will enjoy the naming ceremony and many special amenities and events we are planning especially for them,” she added.

Seabourn Quest will be the third iteration of the sleek and widely admired design that first appeared on Seabourn Odyssey in June 2009, which has been hailed as a “game-changer for the luxury segment.” The second sister ship, Seabourn Sojourn, entered service the following year in June of 2010. Together, the three new vessels represent a capacity 216 percent increase for the line in a three-year period, allowing the line to offer more departures in more destinations than ever before.

Seabourn Quest’s maiden season will include seven-day Eastern Mediterranean cruises, operating alternately between Athens and Istanbul, and Venice and Athens, as well as a seven-day Black Sea voyage. On January 5, 2012, Seabourn Quest begins a 109-day World Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Venice on a unique eastbound course via South America, South Africa, the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean.

For more information or reservations, contact a travel agent, call Seabourn at 1-800-929-9391 or visit www.seabourn.com.

For those of us who cover the business of cruising, the landscape constantly changes. Expecially if you pay attention to the small ships market. For years, I have specialized in writing about small ship cruising but it is always a challenge to keep up.

For example, earlier this year a well-regarded small ship line in America, American Canadian Caribbean Line (ACCL) abruptly changed its name to Blount Small Ship Adventures. Now, I know they were paying homage to the founder of the line, Wally Blount, but none of us could make much sense of this name change. It does not exactly resonate in the market. Oh well…

Of course, the other big news in the small ship market in the past years is the demise of Windjammer Barefoot Cruises, which had been around forever. But again, a family line went under. So it was nice to read today of a small line that is trying to take up where they left off. So here is their news release:

Island Windjammers is celebrating its one-year anniversary of offering Caribbean tall ship cruises. Dec. 5 marks the anniversary of the inaugural voyage of the company’s 12-passenger schooner, the Diamant, based in St. George’s, Grenada.

Island Windjammers was formed by and is aimed at loyal fans of the now-defunct Windjammer Barefoot Cruises. The new company offers six-night sail cruises to less-visited islands such as Bequia, Mayreau, Tobago Cays, Union Island and Carriacou. The company’s emphasis is on laid-back, casual vacations. Shorts, swimsuits and bare feet make up the dress code on the Diamant.

“We want to celebrate Island Windjammers’ first birthday in a very memorable way,” said Liz Harvey, the company president. “Noted rum expert Dave Russell will be hosting the Island Windjammers Anniversary Rum Cruise, Dec. 5 to 11.” Russell will offer complimentary tastings of an exciting variety of exotic rums, rum cocktail lessons, and presentations on the history of rum. Island Windjammers said it has had a very successful first year, and hopes to expand its fleet and itineraries in the not-too-distant future. For more information, call 877-772-4549, ext. 5, or visit www.islandwindjammers.com.

Our guest blogger who gave us this beautiful review of  French County Waterways is Emilie C. Harting.

Our week on the French Country Waterways barge Adrienne was certainly a serene vacation. “Trip of a Lifetime,” my husband Rob keeps saying in a soft, nostalgic voice.

Minutes after stepping off the dock in Cotillion and walking through the boat, I began to feel the tranquil rhythms of the barge on the water. Commodious and compact, the 129-foot Adrienne was completely rebuilt two years ago and has six suites for guests.

Upstairs there’s an ample front deck for lounging, a living room with puffy chairs and couches for reading and socializing, a dining room and a kitchen. Below our room had a large bed, a wall of closets with drawers and storage space, a state-of-the-art bathroom, and several small windows where we could peek up at the grassy shoreline as it passed by. One of the company’s five boats, it travels north and south from Cotillion to Nemours and back on the glass-like Briare Canal.

The barge started moving in the morning and docked before dark. Several times a day, when we were not eating, walking along the towpath, off on an excursion, or sleeping, I would plunk myself down in the lounge or deck and study our winding journey on a series of maps. We covered 80 miles during six days of cruising north, and passed through 43 locks. (Barging is distinctly different from river cruising. On a barge you can get off and walk or bike while the boat moves along the canal; on a river cruise you can only get off the boat when it is docked.)

It was not long before the crew seemed like our good friends. The skilled captain Mark, British, but a long-time French resident, was often at hand for short chats when he wasn’t steering the boat through a lock with only a few inches to spare, mopping a window, or making various arrival and departure times work. Remy, the French boatman, would acrobat off the roof and tend to the ropes when we approached toll stations. Ellie and Jessie, delightful young Englishwomen, helped out with details, cleaned our rooms, and gave lectures on the two French wines and three cheeses that accompanied lunch and dinner.  Since there was no assigned seating in the small dining area, the 12 of us got to know each other fairly quickly.

After a meal or two the consensus was that Paris-trained Cyril Bedu was a master of nouvelle French cuisine and a three-star chef. (They had credentials to judge: five had lived and worked in France for extended periods. Another was a native of Holland who was about to open his own restaurant in Switzerland.)  Cyril would emerge from the kitchen just before each meal to tell us about the dishes, pause briefly, and then bless the food with a “Bon Appétit. Voila!”

Among his specialties were salads, often with six or eight blends of fresh vegetables and herbs, dressed with olive oil and lemon; luncheon quiches with sautéed leeks, mushrooms, and a cheese from a different region each day; and light fricassees of vegetables. Cyril glazed roasts with sauces and cooked them in a rack over bubbling white wine. He baked herbed fish just to its tender point.  His dessert repertoire included pralined fruit blends laced with champagne and orange liqueur, fancily decorated cakes and succulent tortes. He prepared excellent vegetarian dishes for those of us who were not carnivores. Along the way Cyril would buy local produce, meat and herbs from favorite purveyors. One early riser says she saw a woman pull up alongside the barge on her bike to deliver fresh bread and pastry.

Each day we took an offshore trip in the van that accompanied the barge. There were jaunts to moated chateaus such as Fargeau, where we climbed through an ancient attic with a solid stone floor, and  Ladoucette, at Pouilly-Fumé, an area with some of the richest wine soils in the world.  Rolling hills of meticulously cultivated vineyards fold into each other in that area of the Upper Loire Valley. At La Bussiere, set on a lake, we strolled through vast gardens and visited a small fishing museum. At a factory in Gien we saw women painting ceramic dishes.

The last day we toured the hilly medieval village of Chateau-Landon by horse and carriage, and at one point looked over to a small waterway with flat stations of rock, like modern bus stops with overhangs, built so that village women of past centuries could walk down the steep hills to do their wash.

The evening we dined at  the Auberge des Templiers-Les Bezards, a restaurant  highly rated by Michelin, we had appetizers of foie gras, snails set in gelatin, entrees such as fish marinated in artichokes, filets of beef with garlic and duck fat, young wild duck with pointed cabbages, and, of course, cheeses of France. Desserts were soufflés,  tarts, fondues, and petits fours made by the restaurant’s chef. Though I enjoyed the surroundings and presentation, I was a bit overwhelmed by the heaviness of the meal. When we got back to the boat, the former French residents among us made a point to tell Cyril that his food was three-star, and we would have gotten better food on the boat.

Among my favorite memories of the trip are the rural landscapes. We would be floating along with forests on either side when around the bend a village with its pointed roofs would appear. Almost every lock had a toll house. All different, they were usually cottages with small flower and vegetable gardens. Some were unoccupied. Others had bikes and toys strewn about the yard. At the village of Montbuoy we walked over to excavated remains of locks dating back to the 1600s when most cargo was transported by barge. With grass growing up through the rocks, the older locks looked like a series of terraces leading up to the top of a hill.

Until the advent of railroads, the canal system was the main way of moving cargo. Horses and mules would pull the barge along. Now most of the barges on the canals, including the Briare Canal, built in 1896, are pleasure boats.

Through conversation, observation and reading, I came home knowing more about the techniques of nouvelle French cooking, and the pairing of wines and food, which is much more about lightness and heaviness and flavors and aromas than simply red for meat and white for fish.  I also gained a better sense of geography by learning which provinces produce certain wines and cheeses, and where rivers and canals appear on the map of France.

Most of all, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the tranquility of the countryside by day, and the stimulating conversations at dinner after darkness folded in around the boat.

French Country Waterways

The weather conditions in the Atlantic Ocean have required MSC to change the itinerary for the MSC Poesia this weekend. It will not be calling in Hamilton, Bermuda on September 18 as originally scheduled.

Instead, the Poesia will sail to Boston, MA for her maiden-call at 9 a.m. and depart on September 20 at 7 a.m. After sailing along the US Coast, she arrives in New York City on Tuesday, September 21 as scheduled.  

The line reports that this change is necessary to ensure the safety of all guests and crew aboard the MSC Poesia.

Author: Genna Roberts

Have you ever wondered what it’s like working on board a cruise ship? Below the passenger decks is a whole other world that we rarely see or hear about. Here we give you an opportunity to find out what really goes on down there…

Laura Fletcher, 26, of the UK recently returned from her position as shore excursion staff with Norwegian Cruise Lines. She has worked on the Norwegian Star, Spirit and Pearl on itineraries around Alaska and the Caribbean. In our interview, Laura tells us the good, the bad and the ugly of her time onboard.

How did you manage to get a job on a cruise ship?
With great difficulty! I initially applied directly to the cruise lines, but received very little response. I then did a bit more research and decided that NCL was the company I wanted to work for, I then applied to an agency in Southampton that dealt with cruise ship placements, and they quickly found a position that was suitable for me.

What was your position onboard?
I worked as part of the shore excursions team, so I was responsible for organizing and selling tours as well as ensuring the trips went smoothly and of course dealing with any problems that may arise, which they usually did! My first contract was for 5 months in Alaska, followed by a 2 month break, then I flew out and joined the Norwegian Spirit in the Caribbean. My final contract was on the beautiful Norwegian Pearl in Mexico.

What were your first impressions of life onboard?
Boarding the ship for the first time was very daunting, I remember our coach arriving in the Port of Seattle, and seeing the Norwegian Star. It was the first cruise ship I had ever seen and initially I just thought about how tiny I felt against the 14-deck ship in front of me!

Once on board, it was all very overwhelming. There was so much to take in and learn, ship safety procedures, destinations on the itinerary and tours offered all had to be learned inside out.

Before I left the UK, although everyone said it was hard work, I must admit, I thought my experience would be about seeing the world, the people I’d meet and some work, in that order.

At this point, the reality of the work kicked in! I think I had underestimated how much I would be doing and the responsibility I had taken on.

Once the passengers arrived, and the tours began, I started seeing all the places I had learned about onboard and experienced each of the shore excursions first hand. After a few weeks I had been on every tour and explored each part of the destination by land, air and sea!

What was your accommodation like?
During my first contract, I got lucky and shared my cabin with just one other crew member. The cabin was pretty large, en suite with my own drawers and cupboard space. When I started my second contract, on the Norwegian Spirit, I ended up in a top bunk in a much smaller cabin.

Does the accommodation vary depending on job role?
Yes, whilst all cabins are en suite, they do vary in size and numbers sharing each cabin. For example, house keeping staff may share a cabin with 4-6 others, whereas cruise staff get a slightly better deal and will usually end up sharing with just 4-2 others. All were comfortable and cabins were viewed purely for sleeping in.

What happens at meal times?
Meals are available to crew at 3 set times a day, with snacks available in between. Food wasn’t bad, although nothing like the guests were being served! We would always make the most of the local food when we were on a break and in port, local delicacies and fresh fish beats the crew meals every time!

How many days off did you get each week?
None! Crew members work pretty much every day of the week with a few hours off here and there. During my little free time I would be straight off the ship and into the port, or, if it was a place I had already explored I would use the time to do laundry or just relax. There was also a gym, a pool, games room and a bar for crew to make use of in free time. We made the most of free evenings with crew parties and other fun events organized by crew welfare, this is when we would often get passengers poking their heads around doors to see where all the fun was really happening!

What was the hardest part of your job…?
Without a doubt, the long hours. It was hard work, but the job itself was wonderful, I had good days, when customers thanked me for recommending great tours, and bad days, which made being away from home, friends and family so much harder. Each cabin had a telephone and we had calling cards, so there were plenty of opportunities to call home when things weren’t going so good.

Having to remain polite when passengers were rude was also very challenging for me!

…And the best part?
The places you get to see! No other job lets you go kayaking in Dominica one day, then sunbathing in Mexico the next. Working and living with a great group of people means you build close relationships with people from all over the world.

Were there ever any crew – passenger romances?
No never! Any staff caught having a relationship with passengers would have been sacked. Funnily enough, it seemed to be the passengers trying their luck with the crew members after a few too many cocktails at the 70′s or 80′s party nights!

How did the crew get paid?
Wages were settled through finance and were paid directly into my bank account back home. For onboard spending we had crew cards which were linked to our accounts.

Depending on your position, you get paid different wages. Those who are in direct contact with passengers will get paid cash tips in addition to their set wage. The crew who are not involved directly, such as laundry staff, don’t get a share of the tips, and are on a much lower wage. These tend to be crew that can’t speak English to a high enough standard. This may seem harsh, but when you consider all food, accommodation and living expenses are taken care of by the cruise line, the money they receive is all theirs to keep.

What skills do you think someone would need to do the job?
For my particular role, you definitely have to be a people person to be able to interact with all different kinds of people. You have to be extrovert, sociable and know how to have fun! It is also really important to be responsible; looking after a group of people who are in a strange country away from home is a big job, so you have to have good leadership skills too.

So next time you go cruising, spare a thought for the “other world” onboard and the excellent job they do which makes your experience what it is.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cruising-articles/crew-life-behind-the-scenes-onboard-a-cruise-ship-386475.html

About the Author
Genna Roberts is web editor at Inside Cruise – an online cruise community based in the UK. – Ideal Cruising

Since All Things Cruise began soliciting ship and port reviews a couple of months ago, I have edited several hundred of these before approving them for posting (we do try to catch all spelling and punctuation errors). But today I read one that was both poignant and funny…and, of all things, it was about laundry!

Here it is, written by Genevieve from Australia:

When travelling, no matter how free the spirit or unplanned the journey, there are certain laws that bind us together as part of the human race. For example, think about the law of averages, the law of the jungle and, of course, Murphy’s law! On board a recent Cunard cruise I discovered there is another law from which no traveller is exempt, and one in which these other laws apply. It is the “law of the laundry.”

On a 15-night cruise on the stately Queen Victoria, the guest laundries (conveniently located on five decks) were bound to be busy. This was intensified by the virulent strain of Norovirus on board for which sanitation measures were bumped up to prevent further outbreaks. The strict measures included shutting the public laundries for two separate periods of two hours in order to disinfect all the surfaces.

This cut down the washing and drying time by four precious hours a day and passengers began to show their true colors (as well as their dirty whites), as the laws took effect. First, the law of averages, because for every washing machine on board there were approximately 300 passengers with dirty laundry. This doesn’t include the people staying in suites who had access to their own valet, and those passengers who were happy to pay for their laundry to be ‘sent out’ at a cost.

The law of the jungle, meaning every man for himself, came on the heels of the law of averages within this cruising community. While some people were happy to queue for anything (especially afternoon tea), others would do anything to avoid a queue and would stoop to any measures. These miscreants could be found using two machines at once, or worse, loading the same machine again, after one load had finished. These loathsome creatures incurred the ire of fellow cruisers, who innocently presumed that once that machine was empty, they would have a chance to put in a load.

 If they protested, the offenders would just sneer and leave the laundry, knowing that those who queued were too scared to fight back. The predators could also be known to re-enter the laundry environs, when all their prey were snoozing or eating, and take the prey’s washing out of machines, wet or dry, in order to do their own loads, not giving a fig about folding or fluffing.

And this is where Murphy’s law fits in, dictating that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Leaving laundry unattended became risky as some passengers went beyond the pale by stealing items of laundry; usually a single sock here, a pair of running shorts there. No doubt, they would merely laugh at the pathetic signs tacked to bulletin boards pleading for the return of the beloved items.

One episode took on urban legend status in its blatant lawlessness. It involved a missing dress from one passenger’s laundry. Upon finding the dress missing, the lady took herself to afternoon tea to cheer herself up. There, she saw her missing dress being worn by a fellow passenger, whom she approached and challenged on the theft. The other woman feigned indignation and objected to being quizzed. When the rightful owner said it was her dress and she had made it with her own two hands, the thief replied, “Prove it!”

On behalf of all those law abiding laundry users, I can only hope that the some other law soon reigns down upon these unlawful kinds of passengers.

Hmmm…and I am left wondering if the woman was able to prove she made that dress!

In general, I never, ever plan to do laundry on a ship, except for hand laundering of underwear ( I recommend the silky kind that dries fast, for both men and women). The only exception was on the Disney cruise, when we had to do laundry for our granddaughter who was a toddler and went through several outfits a day. Most ships, quite frankly, do not have public laundries any more. It’s nice that the Queen Victoria provides this service, but I would not count on it.

Keep your wardrobe basic. Wear lots of black and beige and mix in some cute tops and T-shirts and maybe a sundress or two in hot climates. You would be amazed how little you actually need.