Hey, Kevin, you're back! I heard you're working on a cruise ship now?
Yeah, that's right. I just finished my contract so I get a break for six weeks and then I'll start a new contract.
You know, I just finished my F&B management diploma and I'm thinking about going to work for a cruise line to get some good experience. I'd love to pick your brain about it.
Yeah, F&B managers make a shit load of money on cruise ships. I'm just a lowly cabin steward so I don't get quite so much, but it's worth it since I have no expenses and I get to travel for free.
Yeah, that's gotta be pretty cool. Do you get off the ship at the ports a lot?
It really depends on how busy we are. Being a cabin steward, I am often busy while the passages are on shore because I use this time to clean and tidy the staterooms, and restock the minibar and toiletries.
So you're basically a housekeeper?
No, it's actually a bit more like a butler in a way. I do have to clean, but I also greet the passengers on arrival, bring them room service, and help them with any questions. I basically get up at 6:00 every morning and I'm lucky to make it to bed by 10:00.
Wow, that sounds rough. And what's the ship like? Some of them are so massive now.
The ship I'm on is a mid-size luxury liner. It doesn't have a rock climbing wall and a skating rink like some of the new mega ships, but it's pretty nice. Most of the staterooms have balconies, except the inside staterooms of course. There's a huge dining room, kinda like in Titanic, as well as a couple of specialty restaurants like a steak and seafood restaurant. There's a big theater where they have a different production every night of the cruise.
What are your accommodations like?
They're really tiny and have four berths, so we're four to a cabin. We have our own dining hall, a gym, a recreation area and we even have our own little bar but we aren't allowed to get really drunk of course.
So is the main kitchen really big?
We call it a galley. It is quite big, but there are so many people working in there, it's kind of a mad house.
Maybe you could put me in touch with your HR manager. It sounds like it could be really cool.
Life On Board A Cruise Ship
Жизнь на борту круизного судна
Работа на борту круизного лайнера - возможность бесплатно путешествовать по миру или каторжный труд? Герой нашего диалога рассказывает о своем опыте работы на подобном судне. Камбуз, койка, каюта, стюард и другая релевантная лексика в уроке Life On Board A Cruise Ship.
