Celebrity Silhouette
“What’s it like to work on a cruise ship?” I get the question all the time, so I figured I’d just write about it.
It’s such a loaded question though, because the answer is based upon the individual. It’s all relative. Working as an a cappella singer is a totally different experience than working as a second engineer. And honestly, you really have to experience it to REALLY understand. But I will try to explain from my perspective; a Christian, single, male, a cappella singer.
Let me first say that I work the least amount of hours out of 1,200 crew members (besides the specialty act performers… unless you count the practice they put in weekly). I typically sing between 30 minutes- 1 hour a day. (1 hour & 15 minutes on a really busy day), with 2 days off a week. So… 5 hours a week. Not bad. That's compared to others, who typically work between 10-14 hours a day. We perform all over the ship… theater, lounges, foyer, pool.
As you can see, I have a lot of down time. I spend this time by going to see the countries we travel to, eating, reading, working out, taking naps, going to Bible study, hanging out in the staff bar, writing emails, playing Settlers of Catan, watching movies, play a little guitar, and just spending time w/ friends. Oh, and more eating.
The traveling aspect is incredible. I’m embarrassed to say that it gets to a point that you sometimes say, “Don’t think I will make it into Santorini, Greece today… I’m a little tired.” Or, “I’d rather skip the Trevi Fountain today and get some internet instead.” Yeah… we are that spoiled.
What’s cool is that we will see a bunch of different countries, yet go to each of these countries several times. So really, you are able to do something different every time you visit that country if you wanted to. For instance, in Dubrovnik, Croatia I have gone hiking, walked around old town, eaten at a pub w/ some wifi, gone cliff diving, and plan to go kayaking.
The cultural aspect is probably the most interesting part about ship life. You are talking about a floating hotel with crew from over 60 different countries! Can you imagine the cultural confusion? Like, most people don’t understand the concept of a “line” or “cue”; they’ve been culturally taught to just go for it… every man for himself. We celebrate independence days pretty much every week. Hearing several languages being spoken as you go down the hallway is the norm. Filipinos make up the majority, followed by Indians and Jamaicans. Some guests are surprised to see that my name tag says U.S.A. “Oh, the U.S.A?… Didn’t know there were any Americans working onboard,” they say.
“Yes ma’am we do live on the ship. We don’t fly in on a helicopter every day.” (Just a small example of what it’s like dealing w/ guests on a daily basis). But yeah, we have our own crew quarters. Our own cabins, staff bar, crew bar, laundry service, crew mess (restaurant), library, ect. Staff bar is the non-smoking bar that is more chill and conversational. Crew bar is smoking bar w/ a DJ. You don’t really catch me at crew bar ever. Our crew mess does not have the best food. However, I don’t have to eat there. As an entertainer, I get special privileges such as being able to eat at the upstairs guest buffet (free) or in specialty restaurants (w/ reservations and $20), going to watch shows, not having to wear a “uniform”, ect.
We have a lot of guidelines/fules to follow on the ship, and it’s not always clear what all these entail. Many times you can break a rule that you didn’t even know was a rule.There are several departments onboard, and messages get passed around w/ people taddling on one another n’ such. That’s always fun.
The ship is a place we sleep, eat, work, play, live. A huge ship becomes small very quickly. Once you start hanging out w/ people, you get to know them very fast. Time is multiplied on the ship. So, if you’re in a relationship on the ship, a week together will likely feel like a month together. Imagine seeing a person EVERY SINGLE DAY for 6-8 months. I don’t even see my family that much. The ship makes a lot of strange sounds and every once in a while gets a little rocky from the waves. Most people find it hard to sleep at first, but when you spend 6 months on here, you barely notice it all.
From a Christian’s standpoint, the darkness is rampant. Drinking, sex, gossip is never ending. Parties every single night. Everything is easy access… just a minute walk downstairs or down the hall. It’s an extremely tough environment to resist temptation, but praise God that He had renewed my mind and spirit to fight the sin and repent of it.
I sit and think a lot. I get lonely every so often, missing my family and home. Wanting a Chick-Fil-A sandwich. Sleeping in my own bed. You miss the little things. That’s when I must lean on God as my comfort, and stay firm in His Word.
There is so much more I could tell you about ship life, but this blog is already too long.
I know for certain God has placed me here for several reasons. I have been able to grow immensely in my relationship w/ Jesus, share the gospel with many friends onboard, and learned so much about life and people. He is no doubt preparing me for the Race through this experience, and I’m very grateful. God is orchestrating everything.
