So, we're about 4 days into the new voyage. I'm glad to get all the kids off the ship, and all the problems that they create. There are still a few this trip, but not as many as last time.
This Miami none of the crew were allowed off the ship. They're usually pretty strict, and before they had "windows" for when we were allowed off. I'm not 100% sure how it worked, because I never had time to get off on the switchover day. But anyway, they finally did away with this system for two trips back there. And then 3 chinese people had to go and wreck it for everyone. Apparently three of them decided to jump ship the last time that we were in Miami, and so now everyone else has to suffer. It doesn't really affect me, but lots of the crew are not so happy now, they figure that we might not be allowed out for the few Miamis that we have left.
Guests are starting to get very annoying to me. Especially this one that keeps coming to the desk. This lady stops by, and she says, has anyone asked about a lost watch today? So I said that I would check our lost and found book, but not everyone wants to leave details, sometimes they just come back and check later. Anyway, she had found a watch, but wants to keep it if no one comes to the desk to ask for it. At the same time that she was telling me this, another lady was looking for a lost watch (not the same one) which we had had turned in. And so the one who would like to keep the watch said "at least some people are still honest".
Anyway, she wouldn't give us a description of the watch, I guess she's afraid that we'd try to keep it on her. So if any guest is missing a watch, we have to call her to get it identified. If that wasn't enough, she comes to the desk today to say that she's found a bracelet in one of the restaurants, but doesn't want to tell us what it looks like because she wants to keep it if no one claims it. I don't know why she's even going through the motions of pretending to let us know that she's found stuff. I suppose it helps her sleep better at night to know that she's "tried" to give this stuff back that doesn't belong to her. Grrr, she just annoys me.
Oh well, I'm being moved to Telecom in a few days, which is essentially the telephone operator. Maybe it's a good thing, since I seem to be getting pretty annoyed with the guests.
Only a few more voyages until we move to Europe!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Just a Bit of Everything
Well, I had my 30 day review yesterday. It's an informal review done just by our department, mostly good, a few things to work on. But that's to be expected anyway... I guess they'll keep me for now.
The last day of every cruise we give out customer satisfaction surveys, and they're actually pretty serious about them. We're not supposed to touch them, and they're kept locked until someone from the Miami office collects them when we're in port on switchover day. Then they have a company that types up everyone's comments, and they send us files for the different departments so that we know what everyone says. This all happens usually within 24-48 hours. Anyway, I got my first comment this cruise, which was very nice (it was a good one). Good things happen for the Guest Service Officer with the most comments (not me this time, but something to work towards).
We're also starting to get geared up for going back to Europe. Our ship is actually the only one in the fleet that's owned by Royal Caribbean UK, so this ship is actually going to stay over there for at least a couple of years.
While I'm looking forward to being in Europe, I'm not looking forward to the work there. Everyone keeps telling me how much busier we'll be, how we'll always have lines, and there's a lot more lost luggage too, which creates a lot more work. Hopefully being able to go out in the ports will make up for it.
Last week I got to go out in Aruba. We ended up going back to this pool where we'd been the week before. Unfortunately I wasn't so good with the reapplying of sunscreen, so my legs got sunburned, which was not helped by the heavy pants I have to wear. I also ended up with some pretty funny tan lines, so my roommate was calling me dalmation. I'll be more careful next time. I guess I have to remember to try to get the tan slowly...
I also had this weird thing for a few days where my ankle swelled up, which made me a bit worried since I hadn't done anything to injure it. This was the same ankle I'd hurt a couple of summers ago at Windermere House, so I didn't know if that was connected. So, I went to the medical, and the doctor told me that I was just retaining fluid, and it was from standing too long, and I just needed to elevate my feet more. So, it's mostly gotten better (I think it was made worse from the sunburn).
Anyway, I guess that's enough random ramblings from me, I'm sure a lot of the time I don't make any sense at all, but that's what you get I guess...
PS - if anyone wants postcards, send me your mailing addresses, and I'll do my best to get some out.
The last day of every cruise we give out customer satisfaction surveys, and they're actually pretty serious about them. We're not supposed to touch them, and they're kept locked until someone from the Miami office collects them when we're in port on switchover day. Then they have a company that types up everyone's comments, and they send us files for the different departments so that we know what everyone says. This all happens usually within 24-48 hours. Anyway, I got my first comment this cruise, which was very nice (it was a good one). Good things happen for the Guest Service Officer with the most comments (not me this time, but something to work towards).
We're also starting to get geared up for going back to Europe. Our ship is actually the only one in the fleet that's owned by Royal Caribbean UK, so this ship is actually going to stay over there for at least a couple of years.
While I'm looking forward to being in Europe, I'm not looking forward to the work there. Everyone keeps telling me how much busier we'll be, how we'll always have lines, and there's a lot more lost luggage too, which creates a lot more work. Hopefully being able to go out in the ports will make up for it.
Last week I got to go out in Aruba. We ended up going back to this pool where we'd been the week before. Unfortunately I wasn't so good with the reapplying of sunscreen, so my legs got sunburned, which was not helped by the heavy pants I have to wear. I also ended up with some pretty funny tan lines, so my roommate was calling me dalmation. I'll be more careful next time. I guess I have to remember to try to get the tan slowly...
I also had this weird thing for a few days where my ankle swelled up, which made me a bit worried since I hadn't done anything to injure it. This was the same ankle I'd hurt a couple of summers ago at Windermere House, so I didn't know if that was connected. So, I went to the medical, and the doctor told me that I was just retaining fluid, and it was from standing too long, and I just needed to elevate my feet more. So, it's mostly gotten better (I think it was made worse from the sunburn).
Anyway, I guess that's enough random ramblings from me, I'm sure a lot of the time I don't make any sense at all, but that's what you get I guess...
PS - if anyone wants postcards, send me your mailing addresses, and I'll do my best to get some out.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Another New Cruise
Yesterday marked the beginning of my fourth cruise so far. With it came a few different things. The first is that I realized yesterday that Easter is this weekend, which I completely forgot about. It's easy to do when I hardly even know what day it is anymore. This also means that it's March break, so we have a lot more kids on board this cruise. We always have a few, but now it seems like they're running around all over the place. Should make for lots of new and interesting problems.
Another difference is that I have a new Emergency Number. This is my third number so far. All crew on the ship have an emergency card, which they must carry with them at all times. On the card, it tells you the emergency number you've been assigned, and your emergency station. All emergency numbers have specific instructions for what they have to do given certain types of emergencies.
It also tells you which drills you have participate in. With my new number and instructions, I get to participate in the passenger drill. I've been assigned to a muster station, which means that at the beginning of every cruise I have to stand outside in my suit, and direct people to their muster stations. This week this happened to be over my break, which did not make me too happy. At least I only have to wear a florescent vest, and not the lifejacket, which would be much worse.
Anyway, I'm sure this will be an interesting cruise, already everyone seems to be a bit wired, and the guests are coming up with all sorts of problems that they want us to solve.
Another difference is that I have a new Emergency Number. This is my third number so far. All crew on the ship have an emergency card, which they must carry with them at all times. On the card, it tells you the emergency number you've been assigned, and your emergency station. All emergency numbers have specific instructions for what they have to do given certain types of emergencies.
It also tells you which drills you have participate in. With my new number and instructions, I get to participate in the passenger drill. I've been assigned to a muster station, which means that at the beginning of every cruise I have to stand outside in my suit, and direct people to their muster stations. This week this happened to be over my break, which did not make me too happy. At least I only have to wear a florescent vest, and not the lifejacket, which would be much worse.
Anyway, I'm sure this will be an interesting cruise, already everyone seems to be a bit wired, and the guests are coming up with all sorts of problems that they want us to solve.
Monday, March 10, 2008
The Panama Canal
One of the things that I had been most looking forward to once I found out my ship's itinerary was going to the Panama Canal. Today makes it the third time now that I have been down the first section of the Panama Canal.
When I first read about what happens on the company's website, I was a bit confused, as are most guests when they come onboard. So, for all of you who are interested, I will now explain.
We arrive at the Canal early in the morning, usually sometime around 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning, and then we wait. Depending on the traffic and when the local authorities tell us we can go through, we then start to go through the first set of locks. This is usually between 6:00am to 6:30am, but it can be later. The first set of locks has 3 locks to it, and it usually takes us around an hour and a half to pass through that set. They pretty much built this ship right to the limit, because when we pass through, and we're being raised or lowered, I can see out the sides through the windows at Guest Services, and we are literally about a foot from the wall.
Anyway, I don't get to see too much, because I'm working, but I can still look out the window and see things from the side. I had my first chance to get out in Panama too, but since we have to be back on board before our guests, I pretty much just had a chance to get a smoothie and have a look around at the crafts in the terminal building at the pier. I'm hoping that next time I'll be able to do some more shopping.
When I first read about what happens on the company's website, I was a bit confused, as are most guests when they come onboard. So, for all of you who are interested, I will now explain.
We arrive at the Canal early in the morning, usually sometime around 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning, and then we wait. Depending on the traffic and when the local authorities tell us we can go through, we then start to go through the first set of locks. This is usually between 6:00am to 6:30am, but it can be later. The first set of locks has 3 locks to it, and it usually takes us around an hour and a half to pass through that set. They pretty much built this ship right to the limit, because when we pass through, and we're being raised or lowered, I can see out the sides through the windows at Guest Services, and we are literally about a foot from the wall.
Anyway, I don't get to see too much, because I'm working, but I can still look out the window and see things from the side. I had my first chance to get out in Panama too, but since we have to be back on board before our guests, I pretty much just had a chance to get a smoothie and have a look around at the crafts in the terminal building at the pier. I'm hoping that next time I'll be able to do some more shopping.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Crazy Guests
So, I'm starting to wonder where people's brains are when they go on vacation, or whether maybe people just go a little crazy once they step on the boat.
Yesterday morning, I had just gotten to work, when this lady shows up at the desk. She asks if the other girl who was working earlier was still at the desk. I said that I was sorry, but she had already left for the day. So then, she holds up this bag, and says, well, I would like to know what I'm supposed to do with this. My friend threw up, and I called, and she told me to put it down the toilet, you can't put a plastic bag down the toilet. I said I was sorry, and she pretty much just left this bag of vomit sitting on the desk. NOT exactly what I needed first thing in the morning.
So, after throwing out the vomit, I thouroughly washed my hands, and then thoroughly sanitized the desk, thinking, who would actually bring a bag of vomit to the front desk? I don't know... but this lady seemed pretty crazy to me.
For the rest of the day, everyone was joking how I'd had my first "incident". I mean, who does that anyway? Unfortunately we see too many guests like that...
I spoke with my roommate later, who had dealt with this woman. It turns out that she had tried to get someone to go and dispose of it from the lady's room, but people just weren't listening to her. And apparently this morning again, she was running around the 3rd floor, trying to get people to take another bag from her... I wonder what she does when she's at home?
Yesterday morning, I had just gotten to work, when this lady shows up at the desk. She asks if the other girl who was working earlier was still at the desk. I said that I was sorry, but she had already left for the day. So then, she holds up this bag, and says, well, I would like to know what I'm supposed to do with this. My friend threw up, and I called, and she told me to put it down the toilet, you can't put a plastic bag down the toilet. I said I was sorry, and she pretty much just left this bag of vomit sitting on the desk. NOT exactly what I needed first thing in the morning.
So, after throwing out the vomit, I thouroughly washed my hands, and then thoroughly sanitized the desk, thinking, who would actually bring a bag of vomit to the front desk? I don't know... but this lady seemed pretty crazy to me.
For the rest of the day, everyone was joking how I'd had my first "incident". I mean, who does that anyway? Unfortunately we see too many guests like that...
I spoke with my roommate later, who had dealt with this woman. It turns out that she had tried to get someone to go and dispose of it from the lady's room, but people just weren't listening to her. And apparently this morning again, she was running around the 3rd floor, trying to get people to take another bag from her... I wonder what she does when she's at home?
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