I grew up sailing all the time, in all sorts of craft from tiny wooden Moths to racing in a 40-foot yacht, and I’m especially fond of heavy-weather sailing. I’m comfortable in rough water, even upside down under water strapped into a kayak (preparing to do an Eskimo roll). But put me belowdecks where I can’t see the water and sky, and I turn a vivid green. My only cruise has to be the world’s calmest (Alaskan inside passage during very calm weather) and even then it was a stretch. The worst was waking up in an inside cabin with no clue how light it is outside, or which direction is up, and sadly I didn’t have a clock or watch I could see in the dark. No idea whether it’s actually morning and time to head for topside as fast as possible!
If I ever cruise again, it’s a patch for me. And a cabin with at least a porthole!
Next time you feel the urge to roll your eyes, instead just count your lucky stars.
A friend took a Disney cruise with his 5 yr old son. Left the kid with the ship’s daycare to take a nap. He never came back to pick him up. He was found dead in his cabin. A heart attack at age 39. The cruise line is flying the boy back to the States from Cayman Island. This happened yesterday.
I was thinking more along the lines of her being unable to fulfill her job duties because of the pregnancy, but the poster later said they were ready to leave anyway.
The agency that hired me was VERY shifty when they told me what the pay was. If I remember right, the number they quoted wasn’t per hour, and it wasn’t “$X + room and board” - it was the dollar value of the whole package. My first paycheck was a shock. There was a big bonus for completing your contract, and another bonus for coming back for the next one. (No thank you!)
At that point in my life/career, the salary wasn’t my first priority, I was more interested in gaining a unique experience.
Thank you for starting this interesting thread. I had been thinking for years of
going on a cruise but didn’t know whether I would like it or not - it looked like
it could be very relaxing or very boring. Thanks to you, going on a cruise has
been crossed off the list of things I might want to try.
With the workers jammed together in little cabins and working long exhausting hours
I would think that conflicts could easily get started. Did any screaming arguments
or fights ever break out?
I took a cruise 21 years ago and they had a Passenger talent show that I participated in. Everyone else sang while I did magic. It was fun.
I always wondered if these passenger talent shows were used by the cruise line to scout for new talent. Do you think this is the case? Do they even have passenger talent shows nowadays?
Not that I ever witnessed. Like I mentioned, there was lots of emotions, predicated by various stressors, but I think most people were good at compartmentalizing. And any kind of screaming or actual violence would have meant immediate firing, it was not tolerated at all.
I had three different roommates, as people came and went, and switched with others to room with their particular friends. They were all lovely. One, in particular, was great fun to talk to - she was from Botswana, and was saving up her cruise ship wages to buy a property to build and run a childcare center. She had also worked as a safari guide. We’re still in touch, I hope to visit her one day!
Maybe on other lines, but, being Disney, DCL had incredible performers BEGGING for a chance to come on board. They only hired Equity actors, so amateurs from the staterooms wouldn’t have a chance.
I’ve done two Disney cruises with my family. One this year spring break and one last year. Both on Disney Fantasy. We loved them they were really relaxing and my kids loved the kids clubs so I think Disney definitely got the youth activities right. I didn’t like the expectation to do sit down dinners every night but I really liked the buffet and the walk up burger joint.
From getting to know the person who cleaned our room last year whom has worked for Disney cruise lines for at least 10 years they seem like a very strict employer.
Anyways I love doing the DCL and plan to if I can afford it next spring break. It’s really easy way to vacation if you have kids.
Cherry, nice to hear from you, and I don’t want you to feel like I’m picking on you, but do you think the information in the thread about social justice and environmental impact will influence your future decisions to take a cruise vacation?
Hi I had a long reply and then scrapped it. The short answer is not really DCL has babysitting and my kids love it. It’s really expensive and I can see the waste but at the end of the day I’m on a vacation with 2 little girls and we are all relaxed rather than frazzled.
