Life on the High Seas

Cruising the Carribean!

maorisnz — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:37:00 GMT

Another cruise has started and we are going to be in the Carribean! I would have to say this is not my favorite part of the world but who can complain about fun in the sun! We left Florida on the 21st, we passed USPH so we are celebrating tonight by having a party for the crew with free drinks and food. When there is free drinks, you see alot of people come out of the wood work, very surprising but who wouldn't if there is something free as not much in life these days if FREE, I am sure you agree with me.

As I was saying last time, I work with alot of different nationalities, which can have both positives and negatives. Understanding everyone's different cultures can be difficult, and it is easy to sterotype people onboard..... It is like working in a soap opera, since it is such a small ship, everyone knows everything about you, they assume so, gossip is huge, you leave the crew bar with some guy and next thing you know you slept with him and now you are a couple. The ship is definitely not for people who are sensitive and take things to heart, people can be cruel, but I have learnt to just ignore people and care less about what they have to say about me, because at the end of the day you can't control what people may say or do about others.

Everyone thinks working on a ship is so glamorous but believe me, it's not all fun and games. It is definitely what you make of it, those six months that you are onboard can be long, or short, depending how involved you want to get with your fellow crew members. I am the sort of person that likes to keep busy so I am a regular in the crew bar, about once a week I crash early in my bed to replenish my energy level, my room-mate teases me all the time about how much sleep I get and been the life of the party, I just not one to be idle, always have to be apart of the action.....

I will be sure to fill you in on the festivites of this evening, there is always some crew member that creates some sort of headlines for the next day, been that it is a sea day tomorrow, we will need something to talk about.......

Reaching the US!

maorisnz — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:54:00 GMT

Good Morning from Sunny Florida!

So, the ship arrived in style this morning, no music as they promised but they had some boats shooting water, helicopters taking pictures and a plane with Welcome Silver Spirit and now my reward is to stand in line and wait for my I-95, which is like gold. If you lose that, you can kiss your chance to breathe the smog of Fort Lauderdale!

The guests are getting off today, end of cruise, thank goodness, of course I will miss some guests but I am sure I will see them down the road as the people that cruise Silversea are very loyal to the company, the average age of our passengers would be 65, very wealthy, well educated, not sure what happens to them when they come onboard because I think their common sense flies out the window.

So, today will be a day of fun, boat drill to make sure the ship is safe, we will put on our lifejackets and wait to be interrogated by the coastguard, then perhaps the USPH will come, the Public Health, which lets everyone know that we have passed the standards that I am sure that are the same in every Mc Donalds in the US, HA,HA!

I finish at 4 and maybe I will be allowed to get off the ship, we will be staying in Florida for two nights and three days, the crew will spend all their earnings as there are Best Buys, Wal-Marts, etc. We have several ntionalities working onboard, most of the crew are Phillipinos and they only go outside to call their families, or sing karaoke at the nearest Phillipino restaurant, you next have the chinese who work in the laundry and here for a year, don't know how they do it, hands down they are the winners onboard.....next we have the indonesians, similar to the phillipinos, and the Indians who mostly work as butlers onboard, and finally you have the rest of us who are now wondering what the hell we got ourselves into..... The compnay was predominantly European when I first started with them 7 years ago, but as all things change in life, that is how it is, and probably one of the major reasons why I still work here, I have some lifelong friends here, there are probably about 5 I can say are true friends, it is easy to find super-ficial here, but that is with real-life also, so wish me luck today, it will be a day full of surprises I am sure!

My favourite part of the World!

maorisnz — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:03:00 GMT

So, after all these years of working on the ships, yes, I have managed to see alot of the world, but I have got a favourite part of the world, it is defintely South-East Asia, especially Vietnam! I have had many great experiences there, massage at the Rex, riding a motorbike around town, going to the market, clubbing at the Acropolapse Now, eating large plates of Tiger Prawns in garlic, the list goes on.... What makes Vietnam unique? The people are so hospitable, willing to do anything for you, always have a smile on their face. Let me tell you about my massgae at the Rex! Well, a friend said, you must go to the Rex, it's like $5 an hour, and they are really good, so I rock up there looking forward to a relaxing massage, get there and the lady says, take clothes off, o.k fine, she gives me this gown that fits maybe one arm, she then says, get on the bed, well, you maybe thinking a few things now, like myself but I hopped up, next thing you know she has pushed me down and mounted me like a horse, and starts to twist my nipples, slap my ass, slap my face and this is not relaxing at all, I am in serious pain! Anyways, it was a memorable experience and I will refrain from getting a massage there again!

Reccomendations for things to do in Vietnam:

1. Definitely hit Ho Chi Mihn City at night, with a motorbike, it's a thrill, if you want to see these big ex-army guys with young girls hanging off there arms and a good laugh, then hit the acropolyse now, funky night-club with all kinds of music, some shady garden bar, and guys from Vietnam that are the same size of my leg, I am considered 'solid' to the polite people that don't want to say fat!!!

2. The Chu Chi Tunnels

3. Go on the Mekong Delta and see the floating markets, I even saw a couple getting married, they have full on houses on this river, crazy!

4. Go to the market and ask for a t-shirt, they see you and say I have an XXXXXXXXXXXXXL available and it still can only fit Ken and Barbie!

So, if you want to have a great time overseas and you are looking for a unique location then make sure you go to Vietnam, it is the land of smiles, and I am sure you will have many memorable experiences!

Until next time, Renee

Sharing a cabin!

maorisnz — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:48:00 GMT

So, another sea day here on the Silver Spirit before we reach Fort Lauderdale, USA. The ship will have it's naming ceremony and we will have all these important people onboard, functions etc. Anyways, so I am going to tell you a little bit about my room-mate who I have been lucky to work with the past two contracts, she is from Brazil, her name is Joyce and she has been in the tour department longer than me but hasn't completed quite as many contracts. We share alot of laughs, you would have to when your cabin is the size of a box. Lucky for me I have the bottom bunk, but each morning/afternoon when I need to get up, no need for an alarm clock as I will hear a thump as Joyce jumps down from her bunk bed. Lucky for me we are on different schedules, I am a bit of a party animal so I am not in the cabin after 11pm and she loves her bed so she is there when I leave for the crew bar. We are like an old married couples at time, I give her a hard time with my sarcasm and comments but she is learning to dish it right back! All I can say it that I am tremendously lucky to have her as a room-mate because even though not much time is spent there in the cabin because you are working most of the time, it is important to be living with someone who respects you, and vice versa. I have had many room-mates over the years, each been very unique which makes it interesting, most of them I have clicked with because I am fairly easy to get along with.....

So big day tomorrow around the ship, looking forward to doing a little retail therapy as I lived in the US for 9 years, the Australian Outback Restaurant is calling my name, Bloomin onion, watch out!

My Boss on the Silver Spirit!

maorisnz — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:13:00 GMT

I would not be here today if it was not for my boss, Nathaniel Green, also known as 'Nat'. He is a character that you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley on a lonely night, no, just kidding, he is amazing.....No day goes by without him making me laugh! We have worked together for two contracts, they last about 6 months for me and if you are a manager then you are only onboard for 4 months. Working on a ship is quite interesting, it is not all fun and games, you work every day of the week, 8 hours+ per day, for 6 months. The upside is that you are in a different country everyday, you work with people from all over the world and even though you may work hard, many of us also play hard. I am a shore concierge, basically that means I am in charge of selling the excursions to the guests, going on tour with them, and booking any services they may want ashore, restaurant reservations etc. It can be challenging at times, as our guests here are quite demanding but if you saw how much they paid to cruise with us, then you would have the right to be a pain in the you know what! I have been working for Silversea Cruises for 7 years, I first started off as a stewardess, basically a maid and now I have been in my current position for about a year and a half. So, you are asking yourself, why does this girl keep coming back even after she works everyday for 6 months without a day off? I love the lifestyle, no major responsibilites, friends from all over the world, room and board taken care of, travelling, the list goes on and on! Well, more to come of course as we are at sea for another day tomorrow, and since we are at the end of a voyage, they don't need my services much anymore! As they say here onboard, CIAO!