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»	Cruise Talk » Crew's Quarters » Lots of questions (Page 1)

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Topic: Lots of questions

Susanvs59
Just Boarded
Member # 5667

posted 05-10-2005 05:21 PM

I have just received a job offer from NCL and I have alot of questions about crew living. For example, is there a fridge in our room, can I bring my own pillow, bottled water, a foam mattress, ect. How many clothes should l bring?? Can anyone offer me any suggestions on making the transition to living on a ship. I am nervous and excited about this. I would hope when they send me the training info maybe some of these questions will be answered, but would like to get feed back here from anyone who has worked for NCL and in particular if you are a cruise ship nurse.

Thanks

Posts: 2 | From: TX | Registered: May 2005 | IP: Logged

letsgo
First Class Passenger
Member # 5681

posted 05-17-2005 08:25 PM

Cool I saw their ad on monster.com. So people really do get hired for cruise jobs! Did it take a long time to get an offer and is the pay comparable to land jobs? what will you be doing? Did they want your picture or meet you face to face for an interview? Sorry I have so many questions for you, but I have always wanted to work on a ship, but just never took the leap.

Posts: 10 | From: oregon | Registered: May 2005 | IP: Logged

mellow lady
First Class Passenger
Member # 5759

posted 06-18-2005 02:43 PM

wouldnt you have asked these questions befoe yo took or were offred the job? seems really weird or backwards to me jmho though

Posts: 19 | From: The world | Registered: Jun 2005 | IP: Logged

Jekyll
First Class Passenger
Member # 1878

posted 06-19-2005 07:55 AM

quote:
Originally posted by mellow lady:
wouldnt you have asked these questions befoe yo took or were offred the job? seems really weird or backwards to me jmho though

At leat this person is asking the questions before they ACCEPT the job...while I agree that these are questions one might ask before applying for the job, many times people apply thinking that nothing will happen w/ their application and then within days get a job offer and don't have the time they thought they would have to do the research.

What I find more alarming are the number of posters that come to Cruise Talk who have just BOUGHT a cruise for thousands of dollars and THEN come on here to do the reserach. Please note this is a generic comment and not directed at anyone on this board in particular.

At least w/ a job - if it isn't the right fit - you can leave or be fired (FYI - not MY work ethic) and costs very little. Buying a cruise and researching it later can cost THOUSANDS!

Posts: 1524 | From: Nowhere | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

mec1
First Class Passenger
Member # 4287

posted 06-19-2005 09:02 AM

for a new arrival mellow lady seems (a) misnamed and (b) a complete boor

Posts: 1675 | From: London, England | Registered: Nov 2003 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 06-19-2005 09:42 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Jekyll:
What I find more alarming are the number of posters that come to Cruise Talk who have just BOUGHT a cruise for thousands of dollars and THEN come on here to do the reserach.

Yes I agree! The odd thing is that if they wanted to purchase a used car, yet knew nothing about them, they would almost certainly take someone who did.

Yet with a cruise, some people pay more than the price of a used car, yet know nothing about the line or ship!

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

letsgo
First Class Passenger
Member # 5681

posted 06-19-2005 11:37 AM

Ok, I went to one of NCLA recruitment fairs. Food is not allowed in the cabin. Yes, they meet you face to face. The picture of the cabin they had shows a very little area for four people, so if it can fit on your bunk I guess you can have what you want. With NCLA, the ships that sail only in US waters, the pay is simular to land jobs. There is over time for over 40 hours and tips. Living on the ship transition....when they send you to Piney Point MD they have you in bunk beds four to a room and work you 10 hour days 7-5pm.

Posts: 10 | From: oregon | Registered: May 2005 | IP: Logged

Susanvs59
Just Boarded
Member # 5667

posted 06-19-2005 03:46 PM

Thanks for the info Letsgo. Glad someone could give me a little insight.

Posts: 2 | From: TX | Registered: May 2005 | IP: Logged

mellow lady
First Class Passenger
Member # 5759

posted 06-19-2005 05:51 PM

I am not a bore nor I a misnamed.I thought I could get some help in another forum. My Hyde was of no help there either

I would suggest that although they have 2 beds to a room in the QM2, they have very little else for staff .They have no spare time at all to get off at ports ( our steward ) did Southampton to NY twice and never got to see either place.that is why she quit while we were on her..she was a delight..rushed but a delight..there loss Also they are doing double time with less pay.I hope you have more luck with yor job, it isn't as easy as getting off a bus!..they tie you up with a lot of red tape..many tears have been shed on both the QM2 and Princess ships. HLA seems to be better with there staff as does RC

Posts: 19 | From: The world | Registered: Jun 2005 | IP: Logged

Brian_O
First Class Passenger
Member # 3910

posted 06-19-2005 06:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mellow lady:
I am not a bore nor I a misnamed.I thought I could get some help in another forum. My Hyde was of no help there either

Actually mec1 did not call you a bore. He called you something worse: viz. a boor. It's not a term I would have used on such little evidence, but it is the one that was used.

As for not getting time off at ports of call on transatlantic, how many ports are there between Southampton and New York?

Brian

Posts: 2698 | From: Pointe-Claire, QC Canada | Registered: Jun 2003 | IP: Logged

mellow lady
First Class Passenger
Member # 5759

posted 06-20-2005 03:44 PM

Well Brian ol buddy old bore

I would think then you have proved my point.That mnany days at same x 2..and they cant get off in Southhampton or NY..very very sad..to actually be in NY but no time to even take a peek..shame on Cunard!

Now let me guess you dont like the thought of pole dancers either
ROTF

HI susan got you other email.will email you back ))

Posts: 19 | From: The world | Registered: Jun 2005 | IP: Logged

Brian_O
First Class Passenger
Member # 3910

posted 06-20-2005 06:39 PM

Nowadays it is simply unrealistic for service crew to expect time off on a "turnaround" day. The available time is too short. Someone has to clean up after one set of passengers disembarks and finish the task before the new set of passengers embark. That is the nature of the job and people should be able to figure it out for themselves before applying for such a position.

Brian

Posts: 2698 | From: Pointe-Claire, QC Canada | Registered: Jun 2003 | IP: Logged

mellow lady
First Class Passenger
Member # 5759

posted 06-21-2005 10:33 AM

O Brian I could not disagree more.IF RC or other lines can manage to double up on staff I think the QM2 should as well.

After all the QE2 seems to be okay with that. I guess greed does succeed.But we think very differently, I am just glad I give my staff plenty of time to say they like their job.After all if the staff is not happy( maybe you have not noticed that) the ship isn't.That said QM2 was not a happy ship

Posts: 19 | From: The world | Registered: Jun 2005 | IP: Logged

mec1
First Class Passenger
Member # 4287

posted 06-21-2005 11:03 AM

mellow lady

what on earth are you talking about? How does RC - whoever they may be - double up on crew? Are you nuts?

Posts: 1675 | From: London, England | Registered: Nov 2003 | IP: Logged

Brian_O
First Class Passenger
Member # 3910

posted 06-21-2005 03:42 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mellow lady:
O Brian I could not disagree more.IF RC or other lines can manage to double up on staff I think the QM2 should as well.
After all the QE2 seems to be okay with that. I guess greed does succeed.But we think very differently, I am just glad I give my staff plenty of time to say they like their job.After all if the staff is not happy( maybe you have not noticed that) the ship isn't.That said QM2 was not a happy ship

Disagree all you want. It does not make you right. QE2 doesn't do transatlantic any more but when she did, time off in New York for sevice crew was a rarity. Southampton was different because of the overnight stays and crew "shift" changes that were made on her calls there.

Brian

Posts: 2698 | From: Pointe-Claire, QC Canada | Registered: Jun 2003 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 06-21-2005 05:51 PM

mellow lady

quote:
HLA seems to be better with there staff as does RC

Do you mean Holland America Line (HAL)? If so HAL certainly has not doubled up on staff - if anything they have been short-staffed since 9/11 and this shows in the dining room.

If staff get time off in NY, where are they going to go?? All most of them want to do is go to a grocery store to stock up on essentials. They only have a couple of hours to do this and it's not every week that they get time off in port. They don't have time to go "touring".

I think your cabin steward was handing you a load of bs - if she wanted to see the World then she should have paid for a vacation on her own time.

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

mellow lady
First Class Passenger
Member # 5759

posted 06-21-2005 06:00 PM

NO she wasn't the girl was promised one thing( she was from poland) and she got something else..her supervisor quit on this run of ours.

I dont much care if you dont belive me..I know they work the ships to travel the world.in say 93-95 they got off a lot of the time..ahead of the pasengers..surely you dont think they should work from 7-10 and nver get off the ship..how crude.how english though

As for HAL ..well there you go..if you had bad service on there ship I do hope you said someting..RCLwas great and they had more staff than we knew what t odo with.and they smiled!

Many of QM2 ' staff were from there..they are going back to RC and celebrity though go figure!

cheers you are a fun lot!

Posts: 19 | From: The world | Registered: Jun 2005 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 06-21-2005 06:23 PM

Just don't believe everything the cabin stewards/esses tell you either. Stories can easily be told to gain sympathy. Cabin crew will get time off in port on a rota basis; I assume newbies would get less time. Changeover day is the busiest day for them; woebetide the grumpy pax if their cabins are not ready on embarkation. I doubt any get off ahead of the passengers. When at a general port of call, crew with time ashore, get off last and have to be back aboard at least 30 mins, usually an hour before the pax, their times are always written on the boards.

The OP however is going for a nurses job.. entirely different kettle of fish.

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 06-21-2005 07:35 PM

Did I say we had bad service?? I don't think so. I said they were short-staffed, therefore service was slower than usual. This has all happened since 9/11 when the Indonesians cannot get the Visas to work on ships sailing out of the US. And no, we did not complain - we are not complainers and go with the flow. Have sailed HAL for 24 years and not once have we ever complained.

My family is Polish and I'm sorry to say, but I have heard more sob stories from relatives over there who thinks money grows on trees in Canada and the US. I still say it's a lot of BS.

I don't know where you come from (the World) tells us nothing) but I don't understand your comment "how rude, how English".

I'm with you Pam - no way do crew get off before passengers. Someone is handing "mellow lady" a lot of bs and she is believing them.

On HAL ships, nurses are considered as Officers, and have far more privileges than crew.

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Globaliser
First Class Passenger
Member # 4153

posted 07-04-2005 01:51 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Jekyll:
What I find more alarming are the number of posters that come to Cruise Talk who have just BOUGHT a cruise for thousands of dollars and THEN come on here to do the reserach.

Generally, people who do this are not researching in any accepted sense. They are looking for others to validate the decision that they have already made.

Posts: 1869 | From: UK | Registered: Sep 2003 | IP: Logged

feargus
First Class Passenger
Member # 3982

posted 07-24-2005 03:37 PM

between myself and my wife we have worked for six cruise lines on many ships. i as an engineer and my wife in the hotel dept. yes we were both officers and had time off as did the crew under us. i also know that cabin stewards etc use the i get no time off story to get bigger tips in a lot of cases.

Posts: 249 | From: Halifax,Canada / Abu Dhabi, UAE | Registered: Jul 2003 | IP: Logged

letsgo
First Class Passenger
Member # 5681

posted 08-08-2005 08:23 PM

So Susan did you take the position? If you did could you let us all know how it really is on a ship as crew? Thanks

Posts: 10 | From: oregon | Registered: May 2005 | IP: Logged

chrisrotlmacin
First Class Passenger
Member # 4531

posted 08-17-2005 08:14 PM

Short Answer : is NCLA or NCL ??? depends on the ship and postion . give more details pelase .

Posts: 233 | From: Romania ,the home country of Dracula and with the best cruise crew in the world | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

Waynaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 3484

posted 08-17-2005 10:35 PM

quote:
Originally posted by chrisrotlmacin:
Short Answer : is NCLA or NCL ??? depends on the ship and postion . give more details pelase .

Sorry if I derail the topic, but Chris, WELCOME BACK!

Where have you been?

Posts: 6108 | From: Vallejo,CA : California Maritime Academy!!! | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

chrisrotlmacin
First Class Passenger
Member # 4531

posted 08-19-2005 07:36 AM

Cruising Alaska !!! On board Norwegian Star full time till december !!!!

Posts: 233 | From: Romania ,the home country of Dracula and with the best cruise crew in the world | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

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