First Day was Torture

The travel was hell as expected. I can’t sleep on trains, planes and automobiles so by the time we reached the bus stop in Poe-dunk Paducah KY, I was done. At this point I’d been up almost 24 hours no sleep. It’s 3am, the bus driver drops us off in the normal sketchy part of town with sketchy people all around. It’s 3am and ACL had arranged for a taxi to meet us. Our email indicated that if you have problems ANY where along your travels call and we’ll help.

At 3:05 am, we call the taxi company. No answer. 3:10am we call ACL, no answer. Then we call the ship contact, no answer. At 3:15 I call a local taxi cab and arrange for pick up. Then this Black unmarked vehicle pulls up and says he is our ride. I inquire which company he is from. He says what does it matter? I replied…If you are the ACL arranged taxi, I need to cancel the one I just ordered. He said do what you gotta do. I asked again who he was affiliated with, so that I’d know if I had to make a phone call, or he could be the guy I called…I don’t know. He yells, what does it matter who I’m with. Drop the attitude lady. Then he tells the group, if I don’t stop, he won’t take me to the ship, I can just wait for whomever I called. One of the girls said, Ok, let me ask you this. How much is this ride going to cost us. He said, nothing, I have already been paid.

Well that answered our question. So I cancelled the other cab. We arrive at the ship and are escorted to our rooms. I have 2 roommates who are servers. They work day hours only, and of course are sound asleep. It’s now 4:30am I just crawl into bed and try to wind down from the adventure.

5:00am their alarm goes off. They get up turn on lights and start getting ready. Then they realize their alarm went off an hour too early and go back to bed. 6:00am they are up and getting ready. 7am they are out the door. Now most people are up, other crew doors opening closing, maids vacuuming upstairs. Finally at 8:00am I just get up and shower. My shift starts at noon. The only thing I know is lunch is at 11:00 and I’m to be in uniform prepared to start my shift at noon.

I am shadowing another deckhand to learn the ropes. We have 2 hour shifts within our 12 hour work day. So for the first 2 hours we are at the gangway scanning guests as they come on and off the boat. Then we make security rounds where we walk every inch of the ship, upstairs, downstairs, engine rooms, galley…so much walking. Then we get to what I’m familiar with…washdowns. But they use hot water, it’s hot outside and we are in the direct sunlight, wearing thick long pants, and under shirt and a collared shirt. So freaking hot. Dinner is at 4:30 we are allowed 15 minutes to eat and get back to work. Provisions arrive we unload boxes from a truck and dolly them to the boat..still sweating.

While guests are at an entertainment event, we scrub and wash the back lounge area…still sweating. We do security rounds again. Then gangway watch, where by this time, no passengers are coming or going. You stand there for 2 hours, cannot sit, cannot be on your phone. It is now 10pm I have not had sleep in 41 hours and I am informed the final 2 hours of my shift is relieving the captain in the bridge. He needs rest, as we are departing at midnight. That is when my shift was “supposed to end”. I am now needed to help with undocking. Sitting in the bridge, It’s dark, quiet, no one to talk to nothing to do. That was the hardest part I think. Trying to stay awake. Then one of our bosses comes up and says, why don’t you guys wash the windows. Mind you, this is a 320ft cruise ship, the bridge windows are not small.

It’s midnight, we get our life jackets on and go to the gangway. Unhook all of the heavy water hoses and roll them up neatly. Put everything away at the entrance of the gangway. It’s amazing to see how the crew on a boat this size pull their lines in. It is now 1:15am I can go to bed.

I sleep until my roommates get up at 6am, then I lay and rest thinking I have to do it all over again in 4 hours.

But for now. I sit on the top deck, drinking my coffee with a beautiful view

…and search for yacht jobs! HA HA