Life at sea isn’t as great as you think ( from an ex crew members view)!

In 1991 I joined the Pacific Princess as a Junior Bar Stewardess in Vancouver.  After a long flight via Dallas Fort Worth and Mexico City to get to Vancouver I was exhausted. The cruise lines certainly didn’t want to waste money on direct flights although they did give us an overnight before joining the ship. After a few days settling in I was given my first weeks rota which had “whale watch on the bridge” as one of my shifts. As a newbie I did not want to rock the boat, excuse the pun, and even though in the back of my mind I knew it was a prank I did not dare not show up. So off I strolled on to the bridge where the Deputy Captain issued me with a yellow coat, hat and a pair of binoculars and sent me out to the bridge wing to look for whales so that he could let the guests know. I had been there half an hour before he said I should try the other side and as I was walking over the bridge deck I happened to glance round to see tears running down the senior officers face as they tried to suppress their laughter! Suffice to say I realised it was a joke and took it in the spirit it was intended. Many others were subjected to long stands and sent for still soda!!

Margarita anyone!!

Working on board was great fun but hard work and sleep became more important than food and at lunch time I would nip to my cabin for a quick snooze. I even, on occasion, had a quick snooze in the disabled toilets on deck rather than walk round the deck one more time.  I remember going for a nap in my cabin  one day and waking up and seeing that the time was 5.30 and thought I was late for first sitting in the dining room so literally ran to the dining room through the galley to the amusement of the bakers as it was 5.30am!!!

Privacy was something that we all craved but never could achieve as we worked in such close quarters with our fellow crew members but friends we made on ship were and still are friends for life. Many romances began on the ships and mine has certainly stood the test of time as we have been together 24 years and married for 20 years in March.

My husband, Bruce, and I on the old Royal Princess

Bruce and I on the new Royal Princess 21 years later

Would I do it agin? Yes I probably would as its always easy to remember the good times and the camaraderie that was felt on board. Would I recommend it to my kids! Absolutely because it’s a great opportunity to travel the world for free and get paid for it. Although I would recommend they study hard first and go on board as a manager and perhaps make a career out of it then at least I can finally get a free cruise.