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Back with another ship story. Have to do a bit of back story since I don't think there are a lot (or any) cruise ship workers on here.
When we're in the Caribbean we used to have what we called an "Island Night". What we would do is cover one (of the 8) pool with a metal stage and set up for the bands to play. There would be contests and dancing and lots of drinking. It usually one of the biggest events during the week.
What we would do is put up signs the night before saying that the pool is off limits for that day to allow us to set up. We started setting up at noon for the 6pm start time (2 hours to set the stage up, 1 hour for band set up, 1 hour for sound check, 5 minutes to eat dinner, 1.5 hours to set up decorations, then in position 30 minutes before start time). We needed every minute of this time to make sure everything is done correctly.
At 11:45, we all head out to the back deck by the pool. We're in port that day, so most passengers are off for most of the set up (they get back on board at 4:30, eat dinner then come to the party). We see that there is one passenger on the deck in a lounger tanning her (rather large) self. Our Production Manager goes up to her and asks her to move to one of the other 1000 or so other chairs available on the 2 decks.
SC: The sign says the pool is closed. I can stay here if I want. I'm not in the pool!
PM: Ma'am, the sign means that the whole pool area is closed.
SC: Well it don't say that. You can't make me move!
So we kind of discuss what to do. The pieces of the stage weigh about 90lbs each and there are 30 of them, plus 12 heavy metal beams. These things get whipped around quite quickly sometimes because we all know where we are supposed to be at what point. PM goes back to her
PM: Well ma'am, we can't make you move, but I do have to ask that if you are going to stay here that you have to stay the entire time we set up. If you move and we don't know it, you could be hit by any number of things and we are not responsible as we have asked you to move.
SC: No y'all will not set up. I will stay here as long as I want and you will set up after I decide I am done. The party doesn't start until 6, you have lots of time.
PM: No ma'am, we will not. We have to start now or the entire party will be delayed.
SC: I don't care. There are always no chairs available by any of the other pools.
PM: On days when we are at sea that is true, but there are only about 100 passengers still onboard and we have over 1000 chairs available.
She still would not leave, but when we tried to start setting up, she kept getting up and yelling (almost got taken out twice) at us to stop. PM finally called the Cruise Director (who luckily was onboard and not drinking up a storm in with the rest of the crew). CD came to take with her and explained that we had to set up now or the party would not go on in time. She (of course) listened to him and was as sweet as pie, mentioning to him that we were threatening to hit her with the stage parts if she did not move and that we were "swearing like sailors" (we weren't). Luckily this was one of the few really cool CD's. His reply:
CD: Ma'am, they are sailors. And in this situation, when they are working in an area that is supposed to be closed off to passengers. They can say whatever the hell they want.
She made a fish face
and left in a huff, muttering about telling the Captain about all of this. The CD turned to us and said "You should have hit her...how could you miss? And 'talking to the Captain'? Good luck, lady. If he ever recovers from his hangover, he'll probably just be drinking with the other officers until the Captain's cocktail party." (where he'd make a speech, down a few glasses of horrible wine we hand out to passengers, then finish his bottle of Lemoncello in the Officer's Ward Room. Anyone whose worked on a ship know that the Captain is mostly a figure head and spends about 30 minutes a day on the Bridge and usually has no idea what else is happening on the rest of the ship.
We're moving from Vancouver back to Southern Ontario, so I haven't been on much lately. More stories after the move next week.
****EDIT:
I found a link if anyone wants to watch the set up. I wasn't a part of this particular crew, but it's the same set up on every ship.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0vMP...4ECB47&index=6
Includes set up, band set up, party and tear down (at 10X speed)
When we're in the Caribbean we used to have what we called an "Island Night". What we would do is cover one (of the 8) pool with a metal stage and set up for the bands to play. There would be contests and dancing and lots of drinking. It usually one of the biggest events during the week.
What we would do is put up signs the night before saying that the pool is off limits for that day to allow us to set up. We started setting up at noon for the 6pm start time (2 hours to set the stage up, 1 hour for band set up, 1 hour for sound check, 5 minutes to eat dinner, 1.5 hours to set up decorations, then in position 30 minutes before start time). We needed every minute of this time to make sure everything is done correctly.
At 11:45, we all head out to the back deck by the pool. We're in port that day, so most passengers are off for most of the set up (they get back on board at 4:30, eat dinner then come to the party). We see that there is one passenger on the deck in a lounger tanning her (rather large) self. Our Production Manager goes up to her and asks her to move to one of the other 1000 or so other chairs available on the 2 decks.
SC: The sign says the pool is closed. I can stay here if I want. I'm not in the pool!
PM: Ma'am, the sign means that the whole pool area is closed.
SC: Well it don't say that. You can't make me move!
So we kind of discuss what to do. The pieces of the stage weigh about 90lbs each and there are 30 of them, plus 12 heavy metal beams. These things get whipped around quite quickly sometimes because we all know where we are supposed to be at what point. PM goes back to her
PM: Well ma'am, we can't make you move, but I do have to ask that if you are going to stay here that you have to stay the entire time we set up. If you move and we don't know it, you could be hit by any number of things and we are not responsible as we have asked you to move.
SC: No y'all will not set up. I will stay here as long as I want and you will set up after I decide I am done. The party doesn't start until 6, you have lots of time.
PM: No ma'am, we will not. We have to start now or the entire party will be delayed.
SC: I don't care. There are always no chairs available by any of the other pools.
PM: On days when we are at sea that is true, but there are only about 100 passengers still onboard and we have over 1000 chairs available.
She still would not leave, but when we tried to start setting up, she kept getting up and yelling (almost got taken out twice) at us to stop. PM finally called the Cruise Director (who luckily was onboard and not drinking up a storm in with the rest of the crew). CD came to take with her and explained that we had to set up now or the party would not go on in time. She (of course) listened to him and was as sweet as pie, mentioning to him that we were threatening to hit her with the stage parts if she did not move and that we were "swearing like sailors" (we weren't). Luckily this was one of the few really cool CD's. His reply:
CD: Ma'am, they are sailors. And in this situation, when they are working in an area that is supposed to be closed off to passengers. They can say whatever the hell they want.
She made a fish face
and left in a huff, muttering about telling the Captain about all of this. The CD turned to us and said "You should have hit her...how could you miss? And 'talking to the Captain'? Good luck, lady. If he ever recovers from his hangover, he'll probably just be drinking with the other officers until the Captain's cocktail party." (where he'd make a speech, down a few glasses of horrible wine we hand out to passengers, then finish his bottle of Lemoncello in the Officer's Ward Room. Anyone whose worked on a ship know that the Captain is mostly a figure head and spends about 30 minutes a day on the Bridge and usually has no idea what else is happening on the rest of the ship. We're moving from Vancouver back to Southern Ontario, so I haven't been on much lately. More stories after the move next week.
****EDIT:
I found a link if anyone wants to watch the set up. I wasn't a part of this particular crew, but it's the same set up on every ship.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0vMP...4ECB47&index=6
Includes set up, band set up, party and tear down (at 10X speed)
That was beautiful!
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