Day 26: About Cruise Sprites and Elves
Passengers on cruise ships enjoy a luxurious and decadent lifestyle—so do we. This blog is dedicated to the many crew members who make it all possible.
A heartfelt thank you to every one of you!
To respect the privacy of both guests and staff, this blog includes no photos.
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At sea, the captain is both boss and god, holding the ultimate authority with no higher instance to call upon. On the "Love boat," the captain is a friendly bachelor in his early 50s, attracting love letters from almost every female passenger. This stereotype holds true here, too. Most captains begin their careers in the navy, coast guard, or cargo shipping, where they develop the skills and experience needed to handle critical situations like navigating storms—although cruise ships usually go to great lengths to avoid them. Just imagine how passengers would react if meals couldn’t be served due to rough seas, or how a senior with a rollator might waltz unsteadily down the corridors in high waves!
The captain oversees
- The nautical crew who is responsible for safely navigating the ship from port to port and maintaining the ship’s technical infrastructure, including the engines, fresh water supply, sewerage, electricity, and garbage systems. Passengers rarely interact with this team, which also includes the medical staff in the onboard hospital.
- The hotel crew, on the other hand, is always in touch with guests. Some, like waiters, spa and gym staff, and receptionists, are the guests’ main points of contact. Others work behind the scenes in areas that are off-limits to passengers.
- An invisible team focuses on security, ensuring that only authorized persons board the ship and that no weapons or illegal goods make it onboard.
- Lastly, there are the entertainers—singers, dancers, and performers—who are often freelancers hired for specific cruises, though some stay for years, making the cruise circuit their career.
A Hierarchy of Expertise
As in the military or large organizations, cruise ships have a hierarchy of officers and staff. Officers usually have long-term contracts, providing stability to the organization, while most staff members work on seasonal contracts lasting 6–9 months. Neither officers nor staff are tied to a specific ship; they rotate among the fleet based on the company’s needs.
In this blog, I’ll focus on the staff—the individuals we interact with daily and our main sources of seafarers’ tales. My first impression: they are everywhere, and their numbers are astonishing! Cleaners ensure every room, corridor, staircase, and restaurant sparkles. Teams move deck chairs, distribute and collect thousands of towels daily, and maintain an impressive level of efficiency.
Service, Redefined
If you’ve experienced restaurant service in Germany, prepare for a revelation. On a cruise, service takes on a whole new meaning. In Germany, one server often handles everything, is rarely available when needed, and then expects a tip. Here, service is a finely tuned operation involving multiple workers, each with a specific role:
- The Usher: Welcomes you at the entrance and finds the one empty table among 300.
- The Drink Server: Quickly brings water, takes orders for aperitifs, beer, wine, or coffee, and ensures your wine glass never runs dry.
- The Main Server (key account manager): Engages in small talk, presents the menu, takes your order, adjusts your cutlery based on your choices, and ensures all meals are perfectly coordinated—even if a couple’s preferences don’t sync. At the end he wishes you a good night and asks you to come back to his tables.
- The Nameless Servers: Glide silently between tables, clearing empty plates and cutlery with remarkable efficiency.
Each worker is focused, extremely busy, and yet always smiling. Dinner service lasts from 5:30 PM to around 9:30 PM. As late diners, starting at 8 PM, we’re always amazed that their energy and enthusiasm never falter. Did I mention they also handle breakfast and lunch service?
All-Inclusive Excellence
Initially, I was skeptical of the all-inclusive drink service. The list of complimentary drinks is impressive—“Red Label” whiskey is free, and “Black Label” costs less than it does in Herrsching. I assumed there would be a catch: long wait times to discourage over-consumption, perhaps. I was completely wrong.
In the larger bars, 5–7 servers circulate constantly, taking drink orders and delivering them within minutes. If you decide you’ve had enough, they seem genuinely disappointed—it feels like they take pride in making sure your glass is never empty!
Career Paths at Sea
The career paths of cruise ship staff are as diverse as the ocean they sail. For members of the nautical crew, the decision to become seafarers often begins early in life. They come from all over the world, with a few Germans among them.
On the other hand, the service staff often start their careers in restaurants or the hotel industry on land. For many, cruise ships provide an opportunity to earn more money, though the working conditions are far from the typical 9-to-5 jobs preferred in unionized industries. Most service staff come from Indonesia and the Philippines, with some from landlocked countries like Kyrgyzstan. Germans often occupy leadership positions within this team.
To give you a more personal perspective, let me introduce three of our favorite service providers (names and details have been changed to protect their identities):
- Age: 20, from Germany, single
- recently completed her education in hotel and restaurant management in Rosenheim, Germany. This cruise marks her first job in the industry. Thanks to her excellent language skills, she secured a position as a bartender, giving her a lot of exposure to guests while bypassing the physically demanding "utility" roles typically assigned to non-German speakers. Lisa is just starting her career and remains uncertain about her future. For now, the world of cruising is one of her exciting options.
- Age: 30, from Indonesia, single
- works as a main server and has been employed on cruise ships for over three years. His dream is to save enough money to return home, start a family, and open a small Bed & Breakfast. For Ahmat, each shift is a step closer to building the life he envisions for himself.
- Age: 55, from the Philippines, married with children
- oversees a popular bar and has been working on cruise ships for an impressive 30 years. He’s seen it all and continues to serve with dedication while waiting for the right moment to retire and enjoy a well-deserved rest with his family.
Different Journeys, Common Dreams
These three individuals showcase the varied life paths that lead people to the cruise industry. Lisa, Ahmat, and Carlos are all working hard in their own ways to achieve their dreams.
Let’s wish them—and all their colleagues—the very best in achieving their dreams.
Logbook
Middle of the Indian Ocean
Timezone: GMT+6
Speed: 34 km/h. Wind: 28 km/h. Heading: 52°
Time to next port: 5 days
Risk of hallucinations: MEDIUM
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