Cruise Zanza Blue - President – Shawn Kaufmann – comment is included in this post. www.CruiseZanzaBlue.com
Cruise Zanza Blue
USA TODAY Link
http://blogs.usatoday.com/cruiselog/2008/08/carnival-employ.html#uslPageReturn
This item was written by USA TODAY travel editor Chris Gray. Gray is serving as Guest Editor of The Cruise Log this week while USA TODAY Cruise Editor Gene Sloan is on assignment in Europe.
No matter how much fun you’re having on your cruises, chances are the real party is going on in the crew’s quarters.
Or at least that’s what Brian David Bruns, a former restaurant worker for Carnival Cruise Lines, would have you think. His new book, Cruise Confidental ($14.95, Travelers’ Tales), outlines his year as a restaurant worker on ships such as the Conquest, the Legend and the Fantasy — an appropriate name as Bruns devotes many pages toward describing his seemingly endless parade of gorgeous international co-workers.
(He attempts to stay faithful to his tempermental Transylvanian girlfriend Bianca, despite all-night toga parties and round-the-clock drinkfests. Whether or not he succumbs to temptation is an underlying plot point).
Bruns isn’t the first to dish about sex on the high seas. Former Carnival assistant cruise director Micha Berman told similar tales of debauchery in his book, Permanent Passenger: My Life on a Cruise Ship earlier this year. It seems these cruise ship jobs—which come with 80 hour workweeks, the benefits of pretty co-workers notwithstanding—draw people who like to work and play hard.
So how about it, Cruise Loggers. Would you give up a year of your life to work on a cruise ship? –Chris Gray
jskaufmann wrote:
I just had to make a comment in reference to this subject. First, I have not read the book nor do I think I will commit the $15 bucks. I have heard several crew members state they would write a book one day. It’s good to see that this guy did.
However, I have worked onboard 28 ships in many levels anywhere from 4 months to 13 months non stop spanning over a decade. I also had the pleasure of working several lines, Carnival being my favorite with the respect to crew morale. Now I must admit great times were had onboard. A little know secret is those great parties have been on a downslide since the 80’s. The 1990’s were pretty much the last great hoorah.
With the lines becoming larger and larger more of an office style corporate presence has developed, and for good reason. Rule books that can choke a horse, breathalyzers being standard equipment for security guards to keep a check on crew, let’s not forget in a state of emergency those crew members are your line of defense.
That too I account for since the July of 1998 Ecstasy fire in the port of Miami was my largest effort towards saving the ship and keeping the guests safe by all of us crew putting ourselves on the line. There are some very serious moments onboard that test your loyalties, you would be surprised how loyal those crew members are to the ship (and not necessary the corporation) and to fellow crew members and importantly the ships passengers.
With the addition of security camera’s covering every crew area and of course the unfortunate few who screwed it up for the rest of forcing management to clamp down on the good old times type fun, making it much quieter below decks. A noise complaint from a fellow crew member will result in a few security guards arriving in a matter of minutes breaking up a would be cabin party. With some of the new rules in place things have gotten even quieter.
Recently Carnival made all crew bars (and crew cabins) non smoking. Not that’s a way to clear out a bar. It’s not like New York were you can go onto the sidewalk to sneek a smoke. Let’s not forget a very large amount of the crew are foreign and smoking is still just fine back home. You would be amazed at how smoky crew bars really are (Alternatively Royal Caribbean is bring most of the crew bars out to the crew area open decks leaving everyone pretty happy).
Bottom line, I have hundreds of great stories that to many seem outrageous, that does include the things I have seen Guests do. (In fact on many ships the guest nightlife is better than the crew’s). Yes I have been to a crew toga party. Those along with many other “Theme” crew parties are hosted and monitored by the ships management.
As far as the sex? If you put nearly 1000 single people between the ages of 21 and 35 things will happen. Here is the downside, many ships the ratio of females to males are very different giving the gals a pick at the litter. From all my experiences any guy who slept around would get shut down pretty quickly (word travels lightning fast and gossip is king for crew) no gal wants a guy who sleeps around on or off ships. Unless this guy was the sexiest man walking I find huge conquests unlikely. Well then again, his hit list would tend to be much higher than normal life considering the lifestyle and a new ship brings a fresh reputation. I of course brought sand to the beach. My wife (back in the in the 90’s my girlfriend) and I worked the ships together.
Yes we all have some drinks and have a good old time but if you have a picture of “Animal House” when it comes to a crew bar your in for a surprise. 99% of the time we are all just winding down from a hard days work. But it much more lively then living back home. Working on a cruise ship isn’t a job, considering the hours and dedication it’s a passion. I loved every minute and do not regret a moment. I have made serious friends all over the globe. I have an average of two people a month flying through and staying at my house who I met onboard the ships. My wife and I do get the itch to jump back onboard but we are trying to stick to land and be loyal to our dogs. (Since we cannot bring them with).
Well if you have read this far I am surprised. Looking above I surely typed out allot. I think your all right about “Sex and Parties” sell books.
Shawn Kaufmann
President
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