February 15, 2012
Last night was the most upscale crew party I have seen. It was the annual Valentine’s Day party, and it adopted the ‘Bad Romance’ Theme from Lady Gaga. With almost all the crew away from their loved ones, Valentines is more of a celebration of absent love, except for those who have struck up a shipboard romance. Since the Production Cast was hosting the party, I was curious to see what flair they might bring to the evening and how the rest of the crew would connect with a party hosted by a group with a very different set of privileges and expectations than most of those onboard.
The party was in the Sky View Lounge, a large bar and dance floor at the bow of the ship. It has spectacular 180 degree views and is very, very comfortable. It is where the Captain’s Club parties are held. For this late night, it was closed to guests and made available to crew. The starting time for the party was at 11:30pm and its duration was scheduled until 2am. I arrived at ten minutes to midnight, having worked late to ensure that I was still awake at the appointed hour. Much to my amazement the lounge was almost completely empty. Four or five crew were standing at the main bar, while about a half dozen of the Production Cast was sitting in one of the comfortable alcoves. I chatted at the bar with the CMs standing there for a few minutes and then took my drink over to the group of entertainers, determined not to let the cliques stay cliques.
My entrée into their circle seemed to surprise them, at first, as few seem to cross that line. We quickly started sharing stories, and any perceived barrier quickly dissolved. By about 12:30am, there were probably 50-75 people in attendance. I purposefully approached different peer groups as I saw this as a great opportunity for every department to intermingle. At this point the large dance floor in the middle of the lounge was essentially empty, even though the DJ had been playing music since midnight.
Sometime between then and 1am, the party exploded. I ran into Laura and her friend, Deb (Youth Activities Manager), about that time and when we looked up from our conversation there were almost 300 people present and the dance floor was packed! Sometime shortly thereafter I bought a drink for the Casino Host, Ralph, which led to a lengthy conversation, followed by his obligatory return of the complementary beverage. By the time I next looked at my watch it was 2:35am and the party was still going strong. When I asked what time we had the lounge until I was told that the Staff Captain had approved an extension until 3am.
Looking around Sky Lounge at that point, I realized how much the people in attendance seemed to need this night of luxury. I left the party with it in full swing, understanding how soon the morning would come. From the facial expressions on the I-95 the next morning, it was clear that many others should have realized the same. But the morning after for most was undoubtedly worth the time in celebration.
And the adventure continues . . .
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