A Little Notoriety Means No Place to Hide

February 22, 2012 – A Little Notoriety Means No Place to Hide

An officer becomes a bit of a celebrity on Celebrity. Far less than 100 people wear the stripes, which makes you stand out wherever you go. As the T&D Manager I am obviously one who will constantly be stopped by crew to help them answer almost any question they have, as I’m one of the first two people they meet when they join the ship. The guests, too, see the white shirt with the epaulets, and many are quick to strike up a conversation. I’ve learned that when I need to get from one end of the ship to the other there is actually no guaranteed quick way to do it. No matter what corridor or area I’m traversing I am very likely to be stopped. Since one of our hallmarks is friendliness, you don’t have the option to stride quickly by without talking if someone wants to. I support that philosophy but it does cause some challenges.

Then if you gain some additional notoriety by, oh, shaking your booty on Dancing With the Stripes, then you truly have no place to hide. For those who didn’t see the dancing live, it is, of course, replayed on the Celebrity Life Activities channel . . . time and time and time and time, again. Once that happens on the cruise, I cannot get through any brief stroll without being stopped and complimented on the performance. If that is not enough, there are many of our cruisers who cruise either back-to-back cruises or who are very frequent cruisers and already are back of their second time since I’ve been here.

So instead of only having to deal with that public recognition for a few days at the end of each cruise, I know am starting to be ‘recognizable’ from the day that new guests come onboard. It’s charming, of course, and the older ladies appreciate it the most. The gentlemen tend to like it as my full-on, no holds barred, performance reminds the men who are middle-aged and older that they can still do more than they thought. It’s charming really, but how often can you say “Thank you so much. I’m glad you enjoyed it. My purpose is to help you have fun,” before you start to wear out. Takes more energy than the dancing. However, as we always remind each other, the only purpose of our jobs is to delight our guests, so I’m glad to be able to do my part.

The cult following that DWTS has among the crew, though, is unexpected. More and more crew is coming to watch the event or ensure that they catch the replays on the cabin television. Right now I seem to be their favorite because I think it shocks them that the older white guy actually can get out there and move. One of our theater lighting technicians, Milos, has already told me that when we go to Venice he wants me to go to the clubs with him because he thinks I’d be great to party with. LOL. That’s a type of notoriety I don’t need.

And the adventure continues . . .