Movie Night and the Swan Song of the Dream Team

February 2, 2012

They say that all good things must end, someday . . . It is the nature of life on ships that the composition of the crew continually changes. With contracts averaging between four and eight months, there is a constant rotation of the personnel on board. When you are a team of four, as is our HR department, it is inevitable that in something less than two months you will say goodbye to a teammate. I was blessed to be planted in an outstanding first group with which to work. Distinct but complementary personalities, with a matching integrated diversity of talents. We affably, but pretentiously, called ourselves the Dream Team.

But one always awakes from a dream. Just a week ago we were reminded that Yez was actually a vacation replacement for Laverne, who was the opening crew administrator for the Silhouette. Sadly, I realized, that Yez’s last day would be in the middle of my quick trip off ship to Dani’s Ring Dance. So, the urgency of impending transition began to sink into each of our consciousnesses. It was, without question, time for one final evening of camaraderie.

With all the fine entertainment and dining options available, we chose instead to gather together for an old fashioned family movie night. Perhaps not quite so ‘old fashioned’ as we decided to wrap up work early to ensure we had time to enjoy each other’s company. That’s right; we agreed to sneak out of work at 10 . . . . . . . .  . .  PM. Such slackers, I know! We would all race to our cabins, put on comfy clothes . . . time for the sweats and t-shirts that never see the light of day, order room service, and put a DVD in the player . . . in Laura’s room. One advantage of having 3 ½ stripes is that she has a suite, with a discreet living room and bedroom. With a large couch, an easy chair and two dining chairs we had more than enough seating for the four of us.

Of course I took ownership of bringing the wine, while Laura ordered the room service. I had not had a burger and fries in 2012, so I indulged my suppressed cravings. The movie we chose with neither current nor blessed with much artistic merit. But Rush Hour: 3 was the perfect diversion for four weary professionals. Despite the fact that Dwight kept getting texts from the latest love interest in his life . . . sorry buddy . . . we enjoyed two hours of family-style fun (with all the good-natured teasing of loving siblings).

We ended the night, though, realizing that our escape from reality was simply that, an escape. Before the sun set the next day I would be off the ship, and before I rejoined SI, Yez would be gone. When that realization set in as our evening drew to a close, we chose not to deal with the very real emotions that were simmering just below the surface. With quick goodnights we left already talking about the plan for the new work day just a few hours away. And we hit the ground running with freshly pressed uniforms replacing the sweats, and none of our encounters quite as amusing as those of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. We race through the morning and soon found ourselves at dock in San Juan (somehow the Captain had pulled in without asking our permission). Yez dropped by my office to remind me that I needed to get to Immigration in SKY B in fifteen minutes. A quarter of an hour later, I walked into the conference center on our ship in my civilian clothes with bag in tow. As an American citizen getting off in an American port, I was given priority with the Immigration agents who just came on board.

Yez handed me my passport and directed me to the front of the line without making eye contact. I was quickly processed through and directed to head to the gangway to be directed to my crew shuttle to the airport. Just before leaving the room I turned and looked for Yez and caught her eye. I asked if I would see her down on the dock before I left. She shook her head ‘no.’ Not knowing what to say to a new friend who had been an anchor to my successful transition I simply held out my arms. She ran across the conference room and we hugged tightly for a minute. With work still waiting, she turned and went back to herding the sign-offs through immigration. I headed in the opposite direction and out the door and onto the lift heading twelve decks down.

When I passed through security and my foot hit the gangway, the Dream Team came to an end. By the time I was scheduled to rejoin Silhouette, Yez would be on Equinox, and Laverne would greet me onboard.

The adventure continues . . .

Worth Bragging About!

February 1, 2012

I’m proud to be a member of Celebrity Cruise Lines. When I made the decision to accept this position, it was not primarily about pay, for there are many other jogs that would have paid more. It was not primarily about content, for there are a growing number of training and development jobs in great locations around the country. It was not primarily about location, for while it is nice to be on a ship in the Caribbean, it is equally as hard to be away from home and family for months at a time.

My decision to pursue this career option was based significantly on joining a company whose culture was in line with my beliefs on how a company should be run. And as I move toward completing my first month in the position, I can clearly say that although no company is perfect, Celebrity Cruise Lines is an organization that ‘get’s it.’ We ‘get it’ not just with our head, but with our heart and soul, as well.

We ‘get it’ with their head. I am proud that my employer has made conscious decisions that not only improve the bottom line, but make a positive impact on the world. One of the first mandatory classes that each new crew member takes is our Environmental Course. This course describes the ways that Celebrity consistently makes decisions to “Save the Waves,” through environmental conservation. Our newest ships have converted from diesel to gasoline thus reducing our atmospheric emissions by over 25%. As a crew we also work hard to reduce fuel consumption with rules that require us to not only turn off every light when we leave our cabins, but unplug all electrical devices to minimize the impacts of ‘phantom power’ consumption. We have our own self-contained water purification system on the ship allowing us to convert salt water and waste water to water purer than created by most municipal systems. Although international law allows us to release refuse into open waters, we never do. We have an active, reduce, reuse, and recycle program on ship. Yes, all of these steps help us reduce costs, but they also reduce the impact of our floating hotels on the environment.

We ‘get it’ with our heart. We believe in being good citizens to benefit all the port cities that we visit. One of our key charitable endeavors is gifting of donated goods to the people of Haiti. During the course of the cruise we collect clothes and other reusable goods from crew members, especially from those who are signing off. These goods are distributed to those in need when we make our scheduled stops in Haiti.

We ‘get it’ with our soul. The soul of the company is our people. We have a slogan that describes our ships as ‘Starring Crew.’ We work to truly treat our crews like stars, knowing that they will in turn honor our guests. All the training and crew focused events and celebrations that HR does is oriented to honor the stars of our show. And it seems to be working, especially if you are part of the Silhouette family. In the last two months our crew satisfaction surveys have scored the highest in the fleet. This pays forward to our guests. For the last cruise ending on January 29^th, we just received word that our guest surveys showed 99% of our guests rated us very good or excellent. Coupled with overall and individual category ratings that were consistently above target, we will soon be ranked the top ship in the fleet by customers, as well.  All based on the effort we invest in taking care of our people.

You bet I’m bragging . . . but it is something worth bragging about!

And the adventure continues . . .

Dining Out . . . and Boy’s Night Out

January 31, 2011

We work hard, but we do get to reap the fruits of our labors. One of the many nice benefits of our jobs is that officers are allowed to frequent most of the guest venues. One of our favorite things to do is to dine at the specialty restaurants onboard. The Crew Mess is good for basic fair and quick meals. Easily accessible for breakfast when one is racing to work and simple and close for mid-day meals. But if one needs to put their evening uniform on to mingle with guests, one might as well put that effort to good use by eating in the guest areas. The Ocean View Café is great for a spur of the moment meals, but can be terribly predictable. So, when we feel like mixing it up a little bit, we look to dine at the specialties.

However, we are budget conscious, so we generally choose to do that on nights when discounts are offered to the crew. Depending on the itinerary for the day, specialties will be more or less full. On the nights when the Maitre D’s feel that their restaurant will be less utilized, they like to encourage the crew to dine. We don’t dine for free and our money adds to their bottom line just like our guests’. The guests do have two ‘free’ choices onboard. They can go to the Grand Cuvee Restaurant, which is our main dining room, or the Ocean View Café which they can access for a casual buffet. But they may also take advantage of one of our specialty restaurants to treat themselves to an even more exceptional meal for an added charge. Since we are subject to the same charges, crew two-for-one nights are a big hit!

The Tuscan Grille and Qsine offer two distinct but equally enjoyable experiences. Tuscan was the first specialty restaurant that I enjoyed. It is Italian country fare with excellent steaks and amazing sides. It has a comfortable Old World ambience, and a beautiful view of the ocean to our stern. Qsine is not so easily explained. It is creative and highly contemporary. The menus are iPads, and somewhat interactive. If you click on an item it not only gives you a description, but at times adds a brief tongue in cheek video about delicacies as diverse as Disco Shrimp, Lava Crab, Chi-tinis, or Sushi Tootsie Rolls. If you decide you like a dish you add it to your favorites. Then the favorites of each of the diners at your table are compared, and your culinary tour guide begins to construct a table menu which incorporates the favorites in some logical progression. Essentially, they will keep bringing these family style courses until you cry uncle! It is great fun and entirely delicious. Most nights, Yez or Laura suggests we go out as a team. But one night they each had prior plans. However, it was a two-for-one night.

So, boys night out was planned. Dwight and I agreed to get together for dinner since the women had ditched us. We agreed to meet at Qsine at 8:45pm, and enjoy a leisurely dinner together. Dwight was supposed to set up for Crew Karaoke that night, but Laura offered to cover that for him so that we would have more time, as her dinner was earlier. I completed my walk around of guest areas and then headed to Qsine. As 8:45pm quickly became 9pm, I was reminded the difference between American time and Jamaican time, Dwight’s birthplace. With the normal tact of our team I called him and told him to get there quickly before I had to chew my own arm off. He strolled in a few minutes later, and we began the culinary journey. It was a great evening and I’ve never heard Dwight talk so much. In truth when our female counterparts are there, they do drive the discussion. It was great to get to know about his background, his three year old son, and his thoughts for the future. This is really the value of these specialty restaurant evenings. We each have a chance to relax for a couple of hours and share our stories.

And we each have unusual stories to tell. It isn’t the ‘normal people’ who choose to work on a cruise ship!

And the adventure continues . . .

Things They Don’t Tell You

January 30, 2012

There is a universal truth about engaging in a new job, new activity, or a new lifestyle: you don’t know enough to know what you don’t know. So, when someone asks you if you have any questions, you don’t even have the frame of reference that points you to the questions you should ask. Most learning occurs through trial, error and correction. Such is very true for the life of a crew member on a ship. It is even truer when you are mentored by those very experienced with ships for they can take for granted that which is second nature to them believing it is also intuitively known by others.

This can lead to some embarrassing moments, as previously documented in the Wardrobe Malfunction entry already submitted. But I keep learning some of the more obscure lessons day-by-day. For example, unless you have 3 stripes (I am deficient in this category by ½ ) you do not have the privilege of grazing on the sushi from the sushi bar in the Ocean View Café. Now if you know me at all you understand that I consider sushi an inalienable right, not a privilege, so it never crossed my mind that there was a limitation. The first night that our team dined in Ocean View I happily added several Japanese tasty treats to my plate. When I sat down at the table Laura’s first comment was “I guess I should have mentioned that you are not allowed to have sushi.” Of course I thought she was joking. Alas, she was not. I quickly consumed the offending delicacy lest I cause an international crisis, remembering to not make that mistake twice. But Laura told me the way around this restriction. If I go to eat at approximately 9:15pm, just before they close the sushi line, then the sushi chef is trying to ‘get rid of the remaining sushi’ prior to closing for the night. So, Japanese food on a Continental dining schedule. One of the peculiarities of life at sea.

There is an entire grid of privileges based on your position that is included in the personnel manual. When in doubt, I’ve learned to look there. But even though I now know that I can eat in Tuscan Grill, Murano, QSine, and the Lawn Club, but NOT BLU; and can drink in the Martini Bar but not Cellar Masters; there appear to be nuances to almost everything. The manual refers to some privileges as yes, per policy but fails to add where the additional bits of policy may be found. There are refinements such as I may drink in the Martini Bar, but must do so sitting at a table and not at the bar. I must sit to be served at Café Il Bacio, even if I’m taking my coffee in a To Go cup. When dining in a guest area, no more than four crew members may eat together, without previous permission of the Maître D.

This even extends to cabin servicing. As a two-and-a-half stripe, I am supposed to have my cabin cleaned and made up twice a week. But since I live between two senior officers, my cabin is cleaned daily. Of course, I never assumed it would be cleaned at all. The first day I made my bed. The second day I was running late and did not, but found that when I returned to my cabin my bed was made, turned down, garbage emptied, fresh towels placed in the bathroom and a vacuum had been run! I cleverly concluded I either had cabin service or the neatest burglar ever! However, I’m smart enough to assume that nothing in life is completely free, and was wise enough to ask my manager if it was expected that we tip our attendants. The answer, of course, was yes. So, each time I get paid, he gets paid.

Speaking of pay that is also one of the things that is just a bit different. We get paid in cash. Yep, no direct deposits or EFTs here. To make income immediately available, you are handed the full amount of your semi-monthly pay in a white envelope with lots of bills inside. This strikes me as odd since we run a cashless system onboard. So, after receiving my cash, I take a small amount and put it into a machine to increase my balance on my APass card, which is our onboard debit card. Then the rest of the cash goes directly into my stateroom safe, where it lives until I can arrange a wire transfer from the payroll office to my home bank account. The final thing I will share that they don’t tell you before you sign on is the biggest threat to you on ship.

We are obsessed with preventing gastrointestinal illness (or GI)! With a self-contained community of approximately 4000 persons, 2800 guests and 1200 crew, an outbreak of any virus can spread rapidly. GI is so debilitating and so easy to spread that we are obsessed with its prevention. If cleanliness is next to Godliness, then we are apparently trying to create a ship full of minor deities. We are required to wash our hands both upon entering the mess AND leaving the mess. There are Purell dispensers throughout the ship. If you go more than an hour without washing your hands you start to feel like you are going to be Typhoid Mary. If one percent of the ship’s crew or one percent of her guests contracts the virus, we go to level two of cleaning, which is a complete ship sanitation. As a precautionary measure we completed one of those during Turnaround Day in Bayonne this week. We had approached the magic one percent boundary, and we were going to do whatever we could to back around from that edge.

Sushi, cash, tipping and GI . . . just some of the things they fail to mention when you join this floating community.

And the adventure continues . . .

What are the Odds?

January 29, 2012

With approximately 4000 people onboard a ship for twelve days, the odds are high that an occasional incident requiring some form of emergency response will happen. All ships have a series of codes that are used to communicate to ship’s response teams that an incident has occurred mandating the appropriate response. With a passenger contingent this time of year that is generally much older, as families with children are limited by school, it is predictable that there will be a certain number of medical incidents on each voyage.

What is fairly unusual is that one crew member would encounter two of those in only three days. How did I get so lucky?

The first happened on Turnaround day. My responsibilities on that day begin by helping greet new sign-ons in ‘the tent’ at the dock in Bayonne, and escorting them onto the ship for their orientation.  Needless to say, I’m in and around the gangway quite often. As I finished bringing on our second group of 30 new crew members, one of the security personnel asked if I could escort one of our sign-offs from the ship. Since I was herding my group of 30 onto Silhouette, I made a quick call to Dwight to see if he was available. He told me that he was gathering those signing off who were flying out of JFK in the crew mess, and he would take them off ship in about ten minutes. Equipped with that information, I informed the departing crew understood me, as there was a complete lack of comprehension in his eyes. Given the diversity of primary languages onboard, I prepared to repeat my instructions more slowly and with simpler language. But just as I started my second request, he grabbed his roller bag and bolted by me in a great hurry.

As he passed, I realized the reason for his impaired comprehension. Someone had started their leave a little too early. The odor of alcohol was intense. I started to follow him to ensure he traversed the corridor safely, but was too late. As he turned to proceed down the I-95 he cut the corner too close catching his right foot on the doorway. As he disappeared around that edge I could tell that his motion was not only proceeding vertically, but horizontally, as well. With no attempts to break his fall, he did a dramatic face plant on the deck. Did I mention that the decks are made of steel?

I raced around the corner sure that he would be unconscious. Another crew member reached him at the same time and we were stunned that he was trying to stand up. We placed our hands on his back and told him to lie still while we summoned the medical team, but with surprising strength and intense passion he pulled away and started trying to run down the main corridor. By this time my phone was already in one hand dialing the emergency number while with the other I locked onto his left arm and reduced his pace to a controlled stroll. Fortunately the crew mess was only about ten more yards and I steered him there while completing my report to the bridge. Already a large knot was forming on his forehead. Seconds later I heard the medical response code announced and in less than a minute both security and medical were at my side. Duty done, report complete, I headed back to my charges slightly surprised that I had been on the ship less than a month and had called in an emergency, something most crew members will never do.

Even fewer do it twice . . . especially not in three days. Last evening I was preparing to do my guest encounter walk-around when I heard the medical emergency code announced over the PA, once again. Since many guests are curious when they hear these obscure codes, we have a standard response that we give to assure them that there is no risk to them, and that it is an incident that requires the response of a small team of trained crew. Three minutes later I entered the guest area, and after a quick tour of the Deck 3 lobby I proceeded up to Deck 4 in front of the Grand Cuvee Dining Room. I stopped briefly to greet a guest when another gentleman urgently called to me. As I turned to identify the problem, I saw a guest sitting on the staircase slumped against the railing. The well-trained process, perfected by use in an actual crisis two days earlier, resulted in an instinctual response. I dialed the emergency number once again as I attended to the guest. The befuddled bridge officer asked if this was a second report on the same incident that had just been reported in Grand Cuvee. When I assured him it was not, he replied with a heavy sigh. “Is she conscious?” he asked. Fortunately she was, apparently just suffering dizziness from dehydration so he told me he would simply dispatch a nurse with a wheel chair. Five minutes later the guest was in a wheelchair, her husband had been found, and I escorted them and the nurse to the Medical Facility.

With two medical emergencies in three days, is it a wonder that my teammates now wish to steer clear of me?

The adventure continues . . .

A New Sheriff in Town

January 28, 2012

In some ways a ship community is like a prison community. Please don’t read that in an especially pejorative way. These are by and large wonderful people from the bridge to the galley. But as a ‘closed community,’ distinct subcultures can form with their own unique set of interactions and personal politics. One of them is the Crew Laundry. Although our uniforms are washed and pressed for free in the ship’s Main Laundry, the Crew Laundry is an additional service we offer to our crew members so they don’t have to do their own personal wash. Given the fact that time is at a premium onboard ship, very few people want to spend that precious commodity on such a task. So, for only one dollar per load they can take personal clothes to a special crew laundry room where it will be washed, dried, and folded for them. The crew who work there work two hours per day every other day, on their time off from their regular duties, to earn a little extra in their payroll. And guess whose job it is to manage this operation . . .

The description first given to me when this duty was explained went something like this: “The Crew Laundry is a nightmare. It is run by the mafia! These guys think they can get away with anything. Even though the laundry tickets are purchased from Crew Welfare and no cash is supposed to be exchanged, some of them are working on a cash basis under the table. They are giving free services to friends. They are selling soap to those who want to do their own laundry. They disregard all authority, dress code and safety rules, and are harassing the one or two crew members who work there that aren’t part of their inner circle. I’m so glad to be turning this over to you.”

Gee, thanks. Long ago, though, I learned that whatever filter you choose to view life through will color what the reality is. So, I chose to suspend any filter or pre-conceived notion in my first two weeks getting to know the laundry crew. There was unquestionably some truth in all of what I had been told, but I doubted it was as bad as they thought. Laura suggested I have a meeting with them to lay down the law. I chose to do so, in my own unique way . . .

We gathered in the Crew Training Room early one morning before any day shift had truly begun and as the night shift was finishing up. For some this was too early, for others too late. They were all equally uncomfortable. However, I chose to welcome them warmly and spent some time joking around with them, which I’m sure has rarely if ever happened with one of the ship’s officers. Most of them work in the galley, which is demanding work which receives little acknowledgement or reward. I started the official part of the meeting by thanking them for their service to the crew, as the Crew Laundry service was a benefit that most of the crew really liked . . . including me. I gently reminded them of the rules of how the laundry was to operate, and encouraged them to use the STAR service protocols when serving their ‘guests,’ the other crew members.

Then I lowered the boom. I told them that I knew what had been going on under the table. As I listed each infringement, I looked directly into one or another’s eyes and watched as each lowered their eyes in shame. I reminded them that all of the ship’s public areas are on camera and at any time I can review those videos and catch exactly what is going on. Then I offered absolution. I looked at the clock and saw that it was 8:11AM on January 27th. I told them that at that moment each of them was being given a completely clean slate and a fresh start. I stated that nothing that had happened up to that moment would be used against them. But starting at 8:12AM, ANY infraction reported would be fully investigated and once documented lead to a written warning or possible dismissal from the ship. I commented that this ship was really a small town and that people can’t help but talk, and that I would find out. I closed by saying that if they didn’t think I was serious then they could try to get one by me. I would be happy to walk them down the gangway and off the ship. And I might even wait until we were at a port . . .

They were making eye contact, again, and their eyes were wide. Smiling, again, I thanked them for their service and told them that they each had a choice to make a fresh start or face the consequences. I hoped they would make the right choice.

Later that day another crew member came up to me and asked me if I was the “new Sheriff in town,” as that is what the laundry guys were calling me. I laughed and told him that no, I was the nicest guy on the ship because I gave everyone a second chance. I said they were my guys and I would look out for them . . . but I expected them to look out for me, too.

Today, I did a surprise ‘drop in’ on the laundry and found one of the supposed ring leaders dressed in a polo shirt, khaki shorts with a belt, nice shoes, and he stood to greet me the moment I walked in!

They can be taught!

And the adventure continues . . .

Starring in My Own “STAR” Training

January 27, 2012

The say the best way to learn is to teach the subject. But I never thought the first Celebrity course that I would teach would be a required course for all new crew members that I had not yet taken. It is called the STAR training, and is the fundamental class for teaching the Celebrity service standards. It is at the heart of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, that we do.

Celebrity invests heavily in training of our crews, which is one of the greatest contributors to our success. In the first two weeks onboard everyone crew member is required to attend nine courses including several on safety, security, ethics, environment, service and the company brand. The course schedule is set in place before each cruise, and all who have not yet attending the requisite training are scheduled. If you join mid-cruise, as I did in Antigua, you simply pick up with the next offering, and continue forward till you’ve completed each course. Since STAR training is one of the first classes we teach that had already been offered on my sign-on cruise. So, I was scheduled to take it on this last voyage.

By, then, of course, I had become an experienced Celebrity crew member, having been on board for a total of eleven days! So Laura asked me if I simply wanted to teach the course and kill two birds with one stone. I would become STAR certified and get my first full facilitation under my belt at the same time. I spent the night before preparing the 90 minute seminar, and boldly entered the training room the next day. I was so tempted to begin the class with the line from the pilot, Rex, in the Star Tours ride at Disney.

“Is this your first flight in space? Well, it’s mine, too!”  However, with 20 students from 6 countries in the class, this was not the way to inspire confidence. So, instead, as I often tell the forensics students, I acted like I’d been there before. The class is straightforward, fast-paced, and integrates a STAR board game to get some healthy competition fueling the learning.  With plenty of opportunity to interject stories to illustrate our guest service principles, I was in my element. The class engaged quickly and the session flew by.

And I received a standing ovation!  Okay, they did need to stand up to leave anyway . . . but they actually applauded when I was done. One of the students, Jaroslav, a young bartender from Ukraine, told me it was the best training class he had ever been in. This from a young man who had never been on ships, and had been too seasick to stay in the safety class on his first day. I guess what made it great was the fact that he wasn’t vomiting!

Since then I have taught Diversity, Mentoring, and conducted both the Sign-off and Sign-on trainings! I will add Business Ethics and Zero Tolerance (sexual ethics) and New Hire Orientation this cruise. I plan to take over the leadership development modules soon, thereafter.

Oh yeah . . . and I earned my Silver Star pin that shows I know how to deliver exceptional guest service.

And the adventure continues . . .