Inside a Cruise Ship: Amenities
and Jobs
Cruise ships are designed with serious
comfort in mind, so they have a lot of amenities and a lot of staff to oversee those
amenities for the as many as 3,000 passengers. These thousands of passengers
are spread out over the ship's multiple levels called decks. For instance,
the QM2 has 13 separate decks and carries up to 3,056 passengers and a crew of
1,253. If you're on deck 13, you would be standing on the highest level of the
ship, whereas if you ventured down to the first deck, you'd be closer to the
bowels of the ship.
If you
booked passage on the QM2, you would likely find yourself staying in one of the
Britannia staterooms (or cabins) located in the middle decks. The smallest of
these rooms (typically 155 square feet to 250 square feet) contain a king-size
bed, closet, television, a phone and a desk. Go with money to blow, and you could find yourself
rubbing elbows with the other high rollers on a separate deck where the deluxe
apartments and suites are. One of these rooms can be as big as 2,250 square
feet. That's as large as a four-bedroom house. Whatever you need -- whether
it's an Xbox or a bottle of bubbly -- these are the
accommodations where you'll get it fast.
After a
good night's sleep, you would probably head to the upper decks to eat
breakfast, choosing from one of the many restaurants. Rather than returning to
your stateroom after breakfast, you might hang poolside, shoot some hoops,
shop, check out the golf simulator
or gamble. Of course, you could always venture off the ship if you're at a port
of call.
After a
packed day, nightfall brings with it more food.
You may want to try a formal restaurant or grab something quick at one of the
grills. With dinner done, the nightlife begins. If you're in the mood for the
opera, you'll need to book a reservation at the Royal Court Theatre. Perhaps
you just want to hang out, have a few drinks and dance at the Q32 Nightclub.
Wherever
you are on the cruise ship and whatever you're doing, it's likely that a crew
member isn't too far away since cruise ships employ very large crews, well over
1,000 people. Here's a list of some of the more nautically inclined crew
members and some of their responsibilities.
·
Captain - Highest-ranking official on board.
Responsibilities include navigation, crew management and executive
decision-making. This is the person you'll want to dress up for if you're
invited to dine at the captain's table.
·
Chief
Officer -
Responsible for training seamen and maintaining the ship
·
Chief
Medical Officer - A
medical doctor who can perform surgery and supervise all medical operations
·
Staff
Captain - Also
known as the executive officer and the captain's right-hand man
·
Chief
Engineer -
Oversees the mechanical aspects of the ship and its engines
·
Chief
Radio Officer -
Handles all communication, radar and weather systems
In
addition, some of the staff focuses less on how the boat is running and more
on how you're enjoying yourself. Since cruise ships truly are hotels on the
sea, some of the folks you may encounter include bartenders, plumbers,
electricians and ushers. Working on a cruise ship can be rewarding and
financially appealing. Employees can earn up to five times what they might make
on land, depending on which ship and company they work for.
But not
everything is fun and games when you're sailing along with thousands of
strangers over the open seas. The next section points out some of the drawbacks
of cruise ships.
