Cruise ship passengers are well-looked after by attentive crew members. It can be easy to forget about the difference in lives led on board the ship. Cruise passengers live a life of much greater luxury than the staff who wait on them. A former cruise ship worker has revealed what he wishes passengers knew.
Joshua Kinser, author of Chronicles of a Cruise Ship Worker, explained how different the food for crew was during his time on cruises.
He revealed that crew were often really jealous of the food available to the holidaymakers.
“I wish I could have told passengers how much I wanted a lobster tail or some of the great food that they were eating in the passenger dining rooms,” Kinser told Express.co.uk.
“I know it may seem petty to some people out there, kind of a first-world problem sort of thing, but after three months eating the same slop that is served on some of these ships, most employees just want a taste of the wonderful food that the passengers eat.”
There can be perks available to crew staff if they befriend cruise passengers, however.
“On some ships, passengers are allowed to invite cruise employees to dinner in the dining room,” said Kinser.
“And once a passenger actually brought me and a friend of mine a to-go box dinner from the dining room.
“It felt as if we had discovered a cruise-ship sized gold nugget while aimlessly digging a hole in our backyard after living a lifetime of poverty.
“If you’re a passenger on a cruise ship, sneak some of the best food on the ship to your room steward.”
Kinser had another message for cruise passengers too. “I wish I could have told passengers is how much they are appreciated by everyone who works in the cruise industry, well most everyone,” he said.
“There’s always an unappreciative and ungrateful negative Nancy or two on every ship at sea.
“However, most employees on cruise ships understand that without the passengers the cruise ships would be in dry dock and all cruise employees would be without a job. Passengers make the ship world go round.”
No matter how appreciation is shared between crew and passengers the relationship mustn’t progress beyond friendship on cruises.
Royal Caribbean explain in their Guest Conduct Policy that relationships between crew and guests are prohibited.
“Our crew members are friendly, outgoing and helpful, and they will do their very best to make your vacation as enjoyable as possible,” explains the policy online. “Please do not misinterpret their friendliness.
“Crew members are prohibited from engaging in physical relationships with guests.”