The consequence of procedure and policy breaking depends on your crew name tag.

As a bartender, I have often witnessed what happens to the intoxicated workers on the ship. If someone was drunk in the bar and reported to the security officers, the outcome and consequences for that behavior depended mainly on the worker's position. 

To illustrate what I am saying, here is a practical example. 

While working in the crew bar, I have witnessed many injustices regarding the company termination policy. Sarcastically, I have seen many crew members fired for no reason. On the other hand, I have also seen intoxicated officers or managers who were just advised to go to their cabin without further penalties, alcohol tests, or any consequences. 

Crew bar is a wild place. There’s only one bar for about 1500 crew members on board where everyone could relax after a hard day at work. At the crew bar, I worked alone; sometimes, I would get help from one more bartender during the busiest hours. 

While being a crew bartender, I showed care and respect to all crew continuously, with no preference, regardless of their position or status. I did not separate the crew members based on their name tags. 

Quite enjoyable sometimes, but a very stressful job most of the time. 

Yet, I enjoyed talking to crew members and listening to their problems and issues, especially about a hard time onboard the ship. In other words, I considered myself a crew counselor or advisor, someone who was there to serve the drinks and help and support crew members daily. 

My working hours were endless. I would start my job at 11 am in one of the guest area bars on the sea days. From 11 am until 16h, I worked in the busy guest area, not for a moment removing the smile from my tired face. At 16h, I had a 45 minutes break. It was time to run to my cabin, change my wet clothes, shower quickly to refresh, and have dinner. Around 1645, I had to be in the crew bar; even though the bar was officially starting at 1730.

I needed to come earlier to check my storage delivered to the crew bar earlier in the day. Part of my role was to do opening bar inventory, set up the bar for operation, prepare the glasses, put some ice, and check if I needed to include liqueurs, wines, or sodas. At 1730 precisely, I would open the crew bar. 

From 1730 until 20h, most of my clients were officers and some contractors; they were the only ones finishing their jobs early. I have provided outstanding customer service to all the crew members on board. For me, they were my respected guests. I used to learn their names, what kind of drinks they liked to order, their backgrounds, what music they preferred, or what sport they liked. I was a DJ at the same time, being a bartender.

Showing care to other employees

Usually, most of my colleagues in the bar department agreed that the crew bar schedule was considered a " punishment" and probably the worst place to work from all bars on board. When it comes to my opinion, I never agreed with that. The fact was that the crew members were stressed out all day long, and some of them would come to the crew bar in a bad mood, but that was easy to manage for me. Recipe? Very simple. Smile and compassion. I thought about it this way: Crew members are already exposed to horrible Management daily. They deal with rude guests daily. They are far from their families, so let me be the difference-maker who would positively impact them. 

The galley steward, the lowest-ranked position on board, would walk into the crew bar to buy water or cigarettes, and I would approach them with a massive smile on my face:

"Hi, Mr. Gede, how was your day today? What can I get for you today, Sir?" 

They were constantly confused and smiled back at me. They could not believe that someone remembered their name and smiled at them. What a great feeling that gave me as well, in return. 

I knew I was born to become a difference-maker; by having the power to help many crew members on board. 

Around 21h, the dining room and housekeeping team would start coming to the crew bar. The problem was that they usually came in large groups, sometimes 30-40 of them simultaneously. For me, that meant more running and ensuring everyone gets service fast. I set up the mood in the crew bar by playing some happy music. I would kindly explain that I can no longer serve alcoholic beverages for the safety of crew members who have had too many drinks. 

The busiest time at the crew bar

The busiest time in the crew bar was from 2200 until 0130 in the morning. On average, I would serve between 800-1400 drinks per night. The challenging part was the closing stage from 0115 until 0130 because after 0130, nobody could get alcohol anymore, and in those 15 minutes, many crew members still wanted to order a drinks. 

To round it up, from 1645 until 0330 in the morning, I have worked straight through most days, with no breaks at all. The crew bar was way too demanding for me to have a quick break. I have often witnessed a total personality change from the alcohol's impact during my work. Usually polite and quiet around 1 am, crew members would become obnoxious and tackled. The real mess in the bar would start around 0130. After that time, strict rules and regulations enabled me to serve anyone, regardless of their ranking and position.

.It's not easy, indeed. The option is to go to the gym daily or the crew bar to drink a few. There is no other way to survive for eight months. The gym was a better option to relieve accumulated negative energy and pump up some winning attitude. Unfortunately, the gym would take way too much power. The crew bar seemed an easy way out for many crew members, a comfort zone in the uncomfortable ship environment. 

I took pride in my job; being a difference-maker for this hard-working crew gave a unique meaning to my job. Somehow, we all became like one family. I have often heard their problems with their managers on board, their plans, worries, and concerns. And I have always offered sincere advice and support. 

Learn how to be a good listener.

A bartender's job is 50 percent being a good listener and psychologist and knowing that I always pushed myself to be extra nice, even on the bad days when I did not feel like smiling. Consequently, my approach to the job was noticed; in those two months working at the crew bar, I was nominated to be an employee of the month two times...Not my skills as a bartender, but for compassion and empathy towards other crew members...