If you are a new sign-on about to join the vessel for the very first time, read this article carefully. About a week ago, I was re-hired to work on a cruis eship. Even I kind of knew what to expect; the bitter reality of the seaman life never fails to disappoint you.

The Arrival in Miami

I arrived in the beautiful city of Miami after a long flight. It's a dream city for many people around the world, including myself. The immigration went smoothly, and I picked up my luggage. Outside the waiting area, there was an older man from Guatemala who was holding a sign with my name on it. He seemed like a nice person. We shook hands, greeted each other, and went to the nearby shuttle bus. 

From Miami airport to West Palm Beach, it took around two hours ride. I was the only person on the bus, so I had a space to rest my legs after an exhausting flight. The bus driver told me that he was 67 years old and was still doing two jobs in an attempt to feed his family. He said that the necessity of working two jobs simultaneously was never so evident in Miami, especially after Covid 19 when prices and everything went up. While driving the bus, he said, for 20 years in Miami, he actually never got legal rights to work there; it was more of a pickup job that he was doing and sending money back home in Guatemala. 

Besides the driver's interesting story, I enjoyed the side view and beautiful palms along the road. Now in my forties, I am done chasing happiness and waiting for some conditions to be met so I can be lucky. While the driver was rushing through the traffic of Miami streets, I just looked through the window and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. A

fter an hour's ride, we made it to the hotel in Palm Beach. I had only 180$ in my pocket, but as a sense of my gratitude for the driver from Guatemala, I gave him a $ 30 tip, leaving me with only $150. That was the only I had left before joining the ship. 

The driver from Guatemala looked at the money for a few seconds and said to me, " Sir, this is too much. $5 dollars will be fine; you are working hard on the ship for this money..."

" No, Sir. That is for you. I know that you are working hard for your family also. I wish I could give you more than this, and Please take the $30," I replied.

Slowly and with an obvious hesitation, he just put the money in his pocket, gave me a warm hug, and left.

These moments make me happy. I believe that people should help each other more in this world. In this crazy, hectic world where we live, it's nice to make a little gesture of kindness that will be appreciated by other people.

At the Hotel

When I came at the hotel, the guy at the reception desk was not welcoming at all. A few more crew members beside me were waiting to check in the hotel. For some weird reason, most of the time, hotel staff are not lovely towards the crew members. I could sense that from the conversation with the receptionists, with each of the words he said, his small gestures, and his arrogant facial expression.

" Your name is not on the list, sir; I am afraid that reservation was not made for you to check in."

" But I have an employment letter where it says that the company booked the hotel stay for me tonight, and it says the hotel's name as well. How does that make sense? "

" Well, they should pay for the reservation upfront, and unfortunately, nobody is paying for the reservation for you, sir."

I was already exhausted, and it was 17 hours; it just felt like this was an unnecessary hassle to get through. All I wanted was to rest.

"OK, I will pay for my stay, just to resolve the issue because I am tired, Sir.”

Meanwhile, a colleague of the receptionist came over with some paper, and they told me to sit in the lobby bar until he resolved the issue. 

It took another three hours to finalize the issue, and finally, I got my room key. The receptionist explained to me that it was a problem on the hotel side because of the person who forgot to "refresh" my reservation. 

Why some hotel staff is looking down on ship crew members?

There was something undeniable in terms of how the hotel staff looked down on every single crew member who came into the hotel while I was waiting for my room key in the Lobby. This is sad because the crew members who work on the ship are among the nicest, the friendliest people who live on earth. Often, there is also a misconception from the perspective of the hotel staff. They have some assumptions that crew members from the ship will not give an extra tip. Well, that is certainly not true. Crew members are very generous people with a giving and sharing attitude. 

The hotel where I spent one night before joining the vessel was nice. The big, cozy, specious room gives you just what you need after a long, exhausting flight. I slept like a baby. The next morning was the day D for the very crew member facing the reality of ship life. However, this time was a different story, as it was the worst ship ever set sail in the seven seas. And the story goes on...

Joining the Ship

In the port of Palm Beach, there were 4 of us about to join the ship. It's a small company, so there were only a few newly hired people on that particular day. We were sitting on chairs next to the passenger Terminal, and we were waiting for almost 3 hours to join the vessel. It is sufficient to say it was a horrible feeling. For me in particular, because I missed my family too much. I went to the toilet a few times and cried like a baby. It's ok, not even shy to admit that, being 40 years old. It's just a lousy feeling, despite being aware that this was what I have chosen to make a better life for my family. While we were sitting on chairs, there was one old man who came across, visibly curious about who we were, and is somebody was going to pick us up from the ship management. 

He asked, " Are four of you members of the ship band?"

The three other guys did not even understand what he was saying. I just smiled back and did not say a word to the elderly gentleman. I was thinking... Yes, maybe he is right, and we are a band. As crew members, regardless of our positions, we perform like a band; we sing and dance together, and we create a synchronized atmosphere where passengers will have the time of their lives.

It was around 15 hours, and finally, somebody came to pick us up... And what was about to happen next was one of the most challenging experiences of my entire life...