My First Cruise Staff Meeting. It’s All About Revenue.

After the first initial shock of seeing the BCC, Timmie continued the whirl wind tour of the ship. As we were climbing one of the stair cases we passed a newly boarded couple. I looked at the man as we quickly went by, but then stopped and took a second look and recognized him as one of the players, Jacques from my Tournament Hockey Team. I second guessed at the sighting, but I had to know if it was him or not. He wasn’t a regular on the team and I had only played two or three times with him on the team. So I thought, if I say something in French and he doesn’t respond, then it isn’t him.

I said, “Ques’que un vieux jouer d’hockey com toi fait ici?” What is an old hockey player like you doing here?

The man stopped in his tracks, looked at me and said, “Hey Bobby!” It was handshakes and hugs at this point. What are the chances of my meeting someone, let alone a fellow hockey player, on my first day on the S/S Norway? He asked me what I was doing here and I said that I had just signed on as a crew member working in the TV department. We parted after a few minutes and promised each other that we would get together later in the day.

We walked back out onto the Pool Deck and Timmie took me down to the crew area one deck below. It was the deck that extended out the furthest at the back of the ship. This was the only outdoor area that some crew members were allowed to go to. It led to the crew day room area and around the corner to the Crew Bar. Here, all crew members were allowed and the area that the crew could get a beer or other beverage of their choice.

At this point Timmie said we had to get ready for sail away party. As this was my first day on the ship and I didn’t have a uniform, I could walk around freely to explore the ship on my own. He said I would hear the announcement over the P/A system as to when the party would start and I should make my way out to the pool area at that time. Off he went to do whatever it was he had to do.

I found my way back to my cabin and started to unpack my luggage and put things away. When I was done with that I went to discover the other areas around the ship. I took a staircase that led me to the top viewing deck and walked around absorbing the Miami skyline. I started to climb downwards to each deck and walked the length of each. I found the gym area and walked through. The first thing that came to my senses was that it had a musty odor, a topic that would be the basis of continuing conversations at meetings I was to attend on board.

Outside from the gym was the combined basketball and volleyball court which had a netting all around, to keep the balls from bouncing overboard or onto the buffet area below. An outdoor staircase took me down to the buffet area below known as the Great Outdoor Restaurant. The newly boarded guests carried food trays in the outdoor buffet line and were piling food onto multiple plates. It was amazing to see how much food they had on their trays which led me to ask myself, when was the last time these people ate and who is capable of eating that much food? I took a circular outdoor staircase down to the Pool Deck. Here guests were either walking around with drinks in their hands or sitting in the lounge chairs which lined the pool taking in the sun shine and unknowing to themselves, working on what would eventually lead to a sun burn. Can you spell PINK & PAIN!!

After the mandatory boat drill, the announcement came over the P/A system for everyone to meet at the Pool Deck for the Sail Away Party. The guests started to arrive, some in shorts and t-shirts, others in bathing suits some still in their travel cloths as their luggage had not arrived to the staterooms yet. A Reggae band struck up some Caribbean music which had guests dancing no matter where they were standing. The Cruise Staff started to arrive and were mingling amongst the guests starting up conversations. I spotted Timmie walking around the deck with a huge VHS camera mounted on his shoulder recording the event. The Cruise Director (CD) arrived and with a microphone in hand introduced himself. The Cruise Staff team lined themselves behind him. There were Youth Coordinators in face paint, Divers in orange tank tops, the Shore Excursion team in slacks and shirts, the Ballroom Dance Couple who did a little spin and twirl, the Port & Cruise Consultant who looked very uncomfortable in a suit and tie and the rest of the Cruise Staff who bounced around the area. Timmie was introduced as he was filming the event. There were lots of cheers and waves from those introduced and clapping from the guests. The CD then turned the festivities over to the Reggae band which was the cue for the Cruise Staff to go out into the crowd and pull the guests onto the dance area to get everyone involved and dancing.

After 15 minutes of this Timmie came over to me and said, “OK we now have to go to the Cruise Staff meeting” and led me away back to the BCC to drop off the camera and then up to the Kid’s Playroom Troll Land, where the meeting was to take place. I followed Timmie into the room and found a place to sit along the windows which looked out onto the International Deck. The crew members arrived in twos and threes, many of whom had been at the pool deck party earlier. They all jostled for a seating place among the bean bags, window ledges and floor. A beach ball started to make its way around the room being bounced from one person to another.

The CD arrived along with his assistant. The CD was a male in his early 30s, and his assistant was striking blonde in her early 20s. The CD informed all in the room of what he had received earlier from the head office and management on board. He then went around the room clockwise to hear from each person, of any information they would have to share. When it got to Timmie, he introduced me and I received Hi’s & Welcome Aboard’s from everyone in the room.

When everyone had said their piece, the CD then said, “This week’s task is, you must come up with 5 ways to increase revenue by the next meeting.” He said that revenue had to increase and it was up to us to figure out how to do that.

Now that was interesting. I thought we were here to make the guests experience, the best they ever had. No it wasn’t. It was to make as much money as we could from the guests on board during their seven day cruise. Here I am, my first day on board this ship, in my first staff meeting and I now have learned the key to this cruise line.

It’s all about revenue.

A lot happened to me my first day on board the S/S Norway. Much of which became a fixture in the next 3 years at sea on this cruise ship and in my life. My Home Away From Home.

*Names may have been changed to protect the innocent!