For me, my schedule involved being the first person off the ship in the morning, dispatching the tours for a few hours, enjoying some free time in port, then returning to the office in the evening, where I would continue organizing the excursions for the following ports and complete the necessary daily reports to be sent to the head office. On days when the ship wasn’t in port, I would be in my office still communicating with the tour operators, organizing the tours for future voyages, and dealing with any number of unexpected situations that would arise. It’s hard to have fun if you feel like you’re being gouged for your vacation, but the hefty “single supplement” that most cruise lines charge when you book a double cabin for yourself is hard to avoid. As a result, many singles end up bunking with friends or relatives. Before I went on my cruise, a lot of people said they wouldn’t cruise because of their poor labor practices. I’ve heard about the long hours and low pay that most cruise workers endure, but rather than assume, I turned to my friend Wandering Earl, who for a number of years worked on cruise ships as a tour director. Earl and I spoke about what it’s really like to be a member of the “crew” on a cruise ship. Those who do make a career of cruising tend to play it safer, he adds. Not only did he have sex with guests (staff quarters or on unpopulated decks are best for this, he says), but he also took drugs, buying cannabis and LSD in ports (“they’re easily got hold of”) and bringing them back to the ship.
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