The scriptwriters of The Love Boat would have a hard time making up some of the stories coming from today’s mega cruise liners. We asked Dionne Potiphar, a member of Cruises International’s marketing team who worked onboard cruise ships for 14 years, for a glimpse of what goes on in the lower decks.
Sure Travel Journey: Are there really men employed to dance with single, mostly elder women on cruise ships? And is it true there are strict rules in place to make sure that’s all they do?
Dionne Potiphar: Yes, there are some cruise lines that employ hosts or hostesses who will dance and socialise with some of the older, single guests, both men and women. These hosts and hostesses are well educated and are usually very well-travelled themselves. They will accompany guests to cocktail hour, chat and dance with them if requested, and then dine with them. They are very professional and are aware of all company policies.
Which items get stolen the most off cruise ships?
The butlers! A number of cruise guests are so impressed with the attention to detail and wonderful service provided to them by their butlers that they will often offer them employment on land.
What happens when someone passes away in-between ports — are there morgues on board?
There are facilities on board for if a guest passes away. As soon as the ship docks in port, the body is transported to a land morgue and then repatriated to their home.
What happens to all the waste, both the refuse and sewage?
There are maritime regulations that dictate how refuse and sewage must be discarded. Some food is allowed to be disposed of into the ocean, but this has to be a certain kilometre radius from any port, plus it has to biodegradable and cannot be harmful to the marine environment.
For more info visit www.cruising.org. Most major cruise lines also have their own waste management policies and make these available for public scrutiny. Ask your travel agent for details.
What was the weirdest thing that you experienced while working on a cruise ship?
A guest embarked and was escorted to her suite. She later called down to reception and exclaimed that she was not happy about having a view of the parking lot from her balcony. The receptionist advised that she would be sure to have the parking lot removed at 6pm, which is when the ship was due to sail!
The first cruise ship built exclusively for cruising was the Prinzessin Victoria Luise, a German passenger ship from American Hamburg Company, which debuted in 1901.
