Taking a cruise might seem like the best way to spend your vacation. But there are a couple of onboard secrets that cruise ship employees have kept quiet about, until now. These secrets involve the way they perform during a crisis or even how they speak when they’re in front of passengers.
Staff and Crew Lose Weight
Cruise ship workers spend hours walking up and down the ship and from one end to the other. In addition, some of the food is so weird, (some cruises serve goat foot stew, for example) that it ruins their appetites. So, some employees wind up losing up to 12 pounds.
They Might Get Drunk
When they’re off duty, employees will drink and party like they’re at a frat house. But while some of them might get very drunk, they’re always aware that a random breathalyzer test might get conducted at any time.
The Crew Is Clueless
The longer a cruise worker spends aboard the ship, the more out of touch they are with the world. It doesn’t help that the internet connection is bad. So, workers aren’t up to date with what’s happening in the world of sports or even current events.
Ships Have a Morgue
People pass away, particularly, the elderly. So, cruise ships have a morgue in order to preserve the bodies safely until the ship docks at the nearest shore. But it’s only designed to accommodate about six bodies.
Smile for the Camera
If you thought passengers could do whatever they wanted on a ship, guess again. There are cameras placed throughout the ship, except for cabins. However, the security footage is used only in cases of emergencies.
The Cruise Must Go On
If you leave the ship while it’s docked, you need to be mindful of its departure time. Cruise ships get fined if they overstay their welcome at the port. So, if you’re late, they’ll leave with or without you.
Workers are Prepared for Pirates
The staff is trained to stop pirates from boarding the cruise ship. So, if pirates were to even make an attempt, the workers will use water cannons to repel an attack. Other ships use Long Range Acoustic Devices that unleash a painfully loud noise to deter pirates.
The Crew Are Practical Jokers
Some employees play practical jokes on passengers by telling another co-worker they’ll meet them in the bowling alley. The passenger will hear this and want to go, but there’s no bowling alley on the ship. A crew member said on Reddit: “a favorite was while in a passenger area say to another crew member, loud enough to be heard by passengers, ‘Meet you in the bowling alley tonight!’” Needless to say, there wasn’t a bowling alley. “Then we’d wait for the comment cards to come in: ‘Why do crew get a bowling alley when we don’t?’”
They Use Shorthand Codes
The crew use codes when announcing a situation over the intercom in order to avoid scaring the passengers. For example, Code Alpha means there’s a medical emergency while Code Bravo means there’s a fire on the ship.
They Can’t Get Romantic With Guests
The crew is forbidden from engaging in romantic relationships with guests. In fact, security keeps a close eye on the employees to make sure this doesn’t happen. But if they’re caught, they will be fired on the spot.
