Confessions of a Cruise Ship Employee

“Everyone with darker skin is treated differently by passengers on cruise ships. And that hurts”

The sinking of the cruise ship Costa Concordia off the Tuscan shore a few days back could be considered a rare experience. I have worked as a photographer on a cruise ship for three years and the safety protocol is pretty strict. Everybody is expected to attend safety drills and needs to be alert all the time. Even I, as a photographer, was supposed to know all the safety techniques, including lowering boats into the water.

In this case, it must have been human error, as the pilot of the ship didn’t pay attention to the markers that guide you in the sea. Also, the captain seems to have goofed up. But this is not the case usually. The captain is the last to leave if something goes wrong on a ship. I once had a somewhat scary experience. The propellers stopped and the ship tipped over to one side. But the captain kept calm. In ten minutes, we were back in position.

Working on a cruise ship teaches one a lot about professionalism. Thirty per cent of the employees of almost all cruise ships are Indians, as it pays very well. I earned almost a lakh and a half in a month, which I can’t even imagine earning in India. But it’s also a lot of work. You never get a day off, and you work at least 12 hours every day. Waiters and maids have an even harder time, as passengers are so demanding. But there is a bar for the staff, and usually a party every night.

In other ways, there’s little comfort for the staff of a cruise ship. I was sharing a small cabin with another colleague, and if I stretched my arms, I hit the walls. So it’s a bit suffocating. Also, there is racial discrimination. Everyone with darker skin is treated differently by passengers. And that hurts. But if a colleague treats you badly because of your colour, he will be got rid of immediately.

(This professional has been working with the cruise ship industry for three years)

As told to Aastha Atray Banan

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