.......idle jottings

[kathyanddanny]

Zimmy,

 

It wouldn't do me any good... But clarification on the adverts would be nice...

Either way though. We are still very much looking forward to our trip.

 

Kathy 😊

[Zimmy]

Zimmy,

 

It wouldn't do me any good... But clarification on the adverts would be nice...

Either way though. We are still very much looking forward to our trip.

 

Kathy 😊

 

And you will have a wonderful time, as always!

[ho-hum]

Take a look at the attached photo taken directly after "green ho-hum" deflated the car: How did ho hum manage to bunker all these bottles inside the Jeep boot?

No wonder that a little bit of the "goodness" spilled inside his vehicle ... :D

 

Naughty Ralph !

Thank God you only photographed HALF the weekly bottles !

[ho-hum]

Dearest ho-hum,

especially to tease future international (posh) guests:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=45495121&postcount=47

 

Try it out! ;)

 

 

After the November x-ing there were several of our chums looking around for alternatives and this was favoured by a few of our dearest of dears.

Yes we looked and here is the proof in the photo: a wondrful brochure.

Yes Europa has everything BUT does it have SOUL ?

 

We love Sea Dream and it has SOUL.

 

Maybe if more of our chums want to go on Europa, we might be tempted but never as an alternative to a x-ing....those are really special.

[ho-hum]

Kathy, on our voyage last month there was a large group of family/friends from Texas. It was not as large as thirty cabins however; it was about 20 - 30 people. I saw little impact from this, other than that they had booked their own tours so there were twenty fewer people to go on SD's tours, which probably led to more cancelled excursions. I don't know because we were not affected. Talking to one of the group at the hotel after the cruise, she told me that they really were not that much of a group but had banded together to get discounted rates on cabins.

 

Ho hum would concur with Zimmy (as always).

They did not affect the voyage tho' a few of the gentlemen's dinner attire was a little too relaxed, shall we say. At least their MUCH better halves made a splendid effort.

 

Kathy, there are groups amd groups. We shall not be intimidated nay we shall have a great time because we love life.

And if they are fun loving too and not exclusive then we shall all have a great time.

Tis a pity we were not informed beforehand tho'. We had been given assurances beforehand that we would be notified of large groups. Well that's shoreside management for you ! Lousy communication.

[ho-hum]

Zimmy,

 

It wouldn't do me any good... But clarification on the adverts would be nice...

Either way though. We are still very much looking forward to our trip.

 

Kathy 😊

 

Clarification is ALL we ask but SD just dont communicate.

[kathyanddanny]

HH, Zimmy.

 

As always, thanks for the encouraging words. 😃

I think I have been reading too much C.C. Posts and as the trip gets closer the jitters start developing 😥 and I think the added pressure of convincing friends to join along...BTW! Just realized I mistakenly posted our full names...

 

No axe murderers on here right? Haha! No! I am not related to Patty Duke! And all other Dukes of Hazzard jokes have been beaten to death!! LOL

 

KD.

[Zimmy]

You got it right, Kathy. We get so much info from Cruise Critic, and it is great, but there are times when we get information that we didn't need to know because it makes us worry and we can't do anything about it anyway. I've been in the same situation. I just tell myself to relax and enjoy and take it as it comes. Sometimes it works and I even listen to my own advice - only sometimes, tho.

[kathyanddanny]

Thank you for that Zimmy! 😉

 

Breath Kathy Breath....lOl

 

Don't worry HoHum,

 

I'm more fun than I sound...LOL other wise, Danny just locks me in the room! Ha!

 

Kathy.

[ho-hum]

Thank you for that Zimmy! 😉

 

Breath Kathy Breath....lOl

 

Don't worry HoHum,

 

I'm more fun than I sound...LOL other wise, Danny just locks me in the room! Ha!

 

Kathy.

 

Ho hum has absolutely no worries Kathy (and Danny). We really look forward to meeting up with you both.

Ho hum loves your energy and we will have a great time despite any group onboard.

As Zimmy advised, when we travelled with Lady Zimmy there was a group of 30 Texans. They pretty much kept themselves to themselves and behaved impeccably tho' two of the gentlemen in the party had a very relaxed view in the term "yacht casual" at dinner a couple of times.

 

Kathy, it's all about the attitude.

Have a good attitude and you are more likely to have a great time.

When you board SD, everything is taken care of. All you have to do is open to having a good time.

And by all accounts in your posts, you have great attitude, are fun and have good energy.

 

BTW YES HH knows it should be 3: it's a joke. Haha plagiarised from the genius that was Peter Cook (English comedian)

[ho-hum]

Ho hum and blondie still keep in touch with a few friends that formerly worked on Sea Dream. Recently one of them, a former maitre d' from Hungary published a wonderful article on a social media site about crew members qualities and their suitability in the job market.

 

Ho hum's is always amazed by the CREW and derives a lot of pleasure and being uplifted by these guys (gals included too, naturally: sometimes even more so). This is a significant part of our voyage experience. Ironically when things dont go to plan, our admiration of the crew increases, seeing them raising their game, demonstrates their many personal qualities in times when fortitude and patience is required.

 

So here is the article:

 

"Why Former Cruise Ship Employees Make the Best Employment Candidates"

 

TEAMWORK – A crew member or manager who has previously worked on ships are serious team players. They have worked in environments where no single employee is responsible for success, but instead the team is. A crew member will often find themselves working in multiple teams, teams pertaining to their position, emergency responsibilities, ships they have to work on, and other situations as they arise. Teams are ever changing and cruise ship employees have no other choice but to adapt to their surroundings and make it work.

 

ADAPTING TO CHANGE – There are few other jobs that requires people to adapt to change as much as working on a cruise ship. Almost daily, managers, supervisors, and crew member’s contracts start and end. The people you work with today, will almost certainly be different next month, next week, and even tomorrow. Also while the ship works on a schedule, you have to adapt to the change in itinerary as things arise, changes in weather, changes in passenger demographics, and changes in procedures. You have to be flexible and able to adapt to changes on the fly. One of the first things new employees have to adapt to when joining a ship is changes to their own personal lifestyle.

 

CONFLICT RESOLUTION – Often times when working on board a ship, employees and managers will often face challenges or conflicts. These will often occur with passengers, other crew members, and managers. Cruise ship employees know that the passenger, crew member, or manager, aren’t going to suddenly disappear without the issue being resolved. Instead they address the situation immediately, and attempt to resolve it in the best manner possible. They know that if the issue is not resolved in a timely manner, it may linger on and become more complex. There are always going to be challenges, but crew members are brilliant at overcoming them.

 

EMPOWERMENT TO LEARN – Most employees don’t join ships expecting that all they have to do is walk across the gangway and start working. There’s a process, responsibilities, and things to learn. You would think that all you need to know is how to do your job, but that knowledge is not enough. You have to want to learn more about your job and other responsibilities that go along with your job such as Safety, Security, Environmental, and yes job skills. See employees on board ships are often looking to improve both their soft and hard skills. They know that the more skills they learn and apply, the better they will do their job. That is why most cruise lines employ permanent trainers and human resource managers on their ships and spend money to continually develop training programs for all employees on board.

 

DIVERSITY – So if you have ever worked on a cruise ship, you would know there are few other jobs out there that offer the level of diversity found on board. Diversity comes in a number of forms on board cruise ships. Often you will find an average of 60 nationalities working on board cruise ships from all over the world (Pilipino, Italian, American, Chinese, Ukrainian, Mexican, British, Australian, South African, etc.…) and amazingly they all get along so well. I have to say if there’s something I love more than anything else, it’s having lunch in the mess. Often you’ll have crew from at least 5 nationalities sitting at your table talking about anything, and the perspectives are brilliant. You have crew from various employment, education, and cultural backgrounds on top of many other forms of diversity that I can’t name, and amazingly enough, they can all work harmoniously together on board a ship. Even better it’s because of this exposure to diversity, they are able to accomplish some of the most amazing things.

 

CRISIS MANAGEMENT – So have you watched the news lately? There’s almost always something about the cruise industry that makes headlines in the news from accidents, to sickness, to passing through storms. In the end, no matter what happens on board the ship today, the ship must continue to operate tomorrow. Rarely does the operation on a cruise ship come to a halt. When a cruise ship is built, it’s expected to run every minute of every hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for at least 35 years. There are few things that run with that kind of efficiency except perhaps the human body. On ships, there will always be crisis, from missed ports, to illness, adverse weather, to emergencies that happen at all hours of the night. Crew members are taught how to deal with crisis, but are also tested often when dealing with them. Crises often create the best employees.

 

INNOVATIVE – There’s one place that thrives on innovative employees almost daily and that is on a cruise ship. While ships often have rules and regulations that must be followed to the T. There’s also an understanding that Innovation is crucial to success. Managers and Crew Members are always looking for ways to refine a practice or come up with better ways to do a job. Often they must come up with solutions that reduce costs, work, and time, without diminishing the end product. Cruise line employees are great observers and often offer the most amazing ideas.

 

STRESS MANAGEMENT – It’s funny, in the past when I have told friends and family members that I am leaving to join another ship, they often look at me and say, “You lucky guy.” But they have no idea the challenges that employees often have to deal with on board. First, you have to remember that employees do not take their families to work with them on board the ship. Most of the time, they won’t see their families for months at a time. There are exceptions however, some husbands and wives can work together on the same ships. Crew members often work long hours but remain in full compliance to ILO & MLC laws (International Labor Laws). While some employees may have their own cabins, many don’t depending on their position and the cruise line you work for. While cruise ships do spend money to outfit their ships with entertainment for crew (Crew Bar, Crew Gym, Crew Mess, Crew Pool, Crew Hot Tub, Crew Events, and Crew Parties), many of the other things you may do at home to relieve stress may be unavailable, which means that you have to be able to adapt to stressful situations on your own. It’s because of this, that I believe that cruise ship employees are often masters of stress management.

 

These are just a handful of the traits that shipboard employees have and what makes them so amazing at the work they do. It’s rare to find employees in other fields that have the same kind of work ethic that cruise ship employees have. It’s this work ethic that makes them suitable to handle almost anything that comes their way. I have had the opportunity to work both on and off ships and have to say that working in a land based job rarely measured up to the daily challenges I have encountered while working on a ship. I would go on further to say, I don’t believe I would be as good of an employee if it wasn’t for my experiences working on board cruise ships. So next time you speak to or interview an employee who has worked on a ship, remember that their previous work experience may make them more than qualified to handle anything you can throw at them.

 

End of article. Amazing is'nt it ?

[richb21]

Thanks for sharing, so under appreciated

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[kathyanddanny]

HH,

 

Wonderful article! Thanks for sharing it.

Certainly takes a special type to enter into this field. We know a few kids from St.Lucia who started working in the cruise industry....we are very proud of their fortitude. I especially love the section on diversity and was thinking....maybe a few of our Countries leaders should be made to work together on a cruise ship for nine months as part of their training!? Could be a brighter world? Who knows? 😉😃

 

Kathy.

[vandrefalk]

Believe I know who wrote this! And SD is exceptional at making the crew "family." They seem to know instantly if someone is going to fit in and they work hard to integrate the newbies. The best example I've seen of this loyalty is Brian. He hurt himself on one of our cruises and was told by the doctor to take a couple of days off. Well, he just wouldn't do it -- he was back on duty at cocktails (albeit one-armed!) doing whatever he could to help his team! He just wouldn't let them down. One of the many reasons we love SD because we have so much affection and respect for the crew!

Vandrefalk

[ho-hum]

So very pleased you liked the article....great comments too.

It was Gabor, Vandrefalk. Sure you would have known him.

 

Now dearest chums, HH may not be posting as regular for the next week.

Whilst changing a car tyre, the jack broke and landed on HH's right hand !

Ouch !

Tapping these damn characters takes an age !

Back soon.

[ho-hum]

Hi Mrs. Duke: There is a large group of 30 cabins on this voyage, but I do not see any children in the group. When groups are on board we do not allow them to monopolize any common areas and all guests are given the "SeaDream service" we are known for. We do not advertise SeaDream as being for "couples only" to my knowledge as SeaDream voyages are open to all. We look forward to serving you and Mr. Proulx() on board SeaDream II on February 14, 2015.

 

This, from a Laurence B. Major.

 

Kathy.

 

Kathy there is a rumour that the 30 cabins were booked by a US TA and that he sold them off to individual couples.

We are seeking further info and will let you know.

So there may not be a large group at all.

[kathyanddanny]

HH,

 

I wasn't worried in the least!! Haha...but, that's fantastic news! Just sayin...

😁🎉🎊🎈

Thanks for the info!

 

Kathy.

[abenaki]

Good Heavens HO HUM

 

I would have thought you to have a man to do things like change your tyres? You are a menace. I suggest that Blondie takes your ladder down to the charity shop tomorrow.

 

Deepest Sympathies

[fpebbles]

Thanks for posting the excellent article.

[ho-hum]

Good Heavens HO HUM

 

I would have thought you to have a man to do things like change your tyres? You are a menace. I suggest that Blondie takes your ladder down to the charity shop tomorrow.

 

Deepest Sympathies

 

HH learnt a great lesson.

Never again give staff the day off ever again !

[ho-hum]

Who is this legend of SDII ?

And Elton John look alike ?

[NathanNuttela]

I'm a tad alarmed now! How does one ascertain the likelihood of a 'large group' being onboard?

 

First time on SD approaching (7th March) and not relishing being a spare part to a swarming hoard.

 

Any helpful chap got the low down (or 'heads up', depending on which side of pond you hail from)

 

Cheers

Edited February 6, 2015 by NathanNuttela

[Poppy1966]

So very pleased you liked the article....great comments too.

It was Gabor, Vandrefalk. Sure you would have known him.

 

Now dearest chums, HH may not be posting as regular for the next week.

Whilst changing a car tyre, the jack broke and landed on HH's right hand !

Ouch !

Tapping these damn characters takes an age !

Back soon.

 

......sorry to hear that HH. My poor mother took a tumble on her 85th birthday so Poppy's been busy back and forth looking after her. All mended now thankfully. Final packing today, flying tomorrow in my Emirates suite (getting as posh as HH). Emirates are sending TWO cars, one each! What on earth will the neighbours think? Arriving into Auckland on Monday. Yeah. House and animal sitter sorted. Once we arrive at the airport lounge I will reveal the surprise itinerary to the birthday boy. He hates flying and hates window seats so I've only booked him to fly half way around the world in a window seat. I'm sure he'll be fine! Oh, I've also arranged for us to meet up with two of our dearest friends on the big day itself. We haven't seen them in years. I'm keeping that one a surprise until the day when we will simply 'bump' into them in a restaurant. I have him completely ruined!! Ha

Hope the hand heals soon. Take care P xxx

[commander courageous]

Here in "the settlements" we have the Auto Club, where members for an annual fee

can avail themselves of the services of mechanics at home or on the road for minor

repairs. I am amazed that a similar Club does not exist in the "posh...est parts of the

UK"

 

You have never struck me as one particularly mechanically inclined, so I would

avoid any further attempts at home or auto repairs, should your well being be put in peril.

 

Hope your injured hand will be sufficiently healed to uncork the Tattinger Rose

pool side in a few days. Get well "old" (emphasis added) chap!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jim Avery]

Here in "the settlements" we have the Auto Club, where members for an annual fee

can avail themselves of the services of mechanics at home or on the road for minor

repairs. I am amazed that a similar Club does not exist in the "posh...est parts of the

UK"

 

You have never struck me as one particularly mechanically inclined, so I would

avoid any further attempts at home or auto repairs, should your well being be put in peril.

 

Hope your injured hand will be sufficiently healed to uncork the Tattinger Rose

pool side in a few days. Get well "old" (emphasis added) chap!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I seem to recall someone describing a time when Ho-Hum was incapacitated with another injury to his hand......extreme blisters from corkscrew overuse.