Could a journalist use an alias onboard?

[friendlybrown]

I'm a mystery author setting my 3rd book (Oliver Twisted) onboard a Dickens- themed cruise. Holland America has been very helpful to me, but I have so many questions - maybe you all can help. To begin with, I know that passports/official IDs are required to cruise, but might a cruise line allow a famous journalist to use a different name onboard (i.e. the cruise line knows who she is, but the passengers do not)? Thanks for your help!

[CruiserBruce]

Unless you are going to be wearing a name tag, no one would know your name anyway, unless you are well known.

 

You could put your first name only on the name tag, or a nickname.

 

Is there a contact person at HAL you have been dealing with? That would be a good person to ask. We have been on 9 HAL cruises, never heard anything like this before, and a doubt many others here would have definite knowledge of the situation.

 

Sounds interesting. Having met a very famous author (we share the same charity), I am not sure how many people would recognize him, unless they are diehard fans who follow his every move. I guess that could be true in your case as well. In which case they will probably recognize you anyway! :D;)

 

Edit: I just re-read your post. Are you really going on a cruise, or are you just setting your novel on a cruise?

Edited September 15, 2015 by CruiserBruce

[Keith1010]

If you want to go by another name on board you can.

 

Keith

[friendlybrown]

Thanks - that's exactly the info I was looking for. And no, sadly I can't take a cruise before my book deadline, though Holland America did give me a personal tour of one of their ships!

An additional question - do people wear nametags onboard for any reason?

[Floridiana]

Of course, passengers can check in with their real identity and tell others on board their name is Jeanne or Gerry. You are not wearing a name tag unless you participate in a cruise critic roll call meeting on the ship. They usually give you a stick on name tag, but if you didn't participate in the roll call and didn't let the organizer know, no party and no name tag. :-)

I remember one ship where our last name was on a door tag. That could be removed.

 

You will be asked your first name at the dinner table, so have a good one ready!

Edited September 15, 2015 by Floridiana

[YubaSutter]

An additional question - do people wear nametags onboard for any reason?

 

Everyone who works onboard will have a name tag.

[friendlybrown]

You all are the best! In fact, you are so helpful that I have another question about wallets I'm going to post in a different thread.:)

[SadieN]

Many wear their ship card on a lanyard. They'd have to be very sharp to see the bouncing around.

 

Princess puts pax names under their cabin mailboxes. A few remove these.

[spookwife]

I'm a mystery author setting my 3rd book (Oliver Twisted) onboard a Dickens- themed cruise. Holland America has been very helpful to me, but I have so many questions - maybe you all can help. To begin with, I know that passports/official IDs are required to cruise, but might a cruise line allow a famous journalist to use a different name onboard (i.e. the cruise line knows who she is, but the passengers do not)? Thanks for your help!

 

 

umm if he''s famous people would know who is is just by looking at him.

 

sure you could introduce yourself as 'John Smith' but anyone can recognize you as the Doctor.

 

you do get personalized service as well.. as in your cabin steward and your wait staff are going to call you by the name on your ID

 

celebrities and other 'famous' people cruise all the time. if they want to be left alone they do not spend a lot of time in the public areas of the ship.

[Arzeena]

I'm a mystery author setting my 3rd book (Oliver Twisted) onboard a Dickens- themed cruise. Holland America has been very helpful to me, but I have so many questions - maybe you all can help. To begin with, I know that passports/official IDs are required to cruise, but might a cruise line allow a famous journalist to use a different name onboard (i.e. the cruise line knows who she is, but the passengers do not)? Thanks for your help!

 

Now the passengers know!;) since you mentioned the book.

Edited September 15, 2015 by Arzeena

[friendlybrown]

Dang! Good thing I only gave away part of the mystery;)

[Treven]

Unless you're Steven Saylor.

[BeagleOne]

umm if he''s famous people would know who is is just by looking at him.

 

 

Not if they are radio, print, or online journalists. Even if they have a profile pic somewhere online, they wouldn't necessarily be recognized, even if their name were famous.

[calicruz]

Jasmine Richards

[paul929207]

I would think that in the spirit of a fiction book, a person could remove his name tag from the cabin and go by another name

[sail7seas]

What are your two books already published?

 

Only fair if you ask us all sorts of questions, we also as one or two. :D

 

[Kartgv]

You can call yourself whatever you want, but I doubt that the cruise line will issue you a seapass card in an 'assumed' name. Many waiters, bartenders, etc., make it a point to memorize names and call you by name. So....it might be a little awkward if you're sitting with a group which knows you as "Sam", and the bartender brings your drink and calls you by the name on your card.

 

Is there any chance you might be over-estimating the number of people who might recognize you? We read a lot and I can't think of any authors that I would instantly recognize by sight. If a few people did say "Are you....?", just say, "No, I do look like him and get that a lot".

[train460]

Not sure but when getting issued your pass card, photo taken, why not ask if you can be called whatever you want? you can always say that THIS is how you want to be called by crew etc. Don't see whey that would be an issue.

my 02 tho

Michael

[Cruisin' Chick]

I'm a bit confused. Are you talking about a character who goes on a cruise or are you going on the cruise?

 

I would hope if you're writing about a character going on one, that you won't take creative license (as some authors do) and just change the details on how things really are. Remember more and more people have been going on cruises all the time and something like going by an alias doesn't really work on any cruise line.

 

Something like a so-called famous journalist (which seriously would more likely be a TV anchor -- even though I have a masters degree in journalism, I doubt if I would recognize many print journalists or TV beat reporters unless I've met them) wouldn't be able to get on a ship using a fake name and would be a distraction for any reader who would be shaking their head over that. At least it is for me.

 

But as others have noted, you can always tell people any name when you meet them on board. Who's going to know? Even a cabin steward or waiter you can tell them to call you by a nickname (or even if they call you Mr. ----, how many people are going to recognize someone by their last name unless they're a movie star or similar celebrity....believe it or not, many people don't watch news or read a newspaper anymore). Most people don't get involved with a Cruise Critic like roll call or sail with a large group-- so why would a journalist or anyone else have a name tag otherwise?

 

You can call yourself whatever you want, but I doubt that the cruise line will issue you a seapass card in an 'assumed' name. Many waiters, bartenders, etc., make it a point to memorize names and call you by name. So....it might be a little awkward if you're sitting with a group which knows you as "Sam", and the bartender brings your drink and calls you by the name on your card.

 

Is there any chance you might be over-estimating the number of people who might recognize you? We read a lot and I can't think of any authors that I would instantly recognize by sight. If a few people did say "Are you....?", just say, "No, I do look like him and get that a lot".

 

I've even met some authors (in a previous job working with writers and film industry types) and those I would know from then on, but I would guess that most people wouldn't. The more well known journalists such as Anderson Cooper would know they can't work under an alias...others won't be recognized.

 

If again, you're talking about a character, he or she can remove their door tag (if on Princess at least) and hopefully won't have a cabin steward who has read his books (I would guess any novels or other books they read for fun would be in their native language). Maybe that could even be a fun thing for the reader: a big time journalist is stunned to find out he doesn't have to hide his identity among the crew members because they wouldn't recognize him or his name anyway.

[GUT2407]

I'm a mystery author setting my 3rd book (Oliver Twisted) onboard a Dickens- themed cruise. Holland America has been very helpful to me, but I have so many questions - maybe you all can help. To begin with, I know that passports/official IDs are required to cruise, but might a cruise line allow a famous journalist to use a different name onboard (i.e. the cruise line knows who she is, but the passengers do not)? Thanks for your help!

 

You could use any name you want on board.

 

Only h line need know your real name, and even they give you (most lines anyway) the choice in your cruise personaliser the chance to nominate what you want o be called...

 

So Montie could ask to be called Jack. And the staff would all call him Jack.

 

I know one couple who love to play he part of beng different people with exotic careers when they are cruising.

 

Are the crazy.... Yep. But they have fun and no on ever seems to find out.

[slidergirl]

Honestly, due to potential issues with the policies of the governments of the countries you will visit, I doubt that you will be able to use an alias on your documents onboard. But, this would be best answered by the cruise line you are traveling on.

 

On land, it's easy to do at a hotel. We do it all the time where I work. In fact, we have someone very recognizable arriving tomorrow and we have that person listed by the alias that person's assistant has asked us to use. But, we still have that person's real name listed deep in the reservation (and on the credit card ;) ). We can double the game and mark that person as traveling "incognito" and then no one other than staff will say "yes" or "no" to anyone questioning whether someone is staying at our hotel. Some famous people just leave their names as-is and don't worry about who knows they are registered at the hotel. Some famous guests do not want to have an alias but to want to be incognito. Some local people having affairs and have brought their mistress/boy toy want to be both…

[train460]

I am just talking about your pass card that you use on the ship and how the crew learns your name. Not official passport type documents. I don't think any different country has any interest in your cruise pass card.

we are leaving on the freedom in a couple weeks and I am going to try and get them to use my Middle name and not my first.

will see

Michael

[GUT2407]

I am just talking about your pass card that you use on the ship and how the crew learns your name. Not official passport type documents. I don't think any different country has any interest in your cruise pass card.

we are leaving on the freedom in a couple weeks and I am going to try and get them to use my Middle name and not my first.

will see

Michael

 

 

As I said before many ships give that option on the cruise personaliser.

 

"What do you prefer to be called".

 

So not a problem.

[sail7seas]

I'm a bit confused. Are you talking about a character who goes on a cruise or are you going on the cruise?

 

I would hope if you're writing about a character going on one' date=' that you won't take creative license (as some authors do) and just change the details on how things really are. Remember more and more people have been going on cruises all the time and something like going by an alias doesn't really work on any cruise line.

 

Something like a so-called famous journalist (which seriously would more likely be a TV anchor -- even though I have a masters degree in journalism, I doubt if I would recognize many print journalists or TV beat reporters unless I've met them) wouldn't be able to get on a ship using a fake name and would be a distraction for any reader who would be shaking their head over that. At least it is for me.

 

But as others have noted, you can always tell people any name when you meet them on board. Who's going to know? Even a cabin steward or waiter you can tell them to call you by a nickname (or even if they call you Mr. ----, how many people are going to recognize someone by their last name unless they're a movie star or similar celebrity....believe it or not, many people don't watch news or read a newspaper anymore). Most people don't get involved with a Cruise Critic like roll call or sail with a large group-- so why would a journalist or anyone else have a name tag otherwise?[/color']

 

 

 

I've even met some authors (in a previous job working with writers and film industry types) and those I would know from then on, but I would guess that most people wouldn't. The more well known journalists such as Anderson Cooper would know they can't work under an alias...others won't be recognized.

 

If again, you're talking about a character, he or she can remove their door tag (if on Princess at least) and hopefully won't have a cabin steward who has read his books (I would guess any novels or other books they read for fun would be in their native language). Maybe that could even be a fun thing for the reader: a big time journalist is stunned to find out he doesn't have to hide his identity among the crew members because they wouldn't recognize him or his name anyway.

 

 

Given how it seems fewer people even read books these days, the likelihood of being recognized is probably small and even if you are, would it be so terrible? Unless you're Danielle Steel herself, :D , don't waste too much energy worrying someone may recognize you. Be flattered. :)

 

[mudscraper]

Don't use Elmer Fudd. Already taken.