If doctors can do it....why can't we?

[Sunshine91]

Grumpy - Our cruise experience wouldn't fit in a thimble when compared to some on this board, including I suspect, yourself. I was only speaking about the cruises John & I have actually been on, as that is all we know. If my post was unclear, I apologize.

[AlohaPride]

http://www.hollandamericaentertainment.com/jobdescriptions/guestspeaker.asp

 

Well, it doesn't look like I qualify. :(

 

I guess I have to keep my day job until I hit the lottery.

 

But I could!! I know TONS about Hawaii ;)

[Copper10-8]

I could teach pax how to avoid/get out of traffic tickets:rolleyes: That's worth at least a mini-suite, maybe higher~;)

[tjcox9]

Here's the spot for info on all those dream positions:

http://www.hollandamericaentertainment.com/

 

Good Luck - hope to see you on board.;)

[OldCodger73]

On the Veendam 34-day Vancouver-Panama Canal-Amazon-Tampa cruise there was a Canadian who will present a series of tallks on digital photography. His wife is on-board. I'm assuming beside some monitary compensation they also received the cruise free.

[AZjohn]

I could teach pax how to avoid/get out of traffic tickets:rolleyes: That's worth at least a mini-suite, maybe higher~;)

 

Heck, I think we could all pitch in for a Penthouse for you for that lecture:D

John

[Sunshine91]

I could teach pax how to avoid/get out of traffic tickets:rolleyes:

 

Copper - All anyone has to do to avoid a traffic ticket is drive the speed limit & obey traffic laws. Gee, guess I could teach that class too. :D

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Other countries, especially European ones, have much higher taxation rates than we do. Don't foreign nationals working at sea have to pay income taxes to their home countries?

.

 

It depends on the country and how many months of the year they spent in their home country. In many cases they are non-residents because they did not actually reside in their own country enough days to have to claim that income.

[Cruiseoften]

On the Veendam 34-day Vancouver-Panama Canal-Amazon-Tampa cruise there was a Canadian who will present a series of tallks on digital photography. His wife is on-board. I'm assuming beside some monitary compensation they also received the cruise free.

 

Most doubtful! A friend went along as assistant to a Handicrafts Instructer - they shared a tiny inside cabin, right next to the port disembarkation ramp. Think of the noise!!!

 

The Instructer paid nothing and received no compensation; my friend was charged just under half the regular fare. Both were subject to 'crew regulations' and required to be 'on call as needed'. Exerienced cruisers, they were several times called upon to act as Tour Conductors - reading from a prepared script....:eek: Neither will do it again!

 

It wasn't a HAL ship but I'd guess that most lines operate in much the same way.

 

As for Hosts, I believe they travel for free but again, they're on call 24/7 as required and live under 'crew rules'. I understand their 'wardrobe requirements' are extensive and definetely for 'their account'.

 

Nothing's free!!!!!!! The 'icing' may be pretty but the cake is what counts........;)

[Sunshine91]

Thanks Lisa. That makes perfect sense. :)

Still wonder if it's the same for Americans who also maintain a residence somewhere in the US. Most of the Americans we met also talked about "home" & mentioned an apartment or house somewhere.

[Cruiseoften]

On the Veendam 34-day Vancouver-Panama Canal-Amazon-Tampa cruise there was a Canadian who will present a series of tallks on digital photography. His wife is on-board. I'm assuming beside some monitary compensation they also received the cruise free.

 

Most doubtful! A friend went along as assistant to a Handicrafts Instructer - they shared a tiny inside cabin, right next to the port disembarkation ramp. Think of the noise!!!

 

The Instructer paid nothing and received no compensation; my friend was charged just under half the regular fare. Both were subject to 'crew regulations' and required to be 'on call as needed'. Exerienced cruisers, they were several times called upon to act as Tour Conductors - reading from a prepared script....:eek: Neither will do it again!

 

It wasn't a HAL ship but I'd guess that most lines operate in much the same way.

 

As for Hosts, I believe they travel for free but again, they're on call 24/7 as required and live under 'crew rules'. I understand their 'wardrobe requirements' are extensive and definetely for 'their account'.

 

Nothing's free!!!!!!! The 'icing' may be pretty but the cake is what counts........;)

[Copper10-8]

Heck, I think we could all pitch in for a Penthouse for you for that lecture

John

 

I like the way you think dude!;)

Copper - All anyone has to do to avoid a traffic ticket is drive the speed limit & obey traffic laws. Gee, guess I could teach that class too.

Correct petit dejeuner! But people don't always do that so my lecture would address the topic about how to get out of a bluee after one violates the vehicle code;)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Thanks Lisa. That makes perfect sense. :)

 

Still wonder if it's the same for Americans who also maintain a residence somewhere in the US. Most of the Americans we met also talked about "home" & mentioned an apartment or house somewhere.

 

Susan, I agree I would like to know this as well. One never knows when one might want to make a career change:rolleyes: ;)

[kryos]

The Dance Hosts probably have a free cabin in exchange for services, I'm guessing.

 

They do. I talked to several of them on my cruise last January ... the first cruise I've experienced where they had such people onboard.

 

They were really a bit miffed on the Hawaii/South Pacific cruise, though. Normally two dance hosts will share an inside cabin on most voyages. The dance hosts are not permitted to bring guests with them on the voyage. On this one, we had four and they had run out of cabins because we were so overbooked. So, what HAL did was "reconfigured" this small hallway type area ... guess it was a service area for the cabin stewards ... and put two sets of bunk beds in there. Some of these hosts were up there in age and would have difficulty getting up to the top bunks. The area was also quite warm and they had to leave the door open during the day.

 

True, they got a free cruise, but I personally don't think it was that great a deal. They had these really tight, uncomfortable accommodations ... plus HAL really kept them busy. Every evening dancing in the Explorer's Lounge. Then all ship special events they were on duty. Then we would often have late night things up in the Crow's Nest ... sock hop, country dancing, etc. ... the dance hosts had to be there. They really put in a long, long day.

 

Now, the people who do have it good are the onboard lecturers. They generally don't get paid either ... in fact, they pay a booking fee to the lecture bureau that books them. They generally are assigned an inside cabin, can bring a guest, and other than the booking fee they only have to pay their port charges and taxes, plus expenses getting to the port. They have to have about three or four lectures ready to give, plus another in "reserve." They do their lecture each sea day, and maybe are asked to "host" a table for dinner each night. That's it. The rest of their time is their own. It's a really nice gig ... but hard to get. You've apparently got to be recognized in your field and be a very engaging speaker. You have to submit videos to the lecture bureau and then travel to their offices, if necessary, for a live audition.

 

I have a friend who lectures occasionally onboard Costa ships and although she can only do it occasionally (because she has a lot of commitments on land), she said her husband loves it when she takes a "gig" onboard ship, cause he gets a free cruise out of it, while she does all the work. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Sunshine91]

They were really a bit miffed on the Hawaii/South Pacific cruise, though. Normally two dance hosts will share an inside cabin on most voyages. The dance hosts are not permitted to bring guests with them on the voyage. On this one, we had four and they had run out of cabins because we were so overbooked. So, what HAL did was "reconfigured" this small hallway type area ... guess it was a service area for the cabin stewards ... and put two sets of bunk beds in there. Some of these hosts were up there in age and would have difficulty getting up to the top bunks. The area was also quite warm and they had to leave the door open during the day.

 

Those "accomodations" - that's just not right. Can you just imagine those elderly gentlemen trying to hoist themselves up into a top bunk at the end of that long day? I mean, I know they are physically fit & spry - they are dance hosts - but still. And it sounds as if their stuff wasn't really secure. At least if they had a cabin they would have had a door to lock.

 

Oh, and Copper, a "little lunch"? :rolleyes: :)

[kryos]

[quote name='Cruiseoften']The Instructer paid nothing and received no compensation; my friend was charged just under half the regular fare. Both were subject to 'crew regulations' and required to be 'on call as needed'. Exerienced cruisers, they were several times called upon to act as Tour Conductors - reading from a prepared script....:eek: Neither will do it again!
[/QUOTE]
Interesting. I'd love to know what cruise line gave them that crappy deal. Most treat their lecturers fairly. Of course, you won't generally find a lecturer in a suite ... unless, I would imagine, they are a real draw and the cruiseline is willing to "wheel and deal" to get them onboard. But the lecturers I've spoken to have always had, at the very least, a standard inside passenger cabin ... sometimes an outside ... and they can bring a guest onboard with them.

But the lecturers I've spoken to, and the one I know personally, have very little in the way of staff responsibilities. Sure, they might be asked to present an extra lecture on occasion, or particpate in a "tea time chat" with passengers, but they are not "on call," as you say. They may possibly be asked to host a shore excursion in their field of interest, in return for the cruise line picking up the excursion fee for them and their spouse. They also generally will not have an assigned seat in the dining room, and instead will be asked to move around ... "hosting" different tables each night. But other than that, the lecturer is free to enjoy shipboard life just as any other passenger would.

As for being considered crew, yes ... that's true. The lecturers occupy this gray area. They are not entirely crew, but they are not paying passengers either. They are not permitted to gamble on the ship ... no casino and no bingo ... and they are expected to "defer" to paying passengers in all cases; i.e., if they want to see a show that is crowded, sit way in the back so the passengers get the better seats, don't use the elevators during crowded periods, etc. While they are permitted to drink in the lounges, they are clearly expected to curb their drinking and never let it get out of control.

Still it's a great deal though and they do have it a lot better than crew. They can use all public areas of the ship, including the pool, and lounges ... whereas the ship's entertainers are much more restricted. From what I understand, the actual ship's cast are only permitted to take their meals in the Lido and cannot congregate in public areas of the ship on their off hours.

Onboard lecturer is a nice "gig" if you can get it. But the competition, from what I understand, is pretty fierce. My friend who does it occasionally on Costa is a local radio personality in the Chicago area who has been on the air for something like 20 years. She has a steady following in the Chicago area and is pretty well-known there. She's considered an "expert" in issues of lifestyle enhancement for "seniors" and I guess that's how Costa heard about her and got her on their list of people to contact for shipboard lecturing. Every so often they call her and offer her a nice cruise to come onboard and lecture. She takes the jobs when she can. Must be nice not to have to pay for your cruises. :)

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Copper10-8]

[quote name='Sunshine91']
[FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=3]Oh, and Copper, a "little lunch"? :rolleyes: :) [/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=navy]It actually means "breakfast":rolleyes:[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[kryos]

[quote name='AlohaPride']But [B][I]I[/I][/B] could!! I know TONS about Hawaii ;)[/QUOTE]
You should put together an audition tape and send it to HAL with a resume. Seriously, they'd probably snap you up as a destination lecturer. If you could put together several "snappy" lectures, you'd probably be cruising for many years to come at a very, very low cost. Especially if the passengers rated you well on a consistent basis, you'd never have to worry about paying cruise fare again. :)

I'd jump on it if I were you.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[kryos]

[quote name='Sunshine91'][FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=3]Those "accomodations" - that's just not right. Can you just imagine those elderly gentlemen trying to hoist themselves up into a top bunk at the end of that long day? I mean, I know they are physically fit & spry - they [I]are[/I] dance hosts - but still. And it sounds as if their stuff wasn't really secure. At least if they had a cabin they would have had a door to lock.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[/QUOTE]
One of them did take a tumble towards the end of the cruise and was out of commission as a dance host from that day until disembarkation. I'm sure these types of accommodations were very, very unusual ... and I am sure HAL normally just paired them in an inside cabin. But this cruise was really a special case in that it was very, very overbooked. HAL even offered killer deals to passengers to swap it for another cruise ... deals like 90 days of the World Cruise in similar accommodations for the exact same fare. Guess they just didn't have any room for these guys and had to make do with what they could come up with.

Still, though ... I wouldn't have wanted to share those tight quarters for thirty days ... not even with family, let alone perfect strangers.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[duckman715]

Ya think they need someone to serve as a bad example? How about as an effective warning to others regarding the evils of Demon Rum or gambling to excess? Perhaps as a shill for the dance instructors by showing just how lousy a dancer one is without taking advantage of the dance class? Same goes for cooking, napkin folding and martini making.
Happy to serve the cause if necessary in the interest of improving the cruise experience of others. It's all about giving selflessly.
Audition tapes are available if requested

[vpoopsy]

Hey, I sell Long Term Care and LIfe Insurance. Sounds like the right crowd for me!:D

[LHC]

Ok Guys. I am an RN and I am off summers from school. I have 32 years of nursing experience with a majority of them in emergency care, so I qualify and would love to do a part-time position during my summers off.
I have lots of obligations currently with an adult son in a wheelchair and two aging medically fragile parents, but even I can dream of the possibilities and It cannot hurt to fax the resume' and get it on file and see if someone calls......
Thanks,
Linda

[PaganView]

One of my mom's friends has done three HAL cruises (just got back from the Med) as a bridge teacher. She gets an inside and has asked to pay the difference to "upgrade" to a better cabin, but was denied (don't know if the ship was full or if it is standard operating procedure).

RevNeal may have more info regarding this as he falls under the "entertainment" category as a chaplain.

My husband is also a UMC pastor and I've encouraged him to ask about it while we're on the Zuiderdam. He has a special talent for helping families deal with death and dying, so a long HAL voyage would be right up his alley :D. I'm kidding. However, I do think it is a wonderful service for HAL to provide a chaplain on every ship. You never know when you might need one.

I'm a stay-at-home mom to three children. Think I could teach a class on "how to effectively parent your child on a cruise", also known as "keep your kids out of the adult pool and their fingers out of the food".;)

[sirarthur]

I am a past criminal defense lawyer turned professor, I'd be glad to give seminars on what to do if you get caught smuggling food off the ship or liquor on it...wearing obscene bathing outfits.... smoking in an "off limits" area...wearing jeans on formal night...etc.

By the way, on a cruise several years ago a tablemate cruised free. He was a bridge master who gave lessons on the Neiw Amsterdam

[jhannah]

I could sail and do human resource audits for each ship in turn. By the time I got through doing the last one, it would be time to start over! Or, I could do undercover monitoring of food served. You know ... proper temperature, presentation, flavor. ;)

It sounds great to work on a cruise ship; but no job is absolutely perfect. There are negative aspects that go along with the positive ones. Each job would have to be weighed on its own merits to determine if it's "worth" doing it.

But I like the thought.