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

[Hojo's redbeard]

[quote name='AAAAmerican']Yes the IRS does tax winnings and sometimes gifts when they go over a threshold too.

A perfect example a Lady and her daughter won tickets to a NY Giants (Yes they play in the NJ Medowlands Giants Stadium) game in the Medowlands with a SkyBox and all the features added...

She had to pay tax on the full retail amount..

Ever win a car? Truck? House? Etc..? You have to pay tax , usually on the retail value...

Ask your accountant..CPA...PA... or the IRS..
:eek:[/quote]

That's why (when I've won things) I sell what I won, or take a cash equivalent if one is offered.

[kryos]

[quote name='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.
[/QUOTE]
If I am not mistaken ... I believe medical staff is paid. You sign a contract for so many months, just like the rest of the crew does. However, I don't believe the nurses (don't know about doctors) have passenger privileges; i.e., can mingle on passenger decks, see shows, etc. I was talking with one woman on my Zuiderdam cruise who said that she was meeting her daughter on shore the next day in order to spend the day with her. Apparently, the daughter was a nurse onboard ship, but was not allowed on the passenger decks on her time off. So, she had no way of spending time with her while on the ship. But at least mom got her cruise at a discount ... using her daughter's "employee privileges," so at least that was something.

Don't know if that is the rule today (this was 2004), or even if it was just a HAL rule ... but you might want to look into it. A cruise where you can only be on the crew decks during your off-hours, and where you had to share crew accommodations, would not necessarily be the same as a leisure cruise. But on the bright side ... unlike the onboard lecturers ... at least you'd be earning a salary while onboard.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[kryos]

[quote name='sirarthur']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[/QUOTE]
The bridge instructors are another group that have it great. Usually they are husband and wife teams ... and are retired from their land-side jobs. They sail almost the whole year long, in passenger accommodations, with full passenger privileges, almost totally for free. I believe they may have to pay their port charges ... and expenses to get to and from the ship. But that's it.

I was talking to one of the bridge instructors on the Amsterdam this past January ... and asking him if I could learn the game while on that 30-day cruise. He told me a 30-day cruise would not be enough time to learn the game of bridge, but that if I'd be able to schedule the 2007 World Cruise, his wife would be happy to teach me the game from scratch. He said they would both be on that sailing, and his wife would be running classes for the "newbies."

Nice deal.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Stevesan]

[quote name='haras'] For instance, I've taught a class on diamonds before. How to buy them, how to look at them. (I used to be a diamond buyer) Would a cruiseline give me a free cabin in exchange for a seminar? I'm just dreaming up ways on how to retire early and cruise for a living.
[/quote]

Haras, you don't stand a chance in Hades.

The last thing the cruise director or any of the "cruise ship recommended" stores want are customers knowledgeable about evaluating the quality and the pricing of gem stones!:eek:

They'd have to either cut their prices by half or close up shop.

No way do they want you to lecture the marks, oops, I mean customers.

[kakalina]

[quote name='kryos']If I am not mistaken ... I believe medical staff is paid. You sign a contract for so many months, just like the rest of the crew does. However, I don't believe the nurses (don't know about doctors) have passenger privileges; i.e., can mingle on passenger decks, see shows, etc. I was talking with one woman on my Zuiderdam cruise who said that she was meeting her daughter on shore the next day in order to spend the day with her. Apparently, the daughter was a nurse onboard ship, but was not allowed on the passenger decks on her time off. So, she had no way of spending time with her while on the ship.

Blue skies ...

--rita[/quote]

Rita, perhaps you don't remember but one of the women that joined us in the Crows Nest in the evenings was a dialysis nurse on board and except for the many hours that she had patients hooked up to the machine she was able to enjoy all the pax areas of the ship. We really enjoyed meeting her and learned alot about how the system worked for them.
T

[haras]

[quote name='Stevesan']Haras, you don't stand a chance in Hades.

The last thing the cruise director or any of the "cruise ship recommended" stores want are customers knowledgeable about evaluating the quality and the pricing of gem stones!:eek:

They'd have to either cut their prices by half or close up shop.

No way do they want you to lecture the marks, oops, I mean customers.[/quote]

LOL yeah, it seems like the people with the best chances of making this happen are the bridge instructors, doctors or professors. imo anyway.

I learned a lot reading this thread though. Probably the most valuable lesson is that I don't want to be part of the crew because the best part of going on a cruise is being on vacation. Doing what you want, when you want. It really makes you appreciate the crew even more for always being friendly and smiling when they're at work.

[kryos]

[quote name='kakalina']Rita, perhaps you don't remember but one of the women that joined us in the Crows Nest in the evenings was a dialysis nurse on board and except for the many hours that she had patients hooked up to the machine she was able to enjoy all the pax areas of the ship. We really enjoyed meeting her and learned alot about how the system worked for them.
T[/QUOTE]
Was she employed by HAL, though ... or by some outside contractor? I can't imagine HAL paying a dialysis nurse.

I know there was a large group onboard (the ones with the paper pineapples on the doors). Could she have been brought along as part of their group? Maybe they had a lot of people on dialysis in the group and the TA included her as a bennie to the group members?

Of course, maybe the rules on HAL have changed. I talked to this woman who's daughter was a nurse in the medical office of the Zuiderdam in August 2004. She's the one who told me her daughter was not allowed on the passenger decks after hours, and she could only meet up and spend a day with her onshore.

Things could be totally different now.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Copper10-8]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=navy]I have seen the nurses (in uniform) having lunch in the Lido and also at cocktail parties in the Explorers and Neptune Lounges. Be interesting to find out how long their (and the doctor's and dentist's) contracts are.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[AlohaPride]

I just figured it out! Once I'm doing my practicum/intern"ships" I WILL be a doctor! Therefore, wouldn't the rules that apply to ship doctors also apply to me? I mean, if they have dentists shouldn't they also have psychologists/psychiatrists??

[Copper10-8]

[quote name='AlohaPride']I just figured it out! Once I'm doing my practicum/intern"ships" I WILL be a doctor! Therefore, wouldn't the rules that apply to ship doctors also apply to me? I mean, if they have dentists shouldn't they also have psychologists/psychiatrists??[/quote]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=navy]You'd be a natural as well as a shoe-in, Doc! HAL will be very happy to have someone to deal with the 51-50s[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[cruisinjudy]

On Westerdam our dining table included a dialysis doctor and family and a dialysis nurse. I think these are contracted with an outside agency and are on board when there is a group of dialysis patients. They brought all of their own equipment and could use any part of the ship when they were not on duty.

I did ask about who pays to have this service on the cruise but they didn't know the answer, at least the nurse didn't know.The doctor may not have been there the night we had this discussion.

The doctor was very helpful when my husband ended up in the medical center with a heart problem. He was not the doctor who attended my husband but he did come in to consult since he was at our table.

[bdcbbq]

[quote name='Copper10-8'][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=navy]I have seen the nurses (in uniform) having lunch in the Lido and also at cocktail parties in the Explorers and Neptune Lounges. Be interesting to find out how long their (and the doctor's and dentist's) contracts are.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]

When I was on the Veendam a few years ago, I seem to remember the doctor telling me that they work with 2 week contracts. Or it was my personal physician who told me that.

Don't forget that the Dr. onboard is also taking care of all of the medical problems of the crew. I think the nurse on board has a longer contract, because of the job responsibilities for tracking immunizations, medical concerns, ordering supplies, etc. for the cruises. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a couple of nurses on board.

[Islandbuoy]

I will give lectures on beer tasting. We'll use little mugs, w/ chains for around our necks.
(Beermollier)

[LHC]

What I would be interested in is part-time assignments normally for 2 week periods. Included is your transporation to and from port to your hometown, one nights lodging pre-cruise, your room and board on ship, plus payment for your services.
I have sent a resume' and if I meet the qualifications will be sent a packet with information.
I will forward the info on CC.
Linda, RN

[kryos]

[quote name='LHC']What I would be interested in is part-time assignments normally for 2 week periods. Included is your transporation to and from port to your hometown, one nights lodging pre-cruise, your room and board on ship, plus payment for your services.
I have sent a resume' and if I meet the qualifications will be sent a packet with information.
I will forward the info on CC.
Linda, RN[/QUOTE]
That's not a bad deal at all, Linda. At least you're making some money for those weeks and getting to be onboard ship too! Good luck with getting it!

Blue skies ...

--rita

[LHC]

Rita,
May be the way to get to alaska or europe during my summer vacation (school nurse=200 day contract) and still get paid.
LHC

[kryos]

[quote name='LHC']Rita,
May be the way to get to alaska or europe during my summer vacation (school nurse=200 day contract) and still get paid.
LHC[/QUOTE]
Just make sure you read the "fine print" carefully, though. Make sure you are gonna have enough time off to enjoy those ports. It would be a sin to be stuck in the infirmary all day and not even be able to get off the boat.

I know that so many medical personnel must always be onboard the ship ... even when the boat is in port. But, if you are on a larger ship, I would imagine you would have at least a couple of other nurses onboard with you, and you could all "rotate" off time on various port days.

Sounds like this could be a great experience for you.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[maryanngup]

My dentist cruised on HAL for several year's as ship's dentist. He had to take care of the crew's needs as well as any pax emergencies. He did this on one cruise a year and went for free. I think his wife had to pay full fare. He liked it because he had full passenger rights. After 9/11 they changed their policy and because of security issues he had to wear a nametag and was more restricted. He said he would rather be anonymous onboard, so he doesn't do it any more.