Lost Between the Waves: When My Dream Job at Sea Became a Reality Check (Part 1)

Hello wonderful people, this blog might become a 3-part series, as there were various moments during my life at sea that indicated my time at what was once my dream job had come to an end.

Let's begin from the start. Don't worry, I won't recount my entire 15 years at sea. I'll keep it brief, just to introduce how and when I began my journey at sea, how much I initially loved it, and how I eventually became disillusioned, frustrated, sad, and occasionally angry with my job and some people I once admired. I won't discuss the incredible friends I made or how I found love at sea. This is solely about my professional life, though at times, the professional did intertwine with friendship.

I started working at sea in 2008, it was never my dream job, to be honest, I never thought about working on a cruise ship, my dream job at the time was working on a radio station, being a radio host, and maybe later on a producer for my own radio show, but as always dreams change or let's say life sometimes takes you on a different path.

I made some poor decisions at home and needed a new job, as my current one required me to interact with people who weren't beneficial for me. At that point in my life, I believed the best way to move forward was to leave, so that's exactly what I did.

My best friend at the time mentioned a friend who worked at sea, describing it as a temporary job with contracts, payment in dollars, and the opportunity to travel the world. This instantly became my dream job, so she emailed me the contact of a person in Cancun who acted as the liaison between employees and the company. I applied for a position called "Cruise Staff" and then 3 weeks later after a phone interview I was hired, and I was meant to leave in 2 weeks to join my first ship ever: Monarch of the Seas.

From my first ship in 2008 until about 2018, I loved my job. I'm referring specifically to the work itself, not the social aspects like friends, parties, or visiting ports. From my role as Cruise Director's Staff to Activities Manager, it was an incredible experience. I won't deny that I faced challenges as an Activities Manager, particularly during my first contract. It involved transitioning from a Cruise Staff mindset to thinking like an Activities Manager, learning how to communicate effectively with my direct supervisor (the Cruise Director), and managing my team (the Cruise Director's Staff). It was all about finding the balance where everything got accomplished.

I did encounter some trouble for defending my team (the cruise director's staff) because there were occasions when the "higher powers" expected them to give their all and wanted me to schedule them for activities that were unnecessary. I needed to keep my team happy because, particularly in entertainment, they need to be well-rested and have a positive working environment. They must always be cheerful, energetic, entertain guests, make them smile, and help them forget the outside world during their cruise.

As a member of the Cruise Director's Staff, my primary focus was always the guests. I cherished moments when they enjoyed an activity, laughed at our jokes, or simply felt happy. I believed my purpose was to bring joy, help people forget the news, and spread happiness. There's a memory I'll always hold dear: I was on the Majesty of the Seas, responsible for the 5:30 pm trivia. If I recall correctly, it was a Progressive Trivia, where points accumulated over several days. After the finals, when prizes were awarded and I began packing up, I chatted with one of the teams. They thanked me for making the trivia enjoyable, and one lady shared that her husband had just recovered from cancer. During this time, they didn't think about their troubles; they genuinely had fun. I won't deny, I was taken aback. To me, it was just trivia, but it reminded me that our actions as Cruise Director's Staff have a positive impact.

As Activities Manager, my perspective shifted, and my primary focus was always on my teams, particularly my amazing and talented Cruise Director's Staff, followed by the guests. Some may wonder why I prioritized my teams before the guests, and the answer is simple: my responsibility as Activities Manager was to deliver an exceptional program to our cherished guests, making them feel special and encouraging them to enjoy and return to our activities. The Cruise Director's Staff were the ones most actively involved in this effort. It was crucial for me to listen to them and support them as much as possible so they could deliver an outstanding program. Each team member had unique talents, and together, they complemented one another. Having a team that knows how to work together effectively is essential, and as Activities Manager, managing the team was my top priority. Some of my supervisors did not understand this aspect of my approach, and it was later that I realized why, which is when my dream job ceased to be my dream job.

To be continued. . .