Living in an Inside Cabin

Kayaking in Lake Gatun, Panama

Crew Raffle

Life on board is a different way of living from what most people experience.  We need to learn how to live in a small space, no matter how large the ship may be.  Unusual as it is for crew, we cruise consultants have a passenger cabin, albeit an inside one.

I was most concerned about living and working together 24/7, especially when moving from a 4 bedroom house to an inside cabin.  Amazing as it is, we are both still on board and speaking to each other.  We have managed to find space for everything we brought (we did pack pretty light) and since it is tight space, we keep it fairly neat.  Living with Michael, I have no choice since he is the neat freak.

The social life takes some getting used to.   Our Zuiderdam crew is great from the captain on down.  They were most gracious in welcoming us aboard and including us in the social events like birthday parties.  Our crew pursers are good about planning social events and we try to join in as much as schedules permit.  I am an official raffle ticket/bingo card seller and Michael calls bingo.  We also help the Shore Excursion office with disembarkation on the days when over 1100 leave the ship on excursions. 

 Of course, we found the OB (Officer’s Bar) immediately and the bartender, Momi, knows what we drink and where we live (for billing purposes).  One of the harder parts is saying goodbye when friends leave for vacations or a new ship.  But then, there are new friends to meet  when they come aboard.  I certainly miss my good friends at home but it never hurts to make new ones.  I now have a Swedish friend, Hanna, who lives in Aix-en-Provence, France to visit.

The photos show a crew gathering for one of the raffles, Michael selling wherever he can, Ilona from HRO and me kayaking in Panama on Lake Gatun.