One of the best bits about my job was turning out to be the ship visits. Of course they meant getting up really early and getting home late and somehow I usually got roped into carting around marketing boxes due to my previous marketing experience. There was always a lot of running around and a few dramas but life on the ship was never dull.
5 June 2013
It wasn’t the best of starts to the day! The alarm didn’t go off because I’d accidentally moved the radio button and it wasn’t on a station. The stupid thing is I woke at five, thought, that’s way too early, and went back to sleep expecting to wake half an hour later with the alarm. As it was it was five past six when I looked at the clock again. This meant a mad dash morning. It was going to be a mad old day with a baby grand to get on board and another to get off and only a half hour window to do it. I’d be lucky if I got time to stop for lunch. Good job I got most things ready last night then. After the shower debacle on Monday I may be learning my lesson. Then I had a nice long shower in my own girl’s shower. It might not be all fancy with marble tiles and super strong shower jets but it’s mine, plus it’s easier and quicker to clean afterwards. One small problem, I remembered to bring my shampoo, conditioner, face wash and shower gel downstairs, I even remembered my moisturiser, what I forgot was the body butter, hair dryer and my dressing gown. Of course I didn’t realise this until I was dripping wet with no dressing gown to put on.
Typically, the one morning when I’d have quite liked Gigi to be late, she was more or less on time. I did have a few moments waiting in the front garden but not nearly as many as I’d have liked. The allium is just opening its starry purple petals and the first of my geraniums flowers have come out. Sadly the poor lilac flowers are going over now, I shall have to cut them back at the weekend to encourage new growth for next year.
Off we went to pick up Gail, who seemed surprised to see us so soon, and then it was on towards the port. Because we were earlier this time we managed to miss the traffic which was good. There were no queues at the check in desk so we got our passes super quick. It seemed like we would have plenty of time to get everything on board and set up before the first visitors began to arrive. Then it all went wrong.
As Gigi presented our passports and pink parking slip at the barrier the official looked at them and shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t let you in. Your pink slip hasn’t been signed and dated.” So we had to drive back, the wrong way through the port, to the check in. Turns out the girl who’d dealt with our passes was in training. Of course by this time there was a queue.
Eventually we made it on board and unloaded all the marketing boxes. Did I mention the marketing boxes? Last night Gail said she’d walk home with me. That seemed like a good idea at the time but when I agreed I didn’t realise I was going to get roped into a mammoth marketing box moving session. Really I should have run for the hills as soon as ‘helping with a few boxes’ was mentioned. I used to work in marketing and I’ve hefted my share of boxes and big packs of brochures, come to think of it Gigi was usually involved then too. The boxes were going down to her car to be taken to the ship. Of course this meant she had to go off and get the car while Gail and I manhandled the boxes. There were loads of them and they were all heavy! Oh well more calories burned then. Why do I always end up carting marketing boxes?
Thankfully Arabella caught up with me just in time to save me from a second round of boxes and we trotted off to the cruise office to sort out our own stuff. My first job was to take the box of new magazines up to the library and change them over, weeding out the old and dog eared ones. After this we went off for a meeting and a coffee by the pool. The sun was shining and I couldn’t think of a better way to have a meeting, sitting at a pretty table in the sun next to a pool. I could get used to this.
Arabella went off to have a meeting with the housekeeper and I went in search of our harpist who was supposed to be in the observation lounge all set up and ready to go by ten. The observation lounge was empty when I got there, no sign of a harpist or a harp. As it was half past nine this was a bit of a worry. I dashed down to reception to see if anyone had seen her. She hadn’t arrived!
I then got caught up with marketing again in a hunt for stands for the displays. Once they were found I ran back up to the observation lounge to see if the harpist had arrived. Again it was empty. Out of the window I spotted Howard on the dock and, as he’s in charge of moving things on and off the ship, I thought I’d run down and ask him if he’d seen harpist or harp, perhaps there was a problem getting the harp on board? As I ran down the last flight of stairs into reception, I caught sight of someone running up the other side of the stairs, it looked suspiciously like my harpist. It was. She’d been delayed because her pink slip hadn’t been signed or dated and had to go back to check in. “Apparently it was the second time today it’s happened,” she told me. “They have a new girl training.”
The harp was set and and, with a chuckle at the fact that I was that other person, I left her tuning it while I dashed back to the library to have a quick tidy up of the books. I was hoping to get more time in there and get things really ship shape (excuse the pun) but Arabella found me and asked me to help out with the ship tours. One group had quite a few visitors who were a bit slow on their feet and she needed someone to hold up the rear and make sure no one got lost. So that was a bit more up and down the stairs, at least at a sedentary pace this time.
The tours end with lunch and once again I was asked to host a table. This is a doubled edged sword. On the one hand it means I get lunch, on the other I have to make conversation and answer questions throughout the meal so most of my food ends up staying on my plate. Oh well it could be worse, Arabella didn’t get any lunch at all. She was far too busy looking at fabric and carpet samples in the suites that are soon to be refurbished.
Once lunch was finished it was off to check how the new piano was getting on. Because I had to help with the tour I did at least get out of helping move the old piano out and the new piano in. Every cloud has a silver lining, I’d been having nightmares about pianos stuck on the stairs. The shiny new piano was all set up when I arrived and in the process of being tuned. There wasn’t a lot for me to do there so I went off to report back to Arabella.
We spent a while sorting out where to hang the new paintings in the gallery and looking at chairs that need to be recovered or replaced in various lounges. We then went off to have afternoon tea. What a lovely civilised tradition that is. The table was groaning under the weight of cakes, biscuits, sandwiches and fruit, not to mention the warm scones, jam and clotted Devon Cream or the hot spring rolls with sweet chilli dip. Tempting to try one of everything, especially as Arabella hadn’t eaten so was loading her plate. With a supreme effort of will I managed to stick to one tiny chocolate brownie and a coffee. I think I deserve a medal for that!
Whilst we were eating and chatting the young classical group came in so I went to introduce myself and have a chat with them. By the time I got back Arabella was having a meeting with the Chief Housekeeper so I went off for a little tour of the ship, trying to get to grips with what was where. Back in the observation lounge I caught up with the lounge band who were setting up for the evening. While we were chatting the announcement for the safety drill came over the loudspeaker. This was my cue to find Arabella and get off the ship.
Back in reception she was nowhere to be found. The Captain saw me looking lost and told me she’d gone off to the loo so I waited for her to come back. Good job I was there because they were just about to raise the gangplank, leaving us stranded on board! Just in time I managed to stop them. The Chief Houskeeper, who’d been standing with me laughed, “Don’t worry, I’ve got a cabin for you.” Thinking of that lovely afternoon tea it didn’t sound like such a bad plan!
So day three of the Big Plan didn’t go too badly after all. There wasn’t a great deal of food because I left most of my lunch, very reluctantly I might add. There was the chocolate brownie and I did say I wouldn’t have any chocolate but I think I more than made up for it with all the dashing up and down the stairs. Let’s hope the scales see it that way!