CHRIS WONG Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 What's up guys! I thought some of you out there might find this interesting! I'm Chris from Liverpool, and I am a crew member on Independence of The Seas! I work in the Duty Free shops. If any of you have ever wondered what being a Royal Caribbean crew member is really like, give my cruise article a read, and let me know if you recognise me. (there are no ads on my article) I talk about my job, social life, travel, and overall ship life. www.chriswongvlogs.com/work-on-a-cruise-ship-uk Ask me any questions about working on cruise ships, or Royal Caribbean in general, and I will give you all the gossip. For example, what is the crew cabins like? Who better to ask than someone who has been on the inside! Neaxan, cruiselife, Lindsay and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 19 minutes ago, CHRIS WONG VLOGS said: What's up guys! I thought some of you out there might find this interesting! I'm Chris from Liverpool, and I am a crew member on Independence of The Seas! I work in the Duty Free shops. If any of you have ever wondered what being a Royal Caribbean crew member is really like, give my blog post a read, and let me know if you recognise me. I talk about my job, social life, travel, and overall ship life. https://wander.media/i-get-paid-to-travel-the-world Ask me any questions about working on cruise ships, or cruising in general, and I will give you all the gossip. For example, what is the crew cabins like? Who better to ask than someone who has been on the inside! Welcome to the message boards! Very interesting blog, thanks for sharing. I was on Indy over Christmas. Were you on then? I've often wondered how much art is sold during a cruise. I just got off Liberty and it seemed like there were more art auctions and events than ever before. How many pieces of art are sold during a typical cruise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 Hi Chris, Your blog post was really interesting and well-written, thank you for posting! Just out of curiosity, what are the nationalities of the staff and crew members currently onboard Indy? You all provide a great service to Royal Caribbean :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS WONG Posted March 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 8 hours ago, twangster said: Welcome to the message boards! Very interesting blog, thanks for sharing. I was on Indy over Christmas. Were you on then? I've often wondered how much art is sold during a cruise. I just got off Liberty and it seemed like there were more art auctions and events than ever before. How many pieces of art are sold during a typical cruise? @twangster Thanks for the warm welcome, and thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Thought it would be nice to give a little insight into our crew lives. Yes I was there. I love the Christmas/New Year period on cruise ships. The festivities were so much fun! Did you enjoy have a good time? And wow, you've just got off another cruise, seems like you sail a lot! The art onboard can range anywhere from $100 to $100,000 - it depends on whether you're buying a 'graphic' or 'one-of-a-kind'. Auctioneers all have their own way of doing things, some may prefer more auctions, some may prefer less. It will be different on every ship you go on. In terms of how many works of art are sold, again it's different every cruise. On average, I would anywhere between 10-30 works of art will be sold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 4 minutes ago, CHRIS WONG VLOGS said: And wow, you've just got off another cruise, seems like you sail a lot! @CHRIS WONG VLOGS meet @twangster...our resident photographer, Mr. Knowledgeable, and climbing the C&A ladder probably faster than anyone else here! ? CHRIS WONG, LetsTryThisPlace, cruisestuff and 2 others 2 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose City Cruiser Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 15 minutes ago, Sabrinaklai said: @CHRIS WONG VLOGS meet @twangster...our resident photographer, Mr. Knowledgeable, and climbing the C&A ladder probably faster than anyone else here! ? Super Twangster!!! CHRIS WONG, mworkman and Lovetocruise2002 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS WONG Posted March 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 8 hours ago, accio7 said: Hi Chris, Your blog post was really interesting and well-written, thank you for posting! Just out of curiosity, what are the nationalities of the staff and crew members currently onboard Indy? You all provide a great service to Royal Caribbean :) @accio7 I'm glad you enjoyed my blog, a lot of people seem to think us crew are treated like slaves! And thank you for your kind words - as a crew member we really appreciate it when a guests compliments our service. Crew members on the ship are literally from all over the world. I would say the most popular is Filipino and Indian. With the shop staff - we are mainly from Europe, South Africa, and India. accio7 and Baked Alaska 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neaxan Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 Hi Chris, thank you for your blog, it was really enjoyable. In Germany we have a TV series called "Verrueckt nach Meer" (Crazy for Sea) that follows crew members on Phoenix Cruises, but most staff they feature works in the kitchen. It was interesting to read another perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 Hi Chris, Awesome blog! After a 6 month contract, do you go home before you sign another contract? Patta_Conna 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS WONG Posted March 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 5 hours ago, Sabrinaklai said: @CHRIS WONG VLOGS meet @twangster...our resident photographer, Mr. Knowledgeable, and climbing the C&A ladder probably faster than anyone else here! ? Haha @Sabrinaklai! I feel honoured that @twangster commented on my discussion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS WONG Posted March 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 2 hours ago, Neaxan said: Hi Chris, thank you for your blog, it was really enjoyable. In Germany we have a TV series called "Verrueckt nach Meer" (Crazy for Sea) that follows crew members on Phoenix Cruises, but most staff they feature works in the kitchen. It was interesting to read another perspective. @Neaxan Thanks for taking the time to read my blog! Yes, depending on your job, your whole life onboard can be so different. I'm glad I can show you my ship life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 3 minutes ago, CHRIS WONG VLOGS said: Haha! I feel honoured that @twangster commented on my discussion! That and $8 will get you a cup of Starbucks coffee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS WONG Posted March 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 36 minutes ago, Lindsay said: Hi Chris, Awesome blog! After a 6 month contract, do you go home before you sign another contract? Hey @Lindsay, I'm glad you enjoyed my blog. Yes, I usually go home between 4-6 weeks, and then I start a new contract. Working on ships is quite a fast paced life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS WONG Posted March 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 10 minutes ago, twangster said: That and $8 will get you a cup of Starbucks coffee! @twangster I'm from the UK, I like tea! hayley_bopp, RestingBird, Lovetocruise2002 and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 19 hours ago, CHRIS WONG VLOGS said: @twangster I'm from the UK, I like tea! A Scouser on a cruiseship well at least there's no hubcaps you can steal Welcome btw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS WONG Posted March 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 13 minutes ago, Ray said: A Scouser on a cruiseship well at least there's no hubcaps you can steal Welcome btw @Ray Ha! Thanks Ray. I always get jokes like this from the guests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLWIser Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 Hi @CHRIS WONG VLOGS! Thanks for sharing! I've always been so curious about crew members' lives onboard. Would you say from week to week it ever becomes monotonous - or do the different passengers and guests each week that you are able to meet keep it interesting? Do crew members have parties on board that change week to week? Not sure if you're able to answer this due to policy reasons but just out of curiosity - is there a level of seniority amongst crew to where you are able to choose which ship you are on for a contract? Are the larger vessels more or less desirable (more people = more stress but also more money?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rxatsea Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 Really love the article. Very informative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS WONG Posted March 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 19 hours ago, HLWIser said: Hi @CHRIS WONG VLOGS! Thanks for sharing! I've always been so curious about crew members' lives onboard. Would you say from week to week it ever becomes monotonous - or do the different passengers and guests each week that you are able to meet keep it interesting? Do crew members have parties on board that change week to week? Not sure if you're able to answer this due to policy reasons but just out of curiosity - is there a level of seniority amongst crew to where you are able to choose which ship you are on for a contract? Are the larger vessels more or less desirable (more people = more stress but also more money?) @HLWIser I'm loving your questions! When you work on ships, time goes so fast. You completely lose track of days, and a 6 month contract flies by. Engaging and interacting with the guests definitely keeps the job exciting. I actually enjoy exchanging life stories with one another. We party all the time! There are lots of events and themed nights in the crew bar - I guess this helps us stay loose during the course of a contract, and this is also how we socialise with all the other crew members. I've had some of the best nights in the crew bar - my birthday was a lot of fun! When it comes to my next contract, you can request what ship you would like to work on, but it really depends on availability. My recruiter will tend to give me an option of 2 or 3 ships. I personally prefer the bigger ships, just because it keeps me busier. I'd be so bored on a quiet ship. JLMoran, RestingBird, HLWIser and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS WONG Posted March 7, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2018 18 hours ago, Rxatsea said: Really love the article. Very informative. @Rxatsea Thanks! I'm glad I can provide a little insight into our crew lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted March 7, 2018 Report Share Posted March 7, 2018 Hello Chris, Your posts are great! What are some of the things that cruisers do that really piss you off as well as other crew members (other than being cheap on tips)? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS WONG Posted March 7, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2018 2 hours ago, rjac said: Hello Chris, Your posts are great! What are some of the things that cruisers do that really piss you off as well as other crew members (other than being cheap on tips)? Thanks. @rjac Thanks for taking the time to read my article! I get irritated when guests leave cups and plates in the shop. Sometimes guests will try and bargain with me to get a lower price, and when I say the price is final, they will ask another shop-staff - thinking they will get a different answer. rjac 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Posted March 7, 2018 Report Share Posted March 7, 2018 1 hour ago, CHRIS WONG VLOGS said: @rjac Thanks for taking the time to read my article! I get irritated when guests leave cups and plates in the shop. Sometimes guests will try and bargain with me to get a lower price, and when I say the price is final, they will ask another shop-staff - thinking they will get a different answer. Oh my gosh Chris!!!!! The trash, cups and plates guests leave everywhere irritates the YOU KNOW WHAT out of me too and I am guest! When I see anything out of place I pick them up and put them in the proper place. My husband gets SO irritated with me...he is like - Honey, why in the world are you cleaning? We are on vacation. I also clean up my stateroom like this. I make sure everything is in the trash and things are not left out and about. I make the bed and I even compile the towels and put them in the bathtub when we are ready for new ones. It drives my husband crazy (even after being together/married for 22 years)! But I know that it's appreciated. That is why I do it. Lovetocruise2002, Shanaroma and Suzanne 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floski Posted March 7, 2018 Report Share Posted March 7, 2018 What a great blog! I'm sure that each of us who love to cruise are interested in the lives and experiences of those who make our voyages so wonderful. Thank you, Chris, for your insight; please keep posting! DunkelBierJay and Lovetocruise2002 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted March 7, 2018 Report Share Posted March 7, 2018 So Chris, is it true that the Captain of the ship lets the crew member of the week (hardest working, most loyal/dedicated/best looking) drive the ship the following week? RestingBird, Suzanne, Shanaroma and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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