Our experiences shape us, sometimes more than we know.
One experience that is beyond compare is working on a cruise ship. Between crew life, boat baes (they're a thing), and ever-changing passengers, life on a boat teaches you lessons you never thought you'd never end up learning.
1. Crew is family
After a 17-hour work day, all you want to do is fall asleep until your wake-up call the next morning. However, the best thing you can do is hang out with your family. And on a boat, your crew is your family. There is no release like talking to your fellow crew members about the ups and downs from that day.
2. There's a reason they say "ship shape"
Until I worked on a ship, I was under the impression that the phrase "ship shape" was only a phrase because those words sounded good together. Heh, no. From dusting every last horizontal surface aboard to making sure those hospital corners are #perfect, "ship shape" definitely refers to the orderliness on a ship.
3. You no longer get seasick
Before I left, everyone and their mother asked me if I got seasick (in reality, what else do you ask someone who is going to work on a boat?). When you're on a boat for more than one cruise, you either get over it or learn to combat it real fast. There are no off days, so if you get seasick, you're still working.
4. You scoff at "real world" work weeks
In the real world, odds are you work a 40-hour work week. In boat life, your week is easily 93 hours long. Yes, you read that right. A work week on a boat is more than twice the average work week. That's no weekends, no days off, and mere hours to sleep before doing it all over again.
5. Touring cities in 47 minutes
In boat life, you might have anywhere from thirty minutes to two and a half hours in which to see a new city. So what do you do? You get off the boat and see everything you possibly can before you have to get back on board. You get really good at seeing half a city in a really short amount of time.
6. Sleeping where you can, when you can
Sleep is a hot commodity when you're working 13-17 hours a day. If there's a spare half hour and a quite corner, bet your bottom dollar sleep will be happening.
7. Walmart is a luxury
If your itinerary only visits small towns with small businesses, it might be a while before you see a Walmart. And when you do find a Walmart, you're sure to stop in and stock up on snacks, white socks, and whatever else you might need.
8. Don't take little things for granted
I've grown up always having fast food places readily available. Not so much when you work on a boat. Sometimes you get a craving for a greasy burger and fries, and there isn't always a fast food place to satisfy it.
9. Appreciate the time you have with people
When you work on a boat, there's a pretty high turnover rate. Nobody stays in one place for very long. There's constant change in the crew, in the management, and (obviously) in the passengers. You create an incredible bond with people while they're there, and then you go your separate ways. It's sad, but it makes you appreciate your time with them that much more.
10. Don't stress- you can try again tomorrow
Ever seen the movie "Groundhog Day"? That's what it's like to work on a boat. While it can be monotonous at times, it also means that there's always an opportunity to come back from a mistake you made. Even if you royally screwed up, just wait- you'll get a new group of passengers in a few days who don't know what you did. There's never a reason to stress out or beat yourself down.
