Motivations and new beginnings

A surprising number of people (including guests, friends, and even other crew members) frequently ask why I took this job. So, this obviously seems like a natural starting point before detailing life aboard. But, before getting to know about how I came to work on ships and the decisions that led to me being here, you should know a couple things about me as a person and my job history:

     The first domino in this series of events was my long-time-coming decision to uproot my life in Orlando/Winter Springs, Florida. I decided to move to Chicago in March of 2017 and abandon an established job, my friends, my family, and the life I built over the previous 24 years.
     It came down to one major factor: I was living in a place that did not satisfy me or make me happy. I could detail countless reasons, but for the sake of this blog, they aren’t particularly relevant. I lucked out: I had the full support of my family and the company I worked for. The transition went as smooth as I could hope for. Even if I willingly took a demotion and had to find an apartment on the outskirts of the city to be near the new store. However, the cracks in this new ideal picture I had painted for myself began to show pretty quickly. 

     A quick aside, something you all should know about me is that I am a fiercely loyal person. I don’t give a damn about myself most of the time, but I am always there for the people who I care about and are there for me: my fiends, my family, my place of work, etc. I also do not think very highly of myself, but one thing I know I am good at is jewelry and I know I have a strong work ethic. I want to see myself, my coworkers, and my company succeed out of pride and the genuine joy I have for seeing those around me do well. 

     I could probably write 1000 words about why this position in the new store didn’t work (transit time despite proximity, my lack of feeling a connection with the store/my new team, etc.). However, the problem boiled down to a lack of appreciation. The district manager denied my raise despite having promised one, being a top writer with management experience, and being the lowest paid full-time employee in the store. She even had the nerve to say I didn’t deserve one. So, I found myself facing a decision: do I sacrifice my self-worth and continue to work for a manager that sees me as worthless and infinitely replaceable and a company that does not value loyal service, or do I leave?

Easy, I quit.

     Now I faced a new dilemma: do I rush into a new job or take my chances waiting? I had been job hunting since the moment I realized my current work situation wouldn’t work, but I only had one job offer. I accepted that position as a fine jewelry specialist at a small, private jewelry design firm and showroom in the heart of Chicago’s Jeweler’s Row. Upon the acceptance of this job, many promises were made about my position there. I would assist with the design work of the jewelry (something I had done and enjoyed in my previous store), I would run the social media accounts for the company and do the photography (I went to school for photography), I would write for the company blog (I love writing), and the average sales per month were approximately $50,000 per associate (of which, I was promised 10% commission). 

     But as time passed, I was given more and more to do, and less and less of it had to do with what I had been promised, being treated more like a secretary by a man who seemed incapable of doing anything himself. All my photography, blog posts, and designs had his name put on them. I was told to stop doing photography because it distracted from the “important work” (read: the work he wanted me to do for him). He regularly asked me to do work that was not in the job description of the contract he had me sign, then balked when I professionally and respectfully reminded him that they were not. My average sales per month were actually closer to only $10,000-15,000 per month, leaving me with almost no money for my bills. My boss began to show racist tendencies (asked me to follow around a black man in the store because he was suspicious of him, little did he know that the man as a congressman), suppressed what we were allowed to talk about in the store, and regularly stole sales (amongst other things). I was miserable and found myself, for the second time in a year, desperately looking for a job. 

     Sadly, after 8 months of suffering through work that was leading me further and further into depression, I was unceremoniously fired for the first time in my life. The reason given? I had my cellphone on my desk. However, every person had their cellphone on their desk (we each had a cellphone charging dock) and we used them regularly (to send quick missives and emails to each other and clients). The real reason, as generally agreed upon by myself and the two people I was close with in the store, was obvious: I was a young, “flamboyantly gay” (as least according to the boss), outspoken liberal, who refused to do work that was outside of my job description. He is an older conservative man from a culture where younger people are supposed to do what their elders say. He wanted a subordinate. 

     Also, unfortunately, despite some small occurrences that took place during my tenure (him claiming that guests didn’t want to leave me good reviews because I was gay), I knew I would never be able prove his intention of terminating me because he had an ace up his sleep: an older, more conservatively acting gay employee. I know that he would use this employee as a shield against any accusation I leveled against him and as a prop to say, “Look, I can’t be homophobic, I’ve had a gay man in my employ for the last 5 years.” So I left with little fanfare.

     All I could think was, "This is what it is like to be fired?" I had never felt such a heady combination fo shame and relief; and while my future was uncertain, I decided then and there that I would not repeat the mistakes of my past. I would not rush into the first job offered to me out of desperation. I would take as much time as I needed to find a job I was excited to do, whether in jewelry or something else. Was it so bad for me to want a job that did not make me dread waking up in the morning? That was the basis for my search. Thus began the year of self-employed private-contractor work. I took the suggestion of my best friend and began offering my services on Taskrabbit. I was shocked and delighted to find I was making more than enough money to support myself. The work was not something I wanted to do forever, but it was lucrative enough that it kept a roof over my head and food on my plate while my hunt continued. 

     Interviews were attended, countless resumes were distributed, and a few jobs were offered, but I knew they weren’t right for me. And sadly, a non-compete clause added into my contract at my last store made it difficult for me to find jobs in a large area of the city. 

     This leads us to how I ended up working for a cruise line. 

     I have been going on cruises as a passenger since I was 12 years old. I enjoy them immensely and have made innumerable friends with crew and passengers alike, many of whom expressed their belief that I had the right disposition to work on a cruise ship. I figured, “Why not?” 

     My search began with research into the most highly rated cruise lines. Not by passengers, but by crew. While I knew I had the skills necessary to provide excellent guest experiences, I wanted to make sure that I was going to have a good experience working there as well. My search led me to three cruise lines. Resumes/Applications went out, and the waiting game began. Despite applying for nearly 10 job postings (in various departments), I didn’t get a single call for an interview. So I decided to try again, and this time I struck gold. I was reached out to for an interview… THE NEXT DAY. During that interview, the interviewer did everything they could to stress that the work was hard, the hours were long, the pay was mediocre compared to what I was used to and what I made on land (though good compared to other cruise lines and with the added bonus of having almost no bills), the food wasn’t gourmet, and there is a lot of prep work going in to starting work on a cruise ship. I told her I understood and wanted to proceed with the job selection process and she forwarded me on to the next interview. 

      Despite her (almost dire) warnings and her explanations of what I was likely to experience, I found something I hadn’t felt in a while, excitement. For a job I didn’t even have yet. Every day, I would think about what it would be like and how it would be an exciting experience, whether good or bad. 

     The interview process was extensive, the process the begin the job was long and expensive (and will be covered in a different post). But I got the job, and here I am. 

     The questions I most frequently get asked are:

-Why did I accept this position? Don’t I have jobs in the United States I could/am qualified to do?

     Yes, I am qualified to do jobs in the United States; however, that doesn’t mean I am paid adequately to do those jobs. I accepted this job for a simple (and slightly selfish) reason: it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I am young (though not that young compared to many people on cruise ships), I don’t own property or a car, I am single and had no pets, and I didn’t have an established career. Plus it didn't hurt that I had already successfully moved 1000 miles away from my family and friends, I wouldn't really be leaving them behind. Why not take the opportunity to work in a position that likely wouldn’t be offered to me again and would afford the (possible) luxury of traveling the world?!

-Were you hoping that this position would change me? Or was I running away from other problems I have?

     No. I do not honestly feel like that was my intent. Though, who knows?! Maybe that was what I was thinking in my subconscious. I mean... I doubt it. I already uprooted my life once and I knew it would be difficult doing it again, especially so soon. I knew I would have problems and you can't run away from them so I didn’t think it would solve the ones I already had. That being said, I did want a good/stable job that left me feeling satisfied. I didn’t have that before, so maybe in that way I was looking to fix that problem in my life. But it wasn’t my intent upon accepting the job.

-What were your expectations upon taking the job and has the job lived up to those expectations?

     Well… my expectations upon accepting the job are exactly what I was warned about: the hours would be long, the work would be hard, I would be very isolated, and that ultimately that this would be an experience I could not prepare myself for. And I was right. No amount of preparation could’ve have gotten me ready for work on a cruise ship. However, does this job live up to expectations? That is what I plan to explore going forward with this blog. I hope you will follow along with me as we discuss more about life aboard and what it is really like working on a cruise line in these posts.