First Turnaround in Venice

7/30/2012  

Once you’ve done it once, conducting a successful Turnaround is like riding a bike. I don’t mean to sound cocky, but if you are organized and know how to control crowds and teach people you can run these crew movements with great efficiency and effect. Even if you have done so in two months. On the fourth day of my return we had our Turnaround Day in Venice. For those who have forgotten what that is, it is the day when our ship ends one cruise and begins another. On that day we offload 3000 guests and onboard 3000 new ones. We do that while cleaning the ship top to bottom and provisioning her, and last but not least, the HR team processes all crew who are signing off for vacation or transfer and brings an equal number of crew back onboard. It is a fast-paced yet very precise ballet of people and parts, and it must happen successfully without delay so the cruise may begin on time. Even though it had been two months since I had let a part of this charge, it all came flooding back to me in our meeting the night before Turnaround and I already knew the day would go well.

The first set of departing crew, those with early flights, normally hit the gangway to leave by 8am. I am rarely involved with that part of the process as I am responsible for setting up our SKY B Conference Room for the in-processing of the new crew. This Turnaround would bring on just short of 100 new crew, so materials and furnishings were set per a plan that I had laid out to optimize traffic flow and effectiveness of task. I had just finished the setup when I received the call that Sign Ons were arriving. Early! They normally arrive between 9:15 and 9:30 but this group was here at 8:45. I spent five minutes transiting to the gangway on Deck 2 aft from the conference center on Deck 14 forward and as I strode down the gangway I saw the first of the line of little ducks with bags in tow walking the long pier at Venice. We had already arranged for a table to be in place in front of the ship and as they arrived we quickly processed their passports, visas, and letters of employment to assure they were good to go. Once this first main batch, which was over 60, had arrived, we called Security to give them their first of processing instructions and then took them up the gangway in groups of 20 to have their bags screened before they could enter the ship. My goal was to then herd them immediately to SKY B, do not pass go, do not greet old friends, and do not get lost on the ship.

By the time they reached SKY B I had an informational PowerPoint running and upbeat music playing to keep their energy up on what I know was the beginning of a long day. As the new crew assembled and took advantage of the food and beverage station we had provided for them, I called Payroll and Medical to send representatives up to distribute contracts and to collect their Medical records. The key to making this marathon of paperwork smooth is organization. When I first arrived on the ships for my initial contracts it was a bit of a mob scene.  Now, I insisted on polite queuing and patience as we moved as quickly as we could through the process. While we finished our assembly steps, twenty additional sign on crew members swelled our numbers. With all the parties in place I gathered their attention and discussed the simple but pragmatic flow which would lead the new hires through completing personal data sheets, receiving a welcome kit, taking the crew travel survey, submitting a health form and their medical records, receiving, reviewing and signing their contracts, and finally meeting their department representatives to receive their room keys and begin their ship tours.

In one hour and fifteen minutes all 80 crew members had completed these tasks and SKY B was once again empty. The Medical Secretary stared at me and wondered out loud how it had gone so quickly. She told me for the last couple of months things had not been nearly as smooth. We would actually have time to stop and take lunch before the afternoon Pre-Departure Safety Training would begin. She smiled as she left knowing that she would actually get a break on embarkation day.

Just like riding a bike.

And the adventure continues . . .

1st Birthday of Silhouette

July 29, 2012

With 1230 crew members, birthdays are being celebrated all the time onboard our ship. Today’s birthday was unique, however, as it was the first birthday party for Silhouette, herself. For many who opened her and who sailed with her from Europe to the US for the first time, they couldn’t believe that a year had already elapsed. For others of us, she is the only ship we have ever known and her permanence in our ship life means we cannot believe that she didn’t exist just a year ago. For guests, most of who are sailing with her for the first time, there is no sense of the passing of time. At most, it was simply the chance for another party.

To celebrate we planned to take advantage of the beautiful night weather in the Mediterranean and have a brief ceremony on the pool deck followed by the high energy, interactive theme part Celebrity Rox! The plan was a good one and we were looking forward to it for the entire day until 30 minutes before the event was to begin. That’s when the wind picked up. We had a warm and gentle day but now an hour passed sunset, we encountered high winds whipping across the sea. The ship took on a gentle, but distinct, roll and the wind took the opportunity to begin to reorganize those lighter items that were set about on the deck. This begged the question as to whether the party should be moved to its alternate venue in the Grand Foyer. But with only 30 minutes to go until show time it was not deemed possible to make the switch. So, the show was scheduled to proceed as planned.

Those officers who arrived in advance took on the responsibility of securing those items, including free-standing Silhouette banners that would run the risk of becoming airborne. Others spent time talking with the guests, hoping that our engagement would distract them from the blustery inconvenience. The number of quick gusts that agitated many of the women’s hemlines was enough to make Marilyn Monroe blush. However, everyone stayed in good humor awaiting the ceremony. The signal was given and all the officers left the deck and headed for the prescribed staging area. While not all could be in attendance, there were well over 60 men and women in black who were ready to flank out Captain. The awaited introduction came and we processed out onto the pool deck in a half circle at the back of the stage. The executive committee of the ship took center stage just in front of us and last but not least, following his own personal introduction, the Master of the vessel strode to center stage. The Captain’s warm words of greeting to the guests and acknowledgement to the crew were partially obscured by the wind gusting through his microphone. Those of us trying to stand in a perfect arch behind him had to battle the buffeting wind and the rolling deck. But we held our own with minimal swaying as the Captain finished his birthday message and the Executive Chef rolled out a giant birthday cake. I was sure that every office would soon be decorated with white frosting, but fortunately the cake behaved. The cake was cut, a cheer was raised, and the music reached a crescendo as we cleared the floor for the dancers. The galley team made quick work of slicing the cake into several hundred pieces that were quickly dispatched to our guests and Celebrity Rox brought the energy of the ship to a fevered pitch.

Now, of course, our singers and dancers had to fight the elements, but they’ve shown they can do so in the worst of elements with perfect smiles on their faces. It wasn’t their best performance ever, as the rolling deck limited the crispness of the dance moves. And the wind snatched away the singers’ words often just as they left the casts’ lips. But that didn’t matter because it was truly time to celebrate.

Celebrity Silhouette was one year old!

And the adventure continues . . .

Oy!

July 28, 2012

“Oy” is simply a great word. It can denote a wide variety of emotions. By the end of my lunch on my first day back, that word was banging around in my brain. It was a very informative lunch with my new HR Manager, Peter, and Lavern, our Crew Admin. They caught me up on all the changes on the ship in the last two months. There had been complete turnover of the senior management on the ship. Change is always hard, and not all of it was perceived as positive. So, many of the crew were adapting to the change. The mood was definitely not as uplifting as it was when I left. Peter was here only as a vacation coverage between Tim and soon to be HR Manager, Becky. But now we were hearing that Becky was not even going to be permanent and a new HR Manager would join in late October. The net result was that significant transition for our HR department was still in the offing. Add that Lavern would be leaving for vacation soon and we didn’t know who her replacement would be and that our Crew Welfare Specialist was quite new . . . well, you get the picture.

Then there was the question of my uniforms. When I left, I asked that they be put into the laundry and then returned to my wardrobe to await my return. When I returned,  only one set of ‘days’ was left and no evening shirt, tie, or jacket. This would be a scramble as I had to acquire those uniform pieces in the right size, cleaned and pressed, or I was not able to enter a guest area after 6pm. As I explored this during the day I found that since I was off the ship they were returned to ship’s stores to be kept, but no one could now find where they were. A small problem but not one you wish to face when you need to hit the ground running.

When anyone else has been doing your job for the past two months you will also need to put things back into an order that works for your style. When someone has lived in your ‘home’ the same applies. There was no time to simply stop work and do this type of housekeeping as the pace of ships doesn’t allow. So, in between accomplishing the daily demands all of this reordering had to occur. As I explored I also discovered some ‘gaps’ in what had been accomplished, so catch up mode was going to be the order of the next couple of weeks.

Wouldn’t you know that tonight was Dancing With the Stripes. I had hoped to ease back into the routine of the ship and certainly had no intention of jumping into the most visible of officer and guest events. But my phone starting ringing two hours into being on board with the Activity Manager requesting my presence.  When I tried to defer he stated that he was seriously short of officers to participate and really needed me. So, the scramble to replace my uniform intensified. I was now seriously ‘on the clock.’ Before I knew it the clock had spun madly and it was 9pm. I had, in fact, retrieved sufficient uniform pieces to fulfill my evening obligations. We headed to Ocean View Café for dinner and then without much further ado, I presented myself to the poolside where Stripes was to be held. Without question, I really didn’t want to be there. However, this bizarre duty called, and I answered the bell. I will only say that I fulfilled my obligation, making it to the semi-finals, but there was not joy in Mudville that night.

Thirteen hours back on Silhouette and I was exhausted. Welcome back to ships!

And the adventure continues . . .

Back 'Home'

July 27, 2012

Ask me where my home is and I’m not sure where to answer. If home is where the heart is, then it is equal parts Colorado Springs, Richmond, Phoenix, San Francisco and Celebrity Silhouette. The home I pay for is in Colorado Springs, but it is essentially now a vacation home. Where I live most of the year is Celebrity Silhouette. Where I belong seems simply to be where I am at a given moment. In the past ten days it has been Miami, Athens, Skopje, Mykonos, and now the Silhouette.

So, I have come home to Silhouette, and, yes, it does feel like home. As I walked the last two hundred meters from where the taxi could drop me in Mykonos across the cobble stone walkway which bounced my roller bag to and fro, I stared at the gleaming white hull of my home across the water. As I approached the tender boat dock my attention was directed to those calling out a greeting, security guards, ship’s photographers, and assorted other ship’s personnel who were assisting guests on the dock. “Welcome Home,” was the cry and those words fit exactly. Within minutes I stepped onto the tender with my limited luggage from this brief trip and took a seat next to the entrance so I could chat with Blue, the security guard who was accompanying me back to my ship. It was odd to hear his transmission as he announced on the radio, ‘tender boat leaving the dock with one sign on.’ My department is the one which welcomes and processes all sign on crew, so it was strange to hear that designation applied to me.  The trip across the bay to Silhouette was short and soon her massive girth towered above me as the tender tied up to the platform. A few guests were also on the tender and I awaited their disembarkation before I grabbed my bags and officially crossed the threshold onto my second shipboard contract.

We entered on Deck 2 aft gangway which placed me only a few steps from my office. This was convenient as I needed to stop by my office to grab my cabin key and deck phone. Fortunately, my office was open and both were readily available. I peeked into the office next door to see if my new HR Manager was in, but he was not. It was my intent to head immediately to my cabin to unpack and change but the line already forming outside my office did not allow it. Some stopped in just to welcome me back. Others were crew members in need of assistance from their T&D or HR managers. Since there are no ‘spare people’ on a ship the moment you are onboard you are available for duty.  Duty called, and for the next two hours I was serving my crew still in my jeans, polo, running shoes, and sport coat. Now, that’s Modern Luxury!

With lunchtime looming, I knew it was time to change. When a lull in the parade of people appeared, I grabbed my bag and my key and headed straight to Deck 6 to become ‘official.’ Surprisingly, when I opened my wardrobe, I had only one day uniform hanging in place which was quite a surprise since when I left the ship three were there, including evening pieces. It would not be the last surprise of the day. No matter, there was enough to create a uniform and in fifteen minutes I was on the phone looking for HR team members to have lunch with to do a quick catch up on the ‘state of the ship.’ What I would learn would define my first few hours, my first few days, and perhaps first few weeks of my second contract.

And the adventure continues . . .

A Night in Mykonos

July 26, 2012

If New York is the city that never sleeps, Mykonos is New York’s older sibling. Upon my return to the ship from Skopje I needed to spend the night on the island of Mykonos in Greece. Silhouette would arrive the following morning at 6:30am and I needed to get on board to engage in the shipboard work for which I was hired. I arrived in Mykonos about 4pm and after a brief wait connected with my ride to cross the island to the shore side community where I would spend the night.

The first challenge would be getting from the road where the taxi dropped me to the hotel. Most of the town is narrow streets suitable only for pedestrians. I was dropped at the main road above the collection of buildings that tumbled down the hill to the water below. The taxi driver pointed me in the general direction telling me that the hotel was ‘right straight ahead there.’ I pulled my roller bag across the road and started down the cobbled lane in front of me. The problem I quickly encountered was that there was a profusion of sun bleached buildings on either side of the path, all with small welcoming courtyards, and a dearth of signs to tell me when I had arrived. I turned into the first one that looked promising and realized I was at the ‘back’ of the property. So, carrying my bag down a long stone staircase, I eventually reached the front only to conclude it was not the right inn after all. Fortunately, the proprietor saw me and redirected me to the correct hotel. I quickly checked in and was led to a very comfortable room with a small balcony overlooking the alley behind the hotel. However, if you went all the way to the end of the balcony and craned your neck in just the right way you could get just a glimpse of the ocean. But my plan was not to stay in my room, but rather to have a bit of a wander around the town.

Fortunately, by this time the crowds from that day’s cruise ships was diminishing and the tourist clogged arteries were beginning to clear. I wandered the street along the ocean front and traced my way around the point back to where the windmills were. I found a nice rock ledge and spent some time in quiet contemplation sitting alone in that peaceful place staring at the ocean. Eventually, I made my way through the winding streets back to the beachfront. After a minor shopping excursion to procure postcards to send back home I found a small café at which to take my supper. There is something about Greece that makes me crave only two things: saganaki and Greek salad. Saganaki is a fried cheese patty. While that might not sound intriguing to some of you, in truth it is one of the most sinfully delicious mouthfuls a cheese lover can experience. When that savory goodness is paired with the crisp and light flavors of a Greek salad, there is not much more that the palate craves. I enjoyed every bite of this dinner while writing postcards and staring at the beautiful ocean only a few short steps from my table. As always, people watching was an additional amusement as both tourists and locals crowded the tables and continued to cross the path in front of me.

The sun was just beginning to set as I finished my dinner and I realized, much to my dismay, that I had no camera in my possession. With the hotel only a five minute walk up the hill, I returned for a quick collection of the missing photographic equipment and then headed back to the shore as the lights of night were illuminated. I love ports at night as the dark creates an entirely different and magical world. Mykonos enhanced that experience with almost every light being reflected in the surf a few mere meters away. I strolled the streets embracing the ambiance and snapping pictures of the scenes around me. Finally, shortly after 10pm I realized that I needed to find the comforts of my hotel room as I knew a full day of work was directly in front of me. However, Mykonos, herself, had no such qualms about keeping the party going.

In fact, the party had only begun shortly before I left. As the evening went on, I could hear the sound of laughter coming up from the shore. In fact, when I had returned to the hotel the receptionist had been surprised that I had returned to the hotel at such an early time. But being prepared for a busy first day back was definitely on my mind. But the party of a Mykonos night was in full swing. While getting the party started seemed to take some work, getting it to end would take more.

At 6:30am I pulled on shorts and a t-shirt to walk down to the shore to watch Silhouette sail in. I was distinctly underdressed. The denizens of the night were still completing their nighttime revelry. As I walked down into the small plaza below my hotel there were still a couple of tables filled with friends sharing their last round of the night, now morning. When I made it to the beach there were numerous people who had chosen to take a rest their as sleeping forms were on the sand as far as the eye could see. Some were ending their night with a quick swim before they returned to their homes. What most amazed me about the local revelers was that in just a few short hours they would need to open their shops to serve the guests who would be arriving. But the lack of sleep did not seem to be a concern for this town which truly never sleeps!

But for me, I was glad I had gotten some sleep. For at tender just off the coast was the beautiful Celebrity Silhouette, who I would be joining shortly to finally begin my second contract onboard.

And the adventure continues . . .

Celebrity Service Academy Rocks!

July 25, 2012

I had, of course, come to Macedonia to work. So the next morning I met Ante for a complimentary breakfast in the hotel lobby and we were soon joined by Zoran for a final espresso before we began our day. The ride to the other hotel was less than fifteen minutes and we soon arrived at a small hotel just off a small side street. As we parked our car I noticed a group of people having coffee and more than the occasional cigarette at tables in front of the hotel. Each was dressed similarly in white shirts and black pants. It took no great powers of deduction to realize that they were our students. We greeted them as we passed but we were on a mission to ensure that our training room was set up so that class, scheduled to start in only a few minutes, could begin.

The training room was immediately to the left off of the hotel lobby and was a trainer’s dream come true. Just inside the doors was a table for beverages and snacks and a gathering area with tables to socialize. A counter divided the room and on the other side were tables and chairs for all of the students. The room was equipped with computer projection capability as well as a flip chart if you chose to go ‘old school.’ Proper audio setups were in place as were tables for the instructors as well as side tables with all the training materials preset. After a few minutes assuring that all the components were ready to proceed, Ante and I headed to the door of the training room to invite in and greet all of our new students.

The students were just as impressive as the facilities. Zoran’s company had done a great job of screening and selecting candidates for this school. The Celebrity Service Academy had already trained several classes full of future assistant waiters who were already onboard our ships and showing that the five day investment at the front end made all the difference in the world in helping them be immediately successful when they arrived onboard the ships. Since it was my responsibility to do initial ice breakers and to cover the general company service standards, I would spend a majority of the morning teaching the class. These students demonstrated that they were not only eager to learn but brought intelligence, hard work, and experience with them. By the end of the day we had developed a great rapport and comfort. I knew that I needed to head back toward the ship the next evening, but I really wished that I could stay longer with them.  After eight hours of classroom work, we turned them loose for the evening while Ante, Zoran, and I went out to find another stellar meal in Skopje. The students were provided room and board in the same hotel at which we trained so virtually all their needs were met in this one-stop shop.

The next morning I returned for just the first hour of class focusing primarily on a quick review of the first day’s material. Again, the experience of this class amazed me. Where early morning reviews can often be challenging this group was quick to respond and dead on in their responses. In their generosity they gave me a round of applause when I left to start my car and plane travel back to the ship. I knew I wanted to return to Skopje to teach, again.

As I have heard that Celebrity hopes to open at least two more of these Celebrity Service Academies around the world to develop new additions in other business disciplines, I believe that my chance to do this again is a very real possibility.

And the adventure continues . . .

Fine Dining With a Side of World Politics

July 24, 2012

People the world over are concerned with the same things. That night at dinner underscored that truism. Zoran, Ante, and I were scheduled to have dinner at a local restaurant, and Zoran invited along another Skopje businessman to the meal as well. Ivalyo is the manager of a project to bring the first shopping mall to Skopje.  He is a on the vanguard of bringing western conveniences to this very Eastern European city. He is like entrepreneurs everywhere, but he must deal with a local culture and society for him the large commercial enterprise is new. So, his very project is changing the nature of business in Macedonia.

We took a three minute drive from the hotel to the restaurant, and I was given my first impression of Macedonian. It is nothing short of spectacular! It blends the cultural cuisines of many of the nations in this area. Zoran ordered so many appetizers that the meal could easily have consisted of only these starters and a bottle of wine. The food kept coming as he wanted to show us the diversity of the region’s offerings. When he finally asked what we wanted for a main course, the general consensus was nothing. But I finally agreed to try a protein and he had a mixed grill plate brought out. Again, this contained more food than could possibly be consumed. But the flavors were great so I did my best to eat enough so as not to look ungrateful.

It was a good thing that the conversation allowed us to burn off a few extra calories. Iliya was very curious to know the US perspective on the world economy and the political hotspots around the globe. I think he was genuinely surprised that I didn’t take an American apologist approach, defending every approach made by our country. As an outsider it was easy for him to see the benefits and the detriments of American intervention in various situations, but I don’t think he expected an American to share his views. He expressed his frustrations with his government’s approach to the current economic crisis just as much as I expressed mine. Finally, he asked me what I thought was the way out of the current economic crisis. I told him that if I knew I wouldn’t be sitting there. But we agreed on the following conclusions. This crisis is far more complex than any of the talking heads or politicians will ever let on. None of them have the ultimate answer. It is not as ‘simple’ as any of them claim. Global and national economies are not simple things. There is a necessary role for governments to play to ensure those on the margins are not excluded. There is a role for business to play to direct the investment that will lead long term economic stimulation. Ultimately, though, we agreed that the people of each country must look out for each other. We must not let either government or business treat the citizens of the world as disposable resources. We must ensure that everyone has the right to participate in the economy and its recovery, and that for that to happen we must care about people not just in our own country but across our borders, as well. And on that note, we toasted on wonderful Croatian red wine.

After dinner, Ante and I walked back to our hotel across the main city square. I was struck by the eclectic mix of old and new, with an LCD display shining brightly above a statue of Alexander the Great. The square abutted the river and the lights of parliament gleamed across the water. As we took a side alley up toward our hotel we passed what looked like a modern church. It was, in fact, the museum dedicated to Mother Teresa, whose place of birth was Skopje, in fact right on the edge of that square.!

That night had been filled with new fond memories and many happy surprises.

And the adventure continues . . .