(1) How I start working on a cruise ship

My very first cruise was a transatlantic crossing on the Costa Romantica, sailing from Genoa to Miami. It was the beginning of my passion for cruising.

When I was younger, I cruised many times, together with my friend. One of our most unforgettable journeys was the sailing from Genoa to Rio de Janeiro on the MSC Rhapsody. We loved it so much that we did this cruise twice.

It was already an older ship, but we had an incredible amount of fun onboard. Crossing the equator was always a big adventure, and of course we were invited to participate in the traditional ceremony. It involved kissing a dead fish, having flour poured into our hair, paying tribute to Neptune, and finally being thrown into the pool.

After my experiences with MSC, I came across a cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship, the (then older) Legend of the Seas, sailing from Mombasa (Kenya) to Athens (Greece). We immediately agreed: this would be our next adventure. In June 2001, we set off.

The journey itself was already unforgettable. Landing in Nairobi and taking a connecting flight to Mombasa felt like stepping into another world. At the airport, suitcases were transported from the plane using wheelbarrows, something I had never seen before.

The following day, we boarded the beautiful Legend of the Seas. The ship took us along the East African coast, through the Suez Canal, and onwards to Egypt. One of the highlights of the cruise was an excursion to the Pyramids of Giza.

We docked in Port Said, and the excursion lasted no less than 13 hours, with the ship picking us up later in Alexandria. In a convoy of 14 buses, we crossed the desert towards Cairo, a journey in itself. Visiting the pyramids was truly a bucket-list experience. In the desert near the pyramids, locals tried to persuade us to ride their camels. However, our tour guide strongly advised against it, explaining that tourists are sometimes taken further into the desert and then asked for additional money before being brought back safely.

The excursion also included a well-organized lunch at a hotel, followed by a visit to the Egyptian Museum, where we saw the treasures of Tutankhamun, an unforgettable experience. It was a cruise I will never forget. Looking back, I believe it was during this journey that the idea first took hold: what if this could become my career? Traveling the world by ship, discovering extraordinary destinations, it felt like a dream worth pursuing.

When I returned from this cruise, it almost felt like fate. I came across a newspaper advertisement: a recruitment agency in the Netherlands was looking for new hires for Royal Caribbean International.

Not long after applying, I was invited to attend a selection day in Utrecht. To my surprise, most of the Dutch applicants were aiming for positions as waiters, while I was the only one applying for a role as cruise staff. Thanks to my recent cruise experience, I had already observed the cruise staff closely, which gave me a clear idea of what the job would involve.

And then, I got hired!

All that was left was to pass the medical exam and wait for my Letter of Employment. The adventure was about to begin. Soon after, I found out which ship I would be joining… and to my surprise, it was the very same ship I had disembarked just one month earlier: the Legend of the Seas.

I had mixed feelings at first, but the excitement quickly took over when I learned that this ship was sailing the Royal Journeys, an incredible itinerary that would take it around the world.

In July 2001, I joined the ship in Harwich, ready to start a completely new chapter of my life.

Tour duty Vigo (Spain)

I was excited, not only about what to pack, but also about how the crew who had met me as a guest would react when I boarded as part of the team.

The day finally arrived. I travelled to Harwich, taking the fast ferry from Hoek van Holland. In just three hours, I crossed the North Sea, heading towards my new adventure.

I had brought far too much luggage, nearly 70 kilograms. As cruise staff, you need outfits for many different occasions: gala nights, country themes, rock ’n’ roll parties, and black-and-white evenings. For many events, you wear your own clothes, so I thought I needed options.

But how was I going to carry 70 kilograms from the ferry, across the port, and all the way to the cruise terminal? That was the moment I learned an important lesson: only pack what you can carry yourself.

Finally, I arrived at the terminal and there she was, waiting for me. What would they say?

With my cruise staff colleague at the bow in Glacier Bay (Alaska)

Want to read more of my blogs? Check out: (2) what working on a cruise ship is like

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