Cruise Ship Lackey

by Christy
(Walnut Creek, California, USA)

On my 21st birthday I joined the MS Maasdam as a youth counselor during summer break from University. I spent the next six weeks running youth activities and dances, riding horses in the Puerto Rican rain forest, swimming with Stingrays in Grand Cayman, hiking a waterfall in Jamaica and getting the best tan of my life!

Not to mention enjoying an ultra exciting life onboard a Cruise liner. Dances and parties every night; cute, foreign sailors to have international romances with, and close friendships to be made. It was fantastic!

Over the course of the next five years, I worked ten more contracts on ten different ships. I traveled the world, met loads of like-minded people and sparked an undying bit of wanderlust in myself.

It had it's ups and downs, of course. It was a working-living environment. Had I not been stone-cold-sober by choice, I would have definitely developed into an alcoholic! Beer was cheaper than water.

Eventually I had to get out of ship life - five years had passed and sure I had fantastic travel photos and adventures, but life was moving on without me and I needed a new challenge. I cherish those cruise years but I doubt I'd go back. I will, however, continue to travel. My ongoing travelogue can be found at: cmewander.blogspot.com

Cheers to my fellow wanderers!

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Cruise Ship Lackey

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Inside intelligence!
by: Leyla

Thanks for the great description! There's nothing like hearing it from someone who's been there, done that. It certainly sounds like an exciting job, even if you don't want to keep it forever. And if it served to ignite the wanderlust, so much the better!

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