Life on a boat

I'm currently spending one of the last evenings of the quarantine 60 km from the center of Naples on the balcony and I think it's high time to write down all the experiences of the last 2 months.

It's hard to remember Easter anymore, but on Maundy Thursday I flew to Genoa via Munich. Since this contract was again through a manager whom I had never met, I did not believe until the last moment that the tickets they sent me would really work. I don't even need to talk about the fact that I signed the contract in Munich at the airport.

In any case, I got to the airport in Genoa sometime around noon and was lost.

Two big suitcases with me and I had no idea how to get to the port, because the maps first showed something different than the reality, only about 3 km difference. So I started looking for a taxi, but they had 2 or more people written everywhere, so I finally decided to wait for the bus.

After a while, she passed by the police, who didn't speak English at all, but at least gave advice about the bus. When I was almost about to board, they brought me an Italian gentleman who had an MSC badge. But no one told us that someone would be waiting for us (while we dream almost all our lives that someone will pay for our tickets and we will still have a ride from the airport)🙈😅

In the end, I met an older couple there - musicians from Argentina, who are still like my grandmother and grandfather 🎶

Another big shock awaited me when we reached the ship, they gave us another SWAB test and put us in a 5-day quarantine.

Unfortunately, I was not among the lucky ones who had a cabin with a balcony, I didn't even have one with a window. Excited for all the experiences and they locked me in a windowless cabin for 5 days. Two days of that we were at sea, so even without a signal. Worst Easter ever! This was truly an endless 5 days!🙈

Without a clue what was going on, without a window and fresh air, and also with their food, I felt terrible. On the fifth day they gave me another test and I was able to move from the guest cabin on the 10th floor to the staff cabin on the 4th floor.

She looked completely different. A bunk bed, two lockers like from the series from the US to medium and my two large suitcases. The idea that I would still have a roommate and we would move in here was impossible.

I didn't have a roommate for the next 14 days, but one Friday morning someone knocked on the door, I opened it very sleepy and my Clarice was there. I have an Italian singer who has been working on ships for about 20 years, so she has a lot of experience and knows very well how to put everything together, thank God!

Most of all, we sat together personally and I told her more than once "Thank you my mom"!

Whether it was about laundry or life on a boat.😀

Another thing that is not very good here are pax briefings and safety training. At least twice a week we have training where we have to show people in the theater how to put on life jackets and then lead them to their muster station, and twice a week we have training on what to do in case of evacuation.

For me it's simple, just hold the Muster station U sign and interact with people. However, this training takes place on land, in nice weather, so I'm not sure what the practice would be like on rough seas in really windy weather.

This brings me to the frequent question and that is seasickness...no, I haven't had it yet thank goodness! The ship is really big and swings mainly on the way from Tunis to Palermo. Once we had to leave 4 hours later because the road was not safe. And once I was already on my way to the reception for a powder, but in the end it was saved by a ginger tonic. I probably don't need to talk about the fact that my walk looks as if I had blood in my blood, but sometimes it can't be otherwise, and most of the time the whole ship walks like that.

A little more about the training... even before I went to the ship, I had to do a 3-day course in Bratislava, where there was healthcare, something about ships, fire, etc., and then we had the same thing here, including the final test, which was in three parts in English and about 50 questions, where there could be no mistakes in the first part and then 2-3 mistakes in each part of the test.

We also had security training and the funniest was the training about bugs on the ship, when if we meet one, we have to report it immediately.

Other important points include the food, which is not exactly the best on the ship for the employees. The first month I lost quite a bit of weight, but the next month we were able to go to the 11th floor for dinner and 4 times a week for lunch in the guest area, and of course that couldn't be compared. Salads, pasta, really good pizza, meat, desserts...I got everything back and more! But I'm just dreaming about that again, because everything has been banned again for the last month due to covid.

And yes, the topic of covid and quarantine!

Since April, they have been testing us once or twice a week. Currently it's every two days and I think almost everyone has been positive by now. I haven't been well since Monday, but every week is the same because on Sundays the air conditioning is stronger than normal and I always have a sore throat. However, on Wednesday, when I was supposed to take the test, I already knew that it was 50:50. The first test was positive, but the second was negative, so they let me go. But in the afternoon I already felt the temperature.

I wasn't supposed to go for the next test until the next day, but my roommate wanted me to go in the evening, so I left. At the medical center, they always have to measure your temperature and blood pressure, both of which were higher - the temperature was 37.3, and they told me that they were wondering about the blood pressure that I'm still alive. So I thought it was already 100%, but the doctor said that I still have minor symptoms and that I can go to work and they will do the test in the morning. And so I had less than an hour to prepare for the gala evening and go to work.

At night, my breathing was even worse, so in the morning I had my last coffee and went to confirm that it would probably be 100%. That was quick, so after the second positive test, they locked me in another room with three other people, gave us white suits, a form for people in the immediate and work environment, and then moved me to the guest cabin. At least with a window this time.

Traditionally, everyone had a balcony, but there were a lot of positives, so I was glad to be outside the window. I wasn't at my best for two days, but the guest bed is fine, so I didn't mind it that much, but I wasn't happy with the phone call from my manager on Friday that they were moving me to a hotel for a week. I didn't want to, but I had to.

When I saw in the morning in Naples under the windows how they were moving all the positives in an ambulance and in a white suit, I really didn't want to, because you're walking along the boat, a third person is coming in behind you, spraying disinfectant behind you, and you want to sink into the ground. Not to mention the fact that it was hot in Naples and we drove 60 km in an ambulance with nothing and no one tried to load our suitcases. Fortunately, the hotel was nice, the roommate was Yulia from Ukraine, so we spent a week here on the terrace.

How do you actually work on a ship?

I really like my job here.

I alternate between two bars - the first is Aroma Café, where guests usually wait for the theater and the second is La Cabala bar, where it's more about drinks and the piano has a nice sound here🎶

I usually play 3, max. 4 hours a day, I start at around 7pm and finish at midnight, with breaks of course.

And what is our route?

GENOA - MARSEILLE - BARCELONA - day at sea - TUNIS - PALERMO - NAPLES

But about cities and monuments again next time 🤍