One of the highlights of cruising the high seas on a Carnival “Fun Ship” is getting to meet new people from all over the world. On our last cruise we got the best recommendations for what to do at each port from crew members, so this time around we decided to pump them all for the inside scoop! We had so much fun talking to everyone, and were so curious about their lives at sea that we decided to interview anyone who was willing, and share their answers with you. So please meet some of our favorite crew members from around the world…
All of our interviewees are currently working on the Carnival Glory and were asked the same set of questions. Read on for their answers. Please note: some answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
We met Abina while having our portraits taken on the Promenade deck. She went through photography training before coming on board the ship, and shared lots of secrets with us, which we will reveal to you in another post!
What is your name? Abina
Where are you from? Ukraine
What’s your job on the ship? Photographer
How long have you worked for Carnival? 3 months.
What is your favorite cruise port? Half Moon Cay. It’s the prettiest and has perfect water.
What made you want to work on a cruise ship? New experience, and earning money.
Three words to describe how you feel when you are at sea: Difficult. Fun. Exciting. It’s hard work, but I love meeting new people.
We met Uriel while enjoying some cocktails on the Serenity deck (adults-only). Uriel was so full of joy and laughter, we had to interview him.
What is your name? Uriel
Where are you from? Dominican Republic
What’s your job on the ship? Bar waiter
How long have you worked for Carnival? 18 months.
What is your favorite cruise port? Home [Dominican Republic]! Because it’s home. Bro and sis. Mom. Friends. Roatan, Honduras because it is a nice port, there’s internet at the port that’s fast and cheap, and it’s clean and beautiful. And Mexico, because tequila! Margaritas!
What made you want to work on a cruise ship? For the travel and the guests! It’s nice and quiet with coworkers, then I need to dance the Dominican way! I’ve got the ritmo!
Three words to describe how you feel when you are at sea: Awesome. Talking to nice people. Woohoo! Chevereeee!
Tiger was our porter, and greeted us every day with a huge smile. Tiger made up our room and always left us special treats (like towel monkeys hanging from the curtains or extra robes). We loved Tiger so much!
What is your name? Teguh (He likes to go by “Tiger”)
Where are you from? Indonesia
What’s your job on the ship? Porter
How long have you worked for Carnival? Since 2005, for 10 years.
What is your favorite cruise port? Puerto Rico, by far. His second favorite port is St. Thomas, because they have great Asian food there.
What made you want to work on a cruise ship? It was an opportunity to earn more money than I could earn at home in Indonesia, but also have fun while doing it.
Three words to describe how you feel when you are at sea: Home, because when I am out at sea and traveling among the islands, it reminds me of Indonesia, which is made up of thousands of islands. My home there is on the beach, so I feel at home on the water. The second word is Freedom because I feel free when the ocean is all around me. [Tiger only had two words.]
We went to the Ebony Cabaret to see the late-night adults-only comedy show because people all over the ship were telling us we HAD to see June. The show was HILARIOUS. This was DEFINITELY an adults-only show. The house was packed and she tore it down. And this lady can sing, her Tina Turner was spot-on.
What is your name? June
Where are you from? United States
What’s your job on the ship? Comedian
How long have you worked for Carnival? 5 years, but have been cruising for 19 years.
What is your favorite cruise port? Grand Turk, because it’s small and intimate.
What made you want to work on a cruise ship? I was a former Marine and loved cruising so much I was almost at the Carnival Platinum level membership. When the opportunity to be a comedic entertainer on a cruise came up, it was the perfect fit because I have been making people laugh my whole life.
Three words to describe how you feel when you are at sea: She just had two words: “Cruise attitude.” We should all take that joyous attitude home and spread it! [June chose just those two words.]
Vadym was working in the casino and asked me if I wanted a beverage. I ordered a glass of bubbly and asked him to rub my slot machine for good luck. He obliged, and then I won $1,100! Afterwards, I gave him a tip and told him that if he saw me back in the casino, to please make me leave so I wouldn’t lose all my winnings. And when I tried to sneak back in a few days later, he totally called me on it. Good man!
What is your name? Vadym
Where are you from? Ukraine
What’s your job on the ship? Casino
How long have you worked for Carnival? 3 years
What is your favorite cruise port? San Juan, St Maarten, Curacao
What made you want to work on a cruise ship? Earning money of course, but also gaining international experience.
Three words to describe how you feel when you are at sea: Freedom, Peace, and Love, because my girlfriend works on the ship too.
Vadym also shared a Ukrainian joke to explain why he loves working on a cruise ship: “In Ukraine they like to say there are three things people can watch forever: Water, fire, and people working.” [The joke is that, you love watching other people working, because you are not the one working.]
Jacinda and I had to sneak away to get some work done up at the hull of the ship. We found a little bar there we hadn’t seen before, and the bartender shared a name with my husband. So, interview had to be done.
What is your name? Carlton
Where are you from? Jamaica
What’s your job on the ship? Bar waiter
How long have you worked for Carnival? About 4 years.
What is your favorite cruise port? St. Maarten.
What made you want to work on a cruise ship? My stepdad worked on Carnival ships for over 20 years. I wanted to follow in his footsteps.
Three words to describe how you feel when you are at sea: Vacation. Party. Family.
So, back to me and my thoughts on cruising… I’m in total agreement with Carlton (not just because he reminds my of my husband Carleton), but because his three words about cruising completely line up with mine. “Vacation”: Going anywhere with these girls is a vacation, of course. “Party”: You don’t know what a party is until you’ve been on a cruise. You just don’t. Don’t be mad, I’m just speaking truth to you. A cruise party is a real party cause a cruise party don’t stop. And then, “Family”. I took this cruise with my biological sister whom I really just met! And Jacinda and Sonya who are totally my chosen BFF sisters. Family.
There’s something about traveling and meeting new people that makes the whole world make sense. Thank you to all the wonderful Carnival crew members who made our experience so amazing, we can only hope that we touched you in some way too. I love it when we’re cruising together!
This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind.
