One of my news aggregators links to a Gizmodo article with the abrupt title “Ban Cruises.” The author really thinks we should stop the whole cruise ‘thing.’
Some of the criticisms are valid, they do burn junk oil, stuff so thick it has to be heated before it will fuel their diesels. It is sooty and smells nasty when burning. On the other hand, most cruise ports are windy and the pollution is blown away before it grosses out the locals.
And the ships are, in effect, giant Petri dishes where a cold or a norovirus will get passed around easily. I have come off a cruise ship sick too often to minimize that risk, it is real and I wish it wasn’t.
On the other hand, don’t feel sorry for the crew. Every one is a volunteer, and many are the sole or major support of an extended family back in the third world country from which they’re recruited, often the Philippines, Indonesia or India.
Yes, they work long hours but they also have a couple of months vacay after every contract. They leave an unsanitary third world environment which is potentially dangerous and spend 6-8 months living a bare-bones first world life: decent food, clean quarters, actual drinkable water, flush toilets, plenty of hot water, laundry facilities, medical care, entertainment, WiFi, uniforms to wear, and normally a whole bunch of other folks from back home to hang with off duty.
I’ve chatted with many crew and they often call what they’ve got a “dream job.” They aren’t “trapped” as the article’s author claims, each time they come back for another contract they volunteer anew and particularly after the first contract, they know what they’re getting into.
Crew life is normally a step (or several) up from what they’ve got at home. When they go home for a couple of months they are big heroes who bring their families hard currency and first world goodies. While they’re gone they Skype or FaceTime their families so their kids don’t forget them. And another plus that doesn’t get talked about, like carnies, some have a sex partner on board as well as a spouse and kids back home.
If they weren’t cruise crew most would live less well, in less healthy conditions. Respiratory infections go around the ship, and norovirus too, but there is no malaria, no dengue, no river blindness, no cholera, no yellow fever, most third world diseases are not aboard and not missed, either.
