stars of the seas

You have one job. You are to keep 2000 people of various ages, speaking at least three principal languages, happy while they are trapped in your business with nowhere else to go.


That is essentially the job of assistant cruise directors. On this cruise, they had the added challenge that five straight days were sea days. (For me, that was not a problem. It gives me an opportunity to read and relax -- something I find difficult to do at home.)


The assistant cruise directors conduct exercise classes on the deck and in the pool, keep trivia contests from degenerating into unpleasant muttering, build excitement for one of the world's most boring games -- bingo, teach new dances to passengers whose sense of rhythm was bred out several generations ago, and act as congenial hosts for people looking for the best times of their lives.


I am constantly amazed at how well these young people do their jobs -- especially on this cruise. The challenges were exacerbated by the language mix. Trivia was an example. All questions needed to be read in two languages. That was the easy part. The choice of questions were the true challenge. A 53 year old lawyer raised in Salvador is obviously going to have a different set of knowledge from a 42 year old carpenter raised in Omaha. But it all worked well.


Even though all of the staff did a good job, I was extremely impressed with three of them.


João Pereira, from Rio de Janeiro, regularly conducted bingo and trivia classes, in addition to teaching the group dancing classes. He was the glue for the cruise staff. His calm, professional manner made him a favorite of the passengers. The women in our group called him "Mr. Hips" because of his dancing ability. Royal Caribbean International (RCI) will do itself proud by promoting him soon to a position with greater responsibility. (Somehow, I managed to not get a picture of him.)

This is a picture of the other stars on the cruise staff. Linda Polasky, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, was the English Activities Host. The title sounds as if she was in charge of teas. Not so. She had the very tough job of ensuring that the english speakers on board felt at home. For most of them, it was the first time they were in the minority on a cruise. And it affected some of them badly. Her job was to find enough activities for them to avoid feeling left out. She did a great job. She cajoled we english speakers into participating in dances and other activities where we would otherwise have been spectators. Due to her efforts, a lot of people had a great time. I cannot jump over the fact that she is one of the most charismatic people I have met. RCI has a treasure in her.


On the left is Fernando del Azar Cordeu, of Buenos Aires. The first time I saw him I felt as if I knew him. I am certain that has happened to all of us. Then, it occurred to me. He looks and acts like a friend of mine. Getting to know Fernando was easy. He is funny, charming, ingratiating. All of the attributes you would expect to find in both a friend and an outstanding cruise staff member. He was one of the youngest members of the staff, but he showed maturity beyond his years. Several times the trivia games would erupt in pandemonium. Fernando used his wit and humor to defuse the situation and get everything on track. He is another bright star in RCI's future.

This photograph represents the devotion Linda and Fernando show in their jobs. After staying up late to ensure guests had a good time on the last night of the cruise, they were at their stations before 6 AM to assist passengers in retrieving their passports. I watched both of them for awhile. They were pleasant and patient with each passenger.


Without João, Linda, and Fernando, this cruise would not have been the outstanding experience it was.


Next: Islands in the Atlantic.