What is it about life at sea that is so appealing?
Well there are days that I ask that question. There are days when the ship is shaken like a James Bond martini and passenger projectile vomit adorns the walls. Other days there are pristine expanses of sea with dolphins playing off the bow of the ship.
There are sights and phenomena that you just would not experience anywhere else. This cruise I had to ask a lady to ‘put her nipped away for health and safety reasons.’ I then pointed out areas where she could catch and injure her nipped on the inside of a tender… Random? Erm yes… This is the thing with working on a cruise ship. You work blooming hard and every night when you go to sleep you realise you will wake up in a different port.
Since I am on a ship to work, I can’t swan off in every port; however, the ports I do get to visit are usually pretty blooming good.
What I love about ships is the comradery, no cooking, cleaning or washing up. I love being able to eat food already made for me while I concentrate on work.
No when I talk about work, well we really work. Ten hours per day seven days a week for months on end. I usually do 4-5 months at a time whereas I know people who do nine and ten months at a time. By the time they leave they are gray. The thing is they return. Why? Ship life is addictive. It is full of adventure, friends and exotic places. Life is never dull.
There are places in this world I would never have been able to visit without working on a ship. There are so many experiences and stories that I can bring to my writing.
So now I have balanced my life and work 4 months on a cruise ship and then spend two months writing a book. That way there is no room for boredom because there is always another adventure waiting….
There is always something random to write about and a story to tell.
Michelle Dry is on Amazon and Audible.
