Answer for John

Question posed by Okerman;

Will you ever go navy again?

This question has been a reoccurring theme in my last few days aboard this fine vessel I have called my home for 6 months. Just like when you graduate from college, everyone wants to know what the next step is going to be. For almost all of the people who work on the Century, and most cruise ships, they sign contracts that extend over years at a time. Four months on the job, and two months vacation, just to return back to the same ship for another four months on the job…and so on. This sort of pattern is consistent in waiters, cooks, housecleaners, casino dealers, shops staff, spa girls, officers, and even the Captain. The only people who come on the ship for 6 months and leave to make their own choice as to whether we return or not are the production singers and dancers. So when I roam about the ship, and get asked the ‘what’s next’ question, it is usually phrased as ‘so when do you come back?’, or ‘what ship are you going to next?’. Every time I have to explain to someone new that it is a different choice for each of us. Some go back home, some return to ships, and some roam the nation as part of the great-unwashed race of starving artists.

Personally, the only way that I would return to ships would be if there were a position created for me with more money, a shorter contract, and an even better itinerary then this one. I have discovered that over the past 7 months, I have to be close to my family and friends. Whether it’s an hour or 5, the distance can be closed by a drive. And whether it’s next-door or opposite coasts, I can still call when I need to hear someone say ‘hi’.

So no, I don’t plan on returning to the seas for another stint on the wavy stage. I think I’ll keep my future in U.S. and take my chances on land, see where that gets me. But if I remain dry then at least I’ll be close enough to Ashby for a cup of water, and we all know how I feel about Ashby water.