Playing Card Manufacturer: Shuffled InkThe vast majority of custom decks of playing cards are produced by big printing companies like the United States Playing Card Company (USPCC), European-based Cartamundi, and Taiwan-based Expert/Legends Playing Cards. But there are some lesser known playing card manufacturers, and there are some good reasons why you should know about these smaller players in the playing card industry. Buyers will want to know what they can expect in terms of quality and handling of a deck printed by a lesser known publisher. But this will especially be of interest to creators of custom decks, because you will want to know what options you have for producing your decks besides the usual candidates. These smaller companies will especially be of interest to designers wanting to print a small run of prototype decks, or a number of decks of your own design for family or friends.Companies like USPCC or EPCC/LPCC typically require a minimum order of 600-1000 decks, which quickly becomes out of reach if you're just printing a prototype or making a custom deck for relatives or workmates. As a result many designers typically turn to MakePlayingCards.com (MPC) for smaller scale projects like this. MPC is a printing and production company based in Hong Kong with a factory in China, and their strength is that they take small sized orders. Even if it's just half a dozen decks that you want printed, they'll do it for you. MPC's playing cards don't match the quality of a Bicycle deck in terms of handling, but they do offer playing cards with an embossed air cushion finish, and the quality is superior to budget printers like Artscow. As a result they are the printer of choice for many designers looking to print a dozen or so decks, since for many creators they are the option they know about. So what about if I told you about another printer that offers a similar service? That playing card manufacturer is called Shuffled Ink, and it's even based in the United States. So let's find out more about them, and see if they are a viable alternative for those who might otherwise use MPC for printing their decks. https://preview.redd.it/vab027z8ltp31.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=56e7085af1732f76b005f614a00cc416f0072eed The Shuffled Ink companyShuffled Ink was previously known as QPC Games (Quality Playing Cards & Games) ahead of a rebranding that happened in 2016. Based in Orlando, Florida, the majority of their playing card products are printed at their United States printing and manufacturing facility. This makes them of immediate interest to North American consumers, because it means that there's real potential for reduced costs in shipping and delivery time. Some of the other things they produce (e.g. board games) are outsourced to China and shipped to the US for assembly, but aside from extremely high volume orders, nearly all their playing cards are printed directly in the United States. They also boast that they create products that are environmentally safe, since their materials are all safety-certifiable - something that can't always be said of the competition.They have been in the business of professional printing and manufacturing for many years, with Charles Levin beginning the company on his dining room table in 1999. From there it grew into his three car garage the following year. After initially outsourcing all production, eventually in 2013 the move was made into the 8,000 square ft manufacturing facility that it is today, with over 20 employees. Growth continues, and there are plans to open a 17,000 square ft facility in the middle of next year. It's a family run business, with Charles taking care of marketing and sales, and his son Matthew running all domestic operations. Their clients include big names like Barclays, Verizon, T-Mobile, Disney, Google, Walmart, and World Poker Tour, so we're not talking here about a backyard operation run out of someone's garden shed, but about an established and respected printer. They describe their strengths as including the following: "An emphasis on our customer service, communications and responsiveness are huge added values when combined with our quality, best prices and turn around times." Reports that I came across about the game components that Shuffled Ink produced under their QPC Games label were very positive. Printing custom board games is something they've been doing for around 20 years now, so they have a lot of experience in this area, and they've fulfilled many projects funded via Kickstarter. It's not just the game itself that they can handle, because their services also include taking care of producing any accessories that a board game might need, including tokens, dice, chips, spinners, timers, instruction books, mats, and boxes. This even covers custom pieces, so clearly they have access to a very broad production range. They're also moving more and more into providing fulfilment for customers as well. But besides customized board games, Shuffled Ink also print cards, and that's especially my area of interest. I should mention that their printing of cards this isn't limited to traditional playing cards, because they also produce custom card games, custom flash cards, and custom tarot cards. In other words: anything card related, and they'll print it. Not surprisingly, they've manufactured millions of custom card games for customers and Kickstarter campaigns, along with whatever accessories and customization these needed. I didn't know there was a big market for flash cards, but apparently I'm wrong - it turns out that flash cards are very popular for many educational purposes, and are used for things like training employees, teaching new languages, educating children, or study purposes. Tarot cards are a large but niche market that is somewhat separate from regular playing cards, but in the interests of completeness I'll mention that Shuffled Ink also produces fully custom tarot decks, using your own artwork or photography, with a minimum order size of ten. They are a member of the American Tarot Association, which gives them access to official tarot resources and materials, to ensure a thoroughly professional job. The printing on some sample Tarot decks that I looked at was clean, crisp, and impressive. https://preview.redd.it/tv16rxy9ltp31.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a3cda9074123fd450cc449aa61857d0526daeb19 Shuffled Ink decksCurrently board games account for about 10% of Shuffle Ink's business, card games for 20%, tarot cards and flash cards for 20%, and a custom playing cards for a whopping 50%. These custom decks of playing cards that they print and produce is of special interest to me and most of my readers, so let's find out more about that.Just about every option you can think of is available, and that's because Shuffled Ink caters to a wide range of customers with different needs. It turns out that it's not just collectors, card players, cardists, and magicians that like playing cards. Custom decks are extremely popular, and while they are sometimes produced as personalized items for the gaming industry, they are also printed for a range of other purposes including promotional giveaways, corporate and charity events, trade shows, wedding and anniversary gifts, and for all kinds of special occasions that a custom deck might commemorate and celebrate. Unlike other printers which have the requirement of an order size of 500 or more decks, Shuffled Ink lets you print as few as 5 decks. Design Given the diverse needs of their customers, it won't come as a surprise that Shuffled Ink offers lots of options for designing a deck. You can keep things very simple, by having standard faces, and using a single custom photo or graphic design of your own on the reverse of the cards. Or you can go fully custom, with individual personalized images on the front and back of each and every card. Using standard faces simplifies the process, because then it's just a matter of uploading your own design or photo for the card backs, which can be customized with additional text as needed. If you want to do your own artwork from scratch, they provide a number of different templates for different sized cards, depending on whether you want to go with a poker-sized (2.5” x 3.5”) or bridge-sized (2.25” x 3.5”) deck. Templates are also provided for making the tuck box, which can also be a fully custom design of your own. If you need help, Shuffled Ink offers your first hour of graphic art support for free, and typically only charge for extensive work after that; for the most part their graphic support staff make themselves available to assist clients at no cost. Stock Several different options are available for the card stock, as well as two main options for the finish. As a magician, cardist, and collector, I'm mainly interested in paper cards, so I'll leave out the PVC and Plastic options that they offer, besides noting that these range from 28mm to 35mm in thickness, and have a 500 deck minimum. There's no such minimum for the two main paper stock options for playing cards, which are the 300gsm Premium Paper Stock (Smooth finish) or the 310gsm Casino Paper Stock (Linen finish). Most people with experience with playing cards will realize immediately that a smooth finish is the best for printing high resolution detailed artwork. A linen finish, on the other hand, is the one to opt for if you actually plan to use the cards for shuffling and games, because it has a textured and embossed surface that results in much better card handling, especially in spreads and fans. You can get sample decks from Shuffled Ink to get an idea of what their playing cards look like, and the 310gsm stock is slightly denser and thicker. But both paper stocks have a black core to prevent you seeing through the cards when they are held up in the light. The 300gsm stock was more than adequate for a printed deck, but I'd definitely recommend going with the 310gsm stock if the deck is going to be shuffled and used extensively. The range of samples I had opportunity to check out included some cards with 330gsm stock. This is much thicker, and only suited to larger sized decks like Tarot cards and larger flash cards. Especially with the smooth finish, these certainly look great and feel snappy and durable, but for obvious reasons its not an option for a regular sized deck of playing cards. Packaging The range of different specialty packaging choices was much bigger than I ever expected. All decks come standard with the cards wrapped in cellophane inside the box - something that will be familiar to anyone who has opened a Cartamundi deck. If you want to go with something plain, you can opt for an ordinary white windowed tuck box or for a clear hard-plastic case (classic or jewel) which showcases the cards inside. The sample decks in plastic cases that I checked out were all packaged in a cardboard sleeve for added protection. Another option is a semi-clear soft-plastic gel case. Custom options include a completely custom printed tuck box, consisting of one piece, or two parts, as well custom painted tins. Most of us will prefer a plain white tuck box if we're really looking to cut costs and just want to trial some cards. But for a more formal project, we'll likely opt for a custom tuck-box that incorporates our own design. Some of the sample boxes I looked at were very impressive, not just in terms of the custom printing, but I especially liked some of the solid two-piece cardboard boxes used for Tarot boxes. https://preview.redd.it/tzyqq69dltp31.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=58b9217c28a606e8fb4930b402d02d0f530b164b My own experience in printing a deck with Shuffled InkThe ordering processSo how about giving a complete first-hand account of an actual printing experience with Shuffled Ink? I did a collaboration with BottledMagic, who is a passionate cardist who makes impossible bottles, and had come up with a design for his own cardistry deck. Featuring a combination of orange and purple colours, and a low-poly art style, the deck was entitled Amberthyst Playing Cards. The name is an obvious play on amber and amethyst, the two main colours of the deck. He did all the design work, and my contribution was mostly going along for the ride, because we were both keen to see this deck in print, and see how it looked. The process for getting a deck printed went fairly smoothly. First of all we had to create the files in the right format. A minimum resolution size of 300DPI was required for image files like JPEGs, but art created in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator can be sent in its native format. Since our artwork was all created in Adobe Illustrator, we could just send the original files. It's important to realize that printing uses the CMYK four-color process, which is typical for commercial printing. The RGB color mode you see on most computer screens is a three-color process that has to be converted to CMYK for printing. Where exact colours are essential, Shuffled Ink encourages you to send a physical sample of the colors required, so that they can attempt to color match as best as they can. After finalizing the graphics files, we sent them off via email. Using a file-sharing service like Google Drive or Dropbox is another option that can be used to share the files. Within a couple of days I received an acknowledgement that the files had been been received, along with the promise that their art department would be in touch with proofs the following week. https://preview.redd.it/wznjcgneltp31.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e613e76e20cf06888f32716b7386900cc1ecaf1c Sure enough, a few days later, an email arrived with a final press proof for our order. We had to check this carefully and approve it, before our order would move into production. Attached were several PDFs, one with a mock-up of the tuck box, and two with mock ups of the cards. Why two? It turned out that our artwork had strayed slightly outside the recommended safe area, so there was a risk that the die cutting process would interfere with the art. The company thus provided two proofs, one showing the art exactly as provided, and a second proof with our art resized to fit within their specs. It was our choice to go with either, and we were grateful that we didn't need to re-do all the artwork because they'd done this for us already, so we went with the adjusted version they recommended. Once we gave our approval, we became fully responsible for the accuracy of our proof in every way, which is completely understandable. Within a day we'd received email confirmation that they would proceed with the adjusted art as we had indicated. Now we just had to wait for the deck to be printed and shipped. That's when a minor hang-up happened, because there must have been some internal miscommunication or oversight, and the decks didn't get sent out. After some time elapsed without receiving any kind of shipping notice, I inquired to see what the delay was, and their records didn't clearly indicate whether or not the decks had been shipped. Thankfully they promptly (re)printed them, put them in the mail with a rushed delivery, and our package arrived soon after. https://preview.redd.it/4rbf4qgfltp31.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b3e392b3637e5c0b52846f5cb85136a394fb653e The printed deck So how did the deck turn out? Quite fine, thank you very much! We ended up with about one and a half dozen of our Amberthyst decks. The tuck box was a straight forward cardboard one, but having our own custom design on it made for a far more impressive presentation than a plain white box, and made the result look immediately more professional. We were even able to have printing on all the flaps, including the two side flaps which we used for a card reveall. https://preview.redd.it/ocf17pkhltp31.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=15683a5dc72d68d699ef6c3b0f9a0763a0c47441 There was even a thumb notch at the top of the box. There were also multiple fold lines enabling the main top flap to be folded backwards below the top of the box, making it much easier to get the cards out. This is standard for a high end playing card manufacturer, and playing card enthusiasts like me will be gratified to see this kind of attention to detail. The cards themselves were fully wrapped in cellophane plastic inside the box - which is apparently standard practice for all decks produced by Shuffled Ink. Again, this makes for a more professional presentation, especially if you're giving a deck away as a gift. https://preview.redd.it/amxb9ywhltp31.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c64ee9129ccad492f1df5fbae70d17f41766a538 The cards were very crisply printed, and the print registration was right on, with consistent and even borders all the way around, corresponding exactly to the original design. There are few things worse for a playing card enthusiast than opening a USPCC printed deck and finding misaligned borders, so it was pleasing to discover that there was no issue with that here. The colours were accurate, and the printing was very clean, with no signs of smudging or blurring. The edges of the cards were cleanly cut, resulting in a smooth feel that matches what you'd expect from a deck printed by Taiwanese printers like LPCC/EPCC, and not the somewhat rough feel of a USPCC produced deck. Close examination showed that the edge of one of the cards was slightly more ragged, presumably from the cutting process, but this didn't really matter since it was the bottom card (a Joker), and it was only obvious when looking very carefully. This was only noticeable with some of the decks, and only seemed to affect the very bottom card in a minor way. https://preview.redd.it/196rkdliltp31.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ebd0d80fb7bbb0f0fa7aba6c9a8d6a38c1ed5ff6 There are multiple printing options, and we had opted to print our deck using the 310gsm cardstock with Linen Finish. The main reason for this choice was because the 310gsm is the premium cardstock, and the 300gsm was a little too light for our personal requirements due to the cards being thinner, which is less than ideal for a deck used for card flourishing. I have seen some sample decks that used the 300gsm cardstock, but have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised, because the cards weren't as flimsy or thin as I was expecting. In fact those are probably fine for a novelty deck that you're mostly going to be looking at and not using intensively, but it's not ideal when you want decent handling and performance, especially for cardists. We'd also had a few smooth finish decks printed as part of our order, so we could compare them. These smooth-finish playing cards are certainly fine for average use, but just won't spread or fan quite as nicely as the cards with the linen finish. But if looks are your most important criteria, and you're not too worried about fanning and spreading the cards, then the smooth finish produces the best visual results. The cutting process must be different than what is used by the major playing card manufacturers, so don't expect to be able to do faro shuffles with a deck like this. But the cards have a pleasant thickness, and enough snap to be able to do a satisfying spring with no difficulty. The embossed linen finish was very pleasing, and is of a quality that matches that of MPC produced decks. Spreads and fans were fairly smooth, although I wouldn't be surprised to notice some clumping after extended use. Packet style card flourishes worked very smoothly, and riffle shuffles and overhand shuffles were more than comfortable. While this deck won't live up to the very highest and demanding standards required by an expert cardist, the performance and durability was more than acceptable for the needs of card games, and on par with a typical MPC printed deck. The quality of our printed decks was certainly much higher than your typical souvenir deck. In fact the linen finish and 310gsm cardstock produced a quality that was above the components I've seen in many professionally produced board games and card games. It's certainly ideal for prototypes or for getting your own custom deck printed in cases where you're not in a position to mass produce a thousand or more decks with a big name playing card manufacturer. https://preview.redd.it/g3hk9dyjltp31.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8ef3ab09c98dbaf68841aa257de7666917ca51a0 Reports from others who have used Shuffled InkIn terms of what others think, I've seen some mixed reports of experiences with Shuffled Ink, so I contacted a few other creators of custom playing cards to see what their experiences were like. Bear in mind that since many of these creators demand the very highest standards, which are often well above what the average person might consider acceptable.Jackson Robinson of Kings Wild Project has printed with Shuffled Ink a couple of times. In the case of two projects, some reprinting proved necessary since the initial results weren't as expected, but there were positive reports about the final product. He personally favours the easy-to-use design interface of MPC and their speedy turn-around time. Another large creator that I'm in correspondence with used Shuffled Ink to print prototypes for a large Kickstarter project. The decks weren't all sealed as requested and there was some damage to the tuck cases in transit. Some effort was needed on his part to get a good outcome, and this resulted in a somewhat lukewarm experience overall for him. A different designer who used Shuffled Ink for producing three sets of prototypes indicated real satisfaction with the quality, turn-around time, customer service, and pricing. He reported that the cost of $3500 for 1000 decks with tuck cases was ideal for getting some momentum for projects with a smaller funding goal, and he was very pleased with the end product and the process. The experience of yet another creator was also positive. He has printed several prototypes with Shuffled Ink, and reported being very happy with the response time of their communication, and the speed of delivery. In his view the quality of the prototype deck they printed compared very favourable to MPC printed decks. According to him, Shuffled Ink might well prove to be a better choice for US-based creators. So there you have several other personal experiences to compare with my own first-hand report. If you have experiences with Shuffled Ink that you're willing to share, by all means comment below, to help ensure that other prospective customers are well-informed about what to expect. Overall in my estimation Shuffled Ink compares quite favourably with MPC, including their pricing, and the absence of many extra fees. https://preview.redd.it/vg2itl2lltp31.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e6278942cd4456bbb1abe1ba86f4d9bbeeda022 Printing your own deck with Shuffled InkSo why might you want to consider printing a deck with Shuffled Ink? Firstly it should be mentioned that the quality of playing cards produced by Shuffled Ink won't match the high quality of decks produced in high volumes by industry leaders like the United States Playing Card Company, makers of the famous Bicycle brand. Magicians and cardists will notice that Shuffled Ink decks won't handle as smoothly, and you will notice this right away when shuffling, or attempting spreads and fans.But the quality isn't terrible either, and it certainly is much better than what you'll get at your average printer. Unless you're planning to print 1000 or more decks, Shuffled Ink and MPC are your best bets for printing a decent quality product that won't look or feel cheap. Obviously it won't handle as smoothly as a top of the line cardistry deck printed in high volume by USPCC, and the cards won't slide quite as smoothly and cleanly. But it will handle much better than your typical souvenir deck, and last longer than your average grocery shop cheapie. What's more, you can expect the colours to look good, the print registration to be excellent, and the card stock to feel quite durable. It's a professional product in look and feel, and it's really only serious magicians and cardists who will demand the higher level of quality and handling possibly only with mass produced decks from the big playing card manufacturers. Perhaps most important of all, with Shuffled Ink you can print a small number of decks, and for lower volume orders, these decks are about as good as you get anywhere. If you want to print a couple of dozen prototype decks, that quickly becomes an impossibility for most big publishers like USPCC and EPCC. At the very least getting them to trial a small number of copies will be an extremely costly business to the point that it's not worth bothering to do it. That's where printers like MPC and Shuffled Ink come to the rescue, because they'll let you print a few decks, while ensuring a reasonable turn-around. Especially if you prefer to use a US based company, Shuffled Ink is ideal for the hobbyist creator. Perhaps you have a big project and want to scrutinize some prototypes before dropping large amounts of cash on a huge print run, or perhaps you just want to make a small number of decks for friends or family. Either way, Shuffled Ink is perfect for those situations. What they offer is a product that is of a quality that you won't find with your average printer, and yet that won't break the bank or only be possible with a minimum order of thousands of decks. https://preview.redd.it/e7zcrfumltp31.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af6afc70017fae1c9ffc0cf19ae56caf1c5c3dd3 Final thoughtsOverall I'm impressed with the large range of options that Shuffled Ink has available, and despite a small glitch in the mailing process, my personal experience in printing a custom deck was positive, and the quality was good. It wouldn't be fair to expect the same level of quality and performance from a Shuffled Ink produced deck that I'm used to with a USPCC-produced deck. The main area where you can expect to notice the difference is in the handling. But if it's not a deck that's going to see intense use, this doesn't even really matter. Shuffled Ink would probably not be my printer of choice for decks geared for heavy usage or to meet the demanding needs of card flourishing or card magic. But they'd certainly be fine to use for card games, or for producing a novelty deck for collectors, or for a special event.For those active in the playing card industry, the real strength of Shuffled Ink is their ability to produce small print runs and prototypes at a very low cost. That makes them a good alternative to MPC, which otherwise tends to be the printer of choice for people wanting to print their own playing cards in lower volume. The fact that they are based in the United States will also be a significant point of appeal for many people. With the help of printers like Shuffled Ink even you can become a playing card designer, and create your own decks to give away as gifts, or to add to your own collection as a one-of-a-kind piece! NB: I do have a few extra copies of the Amberthyst deck available, so contact me privately if you are keen to have one for relatively cheap. Where to learn more? Head to the Shuffled Ink website here, or check them out on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest). https://preview.redd.it/l2v2qz1oltp31.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=680bc8e81a797f2490700f28719d0e39d3c7c45b |
Questions | Answers |
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As time goes by, you become specialized, the pay gets better, but all the while your friends ashore have moved on with their lives and you were not there, so your connection with them fades. Instead you make new friends in each boat you're in, but it's people that perhaps you will never see again. | Every time I get finished with a contract I'm like well fuck all that noise. I'm out. I've retired from the industry about 10 times. |
The last thing she told me was that all the people on the boat are constantly bitching that they want to return home. But when they're home they immediately get on another boat, because for them, there is no "home". | Then after a few months, you're bored. Normal jobs are monotonous. People are dull. You wake up in the same place every day. You just feel stimulated. |
Any comments? | The joke is that in October we all hate our jobs, and we're done forever. By December we're thinking it wasn't so bad, and by May we're back on the fucking boat. |
Okay, so, when I was on a cruise to Alaska, they had signs on the ship saying not to into the crew area even if you're invited. Does this happen a lot? Do the crew and guests occasionally hookup? | But this is one of the first things you're told. If you do it, you're done. No exceptions. You can not slap meat with a guest. Does it happen? Of course. People will always find a way. But it's discrete. |
Have you ever seen this happen to a coworker? Getting fired for having sex with a passenger, that is. | Several. Folks in the massage department were particularly prone to getting fired that way. And as for what happens then, it can vary based on offense. If you've really fucked up they'll get your shit for you and disembark your ass at the next port. |
Edit: How does firing work on a cruise ship in the middle of a voyage? | Also depends on citizenship, of course. |
Does the passenger get punished in any way? | Yeah, with a long list on STDs. |
I'm about to go on my first cruise. what is something you wish all passengers would know but you could never tell them? | Say hello and smile. That's the same thing they tell employees, but it's what I tell my friends when they go on cruises. Don't just walk up to employees and yell drink orders or take hor d'oeuvres off their trey like they're not there. Say hello, smile, and make your requests. It makes our lives better, and that makes your trip better. |
We're only human. If you're going to treat employees like garbage they're not going to be overly eager to tend to your desires. If you're friendly and talkative, they'll seek you out and do their best to make sure you're having the best time possible. Trust me. | |
Where you at? I mean, specifically what city and bacoffee shop? My guess, The Viking in Juneau. | I literally just walked past the Viking. Get out of my head. |
As a Juneauite and longtime tourism worker, I know crew seems to LOVE the Viking...but the Alaskan's WAY better. | I'm Princess all the way, that's all I'll say. Because it is likely, I know just about all the local operators. |
Also this is a surreal reddit experience, as it could be very likely I've seen you before. The only question is...Coral Princess or Millennium? | Also the Alaskan is full of hippies. |
Not waiting for verification due to the eloquence of your other comments on the subject. I've heard that some (many?) cruise employees are actually highly educated individuals from countries that have fallen on hard times. This may only apply to crew in EMEA regions. What's the general make-up of crew you've worked with? There was a famous incident of a musician taking charge of a rescue operation after a cruise ship ran aground and the captain basically avoided all responsibility. ( | Absolutely true. Most of us are very educated people who just couldn't find work in our chosen careers. At least the people guests deal with are. The general make-up of people I've known is evenly divided between people who are just working what they see as an odd job before their real life begins. Other people are just lifelong wanderers who can't stomach the idea of a real job or commitment to anything. It's perfect for them. |
It varies. To be honest, most of us really dislike them. Because 70% of them are rude and hostile. I've seen guests doing incredibly inhuman shit to my co workers. We get defensive of eachother, honestly a bit cliquey, and tend to see the situation as us and them. However, that's not the full situation. There's that 30% of guests that really make it all worth it. Most of us are really in the industry because we love meeting new people and getting to know them. If we reach out to guests and they reach back, then that makes all the difference. But we can't be the only ones to do it, we can't make them enjoy themselves. | |
We're all trained. Over and over again. And we're always trained to help guests first. The staff is always going to do the bulk of the rescue work because we're the ones trained to do it. If it came down to reality, who could truly say what would happen. But that's the situation. | |
You mention the guests are often rude and hostile. Are some routes worse than others? Or are types of people worse than others? | The Alaskan route is the worst, simply because it's mostly elderly people from New York with little patience for the laid back nature of things up here. Caribbean is easiest, because people just like to sit around and drink on the open sea. Alaska has few sea days. People are restless and cold. |
What's the worst thing you witnessed on the ship? | Well that would depend on how dark we want to go. |
Probably the single worst thing I've witnessed as far as something in the public eye was a particularly bad outbreak of the Norovirus in the midst of a cruise tour a few years back. Up around 20 people wandering around firing volleys of dull coloured liquid out every hole on their bodies at the speed of sound. | |
Of course they were quarantined and kept away from everyone else, as usual. But still, when the breakout was in full swing it was horrible. People would just be hanging out on deck or in the casino and then it'd hit them like a freight train. And the quarantine rooms after they left...oy. | |
If someone dies do you guys carry the body around or just leave it at a random port? | Generally we'll take the body on board with us unless a relative requests otherwise. Frequently the dead are cruising with family and they typically just want to get off as soon as possible and take care of the corpse personally. |
Give us something really good and dark. :) We desire to see the dark heart of the souls of men! | The story I was telling earlier in morbidreality was an incident where a teenage girl met a guy she fancied on the boat. They discovered later that they were roomed right next to each other. Anyway, later that night she wanted to go to his room but couldn't leave through the main door or else wake her parents. |
So she opted for the balcony. Tried to climb over and leap to his balcony. Slipped, and fell about 16 stories to the ocean below. She was never recovered. | |
That was a pretty dark event. | |
What legal rights do you have in terms of quarantining someone? Surely they could say it was a form of kidnapping? | Captain is God at sea. We're not generally under anyone's laws, but that's not to say we don't follow them. We quarantine for the good of the guest and those around them. It'd be utterly irresponsible and dangerous not to quarantine them, no government would try to pressure us in another direction. |
Saw in the other thread that you said cameras are always watching. I snuck into the spa area where the massage table was on several nights with girls I met on the cruise. Made a lot of mess. Are you saying they had this on video? Gulp. | Most likely. And we're proud of you. Get 'em tiger. |
This is one of the more interesting AMAs; thanks. | Honestly I got into this because I love people. I love meeting people from strange places and getting to know them. I love hearing stories and having conversations. I'vealso always loved traveling, so a career that combined those two loves seemed natural. On the boats I was always part of the Shore Excursion staff. The people who build, sell, and plan the tours. Sounds dull but being the guy who sells your product makes the operators kiss your ass pretty hardcore. On my 23rd birthday I was flown up to the top of Alaskan glacier with a bunch of friends by helicopter. For free. We sat high up over the world getting wasted and having snowball fights. That's something I'd never have gotten to do otherwise. |
What got you started in the tourism industry? Did you study hospitality management, or work in the restaurant industry? What kind of jobs did you work within the tourism industry (specifically on the cruise lines). Who did you work for; and if you worked for multiple companies, who were the better employers? | As for companies, my favourite has always been Holland America and Princess. Princess being my choice. |
As someone who has worked a variety of jobs in the restaurant industry who has recently transitioned into sales, I have thought about working on a cruise line - specifically bartending. If you have comparable experience as a landlubber, what are your thoughts on the two? If I decided to pursue this for a year or two, how should I prepare stateside? Give up my apartment, throw my shit in a storage unit, and just go with the flow? Or does some serious planning help? | Planning always helps. But not too much. Understand what you're getting into, beyond that it is a good idea to give up what you can. Have as few bills as possible. That's always been my strategy. Otherwise go with the flow. |
What kind of debauchery takes place? The normal get drunk fuck the waitress on a sack of potatoes in the walk-in, or some crazy shit like a circle jerk at the poker table while the chef is cutting lines of coke on the bar with two guests giving him a double bj? | I can't even begin to describe. All the stereotypical wild west crap is present in this industry. We end up in very sketchy places. I'm talking waking up in brothels with a nose bleed from all the coke, and playing the adult easter egg hunt. Frantically searching for your pants, keys, and wallet before sprinting back to the ship. If there is a vice, we've got it. And we've got it down to a science. |
How scared should I be? | You shouldn't be scared. Cruise ships are more like floating villages than anything. They've all got very ample medical provisions and facilities, and everything is planned and coordinated very well. |
Have you ever seen a cruise line get the justice they deserved? | I said it in that thread earlier, but i'll say it again for measure. Literally millions of people sail with us every single year, and we only ever have a few incidents in any given season. It's safe. |
Do they EVER lose a lawsuit? | As for the lines getting some comeuppance from the law, I've heard of a few, yes. There's times when something happens that is clearly our fault, like when those boats recently died in the water. Or when that idiot ran his ship aground in Italy. It happens all the time, we're actually under a lot of scrutiny. Rightfully so. |
How many passengers have you slept with? | Officially? None. Unofficially? Many to a lot. |
Please say more about that? | I was actually dating a girl from back home when I first came aboard. If you're unaware, tourism work is a fuck fest. Everyone is humping everyone. But for the first two years I was dedicated to my girlfriend and didn't cheat. After that went to hell I went off on a pretty decent tangent. |
I've never banged a guest on the boat. That's risky and will get you fired. On my days off or when I was working on the pier...that was a different story. I've met more than a few guests off the boat for drinks/quickies in the tour shack. | |
After a while it all got pretty gross. I checked out on the casual pound fest before I dick started growing mushrooms on it. | |
Were you not using a condom? | I've double wrapped and still ended up pouring listerine on my dick. |
It ain't a fuck fest if you go with your girlfriend and her family -_- | Not with that attitude. |
There's your problem. Double bagging causes tears in the condom. | Where were you 3 years ago to tell me that? What good are you?! |
Most annoying customer? | I've been staring at this question for about 10 minutes trying to choose one specific guest. I really don't know. I've been choked, spit on, harassed and insulted. Looking back and trying to choose just one of those people to throw overboard would be impossible. |
Jesus, choked? What caused that kind of reaction? | Some other employee giving bad directions. I just happened to be walking by with a name tag. |
How did you respond? | I really couldn't do anything. His arm looked like it snap like a stale tortilla chip if I moved it. I just kinda stood there. |
I'm not the dramatic type. Not like he could actually hurt me. Guy was as old as the Parthenon. | |
Could you elaborate on the amount of cameras? Are they inside the rooms? Whats the worst thing that your ship has caught on camera? | If you're not in the bathroom or in your stateroom, we're watching. That's a reality. But no, if you're in your room you're not on camera. Otherwise they're hidden everywhere. The ones you can see are the tip of the iceberg. |
As for the worst thing we've seen as the girl I mentioned in the other thread. Falling off the ship 16 stories into the black down below. That was supposedly pretty surreal to watch. | |
Other than that we've seen some people piss all over the place and old ladies giving handjobs. You know, the regular. | |
Old ladies giving handjobs? To whom? | Old men, I assume. Maybe a banana platter if their vision is bad. |
Did you ever get stowaways? | Never had one on my boat, but it does happen. If they're caught they're booted off at next port. |
We also have guests with a lot of money who book rooms for months or even a year and just ride our ship all over the place. They basically live on board. | |
How is the food stored and prepared on a cruise ship? i work in fast food, and i was wondering if it was better or worse than how we prepare it there. | I honestly didn't work in that department, but it is effectively stored and restocked at every new sailing. At the very worst, the food can occasionally be left out a bit too long at the buffet. But not often with the way guests eat. |
What happens when a passenger is discovered to be missing? | Security checks camera footage, calls are made to the most recent port to see if they've been left behind. Frequently someone just missed their boat and it's all well and good, but then there's the few times where something has actually happened. At that point the footage comes into play. |
Were you higher up or just a day to day worker? I have heard that the 'average' employees don't really make any money other than enough to get by on cruise lines, is that how it is? | It's true that the pay is...not so great for day to day guys. I was in a middle to upper level position. I'm in a supervisor position now in shore operations. |
I've always felt bad for the day guys. They do 90% of the work for jack shit while my coworkers and I sat up top and browsed the web all day. | |
I'm in a supervisor position now in shore operations. | I had to work my way up. I started as a local operator working with the boats in Alaska. I just busted my ass. Made myself known. Took cruise staff out for drinks, never was late. Never panicked or got stressed. After 2 seasons of showing that I had it in me, offers came in quick. |
Did you have to work your way up for that, or were you originally placed in a mid-level position because of schooling or something? What kind of stuff do you have to do when you're not redditing with a fierce passion? | After that I got offered my position simply because it suited my skill set from shore. |
Thanks for your answers - I didn't expect this AMA to be so interesting. | It really is all about who knows your name in this industry. Make friends. |
What is the biggest thing you would watch out for if you were a passenger instead of an employee? | Norovirus. Don't fuck with the walk. Sanitize. |
In /morbidreality you wrote that death/people going overboard wasn't uncommon. Does any of these incidents still haunt you or were you just used to it at some point so that it doesn't affect you any more? | I've been faced with mortality a few times over. In a way they've all affected me in a certain way, but it's not really something I can do much about. Sometimes it's weird. Like there was a particular incident where I man slipped on the gangway and died due to a head injury. A week later I was back there watching that same gangway go down on that same pier. Blood was gone, guests were having a great time. Everyone blissfully unaware. But I still look at that spot and think about it. |
Honestly, I'm perhaps a bit too used to seeing death. I grew up in Northern Ireland and saw plenty of it there as well. It doesn't haunt me anymore so much as it just gives me pause for thought. | |
I swear, almost every accident I hear with people on cruises always has something to do with the gangway. | The gangway is the most deadly predator native to cruise ships. Don't underestimate it. |
Sorry, what's the gangway? | The ramp/stairs set up along the pier to allow people off the boat. |
Whats a massage gig like there? | Dirty. Fruitful, as well. You'll get paid and tipped well. |
Just be prepared to get some fucked up requests. Old people are not as sweet as you think.. | |
Example? | I mean, I never dealt with it. But if you ever ask one of those poor girls about the shit they hear...my God. One girl was telling me the guy offered her like $500 for a happy ending and said he could get her a greencard (she was Estonian) |
Like I said, fruitful. | |
When you confiscate people's alcohol/drugs brought onboard either at the start of the trip or from port--where does it go? What's the craziest way you've seen someone try to sneak alcohol/drugs onto the ship or from room to room? Any deaths related to the attempts made? | I'm honestly not at all familiar with security. I know it's mostly just "disposed of". How exactly that happens is honestly out of my department. |
I've never heard of a death due to attempted smuggling, but there's always crazy ways people are trying to smuggle booze and all that back on after porting. I've heard of people trying to bribe, putting booze in unsavory places, trying to force their way through. It's all very bizarre, because we really don't generally care that much. | |
A common argument is that people want to buy this exotic onshore booze and take it home, so they smuggle. Fully unaware that we'll check any amount of booze for you and give it back at the end of the cruise, and you're actually allowed to bring on a bottle of booze yourself. | |
What is the worst part of working on a cruise ship? | The isolation. You're gone for months at a time lumbering along on this oversized hotel that you can't really leave. |
My first two contracts I had a girlfriend back home. I had an apartment. A whole real life, but no way to access them outside my floating bubble. It's like the world doesn't exist outside the boat. It's just all there is. | |
I'd imagine cruise life makes having any sort of relationship with someone not on the ship extremely difficult, eh? | It does. I've never been one to cheat so infidelity wasn't an issue. But being apart is. I've essentially given up on dating due to my job. Dating on the boat is folly. It ends badly. So I just accepted that I can't really date and will probably die alone face down on the wet floor of a pub toilet. |
I was thinking about getting a degree in sound engineering (or something in that field) then doing contract work on cruise ships either in the main theatre or the clubs. Application sites outlined very good pay and it is something I would enjoy... Would you recommend this as an option? | Absolutely. I always recommend pursing work on cruise ships. It can be tough and chaotic, but it's also the best time I've ever had. If you like to party, you'll party hard. If you like travelling, you're getting paid to do it. It's worth the hard work. |
Greatest night of your life? Craziest thing you or someone you saw get away with? | The craziest thing I've ever gotten away with was going to a brothel with a guest while on the clock. To be fair, I didn't know what was going on. I may or may not have been the one to lead him there. |
What was the most frightening thing that you saw in the wilderness lodges? And the cutest animal that you encountered out there! | Cutest animal? Some little moose calves along the road near Denali. Most frightening thing? The Grizzly who came out of the woods and tore them to shreds 20 seconds later. |
What is the average salary for a regular crew member? | It totally depends on what you're doing. It can get as shitty as $800 a month to well over $8,000. The housekeepers, cooks, and cleaning staff make fuck all. It's sad really, but given that most are from pretty disadvantaged countries $800 a month is probably decent. |
Is it true theres a baclub for employees only deep within the bowels of the ship? What happens if you try to bring a non-employee to it? | Of course. The employee bar is the real world Mos Eisley. Drinks are dirt cheap, it's filthy and unsupervised. Guests can't go there, though. Probably a good thing. |
Thanks for doing this AMA! Now I know that this may not be answerable but is there any cruise line that someone should completely avoid? For really any myriad of reasons (can be the treatment of employees, or the food cleanliness, etc.). | I have a bit of a distaste for Celebrity and Carnival. Just for employee conditions, I've not heard any true horror stories from any line. Still, when it comes to food and cleanliness it's like a hotel. You get what you pay for. Holland America, Regent and those luxury liners are going to have the best quality. Princess is my personal choice, a good mix of down to earth environment and quality. |
Is he cute? | Adorable. |
How did you get your job, what qualifications (if any) did you need, and would you recommend it to a random young person? | I got the job through a process. I had prior guest service experience and spoke a few languages, though that I got employment with shore operations. Worked my ass off abd made my name known to those on the ships, and when I applied I was already a front runner. It's all who you know, and who knows you. |
What kind of drugs did you guys have on board? Interested in a "employment opportunity" you could say lol. | Cocaine and Molly were the most widely consumed. Pot wasn't really an option due to the smell. I tried Mushrooms on the deck one time and nearly had a mental breakdown. Stuck with Molly after that. |
If the staff are all hooking up with each other and the passengers, do STDs become a problem? Do the medical facilities handle a lot of that? | Yeah..lot of shots in the ass going around. |
Has your ship ever had any lifestyle cruises on board? How decadent do these get and do the employees ever secretly partake? | They're usually pretty normal. We have a LGBT cruise that I've worked on before. That one was just hilarious. All the women book ATV rides and the men book garden tours and tea parties. It's great. |
Hey, is this the type of job a married couple can do? Do they get the same crew quarters? Is this even possible? | It's certainly been done. It's possible. It also frequently ends in divorce. |
This is probably going to get buried with the rest of the other questions... But I should ask it because it was my thesis in college. | Conservation is near and dear to my heart. Especially as an Alaskan who wants to keep this place beautiful. My honest opinion is that I wish we could turn down the volume of cruises and land tours here and elsewhere. The pollution that these boats leave behind is staggering, especially with the guests who frequently litter. Not to mention the infrastructure built to accommodate them. I think tourism needs to change. We can't keep flooding these beautiful areas with pollution and commercialism if we want our kids to be able to enjoy them. ss beautiful as they are, they're fragile. I know that didn't really answer your question. I really can't claim to know much on that topic. I just know that I love nature and with that love comes respect. We can't just turn everything into a tourist destination with shops and car parks. Sometimes we need to leave it alone. |
How do you feel about the current status and the future of the ecotourism industry? (Biologically, economically sustainable tourism with money that goes towards all parts of the community, including the lower class.) | |
My family and I are avid cruisers, so thank you very much for what you have done. I've heard horror stories from some of the crew members I've talked to, and yet all of it goes unnoticed by the passengers. In the previous thread you stated that cameras are EVERYWHERE. How extensive is the network of cameras really, and who has access to the (live and recorded) footage? | It's very extensive. I'm not exaggerating that at all, they're everywhere. As for access, only authorized security personell. Nobody else was even allowed near the security room. Even I would have been sacked had I gone in there. |
How are the sleeping conditions? Do you sleep in a room with a bunch of other people? Or is it like a dorm where you bunk with another person or two and have a communal bathroom? | Depends on your job and the boat. I often had my own room, but others may have had to share with multiple people. |
Also how many hours of the day do you work and how do your days off work? | Again, depends on the job. Cleaning staff works ridiculous hours. To the point that they're not scheduled to work, they get schedules for sleeping. I was pretty standard 8-10 days with two days off a week. |
Is there a job on the ship you'd rather do or that you think would be the most fun? | I dunno. I like my job. There's some guy up on the bridge that has a giant cut out human hand and gets to dance around and wave it at people below. I'd do that. That sounds cool. |
How does one get in this business? I don't live near the water, but have always thought it would be a very interesting way to live for a few years. | Just apply. This is a huge industry and not many people are willing to sign their life for 6 months. There's more opportunities than you think. |
How many times have you shit your pants due to norovirus? | If pants were alive, they'd try me at the ICC for genocide. |
What can you say about the safety training that people receive who run cruise ships? Are they prepared? | Rigorously. We train constantly for emergency situations. |
Im from Argentina and I'm curently studying english and portuguese, also I will learn french, I want to specialize in languange, and I really don't know what to do with my life, I guess Ill be a teacher, but Working on a cruise is something I can see myself doing, I don't care if I have to start from the bottom, I really don't care about the money and I have no obligations ... So, How do I get a work into a cruise from let's say Buenos aires, or RIo de janeiro, or Venezuela, to the caribbean... Do I have privileges over the others applicants because I having a speaking, reading, or writing knowledge of several languages?? | You definitely get a preference for being multi lingual. That's partially what got me on board. And strangely, Argentines are very prevalent in the industry. I've known dozens. Maybe they actively recruit there. |
Tldr; how can I get a job on a cruise? and do I get extra possibilities because I know English-spanish-portuguese.. etc? | Unfortunately I'm not much use anymore with applications and recruiting. I'm not sure how it works these days. It sounds incredible basic but just try applying online. With your skills and some service industry background, your application will be seen. |
Drugs ? going on your quote before when talking about law "Captain is God". What is the general consensus about drug use ? | As long as you're not on the Lido Deck trying to eat a chair, they just generally try not to see it. |
How often do people fall off? And what's their chance at being recovered alive? | Rarely. It'd pretty much have to be intentional. We do everything we can. Boats are in the water and spotlights shine within minutes of the call. If the person is alive and wants to be found, they generally are. |
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