Ship maintenance

Saturday 23^rd November

The sea air is hard on ships, and constant maintenance is needed. For financial reasons the ship cannot go into dry dock for minor work like painting, so this takes place on a continual basis around the ship. Sometimes it goes unnoticed for a whole voyage; sometimes it becomes only too evident. This morning I was awoken by hammering! I hve no idea what was being done as I rolled over and tried to get back to sleep. I managed well, but  kept being woken by the next bout of hammering.

On my last cruise the balconies were being repainted. This had involved noisy work as the old paint was chipped off before the new paint could be applied. Actually, on this cruise I can still see evidence of that work in the form of dots of white paint on the blue balcony chairs! There are often notices up around the ship, warning of wet paint or oiled surfaces.

Cleaning the ship is also a continuous job. I have a steward who is responsible for my room (and others along the corridor). He comes in each morning to make up my bed, clean and straighten the bathroom and main room, change towels, fill the ice bucket, etc. He also comes in at night to clean the bathroom again, turn down the bed covers and put out chocolates and the news sheet. Cleaning the corridor outside of my room is also his responsibility, as is cleaning and straightening my balcony.

As you walk around the ship, you see housekeeping staff wiping skirting boards with a dust mop, dusting walls, polishing lift doors, wiping balcony rails with disinfectant and so forth. Up on deck there are stewards to take care of dirty or wet towels after passengers have sunbathed or swum. They put the sunloungers into position each morning and put them away at night.

I have not seen this at work but I assume it is for cleaning the windows.

There are lots of unnoticed members of staff keeping the ship in good order for our enjoyment.