* * *
The fact that Ryan was leaving the next day was making Sofia very gloomy. Keira was also going to disembark the cruise after and the doctor was suffering from one of the hardest aspects of working on a cruise ship: saying goodbye to people that had been close friends and the closest to a family a crew member could have.
Onboard it was a matter of time until someone went home. Sooner or later it was time to say goodbye and that was heart breaking. For the ones continuing their onboard careers there was a chance to meet on another ship or maybe on a holiday somewhere, but frequently the end of a contract meant never seeing them again.
During the ten days of the cruise Sofia had become good friends with Karima and they promised to visit each other when possible. Sofia hoped to be able to make it happen but she knew it could be a long time before they would be able to spend another few days of fun together.
In port, Ryan and Karima left early morning to visit some places of intense volcanic activity and Sofia paged David at lunch time claiming a promise made a while before: a visit to the Engine Room.
“Hi. How are you?” Sofia asked when they meet on deck 4 aft.
“Hanging on. Busy enough to keep distracted. And you?”
“Taking it easy.” She smirked.
“That’s the way to go. Ready for some action?” He asked opening a metal door behind him.
“Bring it on!”
David showed her the engine control room first. It was on deck 4 and like the bridge, there were computers everywhere. A few engineers did whatever engineers do but unlike the bridge, these ones didn’t benefit from a good view. All they saw were metal walls and computer screens. A few irritating alarms went off here and there. No one seemed worried about them so Sofia assumed it was normal.
They crossed the M1 to the starboard side and David punched a code into the pad by the door that opened down to where everything happened. As soon as Sofia noticed the stairs she was glad for wearing comfortable clothing. The uniform would have been really inappropriate in that place. As they went down what seemed the equivalent to two decks she saw the fours gigantic engines, each bigger than a truck. David gave her ear plugs because down there, there was a lot of noise. Some guys in their dark boiler suits stopped and looked at the doctor with curiosity but they soon moved on with their work.
Sofia followed David who shouted some brief explanations. She didn’t understand most because of the noise, but her eyes inspected her surroundings carefully. He directed her through the generators, the ship’s sewage system and the desalinators and told her how the water system treatment draws seawater by reverse osmosis. It extracts almost the totality of the salt and that is the water that is supplied to the galleys, laundry and every bathroom onboard. He tried to explain that the filtration process works by using pressure to force a solution through a membrane, retaining the solute on one side and allowing the pure solvent to pass to the other side but wasn’t sure of how much she was able to hear clearly. She had a happy face so he concluded that she was having a good time.
The engine area took the entire bottom of the ship and although it was probably the most interesting space onboard, it also felt very claustrophobic and Sofia found it amazing that some people worked there permanently. Way below the water level there was never good light. That couldn’t be healthy. At least the mechanics ashore could still open the door of their garages. On ships that was not an option.
David stopped by a big metallic dark green box that Sofia didn’t remember what was for.
“Are you ready for a real challenge doc?” He asked loudly.
“Sure. What do you have for me?”
He pointed the vertical steps behind him. She looked up but the metal structure didn’t allow a view of the ending.
“This steps take us all the way to deck 18, by the chimney. If we make it there, we’ll be right behind the company’s logo in the amidships. I can promise you the view is worth the effort.”
“How many steps in total?”
“You don’t want to know!” He said, starting the climb before she changed her mind.
Sofia followed him carefully and slowly they went up, step by step. She avoided thinking about what it meant to walk up the equivalent to sixteen floors. At one point, when she was already tired and it looked like there was still a long way to go, they stopped on a platform and looked down. David made a sign for her to stop.
“Where are we?”
David pointed at the sign on the wall. “Deck 8, amidships.”
“Anything interesting here?”
“Not really. Just a small break to catch my breath. I’m not that young anymore.”
She chuckled.
He went upstairs again and Sofia followed. The higher they were, the more her legs ached. Just like climbing a wall, the last bit was the hardest and when they finally arrived in the final platform and he opened the door to the outside, Sofia felt an urge to go sit on the floor. Instead, she moved next to him and looked outside from the back of the logo.
“On my God, this is amazing!” She admitted, admiring the view. It’s like someone made a huge spread that extends as far as human eyes can see.
“Yes, this is great and very exclusive. We are the only ones who ever come here. The bridge boys have their big windows. This is our pay-back.” He joked.
“Do you have to climb all those stairs every time you come here?”
He giggled. “Of course not. There’s a service elevator.”
She glared at him. “What?! There’s an elevator and you made me climb all those horrible metal steps? Do you know how much my legs hurt right now?”
“Your legs can’t hurt more than mine. I’m at least twenty years older than you. Come on doc, taking the stairs was a lot more fun, wasn’t it?”
As much as she pretended to be mad she knew that doing the long walk up the stairs was cool and she was happy she had done something so few people would ever have a chance to do. And the view from there was breathtaking. It was like being on the top of the world, in a very quiet place, the sounds coming from the outside fading away into a murmur that almost sounded like music.
“I was wondering,” she asked, “what happens to the food, the garbage and all other leftovers from the ship?”
“Well, the food goes into a machine that removes all the water and turns the solids into very tiny pieces that we then feed the fish with.”
“Really?”
“Yes, that’s how nice we are. We give food to the fish. But the pieces are really small and there is nothing toxic that can be dangerous for the ocean.” He confirmed.
“What about the other stuff?”
“There are a few big machines that you’ve just seen that treat the waters. Everything is separated by type and all waters that don’t represent any danger are returned to the sea. Anything that can’t be returned to nature because it’s toxic is stored in proper containers and taken ashore. The same goes for solid garbage. Everything that goes into the bins, from tissue paper to cans and bottles, is separated in the garbage room and put in big containers by type of material. In particular ports there are facilities where the containers are sent out for recycling.”
Sofia looked at him with amazement. “Wow. We do everything so right.”
“Well, not everything. We are still burning fuel, loads of fuel. That pollutes a lot.”
“And so there is a stain in the white fabric.” Sofia concluded.
“There always is…”
They jumped over another big metal structure and sat on the top of the Stardust disco enjoying the landscape. Sofia suddenly remembered what Denise had told her about her little adventure in Alaska. It was exactly in that place where she was sitting. Sofia giggled and stared at the wide white platform.
“What’s so funny?” David asked still tired from the vertical climb and feeling older than he liked to admit.
“I have a friend who told me she had sex here once. Well, not exactly here, on another ship li
ke this one.”
“Bloody engineers! We give them access to these areas to work and the buggers use their privileges to pick up girls.” He retorted and she laughed out loud.
“I bet you get lots of requests from passengers asking to visit the engine.”
He nodded. “Some. The deckies get more than us. Many people think the bridge is the most interesting place to see on a ship. I’m sure it’s because of the big windows. I get a few but we don’t do tours of the engine area. It’s a dangerous place and we’re not paid to be tour guides.”
“I thought it was for security reasons.” She said.
“That too. Imagine a bunch of people down there with their cameras. But even if we didn’t have to worry about security, I still wouldn’t do it. It’s a working area, there are many hazards and my guys already have too much work. We wouldn’t find the time to look after passengers as well. One of them breaks a leg tripping on something and next thing they sue the company.”
“That’s true. These days people do everything for money.” Sofia agreed. “Do you ever open exceptions?”
A soft breeze came from the sea and brushed their hair. It felt great.
“Very rarely. I did a tour with a passenger that worked for the United States Coast Guard just two weeks ago, but he was an engineer too. When people who work in the field send a request we do our best to accommodate them. But I don’t open exceptions for curious tourists. Nothing personal, but it’s not something we can handle. If they want to be entertained they have to talk to the cruise director.”
Sofia laughed at the way he said that. As much as she could understand the passengers for wanting to see the hidden areas of the ship, it would drive the technical department insane to have passengers wandering around their working areas.
19
Denise was very tired. The day before turnaround was always a killer and she left the office at nearly eight thirty, feeling so exhausted her body barely responded to basic commands like walking. She paged Diego who was in the usual place and asked him to bring her some food on the way back because all she could manage was a shower and the remote control.
Diego showed up only twenty minutes later with a plate of different things he knew she would like.
“Thank you so much for that. I swear I would starve today rather than having to go for dinner all the way to the back of the ship.” She said when he uncovered the plate.
“You are not going to believe this.” Diego claimed very enthusiastically trying to make her guess what he’s talking about.
“What? Did NASA invite you to run their space program?” She grimaced.
“No silly. We have a whale stuck in the bow.” He answered with a mocking grin.
Denise nearly choked on a piece of bread and cheese. “What? When did that happen?”
“Just a couple of hours ago. The deckies spotted it. It’s a small whale, but we can’t take it out right now.”
“Wow. So we have to sail with it until Auckland?”
“If it doesn’t go lose during the time we’re sailing, we’re entering Auckland port with a dead whale as a souvenir.”
“Well, the passengers are going to love that. Another story to tell.”
Denise turned off the lights and opened the curtains to let the soft light of the full moon illuminate the room. She put all the pillows together behind her back and relaxed in bed.
“Are we having a movie night?” Diego inquired.
“Why not? I can’t move and a film doesn’t require any effort.”
“Pause that. I’ll be right back.” He said, grabbed his keys from the desk and ducked through the door.
Denise chilled out, enjoying the silence and wondering where he was going. Her question was answered five minutes later and it smelled great. Diego dropped two paper bags on her lap.
“Popcorn?”
“If we’re having a movie night, we should to do it properly.” He replied and put one in her mouth carefully.
“Oh, you’re such a star sometimes.” She replied happily.
He gave her a wink and pressed the play button. “Don’t tell anyone. I don’t want people to get used to it.”
“Did you know gluttony is a capital sin?”
Diego stuffed his mouth with popcorn. “It’s a good thing I never planned to go to heaven then.” He grinned.
Denise enjoyed having times like that, with no worries, no phones ringing, no stress. She felt normal when she could get to the end of a day and not bring work with her. Many times she left the office and work was all over her mind for hours after, until she went to sleep and sometimes she even dreamed about it. She knew she shouldn’t do that. How many times had people with many years of experience told her that it was unhealthy to take work too seriously? She knew it was better to have a realistic and balanced view but it was easier said than done. If she could have the right attitude she could be much happier and be less affected by every little thing that happened in her life. She even believed that her relationship with Diego and her friends would be better if she could find a way to change her view of life onboard, but she had been trying and it wasn’t working. Now and then she was able to relax, but often the idea that she had to change her attitude for her own benefit stressed her more than reality itself. She felt confused and didn’t know what to do. She brushed all her thoughts way and tried to enjoy the movie and Diego’s company. She didn’t know how long she would be able to do that for. Onboard everything is temporary.
Later that night, after the movie was over and Diego was sound asleep, Denise thought of Switzerland. She missed the mountains, she missed waking up on a Sunday and having brunch with her family. She missed her mother who now lived by herself in that big house. Her mother had never complained but Denise sometimes felt bad about leaving her on her own like that. She had wanted adventure and to see the world and her mother had moved on with her life but Denise didn’t even know for sure what was happening at home or in the lives of her other relatives and friends. She missed the personal bonds and the family life that she couldn’t have onboard.
The Ocean Pearl arrived in Auckland with the whale still trapped on the bow and there was no other choice but to get it removed there. A team was assembled for the task and the process was followed closely by the curious eyes of many people including the local press.
“I guess we’re going to be on the newspapers.” Diego told Denise on the phone early morning.
“I would rather be in the paper for a less bizarre reason, but who cares?” She replied setting her mind to another hectic day at work.
Only by sheer curiosity, she paid a visit to the hotel secretary just before twelve and asked if she had a chance to read the comments from the cruise before.
Sylvia confirmed that the results were not great. The complaints about the gay group were already over two hundred and the scores were down by a big difference due to the dissatisfaction of the passengers who didn’t like not being informed that they were going to share their vacation with the Eagles.
The hotel director came by to check the latest results and left furious. The entire hotel department’s scores were low because of something that was to blame on head office and that made him very angry.
“I guess once again we take the beat for other people’s stupid ideas.” Denise noted.
“Who else? They do whatever it takes to generate revenue. When it goes wrong we take the blame. The reception puts up with complaints all cruise long and now the scores are ten percent lower than usual because the passengers hold us responsible for not solving a problem that never had a solution.” Sylvia observed calmly with her eyes on the computer screen.
“What did they want us to do? Throw the Eagles overboard? We’re not allowed to throw anything overboard. It’s an environmental crime.” Denise joked.
“You know what? The hell with it! The big bosses from head office come here once in a while and I’ve never seen any of them stopping for a minute to ask the crew what they think o
r how they feel like. We are numbers on a list, tools. So let’s just do our jobs and enjoy the few hours we don’t have to spend working. These passengers are on the way home and we have another three thousand embarking today. It’s a whole new cruise. Next time the scores will be better.” The hotel secretary said confidently.
Denise smiled with satisfaction. She knew Sylvia was right. The best way to deal with the bad results of one cruise was to move on to the next.
Bad things didn’t last forever and the day went well with embarkation very organized and many smiling faces coming onboard with their dreams of the perfect holiday. Denise had a look at the passengers coming onboard and made a mental promise to do everything she could to help them have a great time.
The front desk supervisor even found some time to go ashore with Allison, have lunch in a nice restaurant and walk the streets of Auckland and the Harbor before heading back. That was a privilege she rarely had in her job.
A chatty waiter in a restaurant gave them some interesting lights about the city. Auckland was built in the slope of a long extinct volcano. There were forty eight of them in the countryside around the city. The waiter added that Auckland is called Tamari Makau Ray, which meant city of the 100 lovers by the Maori people because so many people wanted to live in the fertile and protected location. Today, one third of all the people in New Zealand live in the area.
If anyone asked an Auckland townie, they would all affirm that Auckland was the capital of New Zealand and ignore any mention of the official capital, Wellington.
“Windy Wellington.” Denise muttered.
“What?” Allison didn’t get it.
“The port of Wellington. It’s extremely windy. Frequently too dangerous to dock. Ships have a hard time there.”
“Is that why it’s not on our itinerary?”
“I don’t really know. Could be, or maybe it’s just because someone thought other places would be more interesting. I never asked.” Denise replied.
The girls thanked the friendly guy for the information and left him a tip that he much appreciated.
Like many other places in New Zealand, in the surroundings of Auckland there were sandy bays and national parks with hot springs and sputtering geysers.
Allison and Denise looked at the Sky Tower high in the city center and then at their watches. They didn’t have time left to go up there. Maybe next time.
Back to the port, they paid a bit more attention to the surroundings and understood why Auckland was called “City of Sails”. There were sail boats everywhere. Many racing yachts that won the America’s Cup Regatta called Auckland their home port.
“I went on a regatta in one of those once, in St. Maarten.” Denise said while they took some photos.
“Nice. How was it?”
“Exiting and scary. The boats go really, really fast and they tilt so much many times it feels like you’ll be thrown in the water any second. It doesn’t matter where you are on the boat, the water gets everywhere. So if you ever do something like that make sure the water is warm because you will get wet no matter what.” She suggested.
“I’ll remember that next time I’m in the Caribbean then!”
As they made their way through the terminal building, they noticed the havoc. Big groups of passengers entering the ship just like the plagues from the Old Testament.
“Here we go again…” Denise smiled, knowing that cruise had everything to be better than then previous one and she was hopeful about the next ten days.