Running a tight ship

Wendi Jackson, 38, is just finishing her contract as executive housekeeper on the six-star ship, The World. The ship is owned by Swedish company ResidenSea, but all the ship's apartments and studios are privately owned. Executive housekeepers at this level can expect to earn US$4,000 (£2,133) a month tax-free.
I get up at 5.45am every morning so I've got time for two cappuccinos before heading to my office. I check e-mails and ensure that any special guest requests are noted. Our guests might want specific lights turned on before their arrival, special flowers arranged or fresh bread and croissants picked up from the on-board deli before their arrival. It's not like a regular cruise ship, as guests can get on or off at any port any day of the week at any time.

Next I do my early-bird tour of the ship's public areas for about 30 minutes. I catch up with the night utility manager who's in charge of the public areas in the evening. I've got 48 staff working with me, and I'll go through anything that needs attention with my two assistants when they come on duty. We have a general meeting, handing out daily rotas, with the stewardesses (who clean the 110 apartments and 88 guest studios) and day utility staff (who clean the public areas) when they come on duty at 8am.

Even when apartments are not occupied they get general housekeeping, unless the owner has specified otherwise. All the cleaning staff are female and most are Swedish or Filipino.

Some apartments have valuable items that may require specialist cleaning. I've got some experience of dealing with precious art works, painting and china, which guests do find reassuring. Each owner provides a portfolio for the stewardesses to refer to of items that they wish to be left alone or cleaned by an expert.

By 8.15am I grab another coffee and at 8.30am there's a management meeting for us to go over what is happening that day. After that I walk through the ship, dealing with issues that arise and giving a helping hand if a stewardess needs it.

Lunch is at noon and, as a vegetarian, it's usually a salad and rice in the officers' mess. And coffee for dessert.

Back in the office, I check the e-mails and then go back to ensure all is well with my team. I'm not an office person, and I like to be available if needed. That said, I still have to do the paperwork and stay on top of managing the team.

I deal with all sorts of guest requests, including one to be a witness at a wedding in Barbados, which was great.

Some days I'll have 2.30pm-5.30pm off and go back on duty till 10pm; other days I'll work through to 6.30pm and have the evening off. One of my assistants is always on if I'm not, and I'm on call 24 hours a day.

There's a great social life on board for the crew, with a gym, disco, special day trips when we're in port for a few days - ResidenSea operates the "happy crew, happy guest" philosophy, and it's true.

I'm in bed by 11pm ready to start all over again the next day.

Island hopping

Lyndsey Milne, 35, has just been promoted to food and beverage manager on the Hebridean Princess, which tours the Scottish islands. Previously she was assistant purser on sister ship Hebridean Spirit.
My day starts at about 7am, but it could be earlier if we have a guest tour leaving. Being flexible is a key part of this job. I'm on duty from 7.30am. My first stop is the restaurant to make sure staff are there and have done the set-up for breakfast. I now have 10-12 staff members working with me.

We offer table service, and guests are free to come and go as they please. On the Hebridean Spirit guests also have the option of eating from the buffet on the mizzen deck. This is outside and offers fantastic views, so many guests opt for that instead. On Hebridean Princess there's the Skye Deck, but it operates only as a bar and occasional barbecue location.

Once breakfast is finished, guests usually go off on one of the day tours.

Back on board, chef calls a daily meeting at 9am in the crew mess to talk about the day's menus, any changes, anything special that's being done. Chef organises his team, and I will talk through set-ups with my team. Sometimes we do theme nights and lunches, and they require special attention.

After that I write up the menus and make sure we're getting things ready for lunchtime. I also liaise with our food and beverage controller to make sure there's enough alcohol and crockery being taken on board. Chef is responsible for ordering the food quantities but I have to make sure the guest experience is up to the quality and standard we expect. Hebridean ships don't have a home port, so we're constantly planning what will be picked up from each port.

The crew lunch is between 11.30am and 12.30pm, and we have our own crew chef. The food is actually pretty good. There's no separate officers' mess; we all sit down together. It's good for team morale to see the captain eating the same as the potwashers.

Guests sit down from 1pm to 2.30pm. One of the privileges of my job is that I can eat with the guests once the rush of service has finished. It's a great way to find out if they have any special requests and keeps me in tune with how things are going on board.

Afternoon tours leave at 2.30pm and then I'm off duty until about 6pm. It's my time to relax and unwind, and you really need that breathing space.

I'll eat my dinner when I come back on duty, and from 6.30pm I'll be back in the restaurant checking set-up for the evening meal.

Dinner is from 7.30pm, and guests can come whenever they wish. Naturally, we can serve dinner in their rooms if, perhaps, they're a little seasick. Guests are asked when booking if they wish to sit at a table for two, four, six or eight or to be seated at one of the officers' tables, which include the captain's, the chief engineer's and the chief purser's tables. These tables give guests the chance to mingle, which is good if there are any single guests.

Sometimes I dine at one of these tables, which gives me the chance to see the service from the guest perspective.

What time I finish depends on what's happening that evening. I could go to one of the talks on board or end up singing with a guest on the piano - it really is a varied job.

Guests want to see you and talk to you, so you need to be sociable. But you can't be too sociable. Drinking is a big no-no, and we can be breathalysed at any time. It's difficult when guests want to buy you drinks, because you are working. It's everything in moderation.

I usually get to bed by 11.30pm or midnight, ready to get up and do it all again. You have to love this life and have a passion for this job - and I definitely do.