"They have libraries on cruise boats?"

I wish I could take a picture or video of people’s faces when I tell them I have been hired to be a cruise ship librarian. Guffaws seem to be the commonality. A tad of disbelief. “They have libraries on cruise boats?”

Yup. Or at least they better, given I have just been hired as a Librarian for Z_______ Cruise Line.

As am I sure you can guess, “Z_____” has no relevance to the actual name of my new employer. In this blog I plan on sharing allllllll about working on a cruise boat --- the good, the funny, and yes, the bad. And I bet these guys wouldn’t be very happy with me revealing that side. After all they are making me take out my nose piercing and wear a uniform; they are trying to present a uniformly pleasant experience for their paying passengers. I don’t wish to disrupt that. I believe wholeheartedly in good customer service, and I recognize that our guests pay a sizable amount of money to sail the seven seas. But still, one has to disclose the backstage reality, especially since a lot of people will be envious and want this job. I want to share the whole truth of what it is like to work as a shipboard librarian.

But as many people follow their “whaaaa?” with “What do you do as a cruise librarian?” and “What is it like to live on a cruise boat?”, I hope to answer those questions soon. I honestly don’t know. I know what they told me during my phone interviews and what I secretly imagine -- a mix of Dirty Dancing, with all the employees drinking and smoking and dancing together after hours, and a old timey British glamour. Hopefully my expectations aren’t too shattered.

I have already shared with a number of people, friends and family, that I intend to write this blog so I better do it. And I should probably start now with the buildup to the departure but jeez louise I am busy getting from here to there. 3 ½ weeks is not very much time to change jobs. It is really not very much time when the new job in another state. Now add the fact that it is on a cruise boat, you have to end your lease ahead of schedule -- which requires negotiating with the landlords, figure out what to do with your 1 ½ year-old car, sell/dispose/store most of your belongings, and most of this is occurring during the Christmas break when offices are closed AND you are celebrating 11 days of the holidays at your folks’ place in another state....no wonder I am having panic attacks/crying jags every evening. I know my possessions are just stuff. Things. But still, it is both emotionally draining and physically difficult to get everything done in time. Plus Z_____ is making me jump through some serious hoops even before I get onboard. I need to order my uniform (which is paid by the cruise line and is laundered for free on board.) Gotta get a full medical exam (which costs a week’s pay, which doesn’t make me particularly happy) that includes undergoing a chest x-ray and drug test. Email numerous people copies of health and dental exams, passports, take digital pictures for presumably a ship facebook, etc. etc.

But I WILL GET IT DONE! Every time I start to panic, I repeat to myself:

“We can
Each of us
Do the impossible
As long as we can convince ourselves
That it has been done before.”
-Octavia E. Butler, “Parable of the Sower”

I have moved quickly before. I have moved overseas before. Others have become shipboard librarians. It can be done. Breathe.