When she had arrived in her suite that afternoon, all the clothes were already hung or placed neatly in her closet. There were dresses and casual outfits, scarves and designer handbags, high heels, low heels, shoes to match every outfit, all in her size. She’d never owned clothes so fine. She wanted to make her new-found daughter proud, and she wasn’t going to waste this amazing opportunity to get to know Kate better. This was only the first day of what promised to be a wonderful two weeks.
Chapter Three
“The more familiar you are with the ship and the crew, the better prepared you’ll be to react to the unexpected,” said the captain. “We’re going to begin our tour in the Activity and Entertainment Department. Our cruise experience revolves around a variety of entertainment options, from comedians and dancers to magicians, musicians, jugglers, and vocalists. We even have psychics.” The captain directed a look to Juliette. “Our entertainers all perform their specific daily services, but they share the duties of the cruise staff. Which means they also participate in passenger activities like deck games and contests.”
“What does it take to become a psychic aboard a ship?” Juliette asked with no little interest.
“Well, the psychics we hire have a phenomenal sense of perception and a verifiable track record. For instance, we ask them to provide a client list and excellent references.”
“How can you prove their accomplishments?” Juliette asked.
“We give them an audition,” said the captain. “We ask them to do readings on staff members. And they need to be outgoing, because they are putting on a show for the passengers.”
“Hmm.” Juliette tapped the toe of her sandal on the wooden deck and considered the possibility of working on a cruise ship as a psychic. She could put on a show. She was certainly playing a role now, one of a happily married woman on her honeymoon with the biggest horn dog on the planet.
“Are you interested in a psychic position aboard a ship?” the captain asked.
“No, I’m happy where I am. But it sounds like a glamorous job.”
“It can be,” agreed the captain. “Now I want you to meet Caroline Garrison. Caroline is our stage manager. She calls all the shows. We have a number of production shows staged in a single space. She’s in charge of the production cast, including the people who teach salsa and run bingo.”
An elfin dark-haired beauty, as lovely as an actress herself, saluted the captain, a sparkle in her eye. She was flitting around the area like a hummingbird, a bundle of energy, directing, coaching, and running lines.
“Our shows have Broadway standing,” the captain said proudly. “Right now Caroline is rehearsing a Country Western number. With freestyle cruising, we’ve expanded our entertainment options to include dinner cabaret shows and some acts with a local flair from our ports of call. We also bring in on-land branded entertainment, acrobatic-type extravaganzas, and well-known entertainers. We’re at sea most of the days of a repositioning cruise like this Barcelona-to-Miami route, so we need to increase our entertainment offerings. And we have ten days to transition our creative team, install, and practice the new show. That’s one of the reasons people take a transatlantic cruise. There’s entertainment day and night. Gambling, spectacular stage shows, comedy shows, dance clubs, bars and lounges, piano bars, live music—we offer it all. As a matter of fact, we were recently voted the Best Ship for Sea Days.
“With more onboard days, passengers can experience a different restaurant every day. And we always offer extra perks, like a complimentary bottle of wine at dinner at our specialty restaurants on the first night of the cruise, onboard savings at our spa, and discounts at the shops. It’s all about relaxation. Guests enjoy our fitness center, sports court, pools, and hot tubs instead of a grueling round of excursions. And best of all, you can save almost seventy-five percent on the cost with a repositioning cruise.”
“It sounds perfect,” Juliette said.
“And since we’re relocating the ship to a new region, travelers enjoy exotic ports of call.”
Kate raised her hand to get the captain’s attention. “Where and when can you go on a repositioning cruise?”
“Well, typically, they’re available most months of the year and include such itineraries as Alaska to Hawaii, Alaska to the Mexican Riviera, and trans-Atlantic sailings like this one from the Mediterranean to Miami and the Caribbean or the reverse.”
The captain stopped for a moment, then prompted, “So, Caroline, tell our guests more about the ship.”
“Structurally, this is like a big steel floating prison in a box.”
“A prison?” wondered Juliette. “You mean you’re trapped?”
“You’ll only feel that way if you’re claustrophobic. But we’re floating on the open sea, so you have the expanse of the sky and the calming rhythm of the ocean,” the captain interjected.
“The crew gets an extra stipend for work in the theater,” Caroline explained. “That supplements their income, so they’re lining up to volunteer.”
The captain went into detail about the special paint treatment and stage requirements—hidden sets, ascending and descending lifts used for scene changes to and from the pit—used by the stars in a show that would run later that evening.
“We use ship terminology in the theaters,” explained the captain, pointing toward the stage and the rigging technicians.
“Lights and video 5, 6, 7, and G-O,” shouted Caroline.
“How long have these people been with you?” asked Will.
“At least two years, but we have all the records, so you can check that.”
“Is the fourteen-day length of this repositioning cruise typical?” Jack wondered.
“The repositioning cruise is normally a longer cruise, from eleven to sixteen days, with a minimum of eight sea days,” said the captain. “It’s a transatlantic cruise with an average of 2,400 to 2,600 people. Repositioning cruises normally mean you start in one place and finish in another.
“We usually run half full during repositioning. The Miami cruise stops at the Azores, Bermuda, and St. Thomas, with Miami as the final destination. On a normal cruise we’re in port almost every day. Like I said, on the repositioning cruise most days are at sea.”
“What does the crew do when they’re off?”
“They’re off Sunday nights. They’ll scuba dive, watch movies, play games.”
The captain signaled the group to accompany him. “Now we’re leaving the entertainment area, and we’ll take the elevator to the main galley.”
The party followed the captain into the elevator and got off on Deck 5, Midship.
“The galley is the culinary heart of the vessel,” the captain announced. “Our executive chef is in charge of the entire food operation in all the outlets throughout the ship. The food and beverage team is comprised of approximately 880 crew members.”
Will whistled.
“We have the main hot galley located on Deck 5. Here, we prepare all the menus for the main dining room and our second dining room. All entrees are cooked and plated just before the wait staff is ready to serve you. We follow basic recipes. We have a roasting station and a soup station, serving to main dining rooms. Then we make sandwiches.”
“Where does the crew dine?”
“That’s a good question, Jack. All crew dine in various dining rooms—messes—located on Deck 4. There is also a crew internet café, crew recreational area, and gym. Now we’re headed for the crew galley, which we call I-95 because it resembles a busy highway.
“The crew galley is located on Deck 4,” continued the captain. “There we cook all of the meals for the approximately 1,740 men and women in the crew from more than seventy countries—all under my command. Each of our specialty restaurants has its own galley.
“The crew is divided into three departments. The Deck, led by the staff captain, includes all bridge officers, deck, medical, security, safety, finance, IT, and surveillance departments.
“The Engine department, led b
y the chief engineer, maintains all mechanical and electrical aspects of the ship,” stated the captain. “The Hotel is led by the hotel director and includes all stewards, the cruise director and staff, galley and bar staff.”
The captain led the group to the pantry.
“The pantry is the station of the galley where we prepare all the cold appetizers, salads, sandwiches, canapés—in general, the cold food items for the lunch and dinner buffets. All ice, vegetable, and fruit carvings are prepared here, as well.
“Then we have our fish, meat and poultry stations, where all preparation for these items is done individually at each station. All of our bakery products are made onboard. The bakery is in operation twenty-four hours a day.”
The captain led the way to the pastry area.
“This is where all desserts and pastry items are made fresh on a daily basis,” he observed. “We use more than two hundred pounds of white chocolate and three hundred pounds of dark chocolate per cruise.”
“Mmm.” Juliette feigned a swoon. “All that talk of chocolate is making me hungry.”
“Good, because in a little while we’re going to have a tray of desserts to sample,” the captain promised.
Kate piped up. “You must have quite a shopping list.”
“Yes. Just to give you a taste of the typical weekly supply list for our executive chef and inventory accountant, we order 3,600 pounds of butter, 1,500 pounds of pasta, 5,500 pounds of cheese, 3,900 pounds of sugar, 5,600 dozen fresh eggs, 8,700 pounds of fish—and the list goes on.”
“What about ice cream?” Juliette asked.
“A thousand gallons,” said the captain.
“Coffee? I could use some right about now,” said Kate.
“Twenty-three hundred pounds of coffee,” said the captain.
“That would keep me up.” Kate yawned.
“And wine?” Jack wondered.
“One hundred and fifty different types.”
“Holy mackerel, Andy.”
Juliette was getting used to the Chief’s antiquated colloquial expressions.
“And now I’ll introduce you to our executive chef, Henri. We produce a minimum of 11,000 meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Henri is in charge of the whole production.”
“There are three chefs. Two chefs are responsible for breakfast, and we also have an executive sous chef and a butcher,” said Henri. “Altogether, we have two hundred thirty-five cooks and associate cooks.”
“Heavens, do they serve breakfast in bed?” Will’s eyes sparkled as he gave Juliette a knowing look.
“Will,” Juliette pleaded, her face coloring. The man was relentless. Tempting as it was, since she had denied herself the pleasures of a man for so long, she was not going to fall for his Romeo brand of seduction.
“Of course they do,” said the captain. “Perfect for you honeymooners.”
“The food staff work in ten-hour shifts, with two or three breaks a day. We have a hot section and a cold section. In the cold section, the pantry holds all the cold cuts. Sandwiches are prepared here, and canapés. Typically we operate on a seven-day cycle, but on the repositioning cruise, it’s a fourteen-day cycle. In port, we’ll have an on-line buffet. Also, our kitchen is electric only. We don’t use any gas,” explained Henri. “On a typical cruise we might have eight hundred or more children, and they eat chicken nuggets and hotdogs, but there are not as many kids on the repositioning cruise.”
“What’s the average age of the guests?” Jack asked.
“Forty-five to forty-nine, on most cruises,” answered the captain. “But sixty-five to seventy on a repositioning cruise. “On a full cruise we will have 4,631 guests. But on this cruise, for example, we have 1,964 guests from the U.S., 492 from the UK, and 310 from Spain.”
The captain moved on to the next room, and his entourage followed as he continued his course in Sea Nymph 101. Sweet scents wafted in the air.
“This is our pastry shop, the only place where we do production for the entire ship. Pastry is prepared down here for anywhere on the ship where we serve sweets. Maurice, here, is our chief pastry chef, and his assistant chief pastry chef is Marie. This is a twenty-four-hour operation; the night shift prepares pastries for breakfast.”
Maurice brought out a tray and everyone helped themselves to samples. Kate snagged a miniature key lime pie, while Juliette picked up a sugary chocolate delight. Will and Jack each grabbed a nutty confection.
“Mmm,” murmured Juliette. Will smoothed his hand across her upper lip to remove some excess powdered sugar, and Juliette glowered.
Will threw up his hands in a gesture of mock apology. “Don’t get your hackles up.”
Juliette picked up another dessert and this time licked the sugar from her lips with her tongue before the Chief got any ideas. But that probably still gave him ideas. Anything she did or any movement she made gave the man ideas.
“The bakery shop prepares, from scratch, all the desserts needed for the day. We use a variety of different flours. We have a weighing scale, and a proofing machine for yeast.”
Another trolley full of croissants, muffins, and doughnuts was wheeled out by a man garbed in a white apron and a chef’s hat.
“This area is supervised by one chief baker and an assistant chief baker. We use 250 pounds of chocolate a day, 100 kilograms of sugar, a minimum of 100 dozen eggs a day, and 120 pounds of butter.”
“I can feel the pounds piling on already,” Kate quipped.
“You can eat as much as you want, Kate; I’ll still love you. And you need to eat enough for Baby Jack.”
“Jack!”
“I know, I said I’d stop talking about it, but what if—?”
“Jack, I’m not pregnant,” Kate whispered.
“Yet,” Jack said.
Kate and Jack stared into each other’s eyes.
Juliette sighed. “It must be wonderful to be so in love.” She looked at Kate, then let her eyes roam to her daughter’s abdomen, and her hand flew to her heart as she felt the power of the amethyst. She smiled, her eyes holding a secret. A secret sweeter than the confections they had just sampled. A secret not even Jack or Kate knew. A secret they would soon discover together.
“Just like us,” Will said, lifting Juliette’s hand and kissing the back of it. “Two lovebirds.”
“In love for real,” hissed Juliette, who despaired of ever finding her true love.
“And it all has to be stored properly in the provision area,” interrupted the captain, moving the group along. “We load the food once a week to keep it fresh. Bob is our storekeeper. He handles provisions and food detail and has twenty-one personnel under him. The overall supervisor is the provision master. He orders food and glassware for the bar, and chinaware.
“The provision master makes sure he’s cleared room for everything that’s needed and that there are no drugs smuggled onboard, or homemade bombs,” said the captain. “He reviews the invoices and checks the cleanliness and quality of the goods. We store hard sweet watermelons, fresh limes, strawberries, bananas, berries, cantaloupe, and pineapples. We load 30,000 to 40,000 pounds of fresh fruits in port and flash freeze them, enough for seven days of consumption, and keep the temperature at minus nine degrees Fahrenheit to avoid spoiling. Then if we run out, we replenish our supply at another port, depending on which fruit is in season. We don’t allow wooden pallets, only plastic, in the storeroom, to avoid contamination. Depending on the number of passengers, every day we prepare 300 to 500 pounds of fruit. We also keep meat and poultry in the freezer, as well as eggs and fresh produce, frozen apple juice, and whole fruit.”
“This is all very interesting,” Kate whispered to Jack, “but why do we need to know every single detail about every part of the ship? Do you think we might find a murderer among the mangoes or a killer in the kumquats?”
“That’s really not as funny as you think, honey. There are unlimited places a bad guy might hide, so we need to be familiar with the inner workings of the ship a
nd the players above board and below. Although a person could freeze in here. I remember when I was working for the Atlanta Police Department we had to know everything about the Midtown precinct. And this ship is like a floating city.”
“That makes sense,” agreed Kate, placing her hand over her mouth to stifle another yawn.
The captain droned on. “No matter how many stripes you have, requisitioning requires permissions. If I have a request, I give it to the executive chef and he gives it to the provision master. Oh, and we have an emergency backup generator on board to supply the freezer,” the captain added, shuffling his charges along to another area.
“What’s in this area marked Secret?” Juliette asked.
“This is our waste treatment area. We operate 24/7, and there are seven guys on two shifts in the garbage room. All waste on ship is processed in here. This is the third largest cruise ship in the world. With six thousand aboard, it’s like a small town, but we can’t get rid of the sewage until we’re twelve nautical miles off land.
“We consume approximately 211,360 gallons a day of fresh water, and we’re also able to produce fresh water on board from sea water through the process of evaporation and reverse osmosis,” the captain explained.
“We have twenty-three stations and a food drainage system. The food goes into the main tanks and is cut with blades and turned into slurry. We feed the fish in the Mediterranean, but we do not feed the seagulls.”
He then led the group to the housekeeping department. “Housekeeping cleans twice a day,” said the captain, walking them through the laundry facilities while he spoke of the two tunnel-wash systems that could handle more than fourteen tons within twenty-four hours, the four wet-cleaning machines, the two dryers for the wet cleaning machines, and the nine medium washing machines.
“That’s a lot of laundry,” said Juliette.
The captain agreed and continued. “Our laundry master operates this shop 24-7, nonstop. There are twenty laundry personnel working three shifts. We clean napkins, towels, sheets and more; we wash and press. Yellow tags indicate clean; blue is dirty; red is special linen. We avoid cross-contamination in dry cleaning. We have two types of batch washing machines, a tumble washing machine, and a pressing machine. It’s a very high-tech operation. Every two and a half minutes we load another twenty-five kilograms of dirty clothes. The dryers are automatic. The soap is automatic. We do six pieces a minute of duvet covers, 30,000 pieces of linen, 15,000 napkins, 15,000 towels, and here’s the pressing area.
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