Crew Cut!
One of the things I could not figure out was the reduction of crew from an older ship to the newer one. The SS Canberra was a 49000 tonne vessel while the newer MV Oriana had an additional 20000 tonnes added, more cabins (795 : 912), more passengers (1750 : 1900) and lesser crew (800 : 760). One might argue that the modernization would reduce the need of the personnel but on the other hand, the more demanding passengers and additonal facilities offered counterbalanced.
The Canberra was also affected with the British superiority hangover and had European officers overlooking the Indian and Pakistani ones. Later on the Oriana it was still the same for a long time and it was a struggle to break the glass ceiling and get into supervisory positions. I am sure the situation has changed over the years and I am not is a position to comment on the present status. I can only recount the different episodes that affected me and my choice not to continue with the fleet.
Some of the reasons not to continue was personal in nature, the sea-sickness for example with the older vessel but was all but missing in the new ship due to its superior design and a couple of stabilizers that came out of the ship at the water level, like wings of a plane. This reduced the roll (horizontal movement) of the ship in rough seas from 45 degree to less than 10, but this could not reduce the pitching (vertical movement). The other personal reason was missing the family with the wife and two young rascals being quite the handful for Jaya and unlike the popular opinion of “a sailor having a wife at every port” it was unpalatable for me.
Talking of palate, the food still was getting some used to. This was handled to some extent by the induction of an Indian chef to the crew mess who later moved to the main galley (kitchen). My night shift duties used to get over at 7 am and then I had to go around with the Supervisor and Dy. Purser (Accommodation) and get a feedback of the night work which would take another 45 mins. My breakfast was the main meal for me and after a point of time — bread, eggs and cereals began to reach palate fatigue. Vegetarian colleagues suffered even more. Lunch was missed on most days except when my sleep was affected due to the compulsory fire drill. I used to sleep through the day and wake up in time for duty at 8.30 pm. There was a supper served at the crew mess at about 10 pm to 10.30 which was the only hot meal that I could get in the day. But attempts were made to shut me out of it too. The Pakistani crew were provided with a separate mess kitchen due to their dietary preference and we had to chat them up to get some taste of the sub-continent. I banished bread and eggs from my menu once I came back to my motherland for a considerable period of time.
The crew of 760 odd people had a majority of Indians (420 odd) and of which some 300 were Goans and in them about 80 of them were Fernandes’. Some of the Goans were in their fourth generation of seafarers and they were used to the superiority complex. We were a new breed of independent Indians and had and issue with it. To give an example: The old ship had an European Sr. Night Steward and nine night steward for the cabins whereas in the new ship with more cabins I was given only 4 to service 900 cabins with sandwiches and beverages after the people returned to their cabins after entertainment. As a Housekeeper, night room service was also under their purview. Similarly the cleaning crew, 14 experience night stewards on the Canberra to 9 fresh hands on the Oriana.
Another glaring example of the discrimination was the hierarchy which was not questioned by the Indian supervisor.
The only hot meal that my team and I used to have was also scuttled by the European boss, Judith by giving me another public area to clean that was the purview of the Utility hands of the kitchen, because I questioned her to the food that the boys are supposed to have during the 9 hours in the night. She said that the cold sandwiches were our only option. I asked her how fair it was that the day shift have access to three meals in the day and we are to sustain ourselves to one sandwich meal. The additional areas were a means to shut me up.
The housekeeping job of public area was not only that, but included bill and newspaper delivery during the night and etching brass nameplates for all the new joinees apart. We were also expected to do F & B jobs like clearing glassware from the bars and public rooms, wash and stack them. The bartenders used to serve as many last drinks as possible, shut the bars and leave with the passengers still drinking. We had to clean up after them after vacuuming 13 miles of carpet, brushing 1000 individual seats at the theater and cinema hall, polish elevator, hand brush the zillion steps, clean huge windows and search for missing luggage and people (yes! you read that right!). Stay tuned for that one!
I did make an official complaint to the lady who trained us, on my last voyage, as i wasn’t going back, in the hope that it might ease the situation for those on board. But I am thankful for all the eye openers that helped me to appreciate the land that I live in! Jai Hind!
87 of 366
