The hard workers aboard the Ruby Princess

A worker cleaning the Grand Hall at 3:00 in the morning

I salute the hard working men and women of the cruise line industry.  They come from all over the world, each one looking to find work, possibly a career, and to help both themselves and their families have better lives.  It isn't easy, and many have to work long hours and are isolated from the passengers and passenger-areas aboard the ships.  They don't partake of the luxuries experienced by the guests and have a limited amount of free time.  But most of them wouldn't trade it for any other job they have ever had.

I was photographing the Grand Hall aboard the Ruby Princess early in the morning before the place was crowded with guests.  While there, I met a gentleman cleaning floors and took some shots of him, asking permission first.  I also got quite a few photos of the hall itself without people; I used my 14-30 mm ultra-wide angle lens on a full-frame camera to get the three-story plaza in my viewfinder.

As a teacher of 30 years, I have worked with many CUPE staff who were custodians and have always appreciated the hard work they do to keep the schools clean.  Always eager to go the extra mile when asked, they embodied the spirit of taking pride in their work.  I found the same attitude in those members of the cruise line that were attending to their respective duties.  Each of them contributing to the ship, the ship's community, and the people back home who depended on them.  

Well done, I say.  Thank you for making the cruise we were on an enjoyable one.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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