#cruise staff

[jepergola]

New story today: "Never Turn Down a Free Cruise"

[mylittleyuna]

In the 10 years I’ve been away, a lot has happened- obviously.

I have worked on a cruise ship, with ppl from all around the world, and discovered the human spirit is really much the same across the board no matter where you’re from.

I miss the multicultural work environment. Where everyone brought something unique to the table and everyone respected each other.

I don’t miss the grueling schedule, mind-numbing routine, constant time shifts from crossing time zones, the isolation due to no internet or phone access, the blazing sun.

But I am so glad I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work on the ship that I did. Even if it was borderline/full on abuse of power by some and exploitation of a less privileged workforce (the bulk of my fellow employees were from the Philippine Islands).

It taught me so much I could never have learned otherwise, both about myself and human nature. And Alaska is the most breathtaking place I have seen to date.

I know now, that I cannot live in the United States any longer. If I can, I have to find another country to emigrate to. The mindset of the U.S. is so narrow, so blind, so self-centered, I do not align with it and really never have.

That’s one of the things that’s happened since I’ve been gone. I’ve discovered that, if you want to find “your people”, sometimes, you have to travel far from where you are currently.

Ok, more updates later, but those are my thoughts for now. 🤍🪽

[montereybayaquarium]

Meet Senior Aquarist Dalton!

He's part of a team of Aquarium biologists responsible for caring for our elephant fish, Callorhinchus milii, in the Whalefall exhibit in Into the Deep/En lo Profundo.

Ensuring the well-being of these unique deep-sea dwellers is Dalton’s top priority.

Dive a little deeper into a day in the life of Dalton on YouTube:

Learn more about caring for elephant fish at the Aquarium.

[djdangerlove]

Bobby when the cruise ship starts sinking:

[vegalustirra]

A few people wanted to see the animation for this unit since it couldn't be found anywhere. I finally was able to record it, convert it into a gif, & share it here for other Sabo fans to see!

Since it is a rather old unit & is a holiday unit, the animation being very short was to be expected.

[sekwar]

The week-long cruise wasn't the eye opening self-discovery i expected it to be. It was kind of a mixed bag, actually.

The pros:

Lots of things to do on the ship

The price is right live was pretty cool. To the four kids in the back who kept screaming "BRIAN" i salute you

I got to hold a macaw, a sloth, and a monkey

The staterooms were surprisingly well soundproofed

Shark Tank all night baby

The cons:

Not enough things to do on the ship (we pretty much saw it all within the first two days)

Ziplining never happened

Wifi shitty

I nearly lost the use of my right hand

And here comes the part where i'm supposed to wax philosophical about how it reinvigorated my passion to live and stuff. I feel more or less the same after than before.

But my first cruise went fine! With some improvements it can be so much better. Now it's time for me to rest and prepare for the new year.

[tuttle-did-it]

I have been in a youtube rabbit hole watching videos on the evils of Scientology. This is a 'religion' cult that makes you pay hundred of thousands-millions of dollars/pounds/whatever to discover the secret that an alien called Xenu took billions of lifeforms to Earth a prison planet and makes people sign billion-year contracts.

I fell down this rabbit hole with all the news about the NXIVM cult.

Aside from the list of crimes as long as I am tall (or taller, I'm 150cm), this is probably one of the weirder religions cults I've come across.

And then I randomly found out about Raelianism from this article.

Can someone please pull me out of this rabbit hole of weird cults? I actually have a lot of work to do, and now my youtube algorithms probably think I am in a cult.

[caterpillarinacave]

I want to talk about Henry and Charlotte Fairchild

[manicdreampixie]

Pregaming for the cruise by getting fucked up all week at a trade show.

Time to sober up and let my liver rest for a few days…. I need a nap

[koymoa]

I’M BACK BITCHES

[arammonnews]

General Motors CEO Mary Barra Tries To Reassure Cruise Staff After Cofounders’ Resignations

GM CEO Mary Barra Getty Images for SXSW In an all-hands video conference call to Cruise staff on Monday afternoon, General Motors CEO Mary Barra attempted to re-energize the staff of Cruise, GM’s on-edge autonomous vehicle subsidiary, after its CEO and chief product officers both resigned following several weeks of enormous setbacks for the company. “This is an opportunity to start our…

[waiterwaiterpercolator]

Nooo i JUST sat down and now i have only 2 minutes left of my break

[vegalustirra]

I finally obtained this Sabo unit after so long.

I'm still all giddy from this oml. But I'll share the very short special animation for him later since I know a few wanted to see it.

[slightly-knot-insane]

Sharp Teeth, Soft Heart

Monstertober 2024 - day 5 [ Deep Sea ] by @ozzgin

[ m!shark!hybrid x fem!reader ]

tw: losing a body part

Finding a mate deep under the sea is not easy when you get older and worn out. Especially when you start losing fights for territory. And this shark hybrid has given up long time ago, enjoying his time alone and wandering the ocean, content with his exciting past... but a little bit lonely.

One day, along the noisy cruise ship boulevard, where other sea creatures gathered to grab food falling down from the ships stomach, there was a terrible storm. He was deep down enough not to be harmed by it and simply observed the thrashing waves. But something other than scraps fell into the ocean. He knew exactly what it was since he ate a few of those when he was younger. It was a human.

He immediately swam toward the air dweller but he was too slow; the human was grabbed by the other faster hybrid. He noticed something, though - the air creature was alive.

Strong and unusual urge to protect the human surged through his blood and he rushed forward. He bit the younger shark's tail with full force. The youngster immediately retaliated, furious and rightfully offended, but the older shark was completely frenzied and kept attacking.

The water quickly became red from blood.

***

You fell into the ocean when a huge wave hit the port side of the cruise ship you worked on. Nobody expected the sudden storm and the staff had to wait for all the guests to move to safety before hiding themselves. You were simply the last one on the top deck, and the ship gave the sacrifice to the sea gods. A maiden.

You didn't lose consciousness when you fell into the ocean. Unfortunately. Almost immediately you were pulled under by a formidable force. You thought it was a violent wave - but it wasn't. There were muscles and bodies around you. You felt teeth. And you felt pain. That's the moment you were swallowed by the darkness.

***

You wake up on a beach, under a messy canopy of sorts that protected you from the sunlight. The first thing you see is that you're missing your foot. But the wound was taken care of, covered by clean cloth, and appears completely healed. The second thing you see is a massive shark hybrid lying on his stomach in the shallows, watching you. Only his eyes peek above the water and the upper fin on his back.

You start crying, terrified, and the shark hybrid moves closer. He looks quite scary. The humanoid face appears old, and his entire body is decorated with many scars - some of them quite fresh. Similar to yourself, he is missing a body part - his left webbed hand.

You start screaming even louder and he seems offended. He goes back into water, hiding most of his body, but doesn't go far. You are left alone to pull yourself together. And you do; you refuse to give up. You find a stick to move around, fresh fruit and water. But you notice you're stranded on a small beach surrounded by sharp rocks. You can't go far. And, of course, there is a shark in the water. You laugh bitterly.

"I won't harm you," he finally says. "I'll protect you. I want you to be my mate."

"What?" You almost fall down from shock. "How can I be your mate? You're a shark!"

He comes out of the ocean, sliding across the sand, and stops quite close to you. He flashes a toothy and terrifying grin, "I'm a shark hybrid. And you're a human. We can make it work."

"I don't even know you!"

With an annoyed "tsk", and a muttered comment about humans being too sensitive, shark hybrid returns into the ocean and disappears. You are left alone until evening brings rain. You retreat under your canopy and fall asleep.

You are woken up by alarming sounds. Strange hybrids jump down from rocks and invade your canopy. Even though you stubbornly defend yourself with your walking stick, they disarm you easily. They shout something about a "delicious meal", and you scream for help.

The old shark hybrid jumps out of the water, as if he's been sleeping just around the corner, and crawls up the beach with incredible speed. The intruder hybrids try to escape, but the shark grabs some of them and tears them apart without mercy. All bloodied and victorious, he turns to you. "I told you I'll protect you but you still fought back. I am very proud of you, my little human mate."

Slowly, in time, you got to know each other. Sooner than you expected, you ended up in his embrace, covered in his bites and kisses, and filled with his seed. He would exit the water every evening or during every rainfall to join you and have you. Being constantly around the ocean and carrying shark's semen inside your womb did something to you and you started transforming into a hybrid too. Soon, you left your secluded beach forever, and joined your hardened and devoted mate in the ocean.

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

🪱🧠 Wiggly Wednesday 🧠🪱

It's Wednesday, peeps! Post a brainworm, tag some friends!

Today, I'm thinking about ...

... Eddie playing guitar in the band on a luxury cruise ship. Sure, the passengers are a bunch of snobby assholes with an abominable taste in music, but Wayne was so eager for him to fill in when his coworker's son broke that arm, and the pay is decent. Almost worth putting on the straightjacket of a suit and the bowtie that makes him feel like a clown.

At least he isn't stuck doing the entertainment programme for the passengers’ spoiled little brats. He's seen the stupid, cheap costumes in the staff garderobe. The seams on that Peter Pan costume are frayed and coming apart, and whatever poor girl has to play Tinkerbell will barely be able to cover her ass in that flimsy dress.

Except the person who shows up to collect the brats on the first day, clad in sheer tights and the skimpy green atrocity, glittery tulle wings strapped to their back, isn't a girl. Eddie’s fingers fumble on the guitar strings - not that he can be blamed, he thinks - and Tinkerdude turns and fucking winks at him. He herds the brats out and into the waiting arms of his partner, a lanky, freckled chick wearing what looks like … yup, the Peter Pan costume. Then he's gone, leaving Eddie marveling at the vision he just beheld.

He meets Tinkerdude in the garderobe later that night (and absolutely doesn't almost swallow his own tongue, thank you very much), and the next night, and the night after that. Over the course of the cruise, Eddie finds out more and more about him.

His name is Steve. He's set to study business economics. He'd rather do something with kids, but his dad insisted he take over the family business. Right now, he's doing a gap year, getting to know different jobs on the cruise line. He wears the skimpy fairy costume so that his partner Robin won't have to. He likes sports and 80s pop music, he has a heart of gold and a delightfully bitchy sense of humor, and he makes the sweetest little noises when Eddie fucks him against the wall of the staff garderobe on the last night of the cruise.

And if Eddie gets a call a few weeks later, asking him to play guitar on another ship because the son of the cruise line's owner specifically requested him? Well, he's about to find out one more thing about Steve.

Edit: The incredible @arelliann drew Steve and Robin in their costumes!!! 💚

Some no-pressure tags: @eyesofshinigami @a-little-unsteddie @steddie-island @vegasol @medusapelagia

@sunflowerharrington @matchingbatbites @devondespresso @tangerinesteve

[messenger-of-babel]

Voicemails

Summary: When complications arise on his mission, all he has is one phone call back to you. (Death Island! Leon x reader)

Word Count: 2.1K

Notes: It really does end here, huh? 🥹 This is the last post for this month. We have officially finished Angstober 2024. Thank you to everyone who liked, commented, reblogged, followed, and sent me things to my inbox. It's going to be weird not writing for you all every day, but you'll still see me around. I'm going to take a small break and write in the background, get through requests and stuff. I'm moving house and graduating at the same time so I might not post a whole lot till I'm settled again, but then you can count on me for more than angst!

General warnings for language use, spoilers for Death Island if you haven't seen it (you should it's quite funny), and a mildly OOC Leon but we can all be saps sometimes. Warping the events of the movie to my own benefit.

Enjoy our last post of this month, sweethearts~

RiRi xx

━━━━━━━━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"You wanna make a call?" Chris grunts, looking down at him. Leon looks up at him, vision blurry and pain radiating through his body. His neck stings from where the microdrone bit him, and he can no longer feel anything from his thighs down, just a numb tingle. He has to consciously remind himself to breathe, in through the nose and out through the mouth.

"You got- you got a way?" he rasps back, eyes scrunching in confusion. Chris nods, the bigger man bucking slightly against the cell wall he's leaning against.

"Left- left pocket." he grits out. "Claire got the signal through before we got bit. It's only strong enough for one call, then Dylan's framework will probably patch it."

Leon sighs, head hitting the rusted bars of Alcatraz. This had been another run of the mill mission, find the missing scientist selling government secrets, pack him up and ship him back to the government to be trialled at court. In the true fashion of his 'run of the mill missions', nothing went according to that plan and veered off into a clusterfuck as usual. The BSAA had been involved chasing their own leads, and he had run into Jill in the sewers running from zombies. the plague that seemed to follow him like a shadow ever since he left Raccoon as a young and very traumatised cop.

He was supposed to get in and out, wrap it up so he could come home to you like he promised. As he sat there writhing, he wondered what the look on your face would be if he wasn't able to make it to the cruise that you had both planned. You had lobbied both him and the DSO for a holiday, and after many angry letters and snatching the phone out of his hand to yell at his supervisor, you had succeeded in getting him two months off. Without hesitation you had booked the both of you on a cruise, shushing him every time he had tried to protest.

If he was being honest, just sleeping at home would have been enough. He could barely remember the last time that he had sat down or stopped for a moment. The days that he was at the office or on a mission blurred together so often that he was beginning to forget what colour you had both decided to paint the kitchen, making him falter when coworkers made small talk with him in the staff room. Which side of the bed you preferred to sleep on, what bills needed to be paid first, whether the spare bedroom was being turned into an office or a workshop or not. It was when his forgetfulness led him to forget what month it was and being blindsided to your own anniversary that he finally snapped out of it.

You had been sitting on the porch steps dressed in your finery, watery eyes looking up at him as he pulled into the driveway, your knees pulled to your chest. He had jumped from the car like you were shot, the realisation of what he had done thrumming hard in his chest. "I'm so sorry" he had murmured into your hair, holding you tight. "I am so so sorry."

You had just sniffled in response and eventually gave him a weak hug back, and he clung to that like a lifeline. He swore that he would never fuck up like that again, and he intended to keep that promise.

So, he had relented to the cruise vacation, telling himself that he would be able to relax and unwind on the seas and out of service of work. They could call another agent for once, he wanted to focus on nothing but the smile you wore as you got to carry out the couple things he felt he had denied you your entire relationship. Getting to use the swim up bar, taking photos together, dressing in matching clothes for the cheesy cruise quiz nights. If that was what you wanted, that is what he was going to give you. Besides, it gave him a chance to relish in you again.

You, who had cancelled the wedding of your dreams to get married at the courthouse with him when he got called away suddenly and you weren't sure if you would see him again. You had been married within hours with the rings he had picked and you in the finest you could find on such short notice. He had thought you looked stunning, even if the lighting was the harsh LED of the courthouse and not candles like you had wanted.

You, who had put up with months of him being gone, not knowing if he was dead or alive. Who had to stay up late tracking the news for crumbs of his whereabouts, only able to make guesses to where he might have been assigned. Every death, every bioterrorist attack overseas carrying the possibility that Leon's body was among those being pulled from the carnage.

You, who he was calling right now with the jacked cell phone from Chris's pocket, dial tone droning on.

Leon had been stung last, used as nothing more than an example to show off the latest weapon in the bioterror market. Yet he was losing feeling fast, much faster than Chris or even Claire struggling in the other cell. It was like his atoms were screaming at him, writhing in him at a molecular level. Breathing felt like it was through a damp cloth, lungs having to work twice as hard to suck oxygen into his lungs. His eyelids were struggling to stay awake and fight off the black curtains that floated in the corners. he could see the way that the others looked at him, with pity and with concern. As soon as he had caught the eye of Chris, saw the flicker of fear cross the usually confident man's face, he knew that he was reacting worse than all of them.

So here he was, heart in his throat as he prepared to tell you the words he hadn't been expecting to say when he left that morning. When the line doesn't pick up he curses, waiting for the tone. He wasn’t going to waste his chance.

"Hi! If I haven't picked up, I can't come to the phone right now. If you leave a message, I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Please wait for the beep, thank you!"

He smiles to himself at the chipper tone of your voice, sounding heaven sent even through the phone. When he hears the tone he takes a deep breath, as big as he can and puts a fake smile on his face. He hopes that it makes his tone come out just a little sweeter for you, even though he knows that you'll be worried regardless.

"Hey, Sweetheart." he starts, voice raspy. "I'm sorry to be calling you like this. I just wanted to call to hear your voice. I-I missed you. I know you didn’t pick up, so you're probably busy. Now don't call me back immediately, I... won’t be able to pick up for a while. I just...damnit I wanted to just hear you." He grits out, head falling against the bars as he loses strength in his neck. He catches eyes with Chris, the older man's eyes misting over as he looks down at him before he turns his head away, the most privacy he can give him in the situation.

"I just wanted to call to let you know that I love you...and I miss you." he begins again. With his eyes closed the words come easier, the image of you flitting into his mind's eye. You look at him in his spectral vision with a smile, encouraging him to go on. He feels his chest ease, like he's actually talking to you, and the both of you are the only ones in the room. "I know you're going to worry. I know this doesn't sound good-" he grits his teeth against another hot flash of pain. "And... it’s not." he finishes. "I want to tell you…that I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't think I'm gonna make it home tonight, baby. I... I might not make it back from this." he tries to chuckle, but the sound is dry, and the effort hurts his chest. "Things got bad here, and it's not looking good. I think- I think it ends here, honey. If I don't make it just...just, please look after yourself."

He takes a shaky breath, and the silence of everyone around him is deafening. The scene is oddly private and uncomfortable for the others in the vicinity, while the usually ever-energetic man known as Leon delivers his verbal will. "I know you won’t want to go, but go on that cruise. You worked hard for it, and you were so excited. I wanted to go swimming with you, fall asleep by the pool and pretend it was the honeymoon I owe you. So, I want you to still go on it. Even if I don't come back...I'll ask the big man above to let me hang around long enough to do it with you, even if you won't be able to see me. I made a promise remember? No more missing big things." he whispers into the phone.

His throat is beginning to hurt, like speaking around a sharp lump every time he formed a word. "And the house is yours, it should go into your name. The car, everything, you'll have it all. I just...I just wish it could have been different, you know?" he says into the receiver, that has begun to waver by his cheek. "But it is what it is, and I guess it finally caught up to me. I'm sorry I was such a shitty husband." he says, a light tremor in his voice. "I wish I had come home to you more, not left the bed cold. I wish I could have made you more dinners and more breakfasts in bed, just to show you how much I loved you. I love you. I love you so much it hurts. I never told it to you enough, or managed to even put into actions just how much you mean to me, but I do. You mean everything, sweetheart." he chokes into the phone, a small smile on his face. "I love you more than anything, so...so don't think anything else, okay? This isn't your fault. It never was. You were the best thing that ever happened to me, you hear me? So you pick yourself up when I'm gone," he gasps out, hand beginning to waver. "You put yourself back in that saddle, and you show the world just how strong you are. Show them the person I fell in love with." he says with a smile, before breaking into a fit of painful coughs.

"Don't stay up, sweetheart. Get to bed early. I miss you, more than you'll ever know." he coughs out into the receiver before his body can't hold him up anymore and he slides down the bars until his cheek is pressing into the concrete, hand falling to his side and phone clattering against the stone. He can hear the tone end, and the automated whoosh sound as the voicemail sends. With bleary eyes he can make out the turned head of Claire, looking down at him with wobbling lips and tear-filled eyes.

"Look after 'em, hey?" he rasps out, pain in his chest stabbing as the black curtains begin to slide across his vision. Claire nods, and he can hear Chris grunt in the background. Leon falls into an unconsciousness shortly after, the smiling image of you the last thing he holds close to him as the blackness swallows him completely. As his body stills, a small smile is frozen on his face, the arrogant half tilted smirk he so loved to give you.

─── ⋆⋅☼��⋆ ───

Typing away at your computer, you work till your eyes go square from the computer screen. You wipe a hand over your face as you review the spreadsheet that you're working on, leaning back to take a sip of your coffee. Your music blasts in your headphones, and for a quick break you pull up the checklist you've made for your upcoming holiday.

You're so engrossed in your work that you're unaware as your phone screen glows to life beside you, message popping across your notification bar.

You have (1) new voicemails.