Week 8

We're in FLORIDA!

Sprucin' up the Lab

What the Oceaneer Lab looks like during the holidays. Oooooo. Ahhhhh.

Week 7

Week 6

Week 5

Taken from our official Role Snapshot

Hooray sanitizing toys! Let's hope your son Ben doesn't vomit on Lightning McQueen again!

Week 4

Don't worry, I'm nowhere near lounging at a Puerto Vallarta Resort right now.

A Day in the Life

Yes, this is Stacy from Youth Activities. Your dear daughter Mikayla is biting everyone again.

Week 3

Imagine doing this for 6 months?

... Instead of whatever it is you're doing right now. You reallly, realllly need to have a patience for children.  Most likely someone who absolutely loves kids and thinks they're adorable when they do horrible things and talk in their wee voices all day.

So if you're one of those kinds who doesn't ever plan on having children, never-ever consider this as a job! Because you might not love it as much as we do, clearly!

Week 2

VI *GUEST BLOG!*

Hey gang, here's a Guest Blog for ya, from a fellow Canadian Disney Cast/Crew Member named Jody (who is a guy). It gives a bit more insight from someone who's already been working on the ship for some time; I'll be putting in my two cents after I've officially started my huge contract and training's over.


So remember - the following is most definitely not by me, it's all Jody's.
And as usual - everything found on this blog is not the property nor associated with the property of Disney Cruise Line, the Disney Corporation or its affiliates.

Enjoy, folks!

The Deal. The Skinny. The Straight Dope.

Alright, here it is. I’ve set aside a few minutes and a few dollars to get online and tell you landlubbers what’s going on. Pour yourself a refreshing beverage, get your scrolling finger ready, and read on at your leisure.

The Job.

My official title is Youth Activities Counselor, and I spend my day working with a team that takes care of groups of children on the cruise ship The Disney Wonder. The shifts are about ten hours in duration, and are usually broken up into two chunks of about five hours apiece. There is a slow rotation of start/end times, such that someone who starts at 8am wold be off by 8pm, and someone who starts at 2pm would be off by 2am. It’s not that straigtforward, but it’s not that interesting either.
There are a number of different jobs that get done by a YAC during the day, ranging from sitting at the check-in desk, to performing as a pirate in an interactive program for the kids. I was a pirate today. We put on a show for the kids that made them believe that Captain Hook had taken over the cruise ship and the kids had to solve the mystery. Some kids were so scared of Hook - and so convinced of our performance - that they actually cried and had to leave. It was aaarrrrrghhhhhhsome!
There are many of these interactive programs that the kids get to participate in. They make cookies, they make Flubber, they solve mysteries, they dig for whale bones on the tropical island that we dock at. It’s fun. Even more fun is when I get to spray them with hoses on said tropical island! Very nice.
We also take them for meals, let them play videogames (Mario Kart and Guitar Hero!!!!!!!), introduce them to some of the characters, and even take them to the onboard movie theater. If I have to watch Bridge To Terabithia one more time however, I will throw someone overboard.

The Food

The ship’s mess is open 24-hours for my dining convenience, although after midnight there isn’t really much in there besides toast and Ramen noodles. I do love Ramen though. Mmm. At scheduled mealtimes there is usually a good variety of food to choose from, and it’s actually much better than most “cafeteria food” I’ve previously been subjected to. It’s not even near the quality of the meals the guests get in the ships restaurants, but they do switch up the menu daily to give the different ethnic groups onboard a little taste of home. Since being here I’ve had various curries, asian soups, fish dishes, salads, and even some of the extra I haven’t seen poutine or back-bacon on the menu yet though, so it isn’t really that diverse.
On a lot of the days I work, we do take the kids to lunch and dinner. That being so, we do eat the same food as they do while we’re in there. It’s the exact same stuff every day for the kids; chicken fingers, french fries, pizza, etc. That can get a little tiresome. I enjoy healthy meals on a regular basis with that sort of thing being reserved more for the occasional treat. Even the vegetables they put out for the kids are so covered in butter that I am probably better off eating the chicken fingers and pizza.

The Accomodations

My room is small. If you have an average size bathroom somewhere in your house, you can probably picture the size of my complete cabin… that I share with a Belgian guy. Yeah.
It’s actually not all that bad, considering I only ever go into the room to change, shower, or sleep. The bed is comfy enough (top bunk!), and they have a TV an DVD player in there too. The major downfall is the shower, which is entirely too small. It’s a right-angle triangle shape with the length of the two shorter sides being about 24 inches each. I’ll leave it up to you to figure out the length of the hypotenuse.

The Time Off

I do get a decent amount of time away from “The Lab,” as my workspace is called. When in Port Canaveral on Thursdays and Sundays, there is usually time to get off the boat ship and over to the mall or Walmart to pick up some stuff or just get away for a while. Once I get the hang of predicting my schedule (we only find out the day before), I’ll probably be able to work it so that I can meet up with local friends for lunch or a movie or something while we’re docked.

While in Nassau, we also get time away from work and are free to explore the island. The port area itself is kind of blah/touristy, but there are a lot of opportunities for excursions and activities if you know where to go. I haven’t really done much there yet, but I do plan to start doing more once I’ve been here a bit longer. On weeks that we get above-target scores on our performance evaluations, the Captain allows the ship to stay docked later in Nassau, so that the crew (me!) can get in a little night-life time. Last night was one of those such nights, so we all went out to a little tiki-style bar called Bamboo (I know, very creative) and had some drinks and dancing. Good times all around.
On the days that we dock into Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay (which, incidentally, used to be called “Gorda Cay” and was used by drug smugglers as a hideout), we spend most of the day looking after the kids and playing games with them in the sand. This is where I get to spray them with the water hose, so it’s always a  highlight for me! When not working with the kids on the island, we’re usually free to go to the private crew beach for some BBQ and R&R. There’s a volleyball court and soccer field, and a beautiful cove for swimming and sunbathing.

I made it over there for a couple of hours today, and went for a swim. Having previously studied marine biology in college, I was fascinated by the sea-life that I came across while in the water, and spent most of my time nerding it up with the Enchinoderm phylum. I ‘caught’ no less than 10 starfish (the biggest was about 15 inches across, and had SIX legs!), plus a sea cucumber and a purple sea fan. I also stepped on a sea-urchin and have about six of the spines still stuck in my foot (the Doc said to leave them in).

The Benefits

In addition to my regular compensation, Disney has given me free access to all Disney parks worldwide (with the exception of Tokyo, for some reason). I get additional passes to bring friends in with me from time to time, and even more passes on occasion to use or give away as I see fit. My position affords me many additional ship priveleges that not all crew members get, such as the ability to go into guest areas when I’m not working so that I may use the ship’s many services (jacuzzis, movie theaters, etc). I am also able to get friends and family discounts for cruise vacations, although I haven’t actually checked into the specifics of what the discount entails. Anyone interested, let me know and I’ll find out. Heck, I’ll even watch your kids for you while you’re off having fun on the vacation… it’s my job!
That’s about all I can think of at the moment. If you’d like a postcard, email me your mailing address and I’ll send one off to you when I get some time and stamps. Even better, if you’d like to send me stuff (subliminal message: send me stuff!), let me know and I’ll get you my mailing address on the high seas. Photos, letters, and snacks are always appreciated!

The Bottom Line

I enjoy it so far. The people I work with are all really great, and the company is a pleasure to work for. Most of the guests are there to have a good time, so there isn’t much complaining going on. Plus, you can’t beat the location! Even on the bad days, I just look out the window and I am instantly put back into a good mood. I mean, the worst thing that happened to me all week was getting stuck in the foot by a sea-urchin while strolling through a tropical lagoon. I can live with that.

V. The "Disney Look"

Now working for Disney as a CM - Cast Member - or in my case, a Crew Member on board the ships, you are expected to follow a set of appearance guidelines while On Stage - that is to say, whenever in sight of guests and on duty.

This is known as the "Disney Look". 

According to the Mouse, it's: " a classic look that is clean, natural, polished and professional, and avoids "cutting edge" trends or extreme styles... when you take pride in your appearance, you become a role model for those around you, and you convey the attitude of excellence that has become synonymous with the Disney name."


To achieve this classic, traditional circa 1950s-era looks, they've created a very strict set of rules that outline how you're expected to dress, they way you're to groom yourself, and what your overall appearance should convey. Everyone that works for Disney is expected to follow this. Everyone. (Except of course, character performers or Face Characters like....Tarzan, let's say.)

 For a wee overview of it, take a look here: https://www.disneyinternationalprograms.com/seasonal/look_intro.html


Now this stuff is VERY detailed. Likely much more detailed than any other job you've held thus far, unless you've worked in Entertainment/Theme Parks/Theatre where your appearance is key to your continued employment.

 So it begins with an overall glance at what's expected of you, depending on what you're wearing:

Notice - the smile is key!
Name tags are a must - especially since Disney is a first-name company, you're expected to address everyone in this way.

And from each part of the ideal Disney Male, it is broken down into sub category specifics.
For example - on the topic of Hair alone:

HAIR

Now hair has been really important to me in that I really like varying how mine looks. Sometimes I grow it out in credibly long and straight, and about two years ago now I got it permed into a mass of curls. For the duration of my time with Disney though, it'll have to be cut short and cropped close.

This is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

 If your hair matches any one of this multicultural array of styles, you're in the clear!

(Clearly Asians are only allowed to wear their hair one way.)

But if it's even a wee bit too long, rugged, or if you're growing out some hockey flow...

UNACCEPTABLE.

We then move on to sideburns:

 Pretty much if you're Abe Lincoln, Amish or a leprechaun, you're not getting in.

And now for the NEWEST and most GROUNDBREAKING revision to the Disney look,

this was something that remained unchanged for decades and decades.

 Facial Hair.

Up until the year 2000, all employees had to be entirely clean shaven. No hair on the face whatsoever. Even the ladies, regardless of hairy origin.

Now even this image is a bit outdated; as of this year, beards and goatees are no longer prohibited! The jury's still out on the "extreme mustaches".

Apparently it's very common practice for fellow Cast/Crew Members to wake up and shave every single morning which made me debate the merits or purchasing a brand spankin'-new electric shaver for a couple hundred bucks. In the end I figured it was useless as I can barely grow stubble, let alone a mustache or a beard.

Apparently the first thing I'll be doing at training is a Disney Look inspection to make sure I'm up to snuff, and then once again upon embarkation or boarding of my vessel. And if I get the green light everywhere, I'll be able to get the next part of my Disney Look --- my costume!

COSTUME

 

So Disney's cute and quirky in that everything has its own set of special lingo, and it's all part of what they call the Disney "show". 

• So Employees are called "Cast Members".
• Being On/Off Duty id being "On/Off Stage"
• Passengers/Customers are always "Guests"
• Credit Card signatures are called "Autographs"
• Managers are "Lead Roles"
• Uniform distribution folk are "Wardrobe"
• and of course, our uniforms are called our "Costumes"

Being on the lovely Youth Activities Counsellor team, I get to wear bright yellow! (Hooray.)

Here's the best picture I could get of what the costume for my position entails:

 (Incidentally, this is Rebecca Coriam from the UK who mysteriously disappeared off the ship last year and who was never found again!)

Even better, here's a video of people on the job/living on the ships doing what I'll be doing:

 It's looking like a super bright yellow polo shirt, with an option of navy shorts or pants with bright white sneakers. Not the most attractive or flattering thing, mind you - I wonder if the yellow's meant to disguise it when the kids decide to urinate on us en masse. Ugh. Shudders.

NON-COSTUME CLOTHES

However, I've been doing a lot of reading in the months leading to my departure date on various websites - namely:

DISboards - the Cast Members only section
http://www.disboards.com/index.php

WDWIP - Walt Disney World International Programme - Cruise Crew section
http://www.wdwip.com/smf/index.php?board=2.0

- and a bunch of random older blogs like mine that I dug up. And from what I can tell, I get to be in the upper end of the Cruise Ship hierarchy. What this means is that technically the folks in the Entertainment department (which includes the Cruise Staff and us Youth Staff) are considered Petty Officers as compared to the rest of the other CM's on board who are considered "Crew" - i.e.: Pursers, Room Stewards, Dining Servers, Galley Cooks, Housekeeping.

 If you talk to people who work in the Cruise Line industry, on most ships - the Staff tend to come from English-speaking, First World countries (USA, Canada, Australia, the UK). The Crew on the other hand, tend to overwhelmingly come for Third World countries and outnumber the Staff.
 
The primary difference here (besides salary, which is most likely definitely the case) is that the "Staff" gets to have Guest Privileges. Which means we technically should be getting access to a bunch of Guest-Only areas that the rest of the CMs on board don't get. Yet what this also means, is that any clothes that I wish to wear on my off-duty time has to be acceptable and within Disney Look as long as it's "onstage". So if I were to walk around topless displaying my big ol' tattoos on my torso, that wouldn't be looked upon too kindly by the Mouse up top.

So when I pack I have to think extra hard about the kinds of casual-wear clothing I'll be bringing when I'm out of costume. Think J-Crew/Tommy Hilfiger prep and you got the idea.

 Buttt on the other hand for our Crew parties and hanging out below deck, I want to stay as far away from polos and bright yellow as much as possible. Still debating what to wear, but it'll likely be a bunch of V-necks and plaid. I kinda wanna rep the Canadian-ness as I have a feeling I'll be one of the only ones on board. And I want fellow Canadian passengers to come up for a chat so I don't forget what our accent sounds like :P


BONUS! - if you're interested in checking it out yourself:
For me and my fellow Crew Members at Sea - our extensive Disney Look Book:
http://welcome.dcljobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dlook_book.pdf

UP NEXT: THE WELCOME PACKAGE AND PREP!

IV. Carnival or Disney?

Where did I leave off ....

So I got called back a group interview for Carnival Cruise Lines, while the prospect of Disney loomed on the horizon. Either way I wanted to keep my options open, so I sent a really nice thank-you note to Wendy for coming up to Canada for the group interview. Again, I used some quick internet sleuthing to find out her full name and address, but chose to send it through Cast-A-way. "Nice touch ;) " , my Professional Crew Advisor said. 

About 3 days after the group interview I received an email:

"Good Afternoon Prince!

Congratulations on your successful interview with Carnival Cruise Lines! Carnival is delighted to offer you a position as Circle C Director!

Attached to this email you will find a document outlining the next steps you will need to take to prepare you to head out to sea. Please be aware that your position with Carnival is contingent on passing your medical, fingerprint and background search... "

Not only was I just a counsellor - but heck, they thought I'd be a great Circle C Director! A pretty stellar entry position, this meant I was already able to plan out my own activities for the younger teens. That said, apparently Carnival also had the rowdier ships. This was where it would be jam packed full of young people, drinking, having wild parties, throwing up everywhere and definitely not as high of a child-to-adult ratio as Disney. Sounded pretty legit, and Carnival went to Australia and Europe, while Disney wouldn't by the time I'd be working.

Than again, mind you - this was still fresh on everyone's minds from the week prior:

Wendy even talked about the ill-fated Costa Concordia disaster at the Group Interview, considering Costa's part of Carnival. But apparently, the best time to ever be on a cruise ship is RIGHT AFTER any sort of mishap, because that's when you know things will be stricter. They also said that post-Concordia we definitely wouldn't be as lax and fun as before, either.

But for me to continue on with Carnival, I needed to:

• Get my medical screening done, costing me about $430 - $600
• Get a criminal background check done, costing about $45
• Get First Aid/CPR Certification, costing about $130
• Pay for my one-way flight down to wherever I'd be boarding the ship, which could be like $100-$200 if I got it crazy cheap. OR it could be way more.

This was looking like a potential $1000 investment just to get on board and start working.
The thing with Disney however, was that they would pay for most of this for me. Even my flights.

So naturally I was like... "So, Nicola - I just want to see if I even have a shot at landing Disney, otherwise I'd take Carnival in a heartbeat."

4 days later, I got an email asking for my availability for ANOTHER phone screening in February, this time from a Disney slant. 

THE PHONE INTERVIEW, ROUND 2

I was so excited, I  anxiously checked my schedule to see if I could block off some time to have another phone call, this time - with Disney. 

I was in Québec City for work, doing this:

YEP. I missed the interview because I was dog-sledding in our icy Canadian wilderness. Pretty worth it though! Can't get more stereotypical than that!

(...til the animal cruelty happened. But that's another story.)

It wasn't til about 20 days later that I'd finally have another crack at it. And success! It was pretty much the same as the first time, except with a stronger focus on Disney's really strict employment standards:

->I couldn't have any visible tattoos whatsoever. At any moment if you could be glimpsed by the guests "onstage" as they called it, you had to be covered up.

->I couldn't have any facial hair unless it was a completely grown mustache. Pfft as if that's ever gonna happen.

->I had to hack off my long flowing curls and have it short.

->I couldn't wear glasses in funky colours. I had to say goodbye to my green contact lenses because they might appear too unnatural for my skin tone.

-> I couldn't have any earrings, bracelets, necklaces, anklets, what-have-you. No jewelry except for one ring on each finger.

 Uh oh Dumbledore, that better be one massive ring on your left hand or Disney won't like it.

 This was all part of a special set of Appearance Guidelines known as the "Disney Look". Stay tuned, more on that later - I'll even stick it up here for you all to see exactly how badly most people won't pass these standards!

And if I was going to get very far, I would have to make sure I matched this look by the time I had a video interview and an in-person interview with the Disney reps in the following month.

 ALSO, 

Before even scheduling a video interview with a Disney representative, I had to have 5 documents completed and sent back in:

1. A brand-new application form specific to Disney.
2. A drug acknowledgment form stating that I knew drugs were very, very bad and a no-no. And that I've never, ever used them in my life. And as a Disney Cast Member I would be subject to drug testing before I boarded and then every so often, just in case.
3. A safety certificate form basically saying that I have had zero marine officer safety training.
4. A checklist ensuring I meet all of the Disney standards.
5. And an information sheet with my general information for filing.

 This, in addition to another copy of my passport, a new written work reference and contact number, and my Skype address was all that I needed to advance to the next level. Hooray!

After all this was done, it would be another month before the actual interview so I got my hair did, saw Crest Whitestrips on sale and snagged those, cause why not?

This stuff realllllly works. For serious. Get Advanced Seal. It's way worth it.

 Aaand on top of that I made sure that I stayed away from drugs while I was surrounded by stoner friends and lived with two awesome dudes who kept a huge pile of it on the living room table. 

Easy Peasy!

I got one last burst of advice and encouragement from Cast-a-Way the night before the video interview :

"Please answer the call with camera (if possible) and dress as though you were at a regular job interview- business attire. Ladies please wear tasteful make-up and have you hair neat and away from your face, gentle men, if you have any facial hair, please ensure it is trimmed and tidy.

They are looking for sparkling personalities, so put your best foot forward- just like you did with me!!!"

And after that, it would be up to me.

------

THE DISNEY INTERVIEWS

So my life at this point was centred on the idea of going full-tilt at nabbing this job. My first Disney interview would be via online video all the way down to Celebration, Florida on March 20th, at exactly noon. I wondered if I would be hungry during, or if the interviewer would be impatiently waiting for their lunch break. 

I spent the morning cleaning my room from its usual disarray to make my backdrop seem like I was a fun, whimsical, organised & wholesome young man. i.e.: no dirty laundry or condoms or passed-out dudes or bottles of Crown Royal in the shot.

Yeah, yeah I'm a young guy. Don't judge me.

After that was all clean, I worked on myself and hoped that I looked like a young, classic go-getter type with a charming Disney spirit and a glowing personality. I turned on my Skype for a good half hour in advance, playing around with the lighting in my room and the volume levels til I thought I put on a decent show. 

I decided against wearing glasses and laid all of my paperwork around me offscreen so I looked prepared. I figured I shouldn't be just dressed from the waist-up lest I need to grab something and the interviewer saw me in my boxers - so again, I decided to be fully dressed in appropriate interview attire down to the socks and shoes. . It really made me feel "in the zone", as it were. I prayed that my roommates wouldn't choose this time to start blasting music or anything on the TV.

Seriously, I must've looked like such a nutcase getting so prepared, but heck- it's Disney. This is the kinda stuff you gotta do. Noon came and went, and I waited for a nerve-wracking 10 minutes fighting the urge to bite my nails while I debated what kind of greeting I should open up with. "How are ya! How's it goin? Hi there! Hello there! Hidy-ho!"

-When that Skype ringing sound started:

I sat up straight, my heart all the way up in my throat.

"Hello, Prince, can you hear me?" The interviewer lady said on the other end.

"Hi, yes - Good how are you?" I said, inwardly facepalming while beaming at my laptop camera.

 But after that, the rest of the interview went swimmingly. I spent so much of the time flashing a smile at her and just having a good time with it - this apparently made the difference in the end. The things I had to talk about/had been asked about were:

• What did I know about Disney Cruise Line, the ships, and the company in general.
• What did I know about the role I would be playing on board, and what I thought about it.
• What's the most important thing that I would need to have being a part of the Disney Show.
• What my experience was like working with children and youth.
• What my goals are in life, what did I originally set out to become?
• How comfortable I am adapting to different situations and different kinds of people.
• How open I am to different lifestyles, cultures, different habits and ways of living.
• What sets Disney apart from working anywhere else.
• Why do I want to do it?

Finally, it was time for me to ask any questions I had for her and so I asked about the process coming up, what kinds of benefits and privileges come with my position, and MOST IMPORTANTLY - in what ways would I be able to continue to grow with Disney. They apparently loooooove it when people show interest in that - they'd sooner hire someone who is, rather than someone who just wants to "travel and see the world for like, a year".

I mean- yes of course you want to travel. Of course you want to go to exotic locales and enjoy the sun, yadda yadda yadda - they know all this. If you're thinking of applying, don't let that be your only motivation. Also its very good to be honest about doing it to be able to save money and not have to worry about living expenses. They get that its a job.

This whole thing lasted about half an hour to 40 minutes, and luckily I had my notepad with me because there were a TONNE of notes to jot down about what was next in the process. I did have to tell her that my availability would be pending my sister's wedding the first week of October (and that was the only time she didn't smile the whole interview - she said she was hoping I'd be ready to go in the next month but that hopefully I wouldn't need to do the whole process again if I got the position.)

I asked about the in-person interview at a hotel in Downtown Toronto, like my friend had to do last year. Apparently she had seen/heard enough for me that I didn't need to come in for that. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing, but I thanked her warmly all the same.

And that was it! I spent the rest of the day wondering if I'd said enough, or if that availability thing pretty much doomed me. Either way I resolved that working for Carnival would still be just as great and that I could always reapply for Disney the next time around.

The next day however, I got an email.

"Congratulations!  You have been successful in your interview with Disney Cruise Line! We would like to consider you further in the hiring process as a

Youth Activities Counselor!"

 

It was March 21st. I was in bed. I jumped up and screamed.

NEXT  UP: THE LONG SUMMER OF GETTING STUFF DONE

III. Interviews Galore

Prince here again - just to continue on from yesterday's post about applying for the job, my next step after hearing back from the recruiting agency was to hurtle through a gauntlet of interviews:

Soooo the interview process was the longest part of the whole thing, mostly because there were so many of them to get through before actually landing any kind of job.

By extension, this post is ALSO going to be incredibly long, so if you're serious about wanting to know how this all went down because you're looking to do it yourself, go grab a drink and a snack and sit back for quite a read. I'm going to try and be quite detailed to prepare you - if you really don't care about all the details, know that it was a long process and (spoiler alert!) I made it in the end. Yay!

The Phone Screening Interview

It all began with a phone interview with my PA (Professional Crew Advisor, as Disney calls it) Nicola, who worked with Cast-A-Way. She emailed me with a list of possible times for her to call me, and I replied back with one that worked the best. This phone call would be the first obstacle to overcome before heading on to any face-to-face interview.

I picked Friday, January 13th, at 2:30. 
(Apparently it's better to pick a time after lunch so interviewers aren't trying to rush it so they can eat. It's better than near the end of the day when they've seen a number of other people, and it's also better than trying to make yourself extra memorable first thing in the morning.)

Important:  Install and have Skype ready to go for this. It will also come in handy when you get to the later interviews, as cruise companies will almost always Skype-interview you.


So, in the day leading up to the phone call, I decided to do some detective work, and looked up Nicola's information online via their website, LinkedIn and after some snooping - Facebook. I wasn't sure what sort of person she was going to be, if she was one of those no-nonsense older motherly types, or if she was a fun happy young sort. From just a wee bit of poking around she seemed, thankfully,  to be the latter. I figured I could relax a bit more and be more funny with her on the phone - especially if I had a face to match the voice to.

I cleared my schedule, and - crazy as it sounds - I dressed up in interview clothing and sat in a proper chair for it. This was probably the oddest piece of advice another Cruise applicant had given me when they had aced their online interviews, but I think it works pretty well. It helps you get into the mood and take it very seriously, kinda like putting on a costume before walking out on stage.

I pulled up a picture of what I thought was a very friendly, encouraging photo of Nicola that I swiped from Facebook, and waited anxiously for the phone call. It was 2:30 exactly. 30 seconds passed. Then:

 << INCOMING CALL>>
I got a flash of nerves for a second, cleared my throat and answered it.
The call itself was really lighthearted, I smiled at the picture on the screen as if I was talking to a real person and believe it or not I felt way more comfortable talking to her. Her main questions for me were:

->How can I summarise what I've done at work over the past few years?
->How can my studies/work contribute to the position I'm looking for on a cruise ship?
->Do I consider myself a flexible, adapatable person?
->Am I ok with the idea of living in a small confined space for months?
->Can I commit to a lengthy contract with little communication to home?
->How picky am I with the things I eat and my sleep schedule?
->What do you think is the most important thing to have when you sign up to work with a cruise line?
->Lastly, why do you want to do this? Why is this important to you?


Luckily I prepared much of the answers for this in advance, and she was in an incredibly good mood and we even joked around a bit. Apparently my answers seemed to be decent as she kept laughing and kept on saying "good, good", "that's fantastic" after everything I'd said.

After about 10 minutes, it was over. Nicola said; "it looks like you'd be a good fit for a Youth Counsellor Position on board, I know Carnival has a lot of openings lately". 
I asked about Disney, with bated breath. She said she wasn't sure just yet, and it could be a few weeks/months before they started hiring again. And with a "if we think you'd be a good candidate for our group interviews next month, we'll be in touch. Take care Prince!", that was it.

THE GROUP INTERVIEW

Fifteen minutes later at exactly 2:46 pm, I got an email inviting me to a formal group interview with the company just over a week later:

"Congratulations on being selected to attend the Carnival Cruise Lines Youth Staff interviews.

The presentation will be held on SUNDAY JANUARY 22, 2012 starting promptly at 9:00am at HUMBER COLLEGE, located at 205 HUMBER COLLEGE BLVD, TORONTO. You will need to head to classroom B215

Go to http://www.humber.ca/content/campuses-facilities#north - and click on North Campus Parking Map and Main Floor Plan.  The most direct parking lot will be #13/14 and closest to B200 Building.

Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the presentation to allow time to complete all necessary paperwork.

Transportation to and from your interview will be at your own expense. Please dress professionally, in business attire.

Please plan on spending the day with us since someone has to be last to be interviewed.

 It is also very important that you bring the following items with you;

-      Copy of the information page from your passport. If you do not have a passport please bring a copy of your photo I.D. such as a driver’s license or school I.D. card.

-      A new and updated resume.

-      A Vulnerable sector Criminal Background Check, this includes a fingerprint search also. If you do not already have this, you can try to apply for one before the interviews. If you do not have it in time for the interviews, please be aware that, should you be employed by Carnival, you will need to be able to obtain this.

-      Copy of your First Aid and CPR certificates (if you have these)

-      Copies of any applicable diplomas

-      A photograph, passport size will do.

-      2 reference letters

-      The two application forms, attached to this email, filled out.

Please note that food service at the college is very limited, so you may want to pack an appropriate lunch

  Please do not forget to bring a big smile and lots of energy!

  Good luck and have a great day!"

Now, this was A LOT of stuff to get sorted out in a week. Which can be intimidating for most, especially since I didn't have most of these readily available. So over a few days I had to get it all done.

• I quickly wrote to my former employers for new reference letters, as I knew those would take some time.
• I didn't have my First Aid, CPR, or Vulnerable Sector Background Check on hand so I hoped it wouldn't be a big deal if I came without it.
• I photocopied my passport at school, printed off the forms.
• I went to Facebook and printed off a picture of myself at a Black's Photography studio that I thought would look fun and memorable for them to have, and wasn't a bland passport mugshot:

I dressed fairly similar to this, except with a solid red tie and no Dalton Academy Warbler jacket. I figured that if I was interviewing for Carnival, I might as well dress in their colours. (This was something I personally liked to see when I was an interviewer for other things, it subconsciously made me imagine what the applicant would be like working with us).

I cleared my schedule for the whole day, and arrived impeccably early. Getting to the Humber Campus was a breeze for me, thankfully - I used to have to get picked up from there commuting home from my University 2 years ago. It was absolute hell back then to do, but now taking the bus there it was for something far more exciting. I decided against actually eating anything at the time except for a lot of minty gum. All I packed for the day was a few cans of Diet Coke, and an assortment of gummy snacks. I wanted to smell fresh and be perky.

In addition, I brought my laptop just in case the wait got too long, and this proved to be incredibly useful in the end.

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INTERVIEW DAY

As soon as I show up, there's another girl also wandering about the hallways of Humber College. Dressed in a cute little navy suit-jacket & skirt combo, I figured she was here for the same reason. I decided to make friends. Her name was Michelle; turns out she drove all the way here for this from Michigan overnight, and had been waiting for months on the invite. Yikes. Pressure much? Michelle and I exchanged pleasantries and small talk as we made it to the classroom, incredibly early.

A lady came by, carrying boxes full of things, also looking a bit lost.
She asked us if this was the right room, lamenting the confusing hallways of the campus. We offered to help her carry her stuff while she fiddled around with her keys to open the door. After thanking us for our help, she asked us for our names and if we were excited for the long day ahead. Turns out she was Wendy, the Carnival representative. BAM- we got some major brownie points right there.

Other people started to arrive, most of them not saying anything to each other - except here was Michelle and I yapping away like good buddies, already kinda excited. There were some other girls who looked like they wanted to join in our conversation, but didn't out of nerves.

Finally, Nicola showed up and said hello to everyone - from the murmur of recognition of her voice I figured she probably phone-screened everyone there with us. As I passed her on the way in she said, "How're ya doin, Prince!" It felt pretty great being recognized, even though I was also maybe one of three guys in that room. I think there were about 20-22 candidates in total for the group interview. Most of us were in our early twenties, young and glossy in dressy clothing. There were some older looking ones, some shabbier looking ones, a guy in sneakers.

A handful of people arrived late, only two had called Nicola in advance to let her know. The rest she didn't seem pleased about. There were also a couple no-shows, this made them VERY unimpressed. Apparently - if you're ever going to go to a group interview for them, DON'T show up late. Or even worse, don't NOT SHOW UP AT ALL. I later learned this is a huuuuuge no-no for them as far as ever being considered again for a cruise line.


The day started off with an informational booklet that we went through page by page about the Cruise line, about the ships they have and all of the staff. I sat next to Michelle and we spent about a good hour learning about the history of Carnival and what the positions are like on board. We learnt about all of the kids spaces where we'd potentially be working and the different needs of each age group. We then spent a good hour talking about uniforms and crew member protocol. It was kinda like doing job training/orientation - which was weird because the whole time it felt like we all already had the job.

After a 10 minute break we came back inside and were told we'd spend an hour doing icebreakers and activity games; "To get us to stretch and be relaxed after sitting so long". Clearly we were also being evaluated for this too, as Nicola and Wendy sat close together, clipboards up, pointing and muttering about us as we did them. We started by introducing ourselves to each other, the position we wanted on the ship, and what we currently did as a job/school. It was clear that there were some people who were super qualified, some who had only worked at fast-food joints.

I remember playing a game where we had to stand in a circle and say our name, a hobby we liked to do, and an action/motion representing for the hobby (Ex, I'm Brittany, and I like to play tennis!).The person after would do their own thing, then introduce the person before them, their hobby and do their action. And so on, until the last person would have to know all 20 names, hobbies and corresponding actions.   I was near the end of the circle - which to some would be terrible, but my years in drama/theatre doing this activity over and over made me super confident that I could pull it off. Most people did their actions awkwardly and halfheartedly, with an "I'm-too-cool-to-care-about-this" air about them. Michelle and I stood together with our gamefaces on. While most everyone else barely made any attempt to memorise all of the other names, let alone do the actions properly, I resolved to get it PERFECT.

I said: "I'm Prince, and I like to do Magic" with an appropriately flashy hand movement. I then proceeded to do everyone else's, having put a bit more effort into memorising all of their names and actions. When I got to the end, I got applause all around. "You're HIRED!" I heard Wendy say from across the room. Michelle was next. She also aced it. "You Too!" Came the voices behind the clipboards. We beamed.


After a lengthy information session about everything we needed to have completed before even boarding a ship - forms, documents, medical screenings, background checks - we were then ushered out to find ourselves lunch before coming back in for one-on-one interviews.

As we left for lunch, Nicola pulled me aside and asked me to stay behind after my one-on-one, she'd just gotten word about an update from Disney and wanted to give me a heads up. I said I would.



When we came back with our lunch in hand, I pulled out the laptop as we proceeded to wait out in the hallway as everyone was called in, one at a time for their one-on-one interviews with Wendy. Nicola stayed out with us for any additional questions and encouragement. Considering there were about 20 of us, this whole one-on-one interview time took another 2 hours. I opted to go last, since most other people were from outside Toronto that day and needed to get home. I also wanted to leave a really memorable impression. So over those 2 hours, I decided to play my music to get everyone else nice and chill - apparently 90s pop gets everyone happy and it lightened up the mood in that hallway considerably. "This is exactly what you'd be doing with the kids" Nicola said to us.

THE INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW

Finally after everyone else had left and Michelle wished me good luck as she took off, I finally went in for my one-on-one.
It was just Wendy and I, and she looked incredibly tired after all of those interviews. Mine went by incredibly quickly and was very simple. After collecting my paperwork and reassuring me about having some time to get the things I was still missing, she just asked me:

"Describe yourself, and how your experiences would work well as a Youth Counsellor?"
"Why do you think you would adapt well to ship life?

Following this, she asked me if I had any questions for her. Nicola had also entered the room at this point and began cleaning up, as I was the last one. And - I don't know if it was me feeling giddy or just tired, but I decided to ask really different questions, things the others probably didn't ask before me:

"Why are most Youth Counsellors female? Is it harder for guys to get chosen or is it because less guys apply for the position?
"Do you miss it? Living on the ship? Why/why not?"

I definitely threw her off guard for both of these questions, and she and Nicola actually had a good discussion about it in front of me, going over fond memories of when they both used to be actively on board years ago.

Finally, it was time for me to leave. I offered to help clean up and Wendy seemed to be super grateful for that. Yeah, yeah I sucked up a fair bit today to look like that charming, helpful Princely type.


But that wasn't the best part of the day. The best part was at the very end, before I left - Nicola caught up to me in the hallway and said: "Wendy's probably going to email you offering you a job this week. Now, you can take it and I'd be happy for you - but I think you're perfect for Disney and there are spots opening up. I'll email you more about it, but that's something to think about. Take care!"


As soon as I left the campus, I screamed. It was all legit starting to happen! I celebrated with a popsicle in January, I was that thrilled.

Up next: The Disney Interview!