What REALLY happens on board cruise ships
Cathryn Chapman new novel Sex, Lies and Cruising reveals a very different side to cruising. Although the book is fictional, Chapman, who had two stints working on cruise ships, says that at least 50 per cent of the work is based on what she saw when working on cruise ships in the Caribbean, the Bahamas and on the Mexican Riviera.
“I borrowed from real life here and there and made the rest up,” she told Traveller.
“Maybe half of it was inspired by things that I actually witnessed or experienced. Then again the things that are made up aren't beyond the realms of possibility. I also interviewed a few ex-colleagues and got them to tell me their crazy stories, so some of them made it in there as well.”
So what scandalous secrets has Chapman’s book uncovered?
Well, Chapman herself was shocked to find out the officer she was seeing on board the ship was also seeing nine other women at the same time.
“He had 10 women on board,” she said. “And he used to page them to fit into his schedule. When I found out he had 10, I said now you have nine.”
She added, “Although I naively got into those situations without realising up front, as soon as I found out, I was out. But other people didn't feel that way because they accept they have a ship wife or ship husband.”
Chapman revealed that the level of cheating on the boat is rife.
"People cheat on their partners at home," she said. "People cheat on their partners on the ship. People cheat when their partner on the ship has gone home for vacation. I was surprised at the level people would stoop too."
And the officers were often the first offenders.
"Some of the higher ranked officers who have long contracts, and earn the big bucks, they'd have their shipboard girlfriend and she would live in his cabin and then the night before his wife comes onboard to visit she moves all her stuff out. The night the wife goes home the girlfriend moves back into the cabin again. I used to think what is wrong with you. Why can't you find someone who doesn't have a wife,” she said.
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