Back to the Bridge!

After living on a ship for years it is always interesting experience for me to come back to a ship as a paid guest. You enjoy life as a guest but I do believe there will always be a piece of your heart that belongs to the crew. That even longs to be crew again.

 When I embarked this Nile cruise ship on Tuesday we were the first guests to arrive.

I remember thinking oh what a bother we are being those early boarding guests but it was what we needed to make our travel plans work. Later on that day I had a question for reception. The first thought that passed through my head was not I’ll go down there and ask instead I thought I’ll ask tomorrow everyone knows you don’t bother reception on embark day.

 As I watched a few people interact with the crew it struck me as odd that there were some people who took the time to ask the names of those that were serving them. Such little things make a difference. I remember when sailing far from your home the small kindnesses of a guest is by no means required but is usually appreciated.

 The crew on this ship were all men, all from some part of Egypt. They were fun and funny, sweet and charming. What they lacked in proper training they made up for in genuine desire to do a good job.

 I do believe that it was through such kindness and desire to serve people the Silver Fox, the funniest pharmacist I have ever met, and I ended up on the bridge as we crossed parts of the Nile River.

 For me walking onto the bridge was like going back to your childhood home or your old university. There was something very comfortable and familiar about being back on the bridge of a ship. I spent many days and wonderful nights watching the sunrise across the ocean, seeing the moon paint the waves and appreciating the wonder of our planet. For small periods of time in between by youth staff or crew activities I was privileged enough to catch a glimpse of the life of a sailor.

 Now there are many, many differences between a Nile Cruise ship and the mega, major cruise lines but for me one of the most striking differences is how you never see or hear about the captain of the ship.

 Sometimes things in the Middle East get close to what I know but there is always that wonderful Middle Eastern twist the makes things special.  So walking onto the bridge I had no idea what to expect. In the middle of the bridge sat the captain’s chair, a large wooden chair with a decorative flower print pillow. A joystick was used instead of a steering wheel but like many mega ships the old wooden wheel was still there. Beside the main control panel was three silver gear shifts to power up or down the engine.

 The man driving the ship had no stripes on his arms. He was dressed in his brown dishdasha, his sandals resting on the floor near his feet as he skillfully steered us through the lock system. It was perfect!

 As we went through the lock the tourism police sat on the outside of the bridge, with a large machine gun resting comfortable on their lap. It was a little odd for me to see such a large fire arm out in the open, on a bridge but perhaps necessary. We are in a day and age where pirates are making a come back. It is better safe then sorry.

 I stayed on the bridge for hours, having tea, playing with one of the children that lives on-board, honking the horn at passing ships and enjoying trying to speak with the captain. His English was limited and my Arabic needs work a lot of work. At one point in the afternoon the second captain came up so that the first captain could go for his time to pray. He places a prayer mat outside the bridge and made a spiritual connection. It was so natural.

 It was great to feel back at home. If only for an afternoon on a cruise ship on the Nile! 

Dec 22, 2008 | Categories: Cruise Life, Egypt | Tags: adventure, Bridge, Cruise Ship, embark, Middle East, Nile, Travel | Leave A Comment »