money money money cash cash drink drink

I also got last month’s bar bill. $260. TOO MUCH! Not all on alcohol mindyou – I got a $60 haircut and colour, $80 worth of cosmetics and perfumes and spent $25 on twix bars from the crew shop. But the rest was alcohol. Alcohol in the crew bar = really cheap. Alcohol in passenger areas = passenger prices = EXPENSE.

And as cruisestaff, we spend a lot of time in club fusion – it’s the performance space/bar/niteclub where most of our activities take place. It’s our home away from home (away from home). And trust me, if you had to sit through 10 singers in princess popstars karaoke competition, you too would need a drink. Normally I get $3.40 long island iced teas – and with 2 a night, most nights a week, you can see how things escalate.

So, this month, I save money. I have to pay my room steward $40 a month (although he slacked off last month a bit I think) but that is my only sunk cost. Of course, I am going to drink a bit – but I’m not getting drinks in club fusion any more (and am becoming better friends with the fusuion bartenders- so I might get a couble of sneaky freebies if it’s slow). Fortunately I like the fusion bartenders anyway, so it won't be too bad (P.S those of you who know me well know i hate getting free drinks off people anyway - so you can see the bar bill situation is dire)

SO I made this decision on June 1st.. and also on June 1st I was hosting Princess popstars in club fusion. It was just too much to get through. S...o I decided to try for a free long island iced tea (or at least an extra strong paid one- LIIT's are not THAT expensive so i wasn't too bothered). Anyway, one bartender was going to make me this drink.. when the other one came up and said “hey let me make you a drink”. From his tone, I totally thought he meant a freebie – so I got realllly excited and said “yeah, well make me something awesome – what do you think I’d like”.

bow bow.

So he made me a red drink in a little squat glass. I was very excited. Then he asked for my account number. OH WELL I thought, such is life. Then I saw the receipt. $7.99!! NO NO NO!!! why would he make me the most expensive drink ever. Then I tasted it and it was rotten.. yuk. Tasted likea cup of my anger. I think he knew I was expecting a freebie so he taught me a lesson. BUT MY BAR BILL!!! Oh no!
I was very sad and went back to the fusion booth with tears of despair in my eyes. I bought a long island tea for myself to commiserate and combined the drinks. At the end ofpopstars there is a short break where music plays in the lounge until the next activity – and it’s my job to go and dance. When I came back from dancing, the bar staff had cleared my drink. MY $12 DRINK! OUTRAGE!

I went on to drink a lot that evening to commiserate. Wah!