Sleeping with crew

[Willum]

It's not the Ships that Pass in the night, it's the nights that pass in the Ship.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Let me take the topic title literally to make a change. Many crew members were sharing cabins, and so were sleeping together, in the sense of sleeping in the same room, most often at the same time.

There must have been times when one of them snored and the other did not, or where one of them was plagued by a cough, or by seasickness, or other unfortunate problems.  And presumably there were plenty of times when they wanted to sleep, or to be active, at different times from their cabin mate.

On the other hand, of course, there must have been cabin mates who were a particular pleasure to share with, for whatever reason.

Stories must be plentiful!

[Rob Lightbody]

It's not the Ships that Pass in the night, it's the nights that pass in the Ship.

Oh I like that

[Andy Holloway]

Let me take the topic title literally to make a change. Many crew members were sharing cabins, and so were sleeping together, in the sense of sleeping in the same room, most often at the same time.

There must have been times when one of them snored and the other did not, or where one of them was plagued by a cough, or by seasickness, or other unfortunate problems.  And presumably there were plenty of times when they wanted to sleep, or to be active, at different times from their cabin mate.

On the other hand, of course, there must have been cabin mates who were a particular pleasure to share with, for whatever reason.

Stories must be plentiful!

I could tell you dozens of stories about 'sleeping with crew', but maybe for the sake of litigation and decency it's best i don't!

However one that is printable happened on RVS around 1998/99.

For some reason there was a shortage of crew cabins and the call went out for Officers/Crew in single accommodation who were prepared to double up. The Technical Stores Manager, a female, [you've never seen white overalls filled quite so wonderfully!] volunteered as did 'a Sous Chef' - male - both of whom were entitled to single accommodation. He 'moved' into her cabin and together they received the appropriate remuneration for about 4/6 weeks, a tidy sum of US$. The fact that they were husband & wife and actually lived in her cabin anyway was not relevant, they were still paid the 'doubling up money'. It greatly contributed to the deposit on their house back home in Canada!

[Tony]

One of the great perks as a photog was embarkation day duty on the gangway. We a prospect came along it was always "lets just get you there for a picture" Are you by yourself?
Obviously the reply of waiting for my husband meant they were shuffled through, but if it was waiting for my girlfriend you pounced.

[Chris Thompson]

The Cruise that I met the wife on was the last segment of a Sagafjord world cruise, the median age of the pax was older than dirt!
My wife has a distinct memory of boarding the ship and seeing male crew lining the deck panting like rabid dogs at the sight of every young female who came up the gangway.....

[Andy Holloway]

I have first hand knowledge of one women who did it EVERY time she was onboard - my wife!!

Some cabins were OK while others were less than OK to say the least.

The best cruise for her was when i was on Sun Princess and we were on a 14 day Caribbean cruise. So as not to have to go through the ignominy of US Customs & Immigration in Miami, we were sailing out of Port Everglades at the time, she choose instead to embark in Willemstad in Curacao. She had arrived the night before and been collected by the ship's agent's 'mam' and taken to a reputable hotel. Then the next morning, in her own time, she was able to embark and settle in to my cabin, just behind the bridge with views out onto the bridge wings - but that's another story!
Anyway she made herself at home and, at sailing time, made her way up onto the upper deck to enjoy the delights of 'Sail away'.

During the day we had had a medical disembark, where the passenger was deemed to not be fit to sail by the local hospital, and the ship was informed mid afternoon.
After sailing and once all shell doors had been checked, i made my way to the bridge to collect the pilot to escort him from the ship once he had finished his duties.
When i got to the bridge the Captain called me over to one side and asked me if 'Mrs Holloway would like the use of a passenger cabin'?  I said that she could 'force herself' if the opportunity was there, to which he offered her the medical disembarks cabin! Saying that if it was put back into passenger service there would be more complaints from passengers who 'knew they were entitled to it' than he was prepared to bother with!
The 'available' cabin was on the next deck down from my Security Officer's cabin, and right opposite a door that led to a crew staircase that led up to right opposite my cabin - now how convenient was that? It also has a small, but very nice balcony! 
So i slept down there with 'one of the passengers' and returned to my cabin in the morning, via the 'walk of shame' in an 'acquired' bathrobe!
Sadly she had to 'slum it' for a couple of days on the next cruise back with me in my cabin, as 'her cabin' was allocated to a paying passenger!
The next cruise was exactly the same itinerary, so she disembarked in Willemstad late afternoon to catch her flight back to the UK later that evening.

[Chris Thompson]

So i slept down there with 'one of the passengers' and returned to my cabin in the morning, via the 'walk of shame' in an 'acquired' bathrobe!

That walk of shame was a common sight. On one ship being Casino Staff I had a passenger cabin but at the time my girlfriend was in a crew cabin. Many times I returned to mine via the working alleyway dressed in last nights Tux.....to many knowing grins of course

[Andy Holloway]

That walk of shame was a common sight. On one ship being Casino Staff I had a passenger cabin but at the time my girlfriend was in a crew cabin. Many times I returned to mine via the working alleyway dressed in last nights Tux.....to many knowing grins of course

It was always amusing for the deck boys on Vistafjord when the watertight doors were closed for say, an early arrival or bad weather, when crew were 'caught'  in a different area  than their own cabin was and trying to look nonchalant as they walked along A deck to take the nearest down stairs to their cabin, often dressed in either the previous nights fancy atire or, worse still, their 'jimjams'!

[peter ward]

As a young virile waiter on QE2 I had sex with quite a few Americans ( they just love it if you’re from Liverpool) but the most outrageous place I had sex was in lifeboat number 11 whilst in its Davits .. with a croupier (no names) 😮💋

[Ab Ovo]

In 1982, first time on, L-grade, yes! NY-Canada-NY, in Tables of the World dinning was a large table of what seemed to be somewhat giddy and rowdy men.  I recognized one, a lawyer from my office.  Turned out it was a group all gay, booked from a small new NYC travel agency soliciting gay business.  They had a group ribbon pin, met for nightly cocktails.  Brian -- lets call him Brian -- Brian far away from any Catholic guilt -- told me he hooked up with two in the group.  And hooked up with a waiter in Princess Grill.  Met long after dinner hours passing in a companionway, clocked each other and waiter came to his cabin.  Guess it is a sleeping with crew story!  B. was with the company over a decade, on QE2 yearly, always came back with "fun" stories of conquest.  Or submission, I would tease him.

[Rod]

We always worked on the principal: What happened on the ship, stayed on the ship!

[Chris Thompson]

On the subject of Cabin mates. When I first went away to sea all the lads down the pub were teasing me about the likely hood of having to share a cabin with a gay guy!
Well low and behold when I first went into the cabin my cabin mate wasn't there but checking the wardrobe for an empty space I found a large feather Boa hanging in his side!
Yep turns out I was sharing with a very Gay Piano player. Actually was a nice fella and never tried it on with me. Although once I popped back to the cabin to get something and he wouldn't let me in because he had a friend in there....