To Make a Long Boat Work

I'm sitting in the 2nd floor lobby of our Viking Longboat and thinking about all the "stuff" that is needed to make the cruise work. I'm looking at throw pillows, of which there are hundreds; easy chairs, sofas, end tables and coffee tables, drapes, umbrellas, benches, outdoor tables and chairs; indoor tables and chairs. There are about 200 pax on the boat, so there are 200 beds and all the linen that goes with the beds; towels of 3 different sizes (washcloth, hand towel, large bath towel). Then there are dishes and silverware. For every meal we have collection of silverware that includes a salad fork, dinner fork, butter knife, regular knife, steak knife, 2 tablespoons, and a dessert fork. (I might have missed something). There's more silverware on the table than I currently use with any meal I cook--and all of the silverware is neatly placed on our table with precision. There are table cloths, every table has 2 and they get changed with every meal. A few tables are not as formal, but they have placemats and napkins that get changed with every meal. There are coffee machines and baskets of cookies and fruit.

After accounting for furniture and linens, we have to remember art. The walls need to be decorated and they are. Since we are a Viking longboat, we have lots of framed Viking themed runes and symbols. There are a few pictures as the artwork is runic by design.  Flat screen televisions have a regular set of pictures highlighting places we have been or are going to go, with a few teasers from other trips that might be of interest.

That's the easy stuff...but there is a mass of electronics to make the boat work including card counters to keep track of pax as they take shore excursions. There are mops and squeegees for tidy windows and floors. You also have to think of the wait staff, which is extensive. What do the wait staff think of the decadent traveler who uses each of these wonderful amenities. 

Then comes the food. Six course meals at every sitting. We go thru a lot of food from fruit and nuts, to fish and steak to regional specialities to simple ice cream. If your want something, the wait staff with try to find it for you. We are pampered. I've only scratched the surface when I write about what the boat has. Most important is the staff. I don't know how many wait staff we have, but it's more than 50. There's also the hotel staff and the crew for the longboat. The 3 different crews work together to make this the best experience possible. Everyone has a smile and a willingness to help the best they can. It takes a lot of folks to make a Viking Longboat work and we are enjoying the pampering knowing that reality will hit when we return home, jet lagged, tired and with an empty refrigerator.