Fact vs Fantasy 2

Fact vs Fantasy 2

It's time for another round of Fact vs Fantasy! This time, talking about Crew Amenities on board. 

First off, take a look at the official video:

Fantasy: "Crew Life on board is good because there's lots of things you can do. There's plenty for us to do on board."
Fact:...If you have deck privileges. Luckily for you, Youth Activities Counselors are ranked as "Petty Officers" on board and DO have these privileges. However for most other positions on board (rule of thumb: if their nametag says a foreign developing country, chances are they


Fantasy: "It's pretty easy to go from one spot to another without going into guest areas."
Fact: Don't be fooled though, that gleaming white 1-95 (main street/hallway/corridor/walkway on Deck 1 for Crew Members to pass through the entire length of the ship) may be jammed full of people/cargo at different parts of the day and is only really empty before 6am and at nighttime after midnight. Besides sometimes being crowded (don't get me started on what it's like during Crew Drill), it's the host of horrible smells coming from the incinerator and the occasional waft of raw meat that brings you back to Chinatown in Manhattan. Or actual China.


Fantasy: "We have a lot of amenities. We have the Crew Store which is amazing when you run out of hair products or food if you're hungry, a little snack on the side."
Fact: The Crew Store doesn't really count as "a lot" of amenities, but it's true that you have certain hair products and snacks (Disney-branded candy and sweets, a lot of Lays chips, Doritos bags). The worst part about the Crew store are its opening hours which can be only 6-10pm on some days. forcing you to run there during  break or sneak off during work hours.


Fantasy: "A Dining area where you can go and have a nice meal. The food is really...outstanding."
Fact:Where you CAN have a nice meal, if there's one there that day. Outstanding if you compare it to what you'd get in certain crew member's developing countries! Read up more on: "The Food Situation".


Fantasy: "There's the Crew Gym Open 24 hours a day. There's a nice relaxing area with a coffee machine where you can bring your laptop."
Fact: The Crew Lounge and crew gym you'll find will be often dominated by Housekeeping or Dining Staff that won't have the guest privileges of Youth Activities Counselors. That said, be prepared to be openly ogled and stared at by many of the men in those departments while you're down there. It's not always the most bright, welcoming spaces unless you go at non-busy times. I think Flynn Rider described it best during Rapunzel's first visit to the Snuggly Duckling:

Fantasy: "We have the crew bar...it's very nice."
Fact:A lot of fun times have been had in the Crew Bar, which Crew Members will call "The Library" or "The Barbecue" where they can purchase and consume "Apple Juice" or "Read Books" in their Disney secret speak. After you get over the fact that it's basically like hanging around someone's basement on the older ships. It's actually quite a different story on the newer ships where it's bigger and an airier space.

Fantasy: "We have a medical center on board which is really good if you're not feeling well. They have everything you need. We are covered by medical insurance so you don't have to go ashore."
Fact: Again...only within certain time restrictions. I.e. after 8:30-10:00 in the morning, and 3:00pm - 6:00pm in the afternoon. Anything beyond those general times you have to call the surly on-duty nurse who will hopefully not make you feel like you're disturbing them by calling. Most of the time you'll be able to spend some time in there but it feels like you really have to prove to them that you have a legitimate ailment before they do anything beyond prescribe you painkillers or Sea-Calm medicine. It really does seem like they'll give you any advanced treatment as a last resort (which is actually onshore hospitalization/being medically debarked for a while/ending your contract.) And sometimes, treatment isn't free if you have to get it done off the ship! It's definitely a step up if you come from a country that provides no medical coverage though! It sadly ends as soon as you step off the ship, so you have no coverage to speak of between contracts.

Fantasy: "Having amenities is good because it makes you feel like they actually care about you outside of work."
Fact: Which I wish was true all of the time. I've have incredible managers and Human Resources people, and trainers, and Crew Activities Managers, and Doctors who really did care about the welfare of all of the crew...but we also had some bad apples in the bunch. Some really bad eggs (and wish Disney didn't hire them as often as they do!).