My Cruise Guests

It's interesting when cruise guests come up to you, tell you their last name, and you can't find them on your list, so you ask them for their transfer documents, and they pull out a confirmation page for *drum roll, please* ...... SUPER SHUTTLE!!

Geez ... it's NO WONDER I couldn't find you on the darn list!! And all this time they're looking at me like I'm stupid. >_<

Sorry guys, you can't ride with us on our luxury motor coach to the pier. You're going on Super Shuttle unless you want to pay Princess Cruises a $24/person transfer fee.

Then they blame it on their travel agent ...

At the Airport: Interesting people, Odd questions

I meet and greet cruise guests that come from all over the world at the Los Angeles International Airport.  It's been a lot of fun talking to folks that come from as close as San Francisco to as far as Australia.  But sometimes (actually, quite often) you run into non-cruise guests that mistake you for airport personnel and ask a lot of questions, mostly easy questions like, "Is there a place I can get something to eat?  Where is the nearest elevator?  How do I get to the LAX Marriott Hotel?" etc.  This is all fine and dandy. 

Other times people ask silly questions like,  "Where is the bathroom?" when the restroom sign is right above their head, and all they had to do was look up.  Or "How do I know what time my sister arrives?"  Umm ... did you check the flight status on the monitors?  Oh, and I get this one all the time from people with their luggage in tow in the ARRIVALS area: "Uhhh, where is Gate 84B?  I need to get on the plane."  Clearly.  You need to go upstairs, buddy, to DEPARTURES.  

Then there are people who are in the wrong terminal all together that need to go to another terminal that just so happens to be on the opposite end of the airport.  When I tell them this, they get all exasperated and start freaking out.  OK, calm down.  You have two options: you can either walk it or take the airline connection shuttle.  You're not going to die.  

But the stupidest question to date has to be from a Hispanic woman in her 20s who came out of the arrivals area with two pieces of luggage, one in each hand.  The conversation was in Spanish, but I'll write it in English.  It went like this: 

Girl: Where are we?
Me: What do you mean where are we?
Girl: Where are we? (She asks more intently.)
Me: At the Los Angeles International Airport. (I'm frowning at her because I think this is the stupidest question ever.)
Girl: Los Angeles?
Me: Yes, Los Angeles.
Girl: What airport?  (Oh my God, are you serious?)
Me: Los Angeles International Airport.
Girl: In Los Angeles? (WOW!  I can't believe this!)
Me: Yes, Los Angeles, CA in the USA.
Girl: Is there only one Los Angeles International Airport?
Me: Uh ... yes, this is it.
Girl: What terminal are we in?
Me: Terminal 6.
Girl: Terminal 6?
Me: Yes, Terminal 6.
Girl: In Los Angeles? (How many times do I have to repeat this??) Me: YES! Terminal 6 at the Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, CA, USA!!!
Girl: Oh, OK. Thank you.

Yeah ....... 

Dewi Aldrich, Tour Director - Face of Travel - etravelblackboard.us

Dewi Aldrich, Tour Director - Face of Travel - etravelblackboard.us

Two weeks ago I was in Sacramento for a week-long convention for tour directors and tour operators.  I graduated from the International Tour Management Institute in October, and every year they put on a networking event where tour directors can interview with tour operators in hopes of securing a job(s) for the season, and meet other tour directors in the process.  It was fun but also a physically and mentally exhausting experience!  But I am so glad I went and survived the process.  How many people in their lifetime can say they interviewed with 20+ companies ALL in ONE day?!

I came out of it with a job offer, feedback from multiple tour operators, new contacts and even an interview.  Check out my interview above!