A day in the life of a Busboy
My name is Elena and I am from Romania. Well, the position I have on-board is called busboy, but by now, also here on-board cruise ships, things are changing. So officially I am a busgirl.
I work in the restaurant and I am assisting the waiters. Of course, my goal is to become waiter in the near future. Besides that the salary is better, I like the additional responsibility. And to be honest with you, carrying every day a thousand plates on huge trays, is hard physical work.
Each Waiter has an assigned station of 25 seats, and an assigned Assistant Waiter. My job is to fill the water glasses, provide breadbaskets and butter on the table, bring the food orders to the galley and pick up the food from the galley.
Prior to the actual service, there is of course a lot of preparation to do. Firstly all the tables need to be set-up for breakfast after the dinner service yesterday. Each section of the restaurant has a designated waiter station where tablecloths, napkins, cutlery, breadbaskets, water jugs are all kept, salt and pepper and the most needed condiments, such as ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard, salt and pepper, Tabasco and Worcester Sauce are also kept here.
The first thing I do is go to the laundry to pick up enough tablecloths and napkins for the day. The laundry has worked since the early morning hours to get the linen ready for us.
Back in the restaurant I first have to sign in with the Assistant Maitre D' and report to work. I then have to begin filling the water jugs with ice water, filling up the thermos with coffee, preparing sugar and milk, placing these on the tables, as well as getting the butter and bread baskets ready.
After that I pick up more cutlery, polish it and keep it on the waiter station. I also fold some more napkins so that we have them ready when needed, and to prepare for setting the tables for lunch service later on.
The first guests arrive and 4 people are seated on our station. While I fill the glasses with ice water, the waiter introduces himself and presents the menu to the guests. Whilst this is happening I serve coffee and tea, as requested to the guests. After a short while, the waiter takes the guests orders, hands them to me and I take them to the galley.
The guests also have ordered several different juices, so while the galley is preparing their hot dishes, I toast the bread they have ordered, take the juices to the beverage station in the galley and then bring everything at once to the waiter station so that they can be served
This is what I do all morning during the breakfast service but of course my day is not over yet as there is lunch and dinner to serve and so maybe you could come back another day where I can tell you more about my job.
Elena Radu, Romania