Before We Sail


This past weekend at CocoCay, I witnessed something that stayed with me long after we left the island.


Just offshore, while most of us were comfortably aboard enjoying our vacation, a crew of hardworking Bahamian men was battling rain, wind, and nearly six-foot seas to fuel our cruise ship before departure.


Watching them work from their much smaller vessel gave me an entirely different perspective.


The boat rose and fell violently with the waves. Everything was wet, the weather was miserable, and they were working alongside an enormous cruise ship — handling heavy equipment and lines while the ocean constantly moved beneath their feet.


Yet they kept working.


There was no applause. Most passengers probably never even noticed them.


But I did.

Worker in blue jacket waves from a industrial barge deck with cargo containers on choppy ocean waters.
Two crew members visible through bridge windows of a large white commercial ship against a blue sky.
Sailor in blue hardhat managing ropes on ship deck amid rough turquoise ocean waves.
Yellow and black offshore barge navigating rough ocean waves with a blue tugboat nearby.
Worker on a D-Spacer floating platform in rough seas with a barge in the background.

We often talk about the beauty of the Bahamas — the turquoise water, incredible beaches, warm Caribbean hospitality, and beautiful people. But there is another side worth recognizing: the hardworking Bahamian men and women who keep these islands, ports, and ships moving every single day.


For us, CocoCay was a day in paradise.


For these men, those same beautiful Bahamian waters were their workplace — and on this particular afternoon, they were anything but paradise.


As our ship eventually pulled away, I couldn't help but have tremendous respect for the men I had just watched working through those conditions.


Thousands of us sailed away safely and comfortably, probably never thinking about the people who helped make that departure possible.


I noticed you. I photographed you. And most importantly, I respect you.


To the hardworking Bahamian crew I watched that afternoon — thank you.


Sometimes the people who leave the biggest impression on a journey aren't the people traveling with you.


They're the ones working quietly behind the scenes to make your journey possible.

Two workers in safety gear stand on the bow of a vessel surrounded by blue ocean waters.
Aerial view of three workers in safety gear on a boat bow, navigating rough ocean waters.
Three crew members in colorful safety gear work on the bow of a vessel surrounded by rough ocean waves.

The next time you step aboard a beautiful cruise ship and begin your vacation, take a moment to appreciate that the experience is about far more than the ship itself. Behind every departure are countless moving parts and hardworking people—many of whom we will never see or meet. From the crews on the docks to the men working in rough seas, some are willing to face genuinely dangerous conditions so that thousands of us can safely enjoy a few days in paradise.


**A vacation may be a luxury for us, but making that vacation possible is very real work for someone else.**



That deserves our gratitude, our respect, and sometimes simply a moment to notice the people behind the journey.

Large white cargo ship with red Safety First No Smoking sign on hull, moored at sea under cloudy sky.
Large industrial cargo ship with cable reels and pipework on deck sailing in open ocean waters.
Two sailors in white helmets working on the bow of a ship at sea.
Two crew members in white helmets and navy coveralls working on a ship deck with rough ocean waves in the background.