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Warm comfort for a weary crew at sea
By ROBERT N. JENKINS, Times Staff Writer HARWICH, England -- If you are one of the millions of passengers who have sailed aboard a Carnival Cruise Lines ship, there is a fair chance you have shared a voyage with Dorothy Schroeder. Maybe you noticed her cloud of blond hair, or maybe it was her constant smile.
But it was her staff name badge that I noticed. It reads: * * *
Lady Dorothy * * * Pay no attention to the badge. Dorothy -- she insists everyone call her that -- does not work for Carnival. She was given the badge because she buys her ticket to come aboard and "mother" the crew. "Some crew members get homesick, or lonely," Dorothy tells me in her cheery Southern drawl. "The oiliest, dirtiest crew man, he can hug me, I don't mind." Dorothy estimates she has sailed "at least 100 times" on Carnival, averaging about five cruises a year. Nonetheless, she says she does not ask for a cabin upgrade, with which cruise lines often reward their frequent customers. A Carnival spokeswoman acknowledges that Dorothy has cruised numerous times with the line and that she was " 'crowned' the Mama of the Carnival Triumph by its staff and crew." Dorothy, who coyly says that she has "some family back in Dallas," was invited to this English port to witness the naming ceremony last month for the Carnival Legend. At a cocktail reception afterward, Dorothy met Carnival senior vice president Vicki Freed and quickly treated her to a dose of Mama Dorothy, putting her hand on Mrs. Freed's arm and leaning in closely while they spoke. Dorothy discloses that she has fans onboard the ships: "The captain baked me dinner one time, and Ken (known aboard Carnival vessels as "the singing maitre 'd") brought me a birthday cake" on another trip. Dorothy says she has been cruising for 29 years and that while she has sailed on Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line ships, she prefers Carnival "because it is family-oriented and is bargain-priced."
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From the Times Travel page
From the AP |
