La vita è una crociera senza fine

STORIA DA PAURA: un reportage come nessun blogger potrà mai scrivere. La storia di Regie, dal suo villaggio nelle filippine sino alla sua ventennale vita a bordo delle navi da crociera. I filippini sono la spina dorsale della marineria mondiale: fanno la gran parte del personale di bordo delle navi da crociera, nelle posizioni più umili. E il loro è un lavoro spaventoso.

Money quote 1: “In the past 20 years, cruising has become the fastest-growing category in the global tourism market; in 2016, more than 24 million passengers set off on cruise ships. During the same period, the industry consolidated, so now three companies — all headquartered in Miami — control nearly 77 percent of the $35 billion industry. Carnival Corporation, whose subsidiaries include Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, and Cunard, is the dominant player with a 42 percent share. It’s followed by Royal Caribbean Cruises (which owns Celebrity Cruises, among others) and Norwegian Cruise Line.” 

Money quote 2: “Many of the dining managers were Indian, the casino dealers Eastern European, the dancers American, and the senior officers Italian. The bulk of the kitchen and housekeeping staff were Latin American, Caribbean, and Asian, like Regie. They ate meals in one mess hall, while those in higher positions dined in an adjacent cafeteria, which had fancier fixtures and offered more choices of food.

This ethnic stratification on cruise ships dates back, in part, to colonial ties.”