She is living the dream, sailing from one destination to another, and being paid to do so. Madeline McClurg, daughter of Matthew and Kimberly McClurg from Clarkesville, will be at sea for 6 months working onboard Celebrity Edge Cruiseline. Her title is Activity Host, a job she feels well-suited to do.
Life onboard
“It is the most fun, insane, and eye-opening thing I have ever done,” Madeline talked about her job and the experiences she is having onboard the ship. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it, the crew on a cruise ship does not live in luxury.”
McClurg described the lifestyle as living in tight spaces, limited WiFi, seasickness, and long working hours, and yet, she would choose the lifestyle over and over and over again.
“The crew of a ship is so diverse. I meet someone from a different country every single day. There aren’t many Americans onboard, which makes it all the more fascinating.”
The Celebrity Edge Cruiseline has over 1300 crew members. McClurg described it as its own city at the bottom of the ship. She laughed describing the main crew hallway stretching across the ship. “We call it I-95 because no matter what time of day it is, it is bustling with crew members pushing food carts and hurriedly walking to their next duty,” she described.
McClurg said it took her several days to find her way around the crew portion of the ship, and she admits she is still getting lost.
“I love life onboard the Edge because everyone is friendly and talkative. I have learned more about different cultures, countries, and lifestyles than any class has ever taught me,” McClurg added. “Only on a cruise ship do people from over 70 countries merge. I am soaking it all in!”
Currently, McClurg has traveled to Australia and New Zealand, and the opportunity to see the world she considers a blessing. “Many guests onboard have told me to see the world while you’re young.”
Best experiences
Her best experience so far was seeing the Sydney Opera House in Australia for the first time at sunrise on the top deck of the ship. “I was in absolute shock at how beautiful Sydney, Australia is. I realized all the travel and the paperwork to get to this point was completely worth it. I felt like I was dreaming.”
As far as scary or bad experiences, Madeline says she has been fortunate. Adjusting to the time difference, being away from what is familiar, and getting her sea legs has been the most difficult parts.
“My very first night in Auckland, New Zealand, I had a meal at the hotel restaurant and ordered Kumara. It is a sweet potato gnocchi, considered the most popular food in the country. Not only was it delicious, but it was neat that my first meal was a taste of New Zealand,” McClurg reminisced.
Life as Activities Host
She describes her job as bringing fun to the guests. Working with a team of 4 individuals from Canada, Kenya, Brazil, and herself (USA), Madeline loves that they all bring something new and different to make the experience wonderful for guests. Each day they entertain with dance classes, arts and crafts, trivia contests, game shows, darts, bean bag tosses, karaoke and so much more.
“Just yesterday, I taught a macrame art class! I had never even heard of macrame before I came here,” she said.
Her work hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.
“We work extremely hard during the sea days since all the guests are on the ship. Being the Activity Host is the coolest job,” McClurg said with enthusiasm. “Who could ask for anything more?”
Now Habersham will check in with Madeline and her travels in the next several months. We may not be able to take a trip on board the Celebrity Edge, but we can share in McClurg’s adventures, and maybe just maybe, feel a part of it all.
