English Course For Cruise Ship Jobs

IDIOMATIC FUTURE: Sample Exercise

2009-06-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

We use the idiomatic future, sometimes referred to as near future, when we want to express a future action that will occur relatively soon or when we have decided to do something. In other words, our intention is to do something, we use: BE GOING TO + INFINITIVE.

________________________________________________________________________________

Ex. I am going to drive to the supermarket in about 10 minutes.

Susan is going to work tomorrow.

My neighbors are going to move next month.

We’re going to see an excellent movie tonight.

What are you going to do on the weekend?

Is Jerry going to study during his Christmas vacation?

Exercises:

Complete the following sentences using am/are/is going to + one of these verbs

wear give eat cook buy sell

study take walk do rain play

1. I don’t have anything fancy in my closet. What ________ I __________________

to the party?

2. This sweater doesn’t fit me anymore. I __________________________ it to my

sister.

3. John is very hungry. He ________________________ at McDonalds.

4. It’s Jeff’s birthday next week. What ________ we ______________________ him?

5. I’m starving! What ________ you _____________________ for dinner ?

6. If you ________________________ to the park bring an umbrella. I think it

______________________ .

7. Mary ___________________________ for her exams.

8. ___________ you _____________________ your computer? Because I really

need one.

9. What _________ you _______________________ after you graduate from

university ?

10. Karen ___________________________ a trip to Europe for a month.

11. My brother ____________________________ basketball for the national team.

Class Activity: List some things you are going to do later today. Then discuss them in

class.

HOUSEKEEPING THE SERIES PART III: GPA HK O/B THE CRUISE SHIPS

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General Purpose Attendant or GPA take important role in housekeeping department in maintaining the cleanliness of passenger and crew area and special event onboard the ship to meet company's standard. Passenger or public area are restaurant, bar. lounge, theater, public restroom, atrium, staircase, elevator, swimming pool, spa & gym, and infirmary. The crew areas are crew corridor/hallway, crew elevator, crew living quarter/cabin, crew staircases and landings, marshaling area, and crew restroom. In special occasion GPA personnel help other department such as F&B, FO, etc by providing equipment. In the event of Extravaganza, GPA personnel prepare and set up tables and decorate it as guided by Housekeeping Supervisor and clear that up after the event is finish. The GPA personnel responsibilities are maintaining cleanliness of passenger and crew area assigned, prepare and set up table and chair for special event, taking garbage in their section to the garbage room, handling garbage in embarkation and disembarkation day, shampooing carpet in corridor, public area, and guest cabin and other special project assigned by supervisor, reporting damage/defective and missing items in their section, and conform to all USPH instructions and standard.

GPA Housekeeping base on assignment

GPA HK Foreman

Responsible in cleaning all passengers elevator (vacuuming, polishing copper handle, etc), special project as assigned (organize personnel in setting up table for events), keeping all of the keys of housekeeping's trolleys and storerooms, and managing GPA personnel in handling luggage during embarkation and debarkation.

Sweeper

Responsible in maintaining the cleanliness all of the public area using broom and dustpan by expediting to cover all the public area as assigned by supervisor.

Toilet man/woman

Responsible in cleaning and supplying restroom amenities to ensure guest comfort according to USPH standard and company's MHD (Marine Hotel Directions).

Spa Boy

Responsible in maintaining the cleanliness of passenger spa and gymnasium and managing linen and towels for spa operations.

Night Houseman

Responsible in cleaning public area and special cleaning projects assigned by supervisor during night time and helping night steward to accommodate guest needs.

GPA HK Public Area

Responsible in cleaning all public area such as passenger staircases, vacuuming passenger's hallway, lido restaurant, lounge, theater, casino, etc.

GPA HK Crew Area

Responsible in cleaning crew area including living quarter/cabin, corridor, staircase, restroom, marshaling area, etc.

GPA Hospital

Responsible in cleaning hospital according to the MHD and USPH standard by using PPE and sanitizing hospital in daily basis.

GPA Laundry base on assignment

Laundry Foreman

Responsible in checking all of the equipment and tools and recorded into log book before and after operations.

Dry Cleaner

Responsible in operating dry cleaning machine and proper usage of chemicals

Linen Keeper

Responsible for arranging linens and towels in the linen room and distribute daily supplies and amenities to the stateroom steward and dining room & lido.

Marker

Responsible in receiving clothes and putting mark on it before washing and record in log book.

Checker

Responsible in checking linen or clothes before and after washing and separate it according to the mark.

GPA Presser

Responsible in pressing and folding all of the dry clean clothes and separate it as marked.

GPA Laundry

Responsible in washing and drying all the clothes, linens, towels, etc and ensuring that the wash/dryer machine works properly as guided by MHD.

Night GPA Laundry

Responsible in washing linens and drying it as assigned by laundry supervisor.

Career in housekeeping starts as GPA housekeeping and move up to the following positions:

Captain Steward

Responsible in cleaning Officer Cabins (Captain, Chief Officer, Chief Engineer, Hotel Manager, etc), delivering daily programs, handling laundry, and dinner service as requested by the Officer daily.

Night steward

Responsible in accommodating passenger needs during night time, refilling chemical bottle for all of the cabin stewards, folding daily program and guest's letter and put it into cabin steward locker/box, and helping special cleaning projects assigned by supervisor.

Bellboy

Responsible in delivering documents to each department onboard the ship, ala minute order by Chief Housekeeper and expediting letter from GRM to guest's stateroom

GPA Officer

Responsible in cleaning officer cabin and laundry service to the officer, maintaining officer area/hallway, and special cleaning projects assigned by supervisor.

Tailor

Responsible in fixing and making crews and officers uniforms and assisting crews for uniform during embarking crew.

HOUSEKEEPING THE SERIES PART II:BIOHAZARDOUS WASTE & LAUNDRY

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Biohazardous means any waste products, which may come from human being. This can be any kind of body fluids, such as: Blood, Excrement/faces, urine, saliva, mucus, vomit, sweat, and tears. Fresh body fluids can be dangerous to another human being if it is contaminated and infected others. Common biohazardous that may come into contact during cleaning the room or rest room are diapers, blood stained sheet, and excrement on sheets/towels and in the bathroom, urine soaked mattresses, hyperdemic needles, used cotton bud/bandages/band aid, used sanitary towels, used condom, vomit, and dry skin flakes. Handling hazardous waste can be done with:

Vomit Powder (Nilosorb)
Vomit powder used to absorb liquids from vomit, sweep vomit using dust pan and broom, then sanitize with sanitizer and wipe it with clean rag.
Red waste bag
It is bag used for all materials and items which might get into contact with hazardous waste, such as: Soiled linen with blood spot on it, diapers, any chemical waste hair from spa, stained mattress, soiled mops/used broom that being used for cleaning biohazard waste, and sanitary waste from woman toilets.
Sharp container box from infirmary
It is a box used for all used hypodermic needles after injection. This disposal procedure is based on USPH regulations. All boxes must be signed in and out from infirmary by the cabin steward stating there's a used needle inside the box. Before disposing to the box, needle should be cover with protective plastic tip and separate from any other trash.
Biohazardous waste kits
It is equipment that being use to clean biohazardous material such as: PPE, gown gloves, kit box, nilosorb, mask, sanitizer and deodorizer.

LAUNDRY INTRODUCTION AND JOB DESCRIPTION

Laundry is part of housekeeping department which has responsibility to wash and press guest's clothes, management level employee clothes, and all of the linens onboard the ship. Laundry responsibilities are to wash passenger's clothes including dry cleaning and pressing (passenger get charged), wash linens belong to Food and Beverage department (napkins, table clothes, table mat, etc), wash linens and towels that are used by the guests and crews (sheets, pillow cases, towels, blanket, rags, etc), and wash employee uniform.

Laundry process begins with checking equipment and tools before and after usage, measuring the capacity of the linen before putting it to the machine, safety first for all the staff, ensuring that soiled linen put into "soiled linen" cart only and clean linen put into "clean linen" only cart, stain treatment, proper loading linen to the washer, follow the instruction (CATT process-Chemical, Action, Time, Temperature), productivity and working ethic, measuring dryer loading perfectly, unloading linen from the washer and dryer, flat iron operation, linen press & folding machine operation, quality assurance/control, linen trap cleaning, general laundry cleaning, and clean linen store and daily distribution timing.

Kind of machine and equipment that being used in the laundry are large washer, small washer, dryer/tumbler, flat iron, press and folder linen machine, dry cleaning unit, presser, laundry carts (mark with "clean only" and "soiled only", linen storage room, and laundry chemical storage.

Chemicals that are usually being used for laundry operations are liquid detergent, solid detergent, bleach, and softener and for cleaning spot/stain linens they use Emulsa tech, Enzyme treatment, and rust and tannin treatment.

Chemicals that usually used for dry cleaning are:

perchloroethylene (solvent),
staticol
novel stain
polymark.

HOUSEKEEPING THE SERIES PART I: CLEANING EQUIPMENT & TOOLS

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Housekeeping personnel should know and understand kinds of tools and equipment to be used during cleaning process. Before using those tools, they should know what kind of object that they are going to clean. Most of the objects that are being cleaned have their own characteristic and surface. Misuse of tools may damage the object. A surface is the outer or top most boundary of an object, which can be divided into:

Hard Surface : wood, ceramic, marble, stainless steel, copper, cement, steel
Soft surface : fiber, mattress, plastic, wool, textile

Kind of equipment and tools that being used onboard cruise line/hotel are:

Vacuum cleaner : this equipment is used for cleaning dirt/dust from the surface of the floor
Carpet extracting machines : this can be use to clean carpet or floor that has stain
Rotary machine: this machine is used for polishing floor to make it shinny.
Ozone machine: it is used for vanishing bad odor in the room.
Flood extractor: it is used for sucking water from wet carpet.
Air Blower: it is used for drying wet carpet
Combo bucket and Wringer: it is used for moping the floor
Broom.
Wipe dry floor squeegee
Bottle sprayer
Toilet bowl brush
Lamb wool duster
Window squeegee
Scrub, brush, and cleaning towel

CLEANING METHOD AND PROCEDURES

After knowing equipment and tools that being used for cleaning, generally we use the following procedures and method:

Dusting
The purpose of this action is to remove small dust or particles from the surface of the object to create cleaner environment. We use dustpan or short-handled receptacle into which dust can be swept.
Sweeping
This is a process of passing a broom over an area to collect debris or dirt.
Bonneting
It means cleaning carpet using a cloth pad and rotary machine for heavy stain.
Cleaning
The purpose of this activity is to make objects unsoiled by removing dirt or stain or contaminating matter.
Scrubbing
It means cleaning object by using an abrasive action, manually using scrubber or machine. If this method used by mistake it could damage the object.
Blotting
The processes of drying or soaking up/removing the spot/stain using an absorbent material (clean rag). Spray the chemical to the spot and tamping the spot using carpet spotting brush to inject the chemical into the surface and blot with a clean rag. The dirt will transfer to the rag.
Buffing
It means to shine hard surface using rotary machine and soft buffing pad without using chemical or water.
Wiping
It means rubbing dirty surface with rag or paper.
Disinfecting
The act of killing germs or bacteria by using chemical and spray to the object and let it sit for at least 6 minutes to kill most of the germs and bacteria.
Sanitizing
Freeing any object from possible health effect by using sanitizer. This is the final act after washing and rinsing.
Vacuuming
Removing dirt and dust by passing an electric sweeper machine that has suction power to pick up and collect dirt for disposal

TYPES OF ROOMS AND FEATURE
1. Standard room
  Common guest room equipped with single, double, or twin bed with bathroom or shower.

Single Bedded Room
Room features with a single bed for one person.
Double Bedded Room
A bed room that is furnished with one bed for two persons
Twin Bedded Room
A bed room features with two beds for two persons

Superior Room
It is same with standard room but bigger in its size
Family room
Large superior room and an additional bathroom
Studio Room
Single bedded room that function as additional bed
Junior suite
A room with luxurious furniture and equipment, usually also has a sitting room
Suite room
Two junior suites with separates sitting room, dining room, and kitchenette
President Suite
Two or more suite room equipped with a kitchenette and additional facilities.
Penthouse suite
Large two or more president suites plus other luxurious facilities
Single studio room
Single bedded room with sofa with function as additional bed
Connecting room
Two rooms which are next to each other and connected with a connection door
Adjoining room
Two rooms which are next to each other but not connected with a connection door
Cabin or Stateroom
Terms for a guest room on cruise line.

Types of cabin that usually used onboard cruise ship are standard room, junior suite, suite, and penthouse. Regarding the explanation about type of rooms above, we have a conclusion that the different between each type of room are facilities, price, and services.

These are the room's features in general:

Wardrobe or closet : guest usually put their small luggage and clothes in here
Wardrobe lamp: Lamp inside the closet.
Desk
chair/sofa
arm chair
mirror
drawer
dressing table & chair
night table: guest usually put pen and note also phone
night table lamp: guest usually turn this lamp on during night before sleeping to read something
ceiling lamp
wall mount lamp/bed light
TV set and CD/DVD Player
Phone
Refrigerator
Safety deposit box
directory book
Privacy sign
Bed: Head Board, mattress, bed pad, bed sheet, blanket, pillow, pillow case, bed cover.

BATHROOM'S FIXTURES AND GUEST AMENITIES

Bathroom fixtures:

Bath Tub with bath up plug and chains and bath mat
wash basin sink and shelve
shower: shower head, shower hose, shower hold, soap dish
toilet: toilet bowl, toilet bowl seat, toilet bowl cover, flush button, toilet paper holder, toilet paper
Bathroom curtain hook with curtain and liner.
clothes line
towel rack for bath towel, hand towel, and face towel
Rubbish bin, medical bin on request.
vanity dispenser for facial tissue
hand holder
medical cabinet
dressing mirror with hair dryer in cabinet
Amenities : toilet paper, facial tissue, shower cap, shampoo, conditioner, bath soap, bath foam, body lotion, ashtray, glass, glass cover, mending kit, cotton bud, sanitary bag.

STEPS OF MAKING BED AND CLEANING BATHROOM

Enter the stateroom
Look for the correct cabin number on the doors and check for privacy sign. Knock on door, with knuckles, three times and say "housekeeping"[do not use key] then wait 3 seconds for guest for respond, if there is no respond knock again[3 times]. Insert key/card in lock and open the door slowly, about 15 cm/6 inch and say "good morning/afternoon/evening Housekeeping" before entering the cabin. Open door completely and place rubber stopper below the door then enter the room. If the bathroom door is closed, knock on bathroom door and say "housekeeping", check bathroom turn the lights on, open drapes and curtain completely (day time service). Check room temperature to ensure that it works properly. Do not adjust the thermostat because it could be adjusted by the guest. Bring cleaning bucket and vacuum into cabin and place bucket into bathroom floor.
Remove soiled linen and trash
Check for room service trays, dirty glasses, dishes, cutleries, etc. Remove and replace bathroom glasses and spray sink and bath up using proper chemical (stated on MSDS or label on chemical bottle sprayer) prior to removal from stateroom. Make sure to put room service tray at pantry or designated area. Look around the room and pick trash put into the rubbish bin, don't put hand in the bin. Check closet and remove excess hangers and make sure that there's no trash or dirt inside the closet. Check drawers and put items belong to the drawers (directory book, ship's magazine, room service menu, etc) and check under the bed to ensure there's no trash on the carpet/floor. During debarkation, check guest's personal items if there's any then report it to Front Desk for lost and found purpose immediately. For smoking room, check the ashtray and dump the trash to the rubbish bin. Don't put cigarette bud directly to the rubbish bin without checking it to prevent fire. Take all the trash from the stateroom to the trolley or station and put it to the trash can. Collect and remove all soiled linen or towels in proper bag (usually blue soiled linen bag for soiled linen/towels, and yellow linen bag for stain/damage linen/towels).
Strips the bed linens
Ensure that guest's belonging aren't hidden or mixed by shaking the sheet before removing it. Remove and fold the bed cover and place it on sofa or chair (do not place it on the carpet/floor), remove pillow cases from pillows and place pillows on sofa or chair then remove all sheet and place it on proper bag ( usually white soiled linen bag). Check mattress pad for stain and replace if necessary and check under mattress as well. Remove soiled linen bag and place it in station or trolley.
Cleaning the bathroom
Spray proper cleaning chemical to clean the bath tub, shower surfaces, shower head, and exterior of toilet bowl. Let the chemical works for at least 6 minutes, then clean bath up with rag for light cleaning or hand brush for deep cleaning, then spray with sanitizer and wipe it with clean rag. Squirt Enzymatic (chemical for toilet with sanitizer) into toilet bowl, under the rim, let it sit for a moment, brush it, and flush. Ensure that under toilet bowl is cleaned by using proper chemical wipe/mop it then sanitize it. Make sure to put chemical sprayer in the bucket to avoid staining the carpet/floor. Clean the mirror using glass cleaner chemical by spray it then wipe it with dry clean rag. For cleaning balcony windows or porthole, use hot water first, dry t quickly, then spray with glass cleaner and wipe it with dry clean rag.
Clean linen and towels distribution
Distribute necessary bed linen, pillow cases, and towels according to the bed configuration information a guided by supervisor. Place towels on the clean side of the bathroom (in front of the mirror, do not put clean towels on toilet bowl) and place bed linen on the sofa/chair.
Make the bed
Place mattress pad on the bed, secure with elastic corner bands. Place and center first plain sheet on the bed and tuck it at the head of the bed (don't forget to make hospitality fold). Place and center second plain sheet on the bed, with the inside part of the sheet facing up, then place and center blanket at least 30 cm from the top of the bed. Place and center third sheet on top of the blanket, turn back second plain sheet over the blanket and the third sheet then move to the foot of the bed. Straighten first, second, blanket, and third sheet and tuck it all across. Miter or make hospitality fold in every corner. Tuck in side of the bed (includes all sheets and blanket), check bed skirting, and straighten all sides of the bed, then place bed cover. On embarkation day, place luggage mat at the bottom of the bed on top of the bed cover. Tools required for twin and king size are:

TWIN BEDS	KING BED
2 twin size mattress pad	1 king size mattress pad
2 twin size white sateen stripe sheet as top sheet	1 king size white sateen stripe sheet as top sheet
2 twin size blanket	1 king size blanket
4 twin plain white sheet	2 king plain white sheet
4 standard pillow protector	4 standard pillow protector
4 standard pillow cases (white sateen stripe)	4 standard pillow cases (white sateen stripe)
4 standard pillows	4 standard pillows
2 bed covers	1 bed covers
2 luggage mat during embarkation day only	2 luggage mat during embarkation day only

Cleaning the bathroom
Put dirty towels in proper linen bag and trash into the rubbish bin to the station or trolley. Clean bath tub and shower using proper chemical completely (edges, chrome, soap dish, towel rack, and wall). Dry shower curtains, shower wall, and shower hose. Clean inside the toilet bowl using toilet brush, clean under the toilet seat and cover, under the toilet bowl, with proper chemical. Clean medicine cabinet and clean the mirror using hot water and wipe dry with clean rag and make sure no watermarks. Clean washbasin, faucet/tap, under washbasin and dry it completely. Clean floor by using vacuum cleaner then mop it until dry. Replenish amenities such as shampoo, soap, conditioner, body lotion, shower cap, cotton bud, facial tissue, toilet tissue, and toilet paper. Replace and supply required towels and bathrobe. During embarkation day, all of the towels should be replaced and amenities should be completed. Give a final look and double check and make sure that the stateroom meets company's expectation and standard.
Cleaning the room
Dust and wipe ceiling, walls, artwork, doors and frames, light fixtures (wall sconces, lamps and lampshades), mirror, TV (behind and top), sanitize all table's surfaces and dresser tops with sanitizer (virox5), upholstered furniture (under cushions, closet, shelves), sanitize TV remote control and telephone handle with sanitizer (virox5), and vacuum the carpet floor.
Supply Stateroom Supplies
Check inside the stationary folder and complete it with writing paper, envelopes, postcards, and pen. Ensure there are laundry list, laundry bags, shoeshine basket liner and hangers inside the closet.
Deliveries
Daily program delivered to the guest folder (outside of the guest's room) every night for the next day, shorex forms delivered at noon, shop onboard flyers at noon, fax/email/letter at any time as received, and give order upon request.
Report maintenance concern (thermostat not working properly, toilet flush doesn't work, etc) to the housekeeping supervisor if there's any immediately to avoid guest's complain.

TURN DOWN SERVICE

Turn down service is a service that is given by a Lead Steward in the evening to open the bed (fold the bed cover and put into the drawers under the bed), make the room tidy and replenish amenities needed. The services that usually given are opening the bed cover, close the curtain, put a good night card and chocolate, put daily program and breakfast card, check stationary folder (envelope, postcard, etc), fill the ice bucket, vacuuming the room, clean the bathroom, and replenish bathroom amenities and towels.

HOUSEKEEPING SUMARY

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Housekeeping Department is one of the hotel departments in a hotel or cruise ship which has responsibility to maintain the cleanliness, tidiness, and completeness' of guestrooms, public area, and crew area. Guest satisfactory is the major concern in hospitality business. By providing an outstanding service to complete guest's satisfaction Housekeeping department hold the key of the business by providing excellent service of the guestrooms and well maintained the cleanliness of public areas so the guests feel comfortable and enjoy the cruise.

A surface is the outer part of an object. There are two types of surface. Hard surface: cement, ceramic, marble, Formica, vinyl, porcelain, steel, wood. Soft: fabric, carpet, fiber, blanket, curtain, leather, walk off mat.
Types of cabin that usually used onboard cruise ship are standard room, junior suite, suite, and penthouse. The differences between each type of room are facilities, price, and services.
Sequence of cleaning room

Enter the Stateroom
Remove Soiled linen and Trash
Strip all beds
Prepping bathroom
Distribute clean linen
Make the bad
Clean the bathroom
Cleaning the room (wipe the mirror, dusting and vacuuming)
Provide stateroom supplies and amenities
Deliveries (i.e. gift, fax, e-mail, letter)
Double check the room and bathroom
Report/note maintenance concern

Make the bed
Place mattress pad on the bed, secure with elastic corner bands. Place and center first plain sheet on the bed and tuck it at the head of the bed and make miter in every corner. Place and center second plain sheet on the bed, with the inside part of the sheet facing up, then place and center blanket at least 8 inches from the top of the bed. Place and center third sheet on top of the blanket, turn back second plain sheet over the blanket and the third sheet then move to the foot of the bed. Straighten first sheet, second sheet, blanket, and third sheet and tuck it in all across. Miter the corners. Tuck in side of the bed (includes all sheets and blanket), check bed skirt, and straighten all sides of the bed, then place bed cover.
Cleaning the bathroom
Put dirty towels in proper linen bag and trash into the rubbish bin to the station or trolley. Clean bathtub and shower using proper chemical completely (edges, chrome, soap dish, towel rack, and wall). Dry shower curtains, shower wall, and shower hose. Clean inside the toilet bowl using toilet brush, clean under the toilet seat and cover, and under the toilet bowl with proper chemical. Clean medicine cabinet, clean the mirror using hot water, wipe dry with clean rag, and make sure no watermarks. Clean washbasin, faucet/tap, under washbasin and dry it completely. Clean the bathroom floor by mopping it, and then dry it completely. Replenish amenities such as shampoo, soap, conditioner, body lotion, shower cap, cotton bud, facial tissue, toilet tissue, and toilet paper. Replace and supply required towels and bathrobe (if applicable). Give a final look and double check.
Cleaning the bath tub
Spray proper chemical (all-purpose cleaner) to the bathtub and rubber mat. Scrub bathtub and rubber mat using hand brush. Remove and clean the drain trap (drain stopper). Rinse bathtub and rubber mat, and then dry it completely. Clean soap dish using a damp cloth. Clean the curtain (both sides) and ensure there is no mildew on it. Wipe bathtub, shower curtain, shower fixture and chrome. Put the showerhead in a correct position. Put the rubber mat and bath math on the edge of the bathtub. Ensure that the shower curtain position is at the center of the bath up.
Cleaning the washbasin
Run some warm water into the sink. Spray the correct chemical (all-purpose cleaner). Spray the mirror with glass cleaner then wipe it. Clean the countertop area of the vanity. Clean the sink, remove drain stopper, and then polish it (sink, faucet, vanity/counter top) with rag.
Handling guest's complaint
- Listen carefully for the complain. It's important to show that you are giving full attention to the guest.
- Don't interrupt. Interuption will cause the guest to speak louder and longer
- Wait until the guest completely finished talking. Before saying anything, make sure that the guest has completely finished talking and not just resuming for breath.
- Apologize. A short clear apology should be the first thing you offer to the guest. This must come before any explainations or reason
- Speak normally. Don't let your voice rise to match the guest's voice. This will generate more arguments.
- Summarize the complaints. Summarize the points of the guest's complain and ensure that you are understand about it to avoid miscommunication and misunderstanding in solving the guest's complain.
- Explain what action will be taken, and how quick to solve it. Ensure that you know what to do to solve the guest's complain and give the guest a definite time.
Laundry is part of housekeeping department that has responsibility to wash and press guest's clothes, management level employee clothes, and all of the linens onboard the ship.
Laundry process begins with checking equipment and tools before and after usage, measuring the capacity of the linen before putting it to the machine, stain treatment, proper loading linen to the washer, follow the instruction (CATT process-Chemical, Action, Time, Temperature), productivity and working ethic, measuring dryer loading accordingly, unloading linen from the washer and dryer, flat iron operation, linen press & folding machine operation, quality assurance/control, linen trap cleaning, general laundry cleaning, and clean linen store and daily distribution timing.

COMMON MISTAKES IN ENGLISH

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Sometimes when we write something in English, we make some mistake. Indonesian people make certain mistake by translating Indonesian language into English language when they talk to somebody else in English or writing in English about something. It is very easy to analize that mistake by understanding grammar usage. In daily basis, when we talk to somebody, sometimes they don't understand about what we are talking, that could be because we make a mistake. Below exercises are about common mistake in English that we usually make.

Are these sentences correct? Find out the mistakes in each sentence if any, and correct them.

WRONG	RIGHT
I go to work by the train.
From here to Bogor is 40 minutes by bus.(fragment consider revising)
If i'm not wrong he is a hotel manager.
He goes to the Surabaya every month.
If you want come to Bali you must to tell your mother first.
I've been there three years ago.
He has ever worked in a hotel from 1988 to 1993.
When i got to this house he is watching TV.
He went to the supermarket for buying some food.
I told to Hamid to came early.
She goes to shopping every two days.
Taman Mini is 25 kilometers away from here.
You can go to there by foot.
I had breakfast was fried rice and coffee.
He has lunch with chicken every day.
Please wait here. I'll come back ten minutes again.
My uncle is living in Jakarta for ten years.
Mario and Joko has forgotten his jackets.
How many is your number cabin?
He asked to me to help him.
They want to job on board cruise ship.
Please don't late again. You are already late three times this month.
She is boring of studying English.
He is still interrogation by the police.
Who does that suitcase belong to?
I have seen that film about six months ago.
Would you like having dinner with us tonight?
Please bring the dirty linen to the laundry.
What is the population in Jakarta? There are more eight million people living in Jakarta.
What is your father like? He likes hamburger and spaghetti.

GREETINGS AND PARTINGS

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Greetings and partings are part of basic conversation that people should know and understand. When the first time people meet each other they're always do greeting, as well as when they're leaving, they do partings. In daily basis we always greet people we meet by saying " good morning or Hi, etc." To make it easier, below are example of the greetings and partings.

Read and practice these phrases

GREETINGS RESPONSES

Good morning/Afternoon/Evening - Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening

How nice to see you? - Nice to see you too
Hello Vina! - Hello Shila
How are you? - Fine, thanks. And you?
Hi, Brigita - Hi, Restu
How have you been? - Pretty good
What's happening?/What's up? - Not much
What's new? - Nothing.
How are you doing? - Ok / Not bad
Long time, no see - Yeah

PRECLOSINGS RESPONSES
Well, i'm afraid i have to go - Thank you for coming
Well, it's getting late - Maybe we can talk again
Maybe we could get together sometimes - Sounds good
Great seeing you - Same here
I've really got to (gotta) go - Ok, see you (ya)

SAYING FAREWELL RESPONSES
Until the next time … - Good bye
Good bye Restu - Bye Dodo K
Good Night Brigit - Good night Vina
Have a nice weekend - You too.
Talk to you later (ttyl) - Bye. Take it easy
See you later - So long, take care

PAIRS INTRODUCTION, TALKING ABOUT HOBBIES

Study this conversation!

Brigita: Do you like dancing?
Restu: Yes, i do. I like it very much.
Brigita: What kinds of dance do you like most?
Restu: Well, i like ballet other than traditional Indonesian dance.
Brigita: Oh really, that's awesome. Perhaps you can teach me someday.
Restu: Sure, that'll be cool.
Shila: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Vina: I like doing many things. I like going to movies, cooking, and especially i love shopping very
much.
Shila: Do you? I don't like it at all indeed.

LIKES
I like/enjoy/love …… (noun/Verb-ing)
I am keen on/ fond of …. (Verb-ing)
I am crazy about ….. (noun/Verb-ing)

DISLIKES
I dislike … (noun/Verb-ing)
I don't like/enjoy/love … (noun/Verb-ing)
I am not keen on/ fond of …. (Verb-ing)
I am sick of ….. (noun/Verb-ing)

PREFERENCES
I prefer (noun/Verb-ing) to (noun/Verb-ing)
I prefer New York Sirloin Steak to Pork Chop.
I like (noun/verb-ing) better than (noun/verb-ing)
I like …. more than ……
I like my bicycle more than my laptop

Agreeing and disagreeing with someone's else
I'm crazy about rock music.
I really love basketball.

Are you? I am too.	Do you? I do too
Really? So am i	So do i
Really? Me too	Do you? Me too
I like it, too	I like it, too
Are you? I'm not	Do you? I don't
Really? I don't like it at all. Infact, i hate it.	Really? I don't like it very much

Agreeing and disagreeing with someone's dislike

I don't like Nickelback very much.

I can't stand Plain White T's.

No, neither do i	No, i can't either
I don't either	Neither can i
You don't? I like them ('em) a lot	You can't? I do like them ('em)
Do you? I think they're Ok	Really? I think they're the best.
…	…
…	…

Answer these questions.

Do you like music? - Do you like watching movie?
What kind of music do you like? - What's your favorite movie?
How do you like it? - Could you tell me about your hobbies?

ARTICLES

2009-06-07T20:14:00.001-07:00

When do we use THE?

THE is used before nouns. THE is used if:

Both the speaker and listener already know what the noun is.

I hear that the radar is faulty". " Yes, there's a problem with the screen.

The speaker is talking about a particular/special places.

She's going to the hospital for an X-ray. Please buy me some stamps in the post office. Shall we go to the cinema tonight?

The noun has been referred to/metioned

There's a TV in the corner of the class. The TV is used for video class. There's a money changer near our school. The money changer is open daily.

The noun is unique ( there's only one)

The Captain will announce who employee of the month is?

The noun is a specific place

The Kremlin, The Taj Mahal, The Borobudur temple, The Moler, etc.

The noun is a feature of the physical environment

There's going to be a storm, the sea is getting rough and the sky is very black.

A country name contains a plural noun

The United States of America, The West Indies, The Salomon Islands, The Philipines.

The noun is a type of musical Instrument

"Can you play the piano?" " No, but i can play the guitar quite well."

A superlative adjective is used to describe the noun

"This is the most modern vessel i've ever seen." "Yes, and it's the newest in the fleet."

The speaker is referring to many people as one group

The Chinese are hard workers. The crew are all from Polland. The coastguard is concerned about the accident.

"THE"= DEFINING ARTICLE (TEGAS)

When do we use A/AN?

To talk about jobs in general

Brigitta is a seafarer and her boyfriend is a teacher.

With single countable nouns

Can i have a cup of coffee and a glass of iced tea, please?

When the speaker refers to the noun for the first time

Is there a marine college in your town? There's an Indonesian restaurant in Vancouver.

Before group numbers (a million, a dozen, a hundred) and before quarter and half

We have a dozen boxes to send. The heaviest box weighs ten and a half pounds.

When it means the same as per

The Police caught him driving at ninety miles an hour. Gasoline is $1, 65 a gallon.

To describe one of many objects when it's not important which one

If you're hungry, just help yourself with an apple or a banana.

NOTES: *. AN is used for nouns beginning with vowel sound, such as: an apple, an X-ray, an angel, etc

*. A is used for nouns beginning with consonant/y-sound, such as: a ship, a union, a book, etc.

We don't use any articles (a, an, the) if:

The noun is uncountable (instead some or any is used)

"Do we have any juice in the fridge?" "No, i need to buy some juice and some tea."
The noun is general or plural

He doesn't like pop music. The children are afraid of spiders.
The noun is abstract

All you need is love. Not everyone likes poetry but most people like art.
The noun is a proper name (except in the case of rivers, seas, oceans and areas)

Vina is from Sragen. My birthday is on May 18. We're going away in December.
The noun refers to transport in a general sense.

They're coming by bus. Does your sister get to work by subway?
The noun refers to a place which is a type of institution. This is only in general sense when it's not important to know the particular place.

Do you go to church every Sunday? Dodo is in jail now. They graduated from college last year. I want to visit him in hospital.
The noun already has a determiner

That's my bag on the chair. Do you know his address?

Body Language

2009-06-07T19:58:00.001-07:00

We can all remember a time when we saw a friend or loved one who seemed upset. When we asked what was wrong, we were greeted with teary eyes, and a scrunched up face, and a cheerful "Nothing, I'm fine." Clearly, our actions speak louder than our words, and our body language conveys messages that are more believable than we say. Your ability to read your customer's body language, and project your own in a way that we say: "I'm here to help." is one of the least expensive and most powerful skills you have. Some of the primary aspects of body language are:

EYE CONTACT

Eye contact is one of the most powerful of all body language skills. It shows whether you are interested, receptive, and attentive to what someone is saying. Eye contact allows you to listen to customer's feelings as well as their words. Effective eye contact is achieved by putting a soft focus on what you are doing, make eye contact by focusing on the whole face, not just the eyes. As the conversation moves on, look away from time to time to avoid giving the impression you are staring.
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

Your facial expression is like a billboard that lets everyone around you know if you are happy, sad, excited, and so on. Be careful not to let the stresses of the show on your face. Make sure your facial expression sets a positive tone before you even begin speaking. A relaxed or pleasant expression is the ideal most of the time. However, when customers are concerned or upset, you need to adjust your facial expression to suit their state of mind.
BODY POSTURE

Body posture – and body movement in particular – show your energy level and interest in what customer is saying. You can tell when people impatient or want to end the conversation by some simple body language clues such as:

Leaning back or stepping back
Pushing away from their desk or table
Gathering up papers
Looking at their watches repeatedly

To show that you are intently listening to and interested in a conversation with your customer, do the following: Nod, face the customer and lean forward.

A WORLD GUIDE TO GOOD MANNERS

2009-06-07T19:56:00.001-07:00

HOW NOT TO BEHAVE BADLY ABROAD

by NORMAN RAMSHAW

Travelling to all corners of the world gets easier and easier. We live in a global village, but how well do we know and understand each other? Here is a simple test. Imagine you have arranged a meeting at four o'clock. What time should you expect your foreign business colleagues to arrive? If they're German, they'll bang on time. If they're American, they'll probably be 15 minutes early. If they're British, they'll be 15 minutes late, and you should allow up to an hour for the Italians.

When European Community began to increase in size, several guidebooks appeared giving advice on international etiquette. At first, many people thought this was a joke, especially the British, who seemed to assume that the widespread understanding of their language meant a corresponding understanding of English customs. Very soon, they had to change their ideas, as they realized that they had a lot to learn about how to behave with their foreign business friends. For example:

The British are happy to have a business lunch and discuss business matters with a drink during the meal; the Japanese prefer not to work while eating. Lunch is a time to relax and get to know one another, and they rarely drink at lunchtime.
The Germans like to talk business before dinner, the French like to eat first and talk afterwards. They have to be well fed and watered before they discuss anything.
Taking off your jacket and rolling up your sleeves is a sign of getting down working in Britain and Holland, but in Germany, people regard it as taking it easy.
American executives sometimes signal their feelings of ease and importance in their offices by putting their feet on the desk while on the telephone. In Japan, people would be shocked. Showing the soles of your feet is the height of bad manners. It is a social insult only exceeded by blowing your nose in public.

The Japanese have perhaps the strictest rules of social and business behaviors. Seniority is very important, and a younger man should never been sent to complete a business deal with an older Japanese man. The Japanese business card almost needs a rulebook of its own. You must exchange business cards immediately on meeting because it is essential to establish everyone's status and position. When it is handed to a person in a superior position, it must be given and received with both hands, and you must take time to read it carefully, and not just put it in your pocket! In addition, the bow is a very important part of greeting someone. You should not expect the Japanese to shake hands. Bowing the head is a mark of respect and the first bow of the day should be lower than when you meet again.

The Americans sometimes find it difficult to accept the more formal Japanese manners. They prefer to be more casual and more informal, as illustrated by the universal saying "Have a nice day!" American waiters have a one-word imperative "Enjoy" The British of course, are cool and reserved. The great topic of conversation between strangers in Britain is the weather – unemotional and impersonal. In America, the main topic between strangers is the search to find a geographic link. "Oh really? You live in Ohio? I had an uncle who once worked there."

"WHEN IN ROME, DO AS THE ROMANS DO."
Here are some final tips for travelers.

In France, you shouldn't sit down in a café until you've shaken hands with everyone you know.
In Afghanistan you should spend at least five minutes saying hello
In Pakistan, you shouldn't wink. It is considered offensive and rude.
In the Middle East, you must never use the left hand for greeting, eating, drinking, or smoking. In addition, you should take care not to admire anything in your host's home. They will feel that they have to give it to you.
In Russia, you must match the hosts drink for drink or they will think that you are unfriendly.
In Thailand, you should clasp your hands together and lower your head and your eyes when you greet someone.
In America you should eat your hamburger with both hands and as quick as possible. You shouldn't try to have a conversation until it is eaten.

Simple Introduction in English

2009-06-06T08:07:00.001-07:00

Introduction is very important in learning English. We should able to express our self to somebody else in good manner. Even though introduction usually based or depends on culture of somebody's country, but most of people do introduce themselves in a very first time meeting each other.

Self-Introduction

FORMAL
Introduction Response

I'd like to introduce myself. My name is………. - It's pleasure to meet you ….
May i introduce myself? I'm ……….. - Nice to meet you
Excuse me, my name's ………….. - Glad to meet you

INFORMAL
Introduction Response

Have we met before? My name's ….. - (I'm) Glad to meet you
I don't think we've met before. My name's ………… - (I'm) Happy to meet you

Asking somebody else name

What is your complete name?
What is your nickname?
How do you spell your nickname?
Where and when were you born?
How old are you?
Where are you from? / Where do you come from?
Where do you live?

Introducing others

*Introducer*	*Response A*	*Response B*
I'd like to introduce Brigita	How do you do	How do you do
I'd like to introduce Restu	Glad to meet you	The pleasure is mine
I'd like you to meet Vina	Nice to meet you	Nice to meet you too
I want to introduce Dodo K to you	Pleased to meet you	Me too
This is Shila	Hi	Hi

SPELL YOUR NAME

A (ei) H (eich) O (ow) V (vi)

B (bi) I (ai) P (pi) W (double yu)

C (si) J (jei) Q (kyu) X (eks)

D (di) K (kei) R (a:) Y (wai)

E (i) L (el) S (es) Z (zed) British

F (ef) M (em) T (ti) (zi) American

G (jie) N (en) U (yu)

TENSES REVIEW

2009-06-06T07:07:00.001-07:00

Tenses are basic knowledge in English that everyone should know and understand. It is about pattern to define time of the sentence happening. Basically, English language using different pattern for past, present, and future. The major difference can be easily found on verb pattern within the sentence and adverb (explaining about time). I'll try to explain more about it with simple explanation and example as well. You can learn tenses by yourself by learning more about Verb-1(present), Verb-2(past) including irregular verbs, and Verb-3(perfect).

Traditionally, tenses divided into 3 groups: Present, Past, and Future.

*Past*	*Present*	*Future*
Past tense	Present tense	Future (present future) tense
Past continuous tense	Present continuous tense	Future continuous tense
Past Perfect Tense	Present Perfect Tense	Future Perfect Tense
Past perfect continuous tense	Present perfect continuous tens	Future perfect continuous tens

As you see on the future column that there is a present future tense, so there will be past future tense as well, which could divided into:

Future

Past Future (present future) tense

Past Future continuous tense

Past Future Perfect Tense

Future perfect continuous tens

PRESENT TENSE:

It means sentences that show/state:

universal statement/happening

Examples: The moon goes around the sun

There are seven days within one week

Now ( which is not being done )

Examples: He is my teacher.

His House is in front of mine

Habits that being done now

Examples: He works in the office

He comes to my house every Sunday.

Statement

Examples: She likes reading the novel

He knows the matter.

He is lazy.

Note:

Verbs that are used are Verb-1, to be that are used: is, am, and are depends on the subject.

PAST TENSE:

It means sentences that show/state about things that happened in the past (yesterday, this morning, last week, etc).

It used for stating habits in the past and activity in the past

Examples:

He met the girl at the cinema two days ago.

She wrote the letter and sent it to John.

When i was a boy, i usually went to school on foot.

He often came to my house last year.

Note:

Verbs that are used are Verb-2, to be that are used: was and were depends on the subject.

PRESENT FUTURE TENSE:

It means sentences that show/state things and activity that will be happen in the future.

The pattern will be:

Noun: He will be a teacher

Will + (Be) + Adjective: She will be happy.

Adverb: He will be in the office this afternoon.

Verb: They will visit us next month.

PAST FUTURE TENSE:

It means sentences that show/state future that is used in the past form.

The pattern will be:

S+V2+ that/whether+ S+ would+ be +

Example: She said that he would be here

She said that she would be unhappy if i didn't give it to her.

Building Self Esteem & Be Self-Motivated

2009-05-30T07:26:00.001-07:00

Sometimes we feel that we are not able to compete with others in something, such as a job or ability. Sometimes many people are frustrated after seeing the success of someone who is actually the person is able to do the same. Finally emerge the self-confidence crisis. Of course very important to know that, we should love ourselves with any situation that will further increase our confidence to fight and move on in life. Indeed, we need to realize that it is easy in theory but disclose the practice sometimes difficult to manifest. In addition, we must realize ourselves on our ability, to become confident, we also need self-introspection. Aware of the capability, a lot of socializing, and of course love our self (not necessarily over-narcist). Get to know yourself well will take you on a different condition, which ultimately makes us able to measure the unique capability that we bring in a positive way. Of course everyone has their unique, both in the style of thinking, determining something, and in the interpretation of a case. Believe in our capacity is very important in socializing with others so we would not be trapped and not be skeptical. Pretend to know about a matter that we do not actually understood will be the Boomerang to our own. It will be more wise to ask when we do not understand or know about the matter. Speak up is not to make us look stupid, but more positively convince us that we understand it correctly. Be positive thinking will bring a case in point where we all look so good. Feeling comfortable, relax, and positive thinking which supported by perfect personality will lead us to get more confident. Of course, it should be support with a good personal Hygiene, good appearance, and positive attitude. There are habits in Indonesian society that restrain the freedom of their children in creativity and determine the choice of life. By not allowing, their children to do something that parent think not too good to do will make their children feel uncomfortable which lead to unconfident and frustrated feelings. Giving doctrine to children about certain case/attitude will not make someone become confidence. Giving the freedom to children with responsible will help them to be more creative in all things and give them motivation to change for better life and future.

Many articles about how to motivate themselves with the attitude and positive thought patterns, such as:
‡. The future is in your own hands; you should pursue and reach it by yourself.
‡. What happens at present is the result of what we thought in the past.

‡. Dream is the fact that delayed, sometimes the reality of the results obtained from what we
dream in the past.

Moreover, of course there are many more words, which we realized or not happened in our lives. What will happen in our lives in the future depending on what we plan. Many people whom success sometimes they are not sure of what they actually wanted. When we were in elementary school, teachers ask us about our future occupancy. Some of them wanting to be a doctor, pilot, engineer, and architect, for government (may be members of parliament /president). Indeed, that people who have future plan for their life will be better than people who do not have plan at all, although sometimes what we planned before not become reality. The point is what you expect, dreamed of, plan, and desired, are the initial step that indicates which direction and what will you do to achieve your desires/goal. You should think positively with all of your dreams without you have to be hurry in finding out how to manifest that. Because your dream or hope, are part of the prayer to God that might not being manifest today, tomorrow, but may be in the next 2 or 5 years. It is up to what you believe, lots people prove that and you can do it for yourself. What will happen in the future depends on what you are doing today and idea that you want to manifest. There are a thousand way to get to Rome. Talking about jobs, sometimes graduated people difficult to get a job. In Indonesia, getting jobs are not that easy, the chance is so difficult to get. The solution is to sell all graduated people to work overseas. That is our ability to sell to foreign countries. The problem is only one, how to do that?
How do we prepare ourselves to be able to compete with foreign countries in getting jobs in global market jobs? It's not always be USA, but could be in Europe or other countries. Although working in the USA sometimes easier than other countries to get (seaman, hotel jobs, constructions, manufacture, etc), but in fact there are many other jobs in other countries available. Searching jobs that match with our capabilities can be done easily through the internet. Mentalities as Indonesian people should be developed by individuals who able to solve the problem without creating problems. Working overseas is not easy, posses strong ability in foreign language skills, the ability to interact with local people, also professional personal skill ability are parts that must be prepared. To become professional, each individual should be well educated. Global competition in getting jobs internationally becomes our challenge to reach better life in future. We should realize that our education take important role in getting a job. It sounds strange when a person who graduated from engineering working in hospital as nurse in hospital. Choosing university and majority in college are important to determine someone's future. Too many choices sometimes confuse us and make stupid decision that will not benefit us in the future or out of track of what we are planning in the future. Believe in our capability is the golden key to successfully achieve our future. Many Indonesian parents want their children to become a postgraduate as part of the prestige in their community. It become wrong perception that the children think that the important thing is to be graduated, about a job it will follow, and the results most of them got a job that they don't really like or matching their educational backgrounds. As we know whatever job we do, it depends on what we have learned. Skeptical also sometimes occur in Indonesian society, even though somebody has graduated, but still they hard to get a job. Most of graduate people who hard to get a job are determined by several factors, which are low in GPA and cannot compete, minimum ability, attitude, and failed during the interview. Be great person with great personality and capability will lead us to brightest future.

ONE THING YOU SHOULD KNOW

2009-05-27T06:00:00.001-07:00

Talking about globalization sometimes make us feel like 'life's so fast, just like Speedy Gonzales'. There are so many issues about the impact of globalization. Internet has become one of the technology that facilitate the way to speed that up. People need information about everything and anything immediately, no matter where you are, who you are, as long as you can access internet, you'll get the news, sometimes it's a breaking news. With so many social networking, people can communicate so easily to talk about some issues. Internet has change the world, so that people now always to think outside the box. People hunger of information, they always want to know what's goin' on now in the world, stock market, or kinda other important matters to come. Developing country seems to be way too far to accept that. Indonesia consist about more than 200 million people and most of them are doing farming in traditional way. The power of change among them are so low, it just because of "I can't speak English Language." or " I've never learnt about English." That just part of it. Most of Indonesian people wanting their son or daughter to work as official government, military, or working in factory with basic wage that sometimes it's not enough for living. Moderate people who rich enough send their children overseas to get more education. Corruption, nepotism, and collusion have made Indonesian people suffered in poverty. The system has never been changed since reformation began in 1998, what a shame country. Many people who work for government are still doing corruption, lots of public facilities are being ignore, and there're lots of disaster happened caused by government ignorance. If only there's a "Satria Piningit" that would be awesome. People are waiting for a change.

As a matter of fact, i dedicate this site to encourage Indonesian people to move forward for better life. There are tons of jobs overseas not only for engineering, medical personnel, hospitality industry, but also for all field of education background. There must be lots of Indonesian people who want to learn about English Language to get a jobs overseas. Our staff are expertise people in Cruise line industry. We are born to help Indonesian people who wants to work onboard cruise line in a very fast way. With our office based in Yogyakarta, we wanna meet and discuss about your future plan with us. For your better life, for better future. Come join us!