There’s been a lot of roaming.

Hello hello!

And so here we have it, the last two weeks of my vacation! I miss the ship, I am having a great time on vacation, and overall I realized how much it is needed to just relax and recover. Somehow on the ship you get in to a robot or Energizer bunny mode and don’t realize how hard you have worked until your body forces you to sleep that first night of vacation. Two things I miss most about the ship right now is the weather and the people. My first three weeks of vacation consisted of cold (like freezing cold) temperatures and rain. It was refreshing the first couple of days, but I had really been wanting to ride my bike.

April 26th I got to go to London and see not only some amazing landmarks there, but met up with several of my good friends from the ship! It was fantastic seeing them, going out, and actually enjoying the “real” world with people I was so close with. Staying in Earl’s Court was a great choice and I utilized my favorite website Airbnb.com to rent out an awesome studio apartment for us. We had two good days of weather and used it wisely going to the London Eye, London Bridge, Leicester Square, Buckingham Palace, Covent Garden (saw some great live acts there), and enjoying a few pints here and there. London is really getting in to Olympic mania with countdown signs and souvenirs everywhere! It is truly an awesome city both in daytime and nighttime, I couldn’t believe how clean and organized their “tube” or train stations are. Also, I found two new great loves there one is Sainsbury’s, an awesome supermarket, and the other is Nando’s, which the entire country seems to love, even vegetarians (it’s a chicken place).

Ohio has been good as well, I have now been on a few bike rides and enjoyed places like the North Market, High Street, Easton… The usual staples. I am super impressed with the downtown area right now, Scioto Mile, Scioto Audobon Park, and Columbus Commons all look fantastic! I am sure this summer will be great.

As for New York City, which has been my home most of vacation and will be my port up until September 17th on the cruise ship, I have really found a new love for it. Before I had really only explored Manhattan, going to Brooklyn seemed like a chore. This time around I have found that I love Brooklyn, from Prospect Park to the Botanical Gardens and Dekalb Market… It’s such an awesome place! Also, I got to check out some good shows this vacation, I went to a couple things at Upright Citizens Brigade which were hilarious per usual and as expected, went to see a show my sister works for called Sleep No More again (just WOW), and Peter and the Starcatchers was phenomenal as well! My goal in the next week is to see Once and Newsies.

Everything is in a bit of a rush now as I return to the ship May 23rd! Eek. I need to pack, repack, and repack again. I’m nervous already, wondering about my roommate (I had a bunch of awesome ones last contract), how to organize my cabin, and in general getting back in to the swing of things at work. So that’s your update for now, I’ll hopefully write again before I get back on the ship. My friend Mitch and I are planning to do a video blog once I get back, so stay tuned for that :)

It’s so over

Ciao!

One week ago today I left the ship and boarded a plane for the adventure that is vacation! Six weeks of it for me, as crew members get 4-9 weeks vacation typically. The weirdest thing is that nothing is scheduled now, and I am slowly easing my way in to some sort of routine that I have no need for because by the time I adjust, I will be back on the ship haha. I miss my friends who have become a family, some of whom will not be coming back to the ship but I have no doubt I will see them again.

Right now I am in Ohio, relaxing. Ohio is honestly not an ideal place for a vacation but it’s great to be able to ride my bike, go to the North Market, head up to Clintonville for some thrifting, and see how much the city is growing. I’m excited for it’s future, but I have no plans to return here permanently. Also, seeing my old friends and family has been great. Next week I’ll be back in New York City before I jet off to London which I will definitely be blogging about. A plus to working on the ship is meeting people from all over, so this trip will be a reunion of sorts!

If you are about to or working on the ship, don’t try to plan out every detail of vacation… I mean budget for it and plan outlines such as small trips like mine to London or Disneyworld, but you will not be able to plan out a day by day itinerary. You will be bored, you will miss the ship, and you will sleep for 24 hours straight probably. Just relax and embrace it because you have to realize those 70 or more hour work weeks are waiting for you in just a couple more weeks! Yay! With those work days though, your friends and the sunshine of whatever destination also awaits, bigger yay!

My five and some change months on board were insane and so much fun, I got to do a lot of what I set out to do, most of all, it was all a great way for me to have some personal growth I suppose. Last night I came to the realization that the decision for me to leave the life I had and simply take off to work on a cruise ship was the first decision I made solely on my own… and it may have been the greatest one yet. I’ll be here a few more times before I go back. So until next time, have a magical day!

I can see the light!

44 days left. That’s it, my first contract has come and gone by so freaking fast and I don’t know how it happened. I honestly feel like I have been here for years at this point. I’ve fallen in and out of love and back in love with ship life. The people I am surrounded by are some of the most amazing, some of the weirdest, and the craziest lot of people I have come across and I love every single one of them. We were asked in a meeting the other night who our favorite person to work with was on my team, I named off every single persons individual quality that I love. You have no clue what it will be like when you set foot on the ship, you’re scared, excited, and lost. You may cry when you see your room, scream when you realize you can’t take a shower without the curtain sticking to you, or just ask anyone for a hug who is walking in the corridor after a long day. You’ll freak out because you have no clue how you will learn your job in a week, remember there is always someone to help. After two weeks, you’re dead, you don’t know how your co-workers are balancing 70 hour work weeks and going out at night to socialize, let alone going to the gym or chatting in the mess. After a month, you start to see if you may come back or not, you may even stop getting homesick or making 3 calls a night to your family and friends. People come and go each Saturday, hugs will be abundant, laughs will be nonstop, and the oh-so-often question “will you come back?” is asked to each person leaving about 20 times, renewed contract in hand.
At first, in the mess you may sit with just the folks you came with from Traditions (your first three days of training before the ship), then you’ll find your department… then you’ll find friends from all over. You won’t be lost after a month, maybe two. You won’t spend so much time in the cabin after the first week probably. Little reminders like seeing the sunrise or watching the stars will keep you going, and then as your time winds down, part of you feels scared again. Have you changed? Will your saved money last you all vacation? Where are you going? What do you mean you won’t be working for 6 weeks or 8 weeks? For me, I am going to sleep, I am going to travel to London, Columbus, NYC, Chicago, then back to Orlando again to see the parks and board the ship. I don’t have an itinerary but I know I’ll be going those places. I’ve learned to not take things so seriously,  my job I take very seriously… But if I was serious all the time, I probably wouldn’t be working where I do. I’ll be back for sure, you can’t beat this life, I know some will roll their eyes at it, and I may roll my eyes at this entire thing on a bad day, but I love this. It’s changed me truly for the better, all because of a mouse.
Cozumel today, Bahamas on Friday, Port Canaveral Saturday, then off to St. Maarten, and St. Thomas… This spring I’ll be in Canada, Nassau, New York, and the Bahamas… Next year it’s the Mediterranean. Seriously, if I can travel, have good people around me, and enjoy my job… What more can I ask for?
 
If anyone I worked with the past few months reads this, just thank you and I can’t wait to see you again!

It’s a good life

Hello everyone!

Today I am in beautiful St. Thomas out on the crew deck looking out to the island. It’s breathtaking here today! After a hectic morning clearing the ship with customs I am on break for a few hours and plan to spend it getting a haircut and taking a nap before going back to work then our tropical party this evening for crew.

I’m finally getting in to the cycle of my new role and loving it. It keeps me on my toes but it allows me to really learn about every aspect of ship operations. Every day I get to watch the sun rise and set over the ocean or some tropical destination. It’s something most can only dream of.

Our 2013 ship dates have been announced so for this year we go to NYC from May to September leaving on Canadian and Bahamian cruises, then to Galveston from September to May 2013 for Caribbean cruises, from there we head to Europe on Mediterranean cruises going to Turkey, Spain, Italy, Greece, and even Croatia! I hope to continue to be in my role for these destinations, dealing with the customs agents lets me learn more about local favorites for food and shopping… If only I could learn to speak a foreign language fluently! I spent about ten minutes trying to say 2 o clock in Spanish to a guest the other day.. It was embarrassing to say the least.

Last week we had Aussie Day which my roommate and coworkers hosted! I’m surrounded by Aussies and I love it! The party was great. Tonight is tropical night, then next week I have to say many goodbyes to good friends as they head out on vacation. One of the most difficult parts of being here is always saying goodbye to people, even if you know they will be back in 6 or 8 weeks.

Now then, I hope everyone picked up the February copy of Conde Nast! If you did you will see my ship is listed as number one for large cruise ships and got a 96 for service!!! I am super proud, it’s great to see everyone’s hard work recognized by such a well known magazine. Especially when we are a 15 year old ship beating out the newest one in our fleet (they got number 2 respectfully).

Well, I hope you’re all enjoying winter. I’ll be home in 9 weeks and plan to go to NYC before traveling a bit. I’ll continue to update as much as I can!

Cheers.

Bienvenidos!

Hello to everyone ashore and abroad. Today is a beautiful day in Cozumel and I am enjoying it with friends at a local restaurant called Pancho’s Backyard, eating Mexican food and listening to a mariachi band. It’s quite the experience. I didn’t pack shorts when I came on the ship so I improvised and cut a pair of jeans in to shorts… I’m not used to 80 degree weather (farenheit) in January but I’m also not complaining. Last time we were in Cozumel I ended up just sleeping during my four hour break because I was so upset my favorite food place stopped serving empanadas… Yeah, I really get that upset about food cravings.

We had a late night Key West this past Sunday, so we ended up staying in port until 1:30 AM. I worked in the gangway due to my new role, so I was watching everyone come back in…It was quite entertaining haha. They do late nights in port every so often if we reach a goal as crew members, usually quarterly. Also while in Key West USPH came on board and inspected the entire ship. We got a VERY high score and rumors are now flying around about how we may get rewarded for that feat.

As far as guests go, our past couple cruises seemed fairly quiet, the holidays were great. Our seas have been perfect, almost like glass, so not too much going on in the protein spill department, thank goodness for my friends in Youth Activities.

Also in the rumor mill, we should be hearing what our 2013 itineraries are soon. I know it’s a year away but I can’t wait to hear where we will be! Working on a cruise ship reminds me of the book “Oh the Places You’ll Go” sometimes.

This week marked my first week in the new role on my own. It’s kind of an adjustment honestly, but everyone is very supportive and nice around the ship. Wearing the white officer’s uniform feels so different, but then I realize I’m a one stripe still so I’ve got a ways to go still. My first day in uniform I had so many people coming up and telling me “you look so smart” which had me worried about what I look like out of the uniform, but was later informed it means I look professional or good. Again, the slang barrier has me stumped (i.e. fanny pack is also called a bum bag)… Any who the job is great and certainly stays interesting, it’s not for those who get stressed easily, though nothing in guest services is. So that’s that for now on the move up.

Friday we will be in Castaway Cay, then back on our eastern itinerary next week. I’ve signed up for some Port Adventures, including a dolphin one for next time in Cozumel and a regatta in St. Maarten hopefully next week. These will allow me to work on my tan while gaining product knowledge! In guest services my team is all brand new so we have been really getting pushed to go and explore ports, the ship, the excursions, and anything else that is offered so we know about the guest experience. It’s really helped us to bond, and you can really see the difference in our team from 2 months ago when we were all new to now. It’s good when you have a team that really is passionate and everyone wants to grow while helping each other out. The same goes for our ship as a whole I suppose.

My next post will probably be about ship life again. I hope everyone is staying warm back home and having an excellent winter! Aufedersein!

Working Holidays

Hello to everyone. It’s been a bit since the last update, the holidays have been pretty hectic both on and off board the ship! I must say though, this is probably going to be one my most memorable holiday seasons and for the most part it was a very good Chrismakkuh and New Year’s. There was of course parties, a special dinner for crew members, special movies on the tv (I think I watched Love, Actually 10 times), and…WORK. HARD WORK. In guest services, the work is rarely physically straining but at most times very mentally straining having to understand where a guest is coming from in their complaints or requests, but we make it happen! 70 hours a week, we are there to make the magic apparent to them. Honestly, after the work, the socializing, and the training for my new role (which I officially step in to on Saturday), all I want to do now is hibernate.

For New Year’s there was a NYC themed party hosted by Guest Services and it was great! Before the party myself and some others went to the deck 5 forward area and watched the fireworks at midnight, while we went over our new years resolutions. Then there was another toast at 1 AM our time (midnight EST) to ring in the new year officially. There was probably only one downside to all of the festivities, and that is that certain people forget that you work on the ship. So while it was okay to drink, some took it too far and I suppose they will be handled accordingly. Other than that hiccup, like I said, New Year’s was fantastic!

In other news, training for my new position has been going very well! At first I was a bit overwhelmed and felt like I would never understand what was going on, but the guy who is handing over the position has been doing a great job and this week I have actually been running most of the clearance work for the ship. It’s weird that my every day operation involves talking to people like the Captain and other multiple stripe officers…But it’s pretty cool too. As of right now, like every promotion or “step up” as it is called this assignment will be temporary at first, but there is a good chance that it will be permanent if I do a good job.

 Well, I’m going to get off here and enjoy St. Maarten! Tomorrow will be my first time in Tortola and I hear that it is one of the most stunning places in the world. I’ve been taking a ton of pictures but I need to figure out a reformat of my blog so I can put them up!

Until next time, ciao!

It’s a marathon not a sprint

While standing at the desk a couple nights ago one of my friends made a statement that pretty much explains how time works aboard the ship. They said “a day feels like a week, a week feels like a month, and a month will feel like a year.” it’s so true… And while that makes it sound like time may drag here that’s definitely not true. I like this quote because it explains how quickly you get accustomed to living here and being able to work the hours we do while balancing a personal life. After a week you find your roommate is closer to you than some of your family members and your coworkers who you don’t work with for a day you feel like you haven’t seen in forever, like a long lost colleague. Most jobs are on the job trained and so you may find you are able to train a new person after only having your position for a couple weeks. You really will catch on that fast to things.

Also, in regards to time, you will forget what day it is a lot. I do, I almost forgot today was Christmas eve and I’m surrounded by Christmas decor. This holiday season has honestly been one of the best I’ve had in a long time. Yes, I’m working. But the weather is nice, and I feel like in surrounded by a solid new group of people. We will have a nice Christmas dinner in the mess, Jewish guests and crew have services with a rabbi, sufganiyot, and latkes, and everyone will be happy! I know I am.

As far as other new revelations, I wrote a Disney magic holiday song… I’ll probably post that another time. Also, myself and a few others are trying to organize a flash mob for crew. I’m sure my life is about to get very hectic though as I start my new role on board January 7 and training starts today. Wish me luck!

I miss everyone but I’ll see you all soon enough… Bon soir!

Ship Life 102

Gutentag?

Welcome back for another installment of ship life! If you are still reading this blog after my horror story of a last blog, then it means one of two things, you REALLY love reading about my life on a cruise ship… Or you are one of my family members. (hi dad). Nonetheless, today I want to cover some information about food and activities on board.. Then I’ll get to a very exciting update about my role on the ship.

First off: food. This is a very large topic on board the ship with crew members, I mean we have a crew mess, but it’s very hit or miss. The salad bar is always good. Then again one day you could be chowing down on some amazing sushi or some chicken tenders and French fries and the next you’ll be eating rice with some sort of soup broth… So be prepared for that. Also know that since there are crew members from all corners of the world, there are many foods in there you may not have heard of…that is not necessarily a bad thing though! If you have ship privileges you can request a few days in advance to eat in one of the restaurants or you can roam on up to deck 9 for some of the quick service food places (you don’t have to request a few days in advance but let an officer know).

A big reason we work on this ship is to travel and experience new things, so get off the ship every once in a while! Walk down an alley to find empanadas in Cozumel (like I did, best decision of my life thus far), or eat Szechuan food in st Maarten (st Maarten has a crazy amount of Chinese foods)… A lot of restaurants have crew discounts, free wifi (hard rock cafe, Starbucks, greenhouse), and in key west you’ll find live music. You may only have an hour for break on port days so I’ll give you some info on activities on board if you can’t find a way to go out.

Activities are endless for crew on board, there is a person that sets up everything for us and they do a great job of making fun available for anyone. Not only do we have a crew bar, crew pool, crew deck (my main stargazing spot), crew gym, and crew lounge, but they also have a soccer field at castaway cay for crew only, ping pong tables in the crew coffee break room, a pool table, and darts. Not to mention we have board games and a huge tv in the crew lounge for all your cable tv needs. The crew activities manager also sets up special events, anything from crew night in the movie theatre for first run films to wine and cheese nights on deck 9. Crew members can DJ in the crew bar and make up their own themes too. So just work hard, but know there are things to do when you need to play hard. You will average 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night if that and maybe have an hour to nap during the day… I’ve gotten used to it, I’m just sort of running in auto pilot by the last day of the cruise.

Now on to my big news… After a week of anticipation, I have gotten word that I am going to be one of the guest services managers starting January 7th. There are several managers and each has their own role in addition to supervising the guest services hosts, one is groups, another handles the guests travel plans and flights home when the cruise ends, another is the manager of guest services, and mine is clearance officer. What that entails is that I am the one who handles all the customs and paperwork that allows us to be able to let guests off the ship in port…I also help families if they have to disembark early for a medical emergency or other circumstances. A clearance officer reports to the senior officers and captain on board. It’s a very, very cool job but if one thing gets messed up then we won’t be going off the ship at a port so it is all about the details (and following the checklists). Cool, right?

Let’s pray it goes well, but I trust the officer training me will have me good to go by January 7th. Okay, long post… I’m off to do laundry and work out! Tonight I am dining at Lumiere’s, the French restaurant on board with some other hostesses from guest services.

Until next time, ciao!

Blackouts, GI, and complaints, oh my!

Well I know everyone has been on edge waiting for this post… (sarcasm) but seriously this week has been the most insane week on board for many of us, even the veteran crew members.

Let’s start with last Saturday, a mild day in port canaveral, Florida. I got my Walmart fix in, had a good checkout morning for disembarkation, and the guests embarking were nice. Let’s fast forward to Sunday then»»> 17 foot waves, boat rocking like crazy, 40 protein spills before 1 pm (protein spill is vomit) in the kids areas , and by 5 pm we had run out of all sea sickness medication for 2600 guests, not to mention crew members. At about 3 the power went out, I was on the phones… It was a great way to learn about how to handle emergency situations. About two hours later our excellent chief engineer and captain got the ship going again after pulling the anchor back up and we were on our way. I’m sure guests enjoyed the break from the rockiness though for a few hours.

In st Maarten I got off the ship for an hour but decided to go back on the boat and hang out on the crew deck… Then it rained. Guests weren’t happy about that… Our Internet went down too… Guests were quite furious about that issue. On top of that we had a situation that I don’t believe I can say on my blog but my heart goes out to the family involved.

Around this time in the cruise we had to take preventative measures to make sure we did not have an illness outbreak on board of GI because of all the seasickness. Buffets and self serve beverage stations became closed off and crew had to serve the food and drinks, we were cleaning everything every hour (including pens individually), and crew members had to wear gloves for their meals in crew mess. I think this worked though because the outbreak was prevented and we are now out of the high alert. This too caused frustration though….

St Thomas was amazing! Beautiful weather, excursions went great, guests raved about the coki beach and apparently a few saw some octopus out there! I’ll have to head out there when we are docked sometime. I love st Thomas because us Americans get cell phone service there.

As for castaway cay, the weather was cloudy, and we had a similar situation happen there as in st Maarten so again prayers for that family.

Honestly the guests were very understanding and seemed to enjoy themselves aside from the early speed bumps. Our ability to adapt to everything thrown at us as a team was great!

So all in all it has been an excellent week for a learning experience and a week I wont forget! I’m just excited to start our western itinerary today, I love key west, and I am craving empanadas in Cozumel!! Perhaps I’ll blog in Cozumel if things are calm(er).

Ciao!