Goodness, it’s been quite a month! Sorry it’s been awhile since my last update, things have been so crazy. Our cast members received their visas successfully after they were flown out of Brazil and stranded in Argentina for two days. The day they signed back on, we learned we had to perform Boogie that night! They were exhausted, having had maybe a total of 9 hours of sleep in three days. We pulled ourselves together and gave it our best, but it was super rocky to top it all off!
We lost a lot of our crew, so it’s been hectic with people taking on extra shifts to accommodate the guests. Luckily, we have just been working in the theater, doing spots for the Brazilian cast, and they do ours in return. We finally opened Rhythm and Rhyme last night!!!!! FINALLY!!!!! So our install is officially over :D It went well, some technical issues and wicked fast costume changes that will only get better with time. The audiences were great, standing ovation both times!
The ports have been really good too. In Recife, Derrick, Jess, and I walked around enjoying the island. We walked to the town center where they were setting up for the Christmas carnival. I wish we went there more often: it’s the shipwreck capital of Brazil! That would make for some great diving!!!! Rio was beautiful as always, we went to Copacabana and enjoyed the beach. Peter brought his football so we played a bit of toss with that. It was funny to see the Brazilian’s react to our strange ball! Santos is always a bit of a mess because it’s our home port, which means several other cruise ships dock with us. Last time we were stuck in traffic from an hour and a half, when we had only gone to the mall 10 minutes away! I think I will use those port days to do my laundry because the mall is not worth fighting through all those people.
Buzios is always a nice port. We go get our traditional pizza and ice cream, then shop around or head to the beaches. On our most recent stop there, Derrick, Jess, and I shopped for our white outfits for the New Year’s Party. We all found what we wanted but I still need to find the perfect shoes, you know me!!! :D Porto Belo was a new one that I didn’t go to last contract. A group of us tendered into the dock, then bought tickets on a private boat to head to another side of the island. It was nice there; we explored a bit into the jungle, played in the ocean, and ate on the beach. Again, it’s a shame we only go there once because they had all these water sports equipment for rent, a zip line, and other promising adventures!
One downfall I experienced this cruise was another injury. During the second show of Boogie, I was running backstage (in my 3 inch heels, mind you) for a costume change and tripped. I then dropped one of my red heels and because I stepped on that, my ankle rolled over and I fell with a thunderous thud. Michelle, who had been behind me to aid my change, helped me up off my knees and hobble to the other side. She assisted me into my dress while I tried to feel out the damage.
I believe it’s only a twist, there was no bruising so it couldn’t have gone too deep. I finished the show, adjusting my weight and balance to avoid putting too much pressure on my left ankle. I iced it that night, and applied heat the next day. It’s still swollen, but only because I haven’t had a chance to properly rest it. I could barely move it in rehearsals but I wrapped it for Broadway, which helped a lot. Now it’s just a matter of coaxing it back to its full movement and flexibility. I’m just lucky I have strong ankles from dancing for so long, that could have easily snapped my bones.
Anyways, enough with that bad news, it’s Christmas after all!!! Jess and I found a Christmas tree in the dressing room. It’s even fake Colorado pine, so it was obviously meant to be ours. We also stole milar from backstage. It’s shimmery tinsel that’s used for Rhythm and Rhyme. They hang like a curtain but tear down really easily, so we found loads tucked away that had fallen. We streamed them on our door, so it’s now shiny pink, blue and purple! We have also been cutting out paper snowflakes, which has kept us busy for the last few sea days ;) We have an entire wall inside our room covered in them, as well as our best creations on the door. I have successfully made a really cute paper snowman and paper angel for the top of our tree. I’m very proud of our creativity and we have gotten so many compliments, even offers of payment to decorate other rooms!!! LOL.
Despite all the decorations, it’s still doesn’t feel quite like Christmas. I guess it just goes to show you that money can’t buy the perfect holiday with tangible things. I just need my family. But no matter. My mom wisely stated that it isn’t about where in the world you are or what you’re doing, as long as you are enjoying the people you are with and the experiences that are there to be had. And I am determined to do that this year! Tonight, I will go up to enjoy some caroling in the centrum. Followed by our cast Secret Santa exchange, then the Christmas party, so there is a lot to look forward to. And tomorrow, we are in Ilha Bella, which is a cute little island. The cast will be having a Christmas lunch on land and we have the day off so we can enjoy as we please! :D
Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday traditions!!!! I miss you all terribly and I wish I could be there with you!!!! Can’t wait to skype the fam on Christmas!!!!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
WHAT IS GOING ON IN BRAZIL!?!?!
ALRIGHT. So yesterday we were docked in Recife, Brazil. Because the Brazilian cast signed on, they needed the stage for rehearsals so we got the afternoon off. Jessica, Derrick and I decided to walk around the town for a bit of fresh air. We went to eat in the mess and as we were leaving, we heard an "Alpha" alarm over the intercom. This means there is a medical emergency. Whoever sounded the alarm didn't turn the intercom button off so we heard snipits of the conversation that followed which was panic about the gangway. Calvin, one of our stage staff, came to warn us that there was an accident just off the gangway and we should wait a bit before leaving. He had been out there, just behind an elderly couple, when a wall from an old rusted building toppled onto the lady. OB, our production manager, helped pull her out and sound the alarm. Even though we waited an hour, when we got off there was still a lot of blood and the scene was erie. The wall was huge, it hadn't been just a small chunk of a door or something.
We thought that was surely the craziest thing that would happen today. After dinner, Jess and I got into our pajamas and were going to call it an early night because we were preparing for opening night of Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme the next day. Just as I was getting ready to climb into bed, Wesley (Dance Captain) calls us to say we have an emergency meeting backstage. Jess answered the phone and said it was about our visas, because I had thought it would be about the lady. When we were all gathered Wes told us that there had been a processing issue with some of our visas. They were kicking people off in Lisbon for not having the proper documentation but now that we have reached Brazil, we have learned that 113 crewmembers do not have visas. I guess because there are 3 ships here-Splendour, Monarch, and us, we were the last to be processed so they aren't finished. The Brazilian authorities boarded our ship last night, including several undercover police, and made a list of people who needed to immediately stop working.
For the cast, the Americans are ok and Philip and Connie (Australian and Argentinian) are good. But our three English and our South African were on the list. So we are down two singers, a girl dancer and our dance captian. Two of our costumers were on the list and Sandie, our choreographer. The Brazilian cast was told they are opening their show tonight, they signed on last night. They are freaking out but we are trying to help them as much as possible. The latest we have heard is everyone on the list needs to pack and be ready to sign off tomorrow in Salvador. They have to stay there while their visas are being processed. If they are approved, another boat will bring them back to the ship, wherever we are. If not, they are sent home. Which means we are sent home as well becasue we can't do a show with all those people missing. Two dancers, ok. But two singers as well? OB says the production show would be closed.
That's all we know as of now, it's just a matter of how fast they can get this done. I don't know who messed up but I have a feeling it's the corrupt Brazilian government because the company was fined $500 for each crewmember who didn't have a visa. The ship is ridiculously short staffed so the captain will start asking us to take up extra shifts as cooks or cleaners. OB is refusing to send us out of the theater though, so I think we will be helping the Brazilian cast as backstage staff (since Calvin was on the list and he is the only stage staff who knows the job, we just got two brand new people back there a week ago). I am more than willing to help them of course. I will keep you updated when I know more. Keep your fingers crossed we can get this sorted out!!!! :/
We thought that was surely the craziest thing that would happen today. After dinner, Jess and I got into our pajamas and were going to call it an early night because we were preparing for opening night of Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme the next day. Just as I was getting ready to climb into bed, Wesley (Dance Captain) calls us to say we have an emergency meeting backstage. Jess answered the phone and said it was about our visas, because I had thought it would be about the lady. When we were all gathered Wes told us that there had been a processing issue with some of our visas. They were kicking people off in Lisbon for not having the proper documentation but now that we have reached Brazil, we have learned that 113 crewmembers do not have visas. I guess because there are 3 ships here-Splendour, Monarch, and us, we were the last to be processed so they aren't finished. The Brazilian authorities boarded our ship last night, including several undercover police, and made a list of people who needed to immediately stop working.
For the cast, the Americans are ok and Philip and Connie (Australian and Argentinian) are good. But our three English and our South African were on the list. So we are down two singers, a girl dancer and our dance captian. Two of our costumers were on the list and Sandie, our choreographer. The Brazilian cast was told they are opening their show tonight, they signed on last night. They are freaking out but we are trying to help them as much as possible. The latest we have heard is everyone on the list needs to pack and be ready to sign off tomorrow in Salvador. They have to stay there while their visas are being processed. If they are approved, another boat will bring them back to the ship, wherever we are. If not, they are sent home. Which means we are sent home as well becasue we can't do a show with all those people missing. Two dancers, ok. But two singers as well? OB says the production show would be closed.
That's all we know as of now, it's just a matter of how fast they can get this done. I don't know who messed up but I have a feeling it's the corrupt Brazilian government because the company was fined $500 for each crewmember who didn't have a visa. The ship is ridiculously short staffed so the captain will start asking us to take up extra shifts as cooks or cleaners. OB is refusing to send us out of the theater though, so I think we will be helping the Brazilian cast as backstage staff (since Calvin was on the list and he is the only stage staff who knows the job, we just got two brand new people back there a week ago). I am more than willing to help them of course. I will keep you updated when I know more. Keep your fingers crossed we can get this sorted out!!!! :/
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Back to Work!!
So, we made it to the ship!!!! Unfortunately, our hotel in Lisbon didn’t provide internet so I was unable to email or update my blog. Other than a two-hour delay in Munich, Germany due to snowfall, everything went smoothly with our flights and luggage. We boarded the ship and have been working since with orientation, training, and rehearsal. We open our first show, Boogie Wonderland, on Day 6. That’s December 5th for those of you not on ship schedule!!! :D
I definitely need to get used to the ship movement again :/ Yesterday we had a meeting and I had to leave because I was feeling ill. BUT the door I tried to get out of was locked so I ran up the theater steps to run to the bathroom. Didn’t make it :( The clean up crew and medical must LOVE when I sign on. BLAH!!!! Yet another mark I’ve made on this ship. HA. Things should calm down once we make it to Brazil. Until then, I will be either dancing, eating, or SLEEPING!!!!
It’s been really fun to see everyone who was here that last time. Most of the crew are the same and a lot will be returning when we reach Brazil. They have been so nice, welcoming me back with hugs and jokes :D It’s like returning to a family….sort of. HA. I have my secret santa’s gift to start thinking about, since it’s already December! I have Michelle, our Girl 2. I’m excited to look around in Brazil and shop for her. :D
I’m told we won’t be doing a Christmas show because we don’t have enough time to put it together after install is done. But who knows, that could change….
It seems like this contract will go very fast!!! With all the holidays to look forward to, and signing on a month later than last contract, six months will fly by.
That’s about all to report for now, mostly just getting back into the swing of things and adjusting. I hope everyone is well, miss you all!!!!
I definitely need to get used to the ship movement again :/ Yesterday we had a meeting and I had to leave because I was feeling ill. BUT the door I tried to get out of was locked so I ran up the theater steps to run to the bathroom. Didn’t make it :( The clean up crew and medical must LOVE when I sign on. BLAH!!!! Yet another mark I’ve made on this ship. HA. Things should calm down once we make it to Brazil. Until then, I will be either dancing, eating, or SLEEPING!!!!
It’s been really fun to see everyone who was here that last time. Most of the crew are the same and a lot will be returning when we reach Brazil. They have been so nice, welcoming me back with hugs and jokes :D It’s like returning to a family….sort of. HA. I have my secret santa’s gift to start thinking about, since it’s already December! I have Michelle, our Girl 2. I’m excited to look around in Brazil and shop for her. :D
I’m told we won’t be doing a Christmas show because we don’t have enough time to put it together after install is done. But who knows, that could change….
It seems like this contract will go very fast!!! With all the holidays to look forward to, and signing on a month later than last contract, six months will fly by.
That’s about all to report for now, mostly just getting back into the swing of things and adjusting. I hope everyone is well, miss you all!!!!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Off Again!!!!!
Hey guys!!!
It's been awhile since I last blogged!!! I had an amazing time back home, enjoying a vacation from the world. ;)
But it's time to get back to it!!!! I have been in rehearsals for the last month, working on the same shows because I will be returning to the Vision. Luckily, the choreographers have been switching my "track number" up so I am at least in new positions on the stage. For example, I had the Dancing Queen solo in Boogie Wonderland but I'm now the Brickhouse solo. :D It has kept rehearsals interesting because it's a challenge to fight muscle memory from a previous show you did for EIGHT MONTHS!!!! LOL.
My new cast is awesome again!!! We have six Americans (including me), three Brits, one Argentinian (is that even a word?), one South African, and one Australian. Jessica, my roomie for the ship, is also a dancer from Colorado!!!! What are the chances!?!? Most of us are return employees, but we have three new hires, all singers; Derrick from North Carolina, then Craig and Michelle from England. Our last singer is Whitney, who lives here in Miami. The dancers are made up of Danielle from England, Wesley (our dance captain) from South Africa, Phillip from Brisbane, Australia (been there Mel?!!?!), Troy from New York, Sebastian from Boston (very proud to be from the birthplace of America, lol) and Jess and I representing Colorado!!!!
Sebastian is basically the boy version of me. We are both OBSESSED with Harry Potter, finish each others' sentences, and agree on just about everything....minus the few things we constantly argue about like my vegetarianism and Celine Dion vs. Mariah Carey. Minor issues, to some people. But trust me, we won't speak to each for weeks if I so much as mention that Celine is obviously better. Despite these flaws in HIS character, (LOL) this may be my best contract yet. I can already tell how much we will be able to entertain ourselves in our endless discussions of what spells we would cast, should we find ourselves face to face with Lord Voldemort.
Well, I really should head home so I can start packing!!! HA HA. I sent home three boxes already, yes...three boxes containing seven pairs of shoes HA HA. I'm such a girl...... But I do need that room for the new exciting things I collect from my travels!!!! I will be updating soon, most likely from Lisbon when I board the ship!!!!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, take care!!!! <3
It's been awhile since I last blogged!!! I had an amazing time back home, enjoying a vacation from the world. ;)
But it's time to get back to it!!!! I have been in rehearsals for the last month, working on the same shows because I will be returning to the Vision. Luckily, the choreographers have been switching my "track number" up so I am at least in new positions on the stage. For example, I had the Dancing Queen solo in Boogie Wonderland but I'm now the Brickhouse solo. :D It has kept rehearsals interesting because it's a challenge to fight muscle memory from a previous show you did for EIGHT MONTHS!!!! LOL.
My new cast is awesome again!!! We have six Americans (including me), three Brits, one Argentinian (is that even a word?), one South African, and one Australian. Jessica, my roomie for the ship, is also a dancer from Colorado!!!! What are the chances!?!? Most of us are return employees, but we have three new hires, all singers; Derrick from North Carolina, then Craig and Michelle from England. Our last singer is Whitney, who lives here in Miami. The dancers are made up of Danielle from England, Wesley (our dance captain) from South Africa, Phillip from Brisbane, Australia (been there Mel?!!?!), Troy from New York, Sebastian from Boston (very proud to be from the birthplace of America, lol) and Jess and I representing Colorado!!!!
Sebastian is basically the boy version of me. We are both OBSESSED with Harry Potter, finish each others' sentences, and agree on just about everything....minus the few things we constantly argue about like my vegetarianism and Celine Dion vs. Mariah Carey. Minor issues, to some people. But trust me, we won't speak to each for weeks if I so much as mention that Celine is obviously better. Despite these flaws in HIS character, (LOL) this may be my best contract yet. I can already tell how much we will be able to entertain ourselves in our endless discussions of what spells we would cast, should we find ourselves face to face with Lord Voldemort.
Well, I really should head home so I can start packing!!! HA HA. I sent home three boxes already, yes...three boxes containing seven pairs of shoes HA HA. I'm such a girl...... But I do need that room for the new exciting things I collect from my travels!!!! I will be updating soon, most likely from Lisbon when I board the ship!!!!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, take care!!!! <3
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Three show nights left :D
Not much to report for this day, I wasn’t able to get off in Cherbourg. We all had boat drill and I switched my shift with Kristen so that she could eat lunch with Katrina and her family. After drill I served in the Windjammer and ate up there, then took a nap and relaxed until call time for Broadway. Crew onboard was too early to get off and do anything, so I enjoyed my siesta. No regrets, the last time we were here it was a Sunday too, and everything was closed except one food place, so this would be the same situation.
We are counting down our shows, just two more Rhythm and Rhymes and four more Boogies! I can’t believe how fast this contract has flown by. Sure, on some nights it felt like we would be doing the shows FOREVER but now, it’s almost over! Things are bittersweet, preparing for the next cast, exchanging pictures and videos, packing! AH! Once we get our flight arrangements it will be official, we are done and going home!
We are counting down our shows, just two more Rhythm and Rhymes and four more Boogies! I can’t believe how fast this contract has flown by. Sure, on some nights it felt like we would be doing the shows FOREVER but now, it’s almost over! Things are bittersweet, preparing for the next cast, exchanging pictures and videos, packing! AH! Once we get our flight arrangements it will be official, we are done and going home!
Merci Beaucoup, Monsieur
After a sea day, we arrived in Le Havre. We were told that crew and guest on board would be earlier than usual in this port because a strike would be starting up at night. I was able to get my Windjammer shift switched so that I could go on the crew tour again to Paris. I slept a bit on the two-hour bus ride there; then Dymmy, Oscar, Roberta, Olivia and I all headed up to the building opposite the Eiffel Tower. We grabbed some baguettes and crepes from a vendor there and ate a quick lunch with a gorgeous view of the tower and the bustling city beneath its feet. Then we walked to the train station and purchased tickets. We were heading to the Louvre. We got off at the stop and walked for along time, soaking in everything of Paris. We popped into a few stores to compare clothing prices of Gap and Adidas. These things are super expensive in Brazil and they wanted to see how it was in Europe. Of course, it is more than in the states so I didn’t bother shopping for myself.
The walk was long to get to the Louvre, but that is just something you have to do in Paris. Just walking along the streets makes it a perfect day. We made it to the gardens, and looked at the statues and surrounding buildings. It was nice because I had come the other direction when I was here last, so I had missed this side of the museum. Roberta, Dymmy and I stood in line to take a peek inside the museum; there was not enough time to see anything except the entrances of the exhibits. I tried to look for the upside down pyramid that I had seen in the movies, but we couldn’t see it. It must be in one of the other millions of rooms. LOL.
I did see one room because there was a large window in one of the buildings that previewed the statues it held. And just from what I saw, I’m sold. My sister was right, you need at least two days to discover the Louvre, and France in general needs so much time! To be continued then!!!! We hit a few souvenir shops as we headed down the streets. I bought one guy from the ship a magnet, because he asked me for a Paris magnet as I was heading off the ship. I feel so bad; he never gets off the ship. But they are able to save a lot of money by working so hard and not having lodging bills or paying for food. Still, not a life I want!
Time was running out, we only had three hours again and it was getting close to 4, which is when we needed to leave. Taxi drivers have such issues with taking five passengers, so we decided to split up. That was fine, except after the group of three left, no empty taxis came for Dymmy and me. I started stressing a bit, we still had twenty minutes and we weren’t that far from the tower, but there were no taxis! Finally, one picked us up and we relaxed and enjoyed our scenic trip along the Seine river, back to our shuttle. We made it on time, and even early because they waited for the doctor to board. A short nap followed by watching France outside my window was the perfect end to the day. I was in a great mood when I served the guests, I was dancing and chatting it up. They always love me; some of them even dance along! :D
The walk was long to get to the Louvre, but that is just something you have to do in Paris. Just walking along the streets makes it a perfect day. We made it to the gardens, and looked at the statues and surrounding buildings. It was nice because I had come the other direction when I was here last, so I had missed this side of the museum. Roberta, Dymmy and I stood in line to take a peek inside the museum; there was not enough time to see anything except the entrances of the exhibits. I tried to look for the upside down pyramid that I had seen in the movies, but we couldn’t see it. It must be in one of the other millions of rooms. LOL.
I did see one room because there was a large window in one of the buildings that previewed the statues it held. And just from what I saw, I’m sold. My sister was right, you need at least two days to discover the Louvre, and France in general needs so much time! To be continued then!!!! We hit a few souvenir shops as we headed down the streets. I bought one guy from the ship a magnet, because he asked me for a Paris magnet as I was heading off the ship. I feel so bad; he never gets off the ship. But they are able to save a lot of money by working so hard and not having lodging bills or paying for food. Still, not a life I want!
Time was running out, we only had three hours again and it was getting close to 4, which is when we needed to leave. Taxi drivers have such issues with taking five passengers, so we decided to split up. That was fine, except after the group of three left, no empty taxis came for Dymmy and me. I started stressing a bit, we still had twenty minutes and we weren’t that far from the tower, but there were no taxis! Finally, one picked us up and we relaxed and enjoyed our scenic trip along the Seine river, back to our shuttle. We made it on time, and even early because they waited for the doctor to board. A short nap followed by watching France outside my window was the perfect end to the day. I was in a great mood when I served the guests, I was dancing and chatting it up. They always love me; some of them even dance along! :D
Two more cruises, we can do it!!!
Thursday we were docked in our homeport; Oslo, Norway. We had to sanitize the entire ship, again. There was a meeting in the morning, so that the Captain, Hotel Director, and Staff Captain could answer any questions crew had. It was supposed to make us feel like we had a say in the situation, I think. Our questions were direct, we just weren’t happy with the answers. When the Captain stated that the doctors are immune to GI, I raised my hand to respectfully disagree. I told him that it is a virus and therefore has strands that are mutating. To think that anybody is immune to it is absurd. A person who gets GI once can get it several times after, as Brandon has shown in this contract alone. He argued that he knows that the doctors are immune because they are constantly exposed. My theory: they wash their hands because that kills the virus. WOW, common sense.
I have been working on a report from the research I have done on this virus and I plan on sending it in to the Power of One, where the company takes ideas and installs the ones that will improve the ships. But at this point I don’t even care about a reward, I’m just sick of sanitizing when the entire process is contradictory and useless. And the company just spent a large sum of money on a new “chemical” and machines to spray the air and sanitize it. Ok, the ship is sparkling clean, just like the last time. But that time failed and why? Because the guests bring on the virus, and then spread it around. Like I have been saying since the beginning, use the money to invest in sinks and hot water; hire bathroom attendants, and require guests to wash their hands. Then NONE of these other processes would be necessary.
The worst part was when they announced early in the morning that they were coming to fog all crew cabins. They did not inform us of the things we need to put away so they aren’t sprayed, like technology. I didn’t want to risk anything so I hid my laptop, but what if I hadn’t thought of that. They also didn’t inform us of what is in the chemical, how long we need to stay out of our rooms, etc. Several people had eye irritations or other reactions to the chemical and I know that Jade and Sam took naps in masks because they could taste it in their rooms. When we asked about it at the meeting, guess what they told us. The chemical is completely safe, you can DRINK IT! Ya, ok. But when you look at the bottle, it says 1% other chemicals. I DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH ANY PERCENT NONLABELED OR UNKNOWN CHEMICALS, THANK YOU.
Jade voiced her concerns about spraying all these various chemicals and then letting us soak it all up. They want us to dowse our rooms in it the night before inspection, meaning we would sleep with the micro-bac and the bleach reeking. Then we go up to sanitize guest areas; we are walking through mist and rain of the chemicals without proper eye protection. We can’t even escape fumes down below in crew areas because they are painting the 95, the passage for crew that reaches the entire ship. People are coughing and becoming light headed from continual exposure. It’s fine for the guests who are on board for say a week at a time, but this is our home. II just want to scream: if you fumigate the ship, at least let us clear out properly so we can breath fresh, non toxic air.
So another beautiful day in Oslo was missed; I was stuck from 8 til 4 spraying chemicals, folding towels, and preparing the staterooms for the guests. My body aches and I am exhausted, but the thought of two more cruises until I’m home is my motivation.
I have been working on a report from the research I have done on this virus and I plan on sending it in to the Power of One, where the company takes ideas and installs the ones that will improve the ships. But at this point I don’t even care about a reward, I’m just sick of sanitizing when the entire process is contradictory and useless. And the company just spent a large sum of money on a new “chemical” and machines to spray the air and sanitize it. Ok, the ship is sparkling clean, just like the last time. But that time failed and why? Because the guests bring on the virus, and then spread it around. Like I have been saying since the beginning, use the money to invest in sinks and hot water; hire bathroom attendants, and require guests to wash their hands. Then NONE of these other processes would be necessary.
The worst part was when they announced early in the morning that they were coming to fog all crew cabins. They did not inform us of the things we need to put away so they aren’t sprayed, like technology. I didn’t want to risk anything so I hid my laptop, but what if I hadn’t thought of that. They also didn’t inform us of what is in the chemical, how long we need to stay out of our rooms, etc. Several people had eye irritations or other reactions to the chemical and I know that Jade and Sam took naps in masks because they could taste it in their rooms. When we asked about it at the meeting, guess what they told us. The chemical is completely safe, you can DRINK IT! Ya, ok. But when you look at the bottle, it says 1% other chemicals. I DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH ANY PERCENT NONLABELED OR UNKNOWN CHEMICALS, THANK YOU.
Jade voiced her concerns about spraying all these various chemicals and then letting us soak it all up. They want us to dowse our rooms in it the night before inspection, meaning we would sleep with the micro-bac and the bleach reeking. Then we go up to sanitize guest areas; we are walking through mist and rain of the chemicals without proper eye protection. We can’t even escape fumes down below in crew areas because they are painting the 95, the passage for crew that reaches the entire ship. People are coughing and becoming light headed from continual exposure. It’s fine for the guests who are on board for say a week at a time, but this is our home. II just want to scream: if you fumigate the ship, at least let us clear out properly so we can breath fresh, non toxic air.
So another beautiful day in Oslo was missed; I was stuck from 8 til 4 spraying chemicals, folding towels, and preparing the staterooms for the guests. My body aches and I am exhausted, but the thought of two more cruises until I’m home is my motivation.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Bruggians
Today we were back in Belgium. I got off the ship with Kat, Kristin, and Kevin. We took the shuttle into Blackenberge, and paid for train tickets into Brugge. Since we had an hour to kill, we thought we could use the time to search for places to exchange some money. Our first thought was the bank, but it had a posted sign refusing to exchange. I stopped in a small grocery store, and the lady suggested the tram station. When we got there, that lady said “OH NO!” as if we had ask something absurd and suggested the place next door, a tourist stop that was basically another bank. But after we saw the line, we gave up. By then, the train was just about at the station so we got to our seats and waited to leave.
Once we arrived in Brugge, we followed the crowd out of the station and across several streets to the city. We wandered around; I was the only one who had been here before so they were taking in the new view. We saw a church above the houses and headed in that direction. Inside was beautiful; tapestries that hung from the walls and ancient paintings. The pamphlet said there was a fire but the cathedral was restored. We continued towards the city center after the church, laughing as Kat pretended to be the tour guide and made up various stories about interesting buildings. At one point, she was going on about “Bruggians” and their mermaid ancestry. Never a dull moment with her! :D
We made it to the square, which was the first thing that looked familiar to me. My goal had been to find the amazing sandwich place we had ate at last time, because I have been crazing one of those delicious baguettes. But I was so turned around and after seeing a map in one of the souvenir shops, there was no WAY I was going to find it! The city is a huge maze and of course every street looks the same. I sadly gave up my dream and focused on my other goal of the day- WAFFLES. Kristin’s fiancé insisted she try a certain beer so she chose a place to eat so she could have beer and Kevin and I could eat waffles. It was a nice restaurant and we sat on the terrace, with a perfect view of the square.
I decided to take a bathroom break here; I had refused to go at the train station because I think paying 50 cents is RIDICULOUS!!!!!!! I don’t live in Urinetown!!!!!! But OH MY GOSH, what a new experience this was. Kevin and I went in search of the bathrooms, which turned out to be a unisex, conjoined bathroom. I was really confused when the bartender pointed to one door. I opened it expecting two separate rooms, but saw a pair of feet and a urinal. I shut the door, embarrassed because I thought it was the men’s room. Then the pair of feet came out, and it was a lady. So Kevin and I bravely entered, and I tried not to weird myself out and get pee anxiety.
Back at the table, I ordered my waffle with strawberries, whipped cream, powdered sugar, and chocolate sauce-the works. We talked about our plans after this contract; Kristin’s move to Arkansas and adjustment to being a wife, Kat returning to school to be a teacher, and my…..unknown. Once their beers and Kev and my cokes came, we drank to our futures. Then our waffles came and they were ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. The waffle was so fluffy and the chocolate was definitely Belgian chocolate. Kev and I finished those up, tempted to lick the plate but resisting to be well mannered. We saw Jade walking down the street and I told her I had no idea where our sandwich place was in regards to where we are now. She told me the place was closed anyways, proving to me yet again that everything happens for a reason.
We had difficulties getting our bill; I think our server was avoiding eye contact with us. I think he is on European time and didn’t want to help us rush out of there since meals are usually several hours. It was a bit crowded though as we stood up to enforce we were ready to pay, because he brought over other customers to take our place. I thought this was rather rude! After I untangled myself from the ladies, we headed back towards the train station. We made a quick stop to buy some chocolates, and Kat came in to report she had been literally coughed all over by an old man in the street. She was horrified and wanted a shower. I told her, chocolates will make it ALL better, you’ll see! LOL.
We caught the train and shuttle with plenty of time for crew on board. The weather was perfect, the food was amazing, and the company was great- what more could one ask for?
Once we arrived in Brugge, we followed the crowd out of the station and across several streets to the city. We wandered around; I was the only one who had been here before so they were taking in the new view. We saw a church above the houses and headed in that direction. Inside was beautiful; tapestries that hung from the walls and ancient paintings. The pamphlet said there was a fire but the cathedral was restored. We continued towards the city center after the church, laughing as Kat pretended to be the tour guide and made up various stories about interesting buildings. At one point, she was going on about “Bruggians” and their mermaid ancestry. Never a dull moment with her! :D
We made it to the square, which was the first thing that looked familiar to me. My goal had been to find the amazing sandwich place we had ate at last time, because I have been crazing one of those delicious baguettes. But I was so turned around and after seeing a map in one of the souvenir shops, there was no WAY I was going to find it! The city is a huge maze and of course every street looks the same. I sadly gave up my dream and focused on my other goal of the day- WAFFLES. Kristin’s fiancé insisted she try a certain beer so she chose a place to eat so she could have beer and Kevin and I could eat waffles. It was a nice restaurant and we sat on the terrace, with a perfect view of the square.
I decided to take a bathroom break here; I had refused to go at the train station because I think paying 50 cents is RIDICULOUS!!!!!!! I don’t live in Urinetown!!!!!! But OH MY GOSH, what a new experience this was. Kevin and I went in search of the bathrooms, which turned out to be a unisex, conjoined bathroom. I was really confused when the bartender pointed to one door. I opened it expecting two separate rooms, but saw a pair of feet and a urinal. I shut the door, embarrassed because I thought it was the men’s room. Then the pair of feet came out, and it was a lady. So Kevin and I bravely entered, and I tried not to weird myself out and get pee anxiety.
Back at the table, I ordered my waffle with strawberries, whipped cream, powdered sugar, and chocolate sauce-the works. We talked about our plans after this contract; Kristin’s move to Arkansas and adjustment to being a wife, Kat returning to school to be a teacher, and my…..unknown. Once their beers and Kev and my cokes came, we drank to our futures. Then our waffles came and they were ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. The waffle was so fluffy and the chocolate was definitely Belgian chocolate. Kev and I finished those up, tempted to lick the plate but resisting to be well mannered. We saw Jade walking down the street and I told her I had no idea where our sandwich place was in regards to where we are now. She told me the place was closed anyways, proving to me yet again that everything happens for a reason.
We had difficulties getting our bill; I think our server was avoiding eye contact with us. I think he is on European time and didn’t want to help us rush out of there since meals are usually several hours. It was a bit crowded though as we stood up to enforce we were ready to pay, because he brought over other customers to take our place. I thought this was rather rude! After I untangled myself from the ladies, we headed back towards the train station. We made a quick stop to buy some chocolates, and Kat came in to report she had been literally coughed all over by an old man in the street. She was horrified and wanted a shower. I told her, chocolates will make it ALL better, you’ll see! LOL.
We caught the train and shuttle with plenty of time for crew on board. The weather was perfect, the food was amazing, and the company was great- what more could one ask for?
Thank God It's....Saturday
Today we were in our homeport, Oslo. I still hadn’t been off yet; every time I have tried something has stopped me from weather to sanitation. I had no hope for today either, because we are having specially hired “GI experts” come to sanitize the entire ship. The day started off with my shift in the mess, and then I went to help my roommate sanitize our room. A ridiculous task, because it’s not crew that has the virus yet they take the precaution and mandate we wipe with bleach and their chemicals.
We all gathered in the theater at 9 am, to learn our tasks. We were sent up to sanitize the SEEL and then return back for more instructions. I don’t understand why we needed to sanitize before the sanitizers, isn’t that like cleaning before the maid comes? But what do I know; I’m just a dancer. Anyways, we were walking back to the theater and saw our facilities workers using the new machines. It looked like a vacuum machine with a large hose, like what firemen use. They were spraying inside the shops. I got a little worried about what we were breathing in when were just casually walking by their spray. Felt like a scene out of Erin Brockwich.
When Jade addressed that concern, the cruise directors told us it is harmless to breathe, but it’s very hot that’s why we have to stay clear from the actual target shot of the spray. It is supposed to sanitize the air. Hmm….ok. I feel like there are so many things wrong with that answer, but I’m going to do my job and get back to my cabin. We were dismissed for a lunch break until 12:30, but that is because they didn’t know what to do with us yet. After three code reds, this ship is still not organized. We have all this manpower, meaning we could sanitize the ship thoroughly and diligently if we weren’t herded around like lost sheep or left to wander around like headless chickens.
This is when my frustration comes in; things like the scheduling of our Windjammer or mess shifts that directly affect and oftentimes prevent us from leaving the ship, yet when we are up there helping we watch the on-duty servers standing around talking while we take their places. Or like now, there is no clear communication with the hired professionals to our supervisors, so we just have to wait on stand by and rush to aid. I have no problem with helping, but I can’t stand that the captain has no battle plan and doesn’t send his troops out strategically, but rather gathers up forces and wastes time. Our time. Everyone’s time.
For example, after lunch we were told to help housekeeping. We were given a floor, with the instructions of walking around asking who needed help. Well since the professionals had done the SEEL, the shops, the theater, and the other large areas first, we had to wait on the machines. This put the housekeepers drastically behind schedule. And we couldn’t do anything about it until the machine had reached your floor. Like I said, waste of time since we were all sitting in the halls playing “name that tune”. Finally the machine hit deck 2, Jade and I were assigned to deck 3 but the management there said it didn’t matter what your level was, just help anywhere. We were on the floor pulling sheets out to be washed and sprayed, folding all the towels in specific patterns, and placing the soaps and toilet paper in the bathrooms.
Eventually, crewmembers started disappearing. I think some honestly didn’t know what to do after their floor, but most just went back to their cabins after only a few minutes. Jade, Maude, Michael, Cristain and I finished up deck 2, basically on our own. At one point, Cris called for the cast and found Stephany in her cabin. He requested her help; I’m not sure if she ever came looking for us. Cris, Jade and I moved up to 3, and it was a mess. By this time we had a system and worked quickly. We had no sense of the time, until Benny, the hotel director, came over the
Intercom and granted shore leave. It was 4:00! We had two hours allowed off ship, crew onboard at 6. The three of us helped the final guy with his soaps and headed to our rooms.
I felt awful leaving because it was clear they were still behind. Again, no communication because Benny should have called to housekeeping and checked if they still needed the help. I just couldn’t do anything more, I was spent. My back was aching from leaning over to fold, and if I saw another stateroom I might have thrown up. I needed air. Jade, Sam and I hurried off the ship and we walked to TGIF’s to grab some real food as a treat. Sam had been working upstairs on the windows and in the suites. I was in an even worse mood when he told me Stephany and Brandon were PAID by one housekeeper to vacuum. But, bitterness wouldn’t get me anywhere, so I had to swallow that down with my potato skins.
I distracted myself from the long day, enjoying the city of Oslo. Where we are docked seems to be a very large shopping center, and I hope I can explore it more in the future. I freaked because Norway’s currency is Krons, so my meal consisting of potato skins and water cost 89 Krons!!!!!! But, that is like $8.90, which I figure is about right, maybe a little bit more expensive. Jade and Sam’s total bill from two cheeseburgers was around 300!!!! No wonder Oslo is the most expensive city in the world! Lucky we are here when the exchange rate is pretty good.
It was nice to finally touch land in Norway, and to get off the ship after that fiasco. Little treats like fresh air and real food will keep my sanity these next few cruises if we are still fighting GI (which, I think we will because nobody listens to me-GI is a virus, not a bacteria and therefore CAN NOT BE KILLED WITH HAND SANITIZER!!!!!!!) These gross guests need to wash their hands!!!!!! Ok but, enough of that. The conclusion of the story is; Oslo saved my mind today so THANK GOD IT’S SATURDAY.
We all gathered in the theater at 9 am, to learn our tasks. We were sent up to sanitize the SEEL and then return back for more instructions. I don’t understand why we needed to sanitize before the sanitizers, isn’t that like cleaning before the maid comes? But what do I know; I’m just a dancer. Anyways, we were walking back to the theater and saw our facilities workers using the new machines. It looked like a vacuum machine with a large hose, like what firemen use. They were spraying inside the shops. I got a little worried about what we were breathing in when were just casually walking by their spray. Felt like a scene out of Erin Brockwich.
When Jade addressed that concern, the cruise directors told us it is harmless to breathe, but it’s very hot that’s why we have to stay clear from the actual target shot of the spray. It is supposed to sanitize the air. Hmm….ok. I feel like there are so many things wrong with that answer, but I’m going to do my job and get back to my cabin. We were dismissed for a lunch break until 12:30, but that is because they didn’t know what to do with us yet. After three code reds, this ship is still not organized. We have all this manpower, meaning we could sanitize the ship thoroughly and diligently if we weren’t herded around like lost sheep or left to wander around like headless chickens.
This is when my frustration comes in; things like the scheduling of our Windjammer or mess shifts that directly affect and oftentimes prevent us from leaving the ship, yet when we are up there helping we watch the on-duty servers standing around talking while we take their places. Or like now, there is no clear communication with the hired professionals to our supervisors, so we just have to wait on stand by and rush to aid. I have no problem with helping, but I can’t stand that the captain has no battle plan and doesn’t send his troops out strategically, but rather gathers up forces and wastes time. Our time. Everyone’s time.
For example, after lunch we were told to help housekeeping. We were given a floor, with the instructions of walking around asking who needed help. Well since the professionals had done the SEEL, the shops, the theater, and the other large areas first, we had to wait on the machines. This put the housekeepers drastically behind schedule. And we couldn’t do anything about it until the machine had reached your floor. Like I said, waste of time since we were all sitting in the halls playing “name that tune”. Finally the machine hit deck 2, Jade and I were assigned to deck 3 but the management there said it didn’t matter what your level was, just help anywhere. We were on the floor pulling sheets out to be washed and sprayed, folding all the towels in specific patterns, and placing the soaps and toilet paper in the bathrooms.
Eventually, crewmembers started disappearing. I think some honestly didn’t know what to do after their floor, but most just went back to their cabins after only a few minutes. Jade, Maude, Michael, Cristain and I finished up deck 2, basically on our own. At one point, Cris called for the cast and found Stephany in her cabin. He requested her help; I’m not sure if she ever came looking for us. Cris, Jade and I moved up to 3, and it was a mess. By this time we had a system and worked quickly. We had no sense of the time, until Benny, the hotel director, came over the
Intercom and granted shore leave. It was 4:00! We had two hours allowed off ship, crew onboard at 6. The three of us helped the final guy with his soaps and headed to our rooms.
I felt awful leaving because it was clear they were still behind. Again, no communication because Benny should have called to housekeeping and checked if they still needed the help. I just couldn’t do anything more, I was spent. My back was aching from leaning over to fold, and if I saw another stateroom I might have thrown up. I needed air. Jade, Sam and I hurried off the ship and we walked to TGIF’s to grab some real food as a treat. Sam had been working upstairs on the windows and in the suites. I was in an even worse mood when he told me Stephany and Brandon were PAID by one housekeeper to vacuum. But, bitterness wouldn’t get me anywhere, so I had to swallow that down with my potato skins.
I distracted myself from the long day, enjoying the city of Oslo. Where we are docked seems to be a very large shopping center, and I hope I can explore it more in the future. I freaked because Norway’s currency is Krons, so my meal consisting of potato skins and water cost 89 Krons!!!!!! But, that is like $8.90, which I figure is about right, maybe a little bit more expensive. Jade and Sam’s total bill from two cheeseburgers was around 300!!!! No wonder Oslo is the most expensive city in the world! Lucky we are here when the exchange rate is pretty good.
It was nice to finally touch land in Norway, and to get off the ship after that fiasco. Little treats like fresh air and real food will keep my sanity these next few cruises if we are still fighting GI (which, I think we will because nobody listens to me-GI is a virus, not a bacteria and therefore CAN NOT BE KILLED WITH HAND SANITIZER!!!!!!!) These gross guests need to wash their hands!!!!!! Ok but, enough of that. The conclusion of the story is; Oslo saved my mind today so THANK GOD IT’S SATURDAY.
Oak :/
Thursday was our second Scotland port, Inverness. The dock is a little town called Invergordon, and from there you can take a shuttle or catch the train into Inverness. Again, I had originally been signed up for a tour to see the Lochness monster. But, we were called into a meeting with the cruise director, which meant I couldn’t be a tour guide. The meeting was at the request of my cast, and other people in the cruise division. We were frustrated with how things were being handled in this “state of emergency”, upset at how we were being mistreated by heads of divisions and even fellow crew members, and had a few suggestions about how we could improve the situation.
In the end, the meeting was pointless. Our cruise director listened to what we had to say and thanked us for our efforts and cooperation, but ended it abruptly despite several other issues we had left to address. I think at this point, my cast is just counting the days til we can go home. The new cruise director, who is on board to get the feel for the ship and is replacing Dave, respectfully acknowledged how much we had been through. He said in his extensive career with Royal, he has never been in Code Red and the fact that we are in our third round from one contract; he doesn’t know how we have dealt with it so well. I believe we have done a good job, keeping our issues off the stage and not letting our bitterness compromise our performances, but we have all reached a breaking point.
In the last code red, which was while we were still in Brazil, nobody was allowed to eat in the Windjammer. That included all officers. We are still serving to officers, and have even witnessed the hotel director help himself without gloves. The fact that they aren’t serving may be understandable, but when we have to take on shifts to help and we aren’t allowed to eat there, and then an authority figure breaks the rules, that is when I call it quits. Several of my cast members have dealt with much worse than I; they have been mocked and spoken down to, and I believe no matter what your position is on the ship, you need to treat everyone with respect.
I had made the simple request to put plates out to hold the tongs when they aren’t being used, because if they sit on the heated trays, they get hot. DUH. But when I told this to a chef, he snidely laughed at me saying it was “hot” and said, “they stay where they are.” I am a dancer; I don’t deal with food all day. My hands are not calloused because I don’t serve hot plates and work in the kitchens. I just don’t understand why people have to turn so nasty when we can all try to help each other out.
So after the horrendous meeting, Neeko, Kat, Kristin and I rushed outside to get some fresh air. We checked to see the details about getting to Inverness, but Neeko and I decided it wasn’t worth the money for how short of time we would have there. So we left the other two at the bus stop and took a walk around Invergordon. It was a cute town, but not much to do. All of the shops were closed, and we didn’t want to enter the church because it had a posted sign saying, “Please join us for tea and coffee”, which I took as a cult calling. We browsed through the grocery store, but weren’t interested in the hardening “fresh” bread. I grabbed a bag of custard filled sugar donuts and we decided to head back towards the ship.
The wind was fierce, especially as it crossed the water and blew freezing mist in our face. We entered the ship, only to disembark again with Robert and Allison. Allison is our camera girl; she films our shows and the happenings around the ship. She is allowed to go on the tours with the guests to add the ports into the cruise in-review DVD available for people to purchase. She was taking Robert along with her to help carry the equipment. Neeko thought it would be a good idea to wait for Isabelle, the cruise explorations manager, to come outside and see if there was any available room left on the tours.
She never came outside, but we talked to one of her workers, who was so sweet. The tours to Inverness were way too full, but she managed to get us on a tour to the Falls of Shin and Dornoch. We weren’t sure what this entailed, but we weren’t about to say no! Our tour guide was so adorable; she was a widower who was retired. We told her we liked her stories, so she continued to talk about her home and what she had experienced, living her whole life in Scotland. The PA system would randomly get louder and crack when she would say certain words like “oak” and “old”, so now Neeko and I always laugh about that.
When the Vikings came to Scotland, they found “painted people” and named them Picts. The Picts left very few written historical archives but intricately carved stones were found, maybe as memorials for their deceased. The ancient language is Gaelic, but the way the guide was pronouncing it, it sounded more like garlic. She pointed out an old church and the small blue house that stood in front of it. She said this was a portable preacher, used to protect the bible and the preacher against the wind and weather. There are only three or four of these left in all of Scotland.
In the first World War, 26% of ever village in Scotland signed up for battle. Our guide told us her mother watched the men leave, and almost all were killed. As we drove through the countryside, I saw the famous sheep fields. We must have past hundreds of sheep, the babies looked like little bunnies running around. SO CUTE!!!!!! We passed a swan lake and headed into the woods. Sheep are not the only thing that covers the acres in Scotland. Gorie, or whin, are yellow plants that grow too prickly for animals to enjoy. Since they aren’t eaten, they overflow in the land and create a beautiful landscape, a green and yellow canvas.
We reached Shin Falls, where the main attraction is to watch salmon jump against the waterfall to return to their birthplace. We were a bit early in the season; it was too cold for the salmon to be back yet, but I could imagine them beating their bloody bodies against the rigorous water to continue a centuries old ritual. To be honest, if I were a salmon, I might be the rebel who lays her babies elsewhere. I’m all for tradition, but I’m not a big fan of blood and pain; I’m sure the fishy parents would understand.
After a quick view of the falls, Neeko and I ran for warmth in the gift shop and coffee house. We scanned the products; I bought some postcards and a box of caramel chocolates. After we had our souvenirs, we crossed to the dining area, but were too early for dinner. We ordered some peppermint hot chocolate and took it on the bus with us. Our guide had bought some candies for the guests in the shop, a Swedish sweet called a tablet. It had a vanilla taste and was a lot like fudge. I’m glad I had my drink with me because just one of the candies makes you thirsty!
Our drive away from the falls was breathtaking. She pointed out a castle that had 365 windows for everyday of the year. We passed an old spinning mill that she said went out of business because all the employees were farmers and tended to that job first, so the mill failed. We also passed the Skiburg Castle, which is now an exclusive country club. The members are 40% UK, 40% US citizens, and the remaining 20% are of 29 different countries. It used to be owned by Carnegie, as in Carnegie Hall of New York! CRAZY!
We headed into Dornoch, which is popular for its golf. In fact, it’s home to the most northerly championship golf course in the world. But it is too small to host any world golf tournament. I think that is the PGA, or maybe that is just in the states; I obviously don’t follow golf ;) Dornoch also has the smallest church in Scotland, and allowed the first female to preach. Neeko and I toured inside the church, which was where Madonna had her son christened the night before her wedding. The christening brought tons of media down to this spot; reserved seats filled the roads and hills so that reporters could capture photos of the family.
Opposite the church is the Dornoch castle, the old Bishop’s quarters. The castle is now a hotel. Further down the street, we entered a shop that was built inside what used to be the town jail. We walked around the square a bit more, than got on the bus for the trip back. Our lady handed out raffle tickets to the guests and gave the winning number a Scotland calendar she has purchased. For the rest, including Neeko and I, she gave out a postcard to commemorate where we had been today and what we had seen. See, freakin adorable RIGHT!?!
In the end, the meeting was pointless. Our cruise director listened to what we had to say and thanked us for our efforts and cooperation, but ended it abruptly despite several other issues we had left to address. I think at this point, my cast is just counting the days til we can go home. The new cruise director, who is on board to get the feel for the ship and is replacing Dave, respectfully acknowledged how much we had been through. He said in his extensive career with Royal, he has never been in Code Red and the fact that we are in our third round from one contract; he doesn’t know how we have dealt with it so well. I believe we have done a good job, keeping our issues off the stage and not letting our bitterness compromise our performances, but we have all reached a breaking point.
In the last code red, which was while we were still in Brazil, nobody was allowed to eat in the Windjammer. That included all officers. We are still serving to officers, and have even witnessed the hotel director help himself without gloves. The fact that they aren’t serving may be understandable, but when we have to take on shifts to help and we aren’t allowed to eat there, and then an authority figure breaks the rules, that is when I call it quits. Several of my cast members have dealt with much worse than I; they have been mocked and spoken down to, and I believe no matter what your position is on the ship, you need to treat everyone with respect.
I had made the simple request to put plates out to hold the tongs when they aren’t being used, because if they sit on the heated trays, they get hot. DUH. But when I told this to a chef, he snidely laughed at me saying it was “hot” and said, “they stay where they are.” I am a dancer; I don’t deal with food all day. My hands are not calloused because I don’t serve hot plates and work in the kitchens. I just don’t understand why people have to turn so nasty when we can all try to help each other out.
So after the horrendous meeting, Neeko, Kat, Kristin and I rushed outside to get some fresh air. We checked to see the details about getting to Inverness, but Neeko and I decided it wasn’t worth the money for how short of time we would have there. So we left the other two at the bus stop and took a walk around Invergordon. It was a cute town, but not much to do. All of the shops were closed, and we didn’t want to enter the church because it had a posted sign saying, “Please join us for tea and coffee”, which I took as a cult calling. We browsed through the grocery store, but weren’t interested in the hardening “fresh” bread. I grabbed a bag of custard filled sugar donuts and we decided to head back towards the ship.
The wind was fierce, especially as it crossed the water and blew freezing mist in our face. We entered the ship, only to disembark again with Robert and Allison. Allison is our camera girl; she films our shows and the happenings around the ship. She is allowed to go on the tours with the guests to add the ports into the cruise in-review DVD available for people to purchase. She was taking Robert along with her to help carry the equipment. Neeko thought it would be a good idea to wait for Isabelle, the cruise explorations manager, to come outside and see if there was any available room left on the tours.
She never came outside, but we talked to one of her workers, who was so sweet. The tours to Inverness were way too full, but she managed to get us on a tour to the Falls of Shin and Dornoch. We weren’t sure what this entailed, but we weren’t about to say no! Our tour guide was so adorable; she was a widower who was retired. We told her we liked her stories, so she continued to talk about her home and what she had experienced, living her whole life in Scotland. The PA system would randomly get louder and crack when she would say certain words like “oak” and “old”, so now Neeko and I always laugh about that.
When the Vikings came to Scotland, they found “painted people” and named them Picts. The Picts left very few written historical archives but intricately carved stones were found, maybe as memorials for their deceased. The ancient language is Gaelic, but the way the guide was pronouncing it, it sounded more like garlic. She pointed out an old church and the small blue house that stood in front of it. She said this was a portable preacher, used to protect the bible and the preacher against the wind and weather. There are only three or four of these left in all of Scotland.
In the first World War, 26% of ever village in Scotland signed up for battle. Our guide told us her mother watched the men leave, and almost all were killed. As we drove through the countryside, I saw the famous sheep fields. We must have past hundreds of sheep, the babies looked like little bunnies running around. SO CUTE!!!!!! We passed a swan lake and headed into the woods. Sheep are not the only thing that covers the acres in Scotland. Gorie, or whin, are yellow plants that grow too prickly for animals to enjoy. Since they aren’t eaten, they overflow in the land and create a beautiful landscape, a green and yellow canvas.
We reached Shin Falls, where the main attraction is to watch salmon jump against the waterfall to return to their birthplace. We were a bit early in the season; it was too cold for the salmon to be back yet, but I could imagine them beating their bloody bodies against the rigorous water to continue a centuries old ritual. To be honest, if I were a salmon, I might be the rebel who lays her babies elsewhere. I’m all for tradition, but I’m not a big fan of blood and pain; I’m sure the fishy parents would understand.
After a quick view of the falls, Neeko and I ran for warmth in the gift shop and coffee house. We scanned the products; I bought some postcards and a box of caramel chocolates. After we had our souvenirs, we crossed to the dining area, but were too early for dinner. We ordered some peppermint hot chocolate and took it on the bus with us. Our guide had bought some candies for the guests in the shop, a Swedish sweet called a tablet. It had a vanilla taste and was a lot like fudge. I’m glad I had my drink with me because just one of the candies makes you thirsty!
Our drive away from the falls was breathtaking. She pointed out a castle that had 365 windows for everyday of the year. We passed an old spinning mill that she said went out of business because all the employees were farmers and tended to that job first, so the mill failed. We also passed the Skiburg Castle, which is now an exclusive country club. The members are 40% UK, 40% US citizens, and the remaining 20% are of 29 different countries. It used to be owned by Carnegie, as in Carnegie Hall of New York! CRAZY!
We headed into Dornoch, which is popular for its golf. In fact, it’s home to the most northerly championship golf course in the world. But it is too small to host any world golf tournament. I think that is the PGA, or maybe that is just in the states; I obviously don’t follow golf ;) Dornoch also has the smallest church in Scotland, and allowed the first female to preach. Neeko and I toured inside the church, which was where Madonna had her son christened the night before her wedding. The christening brought tons of media down to this spot; reserved seats filled the roads and hills so that reporters could capture photos of the family.
Opposite the church is the Dornoch castle, the old Bishop’s quarters. The castle is now a hotel. Further down the street, we entered a shop that was built inside what used to be the town jail. We walked around the square a bit more, than got on the bus for the trip back. Our lady handed out raffle tickets to the guests and gave the winning number a Scotland calendar she has purchased. For the rest, including Neeko and I, she gave out a postcard to commemorate where we had been today and what we had seen. See, freakin adorable RIGHT!?!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Shrek!!!!
After a sea day, we docked into Scotland. Once shore leave was granted we took a tender to land, where a friend of ours was waiting. His name is Alistar and he was Ocean Adventure manager while he was on the ship, but now he is on vacation. He lives in another city of Scotland but he took two trains and a taxi to meet up with us, on his last day in Scotland too! The next day he was moving down to Mexico to be with his girlfriend. His nickname is Shrek, because he’s a loveable giant!!!! :D
Shrek acted as our personal tour guide, taking us to all the highlights of Edinburgh. He showed us the modern government building, the Queen’s home when she comes to visit, and two ancient castles. He told me about how most of the old city was burnt and the new city was built on top of the ruins. It is the most haunted city in the world! They have ghost tours that take adventurers down to the catacombs, I’m not sure I’m that brave. I do know that next I’m going into the Edinburgh castle when I have more time to explore it.
Shrek and I talked about William Wallace because, of course, the movie Braveheart made his story famous. Wallace was brought to Edingurgh when he was arrested. We stopped in a few shops to check out the Scottish scene. I was tempted to buy a kilt but I would never wear it, LOL. We ended the day in a pub, toasting to Shrek’s future and the last days of our contract. It was a difficult goodbye at the train station; I don’t know how people get used to it. I have met so many great people and I really hope I can visit them in all the various places they live.
Shrek acted as our personal tour guide, taking us to all the highlights of Edinburgh. He showed us the modern government building, the Queen’s home when she comes to visit, and two ancient castles. He told me about how most of the old city was burnt and the new city was built on top of the ruins. It is the most haunted city in the world! They have ghost tours that take adventurers down to the catacombs, I’m not sure I’m that brave. I do know that next I’m going into the Edinburgh castle when I have more time to explore it.
Shrek and I talked about William Wallace because, of course, the movie Braveheart made his story famous. Wallace was brought to Edingurgh when he was arrested. We stopped in a few shops to check out the Scottish scene. I was tempted to buy a kilt but I would never wear it, LOL. We ended the day in a pub, toasting to Shrek’s future and the last days of our contract. It was a difficult goodbye at the train station; I don’t know how people get used to it. I have met so many great people and I really hope I can visit them in all the various places they live.
Kiss Me, I'm Irish
Finally, the port I was most excited for! DUBLIN, IRELAND! I have always wanted to see Ireland, not just because I heard it has gorgeous landscapes, but because of my Irish ancestry. I signed up to assist the Easy Dublin Highlights and Phoenix Park Tour. I didn’t realize though that “easy” meant “wheelchairs” since most of my guests were in wheelchairs. And this was a bit of a disappointment because the tour was mostly in the bus, passing places of interest and only stopping two times. But being on a bus, I was certainly able to see more of the city than if I had simply walked around. And since everyone had to take a shuttle to get there, my transportation was free. :)
My guest was a very friendly old man. It was so cute when he said things like “me” in place of “my” and “wee” for “little”! Right away, when I introduced myself, his eyes light up from my Irish name. He told me Shannon was a Celtic Goddess and the largest river in Ireland! How awesome is that! So now, when people ask me if I’m named after the famous actress I can say, “Nope, I’m named after my river in Ireland.”
The city of Dublin is over 1,000 years old. Vikings settled here and built the first town to have streets. It was a major trading center. I noticed the drivers driving on the right, which is WRONG! ;) As we headed out of the docks, the guide explained that Ireland has a healthy economy, by exporting more than importing. But the Government spends way too much. He pointed out on building and told the legend of how St. Patrick and how he drove all the snakes out of Ireland. “We keep 166 snakes in there,” he said. “It’s our reptilarium.” It was the Senate house. LOL.
We headed along the Northwall, opposite the Grand Central Dock. The first part of the city was the new Dublin, with developments like apartments and a convention center. Then we would see the old city. He informed us that they keep their buildings short because they want light from the sky. We passed a bridge that in the olden days, you had to pay half a penny to cross. We saw the Rugby stadium, a polo park, and the Guiness Brewery. The Guiness family was very rich and owned much of the property, a lot of which was donated to Dublin. We didn’t get out at Phoenix Park, the largest enclosed park in a city of Europe, which I thought would have been one of the stops. We continued on and saw the Dublin Zoo, the birthplace of Clarence, MGM’s famous lion.
The guide asked if there were any French people on the tour. Since there was none, he went on to explain that he always told the French to not look at the statue we were about to see. It was a monument of Wellington, general at Waterloo. “I try to save them from embarrassment, but they always look!” We moved along Dublin and drove a round about to see where diplomats resided. The two we saw were home to the American ambassador, neighbor to the Presidents house because we were the first to establish diplomatic relations with the Irish. Our guide said they do have to pay rent like everyone else, ONE DIME! For that gorgeous house, SO NOT FAIR!!!!
Maybe I should be an ambassador and move to Ireland!
GUESS WHAT! Ireland has a FEMALE PRESIDENT! Geez, somebody has it right!!!! We saw a parade of fancy cars ad police escorts leaving from the President’s place. Estates of royalty or politicians in Europe have flags on top of the building. If more than two are flying, the owner is currently there. Since only one flag was flying that day, I don’t think the president herself was there, or maybe they took the flag down because that was her leaving! :o Our guide said for Americans the house is a “copy” of the White House, to be diplomatic. It was the same Irish architect, but theirs was built before ours.
The weather was beautiful; he said despite the rumors, Ireland rarely has bad winters. I guess that depends on who is speaking; the Brazilians may beg to differ. Our first stop was
St. Patrick’s cathedral, one of the two Protest Episcopalian churches. St. Patrick’s is the largest church in Ireland and has the largest choir. The interior of the cathedral was gorgeous with its decorative Bishop’s chair and the knights of Ireland. The podium was a large golden eagle because in the bible, the word of the lord will be carried on the back on a large bird of prey. The eagle is also used for its likeness to God, it flies at great height and sees in amazing detail.
I learned that stain glass windows are strategically designed and placed in cathedrals. The northern window is always the brightest to catch the sun. The south has the darker colors. This church’s southern window had illustrations of the New Testament, the Old Testament and the Promises. Throughout the church, there were various dedications. There was a grave and burial devotion for Jonathan Swift and his wife. Swift was the Dean of St. Patrick’s while he wrote his famous novel, Gulliver’s Travels. There were monuments for other important people and discoveries, including a statue of Carolan, a famous Irish musician.
I finally learned how to read European license plates because the guide said that the Lord/ Mayor gets the first new car of the year so his plate now read 10 D1, D for Dublin. He also told us there are wheelchair taxis available here, that’s a brilliant idea. I’ve never heard of that before! Our second stop was at Trinity College. Queen Elizabeth the 1st of England made the university. We walked through the square, viewing all the aging buildings. All of them are neo classical design except on that was Elizabethan style. We passed the Berkley library. The creator of Berkley College in the US attended Trinity.
There are a total of eight million books throughout the libraries on Trinity campus. The main attraction here is the Book of Kells. Our guide said young people come from the US to bring the Irish “the new religion of Christianity”. When they try to enlighten him, he asks, “Have you seen our Book of Kells? It’s a bible that is 1,200 years old.” So, the Irish always reply to the converters, “WE KNOW!” Unfortunately, the public can see the book any day but Mondays, and of course we are there on a Monday. Still, the campus was worth the trip. Our guide joked how Americans say the best college in the world is Harvard, but their professors come from Trinity of Dublin!
On our trip back to the ship, he showed us the statue of Lyre. The legend says that the Queen, who was also their stepmother, transformed children into swans. They traveled over the seas for 800 years. When they were transformed back, they were only children for a short time because they aged quickly. Back in the port, I did some gift shopping. I’m very happy I got to see the important spots of Dublin, it was a very pretty and well kept city.
My guest was a very friendly old man. It was so cute when he said things like “me” in place of “my” and “wee” for “little”! Right away, when I introduced myself, his eyes light up from my Irish name. He told me Shannon was a Celtic Goddess and the largest river in Ireland! How awesome is that! So now, when people ask me if I’m named after the famous actress I can say, “Nope, I’m named after my river in Ireland.”
The city of Dublin is over 1,000 years old. Vikings settled here and built the first town to have streets. It was a major trading center. I noticed the drivers driving on the right, which is WRONG! ;) As we headed out of the docks, the guide explained that Ireland has a healthy economy, by exporting more than importing. But the Government spends way too much. He pointed out on building and told the legend of how St. Patrick and how he drove all the snakes out of Ireland. “We keep 166 snakes in there,” he said. “It’s our reptilarium.” It was the Senate house. LOL.
We headed along the Northwall, opposite the Grand Central Dock. The first part of the city was the new Dublin, with developments like apartments and a convention center. Then we would see the old city. He informed us that they keep their buildings short because they want light from the sky. We passed a bridge that in the olden days, you had to pay half a penny to cross. We saw the Rugby stadium, a polo park, and the Guiness Brewery. The Guiness family was very rich and owned much of the property, a lot of which was donated to Dublin. We didn’t get out at Phoenix Park, the largest enclosed park in a city of Europe, which I thought would have been one of the stops. We continued on and saw the Dublin Zoo, the birthplace of Clarence, MGM’s famous lion.
The guide asked if there were any French people on the tour. Since there was none, he went on to explain that he always told the French to not look at the statue we were about to see. It was a monument of Wellington, general at Waterloo. “I try to save them from embarrassment, but they always look!” We moved along Dublin and drove a round about to see where diplomats resided. The two we saw were home to the American ambassador, neighbor to the Presidents house because we were the first to establish diplomatic relations with the Irish. Our guide said they do have to pay rent like everyone else, ONE DIME! For that gorgeous house, SO NOT FAIR!!!!
Maybe I should be an ambassador and move to Ireland!
GUESS WHAT! Ireland has a FEMALE PRESIDENT! Geez, somebody has it right!!!! We saw a parade of fancy cars ad police escorts leaving from the President’s place. Estates of royalty or politicians in Europe have flags on top of the building. If more than two are flying, the owner is currently there. Since only one flag was flying that day, I don’t think the president herself was there, or maybe they took the flag down because that was her leaving! :o Our guide said for Americans the house is a “copy” of the White House, to be diplomatic. It was the same Irish architect, but theirs was built before ours.
The weather was beautiful; he said despite the rumors, Ireland rarely has bad winters. I guess that depends on who is speaking; the Brazilians may beg to differ. Our first stop was
St. Patrick’s cathedral, one of the two Protest Episcopalian churches. St. Patrick’s is the largest church in Ireland and has the largest choir. The interior of the cathedral was gorgeous with its decorative Bishop’s chair and the knights of Ireland. The podium was a large golden eagle because in the bible, the word of the lord will be carried on the back on a large bird of prey. The eagle is also used for its likeness to God, it flies at great height and sees in amazing detail.
I learned that stain glass windows are strategically designed and placed in cathedrals. The northern window is always the brightest to catch the sun. The south has the darker colors. This church’s southern window had illustrations of the New Testament, the Old Testament and the Promises. Throughout the church, there were various dedications. There was a grave and burial devotion for Jonathan Swift and his wife. Swift was the Dean of St. Patrick’s while he wrote his famous novel, Gulliver’s Travels. There were monuments for other important people and discoveries, including a statue of Carolan, a famous Irish musician.
I finally learned how to read European license plates because the guide said that the Lord/ Mayor gets the first new car of the year so his plate now read 10 D1, D for Dublin. He also told us there are wheelchair taxis available here, that’s a brilliant idea. I’ve never heard of that before! Our second stop was at Trinity College. Queen Elizabeth the 1st of England made the university. We walked through the square, viewing all the aging buildings. All of them are neo classical design except on that was Elizabethan style. We passed the Berkley library. The creator of Berkley College in the US attended Trinity.
There are a total of eight million books throughout the libraries on Trinity campus. The main attraction here is the Book of Kells. Our guide said young people come from the US to bring the Irish “the new religion of Christianity”. When they try to enlighten him, he asks, “Have you seen our Book of Kells? It’s a bible that is 1,200 years old.” So, the Irish always reply to the converters, “WE KNOW!” Unfortunately, the public can see the book any day but Mondays, and of course we are there on a Monday. Still, the campus was worth the trip. Our guide joked how Americans say the best college in the world is Harvard, but their professors come from Trinity of Dublin!
On our trip back to the ship, he showed us the statue of Lyre. The legend says that the Queen, who was also their stepmother, transformed children into swans. They traveled over the seas for 800 years. When they were transformed back, they were only children for a short time because they aged quickly. Back in the port, I did some gift shopping. I’m very happy I got to see the important spots of Dublin, it was a very pretty and well kept city.
Crème Brulee
Last Sunday we were in another French port, Cherbourg. After sanitizing our rooms and having them inspected, my shift serving food in the Windjammer followed by boat drill, I was left with only three hours to be off. Kristin, Maude, Kat, Robert, Kevin and I all got off together. We stopped for a bit in the terminal to taste the pastries and local cider that was offered. BLAH I didn’t realize European cider usually means with alcohol. But the sugar cookie was good, a sort of fudge-taste.
Stephany and Brandon were in the terminal when we got out. Because we had been in Paris while there was a holiday going on, the trains had stopped early. They had to take two taxis to get back to the port, and they made it just in time to watch us sailing off in the water. After staying the night in a hotel, and taking another taxi to meet us at the next port, their total cost was around 1,000 euros to get back to the ship. OUCH. It makes me even more cautious with public transportation now, especially here in Europe cause they like to just randomly stop working or are always running late.
Our group left them to board the ship and headed out to Cherbourg. It was a bit of a walk to get to the town, we had to maneuver through abandoned warehouses and cross a river. We passed several guests heading back to the ship and watched as a boy tragically tripped over a bump in the road, face planted, and lost his brand new soccer ball he had just bought to the depths of the river. Robert was snapping away pictures of the graffiti while Kevin (the new Schooner Bar player) and I discussed California. Turns out he grew up in Burbank, the area I was living when I was dancing in LA. We talked fondly about Porto’s the bakery that was on my street, and the Grove mall where I had worked. What a small world!
Since we didn’t have enough time to get out of the dock town, we decided to grab some lunch then head back. The information lady in the terminal said there was a free horse and carriage ride to see the town, so maybe I can do that next time. I learned Kat is allergic to horses; it’s amazing to me that after 8 months of nearly 24/ 7 contact with my cast, I still don’t know everything about them. But I suppose that’s a good thing, LOL. After walking through the deserted streets of restaurants and shops, we started to worry that nothing would be open. Finally we found a cute little place, tucked away behind a stone archway.
The inside was beautifully decorated with bright colors. Kat and I ordered a bread and cheese fondue to share. It was so delicious! We also all had small glasses of the house cider and again I tried it, but I still hated it. I finished off my French cuisine with crème brulee, which I don’t know if I have ever liked before this one. I had a more vanilla cream flavor and I think is a lot better than how they make it in the states. But… DUH. :D
A French family came to eat after what looked like a first communion. I liked the atmosphere, I wasn’t sure how French people would take to us after all the stories I had heard from my friends and even sister. I know they dislike Americans, or really anyone who doesn’t speak French, but I haven’t been mistreated so far. Maybe they just make fun of me behind my back or even in front of my face, since I wouldn’t be able to tell! Oh well!
After our lunch we had to return back through the maze. We started to run through the streets because we hadn’t given ourselves enough time for leisure walking AND to be lost. HA HA. Kristin speaks a little French from studying in college, so she was helpful in the restaurant and she was able to ask a man on the street where the dock was. He was kind enough to walk us to the right street and point us the rest of the way. We ran into one of the ship’s doctor, who was lost as well. Except he was confident that the ship was the other way, despite our argument that we had just come from there. So we left him to walk that way, not sure what time he made it back on!
We made it in plenty of time, just had to jog a bit. Kristin purchased a bottle of the cider and we got on the ship. I layed down for a bit because running right after I had just ate ALL THAT, the cheese was starting to rumble in my tummy. Good thing we didn’t have a show! I’m not sure why we dock here, if it is a popular French town or has a certain attraction. I should do some more research for the next time we cruise there.
Brandon and Stephany had their hearing with the Captain, Head of Security, Hotel Director, and other important officers the next morning. They were each given a final warning, which lasts on their records for two years. Basically, if they get into any other trouble, they are fired. But luckily, they can stay with us for the rest of our cruise. It would be so sad to lose two people with just three weeks of our contract left. We signed on together, we need to finish together!
Stephany and Brandon were in the terminal when we got out. Because we had been in Paris while there was a holiday going on, the trains had stopped early. They had to take two taxis to get back to the port, and they made it just in time to watch us sailing off in the water. After staying the night in a hotel, and taking another taxi to meet us at the next port, their total cost was around 1,000 euros to get back to the ship. OUCH. It makes me even more cautious with public transportation now, especially here in Europe cause they like to just randomly stop working or are always running late.
Our group left them to board the ship and headed out to Cherbourg. It was a bit of a walk to get to the town, we had to maneuver through abandoned warehouses and cross a river. We passed several guests heading back to the ship and watched as a boy tragically tripped over a bump in the road, face planted, and lost his brand new soccer ball he had just bought to the depths of the river. Robert was snapping away pictures of the graffiti while Kevin (the new Schooner Bar player) and I discussed California. Turns out he grew up in Burbank, the area I was living when I was dancing in LA. We talked fondly about Porto’s the bakery that was on my street, and the Grove mall where I had worked. What a small world!
Since we didn’t have enough time to get out of the dock town, we decided to grab some lunch then head back. The information lady in the terminal said there was a free horse and carriage ride to see the town, so maybe I can do that next time. I learned Kat is allergic to horses; it’s amazing to me that after 8 months of nearly 24/ 7 contact with my cast, I still don’t know everything about them. But I suppose that’s a good thing, LOL. After walking through the deserted streets of restaurants and shops, we started to worry that nothing would be open. Finally we found a cute little place, tucked away behind a stone archway.
The inside was beautifully decorated with bright colors. Kat and I ordered a bread and cheese fondue to share. It was so delicious! We also all had small glasses of the house cider and again I tried it, but I still hated it. I finished off my French cuisine with crème brulee, which I don’t know if I have ever liked before this one. I had a more vanilla cream flavor and I think is a lot better than how they make it in the states. But… DUH. :D
A French family came to eat after what looked like a first communion. I liked the atmosphere, I wasn’t sure how French people would take to us after all the stories I had heard from my friends and even sister. I know they dislike Americans, or really anyone who doesn’t speak French, but I haven’t been mistreated so far. Maybe they just make fun of me behind my back or even in front of my face, since I wouldn’t be able to tell! Oh well!
After our lunch we had to return back through the maze. We started to run through the streets because we hadn’t given ourselves enough time for leisure walking AND to be lost. HA HA. Kristin speaks a little French from studying in college, so she was helpful in the restaurant and she was able to ask a man on the street where the dock was. He was kind enough to walk us to the right street and point us the rest of the way. We ran into one of the ship’s doctor, who was lost as well. Except he was confident that the ship was the other way, despite our argument that we had just come from there. So we left him to walk that way, not sure what time he made it back on!
We made it in plenty of time, just had to jog a bit. Kristin purchased a bottle of the cider and we got on the ship. I layed down for a bit because running right after I had just ate ALL THAT, the cheese was starting to rumble in my tummy. Good thing we didn’t have a show! I’m not sure why we dock here, if it is a popular French town or has a certain attraction. I should do some more research for the next time we cruise there.
Brandon and Stephany had their hearing with the Captain, Head of Security, Hotel Director, and other important officers the next morning. They were each given a final warning, which lasts on their records for two years. Basically, if they get into any other trouble, they are fired. But luckily, they can stay with us for the rest of our cruise. It would be so sad to lose two people with just three weeks of our contract left. We signed on together, we need to finish together!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Wee Wee, Par-ee
I finally made it to Paris!!!! Oh my GOSH!!!!! Paris is incredible, but there is WAY too much stuff for me to see, I definitely need to spend at least a week there! I signed up for the crew tour, only 40 dollars, which is measly compared to a 60-euro train ticket. We left at around 9:30. It was a two hour shuttle bus ride, so we all took nice long naps. The bus dropped us off right at the feet of the Eiffel Tower. There were so many people crowded beneath it; I think it is the number one most visited tourist spot. From there, our group of fifty crew members split off for their adventures, I stayed with Cristian and Micheal. We walked beneath the tower and paid for a hop on- hop off tour bus, which would take us to the main attractions.
The entire tour takes two hours, because the buses run every ten minutes so you can hop off at each stop. We were short on time though, we had only four hours since the commute back to the ship is such a long drive. The day had started out a little chilly but I started putting away layers as the sun began to warm us. It was such a gorgeous day, encouraging me to return for an extended vacation so I can enjoy all the sites and have time for a picnic on the lawns of Paris.
The first stop we got off at was the Louvre. I was a bit confused at first; because in all the movies, the museum appeared as the glass pyramids. But the bus had dropped us off at a gigantic square building. We went in through one of the entrances and found the pyramids! I heard a rumor that it takes seven years to see the museums’ entirety, because they are constantly adjusting it. Regardless if that is a true statement, the museum is the largest in the world and is absolutely on my “To-Do List” when I return. Several photos later, we were back on the bus and headed to Notre Dame.
The minute we came around the corner and Notre Dame was towering right in front of me, I almost cried. I don’t know why I was in such awe of it, I guess because I’m a Disney fanatic and I have seen the Hunchback of Notre Dame a million times. It was a dream to see the real thing, a dream I had never thought possible to make into a reality. But there it was! It’s free to go into the cathedral, but there was no time! We had the rest of Paris to see! So after we took pictures of the man dressed as Quasimoldo, and picked up a few souvenirs, we caught the next bus.
The rest of the tour we stayed on the bus, but it was good because we were on the top of the double- decker and we could see everything. We passed the Opera house, circled around the Arc de Triomphe, and even drove over the tunnel where Princess Diana lost her life. There is so much history to take in; I was overloaded trying to listen to the radio tour guide on my headphones and take pictures. Like I said, there is no WAY you can do Paris in a day!
When we reached the Eiffel Tower again, we got off and bought some AMAZING crepes. I had a chocolate one (OF COURSE) and the guy folded the warm pastry like an ice cream cone and topped it with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. I don’t think I have ever had anything more perfect! We had just enough time to do a little souvenir shopping before we found our shuttle bus. After all the fuss about being punctual and the threat they would leave us behind if we were late, we had to wait for our driver, and I doubt he got lost. But I have no complaints! I was in PARIS!!!!! GAH!!! :D
I came back to the ship and ate a little dinner before heading up to the Windjammer for my shift. It was actually a pretty fun shift. I was in charge of coffee, which is simple enough, and I enjoyed helping the waitress I was assigned with. Only one guest was annoying, because she insisted on a certain amount of coffee, milk and water, and she kept asking me where the captain was. She asked about one of the officers over and over again and I continued to say “no ma’am, that’s not the captain. He is not in here right now.” She eventually got the message and left.
Last night was a chaotic mess. It was day two of the cruise, and a sea day. We had Broadway scheduled for 9 and 11 at night. But in the morning, we got a call that we had to re-block for Stephany because she had thrown up. So we re-blocked until 4, when we had a full show tech run. Than I got a call at around 7:40, it was Chris asking me to come to the theater to re-block for Maude. She hadn’t thrown up but she has had a nasty cough and her fever has been rapidly increasing. So we had an hour before the show to throw a show together. I only had my hair done, and by the time they were calling 10 minutes to show, I was not stretched and I still needed to do my make up.
So the first show was sloppy and crazy. Everyone was bumping into each other, trying to remember which number of which re-block they needed to go to and what new choreography to do. But we got through it, and we must have performed more than usual to hide our madness because they seemed to really like it. Backstage, Brian was looking pretty awful. He was really gray in the face and his eyes were blackening. He said he needed to throw up. He ran to his room and then had to go to medical because he did throw up, even though he felt better after he did. It was the same thing with Stephany, they both threw up and felt better right after, which is not the case with GI.
But medical declared them not fit for duty because they had “GI” and we were scrambling 20 minutes before the second show to think of what to do. OB was trying to talk us into making an announcement for the guests pre show that one of the singers had gotten injured and then play Brian’s sick track throughout the show. We tried to explain how ridiculous this would be, especially because he does so much partner work with Kristen, including a wedding scene. It would just make no sense. Not to mention, we didn’t think our managers and bosses at the studios in Florida would be too happy if they heard we did a show missing a singer and not having someone stand in but there is a “magical voice”.
In the end, Chris told them there was no way to do a show and we had to cancel. It’s been really frustrating to me that we still have GI on this ship. We sanitize every night. And it feels like a punishment to crew. Tomorrow morning, we have inspection by our supervisors, boat drill, and then inspection by the captain and staff captain and other important officers. Also our food shifts. We now have all these restrictions, like they took away our slop chest, which used to sell candy bars and other treats and now we are only allowed water. Tomorrow we need to throw away all our toilet paper, tissues, cotton balls, and spray all these chemicals to “kill the virus”. The most aggravating part is that it is the GUESTS that have it.
We sailed the transatlantic and never once had a case. When we had our first few cases after we made it to Europe, we immediately sanitized the ship. The new guests come on and guess what, they bring it with them. And the worst of it is, the people in charge think that by setting up hand sanitizers and requiring guests to “wash” before they come to eat, it will kill the virus. How do they not see that this isn’t working! Why have we been in code red for this long and they STILL don’t understand that hand sanitizer is for GERMS. Germs and viruses are two completely different things!!! They are letting guests not wash their hands with soap and water, which HELLO…GROSS, and giving them false security with the hand sanitizers.
Now the officers are trying everything they can think of, which is mainly just affecting crew. But how can they not see that in the current static of about 60 cases of GI, 6 are CREW. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!! WE DON’T HAVE IT. We have easily accessible water and soap areas right when we walk into our mess. There are no sinks in guest areas except in the bathrooms. OMG just put a portable sink in the entrance of the Windjammer and the Dining Hall, rather than the stupid hand sanitizer dispensers, and force them to wash their hands. THEN all our sanitizing won’t go to waste. GEEZ.
So yes, I’m a little bitter at this point because we are starting to be punished for guests not keeping simple hygiene. I’m over being in this Code Red business. The rest of the cast keeps encouraging me that this will never happen on my other contracts. I have had the most intense first contract I think ever, to be honest. We have all been through so much, and just to add another thing, Stephany and Brandon missed the ship. They were on the crew tour with us, but they wanted to take the train back so they stayed later. Our bus came back at about 7, and crew on board was 11. I got a call at about 11:35 from Dave, and he was asking if I had any contact information because they still weren’t back. But I told him we can’t call their cells because we all turned ours off, there was no point in other countries to pay all that money. So we waited, checked our emails in case they had tried to contact us, and sailed away.
We are still in France tomorrow, and I’m told we aren’t too far from the port we were at today. So I’m hoping they will get their passports from the port agents, because our HR people took them off and left them in the port, and they will figure out their way to meet us in Cherbourg. Sometimes, if you miss the ship, it is an immediate dismissal from the captain. But if there is a good excuse, or if you have an understanding officer, you can save your job. Chris said that if we had had a show tonight, they would have lost their jobs right away because they missed their duties. I don’t know if they just didn’t plan out the train properly, or if there was strikes, or what, I just pray that they are ok. Luckily, Stephany has been to Paris a few times and speaks French, so that should help some. But it’s very scary that we can’t call them and I don’t think they know how to call the ship.
I guess I will find out tomorrow what happened. I should go to bed now; I need to be up at 7 am cleaning our cabin. JOY. But hey, I was in Paris, so I am still very, very, very happy!!!! :D
The entire tour takes two hours, because the buses run every ten minutes so you can hop off at each stop. We were short on time though, we had only four hours since the commute back to the ship is such a long drive. The day had started out a little chilly but I started putting away layers as the sun began to warm us. It was such a gorgeous day, encouraging me to return for an extended vacation so I can enjoy all the sites and have time for a picnic on the lawns of Paris.
The first stop we got off at was the Louvre. I was a bit confused at first; because in all the movies, the museum appeared as the glass pyramids. But the bus had dropped us off at a gigantic square building. We went in through one of the entrances and found the pyramids! I heard a rumor that it takes seven years to see the museums’ entirety, because they are constantly adjusting it. Regardless if that is a true statement, the museum is the largest in the world and is absolutely on my “To-Do List” when I return. Several photos later, we were back on the bus and headed to Notre Dame.
The minute we came around the corner and Notre Dame was towering right in front of me, I almost cried. I don’t know why I was in such awe of it, I guess because I’m a Disney fanatic and I have seen the Hunchback of Notre Dame a million times. It was a dream to see the real thing, a dream I had never thought possible to make into a reality. But there it was! It’s free to go into the cathedral, but there was no time! We had the rest of Paris to see! So after we took pictures of the man dressed as Quasimoldo, and picked up a few souvenirs, we caught the next bus.
The rest of the tour we stayed on the bus, but it was good because we were on the top of the double- decker and we could see everything. We passed the Opera house, circled around the Arc de Triomphe, and even drove over the tunnel where Princess Diana lost her life. There is so much history to take in; I was overloaded trying to listen to the radio tour guide on my headphones and take pictures. Like I said, there is no WAY you can do Paris in a day!
When we reached the Eiffel Tower again, we got off and bought some AMAZING crepes. I had a chocolate one (OF COURSE) and the guy folded the warm pastry like an ice cream cone and topped it with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. I don’t think I have ever had anything more perfect! We had just enough time to do a little souvenir shopping before we found our shuttle bus. After all the fuss about being punctual and the threat they would leave us behind if we were late, we had to wait for our driver, and I doubt he got lost. But I have no complaints! I was in PARIS!!!!! GAH!!! :D
I came back to the ship and ate a little dinner before heading up to the Windjammer for my shift. It was actually a pretty fun shift. I was in charge of coffee, which is simple enough, and I enjoyed helping the waitress I was assigned with. Only one guest was annoying, because she insisted on a certain amount of coffee, milk and water, and she kept asking me where the captain was. She asked about one of the officers over and over again and I continued to say “no ma’am, that’s not the captain. He is not in here right now.” She eventually got the message and left.
Last night was a chaotic mess. It was day two of the cruise, and a sea day. We had Broadway scheduled for 9 and 11 at night. But in the morning, we got a call that we had to re-block for Stephany because she had thrown up. So we re-blocked until 4, when we had a full show tech run. Than I got a call at around 7:40, it was Chris asking me to come to the theater to re-block for Maude. She hadn’t thrown up but she has had a nasty cough and her fever has been rapidly increasing. So we had an hour before the show to throw a show together. I only had my hair done, and by the time they were calling 10 minutes to show, I was not stretched and I still needed to do my make up.
So the first show was sloppy and crazy. Everyone was bumping into each other, trying to remember which number of which re-block they needed to go to and what new choreography to do. But we got through it, and we must have performed more than usual to hide our madness because they seemed to really like it. Backstage, Brian was looking pretty awful. He was really gray in the face and his eyes were blackening. He said he needed to throw up. He ran to his room and then had to go to medical because he did throw up, even though he felt better after he did. It was the same thing with Stephany, they both threw up and felt better right after, which is not the case with GI.
But medical declared them not fit for duty because they had “GI” and we were scrambling 20 minutes before the second show to think of what to do. OB was trying to talk us into making an announcement for the guests pre show that one of the singers had gotten injured and then play Brian’s sick track throughout the show. We tried to explain how ridiculous this would be, especially because he does so much partner work with Kristen, including a wedding scene. It would just make no sense. Not to mention, we didn’t think our managers and bosses at the studios in Florida would be too happy if they heard we did a show missing a singer and not having someone stand in but there is a “magical voice”.
In the end, Chris told them there was no way to do a show and we had to cancel. It’s been really frustrating to me that we still have GI on this ship. We sanitize every night. And it feels like a punishment to crew. Tomorrow morning, we have inspection by our supervisors, boat drill, and then inspection by the captain and staff captain and other important officers. Also our food shifts. We now have all these restrictions, like they took away our slop chest, which used to sell candy bars and other treats and now we are only allowed water. Tomorrow we need to throw away all our toilet paper, tissues, cotton balls, and spray all these chemicals to “kill the virus”. The most aggravating part is that it is the GUESTS that have it.
We sailed the transatlantic and never once had a case. When we had our first few cases after we made it to Europe, we immediately sanitized the ship. The new guests come on and guess what, they bring it with them. And the worst of it is, the people in charge think that by setting up hand sanitizers and requiring guests to “wash” before they come to eat, it will kill the virus. How do they not see that this isn’t working! Why have we been in code red for this long and they STILL don’t understand that hand sanitizer is for GERMS. Germs and viruses are two completely different things!!! They are letting guests not wash their hands with soap and water, which HELLO…GROSS, and giving them false security with the hand sanitizers.
Now the officers are trying everything they can think of, which is mainly just affecting crew. But how can they not see that in the current static of about 60 cases of GI, 6 are CREW. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!! WE DON’T HAVE IT. We have easily accessible water and soap areas right when we walk into our mess. There are no sinks in guest areas except in the bathrooms. OMG just put a portable sink in the entrance of the Windjammer and the Dining Hall, rather than the stupid hand sanitizer dispensers, and force them to wash their hands. THEN all our sanitizing won’t go to waste. GEEZ.
So yes, I’m a little bitter at this point because we are starting to be punished for guests not keeping simple hygiene. I’m over being in this Code Red business. The rest of the cast keeps encouraging me that this will never happen on my other contracts. I have had the most intense first contract I think ever, to be honest. We have all been through so much, and just to add another thing, Stephany and Brandon missed the ship. They were on the crew tour with us, but they wanted to take the train back so they stayed later. Our bus came back at about 7, and crew on board was 11. I got a call at about 11:35 from Dave, and he was asking if I had any contact information because they still weren’t back. But I told him we can’t call their cells because we all turned ours off, there was no point in other countries to pay all that money. So we waited, checked our emails in case they had tried to contact us, and sailed away.
We are still in France tomorrow, and I’m told we aren’t too far from the port we were at today. So I’m hoping they will get their passports from the port agents, because our HR people took them off and left them in the port, and they will figure out their way to meet us in Cherbourg. Sometimes, if you miss the ship, it is an immediate dismissal from the captain. But if there is a good excuse, or if you have an understanding officer, you can save your job. Chris said that if we had had a show tonight, they would have lost their jobs right away because they missed their duties. I don’t know if they just didn’t plan out the train properly, or if there was strikes, or what, I just pray that they are ok. Luckily, Stephany has been to Paris a few times and speaks French, so that should help some. But it’s very scary that we can’t call them and I don’t think they know how to call the ship.
I guess I will find out tomorrow what happened. I should go to bed now; I need to be up at 7 am cleaning our cabin. JOY. But hey, I was in Paris, so I am still very, very, very happy!!!! :D
Wee Wee, Par-ee
I finally made it to Paris!!!! Oh my GOSH!!!!! Paris is incredible, but there is WAY too much stuff for me to see, I definitely need to spend at least a week there! I signed up for the crew tour, only 40 dollars, which is measly compared to a 60-euro train ticket. We left at around 9:30. It was a two hour shuttle bus ride, so we all took nice long naps. The bus dropped us off right at the feet of the Eiffel Tower. There were so many people crowded beneath it; I think it is the number one most visited tourist spot. From there, our group of fifty crew members split off for their adventures, I stayed with Cristian and Micheal. We walked beneath the tower and paid for a hop on- hop off tour bus, which would take us to the main attractions.
The entire tour takes two hours, because the buses run every ten minutes so you can hop off at each stop. We were short on time though, we had only four hours since the commute back to the ship is such a long drive. The day had started out a little chilly but I started putting away layers as the sun began to warm us. It was such a gorgeous day, encouraging me to return for an extended vacation so I can enjoy all the sites and have time for a picnic on the lawns of Paris.
The first stop we got off at was the Louvre. I was a bit confused at first; because in all the movies, the museum appeared as the glass pyramids. But the bus had dropped us off at a gigantic square building. We went in through one of the entrances and found the pyramids! I heard a rumor that it takes seven years to see the museums’ entirety, because they are constantly adjusting it. Regardless if that is a true statement, the museum is the largest in the world and is absolutely on my “To-Do List” when I return. Several photos later, we were back on the bus and headed to Notre Dame.
The minute we came around the corner and Notre Dame was towering right in front of me, I almost cried. I don’t know why I was in such awe of it, I guess because I’m a Disney fanatic and I have seen the Hunchback of Notre Dame a million times. It was a dream to see the real thing, a dream I had never thought possible to make into a reality. But there it was! It’s free to go into the cathedral, but there was no time! We had the rest of Paris to see! So after we took pictures of the man dressed as Quasimodo, and picked up a few souvenirs, we caught the next bus.
The rest of the tour we stayed on the bus, but it was good because we were on the top of the double- decker and we could see everything. We passed the Opera house, circled around the Arc de Triomphe, and even drove over the tunnel where Princess Diana lost her life. There is so much history to take in; I was overloaded trying to listen to the radio tour guide on my headphones and take pictures. Like I said, there is no WAY you can do Paris in a day!
When we reached the Eiffel Tower again, we got off and bought some AMAZING crepes. I had a chocolate one (OF COURSE) and the guy folded the warm pastry like an ice cream cone and topped it with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. I don’t think I have ever had anything more perfect! We had just enough time to do a little souvenir shopping before we found our shuttle bus. After all the fuss about being punctual and the threat they would leave us behind if we were late, we had to wait for our driver, and I doubt he got lost. But I have no complaints! I was in PARIS!!!!! GAH!!! :D
I came back to the ship and ate a little dinner before heading up to the Windjammer for my shift. It was actually a pretty fun shift. I was in charge of coffee, which is simple enough, and I enjoyed helping the waitress I was assigned with. Only one guest was annoying, because she insisted on a certain amount of coffee, milk and water, and she kept asking me where the captain was. She asked about one of the officers over and over again and I continued to say “no ma’am, that’s not the captain. He is not in here right now.” She eventually got the message and left.
Last night was a chaotic mess. It was day two of the cruise, and a sea day. We had Broadway scheduled for 9 and 11 at night. But in the morning, we got a call that we had to re-block for Stephany because she had thrown up. So we re-blocked until 4, when we had a full show tech run. Than I got a call at around 7:40, it was Chris asking me to come to the theater to re-block for Maude. She hadn’t thrown up but she has had a nasty cough and her fever has been rapidly increasing. So we had an hour before the show to throw a show together. I only had my hair done, and by the time they were calling 10 minutes to show, I was not stretched and I still needed to do my make up.
So the first show was sloppy and crazy. Everyone was bumping into each other, trying to remember which number of which re-block they needed to go to and what new choreography to do. But we got through it, and we must have performed more than usual to hide our madness because they seemed to really like it. Backstage, Brian was looking pretty awful. He was really gray in the face and his eyes were blackening. He said he needed to throw up. He ran to his room and then had to go to medical because he did throw up, even though he felt better after he did. It was the same thing with Stephany, they both threw up and felt better right after, which is not the case with GI.
But medical declared them not fit for duty because they had “GI” and we were scrambling 20 minutes before the second show to think of what to do. OB was trying to talk us into making an announcement for the guests pre show that one of the singers had gotten injured and then play Brian’s sick track throughout the show. We tried to explain how ridiculous this would be, especially because he does so much partner work with Kristen, including a wedding scene. It would just make no sense. Not to mention, we didn’t think our managers and bosses at the studios in Florida would be too happy if they heard we did a show missing a singer and not having someone stand in but there is a “magical voice”.
In the end, Chris told them there was no way to do a show and we had to cancel. It’s been really frustrating to me that we still have GI on this ship. We sanitize every night. And it feels like a punishment to crew. Tomorrow morning, we have inspection by our supervisors, boat drill, and then inspection by the captain and staff captain and other important officers. Also our food shifts. We now have all these restrictions, like they took away our slop chest, which used to sell candy bars and other treats and now we are only allowed water. Tomorrow we need to throw away all our toilet paper, tissues, cotton balls, and spray all these chemicals to “kill the virus”. The most aggravating part is that it is the GUESTS that have it.
We sailed the transatlantic and never once had a case. When we had our first few cases after we made it to Europe, we immediately sanitized the ship. The new guests come on and guess what, they bring it with them. And the worst of it is, the people in charge think that by setting up hand sanitizers and requiring guests to “wash” before they come to eat, it will kill the virus. How do they not see that this isn’t working! Why have we been in code red for this long and they STILL don’t understand that hand sanitizer is for GERMS. Germs and viruses are two completely different things!!! They are letting guests not wash their hands with soap and water, which HELLO…GROSS, and giving them false security with the hand sanitizers.
Now the officers are trying everything they can think of, which is mainly just affecting crew. But how can they not see that in the current status of about 60 cases of GI, 6 are CREW. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!! WE DON’T HAVE IT. We have easily accessible water and soap areas right when we walk into our mess. There are no sinks in guest areas except in the bathrooms. OMG just put a portable sink in the entrance of the Windjammer and the Dining Hall, rather than the stupid hand sanitizer dispensers, and force them to wash their hands. THEN all our sanitizing won’t go to waste. GEEZ.
So yes, I’m a little bitter at this point because we are starting to be punished for guests not keeping simple hygiene. I’m over being in this Code Red business. The rest of the cast keeps encouraging me that this will never happen on my other contracts. I have had the most intense first contract I think ever, to be honest. We have all been through so much, and just to add another thing, Stephany and Brandon missed the ship. They were on the crew tour with us, but they wanted to take the train back so they stayed later. Our bus came back at about 7, and crew on board was 11. I got a call at about 11:35 from Dave, and he was asking if I had any contact information because they still weren’t back. But I told him we can’t call their cells because we all turned ours off, there was no point in other countries to pay all that money. So we waited, checked our emails in case they had tried to contact us, and sailed away.
We are still in France tomorrow, and I’m told we aren’t too far from the port we were at today. So I’m hoping they will get their passports from the port agents, because our HR people took them off and left them in the port, and they will figure out their way to meet us in Cherbourg. Sometimes, if you miss the ship, it is an immediate dismissal from the captain. But if there is a good excuse, or if you have an understanding officer, you can save your job. Chris said that if we had had a show tonight, they would have lost their jobs right away because they missed their duties. I don’t know if they just didn’t plan out the train properly, or if there was strikes, or what, I just pray that they are ok. Luckily, Stephany has been to Paris a few times and speaks French, so that should help some. But it’s very scary that we can’t call them and I don’t think they know how to call the ship.
I guess I will find out tomorrow what happened. I should go to bed now; I need to be up at 7 am cleaning our cabin. JOY. But hey, I was in Paris, so I am still very, very, very happy!!!! :D
The entire tour takes two hours, because the buses run every ten minutes so you can hop off at each stop. We were short on time though, we had only four hours since the commute back to the ship is such a long drive. The day had started out a little chilly but I started putting away layers as the sun began to warm us. It was such a gorgeous day, encouraging me to return for an extended vacation so I can enjoy all the sites and have time for a picnic on the lawns of Paris.
The first stop we got off at was the Louvre. I was a bit confused at first; because in all the movies, the museum appeared as the glass pyramids. But the bus had dropped us off at a gigantic square building. We went in through one of the entrances and found the pyramids! I heard a rumor that it takes seven years to see the museums’ entirety, because they are constantly adjusting it. Regardless if that is a true statement, the museum is the largest in the world and is absolutely on my “To-Do List” when I return. Several photos later, we were back on the bus and headed to Notre Dame.
The minute we came around the corner and Notre Dame was towering right in front of me, I almost cried. I don’t know why I was in such awe of it, I guess because I’m a Disney fanatic and I have seen the Hunchback of Notre Dame a million times. It was a dream to see the real thing, a dream I had never thought possible to make into a reality. But there it was! It’s free to go into the cathedral, but there was no time! We had the rest of Paris to see! So after we took pictures of the man dressed as Quasimodo, and picked up a few souvenirs, we caught the next bus.
The rest of the tour we stayed on the bus, but it was good because we were on the top of the double- decker and we could see everything. We passed the Opera house, circled around the Arc de Triomphe, and even drove over the tunnel where Princess Diana lost her life. There is so much history to take in; I was overloaded trying to listen to the radio tour guide on my headphones and take pictures. Like I said, there is no WAY you can do Paris in a day!
When we reached the Eiffel Tower again, we got off and bought some AMAZING crepes. I had a chocolate one (OF COURSE) and the guy folded the warm pastry like an ice cream cone and topped it with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. I don’t think I have ever had anything more perfect! We had just enough time to do a little souvenir shopping before we found our shuttle bus. After all the fuss about being punctual and the threat they would leave us behind if we were late, we had to wait for our driver, and I doubt he got lost. But I have no complaints! I was in PARIS!!!!! GAH!!! :D
I came back to the ship and ate a little dinner before heading up to the Windjammer for my shift. It was actually a pretty fun shift. I was in charge of coffee, which is simple enough, and I enjoyed helping the waitress I was assigned with. Only one guest was annoying, because she insisted on a certain amount of coffee, milk and water, and she kept asking me where the captain was. She asked about one of the officers over and over again and I continued to say “no ma’am, that’s not the captain. He is not in here right now.” She eventually got the message and left.
Last night was a chaotic mess. It was day two of the cruise, and a sea day. We had Broadway scheduled for 9 and 11 at night. But in the morning, we got a call that we had to re-block for Stephany because she had thrown up. So we re-blocked until 4, when we had a full show tech run. Than I got a call at around 7:40, it was Chris asking me to come to the theater to re-block for Maude. She hadn’t thrown up but she has had a nasty cough and her fever has been rapidly increasing. So we had an hour before the show to throw a show together. I only had my hair done, and by the time they were calling 10 minutes to show, I was not stretched and I still needed to do my make up.
So the first show was sloppy and crazy. Everyone was bumping into each other, trying to remember which number of which re-block they needed to go to and what new choreography to do. But we got through it, and we must have performed more than usual to hide our madness because they seemed to really like it. Backstage, Brian was looking pretty awful. He was really gray in the face and his eyes were blackening. He said he needed to throw up. He ran to his room and then had to go to medical because he did throw up, even though he felt better after he did. It was the same thing with Stephany, they both threw up and felt better right after, which is not the case with GI.
But medical declared them not fit for duty because they had “GI” and we were scrambling 20 minutes before the second show to think of what to do. OB was trying to talk us into making an announcement for the guests pre show that one of the singers had gotten injured and then play Brian’s sick track throughout the show. We tried to explain how ridiculous this would be, especially because he does so much partner work with Kristen, including a wedding scene. It would just make no sense. Not to mention, we didn’t think our managers and bosses at the studios in Florida would be too happy if they heard we did a show missing a singer and not having someone stand in but there is a “magical voice”.
In the end, Chris told them there was no way to do a show and we had to cancel. It’s been really frustrating to me that we still have GI on this ship. We sanitize every night. And it feels like a punishment to crew. Tomorrow morning, we have inspection by our supervisors, boat drill, and then inspection by the captain and staff captain and other important officers. Also our food shifts. We now have all these restrictions, like they took away our slop chest, which used to sell candy bars and other treats and now we are only allowed water. Tomorrow we need to throw away all our toilet paper, tissues, cotton balls, and spray all these chemicals to “kill the virus”. The most aggravating part is that it is the GUESTS that have it.
We sailed the transatlantic and never once had a case. When we had our first few cases after we made it to Europe, we immediately sanitized the ship. The new guests come on and guess what, they bring it with them. And the worst of it is, the people in charge think that by setting up hand sanitizers and requiring guests to “wash” before they come to eat, it will kill the virus. How do they not see that this isn’t working! Why have we been in code red for this long and they STILL don’t understand that hand sanitizer is for GERMS. Germs and viruses are two completely different things!!! They are letting guests not wash their hands with soap and water, which HELLO…GROSS, and giving them false security with the hand sanitizers.
Now the officers are trying everything they can think of, which is mainly just affecting crew. But how can they not see that in the current status of about 60 cases of GI, 6 are CREW. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!! WE DON’T HAVE IT. We have easily accessible water and soap areas right when we walk into our mess. There are no sinks in guest areas except in the bathrooms. OMG just put a portable sink in the entrance of the Windjammer and the Dining Hall, rather than the stupid hand sanitizer dispensers, and force them to wash their hands. THEN all our sanitizing won’t go to waste. GEEZ.
So yes, I’m a little bitter at this point because we are starting to be punished for guests not keeping simple hygiene. I’m over being in this Code Red business. The rest of the cast keeps encouraging me that this will never happen on my other contracts. I have had the most intense first contract I think ever, to be honest. We have all been through so much, and just to add another thing, Stephany and Brandon missed the ship. They were on the crew tour with us, but they wanted to take the train back so they stayed later. Our bus came back at about 7, and crew on board was 11. I got a call at about 11:35 from Dave, and he was asking if I had any contact information because they still weren’t back. But I told him we can’t call their cells because we all turned ours off, there was no point in other countries to pay all that money. So we waited, checked our emails in case they had tried to contact us, and sailed away.
We are still in France tomorrow, and I’m told we aren’t too far from the port we were at today. So I’m hoping they will get their passports from the port agents, because our HR people took them off and left them in the port, and they will figure out their way to meet us in Cherbourg. Sometimes, if you miss the ship, it is an immediate dismissal from the captain. But if there is a good excuse, or if you have an understanding officer, you can save your job. Chris said that if we had had a show tonight, they would have lost their jobs right away because they missed their duties. I don’t know if they just didn’t plan out the train properly, or if there was strikes, or what, I just pray that they are ok. Luckily, Stephany has been to Paris a few times and speaks French, so that should help some. But it’s very scary that we can’t call them and I don’t think they know how to call the ship.
I guess I will find out tomorrow what happened. I should go to bed now; I need to be up at 7 am cleaning our cabin. JOY. But hey, I was in Paris, so I am still very, very, very happy!!!! :D
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
"Technical Difficulties"
Today was another day in Amsterdam. We were able to get off, because they were having technical issues with the hydros (parts of the stage that rise up and down), and needed time to fix that as well as set up the immense set for Boogie. Christian had a meeting at 10:30 and then at around 11 called to let us know we would re-block at 5:15, so we had a decent amount of time in the city.
Robert, Katrina, Kristin, Maude and I met up and headed out. The wind was making it really cold, even though the sun was out. I had bundled well, and brought a pair of gloves to keep my hands warm. They are drying out though, from the change in temperature. I definitely need to start moisturizing before and after I go outside.
We made our way into the city, our plan was to visit the carnival and maybe hop on a ride, eat some good grub, and look in some of the shops. But when we made it to the middle of the square, we found the carnival had been all packed up. I think it was only here for the Queen’s birthday, so we decided to pop our head into Burger King. I don’t eat anything there, but I stayed with the group and ate some of Kristin’s french fries. I can’t believe that most of Europe charges you to use the restroom! It was 50 cents! That’s crazy! It reminds me of the musical, Urinetown. I saw them perform it at Pomona High when I was in middle school, and I distinctly remember thinking, this will never happen. BUT IT’S HAPPENING!!!!!
After the others finished their lunch, we went back outside into the cold. We popped into a few shops, to look at all the unique and trendy clothes. Europe has so much style and flair- if you think of it, they have it. And this shopping street we were on seemed to never end! Eventually, I split away from the group because they wanted to go see Anne Frank’s house and since I had already done that, I ventured off on my own. It was so amazing. I love exploring cities by myself.
I shopped a bit in a cute boutique, and then set off to find a pancake house. My last tour guide had mentioned the Dutch pancakes, and I didn’t want to leave the Netherlands if I hadn’t tried one. I came into this cute little coffee shop (no, not THAT kind of coffee shop), and ordered a hot chocolate and an apple pancake. The pancake was the size of a PIZZA!!!! It was so delicious; the waitress brought powdered sugar and rich maple syrup for toppings. I don’t know how I’m going to leave Europe, I want to stay here for the food alone!
I came back to the ship and changed for rehearsal. We re-blocked successfully, had our tech run, and then we all ran off to get ready. I had a quick sandwich, showered, and put my hair up. I brought my make up backstage, because after our rehearsal, we only had an hour til our call time. I was doing my make up in the dressing room when Robert comes in to tell us that we have to do another re-block because Nicco has a 102 degree fever. So the cruise director cancelled our first show, claiming “technical difficulties” and we rehearsed backstage and waited for our second show.
The best part of the night was watching the stage staff act like there were curtain issues. They pulled the main curtain up halfway, set up a ladder, and Tim (the new sound guy), stood at the top and shook the ladder. The other guys stood around it, scratching their heads in “confusion” talking to one another, pointing at various spots in the rafters. We were all cracking up backstage and coaching them on what they should do next. Peter pretended to call out orders to move the curtain and then would yell, “STOP!” and wave his arms frantically. Dave made the announcement to persuade the early bird audience members to come to the eleven o’clock show. It was a lot of fun putting on the hoax.
Another crazy night on the Vision, our cruises can never just be normal. :D
Robert, Katrina, Kristin, Maude and I met up and headed out. The wind was making it really cold, even though the sun was out. I had bundled well, and brought a pair of gloves to keep my hands warm. They are drying out though, from the change in temperature. I definitely need to start moisturizing before and after I go outside.
We made our way into the city, our plan was to visit the carnival and maybe hop on a ride, eat some good grub, and look in some of the shops. But when we made it to the middle of the square, we found the carnival had been all packed up. I think it was only here for the Queen’s birthday, so we decided to pop our head into Burger King. I don’t eat anything there, but I stayed with the group and ate some of Kristin’s french fries. I can’t believe that most of Europe charges you to use the restroom! It was 50 cents! That’s crazy! It reminds me of the musical, Urinetown. I saw them perform it at Pomona High when I was in middle school, and I distinctly remember thinking, this will never happen. BUT IT’S HAPPENING!!!!!
After the others finished their lunch, we went back outside into the cold. We popped into a few shops, to look at all the unique and trendy clothes. Europe has so much style and flair- if you think of it, they have it. And this shopping street we were on seemed to never end! Eventually, I split away from the group because they wanted to go see Anne Frank’s house and since I had already done that, I ventured off on my own. It was so amazing. I love exploring cities by myself.
I shopped a bit in a cute boutique, and then set off to find a pancake house. My last tour guide had mentioned the Dutch pancakes, and I didn’t want to leave the Netherlands if I hadn’t tried one. I came into this cute little coffee shop (no, not THAT kind of coffee shop), and ordered a hot chocolate and an apple pancake. The pancake was the size of a PIZZA!!!! It was so delicious; the waitress brought powdered sugar and rich maple syrup for toppings. I don’t know how I’m going to leave Europe, I want to stay here for the food alone!
I came back to the ship and changed for rehearsal. We re-blocked successfully, had our tech run, and then we all ran off to get ready. I had a quick sandwich, showered, and put my hair up. I brought my make up backstage, because after our rehearsal, we only had an hour til our call time. I was doing my make up in the dressing room when Robert comes in to tell us that we have to do another re-block because Nicco has a 102 degree fever. So the cruise director cancelled our first show, claiming “technical difficulties” and we rehearsed backstage and waited for our second show.
The best part of the night was watching the stage staff act like there were curtain issues. They pulled the main curtain up halfway, set up a ladder, and Tim (the new sound guy), stood at the top and shook the ladder. The other guys stood around it, scratching their heads in “confusion” talking to one another, pointing at various spots in the rafters. We were all cracking up backstage and coaching them on what they should do next. Peter pretended to call out orders to move the curtain and then would yell, “STOP!” and wave his arms frantically. Dave made the announcement to persuade the early bird audience members to come to the eleven o’clock show. It was a lot of fun putting on the hoax.
Another crazy night on the Vision, our cruises can never just be normal. :D
Monday, May 3, 2010
Thank Goodness For The Egg
Today we were back in Belgium. Unfortunately, we had crew boat drill, a process our captain has us run once a week. I’m very lucky that my station is inside, in the theater, because it was freezing cold outside. After the long drill, we all rushed to get off the ship, because we didn’t have much time in this port. Jade and her husband Sam, Micheal, Christain, Brian, and I hopped on the shuttle. We were taken to a small city, where we had to catch the train into Brugge.
We had about 40 minutes to wait for the train, so we went into the station to drink some delicious hot chocolate. Then, we hopped on the train. I LOVE riding trains and subways, it feels so city to me. I was in complete bliss, chatting next to Brian across from Jade and Sam. It felt like we were four good friends, riding into New York :D LOVE IT!!!!!
When we made it to Brugge, it had started to drizzle a bit and the wind was still beating against our faces. We took shelter in a cute sandwich shop, where Jade and Brian suggested we eat lunch because they had eaten here last time and it was awesome. I ordered an omelet baguette that was HEAVEN. It was a bundle of eggs, cheese and spinach! YUM! SO SO GOOD! We explained to the lady who owned the shop why we seemed like we never ate, with the way we were scarfing down the food. She was so cute, we talked to her about her husband that owned the shop with her but they had issues with his crazy ex. (Wow, it’s the same ALL over the world!)
After our amazing food, we headed over to a shop nearby that Sam said housed the best waffles in Belgium. Unfortunately, they must have had a different cook the last time he had the waffles, because we were all disappointed. I had ordered my waffle to come with chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, strawberries, and other seasonal fruit. The only thing that came out was my hot chocolate, and the chocolate ice cream. The waitress never brought a waffle for me, forgot Brian’s coffee, and brought two burnt waffles to Brian and Micheal.
Because we didn’t have much time, we all ate what we got, except Brian who went to buy Belgium Beer instead, and paid for the bill. Jade talked over the issues with the waitress, who was very nice and understanding and didn’t charge us for Brian’s waffle, nor my missing waffle and the missing coffee. So we got back on the train to head back to the ship. I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t get a waffle, but we have one more time there so I should be able to get one then. I try not to make small, silly things like that ruin my entire day.
The bus ride back was pretty entertaining. Norwegian is such a funny language to me, it sound like a bunch of random sounds spoken sloppily, rather than an actual conversation. Needless to say, I learned a new way I want to sneeze, thanks to the guy behind me. The guests on our ride were drunk from the beers and were a pretty rowdy bunch. But, unfortunately for us, they were Homer Simpson drunks. Loud burps, disgusting manners....yuck. :/
Once we were back on the ship, news traveled fast to us that we are back in Code Red with GI cases again. Christian called us up to the Some Enchanted Evening Lounge to rehearse ABBA because Dave, the new cruise director, wanted to move it there instead of in the Viking Crown. Right after rehearsal, Chris knocked on my door and said, “No more ABBA tonight, we are helping Dave do YMCA because Brandon has GI. We will have re-block for Boogie Wonderland in the morning, and Windjammer shifts will start again tomorrow.”
So, that’s just great. I don’t know what to plan to do tomorrow in Amsterdam, because I don’t know how long rehearsal and tech run will take, or when my shift will be. I have done all I wanted to really do there, so I’m ok with just walking around the city, but if they don’t let us off next cruise for Paris, I WILL BE VERY UPSET AND DAVE WILL KNOW IT!!!!!! All I can do is pray for now, and wash my hands even more than usual. I just hope we are more aware of how to handle this than we were in Brazil. I say we force the guests to wash their hands before entering the ship because they are the ones bringing it on. UGH people, WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!!!!
That’s all for now, please pray that I will be able to get off the ship for my last four cruises. LOVE!!!!
We had about 40 minutes to wait for the train, so we went into the station to drink some delicious hot chocolate. Then, we hopped on the train. I LOVE riding trains and subways, it feels so city to me. I was in complete bliss, chatting next to Brian across from Jade and Sam. It felt like we were four good friends, riding into New York :D LOVE IT!!!!!
When we made it to Brugge, it had started to drizzle a bit and the wind was still beating against our faces. We took shelter in a cute sandwich shop, where Jade and Brian suggested we eat lunch because they had eaten here last time and it was awesome. I ordered an omelet baguette that was HEAVEN. It was a bundle of eggs, cheese and spinach! YUM! SO SO GOOD! We explained to the lady who owned the shop why we seemed like we never ate, with the way we were scarfing down the food. She was so cute, we talked to her about her husband that owned the shop with her but they had issues with his crazy ex. (Wow, it’s the same ALL over the world!)
After our amazing food, we headed over to a shop nearby that Sam said housed the best waffles in Belgium. Unfortunately, they must have had a different cook the last time he had the waffles, because we were all disappointed. I had ordered my waffle to come with chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, strawberries, and other seasonal fruit. The only thing that came out was my hot chocolate, and the chocolate ice cream. The waitress never brought a waffle for me, forgot Brian’s coffee, and brought two burnt waffles to Brian and Micheal.
Because we didn’t have much time, we all ate what we got, except Brian who went to buy Belgium Beer instead, and paid for the bill. Jade talked over the issues with the waitress, who was very nice and understanding and didn’t charge us for Brian’s waffle, nor my missing waffle and the missing coffee. So we got back on the train to head back to the ship. I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t get a waffle, but we have one more time there so I should be able to get one then. I try not to make small, silly things like that ruin my entire day.
The bus ride back was pretty entertaining. Norwegian is such a funny language to me, it sound like a bunch of random sounds spoken sloppily, rather than an actual conversation. Needless to say, I learned a new way I want to sneeze, thanks to the guy behind me. The guests on our ride were drunk from the beers and were a pretty rowdy bunch. But, unfortunately for us, they were Homer Simpson drunks. Loud burps, disgusting manners....yuck. :/
Once we were back on the ship, news traveled fast to us that we are back in Code Red with GI cases again. Christian called us up to the Some Enchanted Evening Lounge to rehearse ABBA because Dave, the new cruise director, wanted to move it there instead of in the Viking Crown. Right after rehearsal, Chris knocked on my door and said, “No more ABBA tonight, we are helping Dave do YMCA because Brandon has GI. We will have re-block for Boogie Wonderland in the morning, and Windjammer shifts will start again tomorrow.”
So, that’s just great. I don’t know what to plan to do tomorrow in Amsterdam, because I don’t know how long rehearsal and tech run will take, or when my shift will be. I have done all I wanted to really do there, so I’m ok with just walking around the city, but if they don’t let us off next cruise for Paris, I WILL BE VERY UPSET AND DAVE WILL KNOW IT!!!!!! All I can do is pray for now, and wash my hands even more than usual. I just hope we are more aware of how to handle this than we were in Brazil. I say we force the guests to wash their hands before entering the ship because they are the ones bringing it on. UGH people, WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!!!!
That’s all for now, please pray that I will be able to get off the ship for my last four cruises. LOVE!!!!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Two Different Worlds, Part 2
Part 2. Afternoon
After the Frank house, I came outside and walked around for ten minutes in search of my bus. Luckily, I found another lady who was in my tour group and also couldn’t find it. Els had told us to wait outside for her or cross the street to the bus. But neither was there….
We decided to try another street down, and hope for the best. Thankfully, the bus was parked across THAT street, and they were all waving for us to get on. Els apologized and said they had to move the bus because the cops were on their tail about parking regulations. I’m just glad we had found the bus, I didn’t want to miss it!!!
Once all the guests were off the bus, I looked at all the vendors in the terminal. I was waiting for Neeko and Robert, who were on other tours that day, so we could go off together. Neeko arrived shortly after me and we got on the boat to find Allison, who is our camera lady. In the gangway, we picked up Bernardo (cruise staff and acting as activities manager for this cruise) and he joined our posse. We met up with Robert outside and headed into the city.
Since Bernardo had just gotten off work and I hadn’t eaten lunch yet, we decided to stop at one of the restaurants on the street. The other three said they would meet back there in an hour to pick us up. Well, poor boy had to eat Italian with me instead of dining in one of the popular meat houses because I don’t eat meat! LOL. But it’s ok, he ordered a steak anyways and I happily ate my macaroni and cheese. :D We ate outside, in the heart of the bustling city. After our delicious meal, we waited for the others but they never showed! (I later learned that they had forgotten which street we were on! That’s what happens when we are in new cities, it’s all unfamiliar territory! HA)
So Bernardo and I walked along the shops and restaurants, soaking in all the culture. There were a ton of sports fanatics running around and we learned there was a soccer (or “futbol”) tournament tonight, the two biggest rivals of Amsterdam. I wish we could have gone, but we didn’t want to chance missing the ship because we were fighting our way back through all the traffic. I hope one day I can return to Brazil and attend a soccer match, they are the kings of the game after all! (As Uly would LOVE to point out, but I still say America is NUMBER ONE ;)
Yes, it is true. There are girls in the windows calling gentlemen to them in the Red Light District. There are sex shops all over, and you can smell the “coffee houses” every which way you turn. However, the atmosphere of it all surprised me. To me, Las Vegas is trashy. But Amsterdam was not. It felt more like a 70’s free-minded spirit than a disgusting area. I think I realized this is a part of culture, and they are very open and willing with it. I was never offended, where as the people in the streets of the Vegas strip, handing out call girls’ cards, is difficult for me to accept.
I felt like I was in a completely different country than where I was that morning. I even talked to one lady, working in one of the stores, about how I thought people have three main views of Holland. I think they know the history of Anne and the holocaust. When they hear Holland, I believe they see windmills, cute little Dutch kids kissing with the wooden shoes on and tulips in the background. But when they hear Amsterdam, they think of the Red Light District, and all that that includes. I guess she agreed with me because when I mentioned the windmills and tulips she said “THANK YOU for thinking that way about Holland!”
After the long day in Amazing Amsterdam, I returned back to the Vision, showered and dressed for the night’s entertainment- The Beatles! Unfortunately, two of their players hadn’t made it on the ship so understudies were used. And it wasn’t as good as it normally is. But overall, I enjoyed my time in Holland and I can’t wait for when we return!!!!
After the Frank house, I came outside and walked around for ten minutes in search of my bus. Luckily, I found another lady who was in my tour group and also couldn’t find it. Els had told us to wait outside for her or cross the street to the bus. But neither was there….
We decided to try another street down, and hope for the best. Thankfully, the bus was parked across THAT street, and they were all waving for us to get on. Els apologized and said they had to move the bus because the cops were on their tail about parking regulations. I’m just glad we had found the bus, I didn’t want to miss it!!!
Once all the guests were off the bus, I looked at all the vendors in the terminal. I was waiting for Neeko and Robert, who were on other tours that day, so we could go off together. Neeko arrived shortly after me and we got on the boat to find Allison, who is our camera lady. In the gangway, we picked up Bernardo (cruise staff and acting as activities manager for this cruise) and he joined our posse. We met up with Robert outside and headed into the city.
Since Bernardo had just gotten off work and I hadn’t eaten lunch yet, we decided to stop at one of the restaurants on the street. The other three said they would meet back there in an hour to pick us up. Well, poor boy had to eat Italian with me instead of dining in one of the popular meat houses because I don’t eat meat! LOL. But it’s ok, he ordered a steak anyways and I happily ate my macaroni and cheese. :D We ate outside, in the heart of the bustling city. After our delicious meal, we waited for the others but they never showed! (I later learned that they had forgotten which street we were on! That’s what happens when we are in new cities, it’s all unfamiliar territory! HA)
So Bernardo and I walked along the shops and restaurants, soaking in all the culture. There were a ton of sports fanatics running around and we learned there was a soccer (or “futbol”) tournament tonight, the two biggest rivals of Amsterdam. I wish we could have gone, but we didn’t want to chance missing the ship because we were fighting our way back through all the traffic. I hope one day I can return to Brazil and attend a soccer match, they are the kings of the game after all! (As Uly would LOVE to point out, but I still say America is NUMBER ONE ;)
Yes, it is true. There are girls in the windows calling gentlemen to them in the Red Light District. There are sex shops all over, and you can smell the “coffee houses” every which way you turn. However, the atmosphere of it all surprised me. To me, Las Vegas is trashy. But Amsterdam was not. It felt more like a 70’s free-minded spirit than a disgusting area. I think I realized this is a part of culture, and they are very open and willing with it. I was never offended, where as the people in the streets of the Vegas strip, handing out call girls’ cards, is difficult for me to accept.
I felt like I was in a completely different country than where I was that morning. I even talked to one lady, working in one of the stores, about how I thought people have three main views of Holland. I think they know the history of Anne and the holocaust. When they hear Holland, I believe they see windmills, cute little Dutch kids kissing with the wooden shoes on and tulips in the background. But when they hear Amsterdam, they think of the Red Light District, and all that that includes. I guess she agreed with me because when I mentioned the windmills and tulips she said “THANK YOU for thinking that way about Holland!”
After the long day in Amazing Amsterdam, I returned back to the Vision, showered and dressed for the night’s entertainment- The Beatles! Unfortunately, two of their players hadn’t made it on the ship so understudies were used. And it wasn’t as good as it normally is. But overall, I enjoyed my time in Holland and I can’t wait for when we return!!!!
Two Different Worlds, Part 1
Part 1. Morning
Sunday was Holland, or the Netherlands. We ported right into Amsterdam. I was signed up for a tour around the center of the city, a cruise along the canals in a glass topped boat, and then a stop at Anne Frank’s house. The Netherlands has 12 provinces, which are like our states. Amsterdam is North Holland.
Our tour guide was named Els, because she was such a handful that her mother said, “She’s something ELSE.” So right away, I knew she was going to be an awesome guide. And she was, very knowledgeable and humorous. She informed us the official language her is Dutch or “the disease of the throat”. “I think Danish is the ugliest language,” she joked, “if someone gets up and sounds like they are going to throw up, that’s Danish.” Els explained that here, they protect their trees so there are a ton all over. In fact, they are so organized; each dog has their own tree. TEE HEE. “We smoke a lot of coffee, that’s what we do in this country!” LOL.
We started heading downtown, and she pointed out the Portuguese synagogue that to this day doesn’t use electricity but instead lights the church with candles. Amsterdam had been welcoming to anybody, no matter what. Its inhabitants were largely immigrants that had fled from other places: slaves and those exiled from the Spanish inquisition. We passed the Jewish museum and saw a statue with a man clutching his fists. That was where the first strike against the Nazis occurred. It was organized by a communist, and shortly after the famous illegal newspaper started running its underground operation.
We moved along through the city and out to the country. She told us a traditional fable about an old man who was a good man. He was a miller, righteous, and religious. Every night he would read the bible. “And the Good Lord created the world,” he read. “Yes” he whispered, “but the Dutch created Holland!”
We made a stop at a windmill. Since 35-40 % of the country is below sea level, the mill is an important part of Holland’s agriculture and way of life. They have a popular saying; if someone is crazy they say he was “hit by a windmill”. In the olden days, they had a windmill language to alert the townspeople of things. The mill had two doors because of course, if the wind is blowing, you can’t enter through the front! It was actually somebody’s house, but you have to be a miller to live in a wind or watermill. There used to be 40,000 mills across the country, but now there are only 1,000.
Bikes are the number one form of transportation here; there are specific roads for them along the streets. In fact, they have the right of way over pedestrians. You have to be careful on the streets, always listen for the ringing of their bells or they will run you over. They are so expensive here too! Els said she bought her secondhand bike for $750 EUROS!!!!!! Most people insure them incase they are stolen; she says bikes are their kids.
Back in the city, we drove along their mess of construction. Els was pretty upset, she said the people are fighting against the city because they had voted against the project. They are trying to build an underground railroad, but the soil is not easy to work with and we witnessed boarded up houses from the 17th century that were being destroyed because of it! It was really sad to see, they are going to lose all that history.
We saw the floating flower market, and the old mint tower where they used to make the coins. This month is the Queen’s birthday so they had set up a carnival in Dam Square. April 30th is therefore the craziest day of the year, with over one million people in town eating, drinking, and dancing. Everyone wears orange, the color of the Royal family. We passed the cathedral where the current Queen was married and where Rembrandt was buried. Anne Frank had described the bells of this same church; it was her only connection to the outside world while she was in hiding.
Beside the church we boarded the canal boat for our cruise along the river of the city. We passed the boathouses and saw people having breakfast or reading magazines on their porch. It was pretty funny passing them and they are attached to the dock, I’m not sure I would enjoy that as a house. Els explained the stone slates that hung over the door of some of the houses. They were used to announce who lived there, since the houses were so similar. They contained a picture, story, or passage from the bible. She pointed to one with a picture of two chairs, the owner of the home had been a chair maker.
Heading out of downtown, we passed a three-story garage just for bikes! We floated out to the harbor, where there were ferries to take people across to the opposite side for free. We saw Nemo, a restaurant and techno museum. The design of the building is opposite of the Titanic, a large boat popping out of the water. We passed near its smaller boat attached to the dock, with Holland’s flag flying high. The canal had a lot of swans swimming alongside the boats. The swans are protected, you can’t kill or eat one because they are for beauty.
Els told us the canals are 3 metes deep; one meter of pipes, one of water and one of…bikes. LOL. Apparently, if you are going to beat someone up, you also throw his bike in the water.
One of the guests sneezed and Els told him he needs to sneeze three times so they would have a good day tomorrow. Some of them asked what Dutch food they should try. She joked, saying well you can go to McDonalds and get a “McFried chicken of whatever” (LOL I love when people from other countries try to say “American” things, its so cute!!!) She recommended French fries with mayo, (which I find so interesting because I had never seen people do that until Brazil, because it’s very popular there as well) and Dutch pancakes.
We floated under a bridge, where it was tradition to kiss someone you wanted to stay friends with forever.
As we turned into the city canals, we passed large boards with images from the Holocaust and the war. 95 % of the Dutch Jewish population was massacred. Els said people from Holland are humble, but in the olden days there were two ways to show status without being over the top. Stairs were one of them. If the house was without a staircase, the owner didn’t have much money. If it had one set of stairs, they were of middle class. But if the house had two staircases, they were very, very rich. The other way to boast was to display prized possessions in the window. For example, a captain’s wife would arrange her gifts of the porcelain, silk and spices from around the world so that the neighbors could see. The windows of Amsterdam are always visible; most don’t even have curtains, which is pretty different. The narrow houses themselves are titled forward, because the architect used an illusion to make them look wider than they are.
Els pointed out the large crown that was on top of a cathedral. Because the Netherlands funded a king's war and he was victorious, he gave the country his crown in thanks. She also explained that Amsterdam’s flag has three black x’s on them. These represent the three disasters that hit the city: a fire, flood, and the plague. We also saw St. Nicolas church. Els told us that December 5th is a celebration bigger than Christmas; with presents, poems, sweets, and kids playing tricks. And we passed the Tower of Tears, where woman said goodbye to their husbands sailing away. In the olden days, they would cry because their loved ones were sailing off to war or venturing to new lands, and would probably never return home. But as Els put it: modern woman would cry because they aren’t sure if they are insured. ;)
Our next stop was Anne Frank’s house and the secret annex. The eight people that hid there couldn’t wear shoes and they had to tip toe around. Because the smoke would give them away, they couldn’t cook anything. They had to whisper and sit on each other’s laps. It’s unbelievable that they lived like this for two years! The house had videos in most of the rooms, with excerpts from Anne’s diary and interviews of the people close to this story. One lady had been Anne’s friend and was the last person to see her alive in the camps. She said that after her sister died, Anne thought she had no reason to live. If only Anne had known her father was still alive, she might have made it. She died two weeks before the liberation.
Otto, Anne’s father, was the only survivor of the eight. He returned home in search of his daughters, but was only able to gather a few of their old belongings to remember them. When they were captured, the police confiscated all of the furniture and rid the house of everything. Miraculously, Miep, who had worked for Otto and helped them go into hiding, was able to take Anne’s diary and kept it in case she returned. Otto read about how she had dreamed of being a famous writer, and was surprised how even though she was scared for herself and her family, she hoped people in the future would learn to love each other no matter their differences. He published her journal and opened the house as a museum in tribute.
The feeling in the house was sad but hopeful. And hearing Otto’s interview and reading his thoughts was inspiring. He stated, “In order to have a successful future, you must know the past.” Otto wanted his museum to show the tragedy that occurred, but also to teach how discrimination is still an issue today. It was amazing to me that someone who had been thru so much and lost everything, could still have hope in the human race. That he would still want to help, when he had been treated so badly. I pray that everyone who visits the house, or even when they hear the Frank family story, will reflect on their own actions towards other people. Are we nice enough? Do we care enough? Do we offer help as often as we can? Do we love enough?
Sunday was Holland, or the Netherlands. We ported right into Amsterdam. I was signed up for a tour around the center of the city, a cruise along the canals in a glass topped boat, and then a stop at Anne Frank’s house. The Netherlands has 12 provinces, which are like our states. Amsterdam is North Holland.
Our tour guide was named Els, because she was such a handful that her mother said, “She’s something ELSE.” So right away, I knew she was going to be an awesome guide. And she was, very knowledgeable and humorous. She informed us the official language her is Dutch or “the disease of the throat”. “I think Danish is the ugliest language,” she joked, “if someone gets up and sounds like they are going to throw up, that’s Danish.” Els explained that here, they protect their trees so there are a ton all over. In fact, they are so organized; each dog has their own tree. TEE HEE. “We smoke a lot of coffee, that’s what we do in this country!” LOL.
We started heading downtown, and she pointed out the Portuguese synagogue that to this day doesn’t use electricity but instead lights the church with candles. Amsterdam had been welcoming to anybody, no matter what. Its inhabitants were largely immigrants that had fled from other places: slaves and those exiled from the Spanish inquisition. We passed the Jewish museum and saw a statue with a man clutching his fists. That was where the first strike against the Nazis occurred. It was organized by a communist, and shortly after the famous illegal newspaper started running its underground operation.
We moved along through the city and out to the country. She told us a traditional fable about an old man who was a good man. He was a miller, righteous, and religious. Every night he would read the bible. “And the Good Lord created the world,” he read. “Yes” he whispered, “but the Dutch created Holland!”
We made a stop at a windmill. Since 35-40 % of the country is below sea level, the mill is an important part of Holland’s agriculture and way of life. They have a popular saying; if someone is crazy they say he was “hit by a windmill”. In the olden days, they had a windmill language to alert the townspeople of things. The mill had two doors because of course, if the wind is blowing, you can’t enter through the front! It was actually somebody’s house, but you have to be a miller to live in a wind or watermill. There used to be 40,000 mills across the country, but now there are only 1,000.
Bikes are the number one form of transportation here; there are specific roads for them along the streets. In fact, they have the right of way over pedestrians. You have to be careful on the streets, always listen for the ringing of their bells or they will run you over. They are so expensive here too! Els said she bought her secondhand bike for $750 EUROS!!!!!! Most people insure them incase they are stolen; she says bikes are their kids.
Back in the city, we drove along their mess of construction. Els was pretty upset, she said the people are fighting against the city because they had voted against the project. They are trying to build an underground railroad, but the soil is not easy to work with and we witnessed boarded up houses from the 17th century that were being destroyed because of it! It was really sad to see, they are going to lose all that history.
We saw the floating flower market, and the old mint tower where they used to make the coins. This month is the Queen’s birthday so they had set up a carnival in Dam Square. April 30th is therefore the craziest day of the year, with over one million people in town eating, drinking, and dancing. Everyone wears orange, the color of the Royal family. We passed the cathedral where the current Queen was married and where Rembrandt was buried. Anne Frank had described the bells of this same church; it was her only connection to the outside world while she was in hiding.
Beside the church we boarded the canal boat for our cruise along the river of the city. We passed the boathouses and saw people having breakfast or reading magazines on their porch. It was pretty funny passing them and they are attached to the dock, I’m not sure I would enjoy that as a house. Els explained the stone slates that hung over the door of some of the houses. They were used to announce who lived there, since the houses were so similar. They contained a picture, story, or passage from the bible. She pointed to one with a picture of two chairs, the owner of the home had been a chair maker.
Heading out of downtown, we passed a three-story garage just for bikes! We floated out to the harbor, where there were ferries to take people across to the opposite side for free. We saw Nemo, a restaurant and techno museum. The design of the building is opposite of the Titanic, a large boat popping out of the water. We passed near its smaller boat attached to the dock, with Holland’s flag flying high. The canal had a lot of swans swimming alongside the boats. The swans are protected, you can’t kill or eat one because they are for beauty.
Els told us the canals are 3 metes deep; one meter of pipes, one of water and one of…bikes. LOL. Apparently, if you are going to beat someone up, you also throw his bike in the water.
One of the guests sneezed and Els told him he needs to sneeze three times so they would have a good day tomorrow. Some of them asked what Dutch food they should try. She joked, saying well you can go to McDonalds and get a “McFried chicken of whatever” (LOL I love when people from other countries try to say “American” things, its so cute!!!) She recommended French fries with mayo, (which I find so interesting because I had never seen people do that until Brazil, because it’s very popular there as well) and Dutch pancakes.
We floated under a bridge, where it was tradition to kiss someone you wanted to stay friends with forever.
As we turned into the city canals, we passed large boards with images from the Holocaust and the war. 95 % of the Dutch Jewish population was massacred. Els said people from Holland are humble, but in the olden days there were two ways to show status without being over the top. Stairs were one of them. If the house was without a staircase, the owner didn’t have much money. If it had one set of stairs, they were of middle class. But if the house had two staircases, they were very, very rich. The other way to boast was to display prized possessions in the window. For example, a captain’s wife would arrange her gifts of the porcelain, silk and spices from around the world so that the neighbors could see. The windows of Amsterdam are always visible; most don’t even have curtains, which is pretty different. The narrow houses themselves are titled forward, because the architect used an illusion to make them look wider than they are.
Els pointed out the large crown that was on top of a cathedral. Because the Netherlands funded a king's war and he was victorious, he gave the country his crown in thanks. She also explained that Amsterdam’s flag has three black x’s on them. These represent the three disasters that hit the city: a fire, flood, and the plague. We also saw St. Nicolas church. Els told us that December 5th is a celebration bigger than Christmas; with presents, poems, sweets, and kids playing tricks. And we passed the Tower of Tears, where woman said goodbye to their husbands sailing away. In the olden days, they would cry because their loved ones were sailing off to war or venturing to new lands, and would probably never return home. But as Els put it: modern woman would cry because they aren’t sure if they are insured. ;)
Our next stop was Anne Frank’s house and the secret annex. The eight people that hid there couldn’t wear shoes and they had to tip toe around. Because the smoke would give them away, they couldn’t cook anything. They had to whisper and sit on each other’s laps. It’s unbelievable that they lived like this for two years! The house had videos in most of the rooms, with excerpts from Anne’s diary and interviews of the people close to this story. One lady had been Anne’s friend and was the last person to see her alive in the camps. She said that after her sister died, Anne thought she had no reason to live. If only Anne had known her father was still alive, she might have made it. She died two weeks before the liberation.
Otto, Anne’s father, was the only survivor of the eight. He returned home in search of his daughters, but was only able to gather a few of their old belongings to remember them. When they were captured, the police confiscated all of the furniture and rid the house of everything. Miraculously, Miep, who had worked for Otto and helped them go into hiding, was able to take Anne’s diary and kept it in case she returned. Otto read about how she had dreamed of being a famous writer, and was surprised how even though she was scared for herself and her family, she hoped people in the future would learn to love each other no matter their differences. He published her journal and opened the house as a museum in tribute.
The feeling in the house was sad but hopeful. And hearing Otto’s interview and reading his thoughts was inspiring. He stated, “In order to have a successful future, you must know the past.” Otto wanted his museum to show the tragedy that occurred, but also to teach how discrimination is still an issue today. It was amazing to me that someone who had been thru so much and lost everything, could still have hope in the human race. That he would still want to help, when he had been treated so badly. I pray that everyone who visits the house, or even when they hear the Frank family story, will reflect on their own actions towards other people. Are we nice enough? Do we care enough? Do we offer help as often as we can? Do we love enough?
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
MMMMM!!!!!!!
Saturday we ported in Belgium, the capital of chocolate. :D Zeebrugge is just the dock, so you have to take a shuttle out to Brugges or Brussels. I was a tour guide for Brugges sightseeing and chocolate tour! It was really busy in the city because they were having their yearly fair, so there was a ton of carnival rides set up in the squares. It was different to see a fair in the middle of town rather than a theme park. Most of Belgium speaks French and they are famous for their lace, beer, waffles and of course, my favorite, CHOCOLATE!!!!
Our first stop was the market square. Every year there is a procession of the Holy Blood. When the French owned Belgium, punishment and death by guillotine happened in the square. I can’t believe executions drew such large crowds, I can’t even watch it in movies and that’s fake!
The Belfry Tower and Town Hall also stood in this marketplace.
We walked on to the chocolate museum. Inside, they had displays of several statues, including a life-size Obama made completely out of chocolate. They gathered us into a room, where we watched a chocolate demonstration and learned all about chocolate. The chocolate-ier told us Belgium chocolate usually has a filling inside.
Cocoa beans grow in countries near the equator. The fruit grows, not on trees, and the beans are inside. Once you break open the fruit, you dry the beans so that the white coloring on top disappears. Although the beans smell sweet of chocolate, they are bad for the stomach to eat straight out of the fruit. Experts who collect the beans smell them to determine their quality before shipping to the buyers.
Once you have the beans, you can either crush and roast or roast before crushing them. We saw the pure cocoa pieces, or Nibs, that are bitter because they haven’t been mixed with sugar yet. Sometimes, Nibs are used for a filling to make the chocolate crunchy. They are healthier than adding any type of biscuit. From Nibs, you can make chocolate paste, or cocoa butter. This is the start for every chocolate, even white.
When you add heat, you can extract the cocoa butter to make cocoa powder. White chocolate is made without cocoa paste, so some consider it “not real” chocolate. Different places in Europe make different types of chocolate. Belgium sells the sweeter chocolate. Scandinavian areas prefer milk chocolate, and places like France, Italy and Spain produce dark for a more bitter taste. Europe has a new law allowing 5% of the cocoa butter to be replaced with other fats, such as palm oil. Upper Europe, like Belgium, doesn’t replace so their chocolate melts on the tongue. But the chocolate that contains something else, it will leave a thin layer of fat when the chocolate is gone. That explains why Belgium chocolate is perfect and the leader in the industry!
Although there are only three types of chocolate: milk, dark and white, there are a variety of flavors that can be made from each. It depends on the cocoa beans. Generic chocolate, such as Nestle or Hershey’s, are mixed cocoa beans from all over to get that one specific taste. But if the beans used come from only one place, it’s called an origin chocolate. We got to taste the difference between normal dark chocolate, and an origin chocolate made from the beans of Peru. The Peru chocolate had a special tang to it, unique from any other chocolate I’ve had.
He showed us how they make the shapes of the chocolates they sell. It’s important to start off with the right temperature of everything. The heat has to be specific to cook the crystals properly. White should be in 29 to 30 degrees, milk at 20 to 21 degrees and dark 31 to 32. The mold needs to be room temperature. He used a machine that vibrates the mold while it pours the chocolate into the shapes. The vibration rids the chocolate of the air bubbles, a way you can tell the quality of candies sold in stores. If there are tiny holes in the chocolate, it isn’t made properly.
We watched the chocolate harden in the mold and then he put it in the fridge to cool at 20-25 degrees. Chocolate shrinks 10 degrees so it will pop out of the mold when it’s done. After a few minutes, you can put a filling in. The most popular filling in Belgium is made with roasted nuts, caramel and milk chocolate. After it has cooled in the oven, you put another layer of chocolate on the top to seal it. If it’s a good mold, it will have a shine.
He also showed us the process of making the Easter eggs. Using an egg mold, you make two halves of the egg. You heat a marble or metal slab and melt a little of each half to glue it together. We tasted samples of this delicious chocolate that had a thin layer of strawberry in the crust and an amazing cream filling. Simply divine. In the gift shop, I purchased a bag of milk chocolate made of cocoa beans from Venezuela.
Belgium is full of sweet streets. I can’t live here, I would become SO FAT! I walked along, taking in the aroma and longing for it all. But, bikes are common here, so I guess that’s how they burn off all the food!
I talked for most of the tour with this adorable old man from Brazil. He told me about how he sent his daughter to London to learn English. She was invited to attend the American Academy in New York and study acting. Unfortunately, because of her British accent, she wasn’t invited back for a second year at the school, so she now lives in Brazil with her British husband she met in London. It is a pretty crazy story, all over the map. But I love it, so romantic! I am so thankful I live in this era, when we can actually meet amazing people from around the world and stay in touch with them. I always imagine how hard it must have been to write letters and wait months for news. It’s beautiful we can keep relationships thriving now; it makes the world seem smaller and brings us closer.
Continuing our tour, we saw the Church of Our Lady, where Michelangelo sculpted the famous statue of Madonna. There was a statue in front of the church with a man and woman dancing. It was erected here to remind young ones in love to stop and think before they enter the chapel. I found the frog, the signature of the artist. When we were given free time, I looked around in a few of the shops, looking at the homemade lace work and the dolls. I also bought a waffle topped with chocolate and powdered sugar. UGH IT WAS AMAZING!!!!! I think FOR SURE I will get a waffle each time we are in Belgium. That way I can compare Brugges waffles to the ones in Brussels, and I can crown the champion.
Our first stop was the market square. Every year there is a procession of the Holy Blood. When the French owned Belgium, punishment and death by guillotine happened in the square. I can’t believe executions drew such large crowds, I can’t even watch it in movies and that’s fake!
The Belfry Tower and Town Hall also stood in this marketplace.
We walked on to the chocolate museum. Inside, they had displays of several statues, including a life-size Obama made completely out of chocolate. They gathered us into a room, where we watched a chocolate demonstration and learned all about chocolate. The chocolate-ier told us Belgium chocolate usually has a filling inside.
Cocoa beans grow in countries near the equator. The fruit grows, not on trees, and the beans are inside. Once you break open the fruit, you dry the beans so that the white coloring on top disappears. Although the beans smell sweet of chocolate, they are bad for the stomach to eat straight out of the fruit. Experts who collect the beans smell them to determine their quality before shipping to the buyers.
Once you have the beans, you can either crush and roast or roast before crushing them. We saw the pure cocoa pieces, or Nibs, that are bitter because they haven’t been mixed with sugar yet. Sometimes, Nibs are used for a filling to make the chocolate crunchy. They are healthier than adding any type of biscuit. From Nibs, you can make chocolate paste, or cocoa butter. This is the start for every chocolate, even white.
When you add heat, you can extract the cocoa butter to make cocoa powder. White chocolate is made without cocoa paste, so some consider it “not real” chocolate. Different places in Europe make different types of chocolate. Belgium sells the sweeter chocolate. Scandinavian areas prefer milk chocolate, and places like France, Italy and Spain produce dark for a more bitter taste. Europe has a new law allowing 5% of the cocoa butter to be replaced with other fats, such as palm oil. Upper Europe, like Belgium, doesn’t replace so their chocolate melts on the tongue. But the chocolate that contains something else, it will leave a thin layer of fat when the chocolate is gone. That explains why Belgium chocolate is perfect and the leader in the industry!
Although there are only three types of chocolate: milk, dark and white, there are a variety of flavors that can be made from each. It depends on the cocoa beans. Generic chocolate, such as Nestle or Hershey’s, are mixed cocoa beans from all over to get that one specific taste. But if the beans used come from only one place, it’s called an origin chocolate. We got to taste the difference between normal dark chocolate, and an origin chocolate made from the beans of Peru. The Peru chocolate had a special tang to it, unique from any other chocolate I’ve had.
He showed us how they make the shapes of the chocolates they sell. It’s important to start off with the right temperature of everything. The heat has to be specific to cook the crystals properly. White should be in 29 to 30 degrees, milk at 20 to 21 degrees and dark 31 to 32. The mold needs to be room temperature. He used a machine that vibrates the mold while it pours the chocolate into the shapes. The vibration rids the chocolate of the air bubbles, a way you can tell the quality of candies sold in stores. If there are tiny holes in the chocolate, it isn’t made properly.
We watched the chocolate harden in the mold and then he put it in the fridge to cool at 20-25 degrees. Chocolate shrinks 10 degrees so it will pop out of the mold when it’s done. After a few minutes, you can put a filling in. The most popular filling in Belgium is made with roasted nuts, caramel and milk chocolate. After it has cooled in the oven, you put another layer of chocolate on the top to seal it. If it’s a good mold, it will have a shine.
He also showed us the process of making the Easter eggs. Using an egg mold, you make two halves of the egg. You heat a marble or metal slab and melt a little of each half to glue it together. We tasted samples of this delicious chocolate that had a thin layer of strawberry in the crust and an amazing cream filling. Simply divine. In the gift shop, I purchased a bag of milk chocolate made of cocoa beans from Venezuela.
Belgium is full of sweet streets. I can’t live here, I would become SO FAT! I walked along, taking in the aroma and longing for it all. But, bikes are common here, so I guess that’s how they burn off all the food!
I talked for most of the tour with this adorable old man from Brazil. He told me about how he sent his daughter to London to learn English. She was invited to attend the American Academy in New York and study acting. Unfortunately, because of her British accent, she wasn’t invited back for a second year at the school, so she now lives in Brazil with her British husband she met in London. It is a pretty crazy story, all over the map. But I love it, so romantic! I am so thankful I live in this era, when we can actually meet amazing people from around the world and stay in touch with them. I always imagine how hard it must have been to write letters and wait months for news. It’s beautiful we can keep relationships thriving now; it makes the world seem smaller and brings us closer.
Continuing our tour, we saw the Church of Our Lady, where Michelangelo sculpted the famous statue of Madonna. There was a statue in front of the church with a man and woman dancing. It was erected here to remind young ones in love to stop and think before they enter the chapel. I found the frog, the signature of the artist. When we were given free time, I looked around in a few of the shops, looking at the homemade lace work and the dolls. I also bought a waffle topped with chocolate and powdered sugar. UGH IT WAS AMAZING!!!!! I think FOR SURE I will get a waffle each time we are in Belgium. That way I can compare Brugges waffles to the ones in Brussels, and I can crown the champion.
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