back to 'normal' cruising

January 28, 2014
It’s a bit of a joke among crew members when we make plans to go out for lunch together off-ship. Whoever is invited does go, but the second we sit down and order, and receive the wifi password, all communication in real life stops, and everyone is drawn fully into the virtual. Of course, most of the time we’re doing important stuff, talking to our families, catching up somewhat with friends on land (or on other ships in my case), checking bank accounts, reading up on the news around the world, etc, etc. So going out to a meal ashore isn’t so much eating a meal together as having someone else walk and sit at the same table with you while you’re all focused on the internet.

I’ve been as bad as anyone about that this contract. And I’ve recently realized just how bad that is. That’s why lately there have been so few blog posts; I’ve been trying more to be involved in what’s going on around me instead of what’s going on far away. Spending time with the people I’m with while I can. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that quite a lot of people left this Fort Lauderdale; more precisely: the cast. I’ve been with this cast since June, so we’ve gotten really close. Two of the dancers I’ve even worked with before. It was their last few days last cruise that I realized that they were leaving and I may not see them individually again for a very long time, and I may never see more than one or two of them at the same time. Most everyone that was here when I joined this ship for the first time in June has now left, it’s bizarre for me. Of course, that’s ship life (the quick friendships and constant goodbyes), but I’m usually the one leaving instead of everyone else. I didn’t realize what it would mean, coming back to one ship for a second long contract, that everyone else would be leaving me before I left them. The ship is an entirely different one from the one I joined in June; it’s obviously the same ship and the atmosphere is still great among us, but the people have all changed and I’m finding it strange trying to get used to it. I do realize why now some people request to have a ‘permanent’ ship, once you’re on one ship for a long time, it feels even more like a family even though the people may change. Even with a ‘permanent’ ship placement, sometimes there are opportunities to fill in on other ships with different itineraries just for a change every so often.



Anyway, on to what’s been going on the last few days. The Blues cruise ended with another theme night, which perfectly coincided with Club HAL’s: pajama night! One of the HAL Cat bands actually got permission and went to Tamarind in pajamas. Amazing what we can get away with during charters! We got comfy and went to the last concert in the showroom for a while after work, then went to the OB to spend one last night with Christine and the cast before they left.

Embark day went smoothly. It’s strange to be going back to a normal work schedule. After all, the last time we had a ‘normal’ cruise was New Years; since then, it’s been two Dancing with the Stars and the Blues cruise. Really, it’s been a month and a half since we’ve had normalcy on this ship! I’d nearly forgotten what it’s like. Anyway, I went out with Meghna and Alex to get lunch and do some shopping and just hang out for a bit before I had to be back for Open House (at 1 instead of 12 this week, I love that extra hour, especially since no family comes before 1 anyway, unless they’re truly desperate to get rid of their kids for the week. Don’t laugh, I’ve seen it, it’s sad). Alex came back to the ship with me, it was an interesting shuttle ride, took about 30 minutes when it should take 5-10, but there was a lot of traffic and we had to drop some people off at the terminal hidden away in the back of the port all alone.

I went up for Open House, and met Alicia, our new YPC. Well, she’s not exactly a YPC, she’s a YPC trainer, here to train two of my friends from other ships (who are coming on in Grand Cayman). Seems like this cruise is going to be interesting. From the schedule, Meghna and I will be working, while the three of them are just doing training stuff. Not quite sure how that works out in being fair, but we’ll see. Michelle and Martien are cool, so they’ll come help us out at nights more than likely, despite what the schedule says.
28 kids are on board this week; one teen has come by so far, and most of the kids have at least registered, if not stayed for at least some amount of time. I had about 6 for Welcome Aboard party.

Today we were in Half Moon Cay. It’s nice to be back here, it’s been two weeks! Meghna and I got to do Island Activities (big surprise that none of the kids signed in, especially after we told the one family that came by that the kids couldn’t get in the water if they were signed in). So, after our hour of scheduled activities was up, we headed down to the beach and settled in for the next few hours. Slowly more people came and joined us, we swam some, joined Cassandra and her sister in the cabana they rented, sunbathed, I finished the Hobbit, and ended up taking an unplanned nap. I still managed to be back onboard half an hour before the last crew tender. It was a good day.

It was a lazy afternoon filled with laundry and reading, then I was on teens for the night. I helped Meghna with the kids though, and we kept the door open just in case a teen came so I could run next door with them. No teens came though, so Meghna and I worked together for Brave the Night. She left, and I had to hang out in the Loft by myself until midnight. I just watched a movie, it was a good movie at least, one of the few that have been on the ship TVs lately.