Please excuse this interruption in my regular blogging for a quick update on what's currently happening on the Norwegian Star. This is also the reason you land-dwellers will be hearing a lot less from me over the next two weeks.
The new cast is finally here! Along with them came a production team consisting of the director, aerial coaches, lighting & sounds guys, a musical director, a production manager, two stitchers, and the new wardrobe supervisor. So naturally, this week has been insane. When I haven't been working I've been trying to soak up all the quality time I can with my cast!
After the last run of each show the wardrobe team immediately starts striking it and washing everything. After the laundry is done, the new cast comes in the next day for fittings. Fittings can be a bit chaotic with safety pins and costumes flying everywhere. It has been very busy but my friend, Carolyn, worked as a stitcher on my last instal and is here again!
My cast leaves in New Orleans but I stay on to do the repositioning cruise to the Baltic Sea. After the ship leaves NOLA for the last time, we have a sea day and then stop in Miami to pick up more passengers. Then we have six sea days in a row before we land at our first destination, Azores. I'm not sure where that is yet but I've heard it's beautiful! We then have to endure three more sea days before making it to our second stop, Dover, England. (While I'm there I'll get to meet Rosie's dad!) Then we have just one final sea day until landing in Sweden. The next day we arrive in Copenhagen and I get to fly home to the good ole US of A! I absolutely cannot wait!!
So basically, the last fourteen days have been extremely bittersweet. When the new cast arrived this week it all suddenly became real that our time here was over. I am going to be a basket-case when I have to tell everyone goodbye. Right now as I'm writing this I am sitting at my little desk in the girls dressing room as they get ready for their final Elements performance. Surreal. Unsurprisingly, I am already getting a little bit emotional. So I'm going to go put on my purple unitard. Goodbyes are the worst.
April 21. Sunday.
Since writing the above post last night, a lot has happened. And my heart is aching. Both Elements shows went well and it all didn't feel quite real. It still doesn't. I just ate breakfast by myself on the pool deck and I'm expecting Cameron or Jessica to appear any minute. Except for they are probably already in the New Orleans airport. Weird.
After the cast bows at the conclusion of Elements, the cruise director comes on stage and talks for a minute while the singers quick-change and reappear to sing a corny song called "We are Norwegian" while crew members file onto the stage waving their individual countries flags. As a surprise the dancers walked out onstage with them and everyone was crying and hugging. I was offstage crying and taking pictures. Caleb touched my heart by motioning for me to join them but I was wearing Nike shorts. Afterwards everyone cried some more in the dressing room as the farewells began. Hugging Rosie and James goodbye broke my heart.
Once everyone cleared out of the dressing room the real work began. The three stitchers showed up and we struck and washed every single Elements costume. I finally made it out by 1am so I could say my last few goodbyes. Jess and I stayed up talking and packing. This morning I woke up with her at 6am as she got ready to disembark. I cried and hugged everyone again outside the finance office. Walking back alone and down our silent cabin corridor made me feel worse. All the dancers live on one hallway together and it's always filled with music, laughter, and people popping into each others rooms. I am so thankful that I was able to live and work with those beautiful people for a season of my life. The journey was wonderful. I miss them already.
Only sixteen days left.
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