Safety thought of the day.

Please enjoy installment number two of the best safety thoughts aboard the Norwegian Star.

I hope everyone had a marvelous Christmas!! Mine was fabulous. I got to celebrate with my amazing family & hilarious cast. It was a wild week! & I promise to catch up on blogging about weeks 7-10...It's never boring around here!

Week Six.

November 25. Sunday.
A family friend had told me about this amazing church i just had to visit called Franklin Avenue Baptist. So Jessica, Martina & I decides to check it out that morning! It's a mega church full of friendly Jesus loving, soul singing, Saints fans. Seriously, every one in a male choir had a football jersey on. Franklin Ave is exactly what you'd imagine a wild African-American Baptist church to be like. I loved it. Plus I was one of only four Caucasians in the entire crowd. Too good. The pastor was so vivacious and loud, along with the rest of the congregation, that it made me feel like the Holy Spirt was sitting on my head.

After the service we took a cab back to the French Quarter & had a delicious lunch. Then window shopped a little before heading back to the ship. I love getting to have long phone calls with my parents on Sundays. Its the best part. Back on board we had techs rehearsals & dinner & four performances.

November 26. Monday.
Sea day.
Jessica & I got breakfast together that morning and then headed to the theater to work at the port shopping informational talk. Afterwards I booked to over to the art auction to work there. The auctioneer blindsided me by making me auction off a piece of art during the middle if the auction! It was tacky & no one bid but I got a loud round of applause.

Then I went to the dressing room for the rest of the afternoon to get everything ready for that nights show, Band on the Run!

November 27. Tuesday.
Costa Maya!
It was the morning we'd been dreading. It was time for the Safety examination. The test wasn't too bad & later that day Sophie delivered the news that we had all passed! We were screaming and jumping around the hallway like Buddy the Elf on Christmas Day.

Jessica had lost her room key the day before & wasn't allowed to disembark for seven days. So sad. But me, being the good roommate that I am, brought her back a magnet each day I'd get off the ship without her.

As I was walking off the gangway to meet up with my friends already on the beach I struck up a conversation with a cute older couple from Arkansas & as we parted ways the husband prayed over me. I love when Jesus randomly puts people in your path to touch your heart.

Back on board my friend Rich from The Second City surprised Jessica & I by serenading us on his guitar with the song "love story" by Taylor Swifty. He knew I was a fan so he learned the song. Too cute. We died.

That night James & Rosie invited Sophie & I to dinner to thank us for all of our hard work on the Christmas show! (Shopie choreographed the whole show.) We went to my favorite Italian restaurant. It was a fabulous night & I just adore them.

November 28. Wednesday.
Belize.
We slept all day & then had two Shout shows that night. Jessica took over for Sophie as one of my quick change helpers & has also been helping me with the Christmas costumes.

We didn't realize it that night but while we were backstage a male crew member snuck into the dressing room & stole Jessica's iPad. She didn't notice it was missing until the next morning. It was terrible & she was already having a bad week since she had lost her room key. The cast searched everywhere for it & security even searched everyone's rooms. Drama. Eventually a computer tech guy was able to track down who had it & security finally found the iPad after a week.

November 29. Thursday.
Roatan.
Safety Paul chose me to be a passenger casualty during that mornings boat drill. I had to go wander around the front of deck 12 and just be very lost. So basically what I do every day. Eventually a crew member found me and I was guided to the correct evacuation station. Silliness.

Everyone had Christmas show rehearsal so I got off alone & went to the restaurant we always go to for some free wifi. The only thing more frustrating that having no wifi is having really bad wifi. I did eat a great shrimp taco though!

Back on board I went to the gym & later got some blogging done. That night, with out even planning it, the cast all showed up the crew bar exhausted and loaded down with junk food. It was so much fun just being silly & unwinding. I adore these people.

November 30. Friday.
Cozumel.
We had already taken the test, but that morning we had our last safety training class...in the pool. We had to jump into the pool wearing a life jacket, swim up to the giant raft in the middle of the pool & get inside. Passengers, some even with cameras, were all gathered around watching the bizarre hilarity ensue. I asked a cute old lady to take pictures with my camera. Then we each took turns flipping the capsized raft back over. Don't worry, there are videos.

After successfully surviving that the girls & I booked it off the ship & to the No Name Bar. We spent the afternoon lounging in the sun, taking silly pictures, & eating large amounts of guacamole.

December 1. Saturday.
Sea Day.
That morning our entire safety class had to meet individually with the Staff Captain because we all scored below a 90% on our exams. He called us into his office one by one and went over the answers we got wrong. His name is Ingar, he is from Norway, & looks like he could kill a polar bear with his bare hands. So intimidating. But he laughed at my charming jokes & all was well.

I worked at the art auction for the rest of the morning & spent the afternoon tackling the challenge that is Elements. After the performances that night everyone collapsed into their beds. We survived another crazy week!

Random thoughts.

1. Some of the crew from Central America can't pronounce my name so I just tell them to call me Jane.

2. A few weeks ago during a performance of Shout I decided to order a pizza. We have a lot of down time in between quick changes so my dressers and I sit up in the dressing room while we wait. I specifically told the room service person to deliver to the dressing room. So naturally, they delivered the pizza backstage during the middle of the show. Perfect. & The girls mics are live the entire show because they have to sing harmonies backstage during a few of the numbers. So the pizza man tried to give Rosie the pizza while she was offstage singing. She had no idea what was going on & attempted a weird version of sign language to send the guy away and discourage him from leaving the pizza on a set piece. Finally a tech guy radioed up to me to ask if I knew why there was a pizza man backstage. Oops!

3. Our cabin bathrooms are so small that in order to successfully shave your legs you have to stand in the shower and prop you leg up on the sink.

4. During the art auctions I always feel like the Wheel of Fortune lady. & I always wear heels because it makes me taller than the auctioneer. Sucker.

5. The Elements costumes are so delicate after two years of wear and tear that I have to hand wash everything. It's a long process. I have three little plastic tubs that I fill with hot water & detergent and let the costumes soak first. Then I hand wash each costume, let them soak again in clean warm water, rinse them & hang them on a line. I always feel like a pioneer lady.

6. At the end of Band On The Run after the cast bows they run to the back of the theater and do a meet & greet as the passengers exit. Most of them are sweating their brains out since they just danced so hard. So after I finish the last quick change backstage I grab towels for each of them and run underneath the theater & pop out at the exit. I've never been a towel girl before! & I would hate it except for I love them so much & I like for them to always look their best. It's my job!

Safety thought of the day.

I recently discovered an unintentionally hilarious little treat called the "safety thought of the day". On the I-95 there are a bunch of different bulletin boards where various information is posted for the crew. Even though i hate safety class I am obsessed with this bulletin board & deeply regret not discovering this diamond in the rough sooner.

Week Five.

Currently I'm sitting in the dark in a freezing lounge watching a dress rehearsal. & I just ate some cold popcorn for lunch. Glamorous.

For thanksgiving week I made every cast member a glittery turkey for their dressing room spot! I am the cutest.

November 18. Sunday.
We hit the Mississippi River at about 11pm & get cell reception by midnight. It's always exciting. & Cruising up the River is a little creepy because its pitch black out but all the shining lights from the oil rigs and industrial factories make it feel like you're entering a post-apocalyptic world.

Sunday morning Rosie, Dana, & I headed to one of the most famous shopping establishments in America: Walmart. What a treat. I really do wish there had been a camera crew recording the three of us pushing all our bags through the ships security station at the gangway. Disaster. It was hilarious trying to maneuver down the crowded hallways with a million bags and two big plastic storage containers.

We dropped our bags and headed to meet James for lunch in the French quarter. I devoured a delicious pulled pork po-boy. I just love the South. Anyways, we shopped all day for more Christmas show stuff & then headed back to the ship for rehearsal & three bumper performances.

November 19. Monday.
Sea day! I worked at the art auction that morning. An adorable old man asked if he could bid on me. Hilarious. That afternoon I had fittings with the new magician & his assistant for their Elements costumes. They're a hilarious duo from England & will be with us through January. Then later that night we had two performances of Band on the Run! Busy day.

November 20. Tuesday.
Costa maya! We had safety class that morning & it was firefighting training day. Oh yes. Get ready to chuckle. First, Safety Officer Paul & two firemen took us down to deck 3 and informed us we'd be doing a simulation as if we were entering a smoke filled room. They walked us down these steep stairs and into an industrial looking room full of scrap metal and shelves of machine parts. It was straight out of a horror movie where the blonde girl always gets killed. AND THEN they informed us we would be wearing blacked out masks as we maneuvered our way around the room. Awesome.

The dancer girls & I were less than thrilled. They took our class back up the lawsuit worthy stairs & split us into groups of four. First you put on an air tank like a backpack & strap it on tight. Next you check the air gage & put in the mouth piece so you can breathe. Then they put a blacked out mask on my face. I literally couldn't see anything and with a thick hood thing covering my head, along with the fact that I sounded like Darth Vader because i was breathing through the gross mouth piece I couldn't hear anything either. To put it nicely, I was not a happy camper. Luckily we all make it safely through the maze.

Of course the joy of surviving the metal labyrinth was short lived. We moved up to the bow of the ship to learn how to use a fire extinguisher. That was pretty amusing. & Don't worry, there's a video.

After class we finally made it to the beach! This was my favorite Costa Maya day. Practically the entire cast was there & it was just a gorgeous day! That night we went to watch The Second City comedy troupe perform. I've been obsessed with The Second City for years & now I'm friends with some of their members! Thumbs up.

November 21. Wednesday.
We were in Belize and Jessica & I got to sleep in. I went to the gym & got some work done before Shout. Backstage during the show Sophie & I did our make up really silly. Yes, I am a professional.

November 22. Thursday.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so this day was hard. We were in Roatan. I got to start off the day to the a blaring alarm & men pounding in all the doors in our hallway while yelling "fire"!! I really hate boat drill. Then I worked for a little & Martina, Jess & I got off the ship to find free Wifi. I got to call my family & was super homesick hearing my parents & Carter's voices. If people didn't already know this was my first ship contract I'm sure the mascara streaked down my face gave me away as I walked up the gangway. Then the girls & I laid out on the top deck. I blogged & they napped. We weren't allowed to make reservations in any of the specialty restaurants as a cast, so we improvised & had a big family dinner in the buffet. It was cute & made everyone happy. & That night we all hung out in the lounge after the singers performed their broadway cabaret. The poster board pumpkins & turkeys taped to the walls were terribly depressing.

November 23. Friday.
Cozumel! Safety class that morning. Fun. Then we booked it over to the No Name Bar that we always go to & laid out all afternoon. Back on the boat we napped, I worked a little, we grabbed dinner & got ready for the White Hot party. Afterwards jessica & I went to Martina's room, ate pizza, & cuddled while watching "Dolphin Tale". I cry every time. Anyways, this week was fun because there were so many families on board & kids running around all the time!

November 24. Saturday.
Sea day. Yet another safety class. & Then I worked at the art auction & got ready for elements that night. That show will never stop being challenging. The costumes are disintegrating. Five months left.

Week Four.

Things I don't like:
1. November is almost over. & I missed out on all my favorite fall activities because I've been sailing around the Mexican riviera. Life is hard.
2. I still do not own Taylor Swiftys new album. Tragic. But the spiral notebook I use at work has her face on the cover & makes me happy.
3. I'm on the top bunk..which I like..but the ceiling is so low that I can't sit up straight in bed. So as you can imagine, I hit my head on the ceiling every single day.

November 11. Sunday.
This Sunday was exciting! We were all so anxious to get off the ship. A group of us met up for brunch in the French quarter at a fabulous restaurant called Oceania. Then the six of us hopped in cab & headed over to the mall. Our driver kept his window down for most of the ride so he could better yell "Who Dat?!" at all the pedestrians. (I don't get it either...it's a New Orleans Saints thing. & that's a NFL team for those of you who are still confused & have never watched Keeping Up With The Kardashians.)

At the mall Rosie and I went on a hunt for fabulous glittery costumes for the Christmas show. (None of us were contracted for an official Christmas show but the Cruise Director always asks the cast to throw something together two days before & it apparently is always awful. So James & Rosie, the amazing British married couple, have been developing a Christmas show for the past few years with the hopes that NCL will buy it from them to be produced on every ship in the fleet. I've been helping them coordinate the costumes and hunt down the best deals in the French Quarter. For someone who's directionally challenged its amazing I actually know my way around there!

We booked it back to the ship and I ran immediately into a fitting with our three new male dancers that had just arrived! Then the rest of the cast preformed their mini shows Lets Get Loud, Mama Mia & Latin. I follow them around to every performance like a proud big sister...also it's my job. Then later that night Jessica & I hung out with two of our guy friends from the Second City.

November 12. Monday.
Sea Day! I had another fitting with the new boys & the cast had rehearsals all day to re-block the shows again. That night my girls performed Shout, the mod musical.

That afternoon was different because I started a new little job on board working at the live art auction. I helped register people, & handed out bid cards as they came in. Then during the live auction I stood at the front of the room with the auctioneer and write down the tracking numbers and bid prices for each piece of art that comes up. My job title is "Bubble Girl". I'm not really sure why, but I like getting paid for doing minimal labor and smiling at people!

November 13. Tuesday.
Back to my favorite port, Costa Maya! A big group of us met on the gangway at 11am and took a van to a chic hotel right on the beach called Forty Cannons. Free wifi, guacamole, & cozy chase lounges. What more do you need?

Unfortunately, I had to leave early to make it back in time for safety class....which then got canceled. Annoying. So I went to the gym & then went to work on fixing the costumes for the new boys. It got pretty disheartening having to tear out all the work I'd just done on these costumes for the previous dancers. So my fabulous friend Martina ordered a pizza to her room and I hemmed the rest of the pants in her bed. Extra pepperoni & blue velvet bell bottoms. My life is wild.

November 14. Wednesday.
Back to Belize. We all had a mandatory drug awareness class that morning. Who doesn't love racist, inaccurate, mildly inappropriate Power Point presentations at 8:45am?

Band On The Run opened that night! & I accidentally walked into a closet instead of a hallway for the second day in a row.

November 15. Thursday.
Boat drill that morning. The worst. Followed by an Entertainment Department meeting. Then I had to conduct weigh-ins for the entire cast. Awkward. Everyone hates it, for obvious reasons. But on the performers contracts its written in that they have to stay within a five pound radius of their weight from when they signed on. It's nice that there is an accountability program in place because altering everyone's costumes after too many trips to the buffet (or gym) would be terrible.

After that Jessica, Martina, & I immediately hoped off the boat and had lunch in Roatan, Honduras! When we got back on board we tanned on the top deck & then I went to work for a little bit. I spent the rest of the afternoon blogging! (To please my dear Mother) That night I watched the singers perform their beautiful Broadway Cabaret & then got drinks and talked for hours with my favorites, James & Rosie!

November 16. Friday.
Safety class that morning. I can't even explain how much it pains my soul. Then off to play in Cozumel! Jess & I had nap time when we got back. & Then we had the White Hot party. At this point I am basically a pro at The Wobble. (It's a line dance dad..)

November 17. Saturday.
Sea day! Elements rehearsal that morning & then worked at the art auction. Two elements performances that night. After the first show Rosie informed me that the jellyfish was broken. (During the water portion of the show she plays a jellyfish in the background by moving a fabric covered umbrella up and down. It actually looks pretty cool.) So I sprinted down the I-95 to my room to grab my personal umbrella & we attached the jellyfish material to it. I saved the day AND got reimbursed for my umbrella. Boom. Everyone was just so happy we survived another week & our new dancers were fabulous!!