I have been going to the gym a lot and am determined to maintain a healthy lifestyle this contract. I've wasted way too much money on wifi and have watched way too many episodes of Friends. My cabin is much tinnier than my cabin on the Star and I have the top bunk again. My roommate is a beautiful Romanian named Sylvia. She sings with the party band and looks like a character in one of the Bourne Supremacy movies.
May 30. Thursday.
That afternoon my lovely parents dropped my off at the airport. Leaving never gets easier. But it helped knowing that I will get to see them at the end of the month! I flew from Tampa to rainy Detroit. Then I sadly kissed cell phone service goodbye and hopped on a transatlantic flight to Amsterdam.
May 31. Friday.
That morning for the final leg of my journey I flew from Amsterdam to Venice. I was met at the airport by a driver and taken to a hotel NCL booked for me. I was exhausted and the queen size bed looked so inviting and irresistible. But I could hear Mama Stoney squealing in my head that I was in ITALYto get up and go have an adventure!
I took a shuttle from the hotel onto the island and surprisingly it was pretty chilly. That city is absolutely magical. I wandered up and down the small streets and across a million bridges. There is literally no place like this in the world. It was so surreal that I had to keep reminding myself that this was real life! After a marvelous lunch and some free wifi, I caught the shuttle back to the hotel. I slept soundly that night looking forward to my next adventure!
Side note: I kept thinking back to when I studied abroad in Spain two summer ago. My lovely roommate, Laura Powell, and our group of friends planned to visit Rome one weekend. I wanted to go with them but my parents encouraged me to use that time to continue soaking up the Spanish culture. I followed their advice and chose to stay in Madrid that weekend. I traveled with my host family to the south to visit our Padre's family. We picked cherries on his uncles farm and it ended up being on of the most magical experiences of my life. I vividly remember telling Laura that I was disappointed I was missing out on seeing Rome again but that I just knew I would be back in Italy sometime within the next ten years. Little did I know how soon that prediction would come true! (You can read about that adventure here: Spain blog)
Side note: I kept thinking back to when I studied abroad in Spain two summer ago. My lovely roommate, Laura Powell, and our group of friends planned to visit Rome one weekend. I wanted to go with them but my parents encouraged me to use that time to continue soaking up the Spanish culture. I followed their advice and chose to stay in Madrid that weekend. I traveled with my host family to the south to visit our Padre's family. We picked cherries on his uncles farm and it ended up being on of the most magical experiences of my life. I vividly remember telling Laura that I was disappointed I was missing out on seeing Rome again but that I just knew I would be back in Italy sometime within the next ten years. Little did I know how soon that prediction would come true! (You can read about that adventure here: Spain blog)
June 1. Saturday.
Bright and early that morning a shuttle arrived at the hotel to take myself and the other Norwegian crew members to the ship. I was really nervous as we drove into the port but when I stepped on board the ship I felt a little bit at ease. It's nice to know what to expect and already understand the ships layout! Joann, the current Wardrobe Supervisor, met me, helped me find my room, and gave me a tour of the theater. She had joined the ship with the cast two months earlier and I was there as her replacement. Joann stayed until the end of the week in order to show me the ropes!
Week 1. June 1-7
Greece Run:
Venice, Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, Katakolon.
I really focused on work this week and learned as much as I could from the current Wardrobe Supervisor, Joann. The Jade rotates between two seven day itineraries each week around the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea. My first week we did the Greek itinerary. One night that week the entire cast met for dinner in the steak house restaurant on board. Everyone was so sweet and welcoming to me.
Out of fourteen cast members, everyone is American except for two people! (Lisa is Welsh and Tonto is Dutch) This is because they all worked together on the Pride of America and then requested this ship. (The PoA is Norwegian's ship that is permanently cruising Hawaii. So because the ship never leaves American waters crew members must be a US citizen or have a green card.)
Week 2. June 8-14
Croatia Run:
Venice. Dubrovnik. Piraeus, Greece. Izmir, Turkey. Split, Croatia.
Joann left and I was officially in charge! One of the female dancers, Cassa, left too because she was offered a contract with Cirque de Sole! She is going to be in their Beatles show "Love" in Las Vegas! Too exciting. The week before we had found out that my friend from my last ship the Star, Montana, was coming as her replacement!!!! I was overjoyed! Our reunion that first day included a lot of screaming and dancing around. Having her there made me so happy and feel more at home.
Week 3. June 15-21.
Greece Run:
Venice, Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, Katakolon.
June 18. Tuesday.
This week I got off the ship for this first time since arriving on the Jade! I ventured into Santorini with a group of my friends from the cast. I had never been to Greece before and I am struggling with how to even describe my phenomenal first experience. It is impossible for cruise ships to dock there so you have to take a small tender boat to land. Looking up at the massive jagged cliffs spotted with little white houses as we bounced over the Mediterranean waves was surreal. (It's embarrassing but I'll admit since seeing the film "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" in high school, I have always dreamed of visiting Greece.) Once on land, there are only two ways to make it up the mountain and into the city. You can either take a rickety cable car or ride on the back of a donkey up a steep stone path. Welcome to Greece!
I had a fabulous afternoon wandering around the narrow streets, dodging donkeys, and trying to absorb the breathtaking views. It was gratifying knowing that I was getting to enjoy this amazing experience because of my perseverance and hard work. As the day wound down, my friends and I enjoyed a delicious dinner overlooking the ocean as the sun set behind the mountains. This time last year I had just begun my first "big girl job" at Stagedoor Manor in New York. I could have never imagined that only twelve months later I would working on a cruise ship and get paid to be in Europe! So much has happened this year. I am completely blessed.
June 19. Wednesday.
Mykonos! This beautiful Greek island is known for it's picturesque beaches and summer parties. (Don't worry Mom, it wasn't wild like you had heard!) Three male dancers and I hopped in a bus and headed to a small beach on the other side of the island called Super Paradise. It was fabulous.
June 20. Thursday.
Katakolon! Today as I am writing this, Tonto and I have been enjoying a beautiful view of the bay and free wifi! I am one lucky girl.
*Five days until my birthday and eight days until my family boards my ship!!*
June 18. Tuesday.
This week I got off the ship for this first time since arriving on the Jade! I ventured into Santorini with a group of my friends from the cast. I had never been to Greece before and I am struggling with how to even describe my phenomenal first experience. It is impossible for cruise ships to dock there so you have to take a small tender boat to land. Looking up at the massive jagged cliffs spotted with little white houses as we bounced over the Mediterranean waves was surreal. (It's embarrassing but I'll admit since seeing the film "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" in high school, I have always dreamed of visiting Greece.) Once on land, there are only two ways to make it up the mountain and into the city. You can either take a rickety cable car or ride on the back of a donkey up a steep stone path. Welcome to Greece!
I had a fabulous afternoon wandering around the narrow streets, dodging donkeys, and trying to absorb the breathtaking views. It was gratifying knowing that I was getting to enjoy this amazing experience because of my perseverance and hard work. As the day wound down, my friends and I enjoyed a delicious dinner overlooking the ocean as the sun set behind the mountains. This time last year I had just begun my first "big girl job" at Stagedoor Manor in New York. I could have never imagined that only twelve months later I would working on a cruise ship and get paid to be in Europe! So much has happened this year. I am completely blessed.
June 19. Wednesday.
Mykonos! This beautiful Greek island is known for it's picturesque beaches and summer parties. (Don't worry Mom, it wasn't wild like you had heard!) Three male dancers and I hopped in a bus and headed to a small beach on the other side of the island called Super Paradise. It was fabulous.
Katakolon! Today as I am writing this, Tonto and I have been enjoying a beautiful view of the bay and free wifi! I am one lucky girl.
*Five days until my birthday and eight days until my family boards my ship!!*
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