Week Thirteen.

Our second male dancer replacement, Rachard, arrived! This week consisted of a lot of pant hemming & cast rehearsals.

January 13. Sunday.
Before any crew member was allowed to get off the ship that morning the entire ship had to be sanitized. Thrilling. The cast finished sanitizing the theater & then Rosie and I camped out at the gangway so we could run off the ship. James was sick of the French Quarter so he left us and went to explore the uptown area. Rosie & I picked up stuff at CVS and enjoyed a fabulous lunch together at a tiny Italian restaurant.

Back on board we had tech & the shows. I gave James lessons in how to be a sorority girl. He is fascinated by American greek life. Too funny. That night I continued to work on costume alterations for the new cast members.

January 14. Monday.
I worked the shopping talk and skipped the art auction so I could chain myself to my sewing machine. I worked the entire day. The BOTR dress rehearsal & performances went great with our three new cast members! Most of the cast was exhausted but still went out that night to celebrate.

January 15. Tuesday.
Costa maya! We had a relaxing day laying on the beach & eating quesadillas. That night Jess & I stayed in with our pack of stuffed animals and watched a movie in bed.

January 16. Wednesday.
Belieze. Jarrett woke me up early to say goodbye. He was leaving the ship permanently that day. I was very sad to see him go, especially since so many of our friends had just left on Sunday.

Jess & I hung out on the pool deck that afternoon and napped. That night's Shout performance was special because it was Hannah's debut as Red Girl! We all went out dancing in Spinnaker afterwards. During Shout, Montana and I constructed the cardboard 3D shark Patrick gave me for Christmas. The sharks name is Patrick Bruce and he lives in the dressing room.

January 17. Thursday.
This was an uneventful day. Jess got moved to the role of assistant section leader during boat drill. Then we had an entertainment meeting & cast weigh ins. I had several fittings and worked on altering Elements the rest of the afternoon.

January 18. Friday.
The weather was overcast and chilly in Cozumel that day but the dancers & I all went to No Name anyways. Montana even made a trip back to the ship to get us sweatshirts. I feverishly blogged away because Mama Stoney was going to die if I didn't post something soon.

The Wifi at No Name was terrible so I walked down the street to a cool boutiquey restaurant, ile. James & Rosie were there, the WiFi was super fast, and the margaritas were phenomenal. Dream life. Back on board, the three of us bundled up and met in the Red Lion pub to play a board game. So fun. I adore my cruise ship family.

That night Sophie, Montana, and I ordered pizza and camped out in the dressing room to get some work done. The cast had an Elements rehearsal late that night so Sophie curled up in the corner for a quick nap. Naturally, once she was sound asleep Montana & I built a fort around her. She was very confused when she woke up. Hilarious.

But seriously, do I have one of the coolest jobs or what?! I get to play dress up whenever I want. I have 14 life size barbies to play with who also happen to be great friends. AND I never have to cook anything.

January 19. Saturday.
That morning we had a Elements dress rehearsal that went great. Afterwards at the art auction, the auctioneer was banging his gavel so hard my eardrums almost burst.

Then I locked myself out of my room & a security guard had to let me in. I noticed his name tag said he was from Nepal. So in an attempted to start a conversation I excitedly said that I'd never been to Nepal but I had ridden the Expedition Everest roller coaster at Disney's Animal Kingdom park. I think I even threw in the word "Sherpa" somewhere. He wasn't impressed.

That night, before Elements had even begun, disaster inevitably struck. The room service guy dropped an entire tray of fruits, veggies, and a pitcher or orange juice down the main staircase stage left. I was sitting in the house when I heard the mysterious crash and immediately started laughing like a hyena out of exhaustion & fear. It was a disaster zone but only one costume got hit which was a blessing. I hustled to mop up the spill as dancers hopped around me pre-setting their props. It was a very Cinderella moment. Don't worry, I've included pictures of everything below.

Then during the first show in the second to last number, Jessica was accidentally kicked in the face by another dancer and had to be drug offstage. I helped her slowly limp up to the dressing room. Then I got a call to run up to the catwalk and stop Caleb from dropping the web Jess would usually be spinning from during the finale. I sprinted up two flights of stairs and crawled into the catwalk and yelled "Nooooo" right as Caleb finished lowering the web down. It was like a slow motion scene from a movie. (Web is a rope similar to the ones kids had to climb in gym class in those old 80s films. In Elements two web ropes are lowered from either side of the catwalk. Jess & Montana climb up them and proceed to hang on, gracefully, as they get spun around in a circle. YouTube it!) Anyways, our new dancer Hannah is trained in web and when the cast realized Jess was out Hannah decided in a split second that she was going to go up on the web! Finally to wrap up the show, Ron hit his knee on stage and bled all over his white finale pants. His pants looked like they'd just been worn in a fight scene in one of the Godfather movies. And that was only the first show!! The second show went a little better other than Jason hurting his back. Oh Elements, how we loath you.

Safety thought of the day.

I hope you enjoy the third blog instillation dedicated to my favorite bulletin board on this ship. Safety is fun, especially if English is your second language and you have access to clip art.

Week Twelve.

This week was extremely fun but also sad because it was Elyse, Patrick, & Nathan's lady week with us. But on a happy note, a new male dancer, Jason, and the new female singer dancer, Hannah, arrived! They're both fabulous!

January 6. Sunday.
That cold and rainy morning James, Rosie, Caleb, & I ventured over to the mall. It wasn't open when we arrived so we grabbed breakfast at a diner nearby. I asked a police officer who was sitting at an adjacent table if there was a CVS in walking distance. He sweetly insisted on giving me a ride to the closest one & my friends looked on in wonder and amusement. He ended up being the Captain of the NODP which prompted plenty of captain jokes from James.

Once I returned from my random adventure in a squad car we hit the mall. I made my first big "adult" purchase that day & brought home a beautiful 15 inch MacBook Pro! So exciting! (even though I could feel the money being drained from my body as the lady swiped my card.) That night we had tech & the shows as usual. Due to the rain the number usually performed on the pool deck was moved inside with the Grand Atrium. When everything was over, Martina and I sat out in deck 7 for a few hours in order to take full advantage of our phones still having service. It was freezing.

January 7. Monday.
Just another Monday! I went to the shopping talk, art auction, worked on my blog, & then worked BOTR. During our break between shows I snuck up to the Atrium where they were projecting the National Championship game on the big screen. I met the cutest older couple from Prattville, AL and visited with them for awhile. I just adore or passengers! Especially when they're Alabama fans!

January 8. Tuesday.
Costa maya! I slept until noon and then got off the ship with Jarrett. We had lunch at the National beach club & Sophie and I did cartwheels in the beach. That night most of the girls went out for sushi together & we saw the Second City's show.

January 9. Wednesday.
Belize. Our ship reached a high sickness level which is called Code Red. It's bad for us because during Code Red we aren't allowed to eat in the passenger buffet. So a lot of junk food and room service was consumed that week.

Jess & I slept in until almost 2 in the afternoon. I went to work & we had Shout. After the show, a bunch of us went to crew bar and had a giant dance party. It was hilarious and so fun.

January 10. Thursday.
I was awoken by the pleasant sound of blaring alarms and rolled out of bed to boat drill. Then we had an entertainment meeting and before we could leave the cast had to sanitize the theater & backstage areas. I stuck around and worked a little before laying out on the top deck. That night a group of us went out for sushi & watched the aerialist couples show before the White Hot party.

January 11. Friday.
Cozumel. I got lunch with James and Rosie at a cute local place they had found. Then I headed over to No Name to enjoy the sun & free WiFi. I did a little work once I got back on board. That night a big group of my favorite people went out for dinner at the Italian restaurant. Later on at the Burlesque show I was informed that Ron had injured himself and wasn't going to be able to dance in Elements the next day. Jason, the new dancer, already knew the show and was going to go in as a replacement. So I hustled to the dressing room to get things ready & was not to thrilled to start doing laundry at one in the morning. Oh well, the show must go on!

January 12. Saturday.
That morning the cast re-blocked the show & I worked on costumes all day. The shows went well & Jason stepped up like a champion. That night there was a big party in crew bar since so many of our friends were leaving the next day. Crazy week!

Week Eleven.

During the next few days I am going to try really hard to power through blogging about the past six weeks so I can get to what everyone wants to hear about, my medical "vacation" in Belize. I just have to blog the weeks chronologically or it will drive me nuts. That's not the definition of OCD right?

December 30. Sunday.
This was a bittersweet day. I had a blast with my family in New Orleans but I also had to say goodbye. The Dvo clan disembarked the ship that morning & hopped in a rental mini van bound for church. James, Rosie, & I grabbed a taxi and met them there. We attended Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, the well known local church I had visited before. It was a cultural experience for all!

After the service, we met at the delicious restaurant Oceania for lunch. It's in the French Quarter wedged between Royal & Bourbon Street. GrandMary had thoughtfully sent us a gift card to go there! Carter was very pleased, but he will literally eat anything these days. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch & final time of fellowship together. Afterwards the family & I wandered around the French Quarter, saw the historical cathedral, and poked around antique shops. It really is an amazing city packed full of art & culture.

Thirty minutes before I had to be back on board the ship I was struck with panic when I realized what time it was. The Saints game had just gotten out, traffic was terrible, and the clock was ticking. Saying goodbye to my family is always so hard but after a round of tearful hugs I tore myself away and began my trek back to the port. The sidewalks were so crowded and I'm sure I looked like a total hot mess crying and booking it down the street. I ran the last mile & arrived at the port gate just as a security guard was locking it. I screamed and startled the poor guy but managed to choke out a thank you through my sobs. I'm just such a Southern Belle. Lord willing, I made it up the gangway three minutes early. (For those of you who don't know, if you miss your ship you get fired. It's serious business.) That evening my normal routine resumed, and I attended the techs & shows with a heavy heart.

December 31. Monday.
It was almost a typical sea day. I worked the shopping talk, art auction, & then our show Band On the Run. After the show we all rushed back to our cabins to get changed for that nights festivities! I loved celebrating New Years Eve on a ship. All of your friends are in one place and no one has to drive home!

I started the night in James & Rosie's cabin toasting the end of a crazy year and the beginning on a new one! As I neared midnight we migrated up to the pool deck. It was packed with people & a giant screen over the pool displayed a digital clock counting down the minutes. Over the speaker system the captain led the crowd in the final countdown. The reggae band played while everyone screamed, kissed, & toasted each other. It was fabulous pandemonium.

January 1. Tuesday.
For obvious reasons everyone slept in that morning. Around noon a group of us shuffled off the ship and over to our favorite beach spot in Costa Maya. Patrick and I laid out and got ice cream. Lazy day in paradise.

That evening Big John & his wife invited the entire cast out for a special dinner. They were two American passengers who had all ready spent two weeks cruising with us and adored the production cast. They even brought Christmas presents for everyone. The dinner was amazing & seven courses long! Before each course the Executive Chef would come out and explain what we were about to eat. It was fantastic!

January 2. Wednesday.
I slept almost the entire day. Shout was canceled because Dana had hurt her foot the day before on the beach. That night I went out to dinner with James and Rosie.

January 3. Thursday.
That morning I was particularly unhappy during boat drill because Sophie & Montana were no longer in my station. They got assigned jobs as Assistant boat drill station leaders. Sad. Afterwards we had an entertainment meeting and cast weigh-ins. I worked in the dressing room the rest of the day. That night I had dinner with the Captain and went to the White Hot party.

January 4. Friday.
Cozumel! We all relaxed in the sun at No Name & I blogged. & Shout was rescheduled to that night.

January 5. Saturday.
Just another day of the always crazy show, Elements!

Hair-Gate.

I got a hair cut two weeks ago. I hadn't trimmed my mane since August and it was time. But like any other seemingly simple event in my life, it became complicated.

January 30. Wednesday.
After rehearsal that afternoon two male dancers, Jess, & I all booked hair appointments in the spa. We each went separately to get our hair cut that day and we all went to the same hairdresser.

So can you guess what happened? We all got bad haircuts. Fantastic. The South African hairdresser, who had just "graduated" from hair school, cut everyone's hair completely uneven and clearly didn't know what he was doing. My hair is extremely long and thick so a red flag popped up in my head when homeboy didn't even divide my hair up with those clips they use. I have amazing hair that looks like a blonde mix between a nautical mermaid and a lions mane. Basically, it's pretty hard to mess it up. Jessica's hair is long, gorgeous, and similar to Disney's American Indian Princess Pocahontas. After her hair appointment it looked like she'd asked Mekco, Pocahontas's raccoon friend, to cut it for her.

February 2. Saturday.
Don't worry, this story has a happy ending! The new spa manager fixed everyone's hair for free and did a fabulous job. My hair is shorter than I would have liked, but the cut is great and everyone is happy again. I was even so happy that I shamelessly took pictures of myself in the mirror. Humility is my middle name.

Week Ten. Part 2.

Christmas Week Part Two!
I can't believe its February and I'm still working on blogging about December...Sorry Mom. This particular week is just so hard to write about since it was so amazing and busy! I am shocked I actually finally finished this posted & I'm not proof-reading it. Enjoy!

December 26. Wednesday.
Belize! The Captain arranged for our family to be on the VIP list & get off on the first tender boat to Belize. (Insert hair toss here.) So we all woke up super early, met in the VIP tender location, and were escorted by the concierge to a boat. Glamorous life. Stoney had previously arranged an amazing zip-lining and cave tubing excursion for us to go on & James came along too!

We piled into a charter bus and drove an hour into the rainforest to our final destination. First, the six of us (the grands sat this one out) got strapped into helmets and harnesses for zip-lining! The zip line tour was amazing & everyone had a blast. I screamed like a crazy person the whole time. Dad & Carter repeatedly yelled the Top Gun quote "I feel the need, the need for speed!" At one point while we were all waiting to jump off the next platform built around a tree 70 feet in the air, Dad met a nice Christian college student and tried to marry off Grace. Priceless.

After an hour or so, the zip-lining tour was over and we'd all made it safely to the ground! Then our group changed into swim suits, checked in with GMother & GDaddy, and geared up for the next adventurous activity! This compound we were at was flooded with tourists. Our guide said that day alone over 2,000 people would take a tube tour through this cave. Crazy.

Once each of us was armed with a helmet and a big yellow inner tube, we began our hour long hike through the jungle.

On every Dvornik family vacation there is always a "Death March" & this was it. I'll write another post further explaining past Dvornik Death Marches that have occurred of the past decade.

After trekking on the gravel path up & down hills, around giant trees, past mysterious animal burrows, and through the river several times we finally made it to the mouth of the cave! Our guide instructed us one by one to plop down onto our inner tubes in the water and to put your legs under the arms of the person in front of you. We made a hilarious looking helmet headed human train all linked together as we began floating down the river with Stoney at the lead.

The cave was huge and illuminated by the headlamps everyone had attached to their helmets. As we floated past ancient stalagmites and stalagmites, our guide told us ghost stories and Skip kept an eye out for giant spider. But even more frightening than the stories and spiders were the hundreds of cruise ship passengers floating around us. Talk about quality reality television!

Finally, our group made it to through the entire cave and into the sunlight. We continued to float down the river, enjoying the scenery, until we landed back at the point we started the hike from. We lugged our tubes up to the compound, found our grandparents, & changed into dry clothes before boarded our bus. On the drive back to the port we stopped for an included lunch at the home of the tour company's owner. GrandDaddy asked "where the hell are we?" The lunch we were served looked very questionable, but you better believe we all ate every bite and asked for seconds. Everyone napped on the bus ride back to the port. Stoney, James, and I explored the little port shops before hoping on a tender boat back to the ship. It was a magical day!

That evening we enjoyed a delicious family dinner in the beautiful Versailles restaurant. My roomie Jessica joined us & Carter took full advantage of the unlimited entrees. After everyone was stuffed, we went to the theater to watch the Second City's comedy show! The whole family retired to their cabins after the performance.

The night was far from being over for me because of the crew Christmas party! While the passengers drifted off to sleep the crew partied until almost 3am in the Versailles restaurant. All the tables and chairs were pushed to the sides & the DJ pumped the music volume so high that the floors were vibrating. Of course our cast kicked off the dance party & spent the rest of the night laughing and taking silly pictures. The Captain even came & hung out for a little bit! When the party finally ended, I went up and passed out in Grace & Carter's cabin. It was yet another fabulous day!

December 27. Thursday.
Roatan. Since I had family on board I was excused from boat drill! Hallelujah! Carter wasn't feeling well and stayed on board with the Grands. Mom, Dad, Gracie, & I ventured out to explore Honduras!

We hoped in a taxi outside the gates of the port & the friendly diver took us up a mountain to a picturesque outlook with a killer view. Dad started brainstorming possible tourism business ideas for the driver so he can generate more profit. Our driver took us to a cute hotel right on a pretty little beach. Gracie & Daddy relaxed while Stoney and I went snorkeling! The reef was incredible. We saw so many beautiful fish & interesting coral. I absolutely adore the ocean and experiencing God's creation!

When it was time to leave we walked back to the taxi and found a bunch of questionable looking local teenage boys sitting on the hood. Our driver shooed them away as we piled into the small car but they continued to linger around. The driver was having a hard time getting the car to start and we all froze in shock. A dirt road somewhere in Honduras is not the ideal place to be stranded so we all silently held our breath and prayed. Finally, after what felt like 2 hours but was probably only 30 minutes, one of our drivers friends showed up to help. They switched out the battery or something, the car miraculously started, and we got on our way! My families adventures are certainly never boring!

The Captain invited our family to the bridge to watch as he pulled the ship away from the dock! Extremely cool. Captain Kostas was so sweet, loved meeting everyone, and answering all of their questions. It was funny introducing Captain Dvornik (GrandDaddy) to him! He had previously told me he was nervous to meet my family. Dad loved that. Afterwards, we had a family dinner in the Aqua restaurant and then they came to both of our performances of Band on the Run!

Everyone went to sleep but Mama came out with me to the White Hot Party! I taught her how to do the wobble dance & introduced her to everyone. When she headed back to her cabin, I went down to the Versailles restaurant for an Entertainment Department party. Rosie and I re briefed about the events of that week and James started spontaneously playing the saxophone. Just another silly night!

December 28. Friday.
Cozumel. Stoney had arranged for a driver in a passenger van to pick us up and tour us around the island for the day! The driver took us to the opposite side of the island which was more rural and totally undeveloped. James suggested we eat at a restaurant called Playa Bonita and the garlic shrimp was phenomenal! We all enjoyed the delicious food and amazing view.

When the driver dropped us off back by the port the grands wandered back to the ship & I took the rest of the family to the No Name hotel. We played our favorite card game, Peanuts, underneath a cabana & visited with the cast. Mama Stoney & I jumped off the dock, swam, and free dove together. Carter & Gracie swam next door to Margaritaville and played on their big inflatable water toys. We all had a fabulous final port day!

That night, after everyone woke from their naps, we went to see the Second City's improvised show in Spinnaker Lounge. Hilarious. Half the clan headed off to bed but the grands & Gracie stayed with me for a bit to watch the cast's Burlesque show. After the show I snuck Gracie into crew bar. Just making memories!

December 29. Saturday.
That morning Dad and the Grands were interested in going to the art auction. So I went with them and worked. Afterwards, I packed up stuff for them to take home to Florida for me and watched TV with mama stoney in her bed. I started to get sad and miss them even though they were still with me!

That night, GMother & GDaddy treated the parental units to a anniversary dinner at the specialty steak house restaurant, Cagney's. So they took us grandchildren to dinner at the Brazilian steak house. It was amazing! Literally every different type of meat and unlimited portions. Carnivore heaven.

I had to duck out early so I could be backstage to help the cast get ready for that nights performance of Elements. It always feels so amazing knowing my family is in the audience. They loved the show, of course! & Then everyone headed off to bed to rest up for a busy Sunday together in New Orleans.