Well, well, well I have not been the best blogger this week. I was trying to stay out of my cabin as much as possible. I feel like mingling with the guests will get our ratings up. We received great news this week! Our cruise director, Michael, told us he would be retuning in October. This is wonderful news because Michael use to be a performer, so he takes amazing care of us as a team. It is such a small world in the entertainment industry. I saw Michael in many shows when I was growing up in Pigeon Forge and now I am working side by side with him on the Zaandam.
As far as updates go, this past week flew by because I tried to be more involved with guests. It honestly amazes me how much people complain on vacation. Granted, they have paid a lot of money to be here and expect the ship to be everything they wanted and more. I participated in the Polar Plunge in Glacier Bay. All the people participating jump into the pool right in front of the glacier. It is a tradition that occurs every time we are at the glacier. Once we plunge into the pool, which is heated, then we have to get out and take a picture in front of the glacier…this is the most uncomfortable part of the activity. All the passengers that plunge get a little certificate…I just get the peace of mind knowing that I can have fun with our guests. I was the only one from the cast that did it this time, but I am hoping to convince more to come out next time. Now the funny thing is that as I am writing this I am suffering from a cold and chest congestion. It has been going around the ship, but I think I might have had better odds if I would not have been standing outside dripping wet! My company manager Ray took a picture. I will try and post it soon!
I also decorated my room this week. It feels a little less sterile hotel cabin and more relaxing. I decided to go with browns and teal. All the furniture in my cabin is a light oak color and I believe the color palate fits well, except the carpet is royal blue with light purple specks….no way of trying to make that work=) I bought some flameless candles and a cheer curtain to hang at the foot of my bed. Then I placed some picture frames that I picked up from walmart around the room in formations. They were super cheap… 2.50 per frame. Perfect, since I will most likely be throwing them away in 8 months. The final touch were some Christmas lights that I put above my built in closets and desk. They put off a nice homey glow instead of the fluorescent lighting that makes me cringe upon seeing it. Since my cabin is rather small it is hard to get a photo that does it justice, so you all just need to come visit me at sea.
I had an entire day off in Ketchican this past week. Ashley and I searched the town in order to find free internet. We had no such luck and ended up buying entrees at Annabell’s so we could use their internet. The downside is that the internet kept cutting out…needless to say I didn’t get to skype very long with my mom. Ashley and I did stumble upon the most amazing smoked Salmon shop though…it is called the Salmon Market and you can visit them at www.salmonmarket.com. There customer service is amazing and they ship all over the country. It is a family owned business so check it out. Nick was so kind, he let Ashley have some salmon and said she could pay him next time we were in port. (In case some of you don’t know we only get paid once a month through Holland America.) Ashley and I thought the salmon was a perfect snack and it all tasted amazing. After sampling several kinds we ended up getting the King Salmon, Garlic Pepper, Teriyaki, and Pink Salmon! So don’t delay and go buy some amazing smoked salmon to support this Alaskan family!
In Juneau I had IPM. This is where a 1/3 of the crew is required to stay on board in case of an emergency. It is on a rotating schedule but on long port days, such as Juneau 8am-10pm, it can feel like lockdown! I was eating dinner and I remember thinking that I felt like the boy in the plastic bubble who couldn’t get to the outside world…a bit dramatic I know! I filled my time by sitting in the sauna, working out, eating, reading in the library and napping. I was also a little productive and caught up on some e-mails.
In Skagway I got up really early and headed out to find a coffee shop. I ended up choosing Glacier Smoothies and Espresso. It was a cute little shop and the coffee was decent, although they still offered a large cappuccino which is a big NO NO in coffee world! A true cappuccino can only come in one size… 8oz, everything else is not a cappuccino but rather a foamy latte. I also visited a bakery called Sugar Mama’s. It is known for their exquisite cupcakes! The red velvet is their top seller, but I was feeling a little adventures so I chose the Lemon cake with buttercream frosting topped with toasted coconut….YUMMY! It was a perfect cupcake. I don’t know if you have seen Cupcake Wars on I believe the Food Network, but it was totally up to par!
While in Skagway I got to meet a new friend named Sterling. He had become friends with one of our Shore Excursion managers and she really wanted him to meet some people his age on the ship. He was totally cool and has a really similar background as me. We had a long conversation about missions work and theology. It did my heart well to have a deep conversation with someone who had a faith background. I was craving it after all the superficial conversations that the crew have on board. Rashida, the Shore Ex. Manager, Tyler(one of our tour directors), Sterling, and myself all ate dinner at the Pinnacle Grill. It is our yuppy restaurant on board the Zaandam. The service was excellent, 5 stars, and my meal was incredibly prepared. I enjoyed crab cakes, a baby arugala salad with hot bacon dressing, surf and turf with a side of creamed spinach and whipped rosemary potatoes, and finished the entire experience with Grand Mariner Molten Chocolate Cake! If you weren’t hungry before, you may be now=) It was truly a perfect evening with friends….and then I did a show!!!! Hahaha! I didnt think I was going to fit in my costumes! Luckily I don’t do much dancing on stage and surprisingly the shows went really well performing on a full stomach!
I think that pretty much covers the highlights of my week. I hope everyone enjoys the 4th of July! No fireworks for me this year. We are at sea all day long. I did enjoy a nice little festival yesterday in Seward. The parade was today, but they still had a mini street fair. Liz, Ashley, and I got to see the Ariel Angels perform! They kind of do a Cirque de Solei act over the open pavement. It was visually stunning and since they were risking their lives with not mats under them it made for a heart pounding experience! There is a Red White and Blue ball on board tonight to celebrate the holiday and an afternoon cookout on the Lido deck. We are performing Love Broadway tonight too! I really hope my congestion clears up so I can produce the sound I get paid to produce;) I will try and update in the middle of this cruise so my post is not so long! If you made it this far in the blog then I applaud your ability to stick with me through my rambling! Happy Independence Day!!!!!!!
-b
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