Hello beautiful readers!
This morning started early at 7:45am!!!! I got my butt out of bed and went straight to the gym for a spinning class. It was myself and one other passenger with the fitness trainer, LeeAnn. It was the best way I could wake up my body. I have been enjoying biking a lot this contract. As long as the spinning class is not full then I am allowed to join. Afterwards I watched a little fox news while getting ready for breakfast and then headed to the Lido. I had breakfast with Katie, our lifestylist, and Ariel, one of our Casino guys from Argentina. During breakfast I thought how cool it is that I get to meet so many people from around the world. Last night I talked with my friend Theirs from the spa. She was trying to tell me about the Muslim religion, because I was full of questions. Her dad use to be Muslim and then converted to Christianity when he met Theirs’s mother. It is so interesting to hear about their way of life. His family originally disowned them, but after seeing their first grandson when he was 3 years old they began to communicate again. Theirs has been a very encouraging friend on board. The other day I was having a rough day and she pointed me to Psalm 91. I loved with verse:
Vs 11: For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].
It is great to be reminded that no matter where I am, whether on land or at sea I am being watched over by big G. It is amazing to think that the Lord wants to accompany us on a daily basis. I know when I think about this I beam a little bit. To know that He actually enjoys spending time with me, not only when I worship or pray, but when I am laughing with friends or dancing down the main hallway of the ship. Anyway that is my devotional thought for the day=)
What a great week I had on board last week with the Richardson family. It was a treat to have some of my dear friends on board. Although the weather was a bit rainy…I think we had 2 days of sunshine overall…we all still had a lovely time. Originally I was going to go Zip lining with them in Ketchican, but unfortunately we ended up having a life raft drill at the same time the excursion left the dock. That was a bummer, but we made up for it by going to the Alaskan Brewery in Juneau together. The brewery lets you sample 6 of their 8 beers on tap. They give you a little tour of the brewery space and a full run down of how they brew their beer. At the brewery we were told that a new beer was being introduced on September 1st called Perseverance Ale. It is suppose to represent the journey of the Alaskan people. It includes flavors from their state honey and flower in the hops. I am going to go back this Thursday and try it because they brewery does all their tours for free…all you have to pay for is the transportation to get there. Ed and Patty also treated me to a lovely dinner at the Pinnacle Grill with their kids. My meal consisted of table side ceasar salad, amazing crab cakes (90% crab 10% cake), a 10oz filet topped with crusted blue cheese with a sun dried tomato sauce, all finished with a Hot Volcano Chocolate Cake! Needless to say we all left dinner feeling more than satisfied. Ed and Patty also invited Ashley and myself to dinner in the main dining room as well. Now dinner may not seem like a big deal, but it is to all of us who eat in the Lido every night. They serve the same meal of white fish, red meat, chicken, rice, veggies soaked in oil (ewww), and pasta. I usually eat peanut butter in my room or order off a limited menu of room service. Ed and Patty had nothing but positive remarks on the show and the cast. Ed told me I was not allowed to stay on ships for much longer and I need to make the move to New York City. We are about 3 months into our contract and I have been thinking a little bit about what is next for me. I would like to possibly cruise for at least another contract, but it would depend on the itinerary and the show line up. The bottom line is I want to keep working, and in this economy I will take what I can get.
I am so excited that we are nearing the end of the Alaskan season, Hawaii runs begin September 25th!!! And after the first run my parents will be on board for 11 days as we journey towards Mexico! I think the Mexico cruise is going to be crazy, every cast member has at least a friend or their family coming on board for the cruise! I am sure the audiences will be very lively that week=) I am looking forward to going to a luau in Hawaii and getting on the beaches….I might look into skydiving too but I will have to see how the finances are looking. I know there is a group of about 10 of us that have been itching to go. Although the end of the season is an exciting thing, it is also a little bit sad. We have to say goodbye to the friends we have made in port and to all of our favorite little hang outs. I hope I will get to return to Alaska someday, because the beauty cannot be beat with it’s lush greens and rocky mountains carved by glaciers. There is a very freeing feeling in Alaska because it is so unpopulated. It has been a place that has touched my soul by its beauty reminding me ultimately of the God I serve, His love for me, and my commitment to His work.
I am starting to adjust to my little world on the cruise ship. Learning how to get the alone time I need in order to refresh myself between shows and interactions with guest. In a world where you are constantly surrounded by friends, co workers, and just people in general in such a small space you have to learn how to set boundaries. This helps protect your personal peace of mind. Saying no to people doesn’t mean you don’t love them or don’t want to hang out with them, it is just a choice to be able to pour sometime in yourself. I have learned very quickly that I will never please everyone around me.
I started doing some odd jobs on the ship to make some more money. I have been helping the Port Shopping Ambassador hand out maps on the gangway that are weighed down with jewelry coupons. Next Juneau I will be dressing up in a Moose costume to take pictures with the guests as they get off the ship…sounds silly, but it pays 50 bucks for a mere 3 hours! And next week I will be helping the shop retailers sell product on the lido deck. The jobs are super easy and the little extra money I get helps go to coffee and internet cards!
I am still waiting for all the Meet the Cast interviews that I sent out, but I do have another one to post…so here she is….ladies and gentlemen….the fabulous Miss Ashley Bell!
MEET THE CAST
NAME
Miss Ashley Dolores Bell ;-)
AGE
23
HOMETOWN
Maple Ridge, BC, Canada
NUMBER OF SHIP CONTRACTS
3 (technically 4 though if you include the replacement contract I did)
FAVOURITE FOOD FOUND ONBOARD THE MS ZAANDAM
This is a tricky one but if I had to narrow it down I would say the chocolate chip cookies are always a safe bet, of course my daily sandwiches on Foccacia Bread are always tasty, and definitely a visit to the Pinnacle is always fabulous as well!!!
FAVOURITE PRODUCTION SHOW ONBOARD
"On the Air" (Definitley!!!!!!!!)
WHAT ARE A FEW THINGS YOU MISS WHILE CRUISING AT SEA?:
~OMG!!! SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...not too much of it in Alaska (probably a good thing though!!)
~Going out to places other than an OB for nightly entertainment
~Home-cooked food from my fabulous mother
~Definitely my family and hanging out with them
~Lastly, I would have to say the freedom of being able to do whatever you want...not having such a set schedule from week to week or cruise to cruise!
WHAT DID YOU FIND MOST CHALLENGING ABOUT THE REHEARSAL PROCESS WITH STILETTO?:
~ How they teach the shows so quickly then expect you to have it almost perfect either right away or the next day! Ahhhhh....stressful and lots of tears!!!!
WHAT WAS THE MOST ENJOYABLE ASPECT OF REHEARSALS?:
SUNDAYS and WEEKDAYS/SATURDAYS after 6pm because I got to hang out with my FABULOUS cast and get to know them and have hot tub time and all the other fun stuff we did like going out in LA and such!!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FEATURE OF SHIP LIFE?:
Definitely the social aspect...I love how I'm always surrounded by a great group of friends that literally become your second family while at sea and they are there for you no matter what!! Also, kind of connected to this, I love how I get to meet so many people from around the world, because in a normal every day life on land, you would rarely ever get this opportunity!!
WHAT WAS THE LARGEST ADJUSTMENT FOR YOU IN ADAPTING TO SHIP LIFE?:
I'm gonna have to say it's a tie between the whole having a set schedule and then having to pay for internet!!!! You don't realize how you take internet for granted until you have to pay an arm and a leg for it and it's slow on top of that! Also, I have to say while on a ship you feel very disconnected from the real world as we don't have regular TV and barely read the news on the internet that sometimes you miss out on lots of news!
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR PERFORMANCE BACKGROUND:
~ All the way trough dancing growing up I performed in competitions all over the province of BC and then in LA, San Diego, and Las Vegas
~ I danced for the Queen of England on her Royal Visit to Canada
~ Danced at the Pacific National Exhibition which is the 2nd biggest fair in Canada for eight summers in a row in shows such as "Rollin' Thunder," "The PNE Celebration Parade," "Bring on the Night," "City Rhythm," "Zydeco Jam," and "Outrageous"
~ I danced at many sporting events throughout the years such as at the Grey Cup, at CFL Football Games, and on a dance team at every home game for our NBA team
~ Was privileged to be a large part of many of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic events leading up to the Olympics such as the original bid for the International Olympic Commitee, the 2010 Olympic Emblem Reveal, and the performance for the Olympic Mascot Reveal as well
OUT OF YOUR PAST SHOW CREDITS, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE TO BE A PART OF?:
Well, I haven't really been a part of many shows at theatres and such....I did a few throughout highschool and then toured around BC with a halloween kids show one year after graduating but I would have to say dancing on ships (even though it's not really that kind of "show credit") has to be my favourite by far!!
WHAT'S NEXT AFTER THIS CONTRACT ENDS?:
Definitely more cruise ship contracts!!! My goal is to see the world before I'm 30!! I'm on the right track...I just have to keep going!! After that goal is achieved, I would love to go back to school and then settle down and have a "grown-up" job!
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST OVER THE NEXT 61/2 MONTHS?:
Ooooohhh, hard question!!! There's a few things....
~ continuing to perform our shows on stage and do what I love with people that I love!!
~ getting to travel to such amazing places on the great itinerary we have coming up and experience once in a lifetime things that I will never ever forget doing it with such great friends
~ gonna go deep with this one: continuing to grow as a person and reach goals that I have for myself!
IF YOU COULD HAVE ONLY PACKED THREE ITEMS WHEN TAKING THIS CONTRACT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT?:
~ even though it's more than one, DEFINITELY my dresses cuz I sure couldn't do without them
~ my curling gel cuz honey, if I didn't have this my hair would look like a crazy mess and it wouldn't be so fabulous...just fuzz!!
~ lastly, my laptop becuase it is my way of keeping in touch with family and friends back home because communication on a ship can be challenging so a laptop definitely makes it quite a bit easier! Also, it's where I store the amazing pictures I take during this contract!
Isn’t she just fabulous! Hahaha! I love her and I am so thrilled to be working with her on this ship. We have a blast on board together and she is a great friend!
Well that is all for now! Till next time;)
-bRadley
