Mt Marathon

Well Alaska is quickly coming to an end for our cast. We will reposition to Hawaii starting September 25^th and all of us could not be happier. Although the beauty of Alaska is unbeatable, we are all excited about tropical weather, beaches, and sunshine=) Our days at sea will not feel so confined to staying indoors. We will be able to be out on deck enjoying fresh air…right now we only go outside during Glacier Bay to see the glaciers in our North Face jackets. Needless to say we have had very few bathing suit days up here in Alaska.

During our last visit to Seward I had the opportunity to hike up Mt. Marathon. You can check out the hike at this website: http://seward.com/news-events/marathon/marathon.htm. It has some good information about the race that takes place every year on July 4^th. A group of 5 of us set out to conquer the monster that is Mt Marathon. The hike took us about 5 hours, because we took plenty of breaks and enjoyed the scenery every chance we had. I believe the further up we got the more crazy we became due to the oxygen. The summit tops out at 3,022ft! It was one of the most intense climbs I had ever experienced. At the top of the mountain for the last hour we were crawling on our hands and knees “bear-style” to keep our footing in the sliding sandy rock. It was like climbing in quick sand at times and I can tell you that my quads were sore for 3 days after the hike. The view at the top of the mountain was incredible. I will post some pictures for you to see, although none do it justice. It only took our group an hour to get down the mountain because you basically rock ski on the way down, jumping from side to side as you slide down the mountain. Towards the end of our decent we climbed down the creek which has some small waterfalls…it was beautiful! I thought I would be smart by taking my back-pack up the mountain so I could go straight to the internet café after the hike to save time by not going back to the ship….haha not the brightest idea. The extra weight proved to be a little difficult, but it made me feel like I got the best work-out from everyone in the group!

Today I am sitting in Haines and it is our last visit to this port! I will be sad to say goodbye to the Mountain Market here. It is one of my favorite coffee and health food markets on the route. Most of my blogs and journaling takes places from this little market. I am going to miss the routine of visiting the same ports, but I am so excited about the adventures that lie ahead. I just signed up today for Skydiving in Honolulu with a group of 20 people from the ship! I have been wanting to go since I was 20 and I thought I was going to be going on my 25 birthday but plans fell through due to finances!

Alright well I have to go because they are closing down the market as I type. But before I go here is another Meet the Cast! Meet CAMERON!!!

Meet the Cast:                                               

Name: Cameron Edris

Age: 23

Hometown: Myerstown, PA

Number of ship contracts: this is my first one!

Favorite food found on board the MS Zaandam: everything... I'm a goat!

Favorite production show on board: On The Air

What are a few things you miss while cruising at sea? Friends and family, driving my car, going to the movies, going out to eat...

What did you find most challenging about the rehearsal process with Stiletto? Everything about southern nights! Lol. No, as the M2, it was definitely hard at times when I had to give up time in the vocal studio with the vocal coaches in order to learn all my choreography. There were times I definitely would have liked to have more solid time going over my vocals/music.

What was the most enjoyable aspect of rehearsals? Bonding with the cast! Believe it or not, living in that apartment with everyone was fun! Nightly cast hot tup sessions were a blast. :)

What is your favorite feature of ship life? Traveling! I can't wait to leave for Hawaii in just three weeks! I'm also really excited for Australia, Fiji, and Cambodia!

What was the largest adjustment for you in adapting to ship life? Getting back into living the “dorm life.” Very tight living quarters with a roommate! But I'm surviving.

Tell us a little bit about your performance background: I performed at two theme parks: Cedar Point in Ohio, and Lake Compounce in Connecticut. I've also done a summer stock season at Mt. Gretna Theatre in PA (Hello Dolly!, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers). I studied musical theatre at Point Park University in downtown Pittsburgh, and was proud to be in a fantastic production of Thoroughly Modern Millie there! I grew up singing in church and in many choirs, and really only starting getting dance training when I got to college... Luckily, my background as a gymnast helped me pick up dance technique (and flexibility) very quickly. :)

Out of your past show credits, what has been your favorite to be a part of? Honestly, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a wonderful, cute, fun musical that doesn't get enough credit, and I loved every minute of that one. But I must say the waiter scene in Hello, Dolly! was an absolute blast!

What’s next after this contract ends? Well, can't be sure quite yet. I'm sure another ship contract is in my future, be it right after this one ends, or a year from then. I definitely see myself trying the NYC scene for a bit. I think I am reaching my peak as a performer right now, and definitely do not want to miss any opportunities to work at some of my most desired places. i.e. The Muny (St. Louis), Papermill Playhouse, Asolo Rep Theatre (Sarasota, Fl), Fulton Theatre (Lancaster, PA), Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre (Lancaster, PA), and also, I'd love to be a part of a National Tour at some point.

What are you looking forward to the most over the next 6 ½ months? Just forming some great, lasting friendships, creating wonderful memories, and getting to have LOTS of stories to tell my friends and family back home.

If you could only have packed 3 items when taking this contract, even though it is impossible, what would you consider to be the most important?

Computer. Golden Girls DVD series. Slimmer belt.

There you have it! our singer and dancer Cameron! He is one of the funniest people I have met on board! Stay tuned for the next adventure!!!!

much love,

-bradley