It's nice to finally have family on board. I have been cruising now with Holland America for roughly 6 contracts and with my extension on this one it will be 7. I have been able to see the world and perform with a lot of great people and experience fabulous things. In the amount of time I've been out here I've been able to reflect on personal time and pay off huge debts. This will be my last contract coming up for as long as I can help it. I need to focus on my land-based goal and take some time off from traveling. I wanted to finally have the opportunity to bring out some of my family to experience some of the daily things I get to experience. I talked my mom and grandma into sailing with me on this ship, the Westerdam. It's only the Caribbean, but it's a fabulous start for first time cruisers and they still get away from the country for a bit (away from the coldness of the north). They came into Ft. Lauderdale this past Sunday and have been sailing with me to places such as The Bahamas, Grand Turk, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. They got to see the huge production shows that come with this class of ship (Holland America's Vista Class) that are unlike the other shows on the smaller ships. They have all the bells and whistles so to speak of a regular theatre on land and then some. They got the white glove service of the Pinnacle restaurant on board as well as the 5-star dining in the main dining room. They enjoyed the spa, complimentary room service, culinary demonstrations by master chefs, and of course the casino. We didn't do too much in the way of shore excursions offered by the ship. As they found out, there just wasn't enough time in 7 days to do EVERYTHING that could be done. We did manage to get out in ports and see a bit though. To be honest there isn't much to do in the Caribbean except enjoy its beautiful beaches along with the awesome snorkeling and undersea activities. This just isn't their cup of tea. They did enjoy all the desserts we have on board though and realize what I have to put up with on a daily basis. Yikes! Calories galore. I did learn that the food in the dining room, although similar to what I get in the Lido for dinner, tastes much better and is presented so much nicer. I'm actually thankful I don't get dining room service weekly. Otherwise I'd be a blimp. One week of dining room (and not a full week mind you) was enough for me. On shore we experienced what we could. I got them out to see the beautiful beach in Half Moon Cay in The Bahamas. It's a private island and very remote. My mom and I took a little taxi adventure to the San Gervasio ruins in Cozumel, and they even went off on their own for a bit in Grand Cayman.
It was strange to have them on board with me. I knew when I took up cruising as a venue that not many of my friends or family could come out to see me in a show if at all. It would mean a matter of timing, affordability, and itinerary. Cruise ships go EVERYWHERE and sometimes I was just too pricey of a flight for someone to reach me. Whenever I performed on land someone was always able to come see me in the show at some point. Some friends who were in town or could take a trip to one of the states I was performing in, my immediate family were always able to make at least a few shows a year, and then the local friends I made from show to show were always supportive (granted most of them were into the arts in some form). The cruise life brought up the challenge of performing knowing that maybe 1 chance in a hundred someone I knew would see me. It was always great landing the contract especially for fantastic voyages like the World Cruise, South America Cruise, European Destinations, or even to the top of the world. However this didn't allow many people other than my immediate ship friends to come partake in the performances we gave. Some cast members throughout the past years were able to get their families on or have a friend sail with them for nothing (based on officer status), but many others and I were always left in the dark. It brought all of us together as a cast in most situations. I had my own family on board. Game nights, party nights, days out, biking, exploring, hiking, and on and on. For the first time I was able to share this with my mom and grandma. I almost got to share it with them and a good friend from New York who also wanted to cruise this week. He unfortunately got wait listed and eventually cancelled since this week was booked for the holidays. It was odd to finally see my family on board and for them to see the Lido in person, sit in the theatre, or eat in the dining room. My favorite was going to the specialty restaurant (the Pinnacle). I was a tad nervous during the shows since I finally had someone out there I KNEW to perform for. It was great though. I've never spent more time out in passenger areas than I have this week. Wow. I hope I can see more of my friends and family on board in the coming months. I know my best friend from San Diego has already been scoping out and most likely booked her cruise for September already. That will be exciting in Alaska. That is one thing I have to say about abundant itineraries like Alaska and the Caribbean along with the bigger ships. They are affordable for the line. The line itself is pretty pricey, but the bigger ships tend to be cheaper (especially at the last minute) because they are so big. The smaller ships (which I have been working on in the past) are cozier, but they come with a stiffer tag to them. Pricier also because they have more extravagant itineraries. I had to see the world though and for show quality I'm glad people can see these shows I'm performing in now. There's a certain notch higher of production quality that comes with this class of ship. One I would expect from a flashy Vegas show lounge. It generates a rousing response from week to week and that's always nice. It's a good way to leave this industry for a while. Although now I think I'm spoiled for big ships if I ever have to come back for any reason.
I've seen more friends from land, more family, and given more ship tours than I have ever done in the past. I will be giving more ship tours in the future. It's great especially for those who haven't seen the inside of a cruise liner or this particular line. Pictures just can't do certain things justice and can be a bit boring. I always get home and know my friends and family like to hear and see where I've gone and what life at sea was like, but it's another thing to experience it first hand. Even if it's just to see the ship itself. I always feel like the epitome of tourists when I come home with my hundreds of pictures from all over and give a slide show. It's nice to actually experience it with someone you know who's not from the ship's staff.
Mom and Grandma signed off the ship on Sunday. I was sad to see them go, as they were sad to depart the beautiful and spoiled life. Saturday was a great day at sea where they enjoyed the many activities available on board including the bingo. They ALMOST won a free cruise. They were one number off in the drawing. It went by room and they were in room 4093. The number called was 4-0-9 and then the got excited only to be let down by the last number 8. That would've been fabulous. Sunday I got out on land before they did to pick up a car. When they finally were able to disembark, I went and picked them up. We had a drive along the coast, which was busy due to the marathon event that was happening. We went to the mall for a bit and walked around to break up the driving. Then we headed to Las Olas riverfront in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. We had lunch in the shopping complex before I said goodbye for the day. It was a fabulous week and I was so lucky to have them on board this time.
It was strange to have them on board with me. I knew when I took up cruising as a venue that not many of my friends or family could come out to see me in a show if at all. It would mean a matter of timing, affordability, and itinerary. Cruise ships go EVERYWHERE and sometimes I was just too pricey of a flight for someone to reach me. Whenever I performed on land someone was always able to come see me in the show at some point. Some friends who were in town or could take a trip to one of the states I was performing in, my immediate family were always able to make at least a few shows a year, and then the local friends I made from show to show were always supportive (granted most of them were into the arts in some form). The cruise life brought up the challenge of performing knowing that maybe 1 chance in a hundred someone I knew would see me. It was always great landing the contract especially for fantastic voyages like the World Cruise, South America Cruise, European Destinations, or even to the top of the world. However this didn't allow many people other than my immediate ship friends to come partake in the performances we gave. Some cast members throughout the past years were able to get their families on or have a friend sail with them for nothing (based on officer status), but many others and I were always left in the dark. It brought all of us together as a cast in most situations. I had my own family on board. Game nights, party nights, days out, biking, exploring, hiking, and on and on. For the first time I was able to share this with my mom and grandma. I almost got to share it with them and a good friend from New York who also wanted to cruise this week. He unfortunately got wait listed and eventually cancelled since this week was booked for the holidays. It was odd to finally see my family on board and for them to see the Lido in person, sit in the theatre, or eat in the dining room. My favorite was going to the specialty restaurant (the Pinnacle). I was a tad nervous during the shows since I finally had someone out there I KNEW to perform for. It was great though. I've never spent more time out in passenger areas than I have this week. Wow. I hope I can see more of my friends and family on board in the coming months. I know my best friend from San Diego has already been scoping out and most likely booked her cruise for September already. That will be exciting in Alaska. That is one thing I have to say about abundant itineraries like Alaska and the Caribbean along with the bigger ships. They are affordable for the line. The line itself is pretty pricey, but the bigger ships tend to be cheaper (especially at the last minute) because they are so big. The smaller ships (which I have been working on in the past) are cozier, but they come with a stiffer tag to them. Pricier also because they have more extravagant itineraries. I had to see the world though and for show quality I'm glad people can see these shows I'm performing in now. There's a certain notch higher of production quality that comes with this class of ship. One I would expect from a flashy Vegas show lounge. It generates a rousing response from week to week and that's always nice. It's a good way to leave this industry for a while. Although now I think I'm spoiled for big ships if I ever have to come back for any reason.
I've seen more friends from land, more family, and given more ship tours than I have ever done in the past. I will be giving more ship tours in the future. It's great especially for those who haven't seen the inside of a cruise liner or this particular line. Pictures just can't do certain things justice and can be a bit boring. I always get home and know my friends and family like to hear and see where I've gone and what life at sea was like, but it's another thing to experience it first hand. Even if it's just to see the ship itself. I always feel like the epitome of tourists when I come home with my hundreds of pictures from all over and give a slide show. It's nice to actually experience it with someone you know who's not from the ship's staff.
Mom and Grandma signed off the ship on Sunday. I was sad to see them go, as they were sad to depart the beautiful and spoiled life. Saturday was a great day at sea where they enjoyed the many activities available on board including the bingo. They ALMOST won a free cruise. They were one number off in the drawing. It went by room and they were in room 4093. The number called was 4-0-9 and then the got excited only to be let down by the last number 8. That would've been fabulous. Sunday I got out on land before they did to pick up a car. When they finally were able to disembark, I went and picked them up. We had a drive along the coast, which was busy due to the marathon event that was happening. We went to the mall for a bit and walked around to break up the driving. Then we headed to Las Olas riverfront in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. We had lunch in the shopping complex before I said goodbye for the day. It was a fabulous week and I was so lucky to have them on board this time.
posted by Chris | 9:14 PM
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