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Published: December 23rd 2007
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Now that I’ve been down here almost a month, I figured it’s about time I share a bit about how life on the Destiny is going and give a glimpse into this ship world.
Our itinerary has us in port 6 days of every week (until January when we’re going to change to be in port every day!) so my schedule is different that my last contract due to the lack of sea days. For me, a typical day starts in the morning when I get up early to work the gangway for Quentin, the shopping specialist. “Early” means I’m working sometime between 8 and 10am, but when you see how the rest of my day shapes up, you’ll see that that is early. This work has me standing where the guests get off the ship handing out port maps that has information about recommended shops and promotions.
After work, I’ll either go and sleep for a few more hours, or I’ll get ready to get off the ship. I’ll spend most of the day in the port, doing whatever adventures I’ve written about here. Then I have to be back onboard an hour or two before sail time
to work in Club O2. Somewhere in the 3-5pm range. In the afternoons I offer activities in the club. Because we’re in port, even when the teen count is high, the club is quiet in the afternoons. Large scale activities don’t seem to fly here those days, so generally I just have the club open with the different video game systems set up (I have 7 Playstation 2s, 2 X-Box 360s and a Wii, plus three large plasma televisions for music videos or TV). Or I run “water wars” outside on the deck. Water wars is played in pairs. Basically there are two big sling shots that you put water balloons into and fire them to your opponent soaking them. It’s pretty fun when it runs.
Dinner in the mess starts at 6pm and I tend to eat leisurely, lingering over conversation. Then I have a couple hours to myself. I’ll use the time to do yoga, go to the gym, watch shows on DVD, use my computer or nap. I nap often - I need it! Sometimes I’ll go visit other friends in their place of work and hang out and talk with them. Then it’s time to
get dressed up for work. I don’t have an evening uniform, I wear my own clothes, either formal or business casual nearly every night. A lot of people hate having to dress up, but I kind of like it. I normally can’t be bothered, but when I have to do it, I like getting all dressed up.
Work in the evening starts with time on the computer with emails or doing preparations for upcoming cruises. Then I’m in my club as of 9:30. Pretty much every night it’s just a party where I’m DJing and the teens are hanging out or dancing. Some nights I’ll do something different for the first hour - like play “Shout About Music” or have karaoke. The club is open til late, usually around 1am. When I finish for the night, if I’m going out, I immediately head to the crew bar cause it stops serving at 1:30. When I finish work for the night, I crave company and adult conversation. So I’ll linger in the crew bar, or go to the disco if people are going out, for a couple hours. Usually go to bed sometime in the 3am to 4am range. Thus
why the mornings are so early and I need so many naps!
Club O2 here is so different than the Legend with the teens. Part of that is the lack of sea days. It’s far more of a “club” that I run, rather than an activity centre that becomes a club at night. Maybe it’s all the ports keeping them busy, but the teens seem really uninterested in activities. They just want the video games, dances and a hang out place. The guests on this ship are different too. Because we’re based out of Puerto Rico, we get a lot of Puerto Ricans. This means lots of Spanish speakers with some cruises them making up the majority of the passengers. I know very very very little basic Spanish. I can tell them that club o2 is only for 15-17 year olds and then point to the door when they’re not the right age. And I can say I don’t understand. And that the party is tomorrow at such and such time. You know, the really important stuff. Language isn’t really needed for video games and DJing, but it means that I have much less of a personality with lots
Logan, Anna & I
Crew Party - Dec. 20th of teens here. I normally win them over with my wit and sarcasm, but that doesn’t work when you can’t speak to each other. There can also be lots of tension in the club - an American vs. Puerto Rican, Hip-Hop vs. Reggaeton, English vs. Spanish tension. It fades as the cruises continue, but creates a bizarre energy. It’s only been 4 weeks and I’ve had more than my fill of Reggaeton music. It might not bother me so much if it wasn’t the only thing the teens every say to me! And the teens’ dancing . . . my goodness. Makes the grinding that would occasionally break out in my other club look downright tame. I try my best to stop it, but it appears that the only way they know to dance is in pairs pumping against the wall. Seriously.
Socially things are going well. I’m feeling so much more comfortable and at ease compared to two weeks ago. When I returned from the hospital drama, I was pleased and somewhat surprised to discover people who’d been concerned and cared. It was an interesting discovery. There are some really fun people here that I enjoy hanging out
Me & Jody
Crew Party - Dec. 20th with and talking to. And there are a few people that I’m forming some nice friendships with. I enjoy that.
So life here is going well. Because I was debarked last week, things still don’t really feel quite routine here yet. Sometimes I still really feel like the new girl, but that’s changing. Life is good out here at sea.
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swills82
Sarah Willett
Reggaeton
It's even better when you know what the songs are saying. DIRTY! My favourite? "Noche de Sexo"... yep, that's right, "Night of Sex". it's worse when 6 year olds know all the words! Just part of their culture I suppose. Buenas Suerte mi amiga!