In the beginning.....

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Day 1: I awake at 5:50am and find myself in a Sheraton hotel room 40 feet above the ground. I hustle to the bathroom to shave and shower. After I quick breakfast, I hurry to the main lobby to catch a shuttle at 7:30am. The shuttle driver asks me if I'm an officer on the ms Oosterdam. I lie and say that I am, thus not paying for the trip. About halfway to our destination, he asks me for my ID number. I tell him I don't know it. He smiles.

I arrive with three other REAL officers at the ship @ 7:50am. I pass through security, surrender my Passport to the Crew Purser, and follow a dozen other new crew members to the gangway. I then recieve my room card, ID number, and a stack of informational papers. I spend the next 5 hours going through a meet and greet with the Captain, X-O, and the other department heads, followed by a security training course and itinerary. I'm given 72 hours to complete all the different tasks and get signatures proving I've done so.

My room is located on Deck A, which is the highest deck for crew members. It's a small room with bunked beds, two closets, and a teeny tiny bathroom. The room is so small that I find myself sitting on the toilet sideways because there isn't enough space for my legs otherwise. Thankfully, I have my own room....if that wasn't the case, I wouldn't hesitate to throw myself overboard.

I grab a quick bite on the Lido deck (Deck 9) and make a few phone calls to my friends and family. I then head downstairs to my rack and pass out immediately. The time is 4:00pm.

When I wake up, I feel drunk. My body feels as though it's drifting from side to side while I am making no intentional movements of my own. I exit my rack, walk up to Deck 1 to find that we are in the ocean, with no land in sight. The time is 6:15pm. I go back to my rack, only to answer a ringing phone. It's my buddy, Shane, telling me that dinner is being served from 5:30-7:00pm. I instantly realize that my stomach is yelling, so I rush up to the Lido deck for a pizza/ice cream dinner.

Work starts at 9:00pm, but I need a sound guy to come in and dial in the sound. Gil meets me at the venue at 8:20pm, sets me up, and leaves. I take the opportunity to introduce myself to my new bar team. The bartender's name is Bong, and the main server is a man named Jo-El. I decide to call the team "Bong and company", which they appeared to have taken a liking to.

I play from 9:00pm-9:45pm, till I take my first break. I run to my rack to get rid of my suit coat, as it was causing more harm (sweating) than good (looking sexy). I return to find the bar as I'd left it; containing only a few costomers, with no one really getting too close to me. There are seats that surround the piano, but it is quite normal, I am told, that no one goes out no the first night, and that if they do they just want to sit back and chill after a long day of travel.

At around 10:40pm, right as I'm about to take my break, two women decide to be brave and sit directly across from me at my piano. Within 15 minutes, all the seats around my piano are filled, and I quickly realize that these alcoho......passengers will be with me for the duration of my night, maybe the rest of my week. I proceed to skip the rest of my breaks and play until 1:30am, a half hour longer than I was supposed to. They all agree to meet me there again tomorrow.....same time, same place.

My piano bar is on Deck 2, so after work I walk down two flights of stairs to Deck A. I record my hours electronically at a keyosk (sp?), then make my way to my rack. I'm in bed at 2:00am. I set my alarm for 9:00am, because I have a security training meeting at 10:30pm.

Day 2: My alarm annoys me, and I vow to change the sound of it as soon as I can think straight. After a quick shower and change of clothes, I rush up to the Lido deck for some breakfast: Make your own omelette (fresh food style!! WHAT WHAT GVSU PEEPS, you know what I mean by that!!!!) I meet up with a passenger who was at my show the previous night (Terry) with his wife (Becky). Becky was seasick, so he invited me to keep him company for breakfast. We talked for a good half hour before I left for my meeting. As I'm entering my rack, I hear my phone ringing. My boss, Monica, wants to see me in her office to discuss which Feature Show I will be performing for tomorrow. I tell her that we can meet after my 10:30pm security meeting. She informs me that it is already 11:30pm, and that I've already missed it. Apparently, they moved the clocks one hour ahead over night to match the time change in Mexico.

I now have to head to the Bridge to talk with the X-O about making up the meeting (not a good first impression), but Monica goes with me and makes the meeting go by smoothly. I also get to look at the control room, and see the vast empty ocean with the fine officers who drive our ship.

After I arrange a meeting for tomorrow (9:00am), I head to Monica's office to discuss work. I then head to the Crew Training Room, where I meet the Environmental Officer at 1:00pm to discuss my EMS training. After an hour and a half in front of a computer, I score an 85% on my assessment and get the officer's signature. I then go back to Monica's office to get information on the rest of my responsibilities. After a short meeting there, I head to the infermery. I meet with a nurse who proceeds to give me a flu shot and some sort of other test. My medical records weren't sent, so I go online to send them, then sit down to write about my past two days.


This is only about 50% of everything I've done/seen/learned, but it paints a pretty good picture of what life is like so far. It's very hectic, overwhelming, and stressful, but I've been told that this feeling will only last the first two weeks. I'll write some more as soon as I get the chance. I miss you all very much, and can't wait to see you all again.

Love,
Charlie

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