Sailing Away!

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Coffee: Nectar of the Gods

It's Tuesday Morning and I am sitting in Volcanoes Coffee Shop enjoying a mocha and some free wireless internet before I head off to some not-so-faraway lands (the Caribbean just doesn't feel far away compared to Asia or Europe or some other exotic place) to begin my new job as a videographer for Carnival Cruise Lines. I leave from Miami this Sunday....omigosh that's in five days!



Although the Caribbean didn't seem as exciting as some of the other cruises I've heard of, my boss Teo has kept me excited with enticing stories of hiking waterfalls, state-of-the-art gym facilities (does any one know what Hydraulics means?), and little side comments like, "Carnival helps all AV (video) staff get their diver's license for all the underwater videography you'll be doing, but, of course you don't have to dive in the Cayman Islands if you don't want to..." I have a feeling he's done the recruiting thing before he started practicing on me.

I'm not exactly sure what I'll be doing as a videographer, but I've been given a few hints. I'll be one of a team of four videographer's aboard the ship, one person like me and two manager's. I'll have tons of on-ship responsibilities (repositioning satellites, filming weddings and activities) and will also be going on shore-excursions (diving, kayaking, city tours, and lobster bakes in the country...) with the passengers. At the end of the week a "cruise video" is put together in a similar fashion to a video for "My week at high school summer camp," and sold to passengers. I've heard the videos are cheesy and fun. Just my style 😊

Therapy vie Rambling

I've decided to keep a blog while I'm away to keep my favorite people updated on all my adventures and entice you with a few pictures in hopes you'll come visit me during my ridiculously long 8-month contract 😊 Visit or not, I hope you'll be entertained with a few stories and snapshots. I'll be missing you all terribly, and sharing a little bit of my world with you will be therapeutic (I'll imagine you're bobbing in the ocean with me, trying not to look bored with my over-zealous accounts of....sand).

Snapshot from my Future Photo Album

In my sleepless excitement, I've scoured the Carnival website looking at my itinerary, ship set-up, and off-shore excursions and thought I would share a few of my discoveries and a few statistics with you before I embark...




The ship I will be living on is quite a hunk of muscle with

• 13 decks
  
• 1,100 crew
  
• 2,700 passenger capacity
  
• 7-story Atrium
  
• 21 knot Speed capability (I heard that's fast...)
  
• amongst about a million dining rooms, bars, pools, shops, and other city-like establishments
  
• I've also learned: of the 82 shipboard videographer's employed by Carnival Cruise Lines, 12 of them are women...
  

Of Carnival's 22 ships, the Victory was in my top, mmm...five ships I was hoping to be assigned to (next to the one's that go to Europe, this is pretty much my favorite). The Victory is a ship that reposition's, meaning it doesn't go through the same itinerary over and over, but switches it up and goes to different places. I'll have about four different itineraries throughout my 8 months aboard, heading all over New England, Canada, and the Caribbean.




I am excited and scared out of my mind to explore the world again and learn the craft of videography (hopefully) a whole lot better than I know now. I'm hoping for some wild, unpredictable adventures and challenges to come my way!

I'll be adding to my blog a few times a month, so if every other week or so seems a little much to be getting 'blog updates' from me, just let me know and I'll stick to sending you long, drawn out emails instead 😊
Thanks to everyone for reading my ramblings! I'll be thinking of all of you often and wishing you were here with me!
~Alyssa~

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Comments

[Marita Cox]

YOU GO GIRL!
Alyssa, what a blessing this ship will have with such a wonderful women like you! Thank you so much for creating this blog of you!!! It seems like I never get the chance to talk with you, but you are always in my prayers! I brag about you all the time to everyone I know, because "YOU ARE AMAZING" I hope Courtney turns out to be like her wonderful cousin, I would be so proud! She was so very sad when she found out you would not be here this summer, but so very excited about your new job! Will you have an address on ship? I have your grad present, that I have not sent yet. I love you Alyssa, always remember that, even though we may not get to talk much! God Bless and be very safe when you adventure on the islands, "please" Love you much, Aunt Marita

[Wendy Jeffries]

Missing You!
Hey Chica, I'm so glad this all worked out for you. You are going to have all kinds of adventures and become an even more amazing videographer than you already are. I can't wait to see the photos you take too. But mostly I look forward to you coming home!!

[Mom/Elena]

The Stories Continue to Amaze!
Alyssa, Being your older generation Mom, you know I'm still learning about Blogs. This is the first entry I've ever done so it's appropriate that it be on your Blog. It is such a joy to continue to hear all the stories about the people you meet and the places you go. Even when you were a little girl, I knew you would go and explore the world. Who would know that by the time you were 21 ( now 22) you would have circumnavigated the globe on a ship, finished college and then begin working on another ship!. Woo Hoo! With all the challenges you face on your job, the gift of being able to keep exploring the world in your work is something to treasure! We are so proud of you!! Luv, Mom