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Published: March 24th 2007
I am throwing Mardis Gras beads over the top deck level to hundreds of jumping and cheering guests below. The Reggaeton band is rocking out and for a little while the seas are actually calm enough to walk straight. We lead the ship in a few goofy dances, have some friendly competition games, then when the Deck Party is over, the staff goes downstairs to the Crew Bar for a little partying after-hours.
My days are pretty much like this all the time. On a Sea Day, I wake up around lunchtime, I grab a bite to eat in the Staff Mess (just like eating in the dining hall in college, which doesn’t bode well for my waistline) and then I go upstairs to check my work email just to be sure there weren’t any last minute changes to the schedule. Last night the clocks went back an hour and I slept fitfully because I wasn’t sure if my alarm would go off at the right time. We change the ship’s clocks with the time zones and I already know it will take me a little while to adjust to this. On days we are in port I have the entire day off, and am encouraged to get off the ship and explore the island we are visiting.
I know it’s a miracle that I even made it onto the ship, seeing as it left without me in Grand Cayman. We sat on the tarmac in Houston for almost 3 hours due to lightning storms, and by the time I landed in the Grand Caymans the ship was long gone. I wandered out of Customs with my 3 heavy bags to find that the agent who was supposed to meet me had also gone. Left in a foreign country with too many bags and no hotel phone numbers, I wondered what I had gotten myself into.
A guy who worked for a Hotel Welcome Service lent me his phone and I called my boss in the States. He arranged to have someone bring me to a hotel, then in the morning I was to fly all the way back to Miami to wait for the ship to come back, since there weren’t any other ports I could meet it at sea.
The agent who got out of the car walked up to me shaking his head with a smile. “Lady, you are probably the most lucky person on the island today,” he says. “The ship is coming back and I will get you there in time.” Apparently, there was a medical emergency onboard - someone’s appendix burst - and they had to bring the ship back to shore so the guy could be taken to surgery. I hopped onboard only 4 hours behind schedule, and had made a few friends on the island for the next time my ship comes into port.
The teens are always already waiting for me in ClubO2, their designated hangout spot, when I show up after lunch. We have some sort of afternoon activity like playing basketball on the sportsdeck or playing a rowdy videogame tournament or taking them to the lasertag maze. By dinnertime I have a few hours off to myself, and I use this time to check my email, think about how I really should go to the gym but then go up to the staff deck to read in the sunshine, take a nap, eat dinner and get dressed for the evening activities. I get to wear anything I want in the evenings as long as I look nice and I love this freedom.
We usually have a disco dance party or a movie night or a party on the deck, and this takes us late into the night. I also help with Kareoke or random trivia nights around the ship as needed. By 1am I am exhausted and am happy to clock out and meet my friends downstairs in the Crew Bar for some foozeball or pool. I usually tuck into bed by about 3am, and start the whole thing over again the next day at noon.
I am still not used to the ship’s rocking. It’s funny because people who have been on here long enough don’t even notice it, but I haven’t walked in a straight line since I got here, the pitching is so distracting.
My first week here has been a lot like coming into high school in the middle of the year when everyone already knows each other. It’s been hard to penetrate the cliques and I’ve found that while everyone is friendly, it’s just really hard to feel comfortable just yet. But I am outgoing and working hard at it so I know it will get easier. The drama is a lot like high school also, but Paula, my trainer, has been informing me of all potential landmines to avoid (who’s dating whom, who doesn’t like it when other girls talk to her boyfriend, who to avoid when they are drunk, etc).
I haven’t even been here a week and already my brain is bursting with information. I hope to have some stories next week of my island adventures, and I’ll be sure to post some pictures too.
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Stacy Armijo
non-member comment
Keep your spirits up!
Hey Alaine - A schedule that runs noon to 3 a.m.? Sounds like you're back in college! And yes, I am jealous! Sorry to hear of your travel difficulties and that others aren't as outgoing and welcoming as you are, but I'm sure you'll meld into the group fully in no time! Thanks for putting together the blog. I'll be fun to follow your travels! Keep the news coming!