Well, this is it. After over six months of sailing around the world, my first contract has come to an end. I've posted my adventures all over the Baltic, the Northeastern US and Canada, and all over the Caribbean, but a few people have been wondering more about what it is like to live on a ship. So, for those people who would like a little glimpse of my living situation, here is a picture and then a video of my room on board the Silver Whisper.
Okay, video is over, and now I have to get to packing. Not all of us were as smart as Marcy was. She shipped her stuff home several weeks ago before disembarking on December 20th to go on vacation in Atlantis with her niece.
Smart.
So, the whole night I stayed up filling space bags, throwing away stuff I could live without, and bending things in ways I didn't realize they could go.
After packing, it was time for some last meals and some goodbyes. Here's Ashley, Marcy's two week replacement. She was fun. I mean, seriously, look at that face. That's a fun girl's face.
Fun fun fun.
And then there's Ingrid. My favorite DTP, desktop publisher.
Ingrid, where are you and when will I see you again?
And these ladies and their penguin.
I have a soft spot for penguins.
And let's not forget Silvia. Without Silvia, I wouldn't have been sent on all of those amazing tours.
Really? You wait until I leave to get this close?
But you can't just get off the ship. You get your luggage together and wait. And wait. And then you wait some more. After all the guests have been taken off and the ship has been cleared by customs, they call us and tell us we can go.
Just a little bit longer.
One last look at the ship.
And then it's time for the crew parade! For most people, they stroll out with their luggage and hop onto a bus, but I had an incredible advantage. I was disembarking in Los Angeles, my home port! If you look at this next picture closely, you can see everyone else with their suitcases, and me in the back with three boxes. Marcy left her stuff on the ship when she debarked in Florida, and she came to meet me on this day to pick up her stuff. Between her and I, on this day we carried off a total of SEVENTEEN boxes and bags.
Saying Goodbye to three of the the Silver Whisper Quartet
The rest of the debarking crew takes their bus to LAX
Goodbyes to the cast. These are the guys I sang with for six months. Actually, it's not. Vince was replaced by Jeff, and Ann was FIRED and then replaced by Kathleen who was replaced by Amanda. Marcy left two weeks before me. Okay, so this is a picture of Dustin! who was with me for six months! Bye Dustin and friends!
This goodbye was so quick. I would have thought there would be tears.
It was sad to leave the cast, but I think they were so focused on getting on their transport to the airport that everyone forgot to cry.
Goodbye Courtney, it was fun.
4 out of 17 bags.
Okay, another last look at the ship.
Filling up the van and going Home for Vacation.
We did it!
Friends.
Home for vacation. Imagine that. It's a concept flipped on it's head. But vacation it was. Marcy and I had already verbally been given our next contracts on board the Silver Spirit starting less than two months later. So, we're going to take this picture and get started on that vacation!
Next post: The amazing things I did during the break!
December 31, 2012 - January 1, 2013
Somewhere off the coast of Mexico in the Pacific Ocean
I know you've always wondered what New Years Eve is like on a cruise ship. And I know that since you've been wondering that, you've especially been wondering what it's like on a six star luxury cruise line. So, I'm going to show you. But brace yourself for a little "WTF."
I present to you, "Baby New Year"
First of all, the above costume you see what put on for the guests, not a crew party. The artists were asked to provide a Father Time and a Baby New Year. So, Jeff and I stood up to the task.
As soon as midnight was hit, Jeff and I pranced into the main dining room and did silly dances throughout the tables, and brought them to the dance floor.
Probably the second most awkward moment of my life.
Meanwhile, all the way in the back of the ship in the mooring station, the crew was busy with their own party.
My HR officer is hotter than yours!
So, Father time and I go make an appearance at the crew party.
Spa Girls!
Ironically, my costume was fine for the guests, but too revealing for the crew. The security officer sent me out until I came back with a shirt.
Well, people can't stay babies forever, and after a while it gets weird being the only person in a diaper, so I changed out into some normal clothes. Here I am with some of my best friends on the ship.
Ashley Harrell
007 Neil Cooch
Ingrid Baum and her fish!
They really do their best when it comes to our parties. I took these next three picture in a row to show you the changing lights.
Tell you what, I'll stop talking about it, and just show you the New Years Eve party. Pay special attention to Ingrid and her dolphin. It's probably my favorite part.
There she is!
Happy New Year from the cast and crew of the Silver Whisper.
Next time: What my room was like, and disembarkation - the end of my first contract.
December 31, 2012 - January 2, 2013
Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Happy New Year, 2013. Where was I for New Years? I was sailing between Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The new years party and video is my next blog entry. This one is all about the awesome time I had in these two cities.
Welcome to Acapulco!
¡Bienvenidos a Acapulco!
First thing first: FOOD. Remember how I implied that the best restaurants are often the worst looking places? Here is my case and point.
Amazing Huevos Rancheros
Total Dive.
After my quick awesome breakfast with Ashley, I took a bunch of extra tortillas to munch on throughout the day and then we went over to join our friends at the hotel across the street to watch the cliff divers.
A mi, me gustan los tortillas de maiz.
Cliff Diver Statue. We must be in the right place.
Turns out that to watch from the hotel you have to order food. Oh well, I don't mind eating again.
I'd like to point out that as much as I love my friends, I am totally disappointed with what they ordered. They're in Mexico! And they ordered burgers and club sandwiches. No. It's so sad!
Not even Gringos! Brits and Gypsies! Freaking Sandwiches.
Why would you order sandwiches when you can have these amazing mole chicken enchiladas? I mean, you can't just get these anywhere in the world. Okay, yes you can when your world is only Southern California, but these Brits and Gypsies are totally missing out.
Just a spoon full of awesome helps the medicine go down.
Here's the video of the cliff diving taken from my view from the hotel restaurant:
It was a short day in Acapulco for us because we had to get back onto the ship and blow up balloons for the new years party. At first, it was a bummer getting the news that we had to cut our port time short, but when I got back to the ship and saw everyone working, including senior officers, I realized it was time to put my sour attitude away. It's a blessing when your authority decides to lead by example. It doesn't always happen you know.
The view during sail away.
Acapulco Panorama looking left
Acapulco Panorama looking right.
Cabo San Lucas
Okay, I said earlier that I was going to talk about my awesome time in both of these cities. That was kind of true. The reality is that I traded IPM's with Dustin. I was supposed to stay on the ship in Acapulco, and he was supposed to stay on the ship in Cabo San Lucas, but he really wanted to go to some restaurant here in Cabo, so we swapped. So, here are a bunch of pictures that I took of Cabo from the ship.
Watersports is big in Cabo San Lucas.
We're anchored, so our ship's tenders go back and forth.
Panorama left
Panorama right.
We recently had a change-over of the safety officer on board. In the picture below, the bald guy on the right is the new safety officer. Since he was new to Silversea, I suspected that he was still trying to prove himself to the company. So, I was pretty sure that he was going to call a "random" IPM drill. And that's exactly what happened.
Look how excited Stephanie is to be here right now.
This is the get up of someone who takes their drills seriously (so they can hurry up and be finished with them, and we can get back to what we were already doing).
I passed.
Since it was my last day in port, I took advantage of my ultimate in-port privilage: dining at the pool deck. Here I am with one of my favorite dishes, the Italian Wrap. It's basically mozzarella cheese and pesto.
We're so close to the end of my first journey. I still plan on covering New Years Eve, what my room was like, and disembarkation day. Some of that next time.
