Contract Complete! Disembarking the Silver Whisper

January 5, 2013

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!