June 30, 2011

COZUMEL

Things are settling in, and I have much more free time. I have the basic idea of the ship, the framework of the puzzle, if you will, and am now filling in the picture. I have done most of the activities we host and have my favorites. One of which is karaoke. You remember the old commercial where someone drops a chocolate bar into peanut butter and they go on to say something like “some things are better together”? Well, the same thing applies to alcohol and karaoke. Last night was a hoot! Let me set the scene…

For once I did not have to dance in the 70s show, (thank God), but I was still in my blue-green bedazzled and be-glittered polyester shirt, blond afro wig and big Elton John glasses…I was hosting the karaoke show in the On-Air Bar. It overlapped with the 70s show which was noisily proceeding on its way through the Promenade, so we started a bit late. Of course everyone laughs when they see me in my 70s costume. It helps to remind me why I loathe polyester! At any rate, I was trying to think of an opening song, because I like to open with a song to break the ice and then let the audience go. Earlon is the DJ for the bar. He is a large black man with an unfortunate choice in toupee, but a very nice man. After the first time I had hosted the show and sang a song I asked him if I could bring him a disc with my tracks on them, as I don’t like the choices that are there for the guests and would rather sing something I know. He said no problem, and so that is what I have done. I like to gauge the audience and then decide the song. I have them all numbered and just tell him which one to play. I decided on my remix of “I Will Survive” in honor of the 70s night.

As I was doing my pre-show banter with the guests getting them warmed up and ready to sing, an elderly woman came up and asked if she could bring someone on stage with her when she sang. I told her of course. Now, in my head I had a picture of the song choice she would choose, but I was totally incorrect! The show started with me introducing the bar staff and the DJ, (I don’t know if the other hosts do this, but I think it is only polite), and jumped into “I Will Survive”. That got them all warmed up. It is the version with the Bulgarian vocals in the back ground and the instrumental breaks that I can fill with dialogue. After tripping on the speakers and otherwise entertaining the crowd, I opened the stage to the first singer. Older gentleman from the Midwest singing a country tune, nicely done. Then another singer, not so great, then the older woman…named Barbara. She brought her back up singers so they made a group of four…and launched into “Jingle Bell Rock!” She was a HUGE hit, everyone singing along, good vocals, and they were having a blast on that stage…that basically set the tone for the night. The place got packed, the singers were pretty good, and everyone was feeling it.

A few songs on a gentleman from Michigan, sang “Copacabana”. Well, the version they had had a very long instrumental break. What does Barbara do? She jumps up and starts dancing with the man, and he ends up turning her into Lola. Standing ovation for both of them, and I just had to reach into my bag and pull out some prizes for them.

Two songs on Barbara, again, jumps up during an instrumental break. This woman was having a blast, and so were we. We had more singers than time, but everyone was having such a good time, that I let the show run over, and when Barbara’s granddaughter asked if she could sing the last song I had to agree, knowing that it would be the perfect way to end the night.

So at almost 2 AM, up Barbara gets for the last song…of course I have advertised it for the last 5 songs that she was the Finale, so everyone was staying. She asked for all the handsome men to join her on stage…and launched into “Big Spender” from “Sweet Charity”! It just felt right, so I got behind her and started doing jazz hands from behind. Another standing O, and the night ended.

This might very well end up on youtube as I saw her granddaughter filming it.
I really like hosting events like this, and I am so thankful for my years in Key West which trained me in this sort of thing. I just keep trying to channel Randy Thompson…but with cleaner language! That banter won’t go over well on the ship!

Today, after 4 hours of sleep, it was gangway duty and then rehearsal for two hours for the Dreamworks Parade. This has cost a fortune in costumes and props. It is going to be beautiful when it premieres in a couple weeks. All the Dreamworks Family, (Kung Fu Panda characters, Madagascar characters and those from How to Train Your Dragon), are involved, and the colors, costumes, set pieces, aerial acrobatics are truly amazing. It will take up the entire Promenade when it is done. I will try to let everyone know theday so they can watch it on the live cam.

Still no time to get off the ship, so instead I will take my couple hours of freedom, sleep, work on the blog, and then time to get ready to do doors for the afternoon showing of Kung Fu Panda 2. I have to say, that this film is one of the rare sequels that is actually better than the original…as good as that was. It’s fun to watch it in 3D too, the technology involved in the glasses is so much better than that red/blue film they used to use.

I am feeling a little run down, and have developed a cough, which I hope will go away soon. I have started taking lots of Vitamin C to bounce it out of my system. There are sanitizing hand stations all over the ship in guest and crew areas, and I am usually really careful to use them. I might have to be more careful.

Last night after the karaoke session I was in too good of a mood and too pumped up to go to bed, so I changed into my civvies and headed up to the Blown Away deck on deck 18. The only way to get there is the aft (rear of the ship) elevator to deck 17, and then you have to climb the stairs to deck 18. As usual it was empty, so I had the entire upper outside deck to myself and the stars overhead. It was so quiet up there and so black. I thought of how it must have been in the old days on the wooden sailing vessels as they crossed the Atlantic. Those were brave men and women. It was so incredibly peaceful and quiet out there in the middle of the sea.

I remember years ago when I had the opportunity to be given a “past life regression” session, (for what that is worth), and remember the guide asking me to go back to my happiest memory or life. I can picture clearly the images that popped up in my head. I was on an ancient Minoan sailing vessel, in the prow, the spray from the salt water of Homer’s “wine dark sea” sprinkling my face. It was that that I thought of last night. I felt very much at home in the middle of the water. I don’t know where I will end up at the end of my contract, but I could be very happy sailing the seas like this. It just confuses me that more crew don’t take advantage of that open-air deck.

I am almost through my first month, and the days seem to be going by faster. That must be a good sign. Hopefully soon I will be able to get off the ship and do some sight-seeing too.

June 27, 2011

LABADEE, HAITI

Second time in Haiti. This time I got outside, but didn’t really get to see anything. I was posted as an Island Greeter for our guests…only problem is…I’ve never been here before. So loaded with a map and with my inner Irishman’s sense of blarney, and with my ears peeled to hear any snippet of directional instructions from others, I did my best for two and a half hours. Of course, I have never had any problems asking others for information, so anytime I had a question I could not answer I just took the guest to the information booth and listened in…filing away the information for later.

Haiti is a beautiful island, from what I could see. Labadee is a private reserve owned by Royal Caribbean. It is a bit like Animal Kingdom in Orlando with the archetypal buildings and colors. It is completely private, so the only non guests on the island are employees. There are cabanas, aqua parks, zipline rides, jet skis, etc for the amusement of guests. There are also retail centers, restaurants, bars, and 4 beaches to choose from. Plenty of snorkeling I hear, and even a private crew beach, so those crew members lucky enough to have the day or morning off can relax and swim in their own private cove. I look forward to the chance at some point.

From ship you take a long walk down the pier to the main staging area. From here you can pretty much see everything. It is very hilly and full of vegetation everywhere. The mountains come right down to the water and are covered in tropical trees. There appear to be paved paths everywhere through the area, swtichbacking up and down the hills from cove to cove. This is what lends it the Animal Kingdom appearance. You are seeing an idealized Haiti, which is indeed what most people want…much like the idealized Key West people expect at home.

I have to admit, it was wonderful to get out in the open air again and get some sun. The water looked very inviting, but was the same blue green as our waters back home, though much deeper more quickly. There were no long stretched of waist deep water like you get around our islands.

Last night was the first Sea Day of the voyage, and as such we were very busy. Again I had the Rising Tide Bar duty. I had a really nice insult from a woman. There was a problem with one of the doors, and when there are alarms the bar won’t move. I was busy fixing it when a well dressed woman said to me…”It seems that they would make this so that any idiot could work it.”

I smiled and said “they did indeed, ma’am, but as I am the smart one I will also fix it.” Which I did.

Yesterday afternoon I had my first parade. I had no idea what to do, which seems to be common with me so far. They schedule me for things I have never done and say just show up. So I did. I had stanchion duty for the parade, which means they gave me a costume, which was very brightly colored and consisted of an over tunic through which I stuck my head and arms. The stanchion was a large pole with a stylized African lion on the top. This I was to carry around and dance with during the parade. So I did. They certainly do costumes right on this ship. I am also posted to a Dreamworks parade where I will be escorting Shrek around as his “wrangler”. Basically making being his mouth and eyes. They cannot speak of course, so I speak for him and make sure that he knows where he is and who is behind him. Wouldn’t want Shrek stepping on any small children! My costume is a bright yellow and blue Renaissance/classic story book artist, with tights, puffy sleeves on a tunic and beret style hat with a feather. I will also have as a prop a painters palette with brush. My improv skills will be used during the parade to pretend to paint what I am seeing…as I dance and watch Shrek at the same time.

Last night was a photo op with the Captain of the vessel. He is a very tall Norwegian, good looking in a rugged Viking way, and as it was a formal night he was in his dress whites. He has a very interesting sense of humor and seems to be very approachable. I would also guess that when called for he would out do any General in imposing needed discipline. Altogether someone you would not want to cross, but very affable when you are doing your job.

He usually comes early to his photo ops, which indeed he did, which allows more people and more time for photos. Afterwards there was a champagne reception on the Promenade deck with music provided by the ship’s band and two of the singers from Hairspray. It was also the night for any honeymooners to have their own reception in one of the clubs, so everyone looked splendid in their best clothes. Two examples stand out in my mind. There was a young Japanese couple on their honeymoon from Tokyo who were wearing traditional Japanese wedding kimonos. I saw them first in the Captain’s photo line. The woman’s kimono was absolutely beautiful, and I kept my eyes on them to see what the Captain’s reaction would be. As they approached him the bowed very politely, opened their fans and stood on either side of him. He bowed in return and I could tell he appreciated the outfits.

Another group was from India, and the women had the most beautiful black silk saris with gold embroidery. Stunning.

After all this, it was time for the Family Fun hour…which of course I had never done before, and the one person from the Youth Staff who was there had also never done it.

After a bit I called my manager, the Activities Director, and asked for help. She hurried down from the Captain’s reception and gave me a few hints. The main purpose was to allow the families with children to do some fun activities, so with mic in hand, off I went improvising on what Amy had suggested in the way of games. Bless her, she stayed around and acted as DJ as I bounced and danced around creating a sense of excitement for the teams of children and their parents. Games ranged from teams of four holding hands and passing a hula hoop around, to dancing to the Macarena, to playing Freeze Dance…which is much like musical chairs, except that you dance and move around until the music stops, then you freeze. The last person to move is out. This the children insisted playing twice. So since the first dance was just for children, and they did so well, I insisted the parents join in for the second to see if they could mind as well as the children!

Everyone seemed to have a really good time, even the parents, and afterwards both Amy and Sabrina, who is our office manager for the Cruise Staff, said they were amazed at how with a few words or hints I would spin something out and make it look like I knew exactly what I was doing. They both complimented me on my energy and ability to get people involved. That is two compliments in five days from Amy, so I feel that I am doing well. Well, what the heck…you put a mic in my hand and point in me in the right direction and I’ll do anything!

After this, in the same bar, we had the honeymoon reception. This is for newlyweds only, and the reception consists of a raffle with free tickets, and wedding cake and petit fours with champagne. Again, never having done it, apparently the purpose is to mingle with the guests, compliment and congratulate them on their weddings and thank them for choosing Royal Caribbean as their honeymoon. Walking around the tables I greeted and talked with them all while serving them cake. We are allowed to drink champagne with them and nibble on the treats, but I realized that some of them were covered in nuts, and the ones that weren’t had been next to the ones that were…so decided that no matter how appetizing the treats looked, it was better to abstain than end up in medical using the epipen if one of the treats should have contained peanuts.

Next up, in an hour or so, is me teaching country line dancing…this should be rich as I have never done it before. I have learned the Cuban Shuffle though, which is a standard line dance on the ship. There is so much to learn…

June 24, 2011

SEA DAY

Well, people come and go so quickly here….my cabin mate was just informed that he is moving into another cabin because he is a dance captain. So I may, or may not, or at least not for long, will have a single room. I am not counting on it. My best hope is that it is not a twenty-something party boy! Apparently my only assurance is that it will be a member of the department, but not my team. So it could be Youth Staff or Activities. I guess I will find out tomorrow.

So, thus ends my second week at sea. I am glad to say that my training is for the most part over. I have one more training to do, and that will take place when we are in Falmouth, Jamaica next week. So no Jamaica for me, mon. I was not really excited to see that. I will be able to go out to Cozumel though, and that will be fun. I need to get off the ship and do some exploring. Hopefully I will have the time to do it. We shall see.

I-95 is full of luggage carts the length of the ship, which makes movement difficult and exiting a hatchway downright dangerous if you are not paying attention.

Today I got to help guide a tour that the Hotel Director was giving to some distinguished guests. One of the stops was the Helicopter Pad. It was a beautiful view from the front of the ship…nothing but water in front of me.

Got the camera out and charging, so pictures should be included soon. Thanks Ralph for the use of your camera!

I have to admit that now that I am getting the hang of things here, and my brain is not on overload trying to remember, place, and find…it has more time to think and dwell. Thursday was a hard day for me, I really missed you badly and our home. It may be because I was so tired that I was more susceptible to this feeling, but I was really down. Kept thinking that if it felt like this after only two weeks…what would month two, or month 5 thru 7 feel like. It has been so many years since I was deployed that I had forgotten this bump. Thinking it through though, I am much better off than when I was deployed. There was no Facebook, not even a chance of calling home, no internet to keep in touch…all of which exist now. In a way, that makes things tougher because you are so able to miss the things you love because they tease you with a pseudo-accessibility.

I can tell that once I have a cell phone I will really need to watch it or the bill will quickly eat into any paycheck I receive.

By Friday I was better, but Lord, this might be tougher at first than I had thought. I was so eager to leave Key West and get a break from the downward slide I felt myself to be in. No shows, no cabaret and no work. Here I have all the work I can need, but no family. I know things are tough for at home right now financially, but Monday is payday, and the money will start flowing back to our account. And I am looking forward to seeing you on the ninth. I have arranged to have the day off, so as soon as they let us off the ship I will be there to meet you. I think once we get to see each other, and have the pattern of monthly visits, things will be easier for both of us.

Face it, this is better than any deployment…here the only thing they are pointing at you are cameras!

June 22, 2001

Still not getting off the ship yet. Had life raft training this morning and been on duty being a trivia game host. Several people came up to me this morning while I was posted on the gangway and said how much they enjoyed my karaoke hosting last night. Had a couple that also complimented me on my trivia hosting. One even asked why I wasn’t a Cruise Director. I told them that after a week and a half of employment that that might be seen as a bit of a jump. Besides, there is so much more to this job than just entertaining and hosting. I’m not talking about the box office and people skills, crowd management, etc…it’s the safety issues. Cruise Director is just underneath the Hotel Director, which is directly under the Captain…as such the CD better know everything there is to know about the safety of the ship and all its procedures. This might take me more than a week to learn!

I don’t know if I am aiming for Cruise Director or not, although one of the Cruise Staff asked me in all honesty if I had thought of it. I do look at the performers and their contracts, especially at 2AM when I am still working, and wonder if I might not be happier on that side. But then again, I really like what I am doing and the variety of tasks. I think I would get bored being in the same role for 10 months or more. As Cruise Staff my role is always the same, but the audiences change and it always is a new show and new crowd. I like that.
My skills from the piano bar and cabarets back home are certainly paying off though. I don’t really feel there is anything magical about what to do. It is common sense and the desire to treat others as I would wish to be treated if I were in their shoes. I want someone to smile at me, say hello, see if there is anything I need, answer questions if I am confused or lost….it’s pretty basic stuff. The microphone work is a skill, that I will admit.

Now, a bit about crew life…It is a whole world below decks. It’s a city, really. There is everything down here, and a more diverse group of cultures you would be hard put to find. There are 38 nations represented on board. I still get comments about how people think I am the only American, which is not true, although the others might not all be in public areas.

I think I may have explained before, but there are basically four levels below deck, meaning below the public areas. On Deck 2, which is the main crew area deck, there is a “highway” that stretches the length of the ship called I-95. There are people going to and fro at all hours. There is a median line down the middle, and all the exits are marked as freeway exits, and all passageways have names. Because they tend to put all crew members who interact with the public, (Cruise Staff, Youth Staff, Performers, etc), all the “streets” in my area are named after NYC streets. Broadway being a major “street”. I live at the corner of Broadway and 35th Street, about half way down the block. The performers mostly live on 42nd Street.

There is a large crew’s mess, or chow hall, on Deck 2, in the forward part of the ship. At the back of the Mess there is a hatch and hall leading to the elevators to 4 decks of crew recreation area. Everything from Library, Internet Room, four bars, Game Room with pool tables and video games, etc. The top most deck, Deck 6, is the Heli Pad. This seems to be the main crew hangout. The only separation between crew members seems to be in this area. Most of the Caribbean nationals, Jamaicans, Haitians, etc, frequent the bar on Deck 4. There is an English style pub on Deck 5, which is quieter and more relaxed. I prefer the Heli pad, which though loud because of the engines and air vents, is more open and at least has a section that is open to the sky. All the rest are windowless.

The other option is Blown Away, which is a private crew deck on Deck 18. It is a bit out of the way, but provides a great view and is totally open to the sky making it a great place for sun bathing. I have only been up there the once, but plan to go more often for the open air.

I really can’t imagine being in a job that would place me below decks all the time. I think I would go crazy from the lack of sun and air. It would seem very claustrophobic.
I try to be nice to everyone, smile and say hello, and the team seems very tight. I am beginning to see a bit more of the politics though. I keep remembering what you and Traci said….second fiddle, play second fiddle. I don’t get involved in the gossip, though to be honest there is not much since we are so busy. There does seem to be a lot of relationships and one night stands that go on, though for the life of me I can’t figure out how they do it with the lack of privacy we all enjoy. I guess some arrangement must be made with their cabinmates.

I think that I am starting to get the hang of everything, and now feel almost ready to start exploring beyond…like going to the gym and getting off the ship. I can’t believe I have only been here 10 days. It seems like weeks and weeks since I left Key West.

June 21, 2011

Today is the longest day of the year…but that is not true. Yesterday was. Yesterday was probably one of the longest days of my life…it just went on and on…sort of like the ship itself. It started at 6AM and kept going with breaks for quick naps until 3:30 AM this morning. A day in the life of cruise staff…

It started with a morning breakfast with the Dreamworks family of the Madagascar films. I had to host the appearances of King Julien, Alex and Gloria. It was reservation only, and the family members, (do NOT call them characters!), were to go around the tables for photo ops with the children. There was music, dancing by the staff upon the individual entrances. After that the day was on and spanned everything from Trivia games in the Schooner Bar to hosting karaoke, and helping the Activities Manager with the World’s Sexiest Man competition.

This is held in the Aqua Theatre and men, literally of all ages, compete in front of four women judges for the title. There are actually four awards, Sexiest Legs, Sexiest Muscles, Sexiest Dancer and Sexiest Man. There was the usual array of competitors and three men from Colorado that had more muscles than I had ever seen, tanned, tattooed and testosteroned…and a nine year old boy.

The boy was the fourth entrant of ten, and the minute he walked on the stage the crowd went wild. I looked over at the other competitors and said “forget it, you just lost”. Indeed, after the other medals for legs, dancer and muscles were given out, the last one for Sexiest Man went to the boy. He was so small we had to put a chair behind the cutout of the Muscle Man we have so that he could be seen. WC Fields was right…never share the stage with children or animals!

The day finally ended with the Escape Dance in the Solarium. The Solarium is a semi enclosed recreational deck on the forward part of the ship. Deck 15 I believe, so it has a really nice view. As Cruise Staff we had to dance and get everyone else dancing. The theme was Malibu Beach Party, and the place was packed with the young and beautiful. There were four of us on the detail, and so I began to attempt to remember my dancing moves…which are about 20 years out of date. I think I did really well, and there was no reason, in my opinion, that my fellow cruise staffers should find the humor they did in my style. Michael had his groove on.

This went on from midnight to 1AM, we left for a break, and then had to come back at 2AM to break everything down and pack it away.

I have always known that I sweat a lot…everyone who has ever shared a stage with me knows this as well…sometimes to their chagrin when they have to touch my sodden costume. Here it is no different. All I have to do is stand…and I am drenched. It’s become a bit of a joke. And now when I do box office at the Aqua Theatre the staff simply hand me a stack of paper towels. Last night I sweated so much that even after my shower I was STILL sweating for an hour. Nothing wrong with my cooling system apparently.

This morning it was up for more training, but by Thursday I should be done with that, which is good. I would have had the entire day off and been able to get off and see a bit of St Thomas had I been free. Oh well, it is not going anywhere, and there will be many more chances.

I also found out, when I went to the office, that I had already had TWO positive comments by name in the Guest Comments! This is similar to getting your name in the reviews for Trip Advisor. A big thing. Apparently, it is also rare, and we get ‘attaboys’ for it and little perks. It meant a lot to me, and certainly I feel has solidified my role onboard. The fact that they wrote Michael McCoy is not worth mentioning….please abstain from mental references to Love Boat. Thank you.

I am now able to bring my own cd of music tracks to my karaoke hosting. This makes me happy as the tracks they have are not ones I know, or want to sing. I get to sing an opening song, get the ball rolling, and then host everyone else. It’s fun, but the dry air on the ship is wreaking havoc with my chords. I have already spoken to some of the singers on board to find out how they manage. Of course, projecting constantly to guests standing in line does not help.

One of the ship highlights is the Rising Tide Bar, which we all share the duties of monitoring and “driving”/ It is on Deck 5 and is a bar that lifts on hydraulic power to Deck 8, Central Park. There is a console and we make the roundtrip in one half hour. Fifteen minutes each direction. Some of the staff don’t care for this shift, but others, like me, enjoy it as we get to interact directly with the guests. Last week, my first week and second time at the console, I was busy chatting with some guests and realized it was time to raise the bar from Deck 5 to Deck 8. I excused myself, closed the glass safety doors, pushed the correct buttons and walked back to the guests. This is an idiot proof system. There are two buttons you push to clear the safety doors and lock them, preparing for “take off”, and then a choice of buttons for whether you want to go up or down and how long you want the trip to take.

So there I am speaking with the guests and one of the bar servers, a wonderful Jamaican lady, taps me on the shoulder and says in her Island Accent…”are we going to go up, mon?”

 
“Oh, I thought I had pushed it already”, I said and went back to the console.

I pushed the buttons again for an 11 minute ride to Deck 8 and went back to the guests…I paused, waiting for the small jolt to let me know we were rising.

No jolt.

Back I went to the console. Nothing was moving. I pushed the buttons again. Making sure of the duration for the ride, and pushed START.

Nothing.

I have a full bar, all watching me with interest. Calmly I run thru the whole check out procedure once more. I push the buttons. A bead of sweat formed above my right eyebrow.

Nothing.

Now, alarmed but trying to portray total competence and aplomb I begin pushing buttons more vigorously. No jolt. No movement. Full house. Second Day…and I have broken it I am sure.

The Jamaican gal has been watching me with some humor. She calmly leans in and says, “Try pushin’ the UP button, mon!”

With chagrin I realized the whole time on Deck 5 I had been pushing the button for a direction the machine simply refused to go. With what I consider my best hosting manner I pushed the correct buttons, we began to move, and I turned to the guests and said “I am deeply sorry, ladies and gentlemen. I wanted to take you on a tour of the Crew Quarters, but it seems we will be going to Deck 8 instead!”

I love my job.

June 17, 2011

Entirely too much to write about this week. What a week! It feels like each day LASTED a week, but I have to say I love it. I can honestly say I have never worked for a happier company. There are over 2,100 crew members on this ship and everyone smiles and says hi all the time. It’s like one big family of international proportions. There is a large hall that runs the length of the ship on Deck 2, and it is nicknamed I-95…even has interstate “signs” painted on the bulkheads and exit signs. This hallway is never empty…even at 3AM there is someone walking on it. And they all smile. It’s amazing.

Everyone is very helpful as well, from the Captain on down to the carpenters. Now, granted I have only been here a week, so it could be the blush still on the rose, but I don’t think so.

I have been trying to identify what it is in me that is responding so well to this environment, and the only thing that I can think of is that it combines the two things I like most…a military quality of teamwork and professionalism, combined with a creative performing side. The bulkheads are painted that army version of sea green, but there are also paintings on the them of funny and cute things…I can’t even describe it…not framed and hanging on the walls, but painted on, which adds a lightheartedness to the walk from fore to aft. Thank God for this walkway! Without it it would take forever to get from each side of the ship. You can go down the back stairs from the theatre in the forward part of the ship, and emerge minutes later at the Aqua Theatre on the aft. It’s like magic to the guests.

So far this week I have hosted trivia contests, karaoke, wii events, worn an afro and Elton John’s cast off sun glasses for a 70s dance, got guests dancing at a 50s/60s music dance, helped teach country music line dances, (don’t ask!), seen Kung Fu Panda 2 in 3D, partied with my castmates in the Helipad Crew Bar, and one big surprise….met one of the sax players, who is also a former Marine…and a former Marine Band member…we both know the same people from the Military School of Music in Little Creek, Virginia! The funniest part…his Master Gunnery Sergeant at the school was my PFC roommate back in 91 when I was there!

I have decided that karaoke and alcohol are a deadly combination, but capable of producing a LOT of humor. Hosting that event the other night was a trip! The special surprise was an Italian woman who could barely speak English who launched into Bette Davis Eyes and was AMAZING! She sounded better than the original recording! It was also a welcome relief…need I say more? But everyone had a good time, and I have to admit, so did I

June 15, 2011

I find myself more and more in the military mindset, just out of some long past habits. I don’t know if it is the off-sea-green paint used on everything below decks, the uniforms, the sight of officers in epaulets, or what. I sleep on the top bunk in the cabin, refer to it as my “rack”, and of course it lies against the “bulkhead”. Every morning I make it, smoothing out the wrinkles, as though some officer would be inspecting it. Ok, I am not so far gone as to worry about military folds on the blanket, but it is the thought that counts.

It has been three days since the last entry. I could have actually written yesterday, (I had most of it off). We were in Falmouth, Jamaica for the day. For some odd reason I had several large, several hours long, breaks in my schedule. I could have got off the ship, but decided I have plenty of time to visit Jamaica and stayed in to organize the cabin and finally pack my stuff away. There just simply hasn’t been time.

After a couple hours of this, and getting everything “squared away” to my satisfaction, I created my wifi ship account for internet access. Only problem is I can’t seem to make it work. Spent several hours at it though. I’m not worried, I have plenty of time to figure it out.

June 12, 2011

Woke up at 0700. Luis went to the gym, and I took a shower in the closet and tried to gear myself up for the day. I felt much better after the sleep I had had, but still weary just thinking about the day ahead, and how many times I could manage to get lost.

I made myself get up and go out to breakfast, and had a pretty decent one with lots of fruit…I MISS ORANGE JUICE! I mean REAL orange juice…the kind they have on here is nothing but water with an orange crayon passed through it. Very disappointing to the palate.

Morning was 4 hours of safety training. Apparently my first two weeks are a lot of training for safety, which makes sense. We have a lot of people’s lives in our hands. The sheer scope of the safety procedures is overwhelming, which I suppose is actually comforting to know. They have spared no expense and left no stone unturned. I asked the safety officer where we could get more info, and he said, “don’t worry, this is only the beginning”. They make sure we know the information.

We walked all over the ship in the class examining watertight doors, fire doors, assembly points, and finally I got to see the water when we went to the life boats and life rafts. Almost as blue as the Mediterranean!

After four hours of this it was time to get to work. I was helping Amy to run the Sexiest Man in the World contest on the Aft Pool Deck. T.T., a Turkish Cruise Staff member and I assisted her in getting the contestants into costume and telling them what to do for their audience appeal factor. Beautiful sky, sun, people wanting to have fun…I finally felt a tiny bit at ease being able to work with people again. It was HOT though, I ended up completely soaking my new uniform shirt….only to be told that I could have worn the Tshirt they all had worn. Oh well, next time!


After a half hour break, it was off to host the Trivia show in the Schooner Bar. My first solo show! I had about 65 people there, and it was a blast. They liked me, and one gentleman said I was not only really entertaining, but he could understand everything I said so clearly. They all had fun, and I finally felt like I had accomplished something. The day was going pretty well so far!

After this hour, which sped by, but which I ended right on time without even knowing it, it was off to do box office duty for the Ice Show. With box office and reservations the Youth Staff also help us. Another hour and a half of being entertaining as people waited to enter the show, and off to lunch, (quickly), then getting my tux ready since Day 2 of a cruise is apparently formal night.

Once in my tux, it was back to door duty for the second Ice Show. Apparently there is a group of Hispanic girls who are celebrating their Quinceanera on the ship. They were all in the most beautiful white gown, they looked like wedding gowns, with tiaras and everything. Their fathers were in tuxes, and their mothers and family members all dressed to the nines. They were all assembled in front of our theatre and looked incredible. I am not sure what they were doing next, but I am sure glad I got to see them.

Which brings me up to date, finally. I have two hours to kill before going to the Hairspray box office for an hour or so, and then a small break and I have to run the Rising Tide until 1AM. We don’t get our schedules until after 11PM, so I have no idea what is in store for tomorrow. I know it is a Port Day in Labadee, but I assume I will not be able to get off as I will have training to do in the morning.

I feel much better about this job. I have found my way around today with a minimum of difficulty, and the team has been right there to help me when needed. Apparently the hosting that I enjoyed is not a common feature of Cruise Staff on this vessel, because of its size. On the other ships the Cruise Staff has much more hosting, this is more production staff and box office for the big shows. That could be a little disappointing, but it is not. I do however think that the performers have the best gig on here. Everyone agrees that the Cruise Staff is the hardest working. We have fun, it seems, but man, my feet hurt.


I will be glad when I have two cruises under my belt and can begin to see a pattern.

June 11, 2011

Absolutely insane, and more than once I wondered what the hell I am doing. I don’t think I have had a day like this since the first day of boot camp in 1990. The hotel was fairly nice, it was Miami after all, and after Mom and Dad left I suddenly felt a bit bereft. Mom started to cry. I just wanted all the good byes done so I could concentrate on the next step…which of course I could not prepare for since I did not know what to expect, or for what to prepare.

Spent the night facebooking and trying to get hold of you. I really wanted to hear your voice again. I am pretty much intent on getting a cell phone as quickly as I can. I will only be able to talk, or to upload blog entries on Saturdays as well. Too expensive otherwise. Back to the first night…

Couldn’t sleep, so just facebooked on my ipad until about 1:30 AM. I had called the front desk to give me a wakeup call at 0530. I had a roommate as well for the night, a gentleman from Mumbai who was coming on as security.

So many bags…had to really improvise to get a system that I could carry them all. Let me just say at the outset I am sending the majority of it back to you. The list they gave me to bring, and all the money I spent trying to get my stuff together was wasted. I got on ship and they made me buy everything anyway! What they should say is just bring some underwear and a couple changes of clothes (civvies), forget the costumes, they provide those too…and as for as country western night…they cancelled it, so no need for the cowboy hats so laboriously carried, or the boots and jeans.

The bus came in the morning and all hundred of us new hires packed our stuff into the trailer being carried behind the bus, and off we went. I sat next to a very interesting Colombian man who is on only for a month. This is his, what, fourth contract I think? At any rate, he is a teacher in Medellin and after six months away from the ships he had a month break and decided to get back on RC. So apparently, once you are in, you are in.
The processing went fairly quickly, which was nice, and no problems there. Was still fairly stressed with all the ‘not knowing’, but now that I was actually in the process it was a bit easier.

Finally, about 0900 Amy, the Activities Director, came to meet me and bring me on the ship. Her eyes grew when she saw how many bags I had! Now I know why! She brought me to my room…oh my God! You walk in, two bunks at the back wall, about the width of the bathtub; a desk the size of the sink cabinet, a corner bathroom/shower closet, two outlets, and a closet that is the size of the utility closet…for the two of us!

Luis is Puerto Rican, very nice young man. He is on his third year between Norwegian, and a little over a year and a half with RC.

Let me go back…the ship…as I walked up the gangway I could not believe how big it is!

So, I stowed my bags. Actually just piled them in…and the whirlwind circus began. The sheer amount of information was incredible. There are 10 of us Cruise Staff, which is supposedly a large team, most ships have anywhere between 4-6. Amy sped me all over the ship, took me to the Cruise Staff office, safety brief..and brief is what it was for the moment, took me around the ship quickly the crew areas, the public areas, and then she was off to prepare a meeting. I found my way back, somehow, to my berth and Luis was there. Bless him, he has had the room to himself for the past month and didn’t know he was going to have to share, but he stepped up and took me under his wing and began to guide me around. It’s a labyrinth. I really felt like tying a piece of string to find my way back, except I had been so many places that criss crossed it would have been an impossible tangle.

No lunch, I couldn’t eat, but I sat and tried to take in the things I was being told about duties, etc. Then off to find the uniform shop and tailoring. Luis took me there and then left me, as he had duties. I was there with about 30 people and Amy gave me a call on the cell phone I had been issued. There was a staff meeting, and I needed to be there.

Only…where was THERE? Somehow I found my way back for the brief meeting, was introduced to the team, and then had to find my way back to the uniform shop.
I tried to retrace my path only to find that since the ship had set sail, there was a watertight door that was closed in my path. Now what? I spent the next 40 minutes criss crossing stairs and hallways trying to find the right stairwell, only to repeatedly find myself, somehow, in the crews mess…over and over again…about 20 times. Finally, I called Luis on his cell phone and he tried to give me directions…tried to follow them…10 more visits to the crews mess and I am about to give up. Found two other lost souls, and together we intrepidly set out once more….opened a door with no name..and success! We found the laundry room…but I knew that the uniform shop was connected…so through the room we went.

Another hour or more was spent in line, waiting. It was odd hearing the sound of the water rush past the bulkheads. The Jamaican gentleman who was in charge of the uniform shop was very nice, and handled the rush and stress with a great deal of calm. I was the last one served and was issued, (well not really, the uniforms come out of my first pay check), my blazer, white shirts, blue and gold polos, etc.

The two people that with whom I had been lost, and found the shop with, were a young couple named Ronnie and Kasie. They were a married couple who were going to spend 7 months on the Haitian island of Labadee. They were both dive captains, and he had worked with RC before. When he wanted to come back he asked if they could find a place for his wife, and they did! Can you imagine, being paid to spend seven months on a tropical island to work 1 day every two weeks when the ship is in port! Talk about a life!
Anyway, by the time I got my uniforms and managed to find my cabin again, with a minimum of being lost, I was completely frazzled. Luis, my cabinmate was not in, and honestly, I just felt like crying. I was thinking I had made a complete mistake and that I had finally met my match as far as being able to handle stress. I honestly don’t remember even feeling this lost and out of sorts even in boot camp’s first days. However, there was no rest. Now that I had the uniform, I had to put it on, and go outand do box office for the shows.

Word of advice for anyone that goes on an Oasis or Allure cruise…BOOK YOUR SHOWS BEFORE HAND! It was the first night of the cruise, and EVERY SHOW was sold out already. All the shows are free, but you have to make reservations. You can do this online now when you book your cruise. Everyone ended getting in, and I believe they usually do, but if you do not have reservations for the show they won’t let you in and they make you stand in the Stand By line.

This lasted two hours, and my feet THROBBED. We have a laptop which is hooked up on the ship’s wireless which allows us to book the shows. Pretty simple computer program. The cool thing is that everyone’s Seapass that they get when they join the cruise has a bar code, this bar code is on the back of the card and is scanned by a hand held device. It pops up green and they are in. Red…and they have to go the Stand By line.
After this duty I had a half hour to get ready for the door duty/scanning reservations for the outdoor extravaganza Oasis of Dreams…the water show in the Aft Pool. After being in the bowels of the ship all day it was wonderful to get out in the air above deck. I finally felt that I was on a cruise ship and using my hosting and people skills. I didn’t get a chance to watch the show however…I had an hour and a half of seating people, then it was off to the Rising Tide.

Rising Tide is the bar that is on hydraulics and goes up and down 5 decks. It is a bar, and the people can ride it as long as they want. Very slow. It takes 8 minutes to rise the five levels, then 15 minutes or so up, or down, and the reverse process takes place. The Cruise Staff person handles the machinery and controls.

By the time this shift was over, it was midnight…I had been up since 0530, had not eaten, was overwhelmed, and pretty much in shock. The staff is incredibly kind though, and several of the girls on the team took me under their wing and helped me survive.

After this was all over, Luis and two of the girls invited me out for drinks in the crew bar. I really thought it was a bad idea, but on the other hand I REALLY needed a beer to take the edge of this incredible day. The crew bar, one of them, is called the Helipad, and indeed is underneath the Helipad. It turns out I was glad I went. I finally got to see Sean Bernardi, who you may remember used to sing at the Keys Piano Bar. He is playing Edna in Hairspray, and he introduced me to several of his cast mates, which my team mates also knew, so we enjoyed a couple beers together and they patted me on the head and said, “Don’t worry, it gets harder”!

1:30 AM, and I finally got home…and would you know it…went right to sleep!

June 5, 2011

Mom and Dad are about 2 hours away.  Just got a call from them that they are in Key Largo.  I am REALLY stressed out, and probably making much more of this than there needs to be.  I have never been very good at waiting for the unknown...especially when it is really unknown.  When I was in the Marines there were lots of unknowns...but SOMEONE knew what was going on, and I could trust that while I didn't have a clue, there was a plan we were following.

I'm sure there is a plan I am following, but as I tend to think of myself as the commander of my unit, shouldn't I have received a memo from someone telling me what to expect?

I have been putting the finishing touches on this blog format...mainly to keep myself busy.  I remember a line from somewhere, "A life of activity suggests a life full of purpose".  I don't know if I believe that.  I can make myself plenty active on stupid small things...it certainly does not imply any purpose.  Other than keeping my sanity by concentrating on the small things.

This is just six months,  Michael. 

Get a grip.

June 4, 2011

One week until boarding.  I am excited, depressed, stressed, anxiously happy...a whole gamut of emotions is running through me right now.  I have been to the VA Clinic in Key West, which by the way is awesome, have taken all my tests, all the results have been great and I am in the peak of health.  

It used to be that when I was younger Autumn, specifically September, was the time of greatest change for me.  Nowadays it seems to be May/June.  It was this time period that I left Seattle in 2002.  It was this time period I parted ways with my ex and left to come to Florida for Naples Dinner Theatre Summerstock in 2003, and it is now that I am leaving Key West for....what?  A new beginning.  Another change.  Another suitcase or three. 

Right now it is evening, and the windows are open to the scent of jasmine and the sound of crickets.  I will miss that.

I still have a lot to do: my iTunes to configure, (I have to have my tracks since it is very possible I will be hosting karaoke onboard the ship), sheet music of the songs I sang at the Keys Piano Bar in case I have to do any singing with musicians, clothes to obtain, a cell phone to buy, load and organize all my pictures onto my iPad, load the books I may want onto my iPad, stock up on Claritin and protein shakes and powders, get more RAM for my computer, pack everything into boxes that I wish to keep and find a storage unit for it...and somehow to say goodbye to the island that I have lived on for the past 8 years.  

What do I hope to gain in the next six months?  Clarity, money, knowledge of whether or not I have finally found my career, physical health, and a sense of accomplishment.  I hope to rub out the damage to my self-esteem that has been afflicting me through being fired from  a hotel at which I thought I was doing a great job, to failing at my attempts to start a Cabaret here in Key West, to just trying to find SOMETHING that would enable me to participate financially with my partner.  Maybe this will be the new lease I need.  God, I hope so. 

My parents fly in tomorrow night for the week, and they will be driving me to Fort Lauderdale to pick up my ship.  I can't help but think that at every major change in my life, every time a door has closed, they were there to pack me up and take me away.  College graduation, my leaving my ex in Phoenix, and now this...is it an omen that my time in Key West is truly done?  

The crickets don't seem to be worried, and the jasmine still fills the warm night air.

It should be raining....

Introduction

here is nothing better than a Mid Life Crisis combined with a faltering economy and an inability to find fulfilling employment to really enable a person to put things in perspective.  Not being  a person who can do things by half, I spent 6 months making a list of what my talents were, what my limits were in regards to what I felt I could do without dying of boredom, and what would bring money into the bank and start laying the foundation for a savings and retirement fund.  The last was the most important since being a man in a relationship not respected or recognized by a Federal Government, there is some risk involved in living with someone, and off their benefits.  It can all be taken away in a second.

At the same time as I was beginning this period of introspection, from somewhere came the link to the Royal Caribbean website and their employment needs for a Cruise Staff position.  Let me explain that the majority of my life to date has been spent on stage and in front of people in some form or another.  I had spent two wonderful years singing in a piano bar in Key West and being asked to host various charity functions and fundraisers.  I loved it.  It combined everything that made me, me.

The job description for Cruise Staff was rather short, it basically asked for someone who was comfortable being in front of people, and who was comfortable with entertaining and mic work.  WELL!  I thought, there we go...and combined with my love of travel, this seemed like a perfect fit.  I applied and many months later received my job offer, and the assignment of my ship, The Oasis of the Seas...the largest cruise ship in the world!

I love to read, and one of my favorite genres of literature is travel and books on cultures.  After perusing my Barnes & Noble pages for cruise ship literature, I realized that while there are many books about living in Tuscany, the perils and joys of living in Morocco, Provence, Spain, even Afghanistan, there is nothing about ship board life.  So hence, the blog, The SeaWolfe.

On these pages you will find my thoughts and experiences of shipboard life, travel, links to what I am reading, doing, seeing, and feeling.  They will span quite a few different topics, but hopefully they will be interesting and enjoyable to read.  

Enjoy!

Michael McCabe