Keeping It Real

Greetings from Columbia! Life on board it flying by! I feel like weeks go by so quickly that I am barely keeping up! It is really weird being so disconnected. As a lot of my friends know I was always a good first responder to emails... maybe not as great with my cell phone that I was always leaving some place but not having contact is both a great and terrible feeling. Hard to describe. Having my phone off all the time sure is freeing but I miss being able to give someone a quick call or funny text.

Yesterday was one of those days I just felt like being home. I have not been very homesick but yesterday I just wanted to sleep on the couch at my parents house and drink a homemade smoothie from my Dad, and hit up a little shopping with my mom and sisters. Smother and harass my cutie little nephews. The guys on board are so nice (of course they are..) that I had a panama roll and vitamin water waiting for at my next demo when I go there. It made me feel better even if it has ill intentions... haha

Halloween was a blast on the ship! I was Julia Child and it was very appropriate for both my job function and the demographic on the ship! We had a monsters ball with passengers and then we had a big crew party down in the officers bar. There were some awesome costumes and EVERYONE dressed up. Here is me with our cruise director: 

Next Stop: Fort Lauderdale!

Been A Long Time Gone

SORRY for the lack of blogging. Life moves so quickly here on board you literally have zero time to process anything! I feel like I have a crazy new experince everyday and before I have time to think about what just happened it is on to the next thing.

So much has happened over the last few weeks it is like life on turbo mode. So I will just go with my day today!

COSTA RICA! It was incredible. I got off the ship with one of the second officers wife and and one of the youth staff. Our plan was just to shop around a bit and check out waht we could since we did not have a lot of time with all aboard being at 1:30. We got off at 10:30 and discovered that there was really nothing much right off the ship.

We went over to cab area and guys pushing all the tours. So we picked the least shaddy looking guy and he was going to take us into town. We ended going zip lining!!! It was amazing. One of my life bucket list items was complete. The tour guides were 19 and I really thought for a minute I might die today but it was awesome. While walking up to one of the next platforms we encountered a snake in the jungle. I literally froze since it made me realize fully that I was in the middle of the costa rican jungle. The tour guide chopped the head off with his machete and I walked the long way around. He told us later that that snake was one of the most poisenous in Costa Rica. Good. Make a gal fell all warm and fuzzy inside.

Anywho, we stopped and ate some wonderful authentic costa rican food and just had a crazy day. I got back on board and made Tandori chicken and shrimp cocktail shooters! Did a little office work, harassed the bakers in the kitchen and am here now in my cabin trying to process everything I saw today.

Ship life gives you NO privacy so I think that is part of my not blogging. It sound like I am getting cabin fever but maintianing any type of privacy is near impossible so I think that was translated in my lack of sharing with the people I really care about through this blog. Anyway, I do feel like I am taking crazy pills but what else is new. :)

 

Crew Party

Yesterday we had our first crew party. It was out on the back deck by the pool. It was very surreal since there was a little lightening and I had been in Guatemala earlier that day. It is very humid as well so I had on a tank top instead of my normal uniform.... which I love since it takes two minutes to get ready for work. Anyway, being white and being female makes me a huge minority. It is the weirdest thing to walk into a huge party and literally feel every eye on you. At one point I got out on the dance floor with a few of my team members and my bud Erin, the techpert. So many of the Filipino guys wanted a picture with me since I am tall and blond (my hair is getting really light with all my tanning in port :)). At one point I dancing with one of the crew that had the moves... his name was Jaime and it was just innocent fun. Well low and behold in my dough creations class this morning he was the presenting baker. I just about died laughing. We did a few twirls in the show kitchen just to spice things up. The crazier you are on board the more the crew and guests love you.

I am truly enjoying my time. I feel like I am living a dream right now. So blessed. It really is the perfect lifestyle for me since I get to be around people all the time and don't have moment to feel lonely. At least not yet. I am sure once we had some turn over it will be hard to see people come and go. Even with the guests I have some loyal followers that come to all my activities and really supportive. I could have never guessed it would be this way with the crew.

Also, yesterday I had a dine with the chef event and was the only American in the group. I have met a ton of Canadians on board and they are so funny and nice. I think it is because we did the crossover from Vancouver.

Anyway, things are really good and I feel like I am getting better at my job. I am also over my cold which is really helpful! :)

Next Port: Cartagena, Columbia

xoxo

Life and Work at Sea

Living on a cruise ship is a bizarre thing. Ecspecailly now that we are in port a little more often since we are out of the rough weather. I wake up and do a 9:00am activity and head over to the entertainment office to do a little computer work. When I look outside we are in a place I have never been before. It really is weird. The last few ports have been a blast. The crew on board is a lot of fun and all hang together. Yesterday I swam and threw a football around with some people. Today we played a little volleyball and hung out by the pool and ate nachos with margaritas. My tan has never been happier!

As for the actual job portion I am starting to get in a good groove. I have had a few complete disasters but I have decieded I am going to put less pressure on myself. I am taking this as a fun job and not really a career path so I just want to relax and have fun no matter what happens. When your title is party planner you really can't take yourself too seriously... I mean let's get real. It is really showing me that life does not have to be work work work all the time... at least for right now. I feel so blessed for this chance to see the world, meet new people and do something that I already love! My cooking skills are improving and I am learning something new everyday!

I have just had a great last few days and hope that stays for awhile! :) I just got done playing the DJ in Wii tennis so how can you have a bad day when that is part of your day.

Next Port: Puerto Quezal, Guatemala

Busy, Busy, Busy

Sorry to be MIA! I have been running around trying to figure out everything! I got a computer so hopefully I can get pictures up soon! Had wonderful port day in Puerta Vallarta. Pool time and margartias... all while getting paid!!!

This morning I had cooking with the cruise director. It was histerical and he told me I am doing a great job. He said I have a great show presnesce and wondered my background. He was shocked I had an office job before this. haha

Next port: Huatulco, Mexico

The Hand Off

I am officially done with my training! The other Party Planner is getting off tomorrow and I will be on my own. I am a little nervous but I think that is will go well. The only thing she told me I need to improve on is slowing down during food trivia and napkin folding. haha This job is ridiculous. Today I made sloppy joe sliders on my own. I forgot that the chef told me to guess on the ingredients and dumped the whole portion in the pan. I looked fine and smelled great but that sucker must have been sweet since I put in all the brown sugar. Oh well. No one eats it anyway. Today was calm and tomorrow we get into San Diego.

I finally get my own cabin! WOO HOO. I am way too old lady to share a room. I will take a picture of the tiny closet before I move out so you can see how small the room is. This diva is not having it anymore. ha

Slow night tonight so I am going to go and use the gym which, by the way, is brand new and NOBODY uses it. I was in heaven the first time. I even watched a movie during my workout with no commercials.

It is the little things.

:)

Calmer Weather

Today was much calmer weather! Thank goodness! It drains your energy to have the boat rocking all the time. Well maybe at least just for me. Today was jammed packed. I hosted Travel Journal craft time, Cinnamon Roll demo with Edwardo the baker, Cake decorating with the pastry chef, food trivia and a margarita mixology. Tonight is karaoke. For those who know me well I WILL try and sneak my careless whisper in there. I have to get it out to the people. I think regulators won't go over too well with this crowd. But who knows. Maybe a little my heart will go on just to show off a bit.

I felt a little homesick today since I have been feeling literally sick but the calmer weather is making it easier to adjust. The lifestyle is very much like college. You run from event to event and pull it off by the seat of your pants and then try and nap as much as possible in between. Yup. That was college for me. Although having gone to APU I never drank as much as everyone else does. I really don't know how many of the crew drink sooooo much and then bop around the next day. CRAZY. I just order a coke some nights to avoid people thinking I am a Mormon or someone very conservative.

Itinerary: One more sea day then San Diego

xoxo

Kaitlyn