THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

•  8:00am     Finish up last minute items in my office
•  9:00am     Taxi to Copenhagen airport
• 12:25pm    Scandinavia Airlines to Newark, NJ
• 8:10pm      United Airlines to Ft. Lauderdale, FL

FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

• 1:25am      Arrive home!  WOO HOO
• 1:30am      Shower to get a full day's worth of travel "ick" off of my body
• 1:40am      To sleep per chance to dream

And thus ends this chapter . . .

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013

Well, today started with a phone call from the human resources director, asking me to go to the personnel office.  In a nutshell, unless I signed the most recent contract I was given (after some back & forth on the terms, that I initiated on June 12), the company would send me me home tomorrow.  Because I refuse to sign a contract that contains terms with which I'm not comfortable, and/or don't apply to me (which this one did), I am going home tomorrow.

Today was a very full day . . . 12+ hours of work . . . 1 rehearsal and 2 performances of ELEMENTS, sign-off paperwork and such, and creating next voyage's schedule, this voyage's reports, etc., as well as my handover notes for my successor.  Oh, and of course, packing . . .

TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2013

Today we were in Stockholm, Sweden.  I went ashore with Jonathan Hall, our wardrobe supervisor.  We went to the ABBA museum, that just opened in May.  It was a really great museum - very interactive!  Afterward, we walked around for a bit, then Timo met us and we drove around a bit, before settling for lunch at a nice little Thai restaurant.  Stockholm is a lovely city.  It was a gorgeous day - sunny & clear, and very mild (70s Fahrenheit).  I can't imagine what it's like in the winter though.  Wait . . . yes I can . . . I grew up in Rochester, NY and went to school south of Buffalo!

After lunch, Timo drove us back to the port.  Tonight's main stage entertainment was THE AMERICAN DREAM, a Motown group.  They were very good.  My time here is flying by.  In two days, my successor arrives for a 9-day handover, and then it's back to the U.S.A. for me . . .

MONDAY, JULY 15, 2013

Helsinki

Hoped to get off but some work things prevented that.  Ah well.  I'll go ashore next week.  Instead, I took some photos from the 13th and 14th decks of the ship . . .

a Royal Caribbean ship docked beside us

SUNDAY, JULY 14, 2013

Today was day #2 in St. Petersburg.  Once again, the two tours I was able to do in the morning were both sold out, so no crew escorts were needed/provided with tickets. Maybe/hopefully next week will be different.

Nothing terribly exciting to report today.  The Russian folkloric group performed late in the afternoon.  Jorgos, the magician performed at 7:00pm & 9:00pm tonight.  In between, the production cast singers presented their Broadway cabaret in the Spinnaker Lounge.  They do a really great job.  I watched that again this week (tonight).

And finally, at 10pm tonight, I judged the ship's "Dancing With The Stars" game show. I had done that on the Dawn, and it's quite fun.

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

Today we were back in St. Petersburg, Russia.  I had hoped to be a crew escort on one of a number of tours, but I am only able to do a half-day tour, that is in the morning, due to the production show at night on this day.  Tonight is SHOUT, the 60's mod musical, starring the 5 female production cast singers.  We have our technical run-through in the afternoon, and then an 8:30pm performance on the first St. Petersburg day.  So, that precludes me from a full-day tour.  Unfortunately, the three morning tours in which I was interested were all sold out.  I would like to take a tour, and see some of St. Petersburg, but with the new anti-gay laws that just went into effect (to which tourists are subject), I am not keen on the idea of exporing on my own, nor do I really have any desire to give the country any of my money.

From www.huffingtonpost.com . . .

Travel site Skift reports that the new law, signed into law by Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 30, contains a provision that allows the government to arrest and detain gay (or "pro-gay") foreigners for up to 14 days before they would then be expelled from Russia.

As far as what is considered "pro-gay," the laws specifics are somewhat vague, but Canadian site Travel and Escape suggests "gay-affirmative" speech, displaying a rainbow flag and same-sex partners holding hands are among the prohibited actions.

REALLY?!?!?!  IT'S 2013!!!  WTF?!?!

So, on the ship I stayed today, getting some work done, and just relaxing a bit.  Truth be told, when I found out last night that I wouldn't be on a tour today, I didn't set an alarm for this morning and stayed in bed until 11:45am!  In all fairness, we did move ahead an hour last night, as well as two nights ago.

I did manage to take two photos of tonight's sunset, from the 13th deck of the ship.  This was at 11:05pm!  And at 12:03am (yes, I checked) it was still "twilight."  Actual "darkness" hours are very limited here in the summer.  How depressing January must be!

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2013

Today we were in Tallinn, Estonia again and I FINALLY got off the ship (other than to bring the German and Russian Folkloric Groups onboard).  The weather was gorgeous today . . . sunny, clear and I’d say about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  It was cool in the shade, but walking around in the sun was warm.   The photos below were taken from the pier, and the ship is Holland America's Eurodam, which docked next to ours, as it approaches the pier.

It was wonderful to be ashore and Tallinn is so cute.  It’s sort of “split in half” with an “old town” and a “new town.”  I went to the old town and it was amazing.  The streets are brick and cobblestone, and it’s like stepping back in time.

One of the first things I did was stop and grab a latte at a little coffee/chocolate shop.  OK, fine . . . I grabbed a piece of chocolate too – it was my breakfast.  Out of all of the selection, I chose something called LA BOHEME (go figure).  It was basically a coconut macaroon-type bon-bon thingy.  It was a one-biter, but delicious!!!

I continued to walk around and take pictures.  While I didn’t have anything to eat at the Café in the Theatre, I did feel it necessary to take a photo!  The second photo is from atop a wall/cliff next to the Cafe in the Theatre.

After making my way up hills and then down hills and along this street and that street, I finally found the center square, which is lined on three sides by restaurants, all with outdoor seating.  The town hall is also there (third photo below).

I chose to continue my trek to a less-populated are and wound up at . . . believe it or not . . . a place called the Arizona Saloon.  I treated myself to a hard cider, and a chicken wrap and cucumber salad, all of which was delicious.  I people-watched for a bit, and then walked around a bit more.

There was one sight I had seen on a map, at the beginning of today’s venture, that I was bound and determined to find!  I looked all over (the maps around the town were a bit difficult to navigate, as none of them had a “you are here” locator.)  Anyway, as I was back where I started in the morning, I decided to head back into the town to try and find it.  Wouldn’t you know, it was one of the first buildings I saw and photographed (the courtyard) when I entered the town.  I was on the back side of it and didn’t realize what it was.  OK, time to break the suspense . . . for all of my friends who are as avid fans of THE GOLDEN GIRLS as I am . . . you KNOW I had to see St. Olaf’s Church!

I arrived back at the ship around 2:30, did some work in the office, did a load of laundry, took a nap, and then went to the office for some evening work.  I was hoping to get on one of several half-day tours of St. Petersburg tomorrow morning, but all of the ones I wanted were sold out.  I ended up going to bed at midnight . . . I was feeling very tired.  It was a full day.   :)

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013

I was hoping to get off the ship yesterday, in Warnemunde, Germany, but one thing led to another and it didn't happen.  I'm looking forward to doing so next week.

Today was Sea Day #1 for this voyage . . . grey, cold, drizzly, and lots of slow rocking today.  Fortunately, it didn't really affect me, but it did bother some other crew members with whom I work . . . I can only imagine how passengers felt.  OY!

 

BAND ON THE RUN tonight . . . such a fun show!

TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2013

We were back in Copenhagen today.  Today starts the second of my three voyages on the Star.  It's crazy to think that I am 1/3 of the way through this contract.  My predecessor left today and I stayed on board and got a lot of work done.  I am almost "caught up" and organized . . . no easy feat with what I walked into when I arrived a week ago.  I am proud of the work I've accomplished.  I am looking forward to seeing some of the ports during this upcoming voyage and just "doing" my job.

MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

Today was our second day at sea.  Sea days are usually busy, as they’re usually when the production shows are performed, so it entails a full technical run-though of the show at some point, and two performances.  And, when it’s the last day of the voyage, there’s LOTS of paperwork to do . . . reports wrapping up the voyage, scheduling of next week, and 48,000 little things that just “pop up.”

 

Tonight was the production show, ELEMENTS.  WOW!  It’s amazing.  There is no dialogue and no singing.  It’s all dance, movement, illusions, and effects.  Not only is the production cast in the show, but so is the magician and the aerialists.  It’s really a sight to see.  I don’t even need to install it with a new cast, having to work out all of the intricate technical details, but I look forward to calling its cues for the next two weeks, and watching what I can of it again.  It’s fantastic.

 

This is not the current cast, but, once again, thanks to Google, I can post a photo.

Again, this is not the current magician, but thanks to Google . . .

This is also not of the current magician, but it is of my buddy, Justino Zoppe,
who did ELEMENTS on and off for a long time.

It’s hard to believe that today marks the end of my first of three voyages of this contract.  I enjoy these short, little stints.  I’ll have to remember that for future bookings . . .

SUNDAY, JULY 7, 2013

Today we were in Stockholm, Sweden.  It looks very cute.  I look forward to seeing it next week.

Thank you, again, Google.

Tonight’s entertainer in the theater was a woman named Jennifer Fair.  She was a classical/opera singer.

SATURDAY, JULY 6, 2013

Today we were in Helsinki, Finland.  I don’t know why, but every time I hear or see that word, I think of the computer game (OK, I’m going to age myself) “Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego?”  Helsinki was one of the cities in that game and to this day, that’s what I think of . . . it must’ve been my first introduction to the city’s name and it just stuck.  I suppose it’s a good pneumonic device, of sorts.

 

Thanks again for the photo, Google.

Timo (whom I wrote of last week), who is a resident of Sweden, is actually a citizen (by birth) of Finland.  One story I neglected to write about earlier, when I told of my afternoon and evening with he and Naja, in Copenhagen, is worth mentioning . . . 

 

Copenhagen is one of those cities with lots of one-way streets.  And they are narrow streets (it’s an old, European city, after all).  To make matters worse, cars may be parked facing either way on these one-way streets . . . what that is about, I absolutely CANNOT comprehend.  Well, apparently neither can Timo.  Either that, or he really wanted to give me an authentic, local Danish experience, because we drove down a one-way street . . . yup, the wrong way . . . and yup, shortly thereafter, flashing blue lights were behind us!  Timo is fluent in Finnish and Swedish, and understands quite a bit of Danish.  I have no idea what was said between he and the Danish police officer, but shortly after Timo’s driver’s license was returned to him, we were on our way, without any tickets issued.  It didn’t take long (about 3 minutes) until he, Naja, and I were laughing about the incident.  That’s when Timo said he really wanted to give me the full experience.  That is NOT what I expected to happen during my first day in Europe.  Still, it’s a fun story . . . thanks, Timo!

Tonight's entertainers in the theater was aerial/adagio duo Jocka & Maria, with whom I worked for 9 weeks on the Dawn.

 

FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

Today was our second day in Russia.  The crew shuttle bus doesn’t operate on the second day, so unless a crew member is on a tour, a crew member is on the ship!  Ah well.  As it stands, I don’t expect to get off of this ship until our next voyage.

The Russian Folkloric group boarded this afternoon and performed their show at 4:45pm.  I didn’t catch much of it, but the guests who were on board seemed to enjoy it.  It was “traditional folk” music, dancing, costumes, etc.  Tonight's main stage entertainment was Duo Platchkov.  They are really entertaining, but Stefan does a 14 minute segment where he goes up and down a single ladder (not an A-frame).  He walks around on it, juggles, etc.  Those acts make me so nervous because of the "what if" factor. Fortunately, there were no accidents.  WOO HOO!

 

 

This midnight daylight is still so odd, and it is raising havoc with my body’s internal clock.  Still, it beats 9am-5pm in a cubicle, under fluorescent lighting.

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2013

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!

 

 

I went to bed at 11pm last night and fell asleep rather quickly.  We moved an hour forward at 2am, and at 3:30am, I was wide awake.  By the time 5:30am rolled around, I decided enough was enough, showered, dressed, and went up to deck 12 for breakfast and to watch us sail into St. Petersburg, Russia.  That was an odd sensation.  First, I never thought that Russia is a place I'd visit.  Nine years ago, when I was working at New World School of the Arts in Miami, my then-boss visited St. Petersburg and raved about it.  To be here now feels odd.  Second, as today is America's independenc day, it's even more surreal.  Having grown up during the cold war, it feels ironic to be here today.  And the funny thing about Russia . . . in order to go ashore, one must either buy a bus ticket, or have a excursion booked.  Really?  I'm from the days when people defected FROM Russia . . . not the other way around.  It's a very odd mindset around which I must wrap my head.

 

 

 

We had the weekly boat drill this morning.  In my position, I am lucky that I only have to attend one per month and since I just boarded, today was my lucky day.  I have no safety duty, so once the general emergency alarm sounds, I go to a certain station on the promenade deck, put on a life jacket, and wait . . . and wait . . . and wait . . .

After the boat drill, we had a full entertainment department meeting, then I took a nap.  Unfortunately, my mobile phone rang twice, waking me from a sound sleep both times.  Ah, to be on call 24/7 . . . one of the reasons I didn't want to repeat this position.  LOL.  Oh well.

Tonight, the five female production cast singers performed an abbreviated, ship version of SHOUT!  The Mod Musical.  It's 60's music and takes place in England.  It's a fun little show with great tunes.  We had our technical rehearsal at 3pm, then I did some work, grabbed a bite to eat, and worked more.  The show was at 8:30pm.  There was a BBQ and 4th of July party up on the pool deck in the evening.  I attended, had a couple of cocktails, and chatted with the production cast members for quite some time, getting to know them.  Two of the female production cast singers performed an a capella version of the U.S. National Anthem, and it was WONDERFUL!  We have more Americans on the ship than I initially thought we did.  It was a lovely evening, perfect weather - clear, a slight breeze, mild temperature . . . but it was very odd to have the sun out at 10pm . . . then 11pm . . . then midnight.  I didn't have my camera with me, but am planning on carrying it more next week.  I AM going to take a photo of midnight sun at some point!

I am HOPING that this jet lag will end soon and I'll be able to sleep through the night . . . although, as cool as it is, this daylight at midnight really messes with one's head.

Oh, tonight, up in the Market Cafe (the buffet on deck 12), there were American flag cakes.  I didn't have a camera, or I'd have taken a picture.  And I did not have any cake, though it looked delicious.  I remember, as a kid, having an American flag cake for the 4th of July, at our family cottage on Honeoye Lake.  Apparently I was pooping blue for days . . . that I don't remember, but hey, we all show our patriotic colors in different forms, right?!?!

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013

Today we are in Tallinn, Estonia.

 

 

I had one production cast member say that this was his favorite port.  Apparently, when one disembarks the ship, to one side is "old world," while to the other side is "modern."  I must check it out next week.  For me, the day was spent doing more organizing and clean-up.  Nothing terribly exciting to report.  Tonight's main stage entertainment was a German musician, Andy Buenger, who plays a multitude of instruments, accompanied by the show band.

One thing I found odd . . . or, rather, intriguing, was how CALM the Baltic Sea was tonight.  It was about 11pm (before we jumped an hour forward again) and I looked out my window and it was so calm.  I was baffled.  But hey, I will take that over rough seas any day!!!

TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2013

Today is our first day at sea . . .

Another busy day, working over 10 hours.  Nothing terribly exciting to report.  It's been "chilly" (spring/fall) weather, yet people are still in the pool!  It seems to be mostly kids.  The adults appear to be sensible and stay in the jacuzzis!  I know that's where I'd be . . . with a cocktail in hand!

 

Tonight's main stage shows were the production cast's performances of BAND ON THE RUN.  This is the 70's show that was also on the Dawn.  I really like the show - it's fun, good music, high energy.  It was odd to first hear this cast, during the afternoon's technical rehearsal, and then see them perform at night.  The choreography is the same, is is the majority of the spacing, but several costumes are different on this ship, as is some of the lighting.  It was fun to see a slightly different version of this show, though.

Still dealing with the jet lag . . . boo!  I really hope it's not this bad when I go back to the U.S.A. at the end of the month, as I jump right into my production stage manager gig for the new cast of the Norwegian Sky.

In other news, how is it already July?!?!

MONDAY, JULY 1, 2013

Today we were in Warnemunde, Germany.

Google has been such a friend with this blogging!

Jet lag stinks!  I went to bed about midnight last night, and we moved forward an hour at 2am.  About 3am, I awoke and was awakd for a while . . . I don't know exactly, but at least two hours.  Ah well.  Bring on the extra vitamins!

 

I spent the majority of the day reorganizing paperwork, binders, files, etc., while learning a few special details of this ship.  Tonight, we had two different shows.  The first was a German folkloric show, with local performers, and the second was Jorgos, the magician currently on the ship.  I did step off the ship today when my predecessor and I went to the terminal to get the folkloric performers.  I exclaimed as I stepped off of the gangway, "hey, I'm in Germany!  Woo hoo!"  It was exciting, as the last (and only) time I was here was when I was 11 years old, in 1986.  Oh my, I really just dated myself!  Yikes!

 

I have nothing terribly exciting to report.  I worked over 10 hours today, but feel like I am slowly making progress on the task at hand.  I have resigned myself to the fact that I will pretty much stay on the ship this week, getting the "house" in order.  Next week, once the woman I am replacing has left, and I'm "doing it" on my own, I plan to get off the ports, and experience some of these wonderful Baltic countries.