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.

SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 2013

Today I boarded the ship!

 

We (the approximately 40 crew members and I that stayed at the hotel last night) were picked up at 8am and driven (via a bus) to the port.  After going through security, filling out paperwork, and a whole lot of "hurry up and wait," we finally boarded the ship.  Then we did more paperwork.  The woman who I am replacing went ashore today (with my blessing), so I met the cruise director on my own . . . he seems great, walked around the ship and acquainted myself, and just settled in a bit.  The layout of the ship is almost identical to the Dawn, with a few minor exceptions.  The decor, however, is quite different.

Once the current Entertainment Production Manager arrived, we really got to work.  There are a lot of things that are not happening here that should be, so I have my work cut out for me . . . lots of organization and "clean up" needs to happen, but that comes second nature to me, so I'll enjoy the task, no doubt.  And, it'll be a great feeling to have left my mark, and left things better than I found them.

The afternoon's entertainment started with the production cast performing "Let's Get Loud" on the pool deck for the sail away party, as they did on the Dawn.  We then had rehearsals for the evening's Welcome Aboard Show.

The Welcome Aboard show tonight included the production cast (they are all very nice and a talented group), the magician (Jorgos), Jocka & Maria (the aerialists with whom I worked for 8 weeks on the Dawn back in the winter - they actually leave at the end of this voyage), and the cruise director.  We had one show at 8pm, followed by a 9:30pm of guest entertainers "Supreme Dreamgirls."  They are, as you'd suspect, a tribute to The Supremes.

By the end of the day, I was beat!  I am not sleeping well.  I fall asleep rather easily, but wake up a few hours later, as we are 6 hours ahead of Eastern U.S. time . . . so my intial sleep feels like a "nap" to my body.  Jet lag isn't too fun.  Ah well . . . a small price to pay . . . hopefully I'll get over it quickly.

SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 2013

My overnight flight landed in Copenhagen, Denmark at approximately 10:15am, local time, 30 minutes later than our scheduled arrival.  It was grey and drizzly.  UGH!



Terminal 3 of Copenhagen Airport - the terminal into which I arrived on July 29, 2013



The Danish flag



After finding the shuttle bus stop, I took the hotel shuttle to the Quality Airport Hotel Dan (a Quality Inn in the USA).  I checked in and had wireless internet, so I was able to email my friend, Timo, about getting together.  We had made plans prior to my trip over here . . . actually, I emailed him earlier in June, as soon as I knew it was a possibility I might be doing this contract.  So, we made our plans and I took a nap.  It was tough to wake up, but I did, showered, and met he and Naja at the hotel around 3:30pm.  It was so great to see them, and we laughed about how, when we all disembarked the Norwegian Dawn on May 3rd, none of us thought that we'd be seeing each other in Europe less than two months later!  Timo and Naja are half of the aerial group with which I worked on the Dawn, for the majority of my contract.  They are a lovely couple, and I'm so happy to call them colleagues and friends.

 

Naja is Danish, originally from Copenhagen, and Timo is from Finland, but a resident of Sweden.  As a result, I really got the full Scandanavian experience from the two of them!  We started at a little cafe, the name of which I can't recall, and had . . . believe it or not . . . cheeseburgers . . . which were delicious!  We were there for quite some time, chatting and catching up, and by the time we left (sometime around 6pm), the skies had cleared and the sun was shining. It was cool (for my standards), with the temperature around 65 degrees Farenheit (I'm guessing).

 

 

 

After our late lunch, we walked around downtown Copenhagen and saw some fabulous architecture.  The Tivoli Amusement Park is the second oldest in the world, having opened on August 15, 1843.

 

 

 

After our walk around this area, we went to, what I'll call the "river area" which is seen in all of the postcards and tourism photos of Copenhagen.  En route there, we stopped to take a photograph of Timo and I outside of the Finnish Embassy (remember, he is a Finnish citizen).  Then, we stopped at a pub, grabbed some beer . . . yes, even I drank beer . . . and relaxed outside.  Like Florida (during the winter months), there are heaters placed around outdoor seating almost everywhere here.  But, the Danes go a step further and have blankets on the chairs.  It's really kind of neat.

 

We watched people, chatted lots more and had a great time.  At one point, I asked Naja what "pissoir" meant, and, as I suspected, it has to do with urinating.  We couldn't figure out why the street was named as such . . . I suggested that maybe after too many beers, people just stand along the river's edge ane pee into it.  Nonetheless, she thought it was fun to take a photo of Timo and I under the sign.  The part that still astounds me is that the sun is in the background . . . I was fading and at one point said that I thought it was time for me to get back to the hotel.  I didn't know what time it was and Timo informed me it was 9:40pm.  WHAT?!?!?!  But the sun is still out . . . THAT was disconcerning . . . and really threw me off!

 

 

Timo and Naja drove me back to the hotel, where we arrived at approximately 10pm, said our farewells, and I fell asleep quite quickly.  It was a wonderful afternoon/evening with two wonderful people, and a great beginning to this journey!

FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2013

Just when I thought my days at sea were over . . . and I intended them to be so . . . I am off to a ship.  Today I start my journey to serve (briefly) as the Entertainment Production Manager on the M/S Norwegian Star.  The Star is the sister ship to the Dawn and actually, we tendered next to each other in Belize City, Belize, and docked next to each other in Cozumel, Mexico, all during my winter months in the Caribbean.  Anyway, I am working on the Star for just 4 weeks, and only three voyages, in the Baltic Sea.  NCL calls this itinerary the Baltic Capitals Cruise.  We begin in Copenhagen, Denmark and travel to Warnemunde (near Berlin), Germany; Tallinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia; Helsinki, Finland; and Stockholm, Sweden.

 

 

I left my condo at approximately 10:15am.  Phylis Philpson, my neighbor and good friend, rode with me to the airport and drove my car back.  I was supposed to leave, Ft. Lauderdale at 11:48am, but weather caused us to leave about an hour late.  We did make up some time in the sky, and arrived at JFK International Airport in New York City about 40 minutes late. 

 

Yes, that is Fort Lauderdale in the background.  Thank you, Google.

My darling Erin Craig took the subway out to JFK to have a bite to eat and a drink with me.  Well, Delta is in Terminals 2 and 4 at JFK (3 is closed) and is connected by a shuttle.  Unfortunately, we found out (the hard way) that there are no restaurants outside of security at either terminal.  Fortunately, there was a small Starbucks in Terminal 2, so we grabbed a Frappuccino each, and sat in some airport seats for about an hour and a half, watching people arrive to the airport and check in.  While I admit that I much prefer a leisurely glass of wine in a more subdued environment, it was great fun to see Erin and gab.  And now we have a silly story/memory.

 

 

I boarded my international Delta flight at approximately 6:30pm and once again, due to summer weather, we left an hour later than planned.  We were scheduled to leave at 7:20pm, but didn't end up taking off until about 8:30pm.  The weather caused our "corridor" (air highway) to be closed.  Hey, better safe than sorry, as far as I'm concerned.  We took off and I partook in a few glasses of red wine (which is free on Delta's international flights, thank you very much!), had dinner, watched LINCOLN, and tried to sleep.  Damn an 8+ hour flight is NOT comfortable!  I don't know how crew members that have 11, 12, 13, etc. flights (sometimes more than one) do it!  I did have an exit row window seat which was nice.  The plane's seating configuration was 2-3-2, which was a nice size - not too big and not too small.

 

Sweet dreams . . . well, not quite, but I tried . . . I dozed on and off.  One of the strangest things was that as we headed east, and caught up to the sun, shortly into our flight, there was always light on the horizon - that was an odd thing to see and sensation to feel.