Happy New Year!!

Last night was New Year's Eve here on the Rhapsody, which meant a busy night for the orchestra. After a morning rehearsal and our two evening shows, the night was just getting started. The orchestra did a big band set in the centrum from 11pm right up until the countdown. The Centrum is a big open lobby that goes up for 5 decks, and was absolutely packed with people. We were right in the middle of things, and all got covered in confetti and had balloons falling all around us when Captain Rick led the final countdown, as we all were sneaking sips of champagne while playing Auld Lang Syne. It was a really great atmosphere with so much energy and excitement in the room. We finished playing around 12:30 as people danced all sround us, and then all went to the back deck to have our crew celebration. We did a belated countdown at 2am for all of us who were working at midnight, which was pretty funny. It was a really fantastic night. Happy New Year to everyone at home!!!

Wrapping up Christmas

On Christmas Eve after our two shows, the band gathered to play carols in the Centrum Lobby, which was totally packed with people. We had planned for ten songs, but ended up doing many more than that because people wanted to keep singing and kept calling out songs. We finished just past 11pm, after which my friends came over to my cabin for a while to hang out. The ship crew welfare had organized a crew Christmas party on Back Deck (the crew bar), so we all headed up there eventually. People celebrated all over the ship, and a few of us ended up at smaller parties along the way, in the engine room and the aft mooring deck. Eventually we all ended up at back deck, and stayed out until the wee hours enjoying each other's company. The next morning I was up at 8am to open my stocking (thanks, Mom and Dad!) and then to go to a secret santa revealing party with the cast. It was a lot of fun, and really made things feel like Christmas. I watched a Christmas movie in the afternoon with my friends, then after work (one big band set in the Centrum) we all reconvened to give our little gifts and enjoy a Christmas mini-feast of crackers and nice cheeses that we had bought and smuggled on in Noumea a few days before. It was a really wonderful day, spent with good friends on board, and I stayed busy enough that I didn't get too lonely being away from home on Christmas. It was great to open presents from family at home, and to be able to call and talk to them from the ship as they opened mine.

Today we begin another special week - our New Year's cruise. Traditionally the most expensive cruise to buy as a guest, it is always very full and with a generally younger and livelier crowd, much like Christmas is. All week the guest gym has been totally packed, and it will be next cruise as well, quite a change from the norm. It is nice to have so many young people on board. I've also glimpsed a welcome name on the guest entertainer line-up for this cruise - Mario D'Andrea. The first show I ever played on a ship, on the Galaxy in May 2007, and a good friend that I haven't seen in a couple of years. He should be on board today in Sydney, and I plan to track him down right away. I'm really looking forward to seeing him again. It should be a great end to the year 2010....time to start thinking of my resolutions!!

Christmas Cruise!

We began our Christmas cruise a few days ago in Sydney. I started the week off right by going to a matinee of Hillsong's Christmas show, called "Someone has Stolen the Star", a Christmas mystery. We had barely enough time to make it out to their Sydney Hills campus and back. The show was amazing, the church really went all out and spent a lot of money on sets, video, lighting, the works. There were even bubbles let down from the ceiling to imitate snow at a couple of points in the show. It was really incredible....my friend Julie and I were really impressed.

Christmas is really in full swing here, despite the warm weather. The Centrum lobby is fully decked out with a giant tree, poinsettias everywhere, garlands, etc..... the crew and guests seems to all be wearing Santa hats around. I've been wearing a pair of reindeer antlers given to me by my secret santa - someone in the cast. Last night the cruise division had a wrapping party - we had to wrap over 500 gifts - one for every kid on board this week, so they can each get one. It took us about an hour and a half, with all of us working hard, taking up the entire floor of one of the conference rooms. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve for us, and we'll start all the planned events. Everyone is looking forward to it.

This week has been a fun one for going ashore - we're back in the south pacific islands, and we went to the beach 2 days in a row in Isle of Pines and Mystery Island, for some really great snorkeling. One of my favorite things to find is Nemo. Seriously - they are everywhere if you know how to look here. You find a big anenome, and watch for them hiding inside it. There are a few different types of clownfish or anenome fish (Nemo's real name), and seeing different colors and varieties is fun for me. I also love swimming up to the big clams and watching them close in reaction. The snorkeling was amazing both days. Its been nice to enjoy to warmer weather after spending a couple weeks in NZ.

Two more sleeps til Christmas!!

Kiwi Adventures!

The last few ports in New Zealand turned out to be a whole lot of fun. The ship offered a crew tour to go whitewate rafting in Tauranga, and several of my friends and I signed up. I didn't really know what I was getting into, my last rafting experience having involved no paddling or moments of high adrenaline. This tour took us to some class 5 rapids, and we were definitely all paddling! There were six of us in our raft, plus the guide. We got to go through some exciting rapids and culminated in a terrifying 7 meter waterfall. Umm.....what?? We made it over without flipping, but one of the other rafts wasn't so lucky and everyone in it got dumped in the river. People were falling out of their rafts left and right. It was quite a rush!! We were all grinning and loving it the whole time. After rafting, my friend Tim and I had just enough time to climb up Mount Mauao (I think I got the order of those vowels right...) which is right next to where we dock. Its only about an hour to get up and back, so nothing serious, but a beautiful view from the top.

I have been working for Shore Excursions all week, and finally traded in that time spent for some tours on our last two ports. In Auckland I climbed the harbor bridge, which was a really neat experience. I also happened to get to see my friends bungy jump from the bridge as I climbed back down it. We stopped to watch 2 or 3 jumps, and I got to witness Tim's face as he did his very first bungy jump. Classic. A lot of my friends are going to go again next time we're here, but I'm not convinced yet. It is actually really safe though. I know, Mom, you don't want me jumping off bridges, I know I know....

Today I was lucky enough to be able to have lunch with the captain, Captain Rick, and some guests in the dining room. Captain Rick does this with VIP guests fairly often, and they like to send someone along from the cruise division as well. This is the first time anyone's called me to do it, and I was happy they did. It was neat to be able to sit down to lunch with the captain and ask him questions, and fun to chat with and answer questions from the guests after he had to leave.

Tonight was a Beatles tribute band, which means we had the night off. Hooray! A bunch of us went to the show just for fun. The best thing about it was that we weren't playing in it. :-)

New Zealand so far

We started our New Zealand cruise with a day exploring Milford, Doubtful, and Dusky Sounds in the South island. The scenery reminded me of parts of Alaska and of norwegian Fjords. We were very lucky with the weather, and had beautiful blue sunny skies in a place where is is raining almost all the time. We got quite a shock though at how cold and dry it was in the south of New Zealand, as compared to Sydney and the south pacific islands we've been cruising. It was very cold our first couple of ports. Now we're up in the north island, and things are much warmer here.

I was unlucky enough to be one of the 2% of crew that had to turn up at 6:45am in our first New Zealand port (Dunedin) for a random passport check. Not fun. I didn't even end up getting off the ship that day because I had a pretty bad cold. It was a good day to stay warm in bed.

In Christchurch I went out to lunch with friends, did some shopping, and climbed the bell tower of the cathedral in the center of town. I was at the top of that tower once before when I was here in New Zealand 6 years ago, and it was neat to be in the same place again, but with different people and at a different place in my life.

In Wellington I checked out the Te Papa museum, probably the most famous in New Zealand, and got to see a preserved "colossal squid" that was found in the Antarctic. Wellington is actually the capital of New Zealand, despite Auckland being much bigger and more populated, with the country's primary airport. In the afternoon I also got to meet up with my old friend Hayden, who lives there. Hayden was the sax player in the band on my very first ship 3 years ago, Celebrity's Galaxy. It was wonderful to catch up with him for a few hours.

In Napier a few of us went out to lunch and then went on a scenic tour for a couple of hours. The countryside was really beautiful. We went to the top of Te Mata mountain for some photos, and got to visit a winery as well. Hawkes Bay region is famous for its wine. I also got to have my first sheep sighting. They are everywhere in New Zealand as soon as you leave the cities. As we sailed away from Napier that night, I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets of my life. It was truly incredible. It stopped all of us in our tracks and had us staring for half an hour. I was really blessed. Thanks God!!

Heading to New Zealand

I'm in Sydney once again! This past week I only got off the ship in one of our two ports due to rehearsals on the second port day. But the day I did get off was great - in Noumea, New Caledonia a half dozen of us braved the island's public trans to get ourselves to Duck Island, via city bus and water taxi. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we spent a nice day on the beach and snorkeling around the coral reef. Other than that one day, my whole week was spent on board, keeping entertained outside of work by hanging out with friends, playing board games, N64, and fooseball in the crew rec room. We all seem to be reaching a new comfort level with each other, choosing to spend our free time together rather than on our own whilst at sea. It certainly helps the days go by quickly. I can't believe how quickly Christmas is coming. I've decorated my cabin for the occasion, and even bought an advent calendar so I can count the days by eating a little piece of chocolate each day. Not a bad idea at all. :-)

Today we will begin our 14 day New Zealand cruise, something we've all been looking forward to for quite some time. Not only will we get to be in new places, but the ports and cities have much more to offer than the idyllic but undeveloped places we go in the South Pacific. We can't wait to explore some new cities. A couple of days will also just be spent cruising around some of the most scenic corners of the country, which should be really interesting as well.

A few days ago on board I met 3 people from Peru and we got to talking in Spanish at the crew bar.....somehow by the end of the night I had 3 new peruvian best friends and I had promised to visit them when I go see Machu Pichu someday, and also help all three of them with English. I love it when I get to meet interesting people like that.

Blue Suede Cruise

We just finished our charter cruise today, and it was quite a ride. The ship was full of partying rock-and-rollers, who loved dressing up and adored Elvis. They quite literally drank the ship dry, and a crew party had to be cancelled as a result, as well as bartenders working overtime and being drafted from crew areas to keep the guests happy. The bartenders are exhausted, but happy as they made hand over fist in tips this week.

We did end up having a very easy week, with a grand total of 2 rehearsals, one 10 minute recording session, one big band set, and 2 farewell shows on the last night. Because of bad weather we missed one of our 2 ports, which meant we had five sea days this week. It was a great week to have room service, and I enjoyed it a lot. :-) (I used a crew rewards card to get it for a week) I have been getting to know our new band members a bit more this week. Tim, our pianist, is from Connecticut, 24. Nick, our drummer, is from New Zealand, and is in his late 20's I think. They are both fierce MarioKart and MarioParty competitors, as is my Australian friend Tracy. We had a couple of late nights this week giving my Nintendo 64 a workout.

This week its back to business as usual, and I think we are all ready to be a bit busier again, playing shows and doing big band sets. It was nice to have a really easy week, but now I'm ready to have something to plan my days around. Back to work! This week we will be going back to the two South Pacific Islands we did last week, and then the cruise after that will be our first run to New Zealand. We can't wait!!

Quick update!

Sorry its been a while!! This will be short but sweet as I'm headed back to the ship in 2 minutes....

We have a new cruise director, pianist, and drummer now, which means quite a few changes and some fun getting to know new people. The cruise director is from Norway, a beautiful tall blonde lady named Sol. We're still figuring out her style, but she is a very nice lady.

This week we have a 7-day rock and roll charter cruise, which means ......(drumroll please......) we have almost the whole week off!!! Hooray!!! If only I could just go home for a week....or hang out in Sydney...but it looks like we'll be doing one big band set at some point this week, and maybe the farewell show. I've never done a full charter, it should be fun! I plan to be out and about checking out the events they'll be holding.

Thats all for now, other than that I've just been snorkelling a lot in some amazing places in Vanuatu, and working on my tan!!

New places and trying new things

Well, my second stop in Fiji was much better than the first! It was a beautiful sunny day in Lautoka, Fiji. I've started working for the shor excursions desk again, and I traded my hours for a tour that takes you by boat out to Savala Island, a tiny private island very close to shore. The snorkelling was really incredible there. The water was clear up to 20 meters of visibility, and the coral and fish were really fascinating. I saw some new things, like tons of bright blue sea stars, a
crown of thorns" sea star, and some really vibrantly colored fish. I also got a sunburn.....thats what snorkelling for 2 or 3 hours in a part of the world where there is no Ozone will do to you. Sunscreen was not much help....next time I'll keep my t-shirt on. On the island the crew of our little boat played some music for us in their language, and we had a really nice buffet linch with some of the best fresh fruit I've had in a while. It was a really great day.

In Vila, Vanuatu I tried something totally new - Zorbing. Ever heard of it?? Basically they put you in a big inflated ball inside a ball, and roll you down a hill. It sounds great, I know. :-) It was actually a lot of fun. The type of zorbing they do in Vanuatu isn't the type where you are strapped in and so are flipping head over heels inside the ball. Instead you go in a swimsuit with water in the ball, so you stay on the bottom of it as it spins around you. Hard to explain....the feeling is like the rush of a fast waterslide. We had an total blast doing it.

Tonight the show is "The Rat Pack's Back", obviously featuring three guys who sing the music of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin. The music is really fun to play, and I'm looking forward to the show. It looks like all three of them will be having funny interactions with each other and poking fun at each other peanut-gallery style throughout the show, much as the rat pack themselves would have done. Then we've got one more sea day before we get back to Sydney again. I really look forward to Sydney every week, it is one of my favorite places to be.

This turnaround day (in Sydney) we'll get a new pianist, which is always exciting. I've heard he's about my age and is from the states as well, which will be really nice. He's new to the company, so hopefully he is a good player. Exciting!

Rainy Fiji

Today we are in Suva, Fiji! Its my first time in Fiji. Unfortunately its a pretty rainy day and I don't have to best schedule, so I didn't really get to sightsee much other than the town itself. To be honest, the town of Suva isn't very nice. You really have to rent a boat to get out to the untouched beauty that Fiji is famous for. So since I can't do that today, I've just wandered about the little downtown area, and settled at Gloria Jean's, a nice coffee shop that seems to be everywhere in the South Pacific, very similar to Starbucks. Unfortunately the wifi isn't free here, but its worth paying a little bit to be able to get online here, especially since there isn't much else I can do today. Gloria Jean's always has really pretty foam-art, if you're ever lucky enough to visit one. Once the barista wrote my name in caramel syrup across the top of my caramel latte, and today they drew an intricate leaf with the different color foams. Not sure why anyone out there would care, but it makes me happy.

The other day we visited the Isle of Pines in New Caledonia, which was absolutely gorgeous. I am so happy we get to go back there petty often. It is almost entirely untouched, with beautiful white sand beaches and blue water for snorkeling. The best thing is that its all right there as you get off the ship - there really isn't anything there but the beach. I can save money and enjoy a really beautiful place every time I'm there. Its called the Isle of Pines for a reason - there are pine trees of all sorts growing right near the beach, giving the island a really interesting look.

Tonight we have our 4th guest entertainer this cruise, which is getting a little bit mentally exhuasting. I know it isn't very many hours of work, about a grand total of 4, but it takes a lot out of you to learn a new show every day and perform it that night. You really have to be focused and tuned in so you can remember everything from the rehearsal and execute it perfectly the first time in from of 1000 people. And when its a new show every day so many days in a row it starts to require a lot more mental focus to stay 100% on top of things. So I'm gearing up for tonight - just one more act tonight before we have a break. I can do it!

First cruise in Australia

We just finished our first cruise in Australia, up the east coast all the way to Cairns and back. My schedule didn't allow me as much time in a few of the ports as I would have liked, but I still had a couple of great days. We had an overnight in Cairns, and so were able to all go out at night after our shows and experience a little of the nightlife there. On the second day a few of us braved a snorkeling tour to Green Island on the Great Barrier Reef, despite the weather being a bit nasty and rainy. The visibility wasn't great, but I still saw some amazing things, like a blue spotted ray, a sea turtle, and a huge nurse shark hiding under the reef.

In Airlie Beach I got to catch up with my old friend Matt, whom I haven't seen since the last time I was in Australia, something like 6 years or so ago. He took me around to see some of the sights, including a beautiful waterfall out in the semi-rainforest area, and to see the town where he lives and the school where he teaches grade 5. It was great to catch up with him, I had a really wonderful day. Unfortunately, we don't head up that direction again, except for once about 4 months from now at the end of my contract. But even having the one day was really nice. I had just enough time to get off the ship, take a picture, and eat some ice cream (the essentials) in both Brisbane and Newcastle, due to rehearsal scheduling, but it was still nice to se a little of those cities.

Yesterday was embarkation day once again in Sydney, and I got to do something really special. One of my favorite plays, The Pirates of Penzance, had a matinee in the Opera Theatre at the Sydney Opera House, and I bought myself a ticket. Having played in the show, I know it really well, and it was like seeing an old friend. An old friend who has curiously developed an Aussie accent. :-) I was smiling and singing along through the whole show and was in a great mood all day. The great thing is its so easy just to walk there from the ship, no worrying about transportation or having enough time. I could just enjoy it. The performers were all fantastic, as was the orchestra. It was neat to hear a full orchestra play the same show I had played. We were limited in our production, but they had the full monty: 10 violins, 3 violas, 2 cellos, 2 basses, 2 flutes, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, horns, two trombones and two trumpets. Awesome! In the morning I also revisted another old friend, a place called Pancakes on the Rocks. Mmmm.....yummy.

Today we're on our way to the South Pacific Islands, and also to Fiji for the first time. We are all looking forward to that!!!

Final Pacific Crossing

After about a week at sea, we finally arrived yesterday in Sydney, Australia. It is really hard to believe that we have come so far in a few weeks. We are so far from Seattle where we started.....not only across an ocean but on a different hemisphere as well! This leg of our repositioning was very very rocky - the seas were rough about 75% of the time. Many of us spent a lot of time in our beds, not because we were seasick (I felt fine the whole way), but because the rocking makes you very tired, and makes it difficult to walk, work out, or do anything well besides watching T.V. The Australian guests took the rought weather very well, though - I hate to admit it but if we had had mostly Americans they would have been miserable and complaining the whole time rather than taking it as an adventure and enjoying all the activities despite the challenges, as the Australians did this week. The majority of our guests were Australians that joined the ship in Hawaii, and they took it like champs.

So what did we do to stay entertained?? Well, we watched our way through both Star Wars trilogies and the Lord of the Rings movies, watched a lot of T.V., occasionally tried to work out despite our tendency to fall over often, read books, played scrabble and phase ten, and yes, worked occasionally. :-) As an orchestra we were quite busy with new entertainers very night. One lady (Jackie Love) was a lovely woman who is quite famous in Australia and got a great crowd and response from the guests at her show. Apparently she is a television and broadway star, well known for at one point having her legs insured for 2 million Australian dollars. Anyway she was a lovely woman to work with. Royal Caribbean's desparate search for variety enough to last a 16 night cruise landed us with something as bizarre as a show by a professional Hypnotherapist - he brought about 20 volunteers up on stage and proceeded to hypnotise them and provide us with "hypno-tainment." He did a crew show later on in the week, and it was really interesting to watch some of my friends go through the process. Strange stuff....

Yesterday we could not wait to finally dock and get our legs onto solid ground. I got off the ship as soon as I could and was astonished to walk off the ship and find myself literally about 10 steps from the Sydney Harbor bridge, and about a 5 minute walk from the opera house. We dock right in the middle of things, which is so wonderful for us since transportation is always our challenge. Downtown Sydney is an easy stroll up the street, and you can look out any window on the port side of the ship to have an unobstructed view of the opera house, just a few yards away on the other side of the harbor. I couldn't believe my eyes when I walked off and looked around to see the opera house right there. It has been about 5 years or so since I stood there, and it is surreal to be back. After a day in Sydney catching up on internet and uploading photos, I came back on board and watched the sailaway from the upper decks as the sun was setting behind the opera house. It was one of the most incredible views I have ever seen.

Tonight we have a show with someone named Grant Galea. It still strikes me as strange to think that I've never met this man before, but I'll be performing with him in just a few hours for a couple thousand people. I'm about to head to rehearsal now and see what's in store for me tonight. I'm so happy to finally be in Australia!!

Part II: Bora Bora and Raiatea

Bora Bora has to be one of the most beautiful islands in the world....it is green and beautiful, with a reef surrounding it forming a shallow lagoon that makes the waters calm and clearer than any I have seen before. Here we decided to try a hike that seemed do-able, since it was close to the ship and supposedly 4 or 5 hours roundtrip. So Blanche and I decided to tackle Mount Pahia. Despite our previous research, it took us about an hour and the help of several friendly locals to find the trailhead. After that we discovered that "hiking" was a misnomer.....it was more like mountain climbing. The trail went straight up the side of the mountain, through the jungle, with no switchbacks. I took the lead, and was the official spiderweb clearer....there were hundreds of big webs blocking the path that I attacked with a stick so as not to end up with my face in one of them. At several points along the trail all fours weren't enough - you had to use a rope to climb up the rock faces and some very slippery hillsides. It rained a fair amount in the morning, making the climb pretty difficult. It took us 3 hours to get to the top, and 2 to get back down. But arriving at the top was such an amazing experience....all the sweating in that humidity was totally worth it. The view was incredible, you could see the reef, lagoons, the beautiful water, and another nearby mountain. I felt like king of the world when I made it to the top. Also, I felt pretty good physically the whole way, so I'm tipping my hat to the crazy workouts I've been doing with the cast. Climbing back down the trail was pretty scary, trying not to slip on wet rocks demanded a lot of care. We both ended up on our butts a couple of times. I still can't really believe we made it to the top and back, and didn't get hurt. We found out later that you aren't supposed to do that hike at all without an official local guide....woops. I know why now....I definitely wouldn't recommend this trail to anyone who wasn't up for a major adventure. As for me....well I loved every minute of it. Tackling rocks and mountains and obstacles and sweating and finally making it to the top makes me feel so alive!! I think Blanche hated me the whole time, but I was just on an adrenaline rush and loving it. Except for a the couple of times I ate spiderweb. After the hike I had just enough time to catch a ride to Matira Point beach, and swim and marvel at the amazingly beautiful waters. I really could not believe my eyes....it was like being in a swimming pool. A quick dip in the sea (this is after I changed out of my mud-covered pants and hiking boots), then I stopped at the famous Bloody Mary's restaurant and bar with a few of the cast before reluctantly heading back to the ship. I sure packed a lot into one day in Bora Bora!! I wouldn't change it for the world. I'm so glad I did that hike....I'll never forget it. (My sore muscles still haven't forgotten it).

In Raiatea we had less than two hours ashore, due to an early sailaway and a crew boat drill. I got off for a quick lunch and a final grocery store stop before the longest part of our crossing. Once back on board I stayed out on deck for a couple hours to watch the entire sailaway, through the reefs and past nearby Taha island, to admire the incredible beauty and to bid my farewell to land in general. I took over 200 photos just of the sailaway....that is how beautiful it was. I promise to post photos as soon as we get to Australia and I can find an internet cafe.

French Polynesia, Part 1: Tahiti and Moorea

Yesterday we arrived in Papeete, Tahiti after 5 full days at sea. Tahiti is lush and green, just as you might expect a South Pacific island to be, with some beautiful beaches and resorts and the like. After quite a bit of preparation and research, Blanche and I embarked on a hike in the Fautaua Valley. I had decided that hiking was what I really wanted to do that day, to really be in the middle of nature on the island. We were able to make it to the valley and find the trail without a guide, and were pretty impressed with ourselves. Time constraints didn't allow us to make it all the way to the falls at the end of the trail, but what we did explore was really amazing. We hiked up into the valley and didn't turn around until absolutely the last second we had available to us. We hiked in a tropical rainforest surrounding, along a river. Everything was so green. At the end of the hike we found a neat deep pool of water surrounded by tall rocks and hillsides, and went for a swim there. The river water felt incredible. We had to cross the river in a couple of places and felt very adventurous. When we made it back to town we treated ourselves to cheeseburgers at a local restaurant in Papeete. We were in port until almost midnight, so I stayed out in town with some of the cast. We ate at the "food trucks", sort of fair-style trucks and vans that park near the harbor and serve all kinds of food into the night, and went out for a drink at another local bar. We got back on the ship around 10:30 pm, and I crashed pretty soon after that.

Today we were in Moorea, another French Polynesian island, quite close to Tahiti. Blanche and I got up early so we could catch the first tender boat ashore (its a tendering port where we anchor instead of dock) at 7am. We were greeted by the locals with a spread of fresh fruit and flowers for our hair (gardenias, the official flower of the islands). We found a local guide and joined a few other early birds for a relatively cheap tour of the island. He drove us to a couple of high lookout points, through a pineapple farm (we got to eat some fresh pineapple...yummy!!), and to a few "Mareas", old polynesian temple ruins. After our tour we did some snorkeling in the amazingly blue waters and then relaxed on the beach. We spent some time at the Intercontinental Resort, where they have bungalows on the edges of little islands literally on the water, with balconies that have ladders leading down into the ocean. I would love to stay there....wow. This island as well is just so green....and the mountains are very steep and unique formations. I think parts of South Pacific were filmed there. So far I am loving french polynesia....I wish we came here more than once!!! We still have two more ports to go, which I'm really looking forward to.

Equator Crossing!!

On our southbound cruise to Tahiti, we have now officially crossed the Equator into the Southern Hemisphere. I suppose I have technically crossed this imaginary line before while flying, but doing it by sea seems more exciting for some reason. To recognize the occasion, we had a ceremony on the pool deck, where by proxy we were all "initiated" from being "pollywogs" (never crossed into the southern hemisphere before) into "shellbacks." To be initiated the crew members and guests who had volunteered were brought before "Neptune" (the cruise direcotr in a sheet and a white beard) the sea god to confess their crimes and that they had entered into his domain without permission and requested entry. Then as penance they had all sorts of food dropped on them, eggs cracked on their heads, and had to kiss a fish. I'm glad I didn't volunteer. At the end of the ceremony, by proxy, we were all inducted into the illustrious "shellback" society. All the crew received certificates for the crossing, as well, which are actually pretty cool. I wonder what they are going to do when we cross the international dateline???

A few quotes from the bandstand this week: During one show where we had a different set up and I was moved to be next to the rhythm section, our Swedish guitarist leaned over to me and said, "Andrea, I have never felt so close to you." After finishing a show where we played along with a clicktrack and doubled parts that were pre-recorded, our bassist said, "That was Track-tastic." While preparing for a guest talent show, one band member likened trying to follow an inexperienced singer to a race where instead of the guest running to the finish line, we have to pick up the finish line and chase them with it.

Hawaii!!

Hawaii was absolutely incredible. We had to much time off the ship, we really felt like we were on vacation. We certainly spent money like we were on vacation. Or spent like sailors, I guess.

Our overnight in Maui was incredible. I rented a car for both days, a little subaru impreza. Map in hand my friend Blanche and I explored quite a bit of the island. On the first day we went had a fantastic breakfast on the beach in Napili Bay (white and milk chocolate chip macadamia nut pancakes - hello!!), then went up to Honolua Bay for the best reported snorkeling on the island. After getting pretty sunburned I got checked into my hotel and got ready for the evening - a Luau on the beach with a lot of my friends from the ship. The Luau was so cool - the atmosphere is almost TOO perfectly Hawaiian, with palm trees, tiki torches, native people, and a sunset on the ocean, and the food was awesome. I loved the hula/ploynesian dance show that they put on, too. After the Luau I headed back to my hotel, and had a nice walk on the moonlit beach before taking my much-anticipated bath and crashing in my big, real bed. :-) The next day I picked up Blanch at the pier at 7am and we headed for the "Highway to Hana", to get as far as we could before heading back to the ship that afternoon. We tried fruit and banana bread from the roadside vendors, and made a few little treks to some small waterfalls and pools, and had a dip in one of them. The coast highway to Hana is absolutely breathtaking, and we made it about halfway around before we needed to start back.

In Kauai I didn't have much time ashore, but did manage to get to the beach, and went out to watch the sunset over the island as we sailed away. Kauai is so green and wet...over by the mountains it rains almost every day. I saw the unique hills on the north side of the island that are so recognizable in movies filmed there.

In Honolulu I did something I never thought I would ever do. My friends in the cast and I went skydiving off the north shore of Oahu! I still can't believe I fell out of a plane at 10,000 feet....but I have the photos and the DVD to prove it. :-) It was certainly a rush - but I didn't freak out nearly as much as I thought I might. I stayed pretty calm the whole time. Of course, you've gotta scream as you make the initial jump, otherwise its no fun. :-) We all went tandem, so we were hooked onto a pro who handled the parachute and the landing on the ground. It was a huge thrill....if I did it again I'd do it without the photographer so I could focus on the feeling of the freefall and enjoy the scenery more. But I don't know if I'll do it again....that remains to be seen. :-) I'm pretty proud of myself for trying something new that scares me! After getting changed back at the ship I went out on the town with the girls from the cast. We got all dressed up and went out to dinner at a restaurant in Waikiki, and then went out dancing until the wee hours. It was so much fun!! The next day I went to Pearl Harbor in the morning and visited the site and the Arizona Memorial. It was a very moving and emotional experience for me, and I learned a lot. That evening I visited the mall with my friends, did some more shopping in Waikiki, walked along the beach in the moonlight, and went out to dinner and dessert again with some of my friends. At 9:30pm we reluctantly trudged back on board, hating every step.....we all wanted to stay in Hawaii forever!!! It really had started to feel like we didn't work on a ship and were just vacationing in Hawaii....the overnights made it really awesome. We sailed away aroun 11pm that night, and I went out on deck to watch the lights of Honolulu and Waikiki disappear into the night. Goodbye, Hawaii! I hope I get to come back someday!

Almost there!

We will finally be in Hawaii tomorrow!!!! I can't wait! It has been around 80 degrees for the past couple days, with gorgeous blue skies. It already feels tropical, and tomorrow I'll get my first sight of the islands. We start on the big island tomorrow, in Hilo. Unfortunately we have a rehearsal to work around, so I won't have as much time as I'd like, but whatever happens I will enjoy being in Hawaii. I can't wait to watch my first official Hawaiian sunset and take pictures!

The crossing has gone by very quickly so far, these 5 sea days have really flown by. Keeping busy helps a lot. The big test will be next cruise, with a total of 12 sea days....we'll cross that, well, ocean, when we come to it. :-) Thankfully the sea days are broken up into 2 segments so it'll be manageable.

We worked with a comedian/vocal impressionist named Roger Behr this week, who is apparently pretty well known. He was easy to work with, and told the band jokes before and after every show. A lot of them went over my head, but I appreciated the thought.

I met a fellow trombonist yesterday - he recognized me when I was walking around the ship, and is probably the only person on board to notice that I used a different trombone for Lionardo's show than for Roger's. I love meeting people like that. :-) It makes the extra effort I put in to bring that second trombone along feel worth it. There really are some shows that sound much better with my F-attachment large bore. Hooray! Ok, no more trombone-speak.

Well, I will do my best to post throughout my days in Hawaii, but don't be surprised if I wait til the end and then play catch-up. I plan to be very busy and have lots of adventures. Hawaii, here I come!!!

Pacific Crossing - the journey begins!!

On Friday we officially finished our last Alaskan cruise. It was a beautiful week, especially for mid-September, and there were a few great highlights I need to share with you before we start the next chapter, so to speak. First and most importantly, I got to see the Northern Lights for the first time in my life. I had been watching the forecasts and weather, and one day last week my efforts finally payed off. We are a bit too far south in Alaska to see the brightest and biggest displays, but we were all so excited by what we did see, some pale ribbons and veils of green light that were constantly changing. It was really beautiful. A few of my camera-savvy friends got some good photos, which I'll share as soon as I get them. I would love to see more of the phenomenon. Maybe someday! But for now I'm glad I got to check that off my list in a way. :-)

In Ketchikan I went on a Bering Sea Crab tour with one of the boats from season 2 of Deadliest Catch. It was an awesome tour - they demonstrated how crab fishing is done, and even did some right there while we watched. We all got to hold big ole crabs and prawns, and we saw the famous Alaskan King Crab too. There were a couple of run-ins with big octopi too, who sneak in the nets to feed on the crab. It was a really interesting tour. Afterwards a bunch of us went to the famous Alaskan Lumberjack show, which was a lot of fun. Monica and I brought some lumberjacks home with us.....on a calendar. :-) I had an amazing lunch of cheesy king crab pasta, did some shopping, and headed back to the ship. It was a great day, and fun to go to a new port.

Then on Friday we were in Vancouver for our embarkation day. I must say, Vancouver's ship terminal is a pain in the butt. Its confusing and big. Instead of just letting you out, they send crew on a giant roudabout loop around the whole building that takes about 10 or 15 minutes. Once out I went shopping with my friend Julie, one of the dancers. Mistake....spent a LOT of money. Spending like a sailor, I guess. But I'm pretty happy with my treasures. It was really fun to be in town for one day and get to wander around. We also had a great lunch at a little crepe place - yummy. Reluctantly, at 3:30 (the last minute) I got back on board the ship, which will be my scenery for the 5 day crossing to Hawaii.

This is now our second sea day, and the seas haven't been bad at all so far, though it is still cold out. It should start warming up maybe tomorrow, as we get further south. Last night we backed up a pianist from Vegas who goes by Lionardo. I can't say whether or not the show was entertaining for the audience, but my part was awesome. I had a whole bunch of sweet low notes that I got to honk out, and I had a really good time. After the show he took us out for drinks, which gives him major points as well. Tonight the cast has a show, which means we're off. I've decided to start going to the gym on the days the cast has a show instead of our workout, to make up for not doing anything on those days. So tonight that's where I'll be. Alright, enough already of this too-long post.

Goodbye, Seattle.

Yes, this is officially my last week cruising in Alaska. I've already had to say my goodbyes to Victoria and to Seattle. This week I will say goodbye to Skagway and Juneau, and say both hello and goodbye to the ports of Ketchikan and Vancouver. I know I haven't been posting much recently - I had a friend on board last week and we kept really busy making the most of his week here on board and cramming in all the fun we could. I got to make another awesome trip to the ice caves in Juneau, and go on the White Pass train again in Skagway.

This week we have Judy Kolba on board, an entertainer whose show I played on my very first ship, and who I haven't seen since. I need to look up my old posts to see what I said about her then....it would be interesting to compare. I had a great time playing her show this week. She is easy to work with, has a HUGE personality, and is absolutely hilarious on stage. Later this week we'll have the Unexpected Boys again. I'm hoping we'll get a lot of new entertainers for the crossing and once we are in the South Pacific. I'm ready for a change of scene in the theater as well as in the ports!

In other news, I survived a hard drive crash, thanks to the wonderful men and women of the Apple Store in University Village, Seattle. Thanks, guys!! Way to get me in last minute, give me a new hard drive in 20 minutes, and send me on my way in time to make it back to the ship.

Another night of Motown

Royal Caribbean really loves its Motown tribute bands, and since joining the Voyager last year I've played for my fair share of them. Its always the same songs, sometimes arranged by the same guys back in the states. This week we backed up Spectrum, a motown band with 4 guys (the average). They are really one of the better groups: entertaining, professional, and singing in tune (this doesn't always happen). They are also really easy to work with, and their charts make sense as far as we're concerned as horn players. The trick in writing for our size of band is to neither over nor underuse the horn section, a balance they've figured out pretty well. Another trick is not to write for the brass as if we were string players, with whole charts of long sustained whole notes that only serve to wear us out and don't use our punch capacity effectively. Treat us like a brass section please, and thank you! This motown show also goes by really quickly since Spectrum don't leave much downtime between charts, there are a lot of segues, and we are always on our toes. If you have to play a motown show, Spectrum is a good one to do. Tomorrow the rest of the band will back up an entertainer known as Bowzer, about whom I've heard all sorts of horror stories. Lucky for me, he doesn't use the trombone, so I only have to play the late big band set at the end of the night after the show. Another week in the life!

3,2,1, Hawaii!

Today I started a new workout regemin with the production cast. My friends in the cast have been on my case to start doing it with them, and now that I've just about kicked this cold I've had, I felt my excuses had run out. The workout routine is called Insanity. I think it needs no further explanation. Keeping up with professional dancers is pretty much impossible, but it is also hugely motivating. You don't want to be the one who gives up an exercise first, so you push yourself....needless to say, I'm exhausted. But I am looking forward to really getting into shape alongside them.

Yesterday I had a great day in Victoria. First, I saw "Hubble", an educational IMAX film. It was so incredible - I highly recommend it. If you was a refresher on just how inconceivably huge and beautiful God's universe is, this is a great film to see. The IMAX experience of a six-story screen doesn't hurt either, and was very appropriate to the subject matter. Second, I tried a new waffle place, and had a delicious savory waffle with brie, sliced pear, and bacon on it. Wow. Third, I got a hair cut. My hair is once again shorter than its ever been. It was a little terrifying to feel so much of my hair being cut off, but I'm really loving it. Maybe I've discovered my "true" hairstyle?? Or maybe this sleek new me will eventually want to return to the comfort and time honored tradition of the long hair I always used to have....I may yet grow it back out. But new is definitely fun.

My roommate Monica and the rest of the new cast have now finished all of their safety training, and today were assigned their new emergency numbers and emergency duties. Most of them are in Muster stations, as I am. Or should I say, was. Since today marked a lot of changes in the numbers, and there are a few allocated "entertainment/musician" emergency numbers that aren't required to participate in the guest drill, we were able to switch things around a bit. Thanks to my friend Beau (tenor sax) who is dating the dance captain and was able to reassign a few of our numbers through her (including his own), I now no longer have to do the guest boat drill. I cannot tell you how happy a day this is for me. Passenger boat drill is usually one of the necessary evils of my job, and thanks to some harmless meddling on Beau's part I no longer have to do it! Hooray! I told him I would love him forever. The neatest thing about it was that it didn't occur to me to ask for this, he was proactive and surprised a few of us with this unexpected release from a tedious job. Thanks, Beau! My embarkation days are so much nicer now....

Birthday Week!

Mom and Dad joined me on the Rhapsody this week for my birthday, and we kept very busy!! We hiked out to Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau for some more ice cave photos, and still had time afterwards to see some salmon running in a little place called Sheep Creek just outside of town, and to eat some of said salmon at the Thane Ore House. In Skagway I took my parents to the sled dog summer camp in the morning, and then we took a train ride on the White Pass railway in the afternoon. After that we still had a little time to shop for souvenirs. I ate dinner in the dining room with them all week, as a result of which I've probably gained 5 pounds....but it was worth it. :-) In Victoria we met up with some friends from back home in Lake Arrowhead, and all drove out to the Butchart Gardens for a lovely day of photo-taking. We had barely enough time to have some fish and chips at my favorite place in town before heading back to the ship. My parents are great - it was so nice to have them on board and to get to know they were there watching every time I performed, being proud and supportive as always. I checked my email a grand total of once the entire week, and still have a bit of catching up to do. It was a wonderful week, we celebrated my birthday as they were leaving in Seattle, and they brought me some wonderful gifts that I'll get to enjoy here. I got some little gifts and cards from a couple of my friends here on board, which was really nice, too. I'm still getting over a little bit of a cold, but I've been trying to rest and take it easy as much as possible, Luckily thats pretty easy to do on board the Rhapsody. :-)

In other news, I've officially requested my extension, and should have the final confirmation in the next couple of days, though I already heard back from the Miami office with their OK. So it looks like I'll be here until March 24th.....yikes!!! I am so glad to be able to get to do the circumnavigation of Australia, though, which this extension will allow me to do. Very exciting!!

Yesterday in Juneau I did my final shopping with my friend Blanche, in preparation for the rest of my contract, and the crossing in particular. I've planned ahead a lot and done what I suppose could be called "preventative shopping", so if I'm careful I should need to do any more shopping for sundries for the rest of my contract. It will be much cheaper in the long run, thanks to Walmart and buying in bulk at Costco. I hear things are much more expensive and harder to find once we reach the South Pacific. So now I'm ready! after this week, 3 more weeks of Alaska before the crossing! Bring it on!

Hiking

In Skagway my friend Blanche and I went hiking. The trail starts near the ship, and we took it up to Upper Dewey Lake, which is a 3100 foot change in elevation. It was a hard hike! It took us about 3 hours each way, but was so worth it. The scenery at the lake was amazing. I broke in my new hiking shoes on the mud and rocks. When we got to the top we jumped in the lake, and it was freezing!!! Glacial lakes don't make the best swimming holes. We were in the water for about 3 seconds before we scrambled back out. Days later, I am still sore from that hike, but Blanche and I are both really proud of ourselves for conquering that mountain. It was a real adventure!

Souvenirs

People collect all sorts of souvenirs as they travel. I've always saved pins, that I used to put on a hat until they became too many. Now they are all in a cork board in my room at home. I sometimes collect stickers from different places to put on my trombone case, though they eventually get scratched or ripped and come off. Any popular tourist destination will have its souvenir shops, where every tourist can find their item of choice, be it T-shirt or magnent, backpack or hat, shot glass or teaspoon, key chain or pen. I like souvenirs that are more real....like a rock I picked up on a trail, or a flower petal I saved and pressed into a book, something that actually reminds me of time I spent somewhere, or experiences I had there. One of my favorite souvenirs is a scar I still have on my left little toe from when I scraped it snorkeling in Bermuda. But all this time, I never knew my laptop was collecting its own souvenirs. Every time my little MacBook accessed a wireless network, it remembered the name of that network and the password, just in case it should ever need to join it again. Looking through this list of networks on my computer gives a unique recounting of my travels throughout the world. I can look at each one and remember when and where I was at the time I used it. Here's a few favorites from that list:

apuwifi: from my university days

Vino100: from when I worked next door at In the Woods

the laundry network: from a movie studio in Hong Kong where I hung out with an awesome Christian Chinese-Australian guy until the wee hours of the morning

London Bridge Resort 5: family vacation in Arizona

Wifi, The Green Turtle: internet cafe in Civitavecchia, Italy

Hotel Welcome: Villefranche, France

Gibraltar Arms Free Wireless: a pub in Gibraltar with awesome fries.

Helsinging kaupungin WLAN: a coffee shop in Helsinki Finland, on a rainy day

RCCL-CR-ITRF: the ship wifi. Expensive.

Caviar and Bananas: coffee shop in Charleston

The Fluffy Bunny Brigade: no idea where this network was, but it was so funny I had to post it.

I hope my laptop and I will both be collecting souvenirs for a long time yet.

Making up for free time

Well, I did sign up for some tours this week as mentioned before, to fill up some of the free time afforded me this cruise. In Juneau I finally went whale watching, which was really neat. It was kindof like living the discovery channel. The highlight was seeing a group of about a dozen humpback whales bubble-net feeding, where the whales coordinate with each other to creat a ring of bubbles, then chase the fish trapped inside it up the center and up to the surfaces, where they come up with mouthfuls of fish. It was truly incredible to see all the whales break the surface at once - I actually stopped breathing a couple of times.

In Skagway I went on a hiking trip on the Chilkoot trail that ended with a rafting trip back down to the trailhead. It was very similar rafting to what I did last week in Skagway, but this time my tour guide let me row the raft for part of it. Awesome!!! I did pretty good, too, considering I had to control a raft with 8 people in it. It was so fun....It was nice to have something more like an adventure than just sitting in the raft.

My side jobs have been keeping me busy, which is great. Unfortunately I only have one more week of art auction before the gallery leaves the ship. We still don't know if they will be replaced right away or ever with another gallery, and if so if that gallery would hire assistants in the same way, so I'm not counting on anything. I have 6 more weeks of Port and Shopping (that jobs finishes at the crossing), and I'm not sure if shore-ex will still need help after we do the crossing, or when we get a new manager, so that is up in the air as well. But my philosophy is just to ride the wave while I can, so to speak, and do as much work as I can while its still available.

posting more often, as promised.

Here I am in Tully's coffee shop in Seattle. I had an amazing "french toast" bagel breakfast sandwich for lunch....so good! Try one sometime.

The big gossip is that this week Gloria Estefan will be on board cruising with us. When I get back to the ship today I should find out if the rumors are true and she in fact got on board today. Unfortunately for us as a showband, we won't have much chance to make an impression on her if we wanted to, as we are off most of the week. Neither of the guest acts this week need us, so we are even more lazy than usual. Here's the rundown of my work schedule for the week:

Tonight: One welcome aboard show, about 10 or 15 minutes of work, possibly 25 seconds of work if we're lucky and only have to play on the cruise director.

Sat: off

Sun: off

Mon: off

Tues: 1 hour big band set

Wed: 1 hour big band set

Thurs: farewell shows.

For a grand total of.....about 3 hours of work this week. Wow. Sign me up for some tours!!!

Touring touring touring!

Last night my roommate Monica and the rest of the new cast of Royal Caribbean Singer and Dancers opened their first show, Piano Man. Congratulations to them, and especially to Monica, for their first show and a job well done. Monica has a cool bluesy voice with lots of character, and it was fun to hear her do her thing after a week of hanging out with her in the cabin. I think she and I are going to get along really well. Next week they will add a second show, then finally add the last one the week after that. Its coming along!

In Skagway this week I went on a rafting tour in an eagle preserve outside of Haines, a town about a half hour ferry ride from our dock in Skagway. We saw quite a few eagles, and the weather was really fantastic. Best day we've had yet in Skagway, I think. Our tour guide was a very intellectual and funny man named Tom Lang, who apparently writes books as well.....he has a website: http://www.boudelang.com/about.html. We all enjoyed his banter throughout the day. I shared a raft with a big, fun Irish family, and have been able to bump into them a couple times on the ship since.

Today I went back to Butchart Gardens, on a tour that had a "gourmet" picnic lunch. It was so wonderful....I brought my book this time and spent a while on a bench in the Rose Garden, reading and just breathing in the air. I'm now in downtown Victoria, and was finally able to catch up on posting my photos! Here are the links for those of you who aren't on facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2115937&id=56903845&l=dc2bfc89d6

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2116801&id=56903845&l=ca9bc2f2bf

New room, new roommate, new jobs, new shoes.

I feel like my new life here is beginning! I am all settled into my new, bigger cabin, enjoying the space, and the bottom bunk. I did some shopping last Thursday in Victoria to decorate my cabin - I got a whole set of matching throw pillows at a thrift store that have allowed my bunk to also be a couch - I line the pillows all up along the wall, and it looks great. It is wonderful to just be able to sit on my bunk and relax, something you really can't do on the top bunk. I have so much more storage space as well, which I am putting to good use as I seem to have been designated the heiress of everything the old cast left behind, like clothes, pillows, blankets, kettles, alcohol, a humidifier, and even a completely useless rock garden, which I admit I've already thrown away. But basically, I am completely set up for the rest of my contract, with everything I could ever want and more. My new roommate is Monica Hall, from the east coast of the US, and she is brand new to ships, wandering around in a daze and completely overwhelmed. She will be ok eventually, I'm trying to encourage her and calm her nerves as best I can. I get along with her well so far. I can't wait to hear her sing in their debut performance, which won't be til the end of the week.

I started two new side jobs yesterday, Port and Shopping and the Art Auction. It is really nice to be busy on the sea days, and nice to have a chance to interact with guests, something my job doesn't normally afford me the opportunity to do. Spending money also does not go amiss. Today I did some shoe shopping with two of my girl friends on the ship, and now all three of us are in rather high spirits, all the while disgusted with ourselves that buying new shoes should afford us so much happiness.

Also last Thursday, I went on a tour to the famous Butchart Gardens in Victoria. I must agree with the critics - the gardens are absolutely breathtaking. It is like a paradise of flowers and green living things. My camera is all worn out, and I can't wait to go back another time to enjoy the beauty some more. My tour included High Tea in the Butchart house, which was also fantastic. I'm still recovering from the delicious riot of sugar and carbohydrates. Altogether, its been a wonderful week since the last time I was here in Juneau. Bring on the next!

One month down!

Its hard to believe, but I've been here a month already! If the rest of the contract goes by this fast I'll be home before I know it! I'm starting to find ways to keep myself busy during my free time here, which is helping pass the time. I began volunteering with the Shore Excursion team, just an hour or two a week, and in return I get to go on tours for free. A pretty sweet arrangement, if you ask me! I started off by going whale watching a few days ago in Victoria. We saw a whole pod of orcas (albiet a bit far off) and a gray whale. I'm really excited about all the tours I'm going to be able to check out over the next couple months here in Alaska.

Last week we played for Kenny James, a show I really enjoy doing, and may have written about before. Kenny is a good entertainer and just a wonderful human being, and so easy to work with. His charts are pretty decent as well, with cool arrangements of Sir Duke and All Night Long, with some fun brass licks. My favorite part of the show, though is one where I don't even play. Kenny brought his son on board and had him playing bass in our band for the show. The two of them do an uptempo arrangement of Misty for voice and bass, and the bassline really grooves....you'd have to hear it to understand, but suffice it to say it is just really cool. I sat on stage grooving in my seat with a big smile on my face all four times I sat through it over the past week.

This week is the final week for the cast...which means I'll have a new roommate next week. I'm also going to pick up a couple of side jobs that the cast will be leaving open, working for the Art Auctioneer and the Port and Shopping Guide. Hooray for extra cash! I will miss Katie, though - she has been a fantastic roommate. What I will not miss is our incredibly tiny cabin: I'm taking the opportunity the cast changeover affords me to wriggle my way into the much bigger cabin right next door. And the bottom bunk will finally be mine! This calls for a celebration! I can't wait to move in and arrange and decorate. :-)

Well, I'm in Juneau today, and for a little dose of "normal life", I'm off to see Inception at the local movie theater. I'll check in again soon!!

Adventures with the Smith Family

So here we are about halfway through the week already, and we have had so many adventures! In Juneau I took my friends the Smith family to the salmon bake I had discovered the week before, at Thane's Ore House. After that we went on a "sled dog summer camp" excursion. We got to ride in a cart pulled by a team of 14 sled dogs, and it was a really neat experience! We weren't in the snow, but on the ground, and they use the cart as a means to train the dogs since the musher can have more control over steering and braking. The dogs are smaller than I would have imagined, and very strong. While waiting on the line to be allowed to run they get so excited and antsy and start barking like crazy, and are only calm after the run is over. It reminded me of how my dogs behave when they know we are about to take them on a walk....so funny. It was a very cool thing to see....and was a neat rush to be whooshing along pulled by dogs, and see them work together to pull the cart. After the ride we got to hold some husky puppies....so cute!!

In Skagway I was able to be excused from drill to go on the helicopter ride with the Smiths - we got to fly over the mountains and right up to a hanging glacier on the side of the mountain. The views were amazing!!! Taking off in the helicopter was the neatest feeling - probably my favorite part. (Mom, have I ever been in a helicopter before???) So cool....running up to it while the blades were already running made me feel like James Bond.....or the president or something...:-) Anyway I got some great pictures of Skagway and the ship from the sky. After the helicopter ride we had lunch in town, then met up for our second tour of the day - ziplining! It was a different experience than the one I had in Roatan - the zips weren't as long, but the course included more ropes course challenge types of things as well. The outdoor adventure park also has rock climbing and rapelling, which I may try to do at some point later in my contract. I like the staff a lot, they were really friendly and professional and seemed to really love their job and have fun with each other.

So that's what we've been up to so far! I've been catching up on sleep during these sea days, and then the adventure will continue in Victoira. Or we may be so worn out we'll just have some good old fish and chips and call it a day. :-)

Week 3 begins...

My friend Daniel left yesterday, and it was hard to say goodbye. These past two weeks with him around have been a great sort of vacation, packed full of as many activities as possible in all the ports, and just hanging out on board. He's off to do some pit orchestra gigs in the UK, and I wish him the best. Saying goodbye is easier when you know it is a small world, and you can see someone again if you want to. Keeping me busy this week are the wonderful Smith family (no relation, ironically), and it is great to see them again! I got to join them in the dining room last night, and will again several other nights this week, and will be going on excursions with them in the ports. They are such a wonderful family, and I am so glad they are here!! They have some pretty amazing things planned for the ports, and I'll write more on that later.

Tonight we will back up the Temptations tribute band one more time before they leave the ship. The routine in Alaska is that each entertainer is on for a week, but the week overlaps two cruises, so that they perform once at the end of one cruise, then at the very beginning of the next before leaving. They are replaced by the next entertainer, who will do the same thing. That way each group of guests always enjoys two different acts during their vacation. Later on this week we have Jonathan Clark, whose show I played for about 2 months straight on the Voyager. Clark does singing impersonations and comedy. When I left, I remember thinking, "Thank goodness I never have to play that show again..." Well.... here we go again. At least it will be easy. I will try to refrain from quoting the entire act to Phil, the lead trumpet player unfortunate enough to be sitting next to me that night.

Week 2

My work week this time around:

Day 1: 20 minutes of Welcome aboard show.

Day 2: ......off.

Day 3:.....nothing...

Day 4:......more nothing....

Day 5: Guest Entertainer: Temptations show, Big band set

Day 6: 11pm big band set

Day 7: Farewell shows.

Wow.

Photos from the Glacier hike I took last week are up:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2114043&id=56903845&l=00eb473c5c

Working.....kindof....

Ha ha, so after playing for the Coasters I had 2 days off in a row. I worked again tonight, but only for an hour of big band! My schedule is going to be so light it is almost laughable...not going to complain though.

We arrived safely in Alaska on Sunday, and it is absolutely stunning. It reminds me of Norway in a lot of ways, with gorgeous snowy mountains and small, colorful flowers everywhere. In Juneau I went on a hike with Daniel and a few other friends, to Mendenhall Glacier. It was quite a hike, probably about 6 or 7 miles in all round trip, with a lot of steep hills and trekking through thick forests. Everything was so green and somehow magical....I absolutely loved it. The glacier was pretty incredible as well - the coolest bit being some ice caves we found. Note: it is not recommended to go underneath the glacier in the caves as we did...so kids don't try this at home. But it was absolutely incredible....the ice is melting away underneath the glacier in interesting patterns, and the light shines through turning everything a soft blue color. I took lots of pictures, don't worry!! We also walked a little bit on top of the glacier, which was a neat experience as well. The whole day was such an adventure....we felt very Indiana Jones during our deep forest bits...so fun.

In Skawgay we had a nice picnic lunch outside by a river of glacier runoff that empties into the sea, and Daniel took me to all his favorite sweet shops, which was fun. I think I'm really going to love being in Alaska, it is just so pretty everywhere. I promise to post photos soon!!!

Welcome to the Rhapsody!

I arrived safe and sound in to Sea-tac airport on Thursday night. I shared a room with a New Zealander shore excursions girl, who was really cool. I had a chance to meet up/catch up with my friend Leah for dinner (we used my free hotel restaurant voucher, and still had too much food even split between the two of us!) It was great to see her again.

After a few hours sleep I was up bright and early to make my way to the Rhapsody. We signed on the ship by 9:00, quite early by most standards. Daniel came and found me immediately and we had a wonderful little reunion. It is surreal to see him around again, and so wonderful to spend time with him. We went out to dinner in the dining room in celebration, and had such a great evening. The welcome aboard show was ridiculously easy, we hardly play anything at all, and one of the charts is the same cast bumper we did on the Voyager, so no surprises there.

Today was my second day on board. It started with the usual sign-on training, mostly to do with saftey, firefighting, and emergencies. After that I had a nice lunch with Daniel, we watched a movie, then headed to rehearsal. Tonight I got to back up the Coasters...maybe one of them was an original member, I'm not sure. But it was fun!! Thats all for now, more soon!!!

I'm gone! almost...

Well, its here already! My flight leaves for Seattle tomorrow. I'm under the impression that my hotel has free wifi (yipee!!) so I'll make sure to send out a quick update when I've arrived. I've spent the day packing, stuffing my suitcases as close to the 50 lb airline limit as they'll get. Since I know I'm going to be gone for the long haul, I'm packing accordingly - bringing things I know I'll need, things that will make me feel at home, and things that I could either bring now or spend money on later. Altogether that makes for some VERY full suitcases....and its still not everything I'd love to have with me. Its hard to pack 2 suitcases for 8 months!! But with some careful planning (I've been working on a list since before I signed off the Voyager), sacrifices, and luck, I should just about do it.

Tyler's wedding over the weekend was fantastic and special. It was a very God-centered wedding, with some beautiful moments. Tyler's face was just glowing all throughout...I am so glad he is now happily married. The reception was great as well, I got to visit with a lot of people I hadn't seen in a long time. My mom made the wedding cake herself, and it was fantastic! There were skits, the bouquet toss, garter-wrapped-around-a-can-of-Mountain-Dew toss, great food, and bubbles for the grand exit. No, I did not catch the bouquet. I'm short. And I don't like pushing people. So no bouquet for me. :-) It was a really wonderful event, and after it was over I got to spend some time with my great friends from college, which was amazing too. I crashed pretty hard that night....but what a weekend. I'm so glad that it worked out perfectly to be at both these weddings and enjoy so much quality time with friends this vacation. I loved going swing dancing at the Coffee Depot and other places as much as possible, and met some incredible people in the process (you know who you are!). I'm really not ready to go back....but Australia and Fiji are calling my name...ha ha. So, off I go!! Flight leaves in less than 24 hours!

It's Official

Yes, I have my flight information! Finally, a week before I leave....but at least I have it! My flight takes off on the 17th, Thursday afternoon. I have an overnight in Seattle, which I really appreciate. Its always better not to have to fly and go straight to the ship in the same day. This way I get to relax, sleep, and most importantly shower before I join the ship, and meet the people I'll be working and living with for the next 6 or 8 months. :-)

This next week is pretty packed with activity; I am going to be busy almost up to the moment I leave, I'm sure. Tomorrow I get to see my first opera - Die Walkure, with Dayna at the LA Opera. I am VERY excited about that!! Then Friday is the rehearsal dinner for Tyler's wedding, and Saturday is the wedding. After that, only a few short days to enjoy and to start seriously packing before I fly out. I really can't believe how soon I'm leaving - I might not believe it until I'm on the plane. I want to be able to slow down this weekend so Tyler's wedding doesn't pass me by in a blur. I want to savor every moment of it, and enjoy every second I get to spend with friends and family in the next week.

Its already June!! Make it stop!!!

I'm not ready for my time here at home to be over!! I've had so much fun seeing old friends and spending time with my family that I really feel like I don't want to leave again. 17 days left here. I don't yet have my flight information about joining the Rhapsody in Seattle, but I should know soon.

Yesterday I spent the day helping my sister and her husband move into their new apartment in Redlands. It is a beautiful place with lots of room, in a nice complex. I admit to some jealousy - I can't wait to have my own place and finally have room for all my things....I really look forward to finding a place for everything someday, decorating it, even setting up my kitchen and deciding which drawers to put things in. :-) I had a good time helping Holly do that - she and I spent a few hours organizing everything in between driving down carloads of stuff from Hesperia.

Last weekend I got to do something I haven't been home for in three years - shop Memorial Day weekend garage sales in Lake Arrowhead. The mountain goes nuts on Memorial Day and Labor day, every 10 houses has a sale, and there is a special full page of the newspaper dedicated to ads. I love it...bargains make me happy. Its my chance to buy things I couldn't otherwise justify buying, but because they cost almost nothing I can get away with it. Exhibit A: my new espresso machine. It has taken me 3 days of cleaning, vinegar descaling, rinsing, experimenting, taking a refresher course in making foam, and online research to arrive at my goal: today I finally made a myself a real cappuccino. Hooray!! And the best thing is, I only have to make one or two more for the machine to pay for itself. Best $7 I ever spent.

Halfway

Last Friday marked the halfway point in my time here at home. 5 weeks down, 5 to go, apporoximately. Since I have been home I have been relaxing quite a bit, but also driving a lot all over SoCal catching up with friends and relatives. I got the chance to go to my brother Tyler's Master of Percussion graduate recital, which was incredible. As usual, I am in awe of his talent and work ethic!! About 2 weeks ago my sister Holly was married to the wonderful Tomas Garcia, and I welcome my new brother. Holly was the most beautiful bride. My mom and I are still winding down from all the wedding planning. Next?? My brother's wedding in less than 4 weeks, and I will welcome a new sister as well. I can't believe all the changes that are happening in such a short time. Two of us Smith kids married, two to go, I guess. :-) I do feel like our family is just getting bigger, though, rather than losing them.

I can't believe how quickly this time is passing, and soon I will start possibly the longest contract I have ever had. I have heard good things about the ship, and that many nights off per week will be coming my way, due to canned music in the production shows. I certainly won't complain about more free time, though. Until then, I am really trying to make the most of my time here. I try to go swing dancing whenever I can, since it is something I really miss when I am gone. I don't get the chance to dance on ships....usually I'm the one playing the big band music. And lack of dance partners doesn't help either. So I have been making time to go dancing - it is one of the great joys in my life. Speaking of which, I can't understand people who look bored or miserable while dancing...if you aren't having fun and loving it, why dance?? I can't help but smile most of the time when I'm dancing.

Well, that's just a short update for now...I'll put up a few more before I leave, and then the serious blogging will begin again as soon as I'm off to see more of the world. Have a wonderful day, everyone!!!

Catching up: my last week on the Voyager

(FInal Voyager Photos and more here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2109230&id=56903845&l=038e3df35b)

So I have been told that I need to update this even though I'm not on board a ship anymore - here goes! I meant to post as soon as I arrived home but have been putting it off. So this will be the first of several posts as I try to catch up with myself.

First - my last week on board. Ironically, the week began with me finally meeting a wonderful fellow Christian! Why now? Why not 4 months ago??? He is a great guy, a photographer on board from South Africa, and we spent a lot of time together all week whenever possible, having some amazing conversations and just enjoying the fellowship of another believer. Although we had only just started to get to know each other, he was one of the hardest people to say goodbye to. I will be keeping him in my prayers, especially that God will send him another believer as a friend, because I know how hard it can be. But it was great meeting him and being encouraged.

All week long I tried to make the most of the ports without stressing out too much. In Grand Cayman I went out to lunch at a nice seafood place on the water, and had some delicious-but-so-bad-for-you fish and chips. Then I went snorkeling for the last time and really enjoyed it. At one point the fish must have thought I had food because they were all surrounding me....it was a neat experience. We laid in the sun a bit before heading back to the ship. In Jamaica I went out with some friends for the famous jerk chicken and pork at the Pork Pit in Montego Bay. It was so good!! My last night on the ship even Vic (our 65 year old drummer) came out for a drink after our final big band set, and as a parting gift bought me a dry martini with olives, which I had to drink to the dregs or be forever shunned. Not my favorite drink ever!!! But I managed to finish it and tried to look happy about it. Afterwards I went up to Johnny Rockets for one last hoorah with Catherine, one of the singers. We ran into a John and J.C. of the Texas Tenors there, and it was nice to get a chance to say goodbye to them as well. They left before us, and when Cat and I finished we were told that they had already paid for our dinners. It was so sweet of them to do, and so classy of them to do it quietly and leave before we had any idea. Yes, they get major points for that. :-)

After dinner was finished, and I had turned in my suitcases to security, the night continued with one final game of phase 10, the card game which I learned on board and which has dominated my contract. It was only fitting to play a final game on my last night (I lost...oh well), and we finished around 3am. After lots of goodbyes I finally crashed for the night, and awoke to the news that we were fogged out of Galveston and couldn't dock. What?! You mean I can't go home? So I rolled over and went back to sleep. We finally docked around 2 pm, and I finally disembarked after all the guests had gone, around 6pm. Our flights had been rescheduled, mine for the following morning. The good news was this gave me a chance to spend some time with the Smith family I had met a few weeks back, who live in Houston. Instead of going to my hotel, they picked me up and brought me home, fed me leftover Easter dinner, gave me my own room, and the girls performed a cute dance routine they had made up together to Michael Buble's "Everything". I had a great night, and they took me to the airport in the morning. I was home by 10am, had my In N Out, visited Tyler and Chelsea, and returned to good old Lake Arrowhead for the first time since October 2nd, 2009.

A Week of Firsts, and a Week of Lasts.

Last week was full of some successful sightseeing, and doing some of the things I've meant to do since we arrived in the Caribbean. In Costa Maya, my friend Mike and I went out to see the Mayan ruins of Chacchoben, which consist of several temples. We were pretty much the only ones there, it was a bit drizzly, so we had the place to ourselves. Since no-one was watching, we got to jump the ropes and get an adrenaline rush illegally climbing to the tops of all the pyramids. Don't tell the Mexican government, please. It was awesome.

Then in Roatan, Honduras, a group of 7 of us went on a zip-line course through the jungle. That was a blast....the first jump was the hardest as we had to get a running start off the platform and launch ourselves into the air 328 feet above the ground. I definitely got some butterflies and let out a little scream as I went, but wow what an amazing feeling. It was great to be with a group of my friends as well, away from the ship having fun. The jungle canopy was beautiful, and there were some amazing views to be had from the tops of the hills. On our way back, we were shocked enough by the sight of an Applebees in Honduras that we stopped there for lunch. Well, my friends did....I will admit that I instead ran down the block for a chocolate frosty and meal at Wendy's, and brought it back to sit with my friends in the restaurant. Give me a break, I haven't had a frosty in 6 months! I couldn't resist.

In Cozumel, I got to meet up with an old friend of mine, Danny Silver, who I grew up with in Lake Arrowhead. He and his wife of thee years Nickole were sailing on the Freedom of the Seas, which docks next to us on Fridays. I haven't seen him for about 5 years, so it was great to catch up. And once again recognize what a small world we live in.

One final highlight of last week: Waffles on the bridge with Captain Patrik. The Captain likes to have a little party every week on the bridge for every crew member celebrating a birthday, and for any 2 stripe officers who would like to attend (officially all staff have 2 stripes). I haven't been to the bridge since my first week, and this being Captain Patrik's last week I really wanted to attend. Patrik has been on the Voyager for 2 years, and he will be transferred to the Navigator next week. He has been a great Captain, and really seems to care about the crew. Whenever I happen to be in an elevator with him, he always chats to everyone who is there, asking the cleaners and waiters about their work and their day. I like him a lot. Anyway, they make fresh waffles right there on the bridge, and have a table with all the fixings. I got my waffle, and a picture with the Captain on the bridge. Afterwards I wandered around a little and met Nick, a Bulgarian officer who was on watch, and he showed me around the controls and explained the readouts to me, which was really neat. I sat in the Captain's chair and everything. :-) He also demonstrated how to turn on the spinning radar machine in the front of the ship which you can see from the bridge, and then let me turn it off. I got a kick out of that....nothing beats pushing buttons on the bridge. I loved it.

Today I begin my last week on the Voyager. My "last" everything begins today. Last boat drill, last welcome aboard show, last Captain's Reception, etc. I plan to have a great time with my friends this week, hopefully enjoy doing some new things in the ports as well. I sent another box home today as promised....along with my jacket. Its a nice day today in Galveston, and here's hoping its another warm one when I sign off next week!

The Extended Smith Family

Hello world! I can't believe I only have 2 weeks left on board! I haven't started properly packing yet, but I did mail home a box of stuff today, which felt really good. A pile of clothes, shoes, and books that can wait for me at home, as I really don't need them anymore. I had meant to send home my jacket as well, but this morning Galveston greeted me with a freezing cold front, and I changed my mind. Maybe I'll send it home next week.

I promised I would tell you how the show went with Bold and the Beautiful's Jeff Trachta - and the honest truth (hope he never reads this) is that he is one of those acts that is simply riding on his celebrity status, with no real quality at all. There is plenty of razzle-dazzle, enough to put stars in the eyes of most of the audience members. Only a few people had the decency and dignity to walk out. I certainly wish I could have been one of them. Instead I was stuck with the rest of the band, unseen behind a screen, doubling a horrible clickless backing track for three tunes, and twiddling my thumbs for the remaining 40 minutes of the show. I'm sure there have been times when I have felt just as, if not more, useless - but none of them come to mind.

Lucky for me this week had a redeeming quality - I met an amazing family from Houston on my first day this week, and had the good luck to keep seeing them throughout the week and getting to know them a bit. They are also a Smith family, so I was right at home with this young couple and their two girls, and their grandparents. Towards the end of the week they invited me to come out for a drink with them, and we chatted for a couple of hours. They were really wonderful, and so great to talk to all week. I felt adopted! I only have that kind of experience with guests once in a contract, if ever. So this week was my week!! I had so much fun with them, and hope they come on another cruise with me sometime.

Goodbyes, expected and otherwise.

Today the ice cast that have been here since I signed on are heading home. My 6 month contract began and will end only 3 weeks off from theirs, we came almost together so it is strange to see them leave. A few are staying on another month or so, including my friend Arthur, so that is one nice thing. The new cast has already been here (along with company people and choreographers), rehearsing, for the past 2 weeks, getting to know the small ice rink and the props and costumes for the show. They had a dress rehearsal last night, performing the show for the departing cast and some of us. I have met a few of them and made a couple of friends already, although I won't be around for much of their contract. I look forward to seeing them in the show this week.

Some other goodbyes today: one expected - a youth staff guy I signed on with finished his contract, while I still have weeks left. Grrr. :-) The unexpected goodbyes?? Last week we had a few incidents with people in our division, and a couple of people were sent home today. Two dancers were sent home for being caught over the alcohol limit, and a sports staff girl, one of my best friends on board, was sent home for bringing her visiting guest friend to the crew bar. (Yes, they can actually fire you for something like that, silly as it is). I really did not expect them to fire her and was pretty shocked to find out this morning and have to say goodbye. Another reminder that this is a ship, and nothing and no one is permanent. It was a bit of a hard morning all around for our division.

This week we have more Celebrities for our headliner entertainment. The Scintas are a Las Vegas family act, and are actually pretty cool people. They were very patient with sound issues, of which we still have more than our share. I enjoyed myself during their show, and look forward to doing it again tomorrow. Then later this week we back up the actor Jeff Trachta, former star of the Bold and the Beautiful, in his solo act, which should be interesting. I'll be sure to let you know how that goes. I think its either Thursday or Friday night. Thus begins week 3 in the countdown!!

More technical difficulties

Starting week 4 in my countdown!! This week is the beginning of the spring break season, which if you work in a resort like a cruise ship lasts for a good month and a half, instead of a decent week as it should be. This week we have 300 kids, doubled from last week, and around 200 college age kids. Next week that number will be more like 1000 kids and 500 college aged kids. So here we go!!

Last week we had a brand new sound engineer, again. The company must really be hurting for good sound engineers. This one is a very nice girl from England, but has been making so many obvious mistakes over and over again that we are all a bit frustrated, especially when it means even more extra rehearsal time as it will again this week. Things like forgetting to turn on the track, forgetting to play recording, forgetting to turn the singers' mics on again and again in time for their entrances, and forgetting to turn them off when they've left the stage again. Maybe I have been spoiled with sound techs in the past, but it seems like these are pretty easy things to correct, and it just gets me when the same mistakes are made at a tech run, then again in the first show, and a third time in the second show. Everyone makes mistakes, but professionalism means you don't make the same ones three times in a row. Anyway, enough of my rant - I'm really just bitter about the extra rehearsals her lack of experience is causing the band. For example, tomorrow we have a full tech run of the production show, followed by another half hour of sound work just with the orchestra and singers, followed by an hour Captain's Welcome Big Band set, followed by the two shows. It will be a really long night for us, playing-wise, and I know the shows will probably suffer due to tired chops. Oh well. Such is life, and new sound techs.

As for our new/old sax player who was supposed to return today - whoops! Too much snow in Poland for him to leave Gdansk, so not only will I need to continue doing the Assistant Musical Director job another week (I really don't mind), but we'll also have no alto sax player this week. Which means I get moved up to the fron row on the bandstand! Woohoo! Just kidding....I like hanging out with the trumpets in the back, I feel more like I'm part of a brass section. So anyway should make for an interesting week in the Voyager of the Seas 9 pie- uhhh...8 piece Orchestra.

News!

Hello faithful readers!!! Its the unfaithful author here... :-)

I have been waiting for news on my next contract, and it finally came last week. I was asked where I wanted to go, and there was really only one RCCL ship that really interested me. If I couldn't have it I wasn't going to sign up to return to RCCL, I was going to stay at home and pursue other options, and maybe other cruise lines. I figured I would ask for it, not really expecting to get it. I was told it was nearly impossible because that itinerary is the talk of the crew, and there is quite a waiting list to get the ship, but I requested it anyway, figuring it couldn't hurt. And, unbelievably, I got the ship!!! It happened to open up right after my brother Tyler's wedding, giving me a solid two and a half months at home and fitting perfectly with my schedule. The odds of that happening are pretty astronomical - I can't believe it worked out.

The ship? RCCL's Rhapsody of the Seas. The itinerary? Alaska out of Seattle, a trans-Pacific crossing, Hawaii, Fiji, the South Pacific, Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Um, wow!!!!! I am so excited!! I was also so happy to learn that one of my two favorite people from this contract, my friend Daniel, will be on the same ship for the first 4 months of my contract. Hooray! And while I do feel the weight of having committed to "ships" for basically another year of my life, I honestly can't think of anyplace I'd rather be. (besides home with you, Mom, of course) :-)

In other news, 4 more weeks to go!! I'll be home soon!! I only have to survive the next month of crazy Texan spring-breakers I know are coming our way starting Sunday. Yikes.

Fog day

It may not be as much fun as a snow day, but fog days in Galveston still make life interesting. Today the fog delayed our return into port for 6 or 7 hours, seriously throwing a wrench in the works for everyone on board. Except us lazy musicians, of course, it doesn't matter to us one way or another. We weren't allowed off the ship until around 2pm, and our back on board time is now 7pm instead of 3:45. Boat drill has been moved to tomorrow, and I'm not sure what other changes will have to be made. Anyone with a flight out from Galveston today probably missed it, which made a large number of guests pretty upset, of course. The ship released the internet so it was free for everyone this morning if they needed to change their travel arrangements. I would hate to have been working at guest relations today. Yikes. They estimated embarkation would being around 5pm, which is unheard of...hopefully we will sail by 8 or 9pm but there are no guarantees, especially if the fog closes back in.

It was nice to sleep in today though, and to have most of one more day to spend with my friend Tati before she left this afternoon. A few of us sat in the staff mess eating and playing cards for about 4 hours straight....it was a pretty good day. Tati's flight has been moved to tomorrow because of this craziness, and she'll spend the night in Houston. Its nice to be still off the ship today at this time, Galveston is just starting to come to life on a Sunday afternoon. Usually we've long sailed by this time.

I still have no word on my next contract, I keep praying for a contract on the Rhapsody!

"Celebrity" Showtime

A few new photos are up:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2104730&id=56903845&l=069f2ff78c

Every week, our guest entertainers are advertised in our daily newsletters as "Headliners", but occasionally there is the act that the ship classifies as "Celebrity" status. So far I think we have only had two, being the Texas Tenors and Ronn Lucas, a ventriloquist that has done a lot of work on TV and in Vegas. Usually, this "Celebrity" status doesn't really seem real to me, since they are always much like every other act I work with every week. Another singer, another ventriloquist, another juggler.....they are the people that I work with, so I don't get that excitement feeling you would associate with seeing a celebrity. But last night we had the Texas Tenors again, after a month's absence, and thanks to the audience I did for once feel a little bit of that excitement. Working with them is the same as working with anyone else, a longish boring rehearsal with charts that are lackluster, wasting time figuring out missing vocal cues, sorting out wrong notes in written in the music, scratching out wrong roadmaps. But at Showtime.... its a different story.

This time the guests were really anticipating the show. People camped out waiting for the theater doors to open so they could get great seats. The front rows were packed full of very excited, screaming middle-aged women. The atmosphere as the show began was tense and buzzing with excitement, and the applause was deafening when the Tenors took the stage. Women standing and screaming, standing ovations 4 or 5 times during the show. At one point the Tenors do a bit where they bring a guest up on stage and sing to her as kindof a funny bit, an audience participation joke. But last night the woman they brought up was so overcome by being on stage with them that she began to weep. She was crying the entire time. I'm not kidding. "I love you guys so much....(sob)...I voted for you on the show (sob)....I love you!!!...I can't believe you're here..(sob)" And she wasn't the only woman weeping for them. For heaven's sake, its not like they're the Beatles.

The audience was already on their feet applauding 3 bars into their version of "God bless the U.S.A.", at which point in the show the Scottish trumpet player on my right and the Argentine sax player in front of me always roll their eyes and contemplate suicide. As for me, while I admit I'm not much impressed with the show (they have a lot of kinks to work out and the charts are honestly pretty terrible arrangements), I find the audience's excitement contagious, and enjoy being a part of that buzz. I also enjoy the fact that the three of them are all genuinely nice people, untainted as of yet by life in showbiz since they are relatively new to it. They still feel what they sing. I'm looking forward to getting to know them a little better when they take the band out for drinks next week as promised.