Florida

As I titled my last post, my goal is to put up a post for every port.  And while Fort Lauderdale isn't particularly exotic, I'd like to use it as an excuse to keep me on task with my posting.  We were in port yesterday, and it was a gorgeous, sunny day.  Immigration is tricky in Florida, likely due to the huge number of ships docking there, and issues with drugs.  We had time windows throughout the day where we were allowed off the ship, and the gangway was only open during those times.  We got off as soon as the first one opened.  We were told we wouldn't even be allowed to take our laptops off the ship, but that proved to be a false rumor.  You get a lot of rumors on ships….glad this one turned out wrong as I wanted to have mine with me just in case.  As we got off US customs officers were there patting down all crew as they left the ship, and we had to take off and have our shoes scanned.  Quite a to-do….but this kind of thing doesn't happen every day.  Just a glimpse into some of the random issues we run into day to day.  

We took a shuttle bus up to the Galleria Mall, and the drive was gorgeous, along the coast, right by the beach.  I remember thinking you wouldn't be able to do that most places in California.  I suppose there is the PCH, but the major beaches have so much traffic around them.  Here it was lovely.  We did some business (Fed-ex for me), shopping, and had some nice lunch and coffee before heading back to the ship.  

Today we're at sea, and we had the excitement of opening up a new show for the world voyage.  The show isn't new, but its the first time this cast has performed it, and first time for me as well.  Its called Jazz, Blues, and Rock and Roll. I like the dancing in it, and the costumes are pretty cool, though sometimes scandalous (typical theatre I suppose).  The only thing that seems a bit politically incorrect is the chorus in the first song, "Jazz, Blues, Rock and Roll, Hip hop and Soul….these are the sounds of Blackness."  Are they allowed to say that?? I'm pretty sure thats not okay….ha ha….anyway the first show opened just fine.  Only mishap was the lead male vocalist's missing jacket…..which was discovered halfway through the show being warn by one of the girls on stage.  Whoops.  Ha ha.  Hopefully the second show will go well too! 

A Post for Every Port! Thats the goal...

The Atlantic crossing was pretty rough going almost the entire time.  There was a lot of ship motion, that really didn't stop.  Sometimes you felt like you should be hanging onto the bed to keep in it.  But we made it alright, and sailed into New York on Tuesday around noon.  I managed to run out of rehearsal just in time to catch us sailing by the Statue of Liberty.  Getting off the ship was complicated, first while we waited to dock, then waiting 2 hours for immigration, then a frantic search for a Cunard lanyard for our crew passes, which is apparently required now.  Which actually it isn't, our security were just being a pain in the butt….anyway.    Nick and I finally got off around quarter to 4pm, and made the most out of what time we did have.  We had a quick bite at Chipotle (Nick needed to be introduced) and then made it up to the top of the Rockefeller Center just as dusk had fallen.  It was a breathtaking experience and an amazing sight.  The city lights are incredible. Being up there was definitely the highlight of my New York.   We had just enough time to grab a coffee to warm us on our walk back to pier 90, and got back on board with about 5 minutes to spare before our call time for the shows.  Not surprisingly, the shows were pretty empty, but they went alright.  As soon as they finished we were off again, and had a wonderful dinner at Olive Garden with a view of Times Square.  Our waiter was a drummer, from Costa Rica, trying to make it in NYC and waiting tables on the side.  Very New York.    We were lucky it wasn't colder, we were able to walk everywhere just fine.  It was a great day, despite our limited time.  

The next day I stayed on board to do my IPM, and didn't complain too much about it seeing as how the temperatures had dropped considerably overnight and it was literally freezing outside, despite some sunshine. We had a US Coast Guard drill in the morning, which always takes quite a long time. It was nearly noon when it finished, and we had to be back at 3-ish for another embarkation guest drill, so there really wouldn't have been time for much anyway.  At 6 we attempted to watch the beautiful spillway, but the wind and that 22 degree feeling drove us inside after about 10 minutes.  I do love New York, however much time I have there, and it is overwhelming to think of how much more there is to discover.