First and foremost let me say that nothing rejuvenates me like spending time with my family. On Sunday, when I got to the mall, it was like a scene out of a movie. I started out by walking through the main hall and then the closer I got to Macy’s the faster I went. By the time I came around the corner and saw Memommie, Meredith, and Aunt Pam I broke into a run. Had there been inspirational music, it could’ve turned into a lifetime movie. I grabbed a hold of Memommie with everything I had in me, and as I predicted last time, burst into tears of relief. You don’t know how much you can miss being hugged by your grandmother until you don’t get it for two months. Lords knows what will happen when I see my parents and sister. I might pass out. Anyhow - we had a wonderful day. We got to go shopping and eat real food (ie, not white rice and fish) and just spend time together. Exactly what the doctor ordered.
The Crew Christmas party was on Monday and I had a blast. It was the first time I’ve actually gotten to dress up and go out for real. I mean, there’s a Crew Bar but most of us go in uniform or jeans and t-shirts. Everyone’s worked a 12+ hour day and no one feels like getting pretty. But the Christmas Party... I wore a dress, jewelry, heels. It was fantastic. I even had to close down the Club and rush to make it to the party, but I still had a great time. After they kicked us out of the D-Lounge, we all went up to Deck 14 (the crew deck) and continued on into the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes, you just need to relax and have some fun with your friends.
The next day we were at Castaway Cay and I was scheduled to Pull Beach later in the afternoon. Pulling beach is essentially walking up and down the beach helping the lifeguards straighten things up, grab all the floats, and take all the umbrellas down. Pretty simple, but it can be a pain in the butt to do. Anyhow, the other YA Counselor scheduled with me was Brittany from the Lab side. She’s a really cool person and she grew up in Hawaii. Keep this in mind. The head lifeguard during our Pull Beach session was a guy named Mariusz. He challenged Brittany to a swim race and offered her $100 cash on the spot. He also told her that if she won, he would let both of us go an hour early. It was at this point Brittany and I started talking this through. She grew up in Hawaii, is an excellent swimmer, and is used to swimming in the ocean. This guy is from Poland. As we’re discussing this, my Traditions friend Sam comes over. Sam is also a lifeguard on the island. Our big issue with wether or not Brittany should race is we don’t know how fast a swimmer Mariusz is. Sam just chuckles and says, “You won’t beat him. Don’t even try.” At this point Mariusz lifted the sleeve of his polo to reveal a very familiar symbol tattooed on his upper arm. Mariusz is Mariusz Siembida, an Olympic swimmer and European Champion. He competed in the 1996 and 2000 summer Olympics for Poland. Yeah... Brittany wasn’t going to win that race. So we continued to pull beach and listened to Mariusz’s stories of his competing days.
In other news, I got my Christmas Boxes!!! My family is absolutely amazing. They found a limited edition of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” as a book that you could record. They recorded the whole thing, used a label maker to customize it to me and our inside jokes, and covered all the Peanuts characters with pictures of themselves, me, and our dog Heston (as Snoopy, of course). I think it needs new batteries though, because there’s a section of about four pages that doesn’t play. I get the beginning third, and the last two pages. I’ll figure it out though, don’t worry. They also sent me my stocking(filled with goodies) and our traditional Christmas pjs, which I will be wearing on Christmas Eve! This year I got red and green flannel bottoms and, courtesy of Haley, a Louisville Cardinals t-shirt. I’ll take a picture in my pjs. Don’t worry.
In addition to this box of wonderfulness I got an early present from my Aunt Charlene! She got me some really cute tops and to my complete dismay they were too big! Apparently living off of white rice and fish has shrunk my person. (I mean, on one hand I’m ok with this because that means I’m down to a smaller size, but on the other hand - the clothes she sent were cute!) One shirt fits ok, so I’m making that work. The other two are gonna need some sewing. I know people in the costuming department. I’ll see if I can’t borrow some supplies and fix them up. (Thank you, Memommie and Costume Construction class. Your wisdom has come in very handy.)
We started our Christmas Cruise today and I found out that I’ll be taking the kids caroling on Christmas day. Not gonna lie, I’m super excited to do this. Like, it’s ridiculous how excited I got when I saw it on my schedule. There will be a blog update. Don’t even worry.
Merry, merry Christmas to all! And to all a good night!
Muwah!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Trapped Like A Rat...
Oh, sweet Lord! I was about to jump off the side of the ship and swim to Port Canaveral. Three weeks without setting foot on American soil is not okay with me. I need to talk to my family and friends, I need to make Walmart runs, and I NEED TO GET OFF THIS FLIPPIN BOAT. I felt trapped and frustrated. When you put those feelings on top of the constant exhaustion and ever present homesickness, you get a very upset Allyson. I almost cried with relief when I stepped off the gangway today.
Of course, this was not the first time I almost cried today. That blessed event occurred during the US Coast Guard Drill when some of my fellow crewmen decided it was cool to sleep through the general alarm and put us thirty minutes behind schedule. The level of rage that built up inside me as I watched my window of opportunity for leaving the ship grow smaller and smaller was so great that I began to tear up. I wasn’t crying, I just had no other way for my anger to get out. There was no sadness in these tears. In fact, they were so fueled by rage that they probably could’ve burned a hole into the side of the ship.
In case you couldn’t tell, I was going a little stir crazy.
The only bright spots of my past three weeks trapped on board have been a couple of surprise packages from my loves at good ole’ Cinemark Fayette Mall. Christmas came early and was filled with cookies, candy, presents, and some amazing pictures all stuffed inside a Twizzler box. They even sent me some popcorn (which I kept, but will not eat.)! The next day we got the rest of our mail and I had a card signed by all my former co-workers. It made my day. I miss you guys a lot. I even miss dealing with all the craziness at 374. I don’t miss Twilight premiers, though. I don’t think I could ever miss Twilight premiers.
My roomie leaves on Sunday. She goes home for vacation and then she goes to the Fantasy. She’ll be bringing the Fantasy over of the inaugural transatlantic voyage from Germany. This means I get a new roomie on Sunday. I hope she is as cool as Shannon. I’m letting her have the bottom bunk, mainly because the top one has grown on me and I don’t feel like moving all my stuff, but still, it counts as a kindness. :)
Other than this, there are umpteen Holiday parties going on and YA is invited to all of them. I have one nice dress. It will be seen at all the parties. Lol... maybe I will find something nice in Target on Thursday when I escape for a couple hours. Otherwise people are just gonna have to deal with my one nice outfit.
I miss my family, a lot. This is why I’ve pretty much decided to only do one more contract. I don’t think I can deal with another Christmas away from home. I’m not entirely sure I’m going to be able to deal with this one. Alexis, one of the girls I work with, and I have decided to take shifts on Christmas day covering for each other while the other is hiding in a corner crying. Yup. Gonna happen. Merry Christmas to me.
But the most exciting thing ever is happening on Sunday, December 18!! I get to see some of my family!!! Yay!!!!! I warn them in advance, I will probably burst into tears when I see you because I’m so happy. (I’ve discovered you cry a lot more than normal when you’re working on a ship. It’s not just me. Everyone cries. It just sort of happens.)
Love to you all, and a very Merry Christmas from the Disney Dream!
Of course, this was not the first time I almost cried today. That blessed event occurred during the US Coast Guard Drill when some of my fellow crewmen decided it was cool to sleep through the general alarm and put us thirty minutes behind schedule. The level of rage that built up inside me as I watched my window of opportunity for leaving the ship grow smaller and smaller was so great that I began to tear up. I wasn’t crying, I just had no other way for my anger to get out. There was no sadness in these tears. In fact, they were so fueled by rage that they probably could’ve burned a hole into the side of the ship.
In case you couldn’t tell, I was going a little stir crazy.
The only bright spots of my past three weeks trapped on board have been a couple of surprise packages from my loves at good ole’ Cinemark Fayette Mall. Christmas came early and was filled with cookies, candy, presents, and some amazing pictures all stuffed inside a Twizzler box. They even sent me some popcorn (which I kept, but will not eat.)! The next day we got the rest of our mail and I had a card signed by all my former co-workers. It made my day. I miss you guys a lot. I even miss dealing with all the craziness at 374. I don’t miss Twilight premiers, though. I don’t think I could ever miss Twilight premiers.
My roomie leaves on Sunday. She goes home for vacation and then she goes to the Fantasy. She’ll be bringing the Fantasy over of the inaugural transatlantic voyage from Germany. This means I get a new roomie on Sunday. I hope she is as cool as Shannon. I’m letting her have the bottom bunk, mainly because the top one has grown on me and I don’t feel like moving all my stuff, but still, it counts as a kindness. :)
Other than this, there are umpteen Holiday parties going on and YA is invited to all of them. I have one nice dress. It will be seen at all the parties. Lol... maybe I will find something nice in Target on Thursday when I escape for a couple hours. Otherwise people are just gonna have to deal with my one nice outfit.
I miss my family, a lot. This is why I’ve pretty much decided to only do one more contract. I don’t think I can deal with another Christmas away from home. I’m not entirely sure I’m going to be able to deal with this one. Alexis, one of the girls I work with, and I have decided to take shifts on Christmas day covering for each other while the other is hiding in a corner crying. Yup. Gonna happen. Merry Christmas to me.
But the most exciting thing ever is happening on Sunday, December 18!! I get to see some of my family!!! Yay!!!!! I warn them in advance, I will probably burst into tears when I see you because I’m so happy. (I’ve discovered you cry a lot more than normal when you’re working on a ship. It’s not just me. Everyone cries. It just sort of happens.)
Love to you all, and a very Merry Christmas from the Disney Dream!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sins of the Past...
My parents have often joked that one day all the nasty I put them through while I was a baby would be revisited upon me later in life. That time has come...
Last night, I was thrown up on. It was in my hair, on my neck, and down my left arm. How did it get all these places? Because the sweet, little four year old I was trying to comfort was in my arms when all the contents of his stomach spewed onto my person. It was red. It was chunky. It was IN MY HAIR. Time stopped as the warmth of it hit me. For a brief moment I thought I was having a vivid hallucination. Then the smell hit me, and it took all of my self control not to throw the sick child in my arms to the floor in a raging storm of curse words. I kept it together long enough to get him to the bathroom and set him down. I did not finish my shift. I looked at the GA, said “I have to go now,” and promptly left.
I made it back to my room and realized the nasty was not over. To get out of my shirt, some of the sick was going to have to brush against my face. I did my best to keep it away, but it got me in the cheek. So the dry heaving began... and continued through my shower. My hour long shower where the scalding, hot water served to rinse away the half bottle of body wash I used to scrub my body. Of course, “scrub” is a rather tame word for what I did. If I could’ve shed my skin like a snake things would’ve gone much faster. I briefly considered using steel wool or rocks... anything, really, to remove a layer of skin.
I don’t think I will ever feel clean again.
The only other exciting thing to happen to me this week has been getting a new Safety Card and Drill Duty. Mind you, I didn’t realize I had gotten this duty until about twenty minutes before drill occurred. Why? Because the magical list that is supposed to be up every night by 6:00pm wasn’t up in time and no one said anything to me. What did this mean? It meant I was running up to the Safety Office on Deck 10 in a panic, only to be met by a very stern Safety Officer who demanded to know why I hadn’t shown up at the meeting that morning. I got my new card and duty after apologizing profusely. My new duty? Traffic Controller on Deck 10.
As a Traffic Controller it is now my job to direct guests to their Assembly Stations during the mandatory guest drill every cruise and in the event of an actual emergency. I stand on Deck 10, starboard side, next to the midship stairs and direct everyone to go down to Deck 4 where the lifeboats are. Pretty simple really. Of course, to get to my station I have to take the stairs, from Deck 4 (our meeting/check in point). Six flights of double stairs in a life jacket, safety vest, and hat are not fun. For the record.
Looks like I’m going to be on “Wave Goodbye” this Thursday, which means I’ll be up in Dress Whites at 7:00am with a Mickey Glove on waving to all the guests as they debark. The only thing that makes me accept this state of life is that I will get off work at 5:30pm, which is UNHEARD of in YA. I’m so going to see The Golden Mickeys. It’s the only show on board I haven’t seen yet.
Oh, and one more thing... March is a long way off and I’m gonna need some more things to decorate my walls. Photos, letters, cards, etc are greatly appreciated and will be hung up upon their arrival. :)
Love to you all!
Last night, I was thrown up on. It was in my hair, on my neck, and down my left arm. How did it get all these places? Because the sweet, little four year old I was trying to comfort was in my arms when all the contents of his stomach spewed onto my person. It was red. It was chunky. It was IN MY HAIR. Time stopped as the warmth of it hit me. For a brief moment I thought I was having a vivid hallucination. Then the smell hit me, and it took all of my self control not to throw the sick child in my arms to the floor in a raging storm of curse words. I kept it together long enough to get him to the bathroom and set him down. I did not finish my shift. I looked at the GA, said “I have to go now,” and promptly left.
I made it back to my room and realized the nasty was not over. To get out of my shirt, some of the sick was going to have to brush against my face. I did my best to keep it away, but it got me in the cheek. So the dry heaving began... and continued through my shower. My hour long shower where the scalding, hot water served to rinse away the half bottle of body wash I used to scrub my body. Of course, “scrub” is a rather tame word for what I did. If I could’ve shed my skin like a snake things would’ve gone much faster. I briefly considered using steel wool or rocks... anything, really, to remove a layer of skin.
I don’t think I will ever feel clean again.
The only other exciting thing to happen to me this week has been getting a new Safety Card and Drill Duty. Mind you, I didn’t realize I had gotten this duty until about twenty minutes before drill occurred. Why? Because the magical list that is supposed to be up every night by 6:00pm wasn’t up in time and no one said anything to me. What did this mean? It meant I was running up to the Safety Office on Deck 10 in a panic, only to be met by a very stern Safety Officer who demanded to know why I hadn’t shown up at the meeting that morning. I got my new card and duty after apologizing profusely. My new duty? Traffic Controller on Deck 10.
As a Traffic Controller it is now my job to direct guests to their Assembly Stations during the mandatory guest drill every cruise and in the event of an actual emergency. I stand on Deck 10, starboard side, next to the midship stairs and direct everyone to go down to Deck 4 where the lifeboats are. Pretty simple really. Of course, to get to my station I have to take the stairs, from Deck 4 (our meeting/check in point). Six flights of double stairs in a life jacket, safety vest, and hat are not fun. For the record.
Looks like I’m going to be on “Wave Goodbye” this Thursday, which means I’ll be up in Dress Whites at 7:00am with a Mickey Glove on waving to all the guests as they debark. The only thing that makes me accept this state of life is that I will get off work at 5:30pm, which is UNHEARD of in YA. I’m so going to see The Golden Mickeys. It’s the only show on board I haven’t seen yet.
Oh, and one more thing... March is a long way off and I’m gonna need some more things to decorate my walls. Photos, letters, cards, etc are greatly appreciated and will be hung up upon their arrival. :)
Love to you all!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Lucky Nugget...
You know, our free time comes few and far between on board. This week I finally had a morning off until 1:00PM without a meeting or a safety drill I had to get up early for. I was so ridiculously excited to sleep in and relax it was unreal. But no. There is no sleep. Why? Because it is on this morning - MY morning off - that they choose to test the in-cabin speakers by playing “Welcome to the Lucky Nugget” on repeat for an hour and half. At full volume. If you haven’t heard this song, let me give you an idea. It’s Minnie Mouse, as a saloon girl, welcoming her friends Goofy and Mickey to the Lucky Nugget Saloon. It’s full of honky tonk pianos, snare drums, and a very loud brass section. Oh, and there’s a can-can portion at the end of the song. I know this so well, because I listened to it for AN HOUR AND A HALF. It’s fine though. I wasn’t beginning to think murderous thoughts about the officers responsible for this or anything. No. I was perfectly sane, in my cabin, listening to the Lucky Nugget over and over and over and over. Blarg!
Moving on, I have a new goal! I want to be an Entertainment Host. They are the people who actually put on the programs for the kids and interact with our special guest characters whenever they stop by. It looks like so much fun and I know I could do it. The next time they have auditions, I’m going for it. Especially after working on all the programs and getting a feel for what the Ent Hosts actually do. It’s right up my ally.
There is one program in particular which the Ent Hosts use to pick on the Counselors, though. Toy Story Boot Camp. You see, Corporal Green - the leader of the Green Army Soldiers - arrives in the club looking for recruits and assigns Counselors as platoon leaders for the kids. Now, you have to do whatever Corporal Green tells you to do. No matter what. So when he goes over the different toy poses and decides to go back and forth between “Snake In The Grass” (laying flat on the floor with your arms out in front of you like a sniper) and “Attention” (standing up and saluting) for five minutes you have to do it. If you don’t, you get to do pushups/jumping jacks/whatever else Corp Green comes up with. Let’s just say, after the last time I was on Toy Story Boot Camp, Corporal Green is on my list. That is all.
And now, for some ship vocabulary!
Today we will learn about Ship Goggles and the elusive SS.
Ship Goggles are metaphorical goggles worn by single crew members. Choices are limited in the dating world and these goggles turn someone you wouldn’t look twice at on land into Ryan Reynolds on board. I have not put these goggles on yet, but I know they exist and have seen their effects on some of my friends. Apparently, their use is inevitable. We shall see. I have also seen the ravenous effect a single, straight male has on the ladies of Youth Activities. One of our new hires is a confirmed SS (single and straight). You would’ve thought someone threw fresh meat into a pool of piranhas. Everyone is trying to get a look at him and suddenly we’re all doing our hair and putting a little more effort into our makeup. Poor guy doesn’t stand a chance...
In other news, I have taken over Pixie Hollow. I plan to do so for the entire month of December. How am I doing this, you may ask? Well, after thieving a giant box of coffee filters from the Oceaneer Lab, I have taken it upon myself to make snowflakes with the kids. We are decorating the tree in Pixie Hollow. I will try to get some pictures of it before housekeeping takes it down. Again. See, on the last night of every cruise my creations disappear. So - in true passive aggressive fashion, I make more. It’s become a little game. For every snowflake they take down, I make two more. The kids absolutely LOVE making them, and when parents come in they comment about how festive it looks. And we all know when the customers are happy, we do whatever we can to keep them that way. Therefore snowflake making continues! Victory! Along with this, one of the other counselors had made some foam die-cuts of ornaments. You better believe we will be bedazzling those suckers and hanging them up with our snowflakes. And of course, while we are doing these crafts, we’re singing Holiday Songs. (I say Holiday because technically we aren’t allowed to sing any ‘religious’ Christmas songs since it alienates those that don’t celebrate Christmas. But if some little kids starts Hark the Herald, we’re singing it. So there.) One little girl sang Jingle Bell Rock four times in a row. I joined her, of course. :)
This week was a special cruise since we ended up doing a double dip at Castaway due to inclement weather the first time around. What does this mean? This means that those disgusting TEVA sandals we have to wear rubbed my feet raw with blisters and now it hurts just to wear socks. I’m thinking about amputating my feet and getting rollerblades installed instead. Or possibly investing in a Segway. Thoughts?
It’s December 1st! Oh my Lord... this means only 100 days till I come home!!! Yay!!
Over and out!
Moving on, I have a new goal! I want to be an Entertainment Host. They are the people who actually put on the programs for the kids and interact with our special guest characters whenever they stop by. It looks like so much fun and I know I could do it. The next time they have auditions, I’m going for it. Especially after working on all the programs and getting a feel for what the Ent Hosts actually do. It’s right up my ally.
There is one program in particular which the Ent Hosts use to pick on the Counselors, though. Toy Story Boot Camp. You see, Corporal Green - the leader of the Green Army Soldiers - arrives in the club looking for recruits and assigns Counselors as platoon leaders for the kids. Now, you have to do whatever Corporal Green tells you to do. No matter what. So when he goes over the different toy poses and decides to go back and forth between “Snake In The Grass” (laying flat on the floor with your arms out in front of you like a sniper) and “Attention” (standing up and saluting) for five minutes you have to do it. If you don’t, you get to do pushups/jumping jacks/whatever else Corp Green comes up with. Let’s just say, after the last time I was on Toy Story Boot Camp, Corporal Green is on my list. That is all.
And now, for some ship vocabulary!
Today we will learn about Ship Goggles and the elusive SS.
Ship Goggles are metaphorical goggles worn by single crew members. Choices are limited in the dating world and these goggles turn someone you wouldn’t look twice at on land into Ryan Reynolds on board. I have not put these goggles on yet, but I know they exist and have seen their effects on some of my friends. Apparently, their use is inevitable. We shall see. I have also seen the ravenous effect a single, straight male has on the ladies of Youth Activities. One of our new hires is a confirmed SS (single and straight). You would’ve thought someone threw fresh meat into a pool of piranhas. Everyone is trying to get a look at him and suddenly we’re all doing our hair and putting a little more effort into our makeup. Poor guy doesn’t stand a chance...
In other news, I have taken over Pixie Hollow. I plan to do so for the entire month of December. How am I doing this, you may ask? Well, after thieving a giant box of coffee filters from the Oceaneer Lab, I have taken it upon myself to make snowflakes with the kids. We are decorating the tree in Pixie Hollow. I will try to get some pictures of it before housekeeping takes it down. Again. See, on the last night of every cruise my creations disappear. So - in true passive aggressive fashion, I make more. It’s become a little game. For every snowflake they take down, I make two more. The kids absolutely LOVE making them, and when parents come in they comment about how festive it looks. And we all know when the customers are happy, we do whatever we can to keep them that way. Therefore snowflake making continues! Victory! Along with this, one of the other counselors had made some foam die-cuts of ornaments. You better believe we will be bedazzling those suckers and hanging them up with our snowflakes. And of course, while we are doing these crafts, we’re singing Holiday Songs. (I say Holiday because technically we aren’t allowed to sing any ‘religious’ Christmas songs since it alienates those that don’t celebrate Christmas. But if some little kids starts Hark the Herald, we’re singing it. So there.) One little girl sang Jingle Bell Rock four times in a row. I joined her, of course. :)
This week was a special cruise since we ended up doing a double dip at Castaway due to inclement weather the first time around. What does this mean? This means that those disgusting TEVA sandals we have to wear rubbed my feet raw with blisters and now it hurts just to wear socks. I’m thinking about amputating my feet and getting rollerblades installed instead. Or possibly investing in a Segway. Thoughts?
It’s December 1st! Oh my Lord... this means only 100 days till I come home!!! Yay!!
Over and out!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Baby, It's (Not) Cold Outside...
You know sometimes I think my day-to-day life isn’t real. Like it’s all some dream I have yet to wake up from. For example, I routinely run into Princesses, chipmunks, and that dastardly devil Captain Hook in the hallways. Stitch is always around as well, giving out high fours (since he only has four fingers). On top of this madness, every time I step outside I see blue waters and palm trees. It’s a wonderful dream.
But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping that one day I’ll open my eyes and see my bedroom walls back in Lexington instead of the white ceiling of my bunk. Everything on board is decorated for Christmas and when I look at all of it there is this weird disconnect. For whatever reason my brain cannot wrap itself around the image of Christmas ornaments in palm trees. Or Christmas anywhere but home. It’s like I’m in an alternate universe where it’s not really Christmas time. All the decorations and accoutrements are there for the Holidays, and I just look at them and feel like they’re out of place. As the weeks progress I think things are going to get harder for me to deal with. I have banned the playing of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” on any iTunes playlist due to the fact that it causes me to burst into tears. I didn’t think it would affect me like that, until it came on one morning before work and I literally had to sit down and get a hold myself before I could leave the room. So... it’s been taken off my Christmas playlists. No more of that. It’s not even December yet.
I had a little girl cry on me for the first time this last cruise. Not because of missing her parents; because she didn’t want to leave the Oceaneer’s Club. She also didn’t understand why I couldn’t go with her. She literally sat in the floor, grabbed a hold of my leg and cried as her mother tried to get her to leave. It was rough. Her name was Olivia and she was the most adorable little four year old girl in the world. She told me I could come with her and share her room. Adorable.
This is kind of a short blog because things were a little slow. I’m sure more things will start to happen now that all the Christmas programs are starting.
Love to you all!
Over and out!
But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping that one day I’ll open my eyes and see my bedroom walls back in Lexington instead of the white ceiling of my bunk. Everything on board is decorated for Christmas and when I look at all of it there is this weird disconnect. For whatever reason my brain cannot wrap itself around the image of Christmas ornaments in palm trees. Or Christmas anywhere but home. It’s like I’m in an alternate universe where it’s not really Christmas time. All the decorations and accoutrements are there for the Holidays, and I just look at them and feel like they’re out of place. As the weeks progress I think things are going to get harder for me to deal with. I have banned the playing of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” on any iTunes playlist due to the fact that it causes me to burst into tears. I didn’t think it would affect me like that, until it came on one morning before work and I literally had to sit down and get a hold myself before I could leave the room. So... it’s been taken off my Christmas playlists. No more of that. It’s not even December yet.
I had a little girl cry on me for the first time this last cruise. Not because of missing her parents; because she didn’t want to leave the Oceaneer’s Club. She also didn’t understand why I couldn’t go with her. She literally sat in the floor, grabbed a hold of my leg and cried as her mother tried to get her to leave. It was rough. Her name was Olivia and she was the most adorable little four year old girl in the world. She told me I could come with her and share her room. Adorable.
This is kind of a short blog because things were a little slow. I’m sure more things will start to happen now that all the Christmas programs are starting.
Love to you all!
Over and out!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Jumps...
If ever you decide to join up with a cruise line for work, beware the day of Wet Drill. On this day, everything you have learned about personal survival in theory will be put into practice. Let me set the scene for you...
It was a nice, sunny day at Castaway Cay - not a cloud in the sky, a light breeze, and a balmy 82 degrees. Yet there I was, inside a waterproof safety suit, standing on a ledge with a Croatian safety officer telling me to jump. This man wanted me to hold my nose and “take step into water.” Water was almost ten feet below me. It was at this point a few unfriendly words came flying out of my mouth, under my breath of course, since I was pretty sure I was taking a step into death by drowning. In case you are wondering, I was not having fun.
“Just take step into water. We don’t have all day.”
“I’m working on it. Give me a sec, ok?”
After a couple deep breaths and a silent prayer for survival I took a step and plunged down into the bright blue Caribbean Sea. Now, I’m a fairly decent swimmer, but it’s a little difficult to swim when you’re inside a buoyant safety suit which has roughly the same range of motion as Ralphie’s snow suit in A Christmas Story. It’s more like flailing in a general direction rather than swimming. After flailing my way to a ladder and awkwardly pulling myself back up to the ledge, I was told to take off the suit and grab a life jacket so I could do it again. Fantastic. Just what I wanted. How did they know I wanted to plunge to possible death by drowning again? It’s like they can read minds.
I put on the lifejacket, which was in pretty rough shape since they are used solely for Wet Drill. I hope none of you ever come to know the feeling of dread which spread through me when I realized the velcro on my lifejacket was so worn it no longer worked properly. So I’m back on the ledge, holding down my lifejacket so it doesn’t break my neck on impact and we’re having the same conversation.
“Why you take so long? Just take step into water.”
“Again, I’m working on it. I just need a moment.”
“Do you need a push?”
“Possibly.”
“No pushing. Take step.”
I gave ole boy a rather dirty look at this point, totally involuntary - it just sort of happened, and was met with a rousing chorus of laughter from all the safety officers in the near vicinity.
It was a nice, sunny day at Castaway Cay - not a cloud in the sky, a light breeze, and a balmy 82 degrees. Yet there I was, inside a waterproof safety suit, standing on a ledge with a Croatian safety officer telling me to jump. This man wanted me to hold my nose and “take step into water.” Water was almost ten feet below me. It was at this point a few unfriendly words came flying out of my mouth, under my breath of course, since I was pretty sure I was taking a step into death by drowning. In case you are wondering, I was not having fun.
“Just take step into water. We don’t have all day.”
“I’m working on it. Give me a sec, ok?”
After a couple deep breaths and a silent prayer for survival I took a step and plunged down into the bright blue Caribbean Sea. Now, I’m a fairly decent swimmer, but it’s a little difficult to swim when you’re inside a buoyant safety suit which has roughly the same range of motion as Ralphie’s snow suit in A Christmas Story. It’s more like flailing in a general direction rather than swimming. After flailing my way to a ladder and awkwardly pulling myself back up to the ledge, I was told to take off the suit and grab a life jacket so I could do it again. Fantastic. Just what I wanted. How did they know I wanted to plunge to possible death by drowning again? It’s like they can read minds.
I put on the lifejacket, which was in pretty rough shape since they are used solely for Wet Drill. I hope none of you ever come to know the feeling of dread which spread through me when I realized the velcro on my lifejacket was so worn it no longer worked properly. So I’m back on the ledge, holding down my lifejacket so it doesn’t break my neck on impact and we’re having the same conversation.
“Why you take so long? Just take step into water.”
“Again, I’m working on it. I just need a moment.”
“Do you need a push?”
“Possibly.”
“No pushing. Take step.”
I gave ole boy a rather dirty look at this point, totally involuntary - it just sort of happened, and was met with a rousing chorus of laughter from all the safety officers in the near vicinity.
“You have spunk. Take step now, please.”
Well, he said please. I held on for dear life and took another step of doom in to the Caribbean Sea. I thought flailing around in the safety suit was hard. There is only one position one can be in while in a lifejacket: on your back, like a turtle. I’ll let you figure out how swimming went in that position. So there I am, sprawled out like a turtle, attempting to “swim” in the direction of my group so we can lock arms and join in a safety circle before we move on to the next phase of Wet Drill - learning to flip a capsized life raft.
The life rafts on board the Disney Dream are filled with CO2 which means there is this big canister on the underside of the raft. To flip the life raft, you and a friend must first climb on top of it from the water. Then you must position yourselves so that you will be able to stand up on the CO2 canister. After standing, you hold on to the safety ropes and lean back, using your body weight to flip the raft. Once you hit the water, you pull yourself out from under the raft with the safety ropes.
Please take the next few moments to imagine me and my awesome powers of clumsiness attempting to do this... get all the laughter out of your system. Go on. Okay, are we settled? Good. Yes, it was as awkward as it could be, since the top of the raft is about two and half feet out of the water and you need upper body strength to pull yourself out. Did I mention that I was also doing this in a life jacket. So, I’m helpless like a turtle and they want me to hoist myself out of the water onto a capsized raft and then flip it over.
I did it. I’m actually quite proud of this one too, because my partner and I did it the fastest out of our group. Granted I knocked myself in the face with one of the safety ropes and have a rope burn next to my nose to prove it, but the Croatian safety officer called me a “late bloomer” and congratulated me on my "battle scar" after this achievement. Wahbam!
Moving on, I officially earned my ears! The little red tag which marked me as new is gone and I’m all on my own now. No trainer, no shadowing! I love it. The kids are amazing, and I’m getting to know my fellow counselors better as well. In fact, a couple of us are in something called a Wenis War (the wenis is that patch of skin which covers your elbow, fyi). Basically, we go around like ninjas and mark each other’s elbows with a highlighter or washable marker. Result? I come home with colored elbows everyday. But so do the other people, muwahaha! Simple things keep us entertained, really.
I have had several people tell me that I do not seem like I am from Kentucky. This worries me slightly, but at the same time I suppose it’s a good thing. The people that say this have a) never been to Kentucky and b) have that stereotypical idea of what someone from Kentucky should be like. You know the one... Yeah. Anyhow, once I told them my accent comes out when I’m mad or tired, they’ve been trying to draw it out of me. We’ll see how that goes.
And now, a special conversation I wish to share with you all. This took place at Pixie Hollow, whilst coloring a picture of Nemo with a sweet, little 4 year old girl...
Me: “Well, how old do you think I am?”
Girl: “I don’t know... maybe fifty-hundred.
Me: “Fifty-hundred! Do you know anyone who’s fifty-hundred?!?”
Girl: giggles “No!”
Me: “Then how come you think I’m fifty-hundred?”
Girl: “Because you’re old and rusty.”
There you have it folks, I’m old and rusty. So, I’ll probably be laying an extra thick layer of moisturizer on tonight before bed... just in case.
One more thing... and I know this is a shameless plea, but still... look to the right hand side of your screen... see those addresses? Yeah... mail makes me happy. Just saying. :)
Love to you all! Until next time...
Over and out.
Well, he said please. I held on for dear life and took another step of doom in to the Caribbean Sea. I thought flailing around in the safety suit was hard. There is only one position one can be in while in a lifejacket: on your back, like a turtle. I’ll let you figure out how swimming went in that position. So there I am, sprawled out like a turtle, attempting to “swim” in the direction of my group so we can lock arms and join in a safety circle before we move on to the next phase of Wet Drill - learning to flip a capsized life raft.
The life rafts on board the Disney Dream are filled with CO2 which means there is this big canister on the underside of the raft. To flip the life raft, you and a friend must first climb on top of it from the water. Then you must position yourselves so that you will be able to stand up on the CO2 canister. After standing, you hold on to the safety ropes and lean back, using your body weight to flip the raft. Once you hit the water, you pull yourself out from under the raft with the safety ropes.
Please take the next few moments to imagine me and my awesome powers of clumsiness attempting to do this... get all the laughter out of your system. Go on. Okay, are we settled? Good. Yes, it was as awkward as it could be, since the top of the raft is about two and half feet out of the water and you need upper body strength to pull yourself out. Did I mention that I was also doing this in a life jacket. So, I’m helpless like a turtle and they want me to hoist myself out of the water onto a capsized raft and then flip it over.
I did it. I’m actually quite proud of this one too, because my partner and I did it the fastest out of our group. Granted I knocked myself in the face with one of the safety ropes and have a rope burn next to my nose to prove it, but the Croatian safety officer called me a “late bloomer” and congratulated me on my "battle scar" after this achievement. Wahbam!
Moving on, I officially earned my ears! The little red tag which marked me as new is gone and I’m all on my own now. No trainer, no shadowing! I love it. The kids are amazing, and I’m getting to know my fellow counselors better as well. In fact, a couple of us are in something called a Wenis War (the wenis is that patch of skin which covers your elbow, fyi). Basically, we go around like ninjas and mark each other’s elbows with a highlighter or washable marker. Result? I come home with colored elbows everyday. But so do the other people, muwahaha! Simple things keep us entertained, really.
I have had several people tell me that I do not seem like I am from Kentucky. This worries me slightly, but at the same time I suppose it’s a good thing. The people that say this have a) never been to Kentucky and b) have that stereotypical idea of what someone from Kentucky should be like. You know the one... Yeah. Anyhow, once I told them my accent comes out when I’m mad or tired, they’ve been trying to draw it out of me. We’ll see how that goes.
And now, a special conversation I wish to share with you all. This took place at Pixie Hollow, whilst coloring a picture of Nemo with a sweet, little 4 year old girl...
Me: “Well, how old do you think I am?”
Girl: “I don’t know... maybe fifty-hundred.
Me: “Fifty-hundred! Do you know anyone who’s fifty-hundred?!?”
Girl: giggles “No!”
Me: “Then how come you think I’m fifty-hundred?”
Girl: “Because you’re old and rusty.”
There you have it folks, I’m old and rusty. So, I’ll probably be laying an extra thick layer of moisturizer on tonight before bed... just in case.
One more thing... and I know this is a shameless plea, but still... look to the right hand side of your screen... see those addresses? Yeah... mail makes me happy. Just saying. :)
Love to you all! Until next time...
Over and out.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Policemen or Guards...
So this has been my first week of real work on board. I’ve been on the main floor and have actually been spending time with the kids as apposed to my YA Trainer, Kenny. (Though I do love Kenny and have lots of fun with him... even when he threatens to burn all my hair off. Long story...) I do still have a peer trainer, Talisa, but she’s awesome. We’ve bonded over a love of Hercules and our inherent clumsiness. I’m slowly getting to know the other YA Counselors. I’m trying my best not to step on anyone’s toes and doing all the grunt work I can to earn respect. I think it will pay off in the end.
I learned you can put in a ship request change the other day. So near the end of my contract on The Dream I plan on requesting The Wonder for my next contract. Why? Because it goes to Alaska. End of story. :)
Now, on to the fun bits. This past cruise I have been thrown up, pooped, and peed on. I have come home from work with markers, crayons, glitter, glue, and macaroni art in my pockets. I had glue on my face, which no one bothered to mention, and glitter in my tear duct. I’ve wiped noses, tears, and held so many little hands while searching for lost brothers/sisters/cousins/friends I’ve lost count. The best part? I’m having the time of my life. (Minus the being pooped on part.) But I figured you all would like to hear some stories...
Captain “Protein Spill” was a little boy of about 4 who was complaining about his tummy hurting. We sat down on the Cry Benches and I asked him his name, how old he was, if he was having fun, the usual. Then he threw up in the most graceful style I’ve ever seen. He leaned way over, spread his legs, and blew his lunch in a neat little puddle on the floor. He had hotdogs. They came out in perfectly formed chunks, which leads me to believe he did not chew his food but ate it whole like a python. He then promptly laid down and went to sleep. We called his parents and then housekeeping came to clean it up. I may not eat hotdogs ever again.
The Duchess of Poo and I met on Castaway Cay in Scuttle’s Cove. She was building a sand castle alone and crying. I went over to check on her and she gave me the standard, “I want my mommy!” I was trying to calm her down and then I asked her if she needed to go to the bathroom, to which she replied, “I did. I had an accident.” Oh man. Here we go. I asked her if she went pee or poo... “I pooped.” Awesome. The Duchess and I went to bathroom to check the damage and sure enough, this little four year old girl had produced enough poo to rival a grown man. On top of that, she had been sitting in it a while because she’s wiggled and managed to get it up her back, down, her legs, and embedded in her wet bathing suit. Who had to clean her up? This girl! I’ll let you guess how it went. I made it through... barely.
Princess Pee-Pants loved to dance. She loved to dance so much she couldn’t be bothered with leaning the Magic Playfloor to do something as silly as use the potty. So during our Dance Party she wandered off to a corner and relieved herself. Then she made a WIDE arc to get back on to the dance floor where she ran into me. We started dancing and having a big time until Talisa came over and told us not to move. She had tracked the Princess’s pee drips from the puddle to where we were dancing. I was dancing in pee. Fabulous. Princess was not bothered with this fact. She was more upset that she had to change her clothes and was losing dance time. Priorities matter.
We have a program called Super Sloppy Science where the kids can make Flubber, Exploding Volcanoes, etc. The experiments are conducted by our resident mad scientist, Professor Make-a-Mess. He has a violent shock of lime green hair, googly eyes, and is super clumsy with “dangerous” chemicals. Well, he scared the bejeezus out of one of my three year old boys on Volcano night. This little guy runs up to me in such a state of distress you would’ve thought the world was ending. He was crying so much I couldn’t understand him. When I finally deciphered his babbles I realized he was worried that Prof Make-a-Mess was going to blow up the ship with his volcanoes. He kept saying, “Bad green man! Go boom! Bad green man!” I finally convinced him these were little volcanoes and that Mickey had protected the ship from volcano explosions with a little help from Merlin and The Fairy Godmother. He believed me, but still whimpered “Bad green man!” every time he saw the Professor. He was so adorably cute and upset it was hard not to laugh at his distress. Kids believe anything.
And now on to a section I like to call, “The Things Kids Say...”
There are more stories I could tell, but I think that’s enough for now. On to the next cruise and more adventures!
Adios, Adieu, Au Revior!
I learned you can put in a ship request change the other day. So near the end of my contract on The Dream I plan on requesting The Wonder for my next contract. Why? Because it goes to Alaska. End of story. :)
Now, on to the fun bits. This past cruise I have been thrown up, pooped, and peed on. I have come home from work with markers, crayons, glitter, glue, and macaroni art in my pockets. I had glue on my face, which no one bothered to mention, and glitter in my tear duct. I’ve wiped noses, tears, and held so many little hands while searching for lost brothers/sisters/cousins/friends I’ve lost count. The best part? I’m having the time of my life. (Minus the being pooped on part.) But I figured you all would like to hear some stories...
Captain “Protein Spill” was a little boy of about 4 who was complaining about his tummy hurting. We sat down on the Cry Benches and I asked him his name, how old he was, if he was having fun, the usual. Then he threw up in the most graceful style I’ve ever seen. He leaned way over, spread his legs, and blew his lunch in a neat little puddle on the floor. He had hotdogs. They came out in perfectly formed chunks, which leads me to believe he did not chew his food but ate it whole like a python. He then promptly laid down and went to sleep. We called his parents and then housekeeping came to clean it up. I may not eat hotdogs ever again.
The Duchess of Poo and I met on Castaway Cay in Scuttle’s Cove. She was building a sand castle alone and crying. I went over to check on her and she gave me the standard, “I want my mommy!” I was trying to calm her down and then I asked her if she needed to go to the bathroom, to which she replied, “I did. I had an accident.” Oh man. Here we go. I asked her if she went pee or poo... “I pooped.” Awesome. The Duchess and I went to bathroom to check the damage and sure enough, this little four year old girl had produced enough poo to rival a grown man. On top of that, she had been sitting in it a while because she’s wiggled and managed to get it up her back, down, her legs, and embedded in her wet bathing suit. Who had to clean her up? This girl! I’ll let you guess how it went. I made it through... barely.
Princess Pee-Pants loved to dance. She loved to dance so much she couldn’t be bothered with leaning the Magic Playfloor to do something as silly as use the potty. So during our Dance Party she wandered off to a corner and relieved herself. Then she made a WIDE arc to get back on to the dance floor where she ran into me. We started dancing and having a big time until Talisa came over and told us not to move. She had tracked the Princess’s pee drips from the puddle to where we were dancing. I was dancing in pee. Fabulous. Princess was not bothered with this fact. She was more upset that she had to change her clothes and was losing dance time. Priorities matter.
We have a program called Super Sloppy Science where the kids can make Flubber, Exploding Volcanoes, etc. The experiments are conducted by our resident mad scientist, Professor Make-a-Mess. He has a violent shock of lime green hair, googly eyes, and is super clumsy with “dangerous” chemicals. Well, he scared the bejeezus out of one of my three year old boys on Volcano night. This little guy runs up to me in such a state of distress you would’ve thought the world was ending. He was crying so much I couldn’t understand him. When I finally deciphered his babbles I realized he was worried that Prof Make-a-Mess was going to blow up the ship with his volcanoes. He kept saying, “Bad green man! Go boom! Bad green man!” I finally convinced him these were little volcanoes and that Mickey had protected the ship from volcano explosions with a little help from Merlin and The Fairy Godmother. He believed me, but still whimpered “Bad green man!” every time he saw the Professor. He was so adorably cute and upset it was hard not to laugh at his distress. Kids believe anything.
And now on to a section I like to call, “The Things Kids Say...”
- “Are you policemen or guards?” Boy, age 4, asking what to call the counselors.
- “When I grow up I want to be single with kids. Boys are gross. I don’t want a husband!” Girl, age 6
- “Are you a mommy?” Every single child at some point or another
- “I’m so mad I can’t even think!” Girl, age 3, after misplacing her princess drawing
- “Does Tinkerbell have feathers?” Girl, age 4
- “Where do you sleep? In the lifeboats?” Boy, age 7
There are more stories I could tell, but I think that’s enough for now. On to the next cruise and more adventures!
Adios, Adieu, Au Revior!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Voyage the Second...
I find myself being more and more drawn to down time alone in my cabin. It may seem a little non-social, but I’ve come to realize that having that time to yourself is THE crucial element to staying sane. Another odd sensation I’m going through? The feeling that I’ve been on the ship for far longer than I actually have. If this keeps up, by the time I leave the ship in March it will seem like I’ve worked here for years. You do so much, and work so hard that a day feels longer than it is, but goes by quicker than a day would while I was working at Cinemark. My best moments on board have been playing with the kids. I could literally do that all day, which is probably a good thing since eventually that’s what I will be doing.
I got a chance to go up and hang out in Edge for a little while. I LOVED it. The kids are older (11-13) but still young enough to think that I, as a counselor, am cool. While waiting for the program to start, I initiated an impromptu dance party. Why? Because I could. Duh. The biggest surprise though, was the kids were digging it. It started with just me and two girls, then a couple boys joined, and then more kids kept joining until I began a conga line. Yes, a conga line. Finally, Party Rock Anthem came on and everybody’s hand went UP! and they stayed there. (up, down, up, down, up, down) *Sorry... couldn’t resist. The kids settled down and the actual Edge workers took over and began their ice breakers. Later on we got to experience a program called Ghost Voyager. I don’t want to give anything away, but basically it scares the crap out of all the kids. Fantastic to watch and be a part of!
I’ve had a request to describe the Crew Mess. Hmm... what can I say about mess? Well, it’s different than I expected. It’s cafeteria style in the sense that you eat what they’re having or you don’t eat (unless you have stuff in your room). The food itself isn’t bad. It’s very different than what I would normally eat and incredibly random at times. However, this is an adventure right? Try everything once! So - there is always some fresh fruit available, mostly bananas and oranges, and there is always a place to make a salad of some sort. The toppings for the salad vary from day to day and include everything from the normal croutons and cheese to onions, some sort of curry covered bean, and spicy fruit. (Sidebar for Spicy Fruit - had that today for dinner accidentally. Thought it was just pineapples and oranges mixed together. Nope. Had some sort of clear, odorless spice concoction which made my eyes water.) After that section, there is the main entree area which always includes rice (white and other style), some kind of soup, some kind of pasta, two meat options, and one fish option. You can mix it up and get what you want. Everyone does and no two plates ever look the same. Also, there are normally steamer trays in the middle with some kind of vegetable in them. The deserts are different everyday and someone said that we get the mistakes from the guest kitchen every now and then in addition to our own desserts. This definitely explains the delicious lemon meringue I had the other day which had the weirdest raspberry design ever on the top. All in all, it’s not that bad and the food quality if quite good so far! Definitely not for picky eaters though. :)
For those of you who know me well, this next bit will make you laugh. I have once again chosen a work environment where I am surrounded by Fabulous Men. In fact, there is even a widely accepted rule among the crew: Fabulous until proven Not. Number of Nots in YA? At least three... though I hear there’s a few more. I haven’t met everyone yet, but they all seem very nice and are generally very friendly. Granted to work for Disney, part of you needs to be hardwired to be happy and nice. It can be a tiny, small, hidden part, but it has to exist in some capacity.
My first week of “real work” starts this Sunday. I’m no longer in training! Yay! I get to be on the floor, playing with kids, helping out with programs, and getting all kinds of real experience. I’ll be spending most of time between Pixie Hollow and Andy’s Room, which is a-ok with me. I’ll also be doing all the behind-the-scenes stuff I can’t talk about on here. Sorry, folks!
I’ll keep you posted! Over and out.
I got a chance to go up and hang out in Edge for a little while. I LOVED it. The kids are older (11-13) but still young enough to think that I, as a counselor, am cool. While waiting for the program to start, I initiated an impromptu dance party. Why? Because I could. Duh. The biggest surprise though, was the kids were digging it. It started with just me and two girls, then a couple boys joined, and then more kids kept joining until I began a conga line. Yes, a conga line. Finally, Party Rock Anthem came on and everybody’s hand went UP! and they stayed there. (up, down, up, down, up, down) *Sorry... couldn’t resist. The kids settled down and the actual Edge workers took over and began their ice breakers. Later on we got to experience a program called Ghost Voyager. I don’t want to give anything away, but basically it scares the crap out of all the kids. Fantastic to watch and be a part of!
I’ve had a request to describe the Crew Mess. Hmm... what can I say about mess? Well, it’s different than I expected. It’s cafeteria style in the sense that you eat what they’re having or you don’t eat (unless you have stuff in your room). The food itself isn’t bad. It’s very different than what I would normally eat and incredibly random at times. However, this is an adventure right? Try everything once! So - there is always some fresh fruit available, mostly bananas and oranges, and there is always a place to make a salad of some sort. The toppings for the salad vary from day to day and include everything from the normal croutons and cheese to onions, some sort of curry covered bean, and spicy fruit. (Sidebar for Spicy Fruit - had that today for dinner accidentally. Thought it was just pineapples and oranges mixed together. Nope. Had some sort of clear, odorless spice concoction which made my eyes water.) After that section, there is the main entree area which always includes rice (white and other style), some kind of soup, some kind of pasta, two meat options, and one fish option. You can mix it up and get what you want. Everyone does and no two plates ever look the same. Also, there are normally steamer trays in the middle with some kind of vegetable in them. The deserts are different everyday and someone said that we get the mistakes from the guest kitchen every now and then in addition to our own desserts. This definitely explains the delicious lemon meringue I had the other day which had the weirdest raspberry design ever on the top. All in all, it’s not that bad and the food quality if quite good so far! Definitely not for picky eaters though. :)
For those of you who know me well, this next bit will make you laugh. I have once again chosen a work environment where I am surrounded by Fabulous Men. In fact, there is even a widely accepted rule among the crew: Fabulous until proven Not. Number of Nots in YA? At least three... though I hear there’s a few more. I haven’t met everyone yet, but they all seem very nice and are generally very friendly. Granted to work for Disney, part of you needs to be hardwired to be happy and nice. It can be a tiny, small, hidden part, but it has to exist in some capacity.
My first week of “real work” starts this Sunday. I’m no longer in training! Yay! I get to be on the floor, playing with kids, helping out with programs, and getting all kinds of real experience. I’ll be spending most of time between Pixie Hollow and Andy’s Room, which is a-ok with me. I’ll also be doing all the behind-the-scenes stuff I can’t talk about on here. Sorry, folks!
I’ll keep you posted! Over and out.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Voyage the First...
So much has happened since I was last able to update.
Getting on to the ship was an ordeal in it of itself. I woke up ridiculously early in order to catch the bus to Port Canaveral, which left at 5:15AM, and then proceeded to sleep all the way there. This was to my favor since from the moment the bus stopped we were busy doing things like getting our passports checked, having our bags sniffed by drug dogs, going through security (twice), and being shuffled on board ship. From here we immediately went into Human Resources (HR) training and received the first of many tours of the ship.
Before I get ahead of myself, let me tell you one thing. Coming over the hill and getting my first sight of the ship is something I’ll never forget. She’s huge, beautiful, and so classically styled that the other ships docked next to her pale in comparison. I never really thought of ships as beautiful, but The Dream changed my opinion. Inside she’s a showcase of art deco styling and elegance. The chandelier in the atrium took my breath away the first time I saw it in person. She’s a gorgeous ship, and a much more beautiful place to work than anywhere else I’ve been. Plus, the location(s) can’t be beat. :)
Anyhow - back to day one on board. After having our tour of all 14 decks and the myriad of endless staircases we were allowed to go to our staterooms. I wish there had been a camera set up to capture me entering my cabin for for the first time. It was quite comical, seeing as how I got stuck in the door at the same time I realized the cabin was roughly 7x10 and meant for two people. The top bunk lay waiting for me and the first journey into the bathroom was ridiculous. You don’t know small. No matter what you’ve dealt with, nothing compares to this. I promise you. With all that being said, after talking to other crew members who’ve been on ships, these are some of the nicest crew cabins around. I will say they are quite comfortable once you get over the size factor, and the bathroom is entirely manageable as well. Compact and functional. I will be very glad to get in a proper shower in four months, though. Very. Glad.
The first night on board was a little rough. Not because of homesickness or anything like that. It was rough because this is the end of hurricane season and there were 30-40ft swells going on. Also, my room in the the most forward section of the ship which means every time a wave crashes against the hull I hear something akin to cannon fire. So, there I am laying in my wee little twin bed, hearing cannon fire, and feeling the ship dip and rise like a seesaw. At several moments, my feet were tilted higher than my head. I thought we were going down and we were all gonna die. Good news: I don’t get seasick! Our HR Trainer said if we could survive the conditions of that first night, we could survive anything. Here’s for surviving anything!
Moving on - as a Youth Activities Counselor I’m technically given the rank of Petty Officer which means I get certain privileges, like guest area access and bi-weekly cabin cleaning, and most importantly, I can go see the shows. I’ve seen all three! Villains Tonight! and The Golden Mickeys, both of which have the technology and quality standard to rival a true Broadway production. I was very impressed. Believe is by far my favorite. It even made me cry. (Yes, yes, some of you are rolling your eyes at that... “Ally cries at everything!” is flying out of your mouth. Shut it.) If you get the chance to go see it, or can find a legal recording of it (yes, legal), WATCH IT! So good!
In a previous blog post I told you all about the Oceaneer Club and Lab spaces on board ship. Well, come to find out there are even more spaces to hang out. It’s A Small World Nursery (Under 3yrs), Edge (for 11-13yrs), and Vibe (14-17yrs) are the other spaces and they are equally as awesome as the Oceaneer Club and Lab. My YA training coordinator said that we can work in each space and find which one we like best during training. We can also audition to become a Youth Entertainment Host, which is what I feel like I’ll end up doing. ;)
I know some of you have asked about my uniform (commonly referred to as costumes at DCL). Prepare yourself for awesomeness. It’s hot. I have to beat the men off with a stick due to my complete and utter hotness whilst wearing my uniform. I don’t know why more women don’t dress this way. Totes gonna find me a man while in this uniform. It’s a gorgeously baggy polyester polo in bright BRIGHT yellow, paired with the most adorably shapeless royal blue slacks and matching belt. To complete the look, all white leather sneakers and white socks. The ensemble as a whole is breathtaking when worn together. I know... you’re so jealous. It’s ok. I would be too. In fact, I’m gonna kick it up a notch and make you even more jealous. It comes with a shapeless blue shorts option that can be worn before 6PM. Yes. Blew your mind didn’t I? Not to ruin you day with the rain of jealousy you’re now experiencing but there’s more... I have beach wear! Blue swim shorts, yellow mesh shirt, and navy bathing suit. I know! It’s okay if we can’t be friends for a little bit due to your jealousy at this point. I can wait. (All joking aside, it’s not that bad. I’m just dramatic - in case you didn’t know.)
After receiving my costumes, an ordeal due to a mix-up between my card and my (male) friend Lex’s and a language barrier, I got back into work with my YA Training coordinator. We’ve gone over enough safety and health standards to make you head spin. But I can now clean a space to a USPH regulated level and save your child with an EPI pen if need be. Wahbam!
On top of YA Training Sessions, I also have the last little bit of HR Training Sessions. In the one about Crew Life, we learned about a program entitled VoluntEARS (get it?). Basically, what happens is while we’re in port in Nassau or Port Canaveral you go and volunteer with fellow crew members. After you log ten hours (and for every subsequent 10 hrs) of volunteer time Walt Disney Company will cut a check for $100 to a charity of your choice. Once I figure out my schedule, I will be doing this. My check will be going to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in honor of my mom.
I’ve met people from all over the world in the past week - South Africa, England, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, Philippines, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Romania, Italy, Hungary, Montenegro, China, everywhere you can possibly imagine. Officers, bartenders, housekeeping, waiters, engineers, security, and entertainment. We are one BIG family or roughly 1500 members at the moment. It’s a little daunting when you think about it, but already I’m recognizing people on my treks through the I-95 (the main corridor used by crew to get from one end of the ship to the other.). Everyone seems pretty nice so far. Granted, several have pointed at us (since the newbies move in packs for safety, lol) and shouted, “Fresh Meat!” That was interesting. I just wave and smile. It’s all good natured fun right?
I am partially convinced that the staircases move, like in Harry Potter. In fact, I swear they do. I come up a new hallway everyday and realize I’ve never been there before and have no idea where I am. It’s the reason I leave at least 15 minutes early for everything. I inevitably get lost. That and the watertight doors. I hate the watertight doors. I mark out a path to get somewhere and then one of those suckers gets closed for whatever reason and I am screwed. I have to backtrack and go up and over somehow, and with the potentially moving staircases this is quite an issue for me. Therefore, unless they are saving me from sinking, I hate the watertight doors. End of story.
Our schedule is pretty steady as far as the cruise itineraries go. We have back to back cruises on a 4-day/3-day schedule, leaving out of Canaveral every Sunday and Thursday. It’s Canaveral, Nassau, Castaway Cay, Sea Day, Canaveral. The cruises are essentially the same, except the 3-day cruise doesn’t have the Sea Day. Our ports of call are beautiful. I posted some pictures on my Facebook and many more will follow once I get a chance to go out and explore the islands. I did find out that I can put a request in to do the Dolphin Program in Nassau and if there’s room I can go - FOR FREE! Swimming with dolphins for free? Epic Win. Also found out you can rent a scooter and go zooming about Nassau... hmmm. May be doing that too. (With a friend of course!)
Castaway Cay is Disney’s own tropical paradise complete with private runway. Yeah. Luckily the crew gets their own private beach and grill in Serenity Bay. Mostly though, as a YA Counselor, I’ll be working on the island while we’re there at Scuttle’s Cove doing all kinds of fun beachy things with the kids. In my awesome beachwear, of course. And Haley - this is when I’ll be wearing my sandals... you know which ones.
That seems like enough for now. Sending everyone my love from the seas! Over and out!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Yo ho! Yo ho! A Pirate's life for me...
It's official. Tomorrow, in the wee hours of the morning, I will board a bus for Port Canaveral, Florida, where I will embark on The Disney Dream.
Four months at sea, making port in Castaway Cay and Nassau, Bahamas. I've already met some pretty incredible people from all over the world, and that's only from a group of 30ish. I can't wait to meet people from a crew of over 1,300.
We had specialty training today. Very, very dry. So much so, at one point, I scared myself to death because my head slipped off my hand after I'd fallen asleep. I swear my life flashed before my eyes for a second. Then I realized I was still in the windowless room learning about MSDS sheets and various chemicals which can kill everything and everyone. Luckily, class only lasted until noon and then I was off to Animal Kingdom for the first time in my life. It was pretty spectacular.
The Tree of Life in the center of the park is breathtaking. You come around the corner, and BAM, there it is. It's so much bigger than you think it would be, and the details in the trunk are absolutely amazing. The two main attractions we rode were Expedition Everest, a roller-coaster that takes you into the depth of the Himalayan Mountains in search of the Yeti, and Kilimanjaro Safari - an actual safari through natural habitats where you encounter various species of wild animals.
Had the guide not been starring at me when it happened, I could've reached out and touched a giraffe. They were eating tall grass right next to the road and one big male was less than three feet from me. I thought about it. But then I figured getting kicked out of a Disney Park would probably get me fired from Disney Cruise Line. Somehow, I feel like the phrase "I illegally touched a giraffe on safari." won't go over well when I apply for a new job.
Expedition Everest was pretty fun... we rode it twice, in fact. All nine of us. Best ride in the whole of Disney World. (Though I still make a case for Carousel of Progress, because there really IS a great, big, beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day.)
We ended the day in Magic Kingdom, because really... you have to. Cinderella's Castle and Main Street USA were all lit up for Christmas, which was pretty cool. I've never been down here to see that before. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that Disney puts as much as effort into decorating their cruise ships for Christmas as they do for the parks. Christmas Win!
I have to get up heinously early tomorrow. And I need to re-pack. I'm ready to be settled and playing with kids. I cannot tell you how hard it was not to join in with them today when I saw a group of little girls all dressed like their favorite princess being chased by boys dressed as pirates. It was almost physically painful. I'm tired of all the office paper work and training sessions. Let's get this show on the road!
Will update when I can. Apparently, the internet is a bit dodgy (and crazy expensive) on board.
Love to you all!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Back to Childhood in 3, 2, 1...
Safety Training was a seemingly endless barrage of information. Granted, it was all very important information, but still... I may have wanted to cause harm to myself to get out of that room. It was wretched. Good news, I can now potentially save your life at sea! (See how I instilled confidence there? They taught me to do that. Win!)
The best part about today, without a doubt, was finally going to the parks. A diverse group (4 Americans, 1 South African, 1 Brit) set out for MGM (Hollywood Studios, whatever...) and Epcot and managed to have one of the most perfect experiences ever. We rode Tower of Terror, Rockin Rollercoaster, Star Tours, Test Track, Mission Space, and Soarin' and managed to get some excellent fish and chips from the England pavilion. Every attraction we went to, we waited less then 30minutes and had a blast. We rode the ferry from MGM to Epcot, and even managed to see the tail end of the fireworks after Soarin.
Mike summed it up perfectly saying, "We've made the most awesome decisions all night! This is way better at making me love Disney than Traditions!" I agree! Whole-heartedly. Is there a suggestions box for how Traditions is conducted? If so, please note the following: Instead of an hours long class on history for Traditions (or in addition to, your choice), give new hires two days specifically designated to go to the parks and experience everything for themselves! Set up special moments, enjoy all the shows, ride all the rides, have your picture take with Mickey! Nothing reminds me of how much I love Disney (and rekindles the fire and drive I have to do a good job as a Disney employee) and all it stands for like walking down Main Street USA and seeing Cinderella's Castle at the end in all it's glory. Just saying.
Anyhow, tomorrow the crew members for the Disney Magic leave for their ship, while all us Dream folk have ANOTHER day of training. We're done tomorrow around noon though, so those of us still left are going to Animal Kingdom (and then Magic Kingdom... because you kinda have to. It's a classic.)!! I've never been to that particular park before, so I am super excited.
After that, I leave for the Dream! We embark on Sunday, November 6, from Port Canaveral on a three day cruise stopping in Castaway Cay and Nassau.
My blog posts may be less frequent while I figure out the most efficient way to use the internet on board, so heads up!
Any questions, comments, or concerns? Bring it on!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency...
I was indoctrinated into the Walt Disney Company today.
The day started with a sprinkle of pixie dust and a dash of that good ole' Disney Magic and ended with laughter and new stories from new friends. I have learned one of the fundamental rules of working for Disney - Work Hard. Play Hard.
It's a little insane. In a group of 48 people, roughly six of us are American. I've never really been a minority before, and it's a new and wonderful feeling. There are so many cultures and customs I wasn't aware of. Example: thumbs up to most people means "Hey, you're doing good!" or "Everything's good!" to Iranians it means "Up your a**." Note to self, never give an Iranian the Thumbs Up sign. Also, never gamble with a Sicilian when death is on the line... (ten points to whoever can name the movie that quote is from!)
Also learned that there are a plethora (love using that word) of Jamaicans about. Everything from cooks to bellhops to hotel services. Jamaicans everywhere. There are also a lot of Brits, and me being a dumb American, totally thought there were talking about American Football for a solid twenty minutes, until the words "Manchester United" broke into play and I was all, "Ooohhhh, I'm stupid... they're talking about soccer."
Tomorrow I have safety training with the rest of the crew members joining up with the Dream. The people on the Magic get a FULL DAY OFF.
Say what?! They get to go frolic (yes, frolic) about in Disney World while I have to learn how to save people? Not fair. I say guests should learn how to put on their own life vests, it's not rocket science. I want to go to Disney World! Tomorrow night, come hell or high water, I'm going. People can come with me if they want. If I have to go alone, I will. I'm not missing this opportunity to go to Disney for free. I think I shall watch Illuminations, or sneak into Pirates of the Caribbean during Spectromagic. Of course, I'll need to go to Carousel of Progress and experience that great, big beautiful tomorrow. And Space Mountain... duh.
I need an extra day at Disney World please, and thank you. (I mean, really. If I'm being honest, the main reason I wanted to work for Disney was for free passes to the parks. Duh.)
I digress.
Traditions training covers everything you could ever possible need/want to know about the Walt Disney Company and strives to instill in you the desire to comply with the company standards of Safety, Courtesy, Show and Efficiency. Our job, in three simple words: We create happiness. Mickey even stopped by to give us our name tags and help explain some standards. (I got a hug and a kiss. Highlight of my day.) All in all it was exactly what I expected, plus a little extra on the side.
We even got to take what I have christened the Super Secret Bat Cave Tour of Magic Kingdom. For the sake of any true believers - the backstage area of Magic Kingdom houses all of the apartments for the characters. The prince and princesses live on level one (obviously), all other Characters on levels 2-15, and Villains are in the basement. The characters have their own little metropolis where they can relax after a long day of greeting guests and working hard. Villains have a jazz nightclub called "Wicked" where Ursula and Malifacent play the most amazing set known to man. Coltrane would be impressed. Jasmine and Belle normally meet for coffee at Mad Hatter's Cafe on Thursdays to discuss their new projects. Whinne the Pooh owns a bakery specializing in, you guessed it - honey flavored items - which has a line of woodland creatures that wraps around the block during rush hour. There was so much to see, I couldn't take it all in during the brief time we were there. Hopefully, I get to go back one day...
Keep the magic alive people!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
It All Gets Real...
So I'm sitting in my hotel room, chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool... I mean, uh... settling in and taking it easy before Traditions training starts tomorrow. I ventured out to get food, and do some exploring only to discover that people give you the weirdest looks when you're alone. It's like they can't handle it. Granted there were a few other people alone, but everyone is still in that state where you're not sure if you're the same kind of alone (i.e. a new Crew Member for DCL versus Captain All-By-Myself-By-Choice). Basically, I'm in limbo until tomorrow morning at 7:00am.
When the hotel receptionist makes a comment about how early you have to start, you know it's VERY early. This means tomorrow morning I need to be in the lobby here at All Star Sports with my contract, sign in papers, passport, and "good walking shoes" ready to Go! Go! Go!
I was a little concerned this morning that I wasn't going to make my connecting flight. Blue Grass Airport is apparently being plagued by a rogue flock of birds. Said flock caused my plane to be delayed not once, but twice. C'mon people, they are birds. This is not a Hitchcock movie... you can shoo them away.
So, I'm just taking it easy and enjoying the downtime since I probably won't be getting any more until March 10.
Let the Magic begin!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
G is for Goodbye...
Whoever decided that saying goodbye was the proper thing to do before leaving a place needs to be taken out back and shot. Harsh? Maybe, but still... you could use rubber pellets so he/she doesn't die. There definitely needs to be shooting though. Preferably in the bum or another soft, fleshy area so it leaves a bruise. You get the picture.
Basically, I hate saying goodbye. It sucks. I cry. End of story. It's worse when it's people I really care about, like my family. Tomorrow I have to say goodbye in a public setting - the airport. Oh man. I am just gonna go ahead an apologize to all the witnesses in Bluegrass Airport tomorrow. There are two words that will describe me and my family upon saying goodbye: Hot. Mess.
The poor schmuck who ends up next to me on the plane is going to think someone died or some other tragic event has occurred in my life. If he's kind enough to ask me what's wrong, he'll get the surprise of a lifetime when I reply, "I-I'm g-g-going to w-work for Disney..."
I say he, because it is inevitable that the one time I'm sniffling and crying and embodying all that is Hot Mess-ness, I will be sitting next to a hot guy on the plane. Normally, I'm sitting next to my sister or Captain Over-40 and Married. Tomorrow though... gorgeous and single. You wait. It's gonna happen.
On top of this impending cry-fest, I received a Facebook message from a dear friend tonight that was an absolutely perfect send off. Did I cry? You betcha. Luckily this friend knows me well and warned me to get a box of kleenex in the first few sentences. Then he made me use them. Ugh...
This would be much simpler if all of you were master contortionists and could fit yourselves into my suitcase. I'm sure we could find room for you on board. You could sleep in the lifeboats or something. Designers, make it work! (That last sentence should be read in Tim Gunn's voice... you know how he do.)
I'm ready to leave, I'm all packed... I just have to say goodbye.
Or not.
How about I just say, "See you later!" That counts right? I mean, I'm coming back in March.
Ok, it's settled. No more Goodbyes.
Everyone's a winner!
*Thank you to all my friends and family for being such wonderful people and giving me so much love and support. I would not be the woman I am today without you. Through your encouragement and love, I have been truly blessed and I will miss you all terribly. When I return, we are throwing the biggest party March has ever seen. Until then... I send you all the love I have.
Monday, October 31, 2011
My New Home...
Ladies and Gentleman, I present the Disney Dream! This magnificent vessel will be my home away from home for the next four months. So, to get us started (and to borrow a rather ingenious idea from my fellow Disney Sailor, Mitch - see his blog: http://mitchlakeadventure.tumblr.com/ to follow adventures onboard Disney Magic. You should also check out Rebekka's blog - http://roamingrebekkah.tumblr.com/ - since she's on the Magic too. We all met at the Regional Interview in Chicago!) here are some facts and tidbits about the ship!
About The Dream
The Disney Dream™ is the majestic third ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet. Boasting 14 towering decks, a ship length of 1,115 feet and a maximum width of 125 feet, the 130,000-ton vessel includes 1,250 staterooms and has the capacity to comfortably accommodate 4,000 passengers—along with the over 1,458 Crew Members who tend to the needs of every cruise Guest each and every day.
Building on the classic style of the previous 2 ships, the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder, the Disney Dream is a valiant vessel distinguished for its classic early 20th-century design—which harkens back to the golden age of cruising—and state-of-the-art technology. As can be expected from Disney, the cruise liner was specially designed with families in mind, combining sleek style and convenient facilities with splashes of magic and cruise-industry firsts—like the splashtacular AquaDuck, the very first water coaster at sea.
Fun and Magical Facts
- The Disney Dream’s horn, a prominent element of the “Sailing Away” deck party at the start of the cruise, is quite the musical talent. It’s able to perform not just the first musical line of “When You Wish Upon a Star” but also the second line of the song (“makes no difference who you are”) PLUS several measures of “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me),” “It’s a Small World,” “Be Our Guest,” “Hi Diddle Dee Dee (An Actor’s Life for Me)” and – most appropriately – “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.”
- The Sorcerer Mickey Mouse on the Dream’s stern is about 14 feet long. Constructed of stainless steel and fiberglass, it weighs approximately 2,500 pounds. The “ornament” was sculpted at Walt Disney Imagineering in California, structurally designed by engineers at Disney Cruise Line and Meyer Werft in Germany, manufactured in Sarasota, Fla., finish-painted in Orlando, and then transported by ship to Germany for final installation on the Disney Dream. From sculpture to the stern of Disney Dream was a journey of about 15,000 miles for Mickey Mouse
- Looking upward in the ship’s atrium lobby brings guests eye-to-crystal with a glowing piece of “Art Deco jewelry” – a stunning chandelier sparkling with thousands of crystal beads and glowing with colorful glasswork. Crafted in Brixen, located in Northern Italy, the chandelier is 22 feet diameter at the ceiling plate and comes down 13 feet from the ceiling. It is 24kt gold plated with a total of 88,680 Swarovski crystal beads ranging in size from 6mm to 12mm.
- The atrium lobby of Disney Dream also can be a showplace. Normally hidden by friezes and other architectural adornments are the lighting and audio necessary for a Dream deck party – making the lobby “plan B” if Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate with the onboard schedule of fun.
- A “light point” is shipbuilders’ lingo for “anything that’s a light. There are approximately 80,000 light points on Disney Dream – “double the normal number for a ship this size,” according to Meyer Werft, the shipyard in Germany where Disney Dream was built. The large number is the result of Disney’s flare for theatrical experiences – accomplished primarily with LEDs and other “environmentally friendly” lighting.
- Among the leading-edge technical effects in the Walt Disney Theatre is an infrared camera with motion tracking, allowing the movement of performers to be blended with projected digital animated effects.
- AquaDuck water coaster evolved from the idea of having a “lazy river” experience on the perimeter of the main “sundeck.” The Imagineers opted for an elevated experience in order to maximize space on the deck. Once they started thinking vertically, they realized a water coaster was a possibility.
- Disney Dream guests can celebrate special occasions with a one-of-a-kind toast in The District at Pink, a nightspot dedicated to “bubbly.” French Champagne maker Taittinger has crafted a “pink” just for Pink — Taittinger Prestige Rose will be the signature sparkling.
- Two huge mosaic walls based on the Disney•Pixar animated feature “Finding Nemo” are showcased in Cabanas casual-dining restaurant on Deck 11. Created for Disney Dream by Italian artists, each wall is more than 25 feet wide and more than 8 feet high and contains approximately 194,500 tiles in 200 colors of hand-crafted Venetian enamel. A team of nine artists created the mosaics based on Pixar designs depicting the underwater world of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and characters featured in the motion picture.
- Guests can settle into luxurious comfort in staterooms and suites featuring plush bath towels and deluxe bed linens by Frette, a company that has been supplying fine linens for “many of Europe’s most prestigious cruise liners” since 1911. Founded in 1860 in Grenoble, France, and now headquartered in Milan, Italy, Frette created custom-design bath towels and bed linens for the Disney Dream with what is regarded as the world’s finest cotton, from El Amria in Egypt. The bed linens are 100% Egyptian cotton 300 thread count while the bath towels are 100% Egyptian cotton. Elsewhere on Disney Dream, the two adult-exclusive restaurants, Palo and Remy, use all Frette dining linens.
- Golfers can virtually play St. Andrews. That’s one of the 67 choices of courses available via simulator on Deck 13. It’s a pay-for-play onboard excursion for which guests need to reserve a tee time. It’s $25 a half hour, $45 an hour.
Where The Kids and I Will Be!
Disney's Oceaneer Club is a children's activity center located on Deck 5, Midship on the Disney Dream. It is the perfect place for children 3 to 10 years of age to immerse themselves in the imaginative worlds that only Disney could create, while performing on stage, playing games and enjoying a wide variety of supervised activities.
Design
The Oceaneer Club's central rotunda is its main gathering place and, at the same time, a portal to other "lands," including Andy's Room, Monster's Academy, Pixie Hollow and Disney's Explorer Pod. It provides a welcome environment for children, featuring twinkling constellations of Disney characters on its ceiling and sparkling pixie dust. The room's focal point is a stage area where kids can create and star in their own theatrical plays, join storytelling sessions and attend special visits by the world-famous Disney character, both in person and virtually.
The rotunda also has a 103-inch plasma screen for watching movies and for magically awesome interactions with Crush, the animated sea turtle from Disney•Pixar's Finding Nemo, who speaks like a surfer dude. The turtle personally chats with kids during his real-time animated appearances, asking them about themselves and the human world they inhabit. It's way cool!
Disney's Oceaneer Club includes:
- 4 distinctly themed play areas
- Computer banks with child-friendly computers
- A reading area
- A small stage for games
- Multiple televisions
- Play structures
- A giant TV screen
Themed Spaces
Branching off from the central rotunda, Disney's Oceaneer Club includes 4 themed spaces:
- Andy's Room - Inside this vibrantly-colored room, the world of Disney•Pixar's Toy Story comes to life. Children feel toy-sized, because everything around them is built large scale. Throughout this space, kids can play with larger-than-life characters from the animated film, including Rex the dinosaur, Hamm the piggy bank and Mr. Potato Head. This room also features a huge Slinky Dog structure that kids can climb through.
- Monsters Academy - This area is based on the Disney•Pixar animated film Monsters, Inc., the centerpiece being an elaborately themed play structure, where kids can immerse themselves in the world of Monstropolis. It also boasts computers with unique interactive games.
- Pixie Hollow - Inspired by the series of Tinkerbell movies, this fun interactive space transports children to the magical world inhabited by fairies. A pixie dust tree stands in the corner of the room, with glittering lights twinkling among its leaves, and fun acorn and mushroom stools are sprinkled about for children to sit on. This endearing and tranquil environment is designed for dress-up play, individual craft projects and storytelling sessions.
- Explorer Pod - Children can explore the Nemo Sub—a scaled version of a submarine inspired by the Disney•Pixar animated film Finding Nemo. The bright blue and yellow submarine surrounded by a seascape features virtual environments for children to discover. Onboard the blue and yellow submarine has 16 interactive computers stations for fun-filled individual or group games.
What makes Disney's Oceaneer Club even more magical is an endless supply of toys and games, an open seating area for arts and crafts, and ongoing Disney movies. Mats for naps are also available.
Activities at Disney's Oceaneer Club
Although subject to change, activities at Disney's Oceaneer Club may include:
- Disney's Once Upon a Time - Bartleby the Bookmaker leads the kids through the art of bookmaking and wows them with his very special talent: When he reads the books, he makes the characters come to life!
- Puzzle Playtime with Mickey and Friends - Mickey Mouse and his pals stop by to play some of their favorite games with Disney Cruise Line's youngest cruisers and their families.
- Tinker Bell's Talent Show - Tinker Bell has come from Pixie Hollow to Disney Cruise Line to help young cruisers discover their Fairy Talents and to give them the opportunity to shine in a showcase for their families.
Disney's Oceaneer Lab is a play space designed for children and dedicated to adventure and exploration—located on Deck 5, Midship aboard the Disney Dream. It's an ideal location for children ages 3 to 10 years of age to play games, perform educational experiments and enjoy a wide variety of supervised activities throughout the day. A seemingly endless supply of toys, games and Disney movies make Disney's Oceaneer Lab the perfect oasis at sea.
Celebrating children's natural explorer instincts, this space also serves as the staging area and starting point for a ship-wide quest game. Young explorers gather and decipher clues from around the ship that lead them on an exciting adventure. The room also features several individual computer stations.
Design
The Lab's main hall features a stage, where kids can hear stories of great expeditions and star in their own swashbuckling plays. They can also watch Disney movies on a 103-inch plasma screen and interact with animated characters, including Disney's mischievous animated alien Stitch, whose unrehearsed, real-time antics are sure to bring laughter.
Disney's Oceaneer Lab is connected to Disney's Oceaneer Club by a workshop and laboratory. In these specialized areas, kids concoct crazy experiments in an interactive science lab, stretch their culinary skills and participate in other hands-on activities.
Themed Spaces
Branching off the Disney's Oceaneer Lab's main room are several themed play spaces:
- Media Room - Children can kick back and relax in bean bag chairs and watch movies, play video games or even read a book.
- Animator's Studio - Designed as a working animation studio, this room allows children to create original, hand-drawn art or learn how to sketch their favorite Disney characters. With the help of a youth counselor, kids can even design and bring to life computer-animated characters.
- The Wheelhouse - This space is all about technology. It features numerous computers and large, high-definition LCD screens. Here, young technophiles can compete in various games from the latest video game consoles on the market.
- Sound Studio - This interactive area is dedicated to children who appreciate music and want to create it.
- Craft Studio - Children seeking a more tactile artistic experience can escape from technology to this creative studio and create hands-on arts and crafts projects.
Activities at Disney's Oceaneer Lab
Although subject to change, activities at Disney's Oceaneer Lab may include:
- Monsters, Inc Open "Mike" Night - Mike Wazowski and the other monsters of the Disney•Pixar film Monsters Inc. have lost their voices and are unable to collect kids' laughter to power Monstropolis. It's up to the kids to put on a comedy show for their parents so they can save Monstropolis from certain doom.
- Get the Hook! - Captain Hook's favorite dress hook has been stolen and the kids must help him find it and catch the culprit. Led by Detective Clue and featuring site-specific crime scenes, their 3-day search for clues will take them all over the ship as it sails the sea, culminating in a reward from the Captain himself.
- Super Sloppy Science with Professor Make-O-Mess - Professor Make-O-Mess is a world-famous scientist who is known for performing the sloppiest science experiments around. Now teens can partake in some educational fun as the professor offers some hands-on training that will surely having them laughing and learning.
Pictures and more updates to come soon!! Leaving for Florida on Wednesday, November 2, 2011!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Adventure in the Great Wide Somewhere...
I have always identified with Belle. She has brown hair, an insatiable love of books, looks good in blue, and loves her family. Essentially, she's me... in France. Also there's that moment, the one after she refuses Gaston, when she runs into an open field like Maria from the Sound of Music and declares in glorious song, "I want adventure in the great, wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell. And for once it might be grand, to have someone understand, I want so much more than they've got planned."
Story. Of. My. Life.
On August 24, after a long talk with my dad about where my life was headed, I did the craziest thing I've ever done. I accepted his challenge and started applying for what I like to call "Big Girl Jobs." Jobs that would take me out of my comfort zone and actually allow me to use my degree (BA in Theatre, Magna Cum Laude. Win.). I sent out my resume and waited for some sort of response. Of course, nothing came. For days. My inbox was practically empty. I had just about reached the point of accepting my fate as an eternal movie theater employee when the first email came. And then the phone interview. And then the invitation.
Disney Cruise Line wanted me to come to Chicago. I almost peed my pants when I saw those words. A month later I was sitting in the small basement conference room of the Chicago Hyatt nervous as all get out waiting to interview. It all happened so fast.
"Why do you want to work with kids? Your background is in theater, I figured you'd want to be a performer."
"I love performing. But that's not what I want to do with the rest of my life. I like to connect with people on a personal level, and that's not something I can do as well when I'm on stage pretending to be someone else. It just doesn't work that way for me. Working with kids gives me that. Seeing them play, getting to play with them, seeing them experience things for the first time... they're so full of wonder and excitement. I mean, Disney literally makes dreams come true. If I can help create that experience... you know, be one of the people that makes it amazing for some kid... that's what it's all about. I'd rather be doing that than performing any day."
Disney liked my answers. They hired me. They gave me my shot at adventure. I'm going to be a Youth Activities Counselor on board the Disney Dream from November - March, sailing the Bahamas. It's the most exciting, and terrifying, thing I've ever done.
And now I'm staring at piles of clothes on the floor trying to decide what stays and what goes. I'm sorting through pictures, finding ones of the important people. I'm saying goodbye to friends and family. I'm creating this blog.
I'm preparing for the adventure of a lifetime into the great, wide somewhere.
Three days and counting...
Get ready.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)