Rockin and a Rollin, Splishin and a Splashin!!!

Chip and Dale

Super rocky seas last night!!! The worst it’s been so far! The funny thing is...I LOVE it! I think it is so much fun! We were outrunning a tropical storm on our way back to Port Canaveral from Castaway Cay. Luckily, I didn’t have to do any onstage performances which could have been very difficult! The characters said their farewell with “See Ya Real Soon” which includes all of the VIP characters (Minnie, Mickey, Donald, etc.) and 4 of the Princesses (Ariel, Belle, Tiana, Aurora). They all come out and all at the same time in different areas of the Atrium, they have a 20 minute set for those last chance photos and autographs. Right at the end of the set, a couple went up to meet Belle, after they took the picture, the man got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend!!! The crowd went wild and Belle even teared up! It was a magical night!

Ariel and Tiana and great friends!

Ariel with my Mom

She loves the babies the most!!!

My mom came to visit this week!!! She came on the 4 day cruise from last Sunday to Thursday and had a magnificent time! She was ecstatic to finally be able to see the ship and all of the different things that I do. She got to watch all of the Walt Disney Theater shows and deck parties and she came to every one of my sets and watched all 3 princess gatherings! It was so wonderful to see her again and show her all that I do. I had just enough break time to have one dinner, one lunch, and even one port day with her! We ate dinner at the Royal Palace! I had never even been in there because crew are not allowed to eat in the restaurants unless they have special permission from the cruise director. I ordered a delicious smoothie called the Princess Delight! Unfortunately, I had to work and didn’t get to finish my dinner with her. Her stateroom was absolutely beautiful and there was so much space! I spent every evening after work with her just catching up and ordering room service! It was so nice to eat real food again! My absolute favorite part of her visit was going to Castaway Cay with her!  It was so nice to take a break from work and just relax on the beach in the warm sun and take a nap in a hammock! It was perfect.

Character Greeting on Deck 11

SAILING AWAY PARTY

We are in the process of a leader change-out! We are getting a new Character Manager and Stage Manager! It’s so exciting to work with so many different people in the company and learn all about where they come from and the work they have done within The Walt Disney Company! 

See Ya Real Soon

Riding Around

My schedule is becoming more regular which is nice because I can get a better idea of when I’m going to have time to go into port! A couple cruises ago, Nick and I went in to Nassau and rented a little motor bike. Nick had done it twice before and he knew the guys who rented them out so he got a good deal and he already knew some fun places to go. We went to this little shack in the middle of town called The Chicken Shack! We ordered Conch for lunch! Then we drove over to this private beach and enjoyed the sun and the beautiful view. Lastly, we stopped at McDonald’s for some quick internet before heading back to the ship! It was one of the best times I’ve had in port!

Beautiful Nassau

Missing everyone back home very very much!!!

The Calm Before the Storm

Vamos a la playa!!!

Trash and Treasure party from Dream 2!!!

Two cruises down, MANY MANY more to go!!! The rest of the Dream 2 cast that extended is all gone now and we are completely on our own. No pressure right? Our busy schedules are settling down and becoming a little more normal now that we are all done rehearsing shows and doing demos for special effects and pyro. All during crossover we would have to get up at 7:00am in the morning to rehearse before the guests were awake. Because three of our shows are outside on the deck, we had to block the contingencies that would be done if there is ever bad weather or something that prevents us from being able to perform outside on the deck! 

The one downside to shiplife: the crew mess. The mess is where all the crew members get to eat! Incidentally, the mess is located directly above the place where all of the garbage on the ship goes! There is a very distinct odor that rises from the mess and at times the combination of that and the garbage below makes me completely lose my appetite. I’ve never been a picky eater before in my entire life, but for some reason, I just never want to eat any of the food served here. Most of the time I just eat rice, cereal, fresh fruit, pasta, and french fries. My favorite food in the mess are these little corn dogs that they serve at lunch sometime! Yum!!! It’s so sad that every time Nick and I go into Nassau, the first place we want to go is MacDonald’s. Mind there is also free wifi there, but I am constantly craving cheap, greasy, fattening American fast food!!! I desperately miss In and Out and Buffalo Wild Wings...

I REALLY want to buy this picture from the art gallery! A little girl brought one to Ariel so she could sign it!!!

Ariel has been having lots of fun meeting many new friends on each cruise. At least twice every cruise, there is an event called Princess Gathering. Disney Princesses Snow White, Tiana, Belle, Aurora, Cinderella, and Ariel all meet in the middle of the Atrium and there is one big long line of guests waiting to meet each princess. It can last anywhere from 1-2 1/2 hours!!! It’s pretty hectic because the Disney Princesses are very popular among the little girls onboard! Ariel is also a popular favorite among these girls! Some little girls come back to each Princess Gathering and meet and greet to see her again and again! She loves asking them what they have done since they last swam with her and what their favorite part of their cruise has been! One time, Ariel and Snow went strolling around the ship together. They visited the Nursery and the Kid’s Club! The kids were all very excited to have the princesses visit them and they showed Ariel and Snow all around the club! Ariel doesn’t know much about human things but is always eager to learn all about them. The kids taught her all about computers and showed her all around  each room! Two little girls drew beautiful pictures for Ariel and gave them to her to put in her human collection! Actually, guests love to give gifts to all of the characters! It is the sweetest thing in the world! One family gave a bag of snacks to every single character!!! Of course, Ariel couldn’t wait to put it on display in her grotto back home in Atlantica!!!

A goody bag of treats from Ariel!!

The last few cruises there have been several special events going on around the ship. Captain Hook, Mickey and Minnie were invited to film promos for Amazon and Macy’s!  Donald and Daisy attended a private party endorsed by Coca Cola! It’s exciting to have these things happen around the ship!

I finally had time to get off the ship on Castaway day and visit the crew beach!! We are in Castaway Cay on Tuesdays and Saturdays! It’s about a mile from the ship to the crew beach. It’s next to the Adult beach for the guests and it’s absolutely beautiful! They always have burgers and hot dogs and chips (which we never get in the crew mess)! The water was warm and although it was a little windy, it felt just like California. The water is thigh deep for several hundred yards and there are no waves so you can just sit and relax in the clear blue water. It was perfection to be able to lay on the beach in the warm sun and remind myself, this is what I get to do on my work break!! It felt just like vacation! The island is absolutely beautiful!!