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!!