Living ON the Dream!

February 27^th, 2013

Well, it has officially been 5 weeks and a little bit since I signed on to the Dream! It has definitely been an experience so far. I’ve been very busy with everything going on here. Between learning the ship and getting to know everyone on board I’ve kept very busy.

I’m going to try and be better this contract about writing more, but as you can see it’s been 5 weeks already since I’ve been here and I’m just getting around to writing. In my defense, the first few weeks are very hectic with lots to do and learn, so I’ll keep working on it. I’m going to get right into things so you don’t feel left out!

Well I’m sure most of you have heard about the fire on board the Triumph. As I am not on that ship, I do have friends that were on that ship. I have heard from them and they are doing just fine. They are waiting to find out where they are going or what they are doing. Supposedly we are having approximately 75 employees sign on to the ship on Saturday that were on the Triumph. Should be very interesting considering we have about 12 new dancers and singers coming on board as well as these 75 other employees and the others that are coming off vacation. We are going to be pressed for space in terms of rooms available, but I’m sure they have it all planned out. I’m so happy that everyone is safe and sound and they are being taken care of. Something like this really makes you think about life on ships. These are extremely safe vessels, but something like that can happen to just about any ship. I’ve heard many different stories where the crew did an incredible job and I’m not surprised at all. I work with so many hard working and caring people that I know it’s the same way across the fleet. We really do work as a family on board and something like that really shows it.

As just about everyone knows, I’ve had my share of time away from home. I love experiencing new things that is pretty obvious; I mean I work on a cruise ship. No day is ever the same. But, I would have to say that this first month has been extremely tough being away from home. Things have become a lot better in this last week, but I still miss my amazing family and friends. I’ve been creating stronger friendships in the last week and I think that has been helping a lot too. Along with time flying by, I’ve been having more fun and focusing on working out more. Keeping a positive mind set and reminding myself of what is important to me is helping me pull through the tough times. I’ve been trying to keep in contact with everyone better so feel free to email me whenever you’d like. I’m always down for a good conversation. I’ve had quite a few great ones in the last few weeks that have helped me stay positive, so thank you to those that know what I’m talking about. I’m also passing the time by counting down the days until my Mom, Dad, & Brother get to come cruise!! It’s down to 93 days just incase you were wondering guys! J And I get to see Auntie & Uncle in less than 1 week!!! Bring on Cozumel!!!

One of my favorite things about my job besides the beautiful places that I get to go is the amazing people that I get to meet. I’ve found some pretty incredible people on this ship. First off is Rachel; she is the show band singer on board. I feel like I have known her forever, we just clicked right off the bat. Super, super nice and we just have a lot of fun together. Then there is Ben; he is another host here on the Dream and he is absolutely hilarious! He is from London and can make just about anyone laugh! He is leaving soon and it will be very hard to say bye to him. Next is Mel & Biz; Mel is a dancer and Biz is her boyfriend and he is one of the BBoys or breakdancers. They are two of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I can just talk to them whenever and about anything at all. Random, Elie, and Proto are the other Bboys and just plain awesome! All of the Bboys are amazingly talented and they have just awesome hearts and personalities. They are a ton of fun to watch perform and just to hang out with. Michelle is my amazing roommate that is leaving on Saturday! I’m so sad to see her go, but she is ready for vacation. She is super super cool and I’m going to miss her a lot. Joe is another one of the hosts here and he is from England. Again, another awesome guy that is very chill and laid back. He is here basically the same amount of time that I am. He will leave 2 weeks before me in July. Then there are the personal trainers, Keegan and Ben! They are just chill guys that I enjoy hangin out with and they are helping me get in shape! Very thankful for their help. I'm very blessed to have such awesome friendships with all these people!! 

The new cast arrived today so for the next month the dance casts are going to be doing a lot of rehearsals. Jaime is my cruise director. She is absolutely awesome! She has tons of energy and a very very kind heart. Gumbie is my assistant cruise director. Gumbie transferred here just a week or two before I did from the Pride. Also Jaime and Gumbie are going on vacation soon, but they will be back in a few months. Gumbie comes back later than Jaime because he leaves after her. They definitely deserve it though, they were really hard, but then again so do we all!

Last week while we were in Roatan, we were docked with the Conquest so they threw a big party for the crew. Well I decided to go swimming in the ocean, which is a pretty big deal for me… I don’t just walk into the ocean it usually takes me a while to get in, but I walked straight in. It wasn’t very deep and I ended up cutting my toe on a rock. It didn’t hurt too much, but it was still noticeable. I am having a great time and making even more friends. It’s hard at times, but other times I am doing great and forget about the hard stuff. I still can’t believe this is my job. I’m truly blessed. I’m living a dream and living ON the Dream!

Hope all is well with everyone back home… I miss you all and I can’t wait to see you all when I get home.

Smiles, Hugs, & Kisses….