A Slice of Heaven

Cruise # 11- Before leaving New York we went on one last cruise. It was a two day cruise to nowhere. Some people would call it a "Booze Cruise". People got on and we sailed down the coast a bit and then turned around and came back. This was a fun one let me tell you. (pause for rolling of the eyes) We were supposed to do two production shows on back to back nights. This is something that we don't normally do because of the massive load ins that we have. In other words, it takes time to get set up for the shows. It was cold and rainy. The seas were very rocky. We had to cancel Ticket to Ride. Our cruise director in his infinite wisdom decided that we should do Ticket to Ride and Generations on the same day. The second and last sea day we did a show at 4:30pm. Then loaded in another show and did it at 10:30pm. It was a lot of work. After much frustration with dancer rehearsals, load ins and cruise director inadequacies we finished the day exhausted.

The next day we were back in port in New York. We weren't allowed to get off the ship because we were only there long enough to unload the guests and start our trip to Fort Lauderdale. We got two days off while we transferred to the south. It was like having a free two day cruise. We had full access to the guest areas on the ship. Mostly, we sat around in Frankie and Johnny's and watched football. The first night of the relocation cruise we had a Halloween party. I went as a caution cone. Now, let me give you some background on my costume. All the employees call guests cones. This is because they are always in the way and you have to weave around them to get where you need to go. Four of us dressed as different types of cones. Jen dressed as a traffic cone. Greg dressed as an ice cream cone. Robbie dressed as a dog cone. We had a great time dancing and carrying on until the sun came up. The whole cruise was a much needed break from working nearly everyday. It finally felt like I wasn't at work and I could just cut loose.

When we arrived in Fort Lauderdale we got off and caught a cab. We told the taxi to take us to Sawgrass Mall but they took us to a place called the Galleria. John, Jenn, Yetro, Greg, Robbie, Matt and myself ate some lunch and then walked around the mall. It was John's last day so we said goodbye to him and headed back to the ship. We'll miss you John but don't worry the darkness will continue.

Since there isn't much to write about in this post, I will take this opportunity to tell you about our three production shows. The first show we do is Generations. It is a show that take you on a musical journey through time. It covers the 30's all the way up to the 80's. It is my favorite show to run because it keeps me busy throughout the show. Also, it has pyro blasts during the 80's section. Next, we do Singing with the Big Band. This is a show featuring Christopher Alan Graves(CAG). The show is a tribute to Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Junior. I spend the majority of the show underneath the stage. The pit lift comes up and down throughout the show and I load the sets when it comes down. It is by far my easiest show. My favorite part of this show is when CAG sings Mr. Bojangles. There is a clip of Sammy Davis Junior playing in the background and CAG does the exact dance that is playing on the screen. It is a very cool effect. The last show we do is Ticket to Ride. It is a show dedicated to the Beatles. It is the hardest show I do. I am literally running around for nearly an hour. It is probably our best production show. It usually gets the best response of the cruise.

I didn't take many pictures during the relocation so I threw in some pictures I haven't show you yet.

Talk to you soon,

Chris

Picture #1-From R to L: Jenn, Greg, Robbie and I in our costumes.

Picture #2-A safety announcement at the Ministry of Health in Nassau.

Picture #3-A helpful reminder when driving in Nassau.

Picture #4-John Rivero at his finest.

Picture #5-Greg in the worst Jacket ever created. It is a Darth Vader Jacket we found in Macy's in New York.