End of an Era

Cruise #18- This cruise was fun but sad for all of us that are staying on the ship. It concluded a three week span where all the cast, most of the band and half the techs were leaving and being replaced. Most of the people I have grown to know over the course of my contract left at the end of this cruise. My room mate Ben, my good friends Jenn, Robbie and Yetro all left this cruise. Anyway, such is ship life. The new dance cast have now taken over for all the shows. This has been the most intense week of cast change and I have worked several sixteen hour days. Cast change finally ended this week though. We switched Singing with the Big Band with Ticket to Ride. Since Ticket to Ride is the last show of the cruise and the last show the dancers were taking over for, we finished cast change three days early. After Ticket to Ride, Ian(dance supervisor) and Nichaela(dance captain from the old cast) threw everyone involved with cast change a champagne reception in the blue room behind the theatre. The party continued on from there and lets just say it lasted all night. I saw the sunrise on deck four that night.

Another piece of good news is I have arranged another contract. Several cruises ago I sent an e-mail to the home office and requested another contract. They wrote me back this cruise and offered me three different ships. They were the Destiny, Freedom and Victory. It was an easy choice to make. The Destiny is known fleet wide as the Death Star due to its bad condition. The Freedom has three and four day runs. The ports are alright but I didn't want to do boat drill twice a week. I chose the Victory because it has seven day runs.I will be on a normal weekly schedule. Right now, with the eight day runs I rarely know what day of the week it is. Also, Ben is set get on the Victory about the same time I am. There will be several dancers from the old cast there. It will be a lot less intimidating than it was getting on the Miracle. I will already know some people. The Victory is based out of San Juan and goes to St.Thomas, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Kitts and several other islands that I haven't been to. It has seven ports in seven days. No sea days, Yea! I will start the contract on March 14th and go for another six months.

The fly-ons for this cruise were Thomas Brown, Karen Grainger, Jerry Goodspeed and Mike Panzeca. Thomas Brown is a comedian. He did our Intro show this week which means I didn't listen to him. While the comedian is on, I am striking the set from Intro show. Also, he didn't hang out after. Karen was lovely as always. She only has one more cruise with us before she is gone forever. Jerry Goodspeed is a ventriloquist. His show is uninteresting and he rarely does what he says he is going to do on stage. I have to hand him a puppet through the curtain when he gives me the prediscuused cue. He never says the line that he is supposed to and usually complains after the show that I didn't do it correctly. Mike Panzeca is a comedian. I practically could do his show by now. I have heard many, many times.

I didn't get off in St. Maarten or St. Lucia due to cast change.

In St. Kitts Ben and I got off early and visited the Victory which coincidentally we were docked next to. I had just found out the day before that I would be working there. I met the guy that will give me my hand over. We walked around the theatre and then went back to the ship. I got off later the with Dave(Musical Director) and Jenn. We went to an Indian restaurant and has some very spicy food. I would tell you what I had but I couldn't even pronounce it in the restaurant. I opted for the pointing it out method of ordering. It was good but I went through at least four cokes in the process. After that we met Ben and some of the dancers at Shipwreck Beach. We had a couple of drinks and found our way back to the ship.

Talk to you soon,

Chris

Picture #1-A view from the cab ride to Shipwreck Beach in St. Kitts.

Picture #2-Robbie and I in the disco on Ticket to Ride night.

Picture #3-Chip(Bari sax), Jenn and Ben after Karen's show.

Picture #4-The Caribbean Lounge on the Victory. This is where I will be working in a couple of months.

Picture #5-Ian giving a toast to everyone at the champagne reception. Nichaela is to his left in possibly the hottest dress I have ever seen. It is practically backless. What a vixen!

Picture #6-Yetro(guitarist) before a set in the Jeeves Lounge.