January 2, 2012 22:27
Christmas and New Year's Eve have come and gone and if it wasn't for the stocking still hanging in my cabin you'd never know it happened at all. I've had holidays come and go quickly in the past but this took it to a whole new level.
Christmas eve was a blast. I had a great FaceTime with all my family in Indiana before meeting up with all my friends for fun and drinks up in our disco before eventually calling it a night. Everyone was in a great mood and most of us overdid it as was demonstrated by the massive hangover my colleagues and I had. I've had plenty of hangovers but typically avoid going out on nights when I work the next day. Not only did I have to work at 11 on Christmas day but we were at sea and the ship was rocking just enough to make everything that much worse. What really worked out in our favour though was that for the whole of our shift there were hardly any calls or guests at the desk. It was a Christmas miracle!
New Year's most of all didn't feel like New Year's eve. I doubt there's anyone reading this who isn't aware that my friend Craig MacDonald and I have been putting on the biggest New Year's party in Halifax for the past 5 years or so but in case there was, now you know. That being said not ringing in the New Year in that fashion just doesn't seem normal at this point. I miss the challenge of pulling off the big event and all the perks that come with it. Just being someone in the crowd isn't nearly as fun as being on stage in front of 2000 people shooting confetti as everyone celebrates the New Year. Add that to the fact that I had to work at 7am on January 1st and you've got a pretty lame NYE for ol' Drewski. I went up to the pool deck for the festivities including performances by our artists, the big countdown (we did it better), then one of our bands took over. I made my round of "Happy New Year's" then without so much of a sip I headed to bed around 12:30 to rest up for what I was really looking forward to; New Year's day in Cozumel. :D
In Cozumel we went to "No Name Bar" which is a great little spot right on the water actually next door to Margaritaville where we went last time we were here. This place has a pool with a swim up bar, sand for a floor with tables and palm trees and then you can go straight into the ocean off the end of their pier. Not unlike last time here I had a few things on my mind, all of which were answered by No Name Bar. Drinks? Check. Food? Check. Close to the ship? Check Swimming and snorkelling? Check. Internet? Check. When you work on a cruise ship these are the 5 most important things when you go ashore and finding them all in one spot it's like winning the lottery.
I went out snorkelling again in pretty much the same location as before kept this time when I got to the underwater planes I was in for a real treat. As the far side of the plane came into view I saw a fish I hadn't seen out here before. At first it looked like a sphere before it was instantly recognizable. When I realized what it was I actually swore through my snorkel. It was a lion fish. Now for those of you who don't know it by name I'm certain you know one to see one as any aquarium I've ever been too has them and you've likely seen pictures of them (I'll try to find a pic to include). It was about a foot long and striped brown and white all the way down. What makes it truly impressive is that it has large fin like spines that come out like a lion's mane all around it's body near the head that then have pieces that look like flags blowing in the wind coming off of them. At the end of each of these spines is poison so needless to say I kept my distance. Still I couldn't resist swimming to the bottom over and over again to get a better look at this amazing fish in the wild. To make it all the better, Tina had gotten me ear plugs for diving as my secret santa present so I was able to head the 20ft or so down necessary without feeling like my head was imploding. Def one of the highlights of the cruise so far for me.
Today it was back to business as usual with one tiny wrinkle. Our next cruise is a 3 day DJ cruise and the cruise after that the 5 day Jam Cruise. These are full charter's where we essentially have people that come on board to do nothing but party and check out the bands and DJs that have been brought along for the trip. Because of this we're extra busy at the desk late at night so for the next two cruises I've been tasked with working the night shift with Roby from 11pm til 8am. Oh and I'll also be the next person to work nights after her so it will act as my training at the same time.
At first read that seems like a shitty deal but when you understand a bit more it actually isn't so bad. Firstly I'll be working 9 hours straight instead of two broken up shifts which will give me more time off in-between. Secondly I'll be able to go out longer and in more ports. Third and probably the most exciting is that I'll be able to go on a excursions on a fairly regular basis! Drew win's all around! Oh and the cherry on top is that I'll still be working nights when Mom and Dad come so I'll be able to spend even more time when time while they're here! Who knew working nights could be such a good deal?
Tonight the artists onboard are putting on a show for the crew to showcase their talents and entertain us for an hour or so before I go to bed, set my clock ahead one hour and then work at 6:30 tomorrow. Party time.
Oh, and working nights should give me a bit more time to blog so hopefully I'll go back to more regular posts and not be so tired and lame all the time. :) I'll be in touch...
I wanna see a lion fish! Promise?
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