I haven’t posted all week because my family was on board for my last week! My mom and her friend from work, and my cousin and here mom were passengers on the Infinity this week. We had a great time. They were wined & dined: dinner with the Captain, a private tour of the navigational bridge, chocolate-covered strawberries deliver to their stateroom…it was pretty wonderful.
In Ketchikan, we experienced the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show…quite the experience. Timbering is a world-famous sport out here, and the show the put on is pretty entertaining. We had beautiful weather in Ketchikan and did a lot of shopping & enjoyed the picturesque scenery. The salmon were jumping like crazy this week! It’s a pretty cool thing to see.
In Juneau, we took a bus to the Mendenhall Glacier, which is spectacular. We got pretty close to the glacier, and got to see the surrounding waterfall and icebergs in the water. The glacier is receding at unbelievably high rates, we learned.
In Skagway, we took an amazing helicopter ride! It’s about a 15 minute flight around Skagway, and we got incredibly close to a handful of gorgeous glaciers. It was sunny when we left the ground, but where we were flying it was raining! We also saw a gorgeous rainbow – the view from that perspective is so spectacular.
Overall, we had great weather and a wonderful week!
These past 6 weeks have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’m so grateful to have visited this beautiful state and to have met some wonderful people. And now for the re-cap:
Things I’ll miss:
Ready-made salad bar
Half-price off everything
Charging everything to your crew card
The whole world being a 5 minute walk away
Waking up in a different city/state/country every day
Sailing through breathtaking glaciers
The awesome staff members
18 hours of daylight
Victoria, British Columbia
Things I won’t miss:
Changing time zones twice a week
Seasickness
No internet
Roaming charges
Alaskan winds
My 100 square foot cabin
Having to wear my uniform (and nametag) at all times
I’m SO excited to get back to NYC: I have rehearsal at 10AM tomorrow! Yikes. Thanks for reading sailingwithsarah – I’ve had a lot of fun living and chronicling my adventures. I’ll probably close up this blog and perhaps start another one…who knows, I’ve fallen in love with blogging! Love from Seattle for the last time…
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Food, Glorious Food
Yesterday they had a crew brunch for us after our crew boat drill! There is a brunch for the guests every Wednesday in the restaurant – there is a huge amount of variety, along with ice sculptures, fruit carvings, etc. They did the same thing for us, which was lovely. We felt so bad for the crew who had to work the crew brunch, though – a lot of the senior officers did the serving, which was very nice of them, but they to use some on duty waiters to clean up, etc.
Speaking of FOOD…I’m sure you’ve all been wondering about that! Cruisers gain about 1-3 pounds per day on a cruise. I remember feeling horrified at this concept when I originally learned I’d be on a cruise for 42 DAYS! I immediately had visions of returning 120 pounds heavier…which would be about 120% of my body weight, but the point is…you’ve got to be careful around here. From the minute the passengers walk on the ship, there is good and drinks everywhere, ALWAYS.
Deck 10 is the buffet deck and casual dining. There is a pasta station, salad bar, sushi bar, Asian station, sandwich bar, pizza, ice cream, etc. Pizza is available until 1AM every night. There is an outdoor grill with nachos, fries, etc. The restaurant takes up 2 floors, and there is also an a la carte specialty restaurant on board. There are about 6 bars, and a café which serves complimentary snacks and desserts all day long. Plus there are always special events, carvings, bar tending competitions, and parties as an excuse to bring out more food!
We have a crew mess on the first floor as we are not allowed to eat in passenger areas until after 2 pm. As some of you may know, I became a vegetarian shortly before coming on the ship. It’s quite hard in some ways to be a vegetarian on board (my roommate is also) – there is of course always the temptation of delicious meats everywhere! But there are also not so many vegetarian options (let’s just say I’ve had a LOT Of pasta & pizza). The gourmet salad bar has been my life saver – there are tons of options for lettuce, toppings, nuts, and dressings. A lot of times it’s hard not knowing exactly what you’re eating – I’m looking forward to being able to shop and cook for myself again.
The food is wonderful and the guests really enjoy it. Cruisers do tend to eat several meals a day, just because the food is always available. I’m looking forward to dining in the restaurant next week with my family!
Speaking of FOOD…I’m sure you’ve all been wondering about that! Cruisers gain about 1-3 pounds per day on a cruise. I remember feeling horrified at this concept when I originally learned I’d be on a cruise for 42 DAYS! I immediately had visions of returning 120 pounds heavier…which would be about 120% of my body weight, but the point is…you’ve got to be careful around here. From the minute the passengers walk on the ship, there is good and drinks everywhere, ALWAYS.
Deck 10 is the buffet deck and casual dining. There is a pasta station, salad bar, sushi bar, Asian station, sandwich bar, pizza, ice cream, etc. Pizza is available until 1AM every night. There is an outdoor grill with nachos, fries, etc. The restaurant takes up 2 floors, and there is also an a la carte specialty restaurant on board. There are about 6 bars, and a café which serves complimentary snacks and desserts all day long. Plus there are always special events, carvings, bar tending competitions, and parties as an excuse to bring out more food!
We have a crew mess on the first floor as we are not allowed to eat in passenger areas until after 2 pm. As some of you may know, I became a vegetarian shortly before coming on the ship. It’s quite hard in some ways to be a vegetarian on board (my roommate is also) – there is of course always the temptation of delicious meats everywhere! But there are also not so many vegetarian options (let’s just say I’ve had a LOT Of pasta & pizza). The gourmet salad bar has been my life saver – there are tons of options for lettuce, toppings, nuts, and dressings. A lot of times it’s hard not knowing exactly what you’re eating – I’m looking forward to being able to shop and cook for myself again.
The food is wonderful and the guests really enjoy it. Cruisers do tend to eat several meals a day, just because the food is always available. I’m looking forward to dining in the restaurant next week with my family!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Week 5 So Far
Well it’s been quite an eventful week 5 so far! Today was an unbelievably warm day in Ketchikan – as in 85 degrees, I-got-a-tan warm. Locals said it never gets this warm! It was warmer here today than it was back home in Boston…weird?
This evening, a priest who is vacationing on board organized and officiated a Catholic mass in the “Cinema” on board. It was the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mary and it was a lovely service. It was so nice of the Father to donate his vacation time on this holy Sunday. I forgot how much I missed that weekly tradition – it’s been 4 weeks!
I’ve met a lot of great passengers this week – a woman from Thailand who is vacationing with her elderly father is my new best friend. I also met a couple from Jamaica Plains who had just eaten at Finz in Salem before they left for the cruise! They were very impressed. Overall, everyone is in excellent spirits because the weather has been SO kind to us. It really does make such a difference in the passengers’ vacation and the morale of the crew.
We had a chance to see some meteor showers on Friday night – the stargazing is just amazing up on the top decks late at night. Mostly what we saw were bats flying in the sky – but they looked pretty cool under the light of the stars. There is so much scenery and activity out here that I would never get to experience otherwise. I now understand why Alaska is such a hot destination for people all over the world.
This week we got a new dancer. She has performer on Celebrity ships before, but she was sent out for the last 5 weeks of this contract because one of the other dancers really hurt her back and was sent home about 4 weeks ago. It’s been surprising to me how little consideration there is for illness onboard. If one of the dancers is sick, the dance captain has to re-choreograph the entire dance. Amy arrived on board on Friday and was in the show Saturday night. The guitarist on board has been under the weather, and it’s hard to account for these kinds of things happening. My wrists have been giving me a lot of trouble, but there’s no one else to do my job so we all persevere. There’s so much behind-the-scenes work that goes on to make sure everything runs smoothly when we run into unexpected problems; there is no barring accidents.
Another thing I was not aware of is tipping. There are no tip jars out on our ship at all – I believe it’s a fleet-wide policy (which is not the case on all cruise lines). I was playing a solo set in our Café and an enthusiastic audience member asked me if she could tip me. I didn’t know what to say, so I politely declined (now I’m having visions of hundred dollar bills….). When I checked with my boss later, he said technically the answer is no. But as long as you don’t say ‘yes’…
Always an adventure on the Celebrity Infinity!
This evening, a priest who is vacationing on board organized and officiated a Catholic mass in the “Cinema” on board. It was the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mary and it was a lovely service. It was so nice of the Father to donate his vacation time on this holy Sunday. I forgot how much I missed that weekly tradition – it’s been 4 weeks!
I’ve met a lot of great passengers this week – a woman from Thailand who is vacationing with her elderly father is my new best friend. I also met a couple from Jamaica Plains who had just eaten at Finz in Salem before they left for the cruise! They were very impressed. Overall, everyone is in excellent spirits because the weather has been SO kind to us. It really does make such a difference in the passengers’ vacation and the morale of the crew.
We had a chance to see some meteor showers on Friday night – the stargazing is just amazing up on the top decks late at night. Mostly what we saw were bats flying in the sky – but they looked pretty cool under the light of the stars. There is so much scenery and activity out here that I would never get to experience otherwise. I now understand why Alaska is such a hot destination for people all over the world.
This week we got a new dancer. She has performer on Celebrity ships before, but she was sent out for the last 5 weeks of this contract because one of the other dancers really hurt her back and was sent home about 4 weeks ago. It’s been surprising to me how little consideration there is for illness onboard. If one of the dancers is sick, the dance captain has to re-choreograph the entire dance. Amy arrived on board on Friday and was in the show Saturday night. The guitarist on board has been under the weather, and it’s hard to account for these kinds of things happening. My wrists have been giving me a lot of trouble, but there’s no one else to do my job so we all persevere. There’s so much behind-the-scenes work that goes on to make sure everything runs smoothly when we run into unexpected problems; there is no barring accidents.
Another thing I was not aware of is tipping. There are no tip jars out on our ship at all – I believe it’s a fleet-wide policy (which is not the case on all cruise lines). I was playing a solo set in our Café and an enthusiastic audience member asked me if she could tip me. I didn’t know what to say, so I politely declined (now I’m having visions of hundred dollar bills….). When I checked with my boss later, he said technically the answer is no. But as long as you don’t say ‘yes’…
Always an adventure on the Celebrity Infinity!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Hospitality
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about hospitality/the service industry. That is what working for a cruise line ultimately means: serving a unique and unforgettable experience to the guest. My department – entertainment – is considered a part of the larger umbrella of the hotel department. We are encouraged to engage with the guests and to contribute positively to their cruising experience; we as entertainers are often told what a difference it can make to a guest to form a relationship with the staff. I have found that people are particularly eager to engage with the entertainment staff.
I never really thought about my job as a musician as part of the service industry. If anything, I’ve always felt like I’m serving myself – I get paid to play music all day, how self-serving (and awesome) is that? But it has struck me recently that our job is to deliver an experience to the guest. Of course we play for the audience, but usually the music feels so personal that it never feels like work at all. It is an experience that you and the audience share. When I think about the service industry – hotel services, tourism, restaurant staff – I picture a staff member getting paid to serve the customer. We go to restaurants because we want someone to make us food and deliver it to us. We stay at a hotel and pay for the privilege for someone else to make the bed and clean the bathroom. My job never feels like that. Celebrity goes above and beyond to make sure that the guest feels like the crew is at their service. At each and every table on our buffet deck, there is a table card with the server’s name and the following: “It is my pleasure to serve you. We are at your service.” The crew does an amazing job of making the guests feel like royalty. Perhaps I am delivering an experience to the guest – it just happens that it’s also really fun for me, too.
I’m sure that plenty of people find fun work in the service industry. As cliché as it sounds, it is rewarding to be able to deliver that unique experience to the guest. The guests provide feedback each week from as way to show their appreciation and continued support of Celebrity Cruises. The courtesy rubs off on everyone in the environment, I think. We are asked to always smile and greet, and to address guests directly whenever we pass them on the ship. We always say “Good morning/afternoon/evening,” and “How are you?” Sometimes the way we feel is a result of the way we act, and always having to smile and greet people directly never fails to put me in a cheerful mood. I wonder what would happen if I smiled and greeted strangers on the streets of Manhattan…
I never really thought about my job as a musician as part of the service industry. If anything, I’ve always felt like I’m serving myself – I get paid to play music all day, how self-serving (and awesome) is that? But it has struck me recently that our job is to deliver an experience to the guest. Of course we play for the audience, but usually the music feels so personal that it never feels like work at all. It is an experience that you and the audience share. When I think about the service industry – hotel services, tourism, restaurant staff – I picture a staff member getting paid to serve the customer. We go to restaurants because we want someone to make us food and deliver it to us. We stay at a hotel and pay for the privilege for someone else to make the bed and clean the bathroom. My job never feels like that. Celebrity goes above and beyond to make sure that the guest feels like the crew is at their service. At each and every table on our buffet deck, there is a table card with the server’s name and the following: “It is my pleasure to serve you. We are at your service.” The crew does an amazing job of making the guests feel like royalty. Perhaps I am delivering an experience to the guest – it just happens that it’s also really fun for me, too.
I’m sure that plenty of people find fun work in the service industry. As cliché as it sounds, it is rewarding to be able to deliver that unique experience to the guest. The guests provide feedback each week from as way to show their appreciation and continued support of Celebrity Cruises. The courtesy rubs off on everyone in the environment, I think. We are asked to always smile and greet, and to address guests directly whenever we pass them on the ship. We always say “Good morning/afternoon/evening,” and “How are you?” Sometimes the way we feel is a result of the way we act, and always having to smile and greet people directly never fails to put me in a cheerful mood. I wonder what would happen if I smiled and greeted strangers on the streets of Manhattan…
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Plugs
Monday night the Food & Beverage Department hosted a crew toga party in recognition of our recent approval ratings from USPH (99%!) They opened the passenger club for a late night party and had tons of yummy food and champagne. Plus, of course, a bar tending contest, our a cappella sensation, and plenty of dance music. A good time was had by all.
Speaking of our a cappella sensation, a little plug for my “On Tap” friends. On Tap is our on board a cappella group (we just make fun of them because every time the cruise director announces them it’s as the a cappella “sensation”). Jake, John, Kevin, and Chase met at Lehigh University and will be on board for the next 6 months. They sing some awesome arrangements of everything from pop to rock to Motown. The passengers LOVE them (we’re not jealous, I swear) and so do we. They also sell their album, “First Draught” onboard. They’re always fun to listen to so I highly recommend you check them out! They’ve also been immensely helpful in my transition onboard :) Thanks, guys!
I’d also like to throw a shout-out to the wonderfully talented Jana Seale…singer/songwriter and guitarist. I could listen to Jana perform all day long! She has a huge list of songs which she sings beautiful – all of my favorite kinds of music (she does a mean Joni Mitchell). It’s a great opportunity to relax in the café or one of the lounges and hear some laid back tunes. Jana also sells her CD on board, and has been a huge help with my recent wrist issues. Check her out -gorgeous music!
Speaking of our a cappella sensation, a little plug for my “On Tap” friends. On Tap is our on board a cappella group (we just make fun of them because every time the cruise director announces them it’s as the a cappella “sensation”). Jake, John, Kevin, and Chase met at Lehigh University and will be on board for the next 6 months. They sing some awesome arrangements of everything from pop to rock to Motown. The passengers LOVE them (we’re not jealous, I swear) and so do we. They also sell their album, “First Draught” onboard. They’re always fun to listen to so I highly recommend you check them out! They’ve also been immensely helpful in my transition onboard :) Thanks, guys!
I’d also like to throw a shout-out to the wonderfully talented Jana Seale…singer/songwriter and guitarist. I could listen to Jana perform all day long! She has a huge list of songs which she sings beautiful – all of my favorite kinds of music (she does a mean Joni Mitchell). It’s a great opportunity to relax in the café or one of the lounges and hear some laid back tunes. Jana also sells her CD on board, and has been a huge help with my recent wrist issues. Check her out -gorgeous music!
Monday, August 9, 2010
In Which I Actually Talk About My Job
And now for a bit about my work – music! I play piano in the “Celebrity Orchestra” which mostly plays in the theater for the production shows: Welcome Aboard Show, iBroadway, Boogie Wonderland, Live at Sky, and Farewell Show. There is an additional production show called “Celebrate the World” that does not use live musicians. In addition to the theater, we also play big band sets once a week in the Rendez-Vous Lounge, the Captain’s Club Celebration, and a Jazz Brunch on Wednesday in the restaurant. I also occasionally play solo sets in the restaurant or one of the many lounges on board.
The hardest part about ship music is probably the constantly changing ensembles. During a typical 6-month contract, players could likely see 10 different people change in and out of their ensemble. For example, I’m filling in for the bandmaster’s vacation, so when he gets back it’ll be a whole different ensemble. I had never met the rest of my ensemble before, let alone played with them. Professional ensembles can take years to find a cohesive sound and create their unified voice. The only rehearsal I had with this ensemble was a sound check on my first day, and then we played shows together that evening. Every time we play big band sets, these are charts that I’ve never seen before, and songs that we’ve never before played together as an ensemble. You can imagine the difficulties, but it becomes a matter of survival instead of fine-tuning a group sound. This is not the kind of musical environment that I’m used to. As my mother ever astutely noted, our audiences are not here exclusively for our music – they are onboard for the total cruising experience: hotel, food, scenery, destination, activities, shore excursions, etc. On Broadway, the case is different.
Broadway audiences tend to be filled with New Yorkers – and New York theater professionals at that. The level of criticism, observation, and expectation is very different. The audience response here is fantastic – audiences LOVE the shows, ensembles, and performers on board. I think people are generally blown away by the talent because they are not coming expecting Broadway-level shows, and for a lot of them, the level of talent and professionalism they seen on board is unprecedented.
The nice thing about playing on the ship is that we don’t have to play the same show 8 times per week. We do have to play each show twice per night – something that Broadway musicians only face (usually) twice per week – but the shows are only about an hour so it doesn’t seem like a hassle. And since it has been 7 days since I last played iBroadway, I’m always looking forward to playing it for a second time.
Also to my surprise, no one (NOBODY) has commented on my playing – in a positive or negative way. Not my boss, not my band mates, not the cast members. I’m coming from an academic setting, which is to say highly observational, critical, and progressive. As I mentioned, the audiences have been wonderfully responsive, but the standards to which I’m used to holding myself have disappeared. Let’s hope it’s not a culture shock when I get back to school!
The hardest part about ship music is probably the constantly changing ensembles. During a typical 6-month contract, players could likely see 10 different people change in and out of their ensemble. For example, I’m filling in for the bandmaster’s vacation, so when he gets back it’ll be a whole different ensemble. I had never met the rest of my ensemble before, let alone played with them. Professional ensembles can take years to find a cohesive sound and create their unified voice. The only rehearsal I had with this ensemble was a sound check on my first day, and then we played shows together that evening. Every time we play big band sets, these are charts that I’ve never seen before, and songs that we’ve never before played together as an ensemble. You can imagine the difficulties, but it becomes a matter of survival instead of fine-tuning a group sound. This is not the kind of musical environment that I’m used to. As my mother ever astutely noted, our audiences are not here exclusively for our music – they are onboard for the total cruising experience: hotel, food, scenery, destination, activities, shore excursions, etc. On Broadway, the case is different.
Broadway audiences tend to be filled with New Yorkers – and New York theater professionals at that. The level of criticism, observation, and expectation is very different. The audience response here is fantastic – audiences LOVE the shows, ensembles, and performers on board. I think people are generally blown away by the talent because they are not coming expecting Broadway-level shows, and for a lot of them, the level of talent and professionalism they seen on board is unprecedented.
The nice thing about playing on the ship is that we don’t have to play the same show 8 times per week. We do have to play each show twice per night – something that Broadway musicians only face (usually) twice per week – but the shows are only about an hour so it doesn’t seem like a hassle. And since it has been 7 days since I last played iBroadway, I’m always looking forward to playing it for a second time.
Also to my surprise, no one (NOBODY) has commented on my playing – in a positive or negative way. Not my boss, not my band mates, not the cast members. I’m coming from an academic setting, which is to say highly observational, critical, and progressive. As I mentioned, the audiences have been wonderfully responsive, but the standards to which I’m used to holding myself have disappeared. Let’s hope it’s not a culture shock when I get back to school!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Halfway There
Halfway there! I’m getting excited to get back to the city and start senior year (?!) – when did that happen?
Yesterday we had a FIRE. On board. It was very scary. I was checking my email in the crew dining room when the code word for fire came over the announcements: “Bravo, Bravo, Bravo – tween deck.” Thanks to my bazillion hours of training, I knew this meant there was a fire on the deck just below mine (Deck 0, basically). But, just like at school when a fire alarm rang and you assumed it was a drill, I thought it was a drill. BUT THERE WAS A REAL FIRE. As I finished my emails and tried to leave the dining area, they were blocking off the hallways and people were running to the fire in their fire gear and had oxygen tanks. I heard people saying that there was a person down there, but they had just evacuated him. The doorway to my corridor was blocked, so I went up to deck 2 and around to get to my room (smelling smoke the whole way). As soon as I got to my room I heard people knocking on doors furiously: “Who’s in the cabin? Is anyway in the cabin? Midship! Go midship!” So I frantically grabbed my bag and exited the area. There was a TON of smoke coming from the hallway just next to mine, and the officers evacuating us had bandanas covering their faces. As I made my way midship, I heard passengers commenting about the smoke smell. Some passengers I was with saw the crew running with their fire gear, and were understandably alarmed. I was concerned, but I didn’t know what to do or where to go. I got some tea, and by the time I had to report to play our set for the night, the cruise director made an announcement that the fire had been taken care of. That was definitely the closest I’ve ever come to a real emergency – luckily we were already docked, so the threat seemed less disastrous than if we were at sea. The hardest part was not knowing what to tell the passengers – we have these code words so as not to alarm the passengers, but so the crew teams can take care of it themselves.’
Last night was also the first night in port that I didn’t have a chance to get off the ship. We have to rotate giving everybody nights off, so the orchestra played 2 big band sets in the lounge. Victoria is my favorite port so I was disappointed! I’m happy to be back in Seattle though, heading off on cruise #4. I’m going to try to see Inception in one of our ports this week!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Hiking, Swimming, Playing...Oh My
As seen on the crew bulletin board: ATTENTION ALL JAMAICANS: MEETING TONIGHT TO FINALIZE PLANS FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY PARTY. Have I mentioned that there is a themed party every single night in the crew bar/club? I have gone to Independence Day parties for countries whose independence I didn’t even know had been granted. It’s always a party on the Celebrity Infinity…
Yesterday we had a photo op with a child who was on board with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Make-A-Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises donate cruises to these Make-A-Wish participants and give them an awesome week. Pretty great! He got to visit us during rehearsal and took a picture with the cast and the orchestra. And by all accounts, he seemed to enjoy Boogie Wonderland last night!
Speaking of Boogie Wonderland last night… Tonight, there was nothing I’d have rather done LESS than play round #2 of Boogie Wonderland at 10:45pm. It’s notoriously ill-attended as most of the passengers are out in Juneau until late, and playing to an empty house is no fun. My hands hurt, I was bone tired, and I just want to close my eyes and rest. I also had made up my mind that playing this show would NOT put me in a better mood. (How I came to this conclusion, considering that playing disco music is basically the definition of fun, I’m not quite sure. OBVIOUSLY it would make me feel better). And it did! I love playing that music – Rod Stewart, Elton John, The Village People, etc. The energy from the performers is awesome – last night, during the ‘freestyle’ section, the cast decided to each impersonate a different Olympic sport (you can only imagine…). Plus, I LOVE this cast. Performing with them on stage every night is such a blast, and we have a good time up there. Must remember next time that there is nothing more fun than playing awesome music with a bunch of people you like – no matter how tired you are.
In other news, some of the staff went on a beautiful hike in Skagway to Dewey Lake. The views are just incredible (see pictures). We hiked to a cliff and some people went swimming – in Alaska! I even got some ‘tanning’ time in today. I hope the weather holds out for the rest of my trip! ALSO – pretty positive we caught a glimpse of the Northern Lights late last night! It was terribly cold and freezing, but we braved it to see a really cool light show.
Yesterday we had a photo op with a child who was on board with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Make-A-Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises donate cruises to these Make-A-Wish participants and give them an awesome week. Pretty great! He got to visit us during rehearsal and took a picture with the cast and the orchestra. And by all accounts, he seemed to enjoy Boogie Wonderland last night!
Speaking of Boogie Wonderland last night… Tonight, there was nothing I’d have rather done LESS than play round #2 of Boogie Wonderland at 10:45pm. It’s notoriously ill-attended as most of the passengers are out in Juneau until late, and playing to an empty house is no fun. My hands hurt, I was bone tired, and I just want to close my eyes and rest. I also had made up my mind that playing this show would NOT put me in a better mood. (How I came to this conclusion, considering that playing disco music is basically the definition of fun, I’m not quite sure. OBVIOUSLY it would make me feel better). And it did! I love playing that music – Rod Stewart, Elton John, The Village People, etc. The energy from the performers is awesome – last night, during the ‘freestyle’ section, the cast decided to each impersonate a different Olympic sport (you can only imagine…). Plus, I LOVE this cast. Performing with them on stage every night is such a blast, and we have a good time up there. Must remember next time that there is nothing more fun than playing awesome music with a bunch of people you like – no matter how tired you are.
In other news, some of the staff went on a beautiful hike in Skagway to Dewey Lake. The views are just incredible (see pictures). We hiked to a cliff and some people went swimming – in Alaska! I even got some ‘tanning’ time in today. I hope the weather holds out for the rest of my trip! ALSO – pretty positive we caught a glimpse of the Northern Lights late last night! It was terribly cold and freezing, but we braved it to see a really cool light show.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Infinity Life
Passenger Question of the Week: "If we don't want to take the elevator, are there stairs we can take?"
...IT HAPPENED, PEOPLE. And it takes everything in my power to answer with a straight face...BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE SERIOUS. After the aforementioned incident, my muster station leader told me about a question he got once that rivals mine:
"Where's the elevator that takes us from the back of the ship to the front of the ship?"
...You can't make these things up. In all fairness, it IS a pretty long ship...
Yesterday I had YET ANOTHER safety training because we got a new Chief Safety Officer on board. It was relatively painless, and the new officer is lovely, but I'm almost half-way done with my contract and I'm still training! Safe to say I am READY in the event of an emergency. We have one passenger boat drill and one guest boat drill every week...why...?
The good news is that we had yesterday off, and I get tomorrow off as well because the only music event is a horns-only gig. I've been holing myself up in the ship's library studying for the GRE, which I take 48 hours after I get home. It's so hard to peel myself away from the gorgeous outdoor scenery, but I have math equations to solve! My work schedule is pretty sparse, but between the gym, studying, and practicing piano, I feel like I'm running out of time! Plus my family is coming on the cruise my last week (!) so I want to make sure I leave that week free for sight-seeing and enjoying!
Tomorrow, some of the entertainment staff is planning on taking a hike in Skagway (we've been SO lucky with the weather). If you are reading this blog, you know how hilarious it is that I am going on a hike. In Alaska. Expect a blog post if I survive...
...IT HAPPENED, PEOPLE. And it takes everything in my power to answer with a straight face...BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE SERIOUS. After the aforementioned incident, my muster station leader told me about a question he got once that rivals mine:
"Where's the elevator that takes us from the back of the ship to the front of the ship?"
...You can't make these things up. In all fairness, it IS a pretty long ship...
Yesterday I had YET ANOTHER safety training because we got a new Chief Safety Officer on board. It was relatively painless, and the new officer is lovely, but I'm almost half-way done with my contract and I'm still training! Safe to say I am READY in the event of an emergency. We have one passenger boat drill and one guest boat drill every week...why...?
The good news is that we had yesterday off, and I get tomorrow off as well because the only music event is a horns-only gig. I've been holing myself up in the ship's library studying for the GRE, which I take 48 hours after I get home. It's so hard to peel myself away from the gorgeous outdoor scenery, but I have math equations to solve! My work schedule is pretty sparse, but between the gym, studying, and practicing piano, I feel like I'm running out of time! Plus my family is coming on the cruise my last week (!) so I want to make sure I leave that week free for sight-seeing and enjoying!
Tomorrow, some of the entertainment staff is planning on taking a hike in Skagway (we've been SO lucky with the weather). If you are reading this blog, you know how hilarious it is that I am going on a hike. In Alaska. Expect a blog post if I survive...
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The Last Frontier
Time to post about some particularly Alaskan things while in our first port of Ketchikan. Things I find unique about Alaska:
-Nobody seems to serve skim milk. ANYWHERE.
-Alaska is one of the most expensive places in the U.S. Everything has to travel quite a ways to get here, of course. There are also less options for consumers up here, so places can charge more. It's much more expensive than I was expecting (and where not even up that far North...Anchorage is far more expensive).
-Everything gets done on 'Alaskan time'...a much different pace than the one I'm used to in New York City.
-Glaciers are everywhere! Alaska is home to half of the world's glaciers.
-So much salmon. EVERYWHERE. As in...they have 'salmon bakes' up here, not clam bakes.
-They still serve New England Clam Chowder...hmmm...
-The Juneau Symphony is made up entirely of volunteers.
-Juneau is the only state capital with no road access (NO road access!).
-Alaska become part of the U.S. AFTER both my parents were born.
-Alaska has it's own holiday (Alaska Day! October 18th).
-Alaska can get up to 18 hours of daylight in the summer. Because of changes in the angle at which the sun hits the earth, the northern most part of Alaska is known as "The Land of the Midnight Sun." Down South, where we're traveling. The sun sets at about 10:30pm in the summer...not bad.
Have you always wanted to go to Alaska, or would you rather vacation on the beach?
Friday, July 30, 2010
2 down, 4 to go
Fun fact of the day: the photo shop in Skagway is called NORTHERN EXPOSURES. Get it?!
I should also mention that my cabin is in the very front of the ship, which means it feels like a game of bumper cars every time we sail through Tracy Arm Fjord. When the boat hits all the mini glaciers that have broken off in the water, it feels like they’re right next to my head. I was already awake, it’s just a very strange experience to have to get used to.
Working on a cruise ship is like being in a constantly revolving door. Every Friday, new people sign on and as many people sign off. Someone you just met on Tuesday could be going home on Friday – it starts to become the norm after a while. Especially since I’m only here for 6 weeks (most people are here for 6 months at a time), everything seems very temporary. You become close with your ‘sign-on buddies’ – the people who you will usually be with for 6 months. All of the performers rehearsed for 3 weeks in London, flew over together, and have been performing and living together for 5 months. I know the band has changed a lot for my fellow band members who have been here for a few months. It’s hard to get a groove going, especially within musical ensembles – every ensemble has a different vibe, and it takes a while to adjust to new players and styles. It’s always sad when you find out that a friend is living in a few short weeks.
Of course, one of the awesome things about working on a cruise ship is getting to meet people from all over the world. The almost 1,000-person crew represents 57 different nationalities. All of the performers are British, and so I spend the most time with people from the UK.
Today we had a meeting with one of the Vice Presidents of Hotel Operations from Royal Carribbean’s headquarters in Miami (Royal Caribbean Cruise Line [RCCL] owns Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Azamara Cruises). He goes on ships a lot to assess the overall guest experience, and then talks to us about it. Overall he was very complimentary, and stressed the importance of crew/guest interactions in improving the guest experience. It’s been strange and new for me to have a sort-of ‘front-row seat’ in a huge, corporate world. Of course, the crew is an integral part of what Royal Caribbean is presenting as their package, and we have duties and privileges to that end. There is a lot of communication from the Miami office to our leadership teams, and we are kept apprised of new branding, marketing, itineraries, rules, etc. For example, a new brand being introduced on the Infinity is called Celebrity Life: savor, discover, renew. To that end, each area has a crew member from the Cruise Director’s Staff who represents those activities. Savor activities are led by the ‘Foodie’, and renew activities are led by the ‘Guru.’ These special activities are represented by certain symbols in the daily itinerary which guests receive in their cabin each day. It’s basically just a trademark tool, but it’s an example of some of the ways in which Celebrity is trying to rebrand and expand their package. The ratings system is quite comprehensive at Royal Caribbean – guests evaluate their cruise each week, and we get the results back at the ship within 48 hours (We have ~3,000 passengers weekly). It’s a huge operation and most of the time I can’t figure out how the ship runs 24/7, even with its ~1,000 crew members. It’s been fascinating being a part of their system, and also cool to be able to deliver some of that experience to its customers.
I had a gorgeous day in Victoria, British Columbia – I walked along the waterfront to the downtown area and back just as the sun was setting. Victoria is a large, lovely urban center, filled with shops, restaurants, Starbucks, and a buzzing waterfront. Victoria is known for the Butchart Gardens, which I plan to explore with my family when they cruise in 3 weeks! Everything is really expensive…my gelato, for example was $7.78. Thank you, Canada. It’s a beautiful port and the only one we get to experience at night as we play shows or sets every other night. It’s also a busy night as the guests are packing and getting their luggage together to debark very early tomorrow morning. I can’t believe another cruise is already over! Friday – Friday really flies by.
Monday, July 26, 2010
It's the Little Things
Last night I had the pleasure of experiencing Casual Dining. (It’s the little things you appreciate when you’ve been eating at the pasta station for 9 days straight…) Casual Dining is a little mini-restaurant on Deck 10, where all the other buffet stations are. Crew have to fill out a request to dine there, usually 48 hours in advance. Some friends of mine had filled out a request for 4 diners and needed a 4th, so I came along. It was nice to dress up and be served. I have to admit, it’s sometimes hard watching these passengers get wined and dined while we can’t enjoy any of the amazing privileges we see all around us. But, as Ellen would say, why would I PAY to go on a cruise when I can get someone to pay ME to go on a cruise? The job certainly has its perks but ultimately you are there to serve the paying guests, so it’s nice to be served for a change. The meal includes an appetizer, soup, salad, entrée, and dessert – all for the mere price of a $2 tip (I told you the job has its perks). But of course the view was the best part; we had an amazing sail away from Ketchikan.
This morning I woke up early and got to see the tail end of the Tracy Arm Fjord (see picture). Seeing a glacier live and in living color is pretty incredible. The Fjord also has a lot of floating ice - some pieces as large as a 3-story building and others that are just bite size. We cruise (very slowly and carefully) through Stephen's Passage to be able to view the Fjord. Tracy Arm is an area covering almost 700,000 acres, and is full of active glaciers. A glacier is a perennial mass of ice which moves over land. A glacier forms where there is a massive accumulation of snow and ice. Glaciers provide the largest reservoir of fresh water on Earth. Glacial ice gets its blue tint from the absorption of red light due to molecular overtones.
Favorite passenger question of the day (on formal gala night) : “If we forgot our clothes, can we still eat?”
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Ketchikan #2
iBroadway went much smoother tonight than last week’s shows. I initially rolled my eyes at all the Phantom, Cats, Sound of Music, and Oklahoma they use in the show, but the truth is the audience LOVES it and would probably not know as much Spring Awakening. They do have a nice Defying Gravity section though – as a duet. And of course, Send in the Clowns. I also love how Barbara Streisand is the ONLY house music they play in the theater. Seriously, I love it.
I keep conducting myself through sections of the music which I should really stop doing. I don’t think the audience can tell though…
The Infinity was just got the highest rating of the year in Entertainment and Live Music throughout the whole fleet! Of course I’m attributing it to my arrival.
This morning we had our weekly crew boat drill and an additional smoke drill. We have to walk through a simulated smoke-filled corridor…it was as bizarre as it sounds. Luckily I have the rest of the day/night off and I’m out enjoying Ketchikan! 2 down, 4 to go.
I keep conducting myself through sections of the music which I should really stop doing. I don’t think the audience can tell though…
The Infinity was just got the highest rating of the year in Entertainment and Live Music throughout the whole fleet! Of course I’m attributing it to my arrival.
This morning we had our weekly crew boat drill and an additional smoke drill. We have to walk through a simulated smoke-filled corridor…it was as bizarre as it sounds. Luckily I have the rest of the day/night off and I’m out enjoying Ketchikan! 2 down, 4 to go.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
For Love Not Money
Today I woke up feeling extremely sea-sick, but the show must go on. I was the pianist for “Elegant Tea” – a private tea party for Captain’s Club (frequent cruisers) members from 4-5 in the main dining room. I improvised mostly and played some jazz charts. It was pretty much torture considering my state of nausea but when I was finished, this Indian family came up to me and told me their son was very interested in piano. He was 8, completely adorable, and had just learned Ode to Joy (pretty impressive). I asked him if he wanted to play the piano and all the cameras came flying out. He played Ode to Joy for the dining room staff – several times. I used to be this awe-inspired 8-year-old (I still am, most of the time) and I can vividly remember the pianists on cruises (and elsewhere) who made me want to be a pianist. I probably “wasn’t allowed” to let him play the piano but I would’ve thought I was the coolest kid on the planet if a cruise pianist let me play. I have a feeling I’ll have a new friend this cruise…
I played another set in the Cova Café for 45 minutes for the passengers’ “listening pleasure.” It’s nice when passengers wander in and sit for 20 minutes and applaud your noodling. I find people in general LOVE musicians, and pianist especially. Everyone has a story, everyone used to play, and everyone wishes they had kept up with it. I’ve never had someone come up me and say, “I stopped playing when I was 12 and I’m really glad.” Music truly is a universal language and it’s always nice to be the entertainment. It’s hard to be the entertainment 24/7, of course, but I think it’s a pretty sweet gig.
iBroadway tonight! I’m excited. So is that 8-year-old boy.
I played another set in the Cova Café for 45 minutes for the passengers’ “listening pleasure.” It’s nice when passengers wander in and sit for 20 minutes and applaud your noodling. I find people in general LOVE musicians, and pianist especially. Everyone has a story, everyone used to play, and everyone wishes they had kept up with it. I’ve never had someone come up me and say, “I stopped playing when I was 12 and I’m really glad.” Music truly is a universal language and it’s always nice to be the entertainment. It’s hard to be the entertainment 24/7, of course, but I think it’s a pretty sweet gig.
iBroadway tonight! I’m excited. So is that 8-year-old boy.
Seattle
I had such a great changeover day in Seattle! I had to go through immigration at 5:30AM (okay, that part wasn’t so great) and then I had until 2:30 to enjoy a beautiful day in Seattle. It was nice to know the area and find my own way around. I fell in love with Seattle when I visited the first time and my love has only grown. PLUS the Red Sox were in town and there were Boston fans everywhere! A nice taste of home.
I went to my first passenger emergency drill today – these cruises are sold out, and we’re just packing passengers onto Deck 4. It’s pretty hilarious – passengers are still drinking the cocktails they were handed upon boarding, and everyone is lost and/or has a question. Our favorite question from today’s emergency boat drill: “We have dinner seating at 6:00 – do you know where exactly the boat will be by then?”
No, sir, no I don’t. I just play the piano.
Another favorite is the “Elite” card holder who feels he has been on enough cruises to be able to lead the boat drill. By all means…
We had rehearsal for tonight’s welcome aboard show. The shows were so much easier tonight – second time around! The biggest improvement for me was being more comfortable with the click track and being able to anticipate the tempo/meter changes. It’s only my second round of shows but I feel for the other performers who have been doing this show twice a week for 4, 5, 6 months.
We had a beautiful sail-away from Seattle today – we really lucked out with the weather. It was the first time I was able to watch us sail away from Seattle, and the views of the city are spectacular. It was also a perfect day for Mount Rainier viewing, which many crew and passengers were doing for the first time. Seattle is such a great port city. This week we have passengers from Holland and Switzerland. As our cruise director pointed out, the Swiss have traveled all the way across the Atlantic ocean to see snow-covered mountains…hmmm…
I went to my first passenger emergency drill today – these cruises are sold out, and we’re just packing passengers onto Deck 4. It’s pretty hilarious – passengers are still drinking the cocktails they were handed upon boarding, and everyone is lost and/or has a question. Our favorite question from today’s emergency boat drill: “We have dinner seating at 6:00 – do you know where exactly the boat will be by then?”
No, sir, no I don’t. I just play the piano.
Another favorite is the “Elite” card holder who feels he has been on enough cruises to be able to lead the boat drill. By all means…
We had rehearsal for tonight’s welcome aboard show. The shows were so much easier tonight – second time around! The biggest improvement for me was being more comfortable with the click track and being able to anticipate the tempo/meter changes. It’s only my second round of shows but I feel for the other performers who have been doing this show twice a week for 4, 5, 6 months.
We had a beautiful sail-away from Seattle today – we really lucked out with the weather. It was the first time I was able to watch us sail away from Seattle, and the views of the city are spectacular. It was also a perfect day for Mount Rainier viewing, which many crew and passengers were doing for the first time. Seattle is such a great port city. This week we have passengers from Holland and Switzerland. As our cruise director pointed out, the Swiss have traveled all the way across the Atlantic ocean to see snow-covered mountains…hmmm…
Friday, July 23, 2010
Victoria, British Columbia
It’s the last day of my first cruise! 1 down, 5 to go. This week was the busiest, and once I get my bearings the subsequent weeks will be much more calm. This morning we have what’s called “Waves”; the whole crew assembles in the theater to wave goodbye to the passengers. We then had rehearsal for our farewell show, which includes the orchestra, comedian, and magicians on board. We sailed into beautiful Victoria, British Columbia at 7pm. The view at night was just gorgeous. We ate dinner waterfront a cute little café (with wi-fi, of course) where we give them American money and they give us Canadian change (good thing I’ll be back 5 times). The beautiful Butchart Gardens are here in Victoria, but I’m going to save that tour for when my family comes in August!! It was nice to be out in port at night and not have to play tonight.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Day 6
Today we’re at sea all day on our way to British Columbia. I enjoyed some dolphin sightings at breakfast! The sea was rough and it was the first time that I felt sea sick. It’s pretty hard to play jazz piano when you’re feeling dizzy…
I played piano with the drums and bass at the Jazz Brunch this morning in the restaurant. We then played for the Captain’s Club Celebration – a private party for (VERY) frequent cruisers. We got to enjoy some delicious food and drink after that. This evening we played for the Baked Alaska “Parade” – on the second formal night, the cruise director introduces the restaurant staff who then all dance around with flaming Baked Alaska while we play “When the Saints Go Marching In.” A good time was had by all. After two Baked Alaska parades we played a new show called “Live At Sky.”It’s a 1940s-themed show and is basically an interactive dance party. It’s a really fun show for the audience (and us too!). After the show they brought out a huge birthday cake for Celebrity – it’s their 20th anniversary this year!
I played piano with the drums and bass at the Jazz Brunch this morning in the restaurant. We then played for the Captain’s Club Celebration – a private party for (VERY) frequent cruisers. We got to enjoy some delicious food and drink after that. This evening we played for the Baked Alaska “Parade” – on the second formal night, the cruise director introduces the restaurant staff who then all dance around with flaming Baked Alaska while we play “When the Saints Go Marching In.” A good time was had by all. After two Baked Alaska parades we played a new show called “Live At Sky.”It’s a 1940s-themed show and is basically an interactive dance party. It’s a really fun show for the audience (and us too!). After the show they brought out a huge birthday cake for Celebrity – it’s their 20th anniversary this year!
Day 5
This morning we had the weekly crew drill - it was freezing out on the decks! We docked in Skagway early but I had to take my Safety Quiz, move rooms (I’m now rooming with our awesome trombonist, Lauren) and go to tech rehearsal for a new show on board called “Live at Sky.”
I finally got out to Skagway around 6pm and was met by raging winds and our coldest weather yet! The average temperature in July is 58 degrees. Whoo. Skagway (population: 872) is much different than our previous ports – it’s the northern most we’ve been, and its known for its hiking by the Yukon Valley. They literally had to build a road to get from the cruise docks to the town. It’s very tiny BUT there’s a STARBUCKS!! Well, not a Starbucks exactly, but some store that BREWS and SELLS Starbucks coffee. My grande latte was about a bagillion dollars but it was totally worth it =) I walked around some and saw some cute little stores (all of which were closed by now). My favorite sign: OPEN 10-5ish. Again, welcome to Alaska. I’ve been told there’s some pretty spectacular hiking in Skagway so I might need to gear up for that in the coming weeks.
I’ve been enjoying a lot of great music on board and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to enjoy such great entertainment 24/7! And that my job is to play the piano. Yay.
I finally got out to Skagway around 6pm and was met by raging winds and our coldest weather yet! The average temperature in July is 58 degrees. Whoo. Skagway (population: 872) is much different than our previous ports – it’s the northern most we’ve been, and its known for its hiking by the Yukon Valley. They literally had to build a road to get from the cruise docks to the town. It’s very tiny BUT there’s a STARBUCKS!! Well, not a Starbucks exactly, but some store that BREWS and SELLS Starbucks coffee. My grande latte was about a bagillion dollars but it was totally worth it =) I walked around some and saw some cute little stores (all of which were closed by now). My favorite sign: OPEN 10-5ish. Again, welcome to Alaska. I’ve been told there’s some pretty spectacular hiking in Skagway so I might need to gear up for that in the coming weeks.
I’ve been enjoying a lot of great music on board and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to enjoy such great entertainment 24/7! And that my job is to play the piano. Yay.
Day 4
I can’t believe it’s already Day 4! I have no real concept of what day of the week it is, and it’s hard to keep track of time because we go forward and back an hour each cruise! Today we’re still on Alaskan time, which is 1 hour behind Pacific Standard Time. On Day 4 of this cruise the ship sails through Tracy Arm Fjord from 6-10AM (we don’t dock), which I was told is worth getting up for. The ship goes much slower through these glaciers. I had every intention of waking up at 7AM, but by the time I actually rose at 9AM I had missed most of the glaciers. The scenery was still fantastic though – lots of ice caps that have fallen off the glaciers were in the water (which I could feel us sailing through last night/this morning) and the tree-covered, snow-capped mountains that surround the water are breathtaking. The tiny icebergs in the water almost look like Styrofoam, and they’re everywhere! It’s pretty amazing to wake up, look out your window, and see icebergs as far as the eye can see. This morning, from the gym, I saw an orca whale! Have I mentioned I love my job? The scenery is just incredible…anyone who has thought about cruising to Alaska: you must!
2pm: We sail into Juneau, Alaska’s capital. Temperature is about 66 degrees – I wore a T-shirt! Juneau is pretty much like Ketchikan, only slightly bigger (it is the state capital, after all). We went in search of free wireless and then walked around a bit. I saw the state capital building and…that’s about it. There is a tram which goes up gorgeous mountain ranges – I’ll check that out one of these weeks.
That night we played another production show: Boogie Wonderland. It’s a lot of disco music and medleys from the 70s/80s (the Rod Stewart medley is my favorite). I’m on keyboard again for this show, with lots of different sound patches (click track again as well). It’s a lot of fun music, and the audiences love hearing the familiar tunes.
2pm: We sail into Juneau, Alaska’s capital. Temperature is about 66 degrees – I wore a T-shirt! Juneau is pretty much like Ketchikan, only slightly bigger (it is the state capital, after all). We went in search of free wireless and then walked around a bit. I saw the state capital building and…that’s about it. There is a tram which goes up gorgeous mountain ranges – I’ll check that out one of these weeks.
That night we played another production show: Boogie Wonderland. It’s a lot of disco music and medleys from the 70s/80s (the Rod Stewart medley is my favorite). I’m on keyboard again for this show, with lots of different sound patches (click track again as well). It’s a lot of fun music, and the audiences love hearing the familiar tunes.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Ketchikan
Today the ship docked in Ketchikan, Alaska at about 6am. I woke up to gorgeous blue skies and decided I had to explore Ketchikan since it supposedly rains ALL the time! I walked around the city for about an hour (it’s very tiny) and enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather. We are one of three cruise boats docked in this port, and we’re only here until 4pm this afternoon. Ketchikan is also known as the salmon capitol of the world, and there are salmon symbols/figures/restaurants/shops EVERYWHERE (Ketchikan comes from the native name for the salmon-abundant stream in town). It’s a lovely coastal town, and the main attraction is the Lumberjack show (admission for crew is $1 – I think I’ll have to check it out next week) – turns out lumberjacking is a highly competitive sport. I went to get some coffee (of course) and the one woman working there was on the phone for approximately 5 minutes while I waited to order, and then told me all about her conversation with her sister when she unapologetically got off the phone….this is just one of the many unique things about Alaska, I imagine…
The landscape is filled with evergreen trees and snow-capped mountains. The town is so small that its local paper only comes out once a week (as our Cruise Director says, the ship casts a shadow that covers the whole town). The zip code is 99901….pretty much as far away as you can get from my 01970 east coast zip code! There seem to be 4 main roads in Ketchikan: Main Street, Dock Street, Front Street, and Creek Street…you get the idea. Ketchikan also boasts the world’s largest collection of totem poles. Some other shore excursions are fishing and sailing/flying through Misty Fjords.
I had some more trainings to complete today so I didn’t have much time to explore Ketchikan, but I’ll have more to report next week. Tonight we have two big band sessions in the Rendezvous Lounge and a late-night Jazz Jam. We pass through Tracy Arm at 6am tomorrow and I’ve been told it’s worth getting up for!
The landscape is filled with evergreen trees and snow-capped mountains. The town is so small that its local paper only comes out once a week (as our Cruise Director says, the ship casts a shadow that covers the whole town). The zip code is 99901….pretty much as far away as you can get from my 01970 east coast zip code! There seem to be 4 main roads in Ketchikan: Main Street, Dock Street, Front Street, and Creek Street…you get the idea. Ketchikan also boasts the world’s largest collection of totem poles. Some other shore excursions are fishing and sailing/flying through Misty Fjords.
I had some more trainings to complete today so I didn’t have much time to explore Ketchikan, but I’ll have more to report next week. Tonight we have two big band sessions in the Rendezvous Lounge and a late-night Jazz Jam. We pass through Tracy Arm at 6am tomorrow and I’ve been told it’s worth getting up for!
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