A Sunday in Napoli

Sunday the 13^th we docked in Salerno. The Celebrity Eclipse docked in Naples, and among the staff of said ship are the Voicemales (the a cappella group that previously worked on our ship). My roommate, a friend Sarah from activities staff, and myself decided to make the journey over to Naples to see our friends, so we left our ship around 8:30 to make sure we would get there early knowing very well that none of us speaks a lick of Italian. We arrived at the train station at 9ish and proceeded to the automatic ticket ATM, but to our dismay it would stop working at a certain point in the process every time and cancelled our order. We then decided to try the line of 25 or so people while Sarah ticked at the ATM machine again. After being informed by a friendly Italian that we can purchase tickets for a regional train at the news and magazine shop, so Sarah did so and we ran up to the tracks to catch our train. Once we reached the top, we unfortunately realized that we had missed the regional train by 3 minutes, so we then consulted the posted schedule to see when then next train leaves. When we realized that we would have to wait until 11:30 to catch a train and 12:45 to arrive in Naples, we decided to seek assistance. The guest relations man informed us that most of the regional trains weren’t running, it being a Sunday, and that the only way for us to get to Naples within the hour would be if we caught the express train at 10:30. This seemed like an excellent plan, so we asked if our tickets were enough for this change. He then let us know that we would have to pay more for the express rate, and when we asked if we could just pay the difference on the train, he let us know that this was ‘not possible’. So we headed back down to the ticket line where we waited for around half an hour just to have the man behind the window close his line. This created a mad dash to the next window, and from there we waited 10 more minutes before getting our extra tickets for the express train. Having achieved step one, we then realized that we had informed our friends that we would be arriving there around 9:30 and the time was 10:20. Kate then used her unlimited world texting to search for someone who was awake on the West coast, since it would be 4am on the East. After trying 5 or so numbers, she finally reached one of the girls that taught us choreography in Vegas. After she texted her the whole story Nikki agreed to help us out and send a message to the boys on facebook that we would be rather late. Just as the lines of communication were solidified, our train arrived and we took our seats. 20-30 minutes later we arrived in Naples, and grabbed a cab to the port. Once we finally got on the ship and reunited with the boys we proceeded to take a tour of the most amazing vessel I have ever stepped foot in. The Equinox is larger than any hotel I have ever been in, and has more amenities then any hotel I have ever heard of. After the completion of our tour we headed into the heart of Napoli for some pizza and bonding with our friends. A very large pizza, 2 beers, and the most amazing bruscetta I have ever had in my entire life later we wandered around the city for a bit just to end up back on the ship for the last hour of our visit. After watching the boys do their sound check for that evenings show we said our goodbyes and parted ways. Literally running off the Equinox, we attempted two busses, wasted 20 minutes, and ran up and down the same street about 4 times before settling on hailing a cab at the last minute to get back to the train station. We bolted from the cab and ran full force into the station to find out where and when the next train back to Salerno was. Consulted with an information assistant, and found out that we could catch a train in 2 minutes that headed to Capri, but would stop at Salerno first. Stepping onto this train we felt lucky for a few minutes as we thought we had planned out the day almost perfectly. 5 minutes later the lights shut off and the trains engine stopped. Thinking that maybe they were just cooling it off or something we remained in our seats until we spotted the rest of the passengers starting to file out of the front of the train. Joining the crowd, we ran from one train to the next praying that it would still leave in time to get back to the ship. Keep in mind, the last shuttle back to the ship from the center of Salerno was going to leave at 6, and all-aboard for crew was at 6:15. It was rapidly approaching 5:30, and we were just sitting down on the substitute train that should have left half an hour before. After another 5 minutes, we were informed that we would be leaving soon, and that we would get to Salerno in about 40 minutes. This news settled on all of us, as we understood that this would mean serious disciplinary action upon arriving late, and we prepared ourselves for the worst as we took off back to Salerno. The train sped back into Salerno, and arrived at 6. We ran off the ramp and jumped into the first cab we could find, crying out ‘pronto seniore pronto!’. The cab dropped us off 100 yards from the gangway at exactly 6:15. We paid the man, and sprinted as fast as we could to get back on the ship. Such an adventure, racing against time was well worth it to be able to see our friends again.

Monday, we found ourselves at sea headed back to Barcelona. Tuesday in Barcelona I stocked up on toiletries and some clothing that I needed for the next cruise, and took advantage of the free wifi to chat with my family. Yesterday we were in Villefranche, and today Livorno, but unfortunately it has rained both days, so we haven’t gotten off the ship.

Tomorrow we go to Civitavecchia, and some of us will take a crew tour to Rome to see all of the things you think of when anyone mentions the city; from the Vatican to the Coliseum.

Currently we have 12 more cruises until our contract is over, and every other day I find myself checking to see how much more time is left until I can go home. I feel like it is the end of the fall semester in college, when the time drags on and you just want it to be over, but you know the spring semester will go much faster.

On the bright side, mail seems to get here fairly easy, so if anyone is bored with just reading about my adventures and wishes to send me anything from a letter to a picture of yourself waving I welcome the sentiment.

Megan Brown

Production Dancer

Celebrity Century

P.O. Box 019030

Miami, FL 33101 9030

A La Familia

Yesterday I set foot in Italy. We were in Civitavecchia, which is a bout a 75 min ride to Rome. I spent the day in a small internet café right off the pier trying to figure out new modes of communication between here and my homeland. I had a latte and a salami sandwich for an early lunch while I listened to Italian café music. Though I wish I had gone and explored Rome, we will visit the port at least 6 more times so I will have the opportunity when we don’t have a show and a tech run that evening. Today we stopped in Messina, Sicily, but due to teaching a dance class this morning and more tech runs this afternoon, I was unable to get off and visit the nice Italian people. Natalie’s show ran tonight twice, and then we had ‘Groove’ in the Crystal room at 10:30. After both we learned a new section of ‘Dance Around the World’ to replace the adagio couple that left the ship for a cruise to get a visa.

I had a dream last night that my mom and sister were on board, and it was wonderful. I feel like my life here isn’t real life, and that the world I left behind has just stopped temporarily until I get back. In my dream both worlds were joined and I was around the people that make me so thankful for the life that I was blessed with. So, today I miss my family.

Arriving in Europe

On the 28^th of May we arrives at Ponta Delgada, Azores, where we took a crew tour of a few of the islands features. First we visited the botanical gardens, with huge trees that were shipped in from all over the world, and hand made stone towers and tunnels that added a very pleasing aesthetic affect to the garden. Then we headed to the pineapple plantation, complete with 12 or so green houses full of pineapple plants. These varied in size from smaller then my fist to the actual size you get in a grocery store. After sampling some pineapple liquor and authentic juice we headed to the top of the island to see if the clouds would clear from a view of the fire lakes. As we rode up to the top we drove through streets so tiny, our bus barely made it through without taking down a few shudders. The island has been updated with very modernized apartment buildings and structures, but these are then surrounded by miles and miles of farmland and cows. Unfortunately for us the clouds and fog did not dissipate, and so we were unable to see the lakes, but it was still nice to get out of the bus and off the ship for a while.

On the 31^st we stopped in Cadiz, Spain, and adorable town and our first stop in Europe. After being left a map from a few members of our cast, my roommate and I proceeded to navigate our way to the beach in a town speaking no English at all. After a decent amount of time we made it to the beach by following street signs and butchering the little Spanish we knew to ask for directions. Upon heading back to the ship we both realized that before the next time we left the ship we needed Euros, and someone who had been to wherever we were.

Yesterday we visited Malaga, Spain, where most of our time was spent in a McDonalds with free wifi. Normally I would object to visiting an American food chain in a foreign country, but it was important that I accessed the world outside of cruise ship internet for at least a day. I was able to video chat with my mother, father and little brother, which was wonderful. It was good to see their faces and to see my house, but it made the difference in worlds a little more real then it has felt so far. It is gradually becoming stranger and stranger to me that I am across the world from what I call home. Here the sun doesn’t go down until sometime around 9:30, and that’s with the time change. I am some 6 hours ahead of the East coast, so every time I wonder what my family or friends are doing back home I have to consider the time and remember that they are probably not even awake yet as I eat my lunch.

Tomorrow we port in Barcelona, our homeport for the next 5 months. I am very excited to see what will become the spot in which we change over every 12 days. I am also very eager to get into the flow of our 12-day cruises, as we have been doing 5, 7, or even 14-day cruises at this point and have yet to experience the type that we will be doing to longest. From here until my last cruise on this contract, we will be doing 12-day cruises, with another transatlantic 14-day crossing before I sign off in Miami.

This whole thing is very surreal to me, stepping on the ship and having to remind myself that I am in Europe and walking on foreign soil that some people may never see in their lifetime. Most of the time I feel like I am in a movie or walking on a movie set, it all almost doesn’t feel real.

In terms of dancing, the shows have all become second nature and so have the costumes and makeup. Along with the dance classes, Diego and I have put together a Tango that we perform I various shows throughout the cruise. It is authentic to Argentina, about 3 minutes or so, and when performed full out it’s pretty hard. Ballroom dancing is something I have never really gotten the chance to explore so I welcome the challenge and relish in the opportunity at the same time. We have also started to perform with Natalie in her variety show, and back up dancing is also very fun. I have been fortunate enough to be able to find ‘background’ work very fulfilling, as I am able to recognize that I am part of a picture of something rather then in the middle of it, or even the only thing in the frame. As long as I am dancing, it’s pretty hard to make me unhappy.

My sea legs have finally set in, I got off the bike this evening in the gym and didn’t even flinch when the ship swayed and I took a step to the side to stabilize myself. As annoying as it is, I am getting the hang of dressing up in the morning to be able to go into passenger areas, and dressing down has become something that I look forward to each day. Last night before our shows I went up to deck 7 (the crew deck, which is located at the very front of the ship), and the sun was just about to set over the empty horizon as we sailed away from one part of Spain to the next. The ocean was completely still, and the orangy pink sunset reflected on it like a perfect glass mirror. I closed my eyes and thought of my friends and my family that I miss, and then opened them again to the postcard that lay in front of me. This gig ain’t bad for now.

Transatlantic Cruising

Natalie Brown is a singer in our Production Cast from Australia with a powerhouse voice and a super spunky personality. She has her own show on the longer cruises, and has asked Merrick and I to be her backup dancers. Even though we are only dancing for her in two of her songs, it adds variety and something different to the show to keep the energy up for the audience. Two days ago we learned to first dance to ‘Stuff Like That There’, a Bette Midler song that I have personal attachment to from way back. The moves that we do behind her are very simple, in the style of pin-up girls, but very cute. It is the first time that I have gotten the chance to do something like this, and combined with the costumes and getting the chance to perform an extra night, I’m loving it.

Due to our 7 days at sea and the increased volume of older passengers, we are no longer allowed to eat in the passenger areas for breakfast or lunch. This would normally be fine, but the dance classes I have been teaching with Diego are occurring everyday at 12:15, smack in the middle of lunch at the staff mess. I could get up early to grab breakfast at the mess from 6-8am, but if you know me then you know how important those sleeping hours are in affecting my conduct throughout the day. After class I have to run downstairs to grab something before they close it down, otherwise I can’t eat until 6. As is my body has gotten used to eating something around 5ish so its taking some getting used to.

Last night we ate at the Murano, the ships specialty restaurant for a belated birthday celebratory dinner for Merrick and myself. I have never had such a fancy eating experience before. The waiter pulled my chair out and placed the napkin on my lap for me, and as I ordered my wine he brought the bottle out and described it as I approved the selection before he poured the whole glass. This restaurant serves in 5 courses, so I had the Escargot Torellini, the Goat Cheese Soufle, the Mozzarella salad, and the Venison…followed by the Crepe Ballon Rouge for dessert. The food comma that I slipped into was mind and body numbing, and reminded me of Christmas back home. We were all so full that by the end of the meal we started getting slightly delusional and giggly, and to any stranger you might have thought we were well on our way to drunk, but alas, it was the fullness setting into our stomachs.

We still have 3 more days out of a total of 7 until we reach any land, and these days at sea have been so uneventful, that we all get excited when we have a show to do so that it gives us something to actually look forward to at the end of the day. Our first stop is Ponta Del Gada, in the Azores, and a few of us have signed up for a crew excursion throughout the island to take a tour of pineapple groves, the ribiera grande, and a fire lake. I’m told that it doesn’t really matter where you go or what you do after those 7 days at sea, just that you get off the ship and touch land.

For those of you back home in the northeast, please enjoy this time of the season for me as spring turns into summer. It is my favorite part of the year so bask in the May sun and think of me in the middle of the Atlantic.

Rest=Happy Cast

This particular charter has been an interesting contrast to the age demographic that we are used to performing for. At the Welcome Aboard show, we had a whopping crowd of 15 people and at ‘Dance Around the World’ we had 17. Last night the comedian performed and the theater was full, all 700 seats were filled. Tonight will be our last show, ‘A Touch of Broadway’ at 10pm, and judging by the turn out for the previous shows we are not expecting much. Not to mention the pool party that will be going on from 9-12, which is where most of the guests have been spending their time enjoying the party band and the free wine and beer purchased by Best Buy.

Though slightly annoying and discouraging, this cruise has been a blessing in disguise. On the last 5-day cruise, the seas were particularly rocky, and even though it only took me a day to get used to the feeling my legs had to work overtime while we were performing to stabilize my standings let alone jumps and turns. Because people haven’t found it necessary to leave their pool chairs and free beer, we have been able to treat each show like a dress rehearsal and save ourselves that extra 20% which makes a huge difference in energy reserves when your performing as much as we do.

With each cruise, our cast gets a little closer, and it gets easier to accept our circumstances. Ship life takes some getting used to, but I think I got the next 5 months under control.

And, I'm back

I have neglected you for the past few days and I apologize. The current cruise I am on is a five-day cruise, and these ones are a lot more packed with work then the other ones will be. In addition to the shows and rehearsals, the new cast members still have a list full of training that we need to complete, so our schedules have been pretty tight. My days have been as follows; wake up at 8 or 9 for training (safety or first aid or security), then to the theater for a tech run of the show we will do that night, then I may or may not have time to shower and/or nap before the show. Food is sometimes worked in there, but I have gotten very good at holding off my morning hunger pains until 11ish, mainly because I have no choice in the matter. When we do get the chance to eat, we have to get dressed up to go into guest areas; otherwise we can eat in the staff mess during certain hours. For dancers this food layout isn’t very conducive, because we perform at night from 6-11ish depending on the times of our two shows. By the time we get our costumes off and put them away, everything is closed. The restaurants only offer nuts, and the crew bar sells Pringles, so my timetable of food has become very erratic.

The cruise that I am starting now is a chartered cruise for Best Buy, a younger crowd you can imagine. We have been warned multiple times that the ages are going to be closer to ours, and to remember the boundaries between guests and crew. We docked in Miami for an overnight before we head out tonight for CoCo Cay, Nassau, and Key West.

Last week when we were in Miami I met up with my grandparents and my Aunt Sue, and I was able to take them on the ship and show them the areas that I frequent on a daily basis. After we wandered around the Century for a bit, we met up with my cousin Tiffany for some lunch. It was nice to be able to see my family, because up till now it feels like I am living in an alternate fantasy universe where I get paid to be on a dance vacation. Yesterday a few of us took a bus to South Beach to catch some rays before coming back to the ship for ‘Sizzle’, and the Welcome Aboard show. This is the second to last time we will be porting out of Miami before heading to Europe.

I am starting to get the hang of all this; throwing nautical terms into my everyday vocabulary, telling time military style and rolling with the changes of time zones every few days, and getting to know the people. The dress code rules are still taking some getting used to, and I even went out in Miami today to make some purchases so that my attire will be more suitable for guest areas.

As for my lack of blogging, I will try to not let it happen again. As a first timer of a 5-day cruise I had to devote most of my time dealing with the lack of sleep and food, but things will all turn around after this cruise is over. 5 more days and were off.

Cozumel...No Names

Last night we did groove in the crystal room, which is a lounge with a dance floor in the back of the ship. After we did the dance on the stage, we dispersed into the audience and posed among the people like statues. We aren’t allowed to talk to them, or smile, so it was a little difficult to keep a straight face as people are coming up and posing with you for pictures. I sat down in a both next to a couple and just stared at them, and luckily the big white sunglasses I was wearing allowed me to look just above their heads so I didn’t have to see them laugh at my black short bobbed wig and my tight white dress with holes in the hips. It was really fun to interact with the guests like that, and after teaching a couple dance classes to them with Diego, it was funny when they tried to figure out which one was me.

Diego and I have taught two dance classes so far on this cruise, one two days ago and one this morning. We’ve taught the waltz and the cha-cha. The guests on this ship average to an age of about 60, so it is absolutely adorable to teach them all in class. Most of the older couples know more about the dances then we do, but the class always picks my day up a little, even more so when they say hello to me in the buffet line or after my shows. Most of them want to know my story; where I come from, how long I’ve trained, and so on. Yesterday I chatted with a couple who lived in Marlboro, Ma, so they knew exactly where I have been and where I live.

We also had a boat drill for the crew this morning around noon, which included the announcement and the alarm letting us know that we needed to report to the correct life raft stations. Out on the deck, we stood in our life vests in groups around the outside of the ship for about 15 minutes while they called our numbers for attendance check.

After boat drill and a quick safety training session on how the life rafts open up and get lowered, we changed into our bathing suits and ran as fast as we could off the ship and onto the sandy beach of Cozumel. There is a bar right off the deck called The No Name Bar, and it is a designated spot for crewmembers of ships that dock there. The drinks and items on the menu are named after cruise ship positions, for example; the vegetarian section is called ‘the dancers’, with a garden salad called ‘the dance captain’. We spent a lovely 4 hours or so swimming and drinking frozen rum drinks in the pool with a swim up bar, or out in the ocean on the raft loving the sun and the heat.

Tonight we have a run through of ‘Liverpool Knights’ and then we do Sizzle on the pool deck at 9:15 before we leave Cozumel at 10pm. The small amount of time we spent off the ship today helped me solidify the reasons why I am doing this. I wasn’t having doubts about the job, because the opportunity to dance is really all I ever need, but being able to enjoy Mexico for a little bit was wonderful and we will be doing just that on the beaches of Greece and Croatia about a month. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I am dancing on the Celebrity Century.