Hobbies

Working on ships, it is nice to have a hobby to keep busy. When I first started ships, I was shocked bby how many people knit or crochet in their down time, but it makes sense because knitting is portable and doesn't take up a whole lot of space. I thought about learning to knit, but never really pursued it.

My friend Jo knits and crochets like crazy. Give that girl some wool and she will have a complete project within a few days. I realized how much she loves it when we were in Iceland and I asked her what her plans were. She replied, "I've heard of a few great wool stores and I have some birthday money so I am going to go buy tons of yarn for some projects I want to do." That is actually what she did.

I mentioned to Jo, in passing, that I thought I would enjoy needle work, so on our next port day she took me to a wool store (well, it was actually a grocery store that had an entire wool section), helped me choose some yarn to learn with, and sat down with me that night to help me start a scarf.

I wish I had "before" pictures of the wool or at least a picture of my first efforts, but I guess you will have to wait to see the finished project. I refuse to let my scarf look like a first try , (I don't want sympathetic comments like, "It was a good effort), so I ripped it out a few times but I now have a few feet completed. My next project is going to be a hat.

I have learned that I really love knitting because I can do it while watching tv, reading, even while sitting in the OB and talking to friends. As a fidgetter, I like having something to do. Jo and I have taken to having girls' nights on the last night of the cruise (the only night I am off work by 7:00pm instead of 10:00pm) where we knit, eat junk food, and watch either Big Bang Theory, SNL, or the Olympics (my friend Krista's mom recorded the Olympics and sent them on DVD). Sometimes others join us, but we are usually the only two who knit.

I apologize in advance because I am really excited about this skill so all my readers my have to put up with pictures of my projects while I learn. Something to look forward to!

Corner Brook, Newfoundland

Our first stop on VOV was Corner Brook, Newfoundland. The city of Corner Brook is a small town and they were thrilled to have us. Volunteers from the tourism office were stationed on the ship, on the pier, and along the main road to answer questions, give directions, and hand out locally-made saltwater taffy.

The town, while clean and well-kept, is sustained by a paper mill, so it has a very distinct odor and certain areas look very industrial. The weather was pleasant, partly cloudy and just cool enough to need a light jacket so my parents and I decided to explore some of the natural beauty. One of the volunteers directed us to a pathway along a creek up to a pond. It had rained all day the day before we arrived so the trail had that wonderful fresh, piney smell that wooded areas get after storms. I love that scent and as I type this I just want to stand in a damp forest and take a deep breath – the yard of my parents’ cabin always smells like that after rain.

Although we were not the only people from the ship who had made our way to the pond, it was quaint and scenic. If I were an artist, which I am most definitely not, I would spend some time there with my easel and brushes. Geese glided gracefully across the surface, and local family fed the ducks that waddled along the shoreline, and a historic inn was nestled in the trees just across the water. I could have stayed there much longer than we did, it is so easy to feel close to God in a place like that.

After we left the pond, we walked back to the main square where my mom had stopped earlier to speak with a representative from a zip-line company. Somewhere along the line my mother had gotten the idea in her head that she wanted to zip-line on this cruise and my dad was nothing but encouraging. She was a little bit worried about whether she would actually be able to do it because she doesn’t like heights but she loves roller coasters so I didn’t think it would be a problem. My dad and I would have loved to have gone with her but I had to work (that pesky job!) and my dad was still recovering from a total knee replacement, so we dropped her off for the tour and we headed back to the ship for lunch.

My dad was sitting in the library and I was at my desk a few hours later when my mom walked in with a HUGE smile on her face. She was almost giddy as she said, “That was one of the coolest things I have ever done!” I had to laugh because she said the same thing about parasailing when she cruised to Hawaii a few years ago, but having done both I would have to agree that zip-lining is much more exhilarating. I was really proud of her for trying it.

Although Corner Brook was one of the places on the itinerary that topped my bucket list, it was a beautiful town and a nice day. It was a great place to start a fabulous trip.

Voyage of the Vikings

Generally, HAL sticks to the same itineraries each year. They may make minor adjustments such as adding a never-before-visited port, but the bones usually stay the same. As such, crew members hear about cruises from other crew members who have done those itineraries. Last year, shortly after I started with HAL, I heard of the Voyage of the Viking, a thirty-five day itinerary that leaves out of Boston and explores Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, and Scandinavia each July. I decided that sometime during my time with the company I was going to work that cruise, I didn’t care how much begging it took. Imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when my contract coordinator asked me to take a contract on the Maasdam, the ship which does the Voyage. I didn’t even have to beg and plead (but trust me, I would have).

This year’s itinerary had a few variations from last year and the ship made a handful of maiden calls (first time ever visiting a port). We made a few more itinerary changes throughout the cruise due to inclement weather, but we stopped in places I had hardly dreamed of visiting and saw scenery that took my breath away.

My parents, who have never met a cruise itinerary they didn’t like, were jealous from the moment I described the cruise. A few weeks before the start of the cruise the stars collided with a combination of my parents’ work schedules and last minute reduced rates and my parents were able to book passage for the first half of the trip from Boston to Amsterdam (about 250 people sailed just the first half, and they were replaced by another 250 guests for the journey back to Boston). This was the first time my parents have sailed with me when I was working and it made the trip even more special.

Even though I have heard from friends how amazing this cruise is, it was much better than I ever expected. Whether or not I am ever again assigned to the Voyage of the Viking, it truly was a once-in-a-lifetime privilege.

Michael W. Smith and Friends

Every so often, companies charter a cruise ship for a week. These companies buy out the entire ship and often provide most of their own activities and entertainment, then they market and sell the cruise. In July the Maasdam was chartered by Inspiration Charters, a company which organizes Christian cruises, for the "Michael W. Smith and Friends." The week was basically a music festival at sea headlined by Michael W. Smith, a well known Christian singer/songwriter.

Throughout the week, I had the opportunity to attend some of the events: speakers, comedians, concerts, etc. I was able to see Michael W. Smith, Sean Hannity of talk radio (I didn’t stick around for long so I don’t know if he got into politics, I just heard him talking about his faith), Scott McIntyre of American Idol fame, and a Cajun band called L’Angelus, among others. All of the performers, along with their “people” (managers, etc) were really friendly and kind. A group of us were talking to Michael W. Smith’s, Chad (I think, but the name isn’t really relevant) manager when my friend Rebecca mentioned that her contract was ending and she was heading home to Salt Lake City for a month. Chaz mentioned that MWS had a show scheduled in Salt Lake while she was home. Rebecca said, “Oh, my sister loves his music. As soon as I get home I’ll have to see if we can get tickets.” Without hesitation, Chad wrote his email address on a slip of a paper and told her not to be silly, that he would be more than happy to have some tickets waiting for her if she would just send him an email to remind him. I was impressed; he didn’t have to do that.

As a special thank-you to all the crew, MSW held a CD signing/ Meet & Greet for crew only. Of course my camera died the meant my friend went to snap a picture of me, so she took the picture on her camera and I still need to get it from her so I will post it later.

On the last night, I was hanging out with several crew members on an inconspicuous back deck when some of the performers happened upon us and ended up hanging out with us for the remainder of the evening. Scott McIntyre and his wife were very sweet people and Johnny, from L’Angelus, kept us laughing (again, pictures to when I get my memory card back from my roommate).

Not everyone enjoys working charters and, although it was a great cruise, I can understand how some charters might be a bit difficult. I can’t speak for every charter company, but I would be more than happy to work another Inspiration cruise.

Fourth of July

I celebrated the Fourth of July in Canada this year, but I celebrated Canada Day in the US so it's okay. It was a pretty low key day, which made me sad in a way because I love Independence Day (I love any excuse to celebrate). The buffet served a barbeque for lunch complete with hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, bratwurst, corn on the cob, salads, strawberry cupcakes, blueberry cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, candied apples, and Spanish rice. Yes, Spanish Rice, I the think the chef may have gotten his holidays a bit confused. After work and the show I headed up to the Crow's Nest (the dance club) to celebrate, but the place was DEAD. I think there was maybe ten people up there, and eight were crew members. Apparently it was “rockin'” earlier, but everyone was at the Dessert Extravaganza. We ended up retreating to the OB shortly after our arrival. In a was it was kinda sad. I am proud to be an American. My country is not perfect, I realize that, and there are a lot of things that need improvement, but we are still a great country with a lot to be proud of. Even though there was no big party, several of us dressed up for the occasion.

Book Review: Anne of Green Gables

I arrived on ms Maasdam to find that the library has over ten copies of Anne of Green Gables. You may think that this number is a bit high, and I would have agreed with you when I first arrived, but there are times I wish I had a few more copies. As we stop at Prince Edward Island and many tours visit the very homestead that inspired this beloved classic, people are seen all over the ship with copies of the book (and it's sequels).

My first week aboard we had a few copies of Anne of Green Gables sitting on the shelf so I picked one up. I read the book as a child, I believe I was in fifth grade so it's been over fifteen years, and I adored it. For those of you who have never read the book or seen the movie, the story is about a young orphan girl, Anne (with an e) Shirley who is adopted by an elderly brother and sister in the town of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island. Although Anne always has the best of intentions, her active imagination often leads to mischief. That is a very shallow synopsis, but you'll get the idea. I have to say, I loved the book just as much this time as I did as a child. Quite simply, the characters are charming, the setting is charming, and every chapter made me smile. Sometimes it's nice to relive your childhood through a book.

 My friend Daniella and I trying to look like Anne at a themed store in PEI.

ms Maasdam

New ship, new resolve to be better about posting. It should be easier because this is a repeating itinerary, so I am in the ports every week so I don't feel like I have to see everything in one day. I joined the Maasdam on June 16 in Boston and we are traveling up and down the coast to Montreal stopping in Bar Harbor, Maine; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Sydney, Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and Quebec City. We will take a respite from this itinerary on July 14, when we begin our thirty-five day “Voyage of the Viking” cruise which travels from Boston, up through Greenland, Iceland, and Norway to Amsterdam, then down to England, Ireland, Iceland and Greenland again, and back to Boston. Don't expect from July 14 through August 18. Once we return to Boston, we resume the Boston to Montreal run until October when we travel down the coast to Ft. Lauderdale and embark on a forty-two day round trip Mediterranean Cruise which includes ports in the Canary Islands, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Morocco. I will finish my contract when we return to Ft. Lauderdale. Needless to say, I am super excited about this contract because it is the best of both worlds: Easy, seven day cruises with beautiful, repeated ports and one sea day combined with two long cruises with amazing, exotic ports of call. I look forward to seeing what the next five months bring.