Week 9

New Home Port!

So I'll be updating you on my new mailing address for the next few months - it'll no longer be Los Angeles but Miami instead! We'll be heading back there in about 2 days.

We're also going to be THIS close to Cuba. My Canadian sense tingle and make me want to go and play a teeny tiny sad violin for these Americans who can't.

...and then celebrating New Years Eve on the way to the CAYMAN ISLANDS!!!

Hope I'm not missing out on too much back in Canada. I still miss the snow!

Today's the big day!

MERRRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

It's the Night Before Christmas!

But ALAS! No! This isn't going to be about everybody's favourite Tim Burton - Disney stop-motion animation film. I'll probably talk about that at some other point, (didn't I already around Halloween? No? Yes?)

Instead, this is....

THE FINAL INSTALLMENT OF THE SING-A-LONGS!

Yaaaaay. 

Have a Merry Christmas Eve everybody!

Week 8

We're in FLORIDA!

More Pre-Christmas Sing-A-Longs!

Oh El Pato Donald. I mean, er, Donald Duck. Gotta love him in his figure skater look! Gorgeous. 

The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers is going to get stuck in my head now.

Disney's Very Merry Christmas Sing-A-Long!

Remember Disney Sing-A-Long Tapes?

Right!

Oh my goodness, this takes me back. Waaay back. I remember my parents used to buy me these sing-a-long video tapes (that's why I'm like this! That's when the Disney bug probably rooted itself in my brainnn!).  I remember very clearly getting really really sad and upset when my brother - as a joke - paused the video while it was playing. I even remember what song it was - it had to do with what Huey, Dewey & Louie wanted as part of their Christmas Wishlist.

I didn't stop crying til they rewinded the whole VHS (wow - I'm old) and I started it again from the beginning. Makes me kinda wistful thinking about it. 

Anyhow - for the next 3 days, I give you some Disney Christmas goodies to Sing along to, from my childhood to yours!

It's THE APOCALYSE!

Are there two suns in the sky? Did the aliens/zombies/meteorites/natural disasters/Mayan overlords come?  Is everybody dead out there? Is this my last ever blog post ever?

Oh my god, I'm in Costa Maya. This is like, the closest place possible I COULD'VE possibly been this whole contract to the Mayan civilization!

What's that, clouds swirling overhead? That's the Ocean swirling around us you say?!

Dunnn dunnn DUNNNNN.

5 Days to Christmas!

Tomorrow, we land in Costa Maya. Mexico - again!

It's the 5th day of Christmas, so I figure I get 5 golden rings? 

I don't know if it's supposed to count down backwards til Christmas Eve. Don't ask me to Google anything because Internet is one precious commodity at sea - so we're pretty much alienated from any of the world's news or happenings. The Pope could've passed away in advance of tomorrow's zombie 2012 apocalypse and we'd have no idea! This place is one heck of a contained.....container of humanity.

Spoooooky. Zombie Christmas. 

I actually wonder if this would be a decent place to be if the zombie apocalypse hit. It'd either be one of the best, or worst ideas ever. I mean - we have food to sustain us for a while, a lot of cabins and things to do. I mean, things would probably get horrible after a while though and infection could likely spread like *That*.

A quick peek at the Zombie wikia says:

"Cruise ships have many different assets:

• In the ocean (Zombies do not swim)
• Very good visibillity
• Carries insanely large amounts of food, water supplies, etc.
• Fair potential weaponry (fire axes, heavy tools, other improvisational weaponry, etc.)

The nautical experience necessary to steer and maintain a cruise ship is admittedly rare. However, if it can be found, it is potentially possible to steer the ship near potential resupply points, such as abandoned docks and harbors, or deserted islands.
A potential drawback is that a cruise ship with a large number of people on it prior to formal physical inspection will likely have several infected on it that have been hiding their symptoms prior to total transformation. Another drawback is that the tremendous amount of specialized fuel that a cruise ship requires to travel. Not that a stagnant cruise ship is useless as a shelter by any means, but if one gets stranded hundreds of miles out in the ocean, it can be a death sentence directly unrelated to zombies. A crew with a great knowledge of these ships, or general nautical travel is advised before attempting to utilize a cruise ship in the face of a zombie outbreak."

So, if tomorrow's the end of the world via zombie - stay safe! I know I will be on my ship!

.....On second thought maybe not.

Sprucin' up the Lab

What the Oceaneer Lab looks like during the holidays. Oooooo. Ahhhhh.

Deck the......Decks

Looking down from the Lobby railing, and our lovely glass...ceiling...mushroom...Art Nouveau...thing.












*Note that these photos are most definitely not taken by me with my own camera, while onstage (working), nor while in Disney Costume, or doing anything remotely relating to work. *

Oh the Privileged Life

Soooooo if you wanna hit up Disney World with me this March......let me know :D 

FREE! FREE! FREEE! (Mostly.)

Adiós Puerto Vallarta

I might as well do the same as I did yesterday, should've said goodbye to LA when I had the chance. Oh well! Also, Happy 12-12-12 ! Isn't this supposed to the apocalyse or something?

¡Adiós Cabo!

A wee farewell collage, for I shall never see this place again. This Year.

Week 7

Disney no quiere de Drogas

There's no kidding around with the random drug/alcohol testing! Urine/blood samples are taken every so often and if you're caught, you're automatically termed. (Terminated/fired and sent on the first flight home at your own expense!) Especially when you're in Mexico this much, who knows what Crew Members can get up to?

...Stays in Cabo?

Are you ideal?

Do you measure up to our standards? Can you be just culturally diverse enough and yet most likely from a 1st-world country? Can you wear a smile whilst being simultaneously vomited/urinated/sneezed/jumped on? Why, golly - you're perfect for a job as a Tour Leader/Camp Counsellor/Lunchroom Supervisor!  We get all kinds of crazy perks to help us forget when horrible stuff happens. That and the job's pretty awesome the rest of the time!

Week 6

It's DECEMBER! (No way!)

What! Since when? December already! 

(I miss snow.)

Things are already starting to get festive around the ship, looks like people just can't wait til the holiday season rolls around. (Still not sure about the denominational/non-denominational holiday celebration that we're going to be having. Is it Christmas? Is it Chanukah? Is it Kwanzaa? Festivus?)

Week 5

Happy AMERICAN Thanksgiving

I never got to have any Turkey or Stuffing or Cranberry sauce this year for Canadian Thanksgiving, so I get to do it all over again, 'Murican style!

And where am I celebrating American Thanksgiving (aka the anniversary of when the early pilgrims decimated the indigenous with diseases and the unfair exchange of land and weaponry?)

Why, in the most American of places possible!

¡CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO!

(Other possible answers could've been Cuba, North Korea, or Iraq.)

Tomorrow's Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful for seeing land at some point!

Taken from our official Role Snapshot

Hooray sanitizing toys! Let's hope your son Ben doesn't vomit on Lightning McQueen again!

Week 4

Don't worry, I'm nowhere near lounging at a Puerto Vallarta Resort right now.

A Day in the Life

Yes, this is Stacy from Youth Activities. Your dear daughter Mikayla is biting everyone again.

Send me things!!! Please?

Life on board can be dull - nah what am I kidding, I'm on here with Disney Characters spending all day playing. And when I'm not doing that I'm someplace warm and sunny while missing my precious, precious Canadian winter. :(


SO! If you wanna send me things, (keep in mind it'll probably take 2- 6 weeks depending on where we are)here is my mailing address! *In 2013, this address will change as we will be repositioning our Port to Miami!!*

*Address Omitted by the Walt Disney Organization for privacy*

Note that because my cabin size is just about the size of a walk-in closet or half of a Glendon res room, keep it small! Keep it simple! And Keep warm, folks!

O Canada, it's Remembrance Day

So it's the first Remembrance Day I've ever spent outside of Canada for the past decade at least, and I'm missing my home and native land so hard right now!

They celebrate Veterans day here though apparently - Disney being an American company even though there are probably less than 30 out of the 1000 Crew Members on board who are actually American.

Sadly, wearing a poppy is against the Disney Look - not allowed to wear it! But I'll see if I can proudly wear one offstage. Or I just might ask a Canadian passenger if there are any on board!


Cheers!

Week 3

Imagine doing this for 6 months?

... Instead of whatever it is you're doing right now. You reallly, realllly need to have a patience for children.  Most likely someone who absolutely loves kids and thinks they're adorable when they do horrible things and talk in their wee voices all day.

So if you're one of those kinds who doesn't ever plan on having children, never-ever consider this as a job! Because you might not love it as much as we do, clearly!

Week 2

Footwear!

Yep. I no longer get to wear my beloved Converse Chuck Taylors anymore. :(

*Guest Blog! About Training!*

Life is far too crazy and hectic and busy to be writing anything just now- so instead, hear from Kelsey who is today's GUEST BLOG as she's telling you pretty much what I'm getting up to this week.

Note that the following was written entirely by Kelsey and is representative of her experiences onboard the Disney Magic - our sister ship! Not written by me!


Enjoy!

KELSEY: TRAINING ON AND OFF THE SHIP

"...But, well, here I am again. I'm working in Youth Activities on the Disney Magic for Disney Cruise Line. I'm sitting in a Starbucks in Cozumel. It's been about a week and a half of cruising, I'm still not out of training, and it feels like it's already been months. It's raining here, so wish me luck on my tromp back to the ship. I hope my bag is waterproof! I miss everyone back home, and I probably spend too much time on the ship's internet-- which costs .10/minute. Which you wouldn't think is too bad, but IT ADDS UP BELIEVE ME.

I guess, here's the summary. We got to Orlando on September 21st, and I went through Traditions again-- which is basically where Disney tries to pixie dust you, make you the ultimate Disney fangirl/boy. Which isn't hard in my case. Yes, I cried during the emotional parts. I have no shame. I knew more than most going into this, since I'd done it before, so I got the three collectible figurines within the first 15 minutes, then I sat back and let everyone else answer the questions. It was a good time. I met some people that I wish, wish, wish we'd be on the same boat. About 2/3 were going to the Dream, and me and the other 1/3 were off to the Magic.

We checked out the parks, I got to Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, said hello to some old friends, and then got up at 5am on September 24th to board the ship. We all trooped on, received our staterooms... which are smaller than you can possibly imagine. They're about as big as a walk in closet, with two people living in there. My roommate is named Zelia, she's from South Africa, and she's just a little bit crazy, but she's been doing the cruise line thing for 3 years, so what do you expect.

The first week of training was alternately horrible and wonderful. I battled sea sickness, cramped spaces, long hours, and endless safety training. But I also bonded with my traditions group, of which I am one of only two Americans. It seriously is an international ship. I didn't learn much about my job just yet, only about what not to do while onboard, a few interesting tidbits about the ship:

1.) At our safety presentation (one of many) the security officer was listing off items that could not be brought onboard. Behind him was a powerpoint depiction of pictures of many of these objects. There was a gun, a chainsaw, pickaxe, knives, explosives, hard liquor… and a tricycle. A tricycle with little streamers coming out of the handlebars. Nobody thought it was as funny as I did.

2.) Again, at our safety presentation, there was a video of a guy pulling guns out of every possible concealment place in his clothing. It was to show “why we screen” when people come onto the ship. He had 20 guns on the table by the end of it, including a rifle.

3.) We get a little red ribbon that says “earning my ears” that we stick underneath our nametag so everyone knows that we’re New Hires. They all look out for us and herd us out of areas that we’re not supposed to be in or direct us to the nearest staircase to get us where we’re going (yeah, I navigate by staircase number (vertical) and fore, aft, port, and starboard (horizontal) now. Half the time I’m not sure where I am or which direction I’m facing, but when you do, you need to know your coordinates like on a graph!). Anyway, there’s a yellow line on the ground in the fore of the ship’s crew quarters that leads to the HR Training room which is where we do all of our safety training. I’m sure the line’s there because they got tired of telling New Hires how to get there… so we all follow the Yellow Line to get where we’re supposed to be. Pretty funny in my mind. Ugh, plus, the fore of the ship is the WORST for the rocking motion, which is constant.

4.) Interesting fact: The officers wear epaulettes and white uniforms. You know how high of a rank they are by how many stripes are on their epaulettes. The highest is four, and there’s only seven crew members who have that many. They’re part of the Steering Committee. Apparently it’s very rare to have a Human Resources Manager and a Cruise Director on the Steering Committee, but since Disney is committed to Entertainment (cruise director’s job) and it’s Cast Members, that’s why they’ve got such a high rank. Kinda cool, huh?

5.) I can’t have any milk in my room or anything that needs cutlery to be eaten. Buh. Rules.

6.) People can smoke in their rooms! If it sets off the fire alarm, the bridge will call their room and ask if it’s an emergency and the Crew Member just says, “nope, just taking a smoke” and they leave it be. OMG. Thank goodness my roommate doesn’t smoke

7.)

8.) I had the difficult decision of whether to throw my cap into the Oceaneer’s Club or the Oceaneer’s Lab. The Club is for kids 3-7 and the Lab is for kids 7-10. The Club is much more interactive, high energy, busy, and imaginative but it’s also loud and takes a lot of patience and constant surveillance. The Lab is much more technological, critical thinking, calmer, and the kids can really forge a bond with you, since they understand sarcasm now, but it’s a lot slower and has less interaction. I’m really torn. I wish we could switch off. My initial reaction was, I neeeeed to be put in the Lab, but my secondary reaction was I neeeeeeed to get into the Club. After vacillating for a while, I decided on the Lab, and I'm loving it so far!

9.) We're doing Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises. One goes to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and around there. The other goes to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Key West. Both end up at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, where there is an incredible play area for children. It's absolutely what you'd want from Disney for a beach paradise for kids!

10.) We had an environmentalism training session which pretty much said, turn off the lights, don’t use too much water, don’t flush stupid things down the toilet. But, they felt it was necessary to pass around FULL COLOR IMAGES of the shit people flush down the toilet. It was as awful as you are imagining. There was a picture of tighty whities… and I just stopped looking at them after that. Plus, later, they showed us VIDEOS of the difference between types of bleeding and burns with gushing blood and blistering skin… I was already feeling a little sea sick, so that helped a whoooooooole lot, haha.

11.) I can only have approved cleaners on the ship! Otherwise they’ll kill the bacteria in the pipes that helps purify the water.

12.) I'm in lifeboat number 1! So don’t worry. If we were told to abandon ship, I’d be the first off the boat! We do have to do a lot with the Youth Activities area first before we’re cleared to report to our lifeboat duties.

13.) Mess food is actually quite decent and my uniform is nice! The awful yellow is quite breathable and falls nicely. The pants, I drown in, but I wasn’t expecting anything form fitting, and I am loving my old lady shoes. The support is incredible.

14.) But speaking of the Mess, I’m so conscious of my health. After all of these training seminars, you realize how much of a hazard it is to have so many people in such a small space. You have to maneuver to get outside enough, and I’ve noticed that practically all the options the Mess serves is some kind of carbohydrate. Lots of potatoes, pastas, rice, and bread. They obviously think we need a lot of quickly processed energy. I’m trying to make sure I eat 2 servings of veggies, 2 of starches, 1 fruit, and 1 meat at every meal, plus getting a dairy in here and there (my stomach doesn’t like the idea of milk just yet, and there’s not a lot of yogurt or cheese to be had)… is that healthy? I’m thinking of switching it around and making it 2 of meat and 1 of carbs… or two of both? I’m trying to remember my food pyramid from elementary school, lol. But it’s all really nicely prepared! I’m sure I’ll get bored with it, but right now, I’m very impressed!

15.) Speaking of HEALTH now, I realize how much I touch my mouth. I think I have a facial fixation. They’re always telling us to limit that, and I just cannot seem to stop. That’s Freudian, isn’t it, lol. I’ve taken back my idea of being on a cruise ship during a zombie attack. NO thank you. Infection spreads way too quickly.

16.) They made us watch a documentary on Oceanos. Look it up. It was horrifying.

17.) There are codes for emergencies so as not to alert guests to what’s going on quite yet. They're very clever!

So, that was tidbits with Kelsey! I hope to upload some pictures sometime soon, but I hope that tides you guys over until then! Miss you all. Let me know if I missed anything you'd like to know more about. After I'm done training, I'll let you guys know more about what my job is like, at the moment, I'm still learning the ropes!!

-Kelsey"

Week 1

Hey Everyone,

Just so you can keep track of my movements and where I'm going to be roughly every day, I'll be posting up a basic ship itinerary! This will also give you a bit of a heads up of where geographically I am should there be any emergency. Such as death, family emergencies, zombie apocalypse, or to send over any agents via helicopter if our spy agency is compromised.

So - Week One and I'm headed to Mexico!

Disney Traditions

Today, I will be learning A LOT about the Disney Legacy and the Story, and the Company - and apparently competing for goodies. I think I know my stuff :P We'll see! For now, have a look at what I'm currently up to all day long for 8-9 hours!

....Apparently glasses are the "in" thing with CMs. (Cast Members, in case you already forgot!) I need to get me some.

What I'm doing with my life!

 Straight from the Mouse's mouth to your big ol' ears, this is what (officially) I'm being paid to do on board:

 

Youth Activities

Youth Counselor:
Interacts with and supervises children by providing a safe and entertaining environment. Provides set-up, clean-up and program support to Youth Entertainment Hosts during facilitated programs and activities occurring onboard as well as on Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.

Extensively cleans youth spaces throughout day. Maintains and ensures cleanliness of areas to USPH and Disney standards.  Meets and greets all guests and assists with onboard registration and check in/out process.  Preps food trays for children during meal or snack periods.  Spontaneously entertains high volumes of children in absence of planned activities. Occasionally facilitates and presents smaller-scale activities to groups varying in size, requiring the use of a microphone.  Functions as Nursery Counselor during high volume periods.  Ensures secured programming policies are followed.  Occasionally assists with the Port Adventures (shore excursion) operation. Helps with island rentals, beach set-up/clean-up, games and activities on Castaway Cay.  This role has high guest interaction.

Disney Cruise Line offers programs and activities designed to capture the interest of youth ages 3-17 years of age.  New crew members work with children ages 3-12 years of age in Disney’s Oceaneer’s Club and Disney’s Oceaneer’s Lab.

Farewell & So Long, Folks!

Alrighty, this seems to be it - time to say a fond farewell for the next little while, as this'll essentially be the only way of reaching me, albeit indirectly. So goodbye friends, all of you amazing people that I'll be leaving in the snowy tundras of the north with your stellar winter while I slowly burn down South.

My sad news for today is that I found out - first via the news on TV and then from the startling Facebook condolences - that a friend of mine just passed away. His name is Aaron, and he was the same age as I am, and I just can't imagine what it's like for everyone who never got to say a proper goodbye to him. I saw him very recently too - I was walking down the street with a guy friend of mine and he said how he was a little sad we didn't talk and he wasn't quite part of our little clique. :( Our conversation was interrupted by a girl running up to us to call the police as she found an unconscious girl drunkenly passed out underneath her car. Aaron immediately ran up to them and called 9-1-1. That was the last time I saw him. (RIP, pal )So I've been trying to do a better job of making whatever I say to people count - cause you never know!

 

 Goodbye Time!

(all done cryptically to possibly apply to youuu)

Goodbye brothers and sisters of the motorcoach, whether clad in orange (or red, or blue), or warning students to follow them or get lost - safe travels over the winter ahead. Whoever gets my icy Quebec trips better layer it on. -44 degrees is a beeeetch. I'll hopefully see ya next season :) I owe it to them!

Goodbye Playdriana Alpiano, the original Belle (sans Bête) who was sort of the inspiration behind the whole run-off-get-away-from-Toronto-and-why-not-Disney?  idea.

Goodbye tall blue mage and champion of the Ransei region, may I eventually grow to be as powerful as you are while I voyage far away. May you also find a dedicated replacement for me to join you at Dance Camps full of Grapefruit.

Goodbye the new Mrs. Pickering, we barely see each other every 6 months anyway so this isn't such a far stretch! I shall miss ya mucho, my happily married amiga!

Goodbye fellow Toronto folk, my roommates, and my two fellow world-travelling gals (forward for Korea!). May you hold down the fort while I'm gone, and hopefully assassinate our mayor with high cholesterol.

Goodbye monsters, I hope you scare the bejeezus out of all those terrified teens in Wonderland. Make one throw up out of fright. Do it for ol' Lorenzo and me.

Goodbye vegetarian boy who I wish I got to know far better. Even though I keep saying "it just isn't meant to be!", at the very least we'll always have the Ganary District. (Hands down the best part of my birthday week)

Goodbye little brother and mini-royal, may you continue to live on our legacy of travel and just being all around charming, all the time.

Goodbye assorted boys that I leave behind -whether ginger or scruffy or in love with cats and honey boo boo, or incredibly political, or crazy about dancing and theatre or circus, or saving lives, or doing real estate, or just talking in French cause you're awesome like that - I'll miss you all. Don't sleep with each other too much.

Goodbye recently-engaged/married/pregnant/getting on with real life people. You all suck for growing up so fast. I only kid! Just try not to keep on grown-upping so much while I'm away, it'll hurt my Peter Pan complex.

And of course, goodbye Ginger Spice and......Salt (aka Lack-Of Spice). Yknow I love you both x like, a bagillion.

And to EVERYONE ELSE who reads this blog and who I didn't have time to figure out a clever thingy for (coz I haven't finished packing at this point!)-

(I spent the first half of this video waiting to hear the last 20 seconds of it.)

Now it's time I say goodbye to all my company - 

M-I-C - See you real soon! (if you survive the zombie apocalypse at the end of this year)  

K-E-Y - Why? Because I like you! (also because federal law prohibits me from staying in the States)

M-O-U-S-EEEeeeee. (That spells mouse.) (Eeeeeeee.)

Ciao! Au revoir! Sayonara!  ----Next time I write here, it'll be from California!

Saying Goodbye!

So I'm currently writing this just shy of 12 hours away from my departure from Canada as I head into my new life at sea!

Scary. Awesome. Scarily awesome.

Like I  might've mentioned in an earlier post - I was really not looking forward to saying goodbye and doing that whole shebang; I'm not very inclined to make a huge deal out of it if it's me - if someone else is going away though, I make sure there's a lot of hoopla and sadness, etc. The last time I did this, I made an incredibly sad farewell video to a dear loved one Down Under. It was nearly half an hour of heartfelt goodbyes and friends waving in slow-motion. I later did this again for my bosslady at work, and it totally made her tear up.


But for me? Nah - I don't want it. I think I'd get all embarrassed and not know how to react to the video until I watch it again months later sobbing. So instead I opted for a very low-key, see the important people and whoever else I encounter before I go away.


Now what ended up transpiring was far from the fairly plain weekend I had planned. Firstly, one of my awesomely amazing and incredibly pretty friends that I had met originally through work on Tour in Québec asked me if I wanted to go to see the Cirque du Soleil in Toronto.

UMMM YES! 1000 TIMES YES!

 Behold, le grand chapiteau in all its glory.

 (If you know anything about me, I've been living to watch every Cirque production that I can since 2005. If you have no idea what Cirque du Soleil is - Wikipedia it! It's not cruel to animals, it's Canadian, it's sublime.) The show was called "Amaluna" - hilarious and full of gasps and wonderment.

 To quote a very outspoken child we were sitting beside: "I never believed that things can float like that because of magic. But now I believe that magic really exists, mama. Magic is real!"

 That night, I took a chance and went to go see one of my bestest most awesomest friends and the timing was perfect - I managed to get him just as he was leaving work and ended up spending the night at his place. He gave a me a present! And we ended up watching Pitch Perfect - (which I highly, highly recommend by the way).

And then that evening my bestest friends of all time from high school and beyond all went out dancing with me ALL the way from their cities (which are at least a good hour or two away from downtown Toronto). A lot of alcohol and booze was had. We went to this german sausage and beer place called Wurst. I ate duck/foie gras sausage and kangaroo sausage. Crazy delicious.

We ended up ditching the line-up at this swankier place for a very hoppin' party with some solid pop and rock retro music. SO good. A lot more alcohol and booze was had. I went to bed that night thinking I probably had the best friends in the world and what-was-I-thinking with my original plan of crouching like a gollum in my room til I left. I really am going to miss them (sentimental moment!). They just took me out for dinner and had a nice, relaxing hangout at my place, which I really, really needed right about now. My nerves are pretty much killing me at this point, I'm feeling rather overwhelmed by how much I need to think about and pack!

BUT FINALLY - the piece de la resistance! I went on a helicopter flight with my awesomely cool Scotty. Here's a video I made from my hasty shoddy taping skills from my phone during the ride:

Just a little scary, but not really. More spectacular and gasp-inducing just being that far up in the sky and only a glass window really separating you from clouds. So much awesome.

Apparently, the other Disney-ers that will be starting their contracts at the same time as me had equally legit weekends with their close friends - and who can blame them? We're all going to be gone for quite some time with exceptionally limited communication.

My next post will be decidedly sadder - I got terrible news over the past day or so, but I'll save addressing that for the next time because I don't want to think about it just now. Off to consider packing some more!

Tips and Tidbits from my peers!

So a massive Thank You to everyone who has been trawling the seafloor of the internet in order to help me with my journey- and also thank you to all the Cast/Crew Members I've met lately as we all collectively bond over the idea that we've signed off our lives to the sea witch for the next while and need to be prepared.


I am super appreciative, and so is everyone else trying to pack their lives/get ready!
Remember - everything in this post is courtesy of other people and their opinions/ideas - entirely their property and I lay no claim to them whatsoever!
So let's get on with it:

TIPS AND TIDBITS FROM THE CAST AND CREW

"Everyone over packs the first contract - so don't worry too much.  Here's a general list..

• Tolietries (shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, sun screen etc) enough for the first 2 or 3 weeks (you can buy them in port but may not have a chance to for a while depending on your schedule). You will have access to a walmart in Port Canaveral

• Lots of socks and underwear (I would bring enough for 3 weeks just in case I didn't get a chance to do laundry). A Laundry bag.

• Clothes for off time - crew bar, ports, bathing suit and a fancy outfit or two (they have nicer crew events).  Make sure to bring some warmer clothes too as Florida/Bahamas gets cold in the winter)

• Proper footwear (you cannot get footwear easily before you get on the ship) avoid the hassle and bring the proper footwear with you.

• Laptop if you have one, DVDs,Camera, hair dryer if you use one, battery operated alarm clock

• Money for the first couple weeks (as it may be a bit before you get your paycheck)

• If you have guest privileges (some positions are allowed to use certain guest areas on time off ) make sure to bring disney look clothes

• If there is something you can only get at home (candy, specific brand of toiletries etc) make sure to bring a good supply.  You can bring only certain types of food on the ship (basically dry goods like snack food), so I would always bring some meal bars, crackers etc on just so I had them in case I was hungry or slept through a meal.

• A beach towel

• Medication (they do have sea calm and pain relievers available at anytime outside med center)

• Pictures of family/friends and any small comfort items, magnets (the walls in your room are magnetic - to hand pictures and notes up).

• On the Dream there is room under the beds to store things, but on the magic and wonder there are just drawers - so if you by any chance get transferred to the Magic/Wonder it is better to have a soft case luggage so you can store it."

-Nicole

 "Make sure you take an adapter plug for every electrical item you are taking (something they didn't tell me before I went).  When you take your stuff to electrical they will stick a label on every item you have a plug for, and then tape your plug to that item.  Luckily lots of my stuff changed through my laptop, but unless you plan on hiding your things every week for cabin inspection, make sure you take enough!'

 -Louisa

"-Bring lots of comfortable clothes (ah my days of accessorizing are long gone, bring on the sweatpants!)
-Make friends in all departments, you never know when you will need their help
-Don’t leave your laundry unattended for too long
-Use your safe (I finally learnt how to use it! Don’t worry mom, they hold on to my passport so it wasn’t in there)
-Buy an American phone because phone cards are ridiculous and I whip right through them
-When using the internet, type all your messages out in Word first and then copy and paste them into the emails once you have signed on…as I am super cheap and stingy with my internet card.
-Febreeze. Enough said.
-Sleep any chance you can.
-Eat when you can, even if you’re not hungry, you will be hungry later when your break gets swapped around or you’re too lazy to get up for breakfast…
-Snacks are your friend when you’re too lazy to get up for breakfast.

-Run around a lot during the day so you don’t feel bad about eating so much."

 -Amanda

" I would recommend taking a cell phone... but not a contract one because that is going to be real expensive with the constant roaming charges.

If you take along an unlocked phone that can accept sim cards there is a sim card you can buy so that you can make calls/receive texts at sea.  It is kind of expensive but cheaper than using 'oceanphone' from the phone in your cabin.  It's useful to have if you are desperate to call home.

American cell phone is a great idea.  Whichever ship you end up in you should be in an american port at least two times a week.  I actually use that to call to the UK when I need to. And it's not extortionate to text home either. Most Europeans I know do not have us cell phones... Only the British really.

Internet is a ongoing debate. You will use it... There is no way around it really. Because like you said it is the best way to communicate while at sea. It's probably equivalent to the speed of dial up... So things like Skype come and go... And downloading anything is usually a big no no. There are times when it is slower than others. Usually between 11pm and 1 am when everyone is using it. And sometimes you can't even get on it because it can only cope with so many users logged into it at anyone time."

-Ben

 "As for advice... I feel like I could write a whole book on it.  Biggest ones: make sure you have balance in your life on board.  Have fun, but makes sure to get enough sleep and take time to yourself as you need it.  Don't lose sight of the reason you are there and the job you have to do, there will be many things that will cloud that."

-Nicole

 "My next post will consist of what I forgot to bring.

Forgotten List

1. Febreeze
2. Duvet
3. Suitcase
4. Magnets
5. Pictures
6. Clock
7. Powerbar
8. Small decorations
9. Baskets for wardrobe
10. Plain t-shirts (Disney Look)
11. Laundry Basket/Bag 
12. More snack foods (granola bars, etc)"

-Amanda

"DCL provide a lot of stuff... towels and linens included.

You should just bring any personal items you require... shower gel... hair products... toothpaste... but even if you forget there is the crew store.

YourTV is equipt with a DVD player so you might want to bring a few movies (as long as they are Region 1) or CDs.

On the clothes front... it's always a good idea to not bring too much.  You'll be in your work clothes most of the time.  Cabins are designed well for storage but they are still very small.  Think logically... swimming shorts, one smart outfit (i.e shirt and tie).  It's warm all year round but can get chilly during the evenings in the winter months... so just incase someone has told you it's a great idea to just bring t shirts and shorts... pack a sweater haha.

You can always buy new clothes at the mall anyway.

Laptop is up to you... the ship is wireless (you have to pay for the internet by buying cards tho) but there is an internet cafe with computers if you decide not to bring a laptop.  My first contract I didn't have a laptop and I got on fine... but I guess it's annoying not to have it if you need to do things like update your ipod... upload pictures etc.

For youth activities you'll also need a pair of white sneakers, a pair of black dress shoes and a pair of teevo sandals (for Castaway Cay).  Beware of visible logos on the sneakers.  You can normally find good Nike ones tho that are all white... they are ok to have the 'Nike tick' visible as long as it is not completely obvious.

If you have problems obtaining any of the shoes you can get them here.  Before you get on the ship you will stay at Disney World... there are stores in the Disney area that sell suitable trainers.  The teevo sandals are a little harder to find if you don't know the requirements but you can order on board and use your trainers while you wait for them to arrive."

-Ben

 "The wonder doesn't have a lot of storage for suitcases so it is better if you use a soft sided duffle bag (I got one with wheels).  The normal rolly bags will be a pain to store.

Life on board can be hard at times, and I don't know if you celebrate Christmas or not, but it is hard over the holidays, especially if you are new.  There will be holiday parties and such which are lots of fun.  You may want to bring some nicer outfits for those.

Bring anything from Canada that you cannot get in the US.  On the West coast, there is a Walmart in one of the Mexican ports (PV I think).  It's always good to bring enough toiletries and such to last the first 3 weeks just in case you cannot get to a store due to days off. "

-Nicole

XIII. The Final Leg

This is it - 3 days away, and my last weekend in Canada. I ought to be packing and getting all of my stuff together but instead I'm spending time on this:

http://disney.go.com/princess/#/home/

I'll make a legitimate post at some point, but it's just too fun seeing the art design on some of these outfits with more... regional flair you might say. (Especially Jasmine/Mulan/Pocahontas)

Oh, the Places I'll Go... (MAP!)

Take a look - it's a nicely colour-coded map of where I will be going during my contract; the different colours correspond to the difference cruise runs I'll be doing:


Purple: MEXICAN RIVIERA - Los Angeles, Cabo San Lucas & Puerto Vallarta

Yellow: REPOSITIONING CRUISE - Panama Canal, Cartagena (Colombia) & Costa Maya

Red: WESTERN CARIBBEAN CRUISE - Key West, Georgetown, Cozumel & Miami

Green: BAHAMIAN CRUISE - Miami, Nassau, & Castaway Cay

Orange: EASTERN CARIBBEAN HOLIDAY - Philipsburg, St. Thomas, Castaway Car & Miami

My Ship's Deck Plans

...If you were so keen on seeing the ship's layout - here are the official Deck plans!
*(Note this does not show all of the secret magical areas tucked away for the Crew Members)*

But I, for the most part, will be hanging around on Deck 5. ;)

What I have to work with. Kids.

 Courtesy of buzzfeed, I just had to share. Cause they will be my whole life for the next 6 months. For starters, something more relevant- just a look at my target audience, and the reason why this job's supposed to be awesome:

but now for......

27 Reasons Why Kids Are Actually The Worst

Ok, so kids can be cute and squishy.

Source: onlylolgifs.net

But let's be honest...

Via: mikekrass.com

They're mostly just infuriating, ravenous monsters.

Source: mediapop

1. They get stuck in everything.

Via: komikler.com

2. They're clingy.

Via: bangingtunes.com

3. They do this.

Source: expl0re-expl0de-repeat

4. They're lazy.

Via: dailymail.co.uk

5. They smell weird.

Source: somewhereinvirginia.blogspot.com

6. They're bad at everything.

Via: collegehumor.com

7. They can't take care of themselves.

Via: lelombrik.net

8. They give up easily.

Via: collegehumor.com

9. They actually get stuck in everything.

Via: sacredmisfit.com

10. They're scared of friendly animals.

Source: higregjohnson

11. They're exceedingly dumb.

Via: failhero.com

12. They're terrible laborers.

13. They cry. Constantly.

Via: geekation.com

14. They're functionally useless.

Source: forgifs.com

15. They're selfish.

Via: thedistractionnetwork.com

16. They rarely, if ever, get food in their mouths.

Via: antheweins.blogspot.com

17. They break almost everything.

Via: memecenter.com

18. They don't care about other humans.

Source: cannonsmith.blogspot.com

Source: forgifs.com

19. They're stupid.

Source: youtube.com

20. They do this.

Via: fark.com

21. They're stupid.

Via: gifsoup.com

22. They're mean.

Via: boobscupcakesnweed

23. They literally have no idea what's going on ever.

Via: chazinator

24. They make a mess.

Via: avalar

Via: chilloutpoint.com

25. They're helpless.

Via: mattbradley.buzznet.com

Source: reactiongifs.com

26. And stupid.

Via: ashamedparents.com

27. And the worst.

Via: jokeroo.com

(except for this one.)