ShiptoShore

Trapani

2011-12-30T18:20:00.000-08:00

Trapani's port area

Trapani was the first stop we made after leavingBarcelona, ergo the port I started with when I began my research for theseason. I was really hard-pressed to find much information online for thisvenerable Sicilian town. True, this sleepy burg located on the northwestcorner of the island of Sicily is a relatively new edition to cruiseitineraries, but the town itself has been around for centuries! Still guestsand crew alike grumbled that the only reason we stop here is because it ischeap anchorage, mwa, mwa, mwa…I suspect that it is an inexpensive place todock, however, considering it’s fathomless history and its proximity to otherwondrous places, I found Trapani absolutely delightful!

Every Sicilian hamlet has a Piazza Garibaldi

Like most Italiophiles,I love Italy because of the food, the art, the fashion and the music. But Ialso love Italy because it is visibly ancient, gritty and seductively authentic. I find it thrilling to run my hand overa statue or fountain that has been grazed by the multitudes for centuries. Thestreets of these ancient cities have a palpable vibration that simply does notexist in their North American counterparts. Trapani does not disappoint in thisregard. The city itself is shaped like a sickle jutting out toward theconfluence of the Mediterranean and Tyrrhenian Seas. Ships dock on the southside of the sickle where it is also possible to hop a ferry or hydrofoils tothe nearby Egadi Islands. The north side of town, visible from the ship, has asplendid promenade/fortress lined with public beaches for several miles along thecoast. What lies in between is admittedly, easy to explore on foot within acouple of hours: a narrow network of streets through the historic center boastsa number of churches, piazzas and palazzos, fountains and a marvelous botanicalgarden. The locals strictly observe siesta; that includes the taxi drivers, muchto the chagrin of independent guests who only arranged for one-waytransportation to the neighboring village of Erice or the more remotearcheological site of Segesta.

Enchanting Erice

My colleagues and I were fortunate to have transportationprovided and a private tour guide to boot. It’s one of the perks of working inthe shore excursions department. Whenever we are in a port none of us isfamiliar with we can arrange a ‘site inspection’ with the tour operator. Ourguide drove us through Trapani's old town on route to the medieval village Erice.Perched just over seven hundred and fifty meters above sea level, the villageof Erice has it all - legend, history, beauty, culture, castles, churches,stunning views! Here we walked the tightly woven cobblestone streets andsampled the pastries.

Erice is in fact famous for its confectionary. The mostpopular local treat is a 'Genovaise' which is sort of like a custard filledpowdered donut, except it's nothing like that because there's none of thatgreasy gunk in it that sticks to the roof of your mouth the way a donut does.No, the Genovaise is light as air! So light in fact, that we had plenty ofroom for a traditional Sicilian lunch. I had the Busiati al Pesto Trapanese - Sicilianpasta with pesto. The dish is similar to traditional pesto, lots of basil andgarlic, but is also infused with finely chopped fresh tomatoes and parsley.

View of Trapani from Mount Erice

After this garlic-fest I felt extra excited about my oneon one time with guests during my desk hours! Hhhhelloooo! Hhhhhow was yourday?!!

Barcelona!

2011-12-22T22:47:00.000-08:00

Antoni Gaudi's masterwork-in-progress: La Sagrada Familia

My Mediterranean sojourn began on August 25th of this year. The turn around port for this itinerary was Barcelona and I was scheduled to embark the ship there on Sunday the 28th. I asked to be flown in a couple of days early to reacquaint myself with this mega-gemstone of a city.

I rarely sleep well on overnight flights bound for Europe...there is too much stimulation in general, in particular my seat at the end of Zone 4 against the wall with no recliner far too cramped to get comfortable. Everyone reacts to jet lag differently. I find the act of dimming the lights and feigning slumber only to be jostled two hours later by an egg sandwich wielding flight attendant a mean-spirited form of make believe. Let's just PRETEND it's 8am even though we all know it's really six hours earlier!

I carry on with the pretense that it's later than my body knows it is as my plane lands and I hop the shuttle to my hotel in Barcelona's suburban of Prat del Llobregat. After a satisfying two-hour snooze my body felt less duped by the time change and I was ready to hit the ground running.

Las Ramblas after a summer shower

El Prat del Llobregat is to Barcelona what Flushing Queens is to New York City: a noisy diverse neighborhood flanked by a major international airport - charming in its own right but not the reason anyone visits Barcelona. I hopped the bus and train to Las Ramblas. A few years back when I worked for AIDA Cruises Las Ramblas had been a regular stomping ground as it runs from Barcelona's main square, Plaça Catalunya, down to the old Port (Port Vell). We were fortunate to have had an overnight there every two weeks. Las Ramblas is actually a series of smaller "rambla" streets, all joined together to fom the plural Las Ramblas. The often-crowded street is popular with both tourists and locals. The center part of the Rambla is pedestrianized and bordered by trees. Kiosks, flower stalls and street artists and pickpockets are in abundance.

Chinese dragon on facade of early modernist building "Casa Bruno Cuadros"

Lions guarding the steps at the Columbus Monument

Oh this city is so vibrant! It is a cornucopia of light, vivid colors and mind-blowing architecture! The avenues are wide and adorned with tree-lined pedestrian walkways, cafes and plazas...but those are the typically cosmopolitan hangouts. Barcelona's unique essence is reflected in the art nouveau masterpieces created by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. Sometimes referred to as 'God's architect' Gaudi's unique and distinctive style is influenced by forms of nature reflected in curved construction stones and signature mosaic patterns. His whimsical awe-inspiring structures are found throughout Barcelona, and although I didn't have time to revisit all of his works, strolling along Passeig de Gracia, past two of Gaudi's most important creations, Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, made my heart sing.

Plaça de Catalunya

Passeig de Gracia

Gaudi's Casa Batlló

Above and below: La Pedrera, also known as Casa Milà

Monochromatic mosaic sidewalks

Even the tree bark is whimsical!

Above and below: La Sagrada Familia crucifixion and statue carved into the cathedral's back wall

Port Vell

I had just 36 hours to spend on my own in Barcelona before embarking the ship and enduring a 3-month stint of ship life in all its resplendence, bedlam, fatigue, despair and garden variety dysfunction. My last hour of abandon and anonymity was spent down by the waterfront at Port Vell, watching locals and tourists alike stock up on summer as the last weekend in August came to a close.

Where In The World Have You Been?!!

2011-12-12T10:52:00.001-08:00

Never in all my travels have I been so happy to be home after the most challenging contract ever! For the past 3 months I have been sailing the MS Ryndam on its ‘trial’ Mediterranean season. The company is trying to expand its European presence, which is why from August 28th to November 20th our ship stopped at 28 different ports of call, repeating each one no more than two times. Our itinerary included: Barcelona, Spain; Trapani, Italy; Valletta, Malta; Katakolon (Olympia), Greece; Corfu, Greece; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Naples, Italy; Cagliari, (Sardinia), Italy; Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Messina, Italy; Argostoli, Greece; Brindisi, Italy; Kotor, Montenegro; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Livorno (Florence) Italy; Marseille, France; Malaga, Spain; Cádiz, Spain; Casablanca, Morocco; Agadir, Morocco; Ibiza, Spain; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy; Tunis, Tunisia; Tenerife, Canary Islands; Lanzarote, Canary Islands; Madeira, Portugal; Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; Tampa, Florida.

To have visited such magnificent places (especially Tampa!) is a blessing under any circumstance, so complaining is not a part of the equation…but Holy Crap that was hard! Or rather, this was one wild ride with bumps and swells I could never have anticipated. That and extremely poor satellite internet are the primary reasons for not posting anything during this most eventful contract.

Now I’m home for the holidays and safely tucked into my Slanket. The turquoise blur of the past 3 months is slowly unraveling, revealing cohesive thought and great little stories. I thought I would put together a 'retrospective' of the fall Mediterranean itinerary. I am also currently in the midst preparing a trunk show featuring my paintings, photography, original greeting cards and decorative arts. This will be held at the Carlisle Historical Society in Carlisle, PA, on Saturday, December 17th. The image above is an 11"x14" acryllic painting that will be for sale at the show. I'll be back shortly with Tales From the Sea!

Seaman's Lament ;-)

2011-07-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Embarkation day is my one and only day to sleep in, as I don’t start work until noon. When I woke up this morning I hit the ground running! Montreal is in the throws of its annual Jazz Festival, held this year from June 25^th until July 4^th. The ‘Royals’ also happen to be in town in celebration of Canada Day (July 1^st). It’s 72°F and sunny - Montreal’s Old Town is festive and vibrant, packed with tourists and locals taking in the carefree ambience of a long summer weekend. I can play until 11:45, when I head back to the ship to don a uniform and welcome the newly embarking guest…unless I go AWOL!!!

Alas, I’m scheduled to disembark in two short weeks. I guess I can hold on until then. In the mean time I captured the day with a few fun pics: The Notre Dame Cathedral, where Celine Dion got married, Place Jacques Cartier – the famous pedestrian zone where commerce, gastronomy and entertainment intersect, as well as Old Montreal’s fabulous waterfront area which, in addition to other wonderful things, is host to the resident company of Cirque du Soleil.

Parc de la Chute-Montmorency et île d'Orléans...It's LOVE!

2011-06-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of my job is that I am able to ‘escort’ passengers on shore excursions. Having explored every crevice of Quebec City’s Historic Old Town by foot, cable car, motor coach and taxi it was high time I got out of town to explore the phenomenal natural beauty that is just minutes outside of town.

This tour entailed a short bus ride ‘up-river’ to the Isle of Orleans, or ile d’Orleans, where we visited both a historic manor and traditional Quebecan sugar shack; this was followed by coffee and snacks atop the Montmorency Manor, which overlooks the magnificent waterfalls by the same name.

The Mauvide – Genest Manor was built by Jean Mauvide, a young surgeon, shipbuilder and business man (a DOUBLE MAJOR?) who amassed a fortune and was appointed Seigneur of the west half of ile d’Orleans in 1752. A costumed guide illuminated us on the history and significance of the artifacts on display. This historic home is a gem of Quebecan history and architecture. However, I was far more taken by the natural beauty of the island and most especially by our visit to an authentic Quebecan sugar shack or Cabane a sucre. Quebec’s most famous culinary export has to be maple syrup. Unlike the Aunt Jemima variety, real maple syrup is made by boiling and reducing sap from a maple tree (I actually had to explain the difference to someone the other day). I delighted in gorging myself on maple taffy. Also known as ‘sugar on snow’, the maple syrup is warmed slightly and then poured over freshly packed snow. After a few minutes the confection has congealed and can be wound around wooden sticks and eaten like a Popsicle.

Parc de la Chute-Montmorency is located just a few minutes from Quebec City and is one of the province’s most spectacular sites. At a height of 275 ft, they are almost 100 ft higher than Niagara Falls. There are staircases that allow visitors to view the falls from numerous perspectives. The suspension bridge over the crest of the falls provides a spectacular view!

Peak Moments

2011-06-09T08:09:00.001-07:00

Often friends will tell me they envy the lifestyle cruise ship work offers. I know I am partially to blame because most of the time I share photos and stories of all the good stuff. Today is no exception. Amidst all the chaos, boredom, loneliness and over-stimulation of living on a cruise ship, once in a while there are what I like to call "peak moments," in which you simply have to stop and remind yourself, 'Holy $h!t! I'm being PAID right now-to see this!"

I would like to point out however, that unlike these lovely photos, the current weather outside the coffeehouse in Halifax, where I sit and blog, is 45F and pissing rain. These pics were taken last week as our ship cleared the Confederation Bridge after leaving Charlottetown, PEI, en route to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the St. Lawrence River.

The Confederation Bridge joins the eastern Canadian provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. The curved, 8 mile long bridge is the longest in the world crossing ice-covered water, and a decade after its construction, it endures as one of Canada’s top engineering achievements of the twentieth century. After a rather dreary and overcast day, the clouds parted ever so slightly as we began our approach to the bridge, creating iridescent slivers of light on the water.

Peak moment...check.

So far...

2011-06-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

Boy I have I fallen behind this season! I'm already six weeks into the summer season, so let me back track with tidbits from my first couple of weeks on board and we'll take it from there…

On April 18th the ship finished its Caribbean season and parked itself in Freeport, Bahamas, for a much-needed overhaul, or ‘refit,’ as it’s called. In addition to the expected maintenance and cosmetic improvements, there was an enormous demolition/renovation of the theatre, casino and piano bar. Many crew members remained onboard for this process, mostly officers, deckhands, cabin and restaurant stewards, all of whom were put to work on an as-needed basis to helped with the demolition and cleaning, mostly without benefit of running water and AC. Somehow they managed to complete most of the refit in just 14 days working ‘round the clock. The ship sailed from Freeport on the 22nd of April and arrived in Fort Lauderdale on the 24th, ready to embark passengers for the 13-day repositioning cruise, kicking off the Canada-New England season.

A ‘repositioning cruise’ refers to the journey taken when a ship changes itineraries at the end of one season and begins a new season at another destination. Cruise ships almost always take passengers on repositioning cruises, and generally the cruises themselves are a bit cheaper, as it is still sort of the off-season at the next destination.

For some reason, during repositioning cruises the company inevitably adds a couple of obscure ports of call that don’t have much to offer other than their inherent natural beauty. This would be wonderful were we to go at peak season when the sun is shining and the snow has fully melted. Such is never the case when we visit those charming albeit arschkalt French-Canadian villages dotting the coast of the St. Lawrence River in the early spring and late fall.

There had been much conjecture in the previous days as to whether or not the weather conditions would allow us to drop anchor and lower the tender boats when we reached Narragansett Bay, where we would tender into Newport Harbor. As it happened, the fog conditions upon arrival made it impossible to safely navigate the tenders into Newport Marina, so the Captain announced that the port of Newport would have to be cancelled. As the ship raised her anchor, it got tangled in the anchor of a nearby vessel, thus delaying our departure. During the ensuing mayhem of untangling the two anchors, the fog began to lift, so the Captain decided we would be able to reach Newport after all! However, with all the time spent hemming, hawing and untangling anchors, the guests were only able to spend a total of four hours time in Newport. The fog returned just as the last two tender boats were returning to the ship and got lost in the harbor for about 20 minutes. Ship happens.

The port of Gloucester, MA, was completely cancelled because of bad weather. By now the guests had begun to get a bit surly, not that I blame them. Normally I don’t have too much sympathy for whiney passengers, but this was EXTREME cruising! Thank God the sun was shining when we hit Bar Harbor! Despite our pre-season arrival the locals were out in full force with a warm welcome. Halifax and Charlottetown held steady with overcast skies and temperatures in the mid-forties. No bagpipe welcome…sigh.

Our arrival in Quebec City on the second to last day of the cruise brought a palpable collective relief. Not the best weather there either, but in comparison to our recent ports of call Quebec City is such an oasis of modern amenities, creature comforts and, oh, the FOOD! From Poutine to crêpes, fondue, choc- croissants and all things Maple, the magic of Quebec City’s architecture, history and surrounding natural beauty is only surpassed by its out-of-this-world gastronomical offerings.

Too bad about the bomb threat. A bomb threat…in Canada! On Thursday, May 4th at 8:45am, someone made an anonymous phone call to the Quebecan Port Authority, saying a bomb was scheduled to detonate on the ship at noon. I was already off the ship helping with the tour dispatch. The whole port area went under shutdown for four hours. Guests and crew who were already off the ship were not permitted back on. The remaining crew onboard, together with the local authorities and their bomb-sniffing dogs, picked over the entire vessel. Of course they found nothing; it was an empty threat, thank God.

In the mean time guests returning to the ship wanted to know why they could not re-board the ship; and what’s that DOG doing? Hmmm, what to say, what to say…I think I told the guests there had been some sort of security breach, bla bla bla, “please have a seat and await further instructions, thank you”. Finally, about 2 hours into this gong show the Chief Security officer got on the PA and truthfully explained the situation. No one would be allowed back onboard until the ship was completely cleared of any threat. He apologized for the inconvenience and announced that lunch would be brought to them in the terminal:-D) LUNCH! I was hoping it would be lunch from outside—Poutine, crêpes, choc-croissants and all things Maple—but they brought us sandwiches from the Lido. Actually the guests took the bomb scare in stride, especially since lunch was included.

With that debacle behind us, this repositioning cruise was entering the homestretch. We were scheduled to reach Montreal the very next day, where the guests would disembark and a new cast of characters would be coming on; so would begin the 7-day Canada/New England run. However, later that afternoon the Captain came on the PA and announced that due to severe flooding in the province of Quebec the St. Lawrence River had risen too high for the ship to clear a bridge necessary reach the port of Montreal, which meant that the guests would have to disembark in Quebec City and travel by coach to Montreal. The newly embarking guests also had to travel via coach (a three-hour drive) from Montreal to Quebec to join the ship. This crowning jewel of inconvenience was met mostly with laughter from the guests. As I said, I rarely have sympathy for passengers, but…these poor people... The crew on the other hand, was delighted by the news, as it meant we would be spending two consecutive overnights in a fabulous port of call!

Fast forward: We are now in the swing of the 7-day Canada/New England season. The levels of the St. Lawrence River continue to be to high for our ship to navigate, so we have been bussing the guests to and from Montreal, using Quebec City as the port of embarkation…works for me.

Spring officially stood us up but my needy ‘inner teenager’ continues optimistically longing for a fashionably late but spectacular summer. Quebec City has been teasing us—just look at these photos!

Harrison Cave Experience

2011-03-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

I am on holiday now, taking in the joy and simplicity of mall browsing in PA and cafe sitting in New York City. But I wanted to give credence to Harrison's Cave as one of the most unique and spectacular excursions of my last itinerary.

Barbados, the most easterly island in the Caribbean, is the home of Harrison’s Cave. This magnificent, crystallized limestone cavern is said to be one of the wonders of the world. Its pure clear water and flowing streams helped to create the beautiful stalactites and stalagmites which propagate the cave. I was blown away by nature’s mastery as I journeyed through this living cave.

Meaningful Sideline Employment

2010-12-11T07:03:00.000-08:00

Our ship does not provide "Mascots," that is, humans dressed in humiliating and often poorly ventilated costumes to stand at the gangway to be photographed with the guests as they leave the ship upon arrival in port. So naturally when we were in port alongside an NCL ship in Nassau I couldn't help but jump the chain link fence between us and get my picture taken with the "Dolphin."

Maritime fun fact: Dolphins in captivity lose the translucent sheen on their skin, which is replaced by dirty matted fur. They ARE, however, able to stand for several hours at a time. Why, after posing with this dolphin I went back onboard to have breakfast, changed my clothes and came back outside--and the dolphin was still posing for pictures. I went out for coffee and did some shopping. When I returned to the pier several hours later--the dolphin was still standing there! Now I'm starting to think that the dolphin's natural cheerful disposition is being exploited. Should I call the Animal Rescue League, the ASPCA or the Mascots Equity Association?

The plight of the "Dolphin" made me appreciate my job all the more. OK, I am away for months at a time and more times than not I wish that the guests were on the other side of the footlights and not in my FACE, but at least in the role I've been cast I get to play a human.

Let Us Give Thanks

2010-11-25T18:02:00.000-08:00

Last night I dreamt that I was living and working among Piranha People. They looked like normal humans but would turn on a dime, ferociously hacking away at human flesh and extremities. When I awoke I’d almost forgotten that today is Thanksgiving. When you live and work on a ship the days and weeks blend into one another making it very easy to lose track of what day of the week it is, even if that day happens to be a major holiday. For the homesick, which most of us are much of the time, it can be easier not to celebrate anything at all.

Today however, it was easy to remember that it’s Thanksgiving as it dovetails perfectly with the last day of a particularly grueling 14-day Caribbean run. I immediately gave thanks that some of most demanding, surly, belligerent passengers I’ve ever met will be disembarking the ship tomorrow in Fort Lauderdale. OK, that sounds a tad bitter – and this is not who I am by nature. But it’s difficult to shake off the negative energy that inevitably comes your way when coming into contact with 1200+ people per cruise; and this group was especially difficult.

My mood brightened when I found my mailbox stuffed with Thanksgiving well wishes from my colleagues. Hand-made pop-up turkey cards and notes of loving appreciation from friends onboard. It reminded me how blessed I am, not only for my fabulous family and friends celebrating Thanksgiving at home in the states (who I am missing today), but also for the tribal families formed over the years through our respective travels. Be it with fellow crew on ships, or within the theater community abroad, I have celebrated, rejoiced and made merriment with some of the world’s most excellent humans! Remembering this brings perspective to a challenging couple of weeks. And it’s up to me to protect myself from hurt and negativity—perhaps tonight I will dream of ponies and fluffy white kittens now that the Piranha People have vacated the premises.

Welcome to Willemstad, Curacao

2010-11-23T08:11:00.000-08:00

The brightly hued island of Curacao, 42 miles east of Aruba, is part of the ABC chain of islands (which also includes Aruba and Bonaire). According to legend an early governor suffered from migraines and so mandated the pastel-colored houses, now trademark on the island, because white paint aggravated his condition. Whatever the reason, approaching the city by cruise ship and spotting buildings in shades of cotton-candy pink and deep, ocean blue, is uplifting and immensely inviting.

I visited Curacao several times in the winter of 2003 when I was a production singer for a European cruise ship. Back then I was much less familiar with the historical and cultural significance of these islands, as my friends and I were more geared toward beach adventures and marine animal encounters.

We docked in Willemstad at 7:00am this morning. In the afternoon my friend and Deborah and I ventured into shopping district perpendicular to the multihued facades dotting the harbor. We were intent on returning to a shop we discovered six months ago on our last visit here. TOUS is a family run design brand based in Barcelona with just a few boutiques in Europe, Asia, the US and Curacao. They specialize in the creation of dramatically unique jewelry, handbags and fragrances. From gilded rose petal earrings and pendants to teddy bear rings rendered from Murano glass, their creations are bold, eye-catching and irresistibly whimsical. Equally as eye-catching was Ram from Bombay, the gracious sales associate who took care of us.

TOUS ~ Breedestraat 40 ~ Willemstad, Curacao

Ode to the Neighbors

2010-10-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

Last summer my family and I spent two blissful weeks at a beach house in Fairhaven Massachusetts. Fairhaven is a lovely seaside community on the shore of Buzzards Bay, directly across the harbor from the famed whaling port of New Bedford (Herman Mellville departed from the port of Fairhaven aboard the whaling ship, Acushnet, in 1841).

One of New England's best kept secrets, Fairhaven is brimming with history dating back to the Pilgrims; the town's most remarkable features are the magnificent European-style public buildings built between 1885 and 1906. There are also beaches, recreational marinas and numerous historical landmarks.

We created some wonderful family memories this past summer and re-awakened some from my childhood. As Fairhaven was my father's birthplace we have been coming here for years. The only downside of this visit was the location of our rental house which was situated next to a boat launch, hence lots of noise and traffic during the afternoon and evening. That and our boorish albeit kind-hearted neighbors who kept partying on the front lawn...

Why I Love New York

2010-08-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

It has been said that the New Yorker's ability to live in the city and stay sane hinges on the having the means to get out of town when things get too hectic, too hot, too cold, too intense, too much... The fact that I've endured some of the darkest most painful moments in my life with New York City as my backdrop and still can't stay away when I have the chance to visit, is a testament to the truth of this statement. Sure there are 8 million people in the naked city, but it's the dozen or so friends who have anointed my life with their fairy dust that give me cause to call New York City my home, no matter where I am.

In truth I am no longer a permanent resident of New York City, or anywhere else for the moment. The first time I planted myself here was right after college back in the 80's, joining forces with fellow alumni, in communes of two, three and four to a one-bedroom apartment. At that time in our lives we all aspired more or less to the same Body Electric dream of being a professional actor/singer/dancer/movie star.

The past two decades have taken us down varied professional paths. Many of my friends have become successful performers, while others have channeled their talents into teaching, writing, producing, design, and most astoundingly, orthopedic medicine. I feel proud to know these resilient, versatile, FABULOUS humans, and to have had the chance to catch up with many of them at The Blanks concert on my most recent trip to New York. The Blanks, aka "Ted's Band," are an a cappella group that appeared regularly on the TV show Scrubs. Comprised of former classmates Sam, George and Paul, it was a thrill to reunite in celebration of their New York debut at ComixNYC.

An equally charmed evening was spent at the home of my dear friend, Betsy Hirsch. Betsy is an accomplished pianist and songwriter who uses my New York homecomings as the opportunity to throw outrageous dinner parties. Betsy likes to leave musical instruments strewn about for her guests' merriment - no musical background necessary. An accordion, 2 guitars, a mandolin and a couple of tambourines are passed around and played with varying, mostly negligible degrees of skill, creating waves of hysteria. Meanwhile, Betsy jumps from her guitar to her Steinway Baby Grand to her Roland E-Piano which she has decided to set on "Doo-wop" mode, for a hearty rendition of the Fats Waller classic, "Ain't Misbehavin." a hell-uv-a time was had by all...

Till next we meet great City of Dreams, watch over my friends with care.

Brad and Jack's Vacation Spot

2010-06-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

When I disembark the Maasdam in July, I will spend a week in PA with the family and then head up to a lovely New England vacation spot called Fairhaven, Massachusetts. This destination comes highly recommended by two dear friends of mine, Brad and Jack...

The Thing About Bagpipe Players....

2010-06-09T14:32:00.001-07:00

...how can you tell if they're good or not?

Love from Prince Edward Island:-)

The World's Most Photogenic City

2010-06-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

To date I have visited 77 countries, having been to Canada, specifically, on numerous occasions. But last weekend marked my very first visit to the province of Quebec or Quebec City. Ooh la! la! Historic, easy to get around and breathtakingly beautiful, I defy anyone to take a bad picture.

As I had to do quite a bit of research for the summer itinerary as it was all new to me. I had read about the Place Royale and Samuel de Champlain's first "Abitation." The reality so far exceeded my expectation! There is a 4,665 square meter mural, La Fresque des Quebecois which depicts the 400-year history of Quebec. I knew I was approaching the square as I rounded the corner. I had accidentally set my camera to video and I'm glad I did. Rather than get capture just a snapshot I happened upon something far more memorable...

Tales Still Untold

2010-05-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

This week I passed the halfway mark in my contract; definitely a milestone. At 5 and 1/2 months this is my longest time at sea with the exception of a World Cruise I worked as a singer a few years back.

The splendor and difficulty of a world cruise is that every day is different fomonths on end. Every day you wake up

somewhere new in the world, with a different language, culture, history, and mode of transportation. Some ports are modern and relatively safe while others are rustic and quite dangerous; as opposed to this contract, where I have spent almost 3 months going back and forth from Fort Lauderdale and San Diego via the Panama Canal, making various stops along the way in the Caribbean, Mexico, South and Central America, respectively. It’s been brilliant I would never say I’m ‘sick’ of it, but I am thrilled that Panama season is over! This cruise marks the beginning of repositioning the ship for the summer run from New England to Canada. For the next two weeks we will cruise the French West Indies and Lesser Antilles before heading north up the east coast. New adventures and stories are sure to follow.

But wait! There are rumblings…scribblings of tales untold! I had better spit them out on this page before they evaporate from the cocktail napkin of my consciousness. Where to start? Start here:

This last 2-week cruise involved lots of ‘goodbyes.’- goodbyes to people and to places, if only for now. Beloved colleagues have completed their contract and left for vacation or moved on for good. It is also difficult at times to bid farewell ports of call. These great old cities - Antigua Guatemala and Cartagena Colombia, are like beloved great grandparents whose mere existence commands gratitude, humility and respect from their visitors.

I’ve attached some of my favorite photos from my visits to Cartagena. I had a particularly memorable shore excursion there, which was a walking tour of Cartagena’s Historic Walled City. Spellbound by the grandiosity of this place, I listened intently to our guide, snapping photos left and right, as we passed fortresses, monasteries, museums and gardens. We had just entered the back streets the old city, which are mainly pedestrian zones, when our guide announced we would be making a scheduled stop to use the restroom. I didn’t feel the need for a bathroom break, but when you’re escorting 40 people in a 3^rd world country, you pee in unison or not at all. As it turned out our rest stop was conveniently scheduled at the tour guide’s friend’s jewelry store. She selflessly offered us her facilities and encouraged us to browse her shop while we waited our turn to use the bathroom. Well, it certainly was nice to escape the sub-tropical heat and humidity, if only for a few minutes.

I must say, her shop was elegant and boasted some of the most unique designs I’d seen. It needs to be mentioned here that more gold and precious stones have been mined in Colombia than anywhere else in Central and South America. Cartagena remains to this day the emerald capital of the world…not that I was looking to buy. I guess you know where I’m going with this. Completely immersed in the beauty and romance of my surroundings I made an impulse purchase – a fabulous emerald ring in an 18K gold setting.

The ring needed sizing, which I was told would take 20 minutes. In the mean time my tour group was getting ready to move on. No problem, the shop owner promised to escort me back to my tour group herself (I didn’t mind missing out on the Torture Museum and the Inquisition Palace). I started getting antsy after about 25 minutes. The shop owner called her brother, who was sizing the ring and asked him to hurry. Apparently he was working somewhere off sight, I missed that part.

Five minutes later, this gorgeous man burst through the door, drenched in sweat from running in the midday heat. The shop owner was short and rather squat. I was expecting her brother to be a male incarnation with a similar physique. This man looked like Jesus in the movies – tall and lean, with long, dark hair - his brown eyes smoldering volcanic pools. His name was Christian. Christian was adorned with emerald jewelry he had designed himself. He slid the ring onto my finger to make sure it fit properly…it gets a bit blurry after that…oh yes, Christian boxed my ring for me and, arm in arm, we walked the backstreets of Old Cartagena together, until I rejoined my group at Bolivar Square.

Filipino Crew Show

2010-04-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

Our staff and crew come from all over the world, in fact, our ship boasts having 38 nationalities working onboard. The majority of the crew comes from Indonesia and the Philippines, however, and every cruise these two groups of wonderful people take time out to put on a late night show for the guests sharing history, music and culture from their respective homelands.

On one such occasion I was invited by a colleague from the Philippines to sing with him at the crew show. The gentleman singing with me, Ricky, is a violinist in the resident string quartet. He also plays the drums, piano, guitar and sings beautifully. As we decided to sing "Last Night of the World," from Miss Saigon, I particularly enjoyed the casting role reversal of an American 'girl' singing with an Asian 'boy'. It was an absolute joy sharing the stage with such talented and honorable people.

Baby Turtle Release

2010-04-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to experience moments like this! Please check out the video below....

The Campamento Tortuguero (Turtle Farm) is about an hour’s drive east of the cruise terminal in Acapulco. It is a small non-profit organization founded and run by a female marine biologist, which, in Mexico is a VERY big deal! In Latin countries turtle meat is considered to be an aphrodisiac, so in spite of laws prohibiting the hunting and consumption of the sea turtle, much needs to be done in this region to inform and educate its people.

The turtles we released had just hatched the previous night. I wonder if there was time for any imprinting to occur. Does my baby turtle now perceive me as its mother figure? Ten years from now will a giant sea turtle turn up at my doorstep and blame me for its personal problems? I hope so. Only one percent of baby sea turtles live to reach adulthood so I will keep mine in my prayers.

Skywalk

2010-04-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

On our most recent stop in Costa Rica I took the “Skywalk” shore excursion to a nearby rainforest. We hiked about one and a half miles through jungle trails (no machete necessary) and crossed several suspension bridges with fabulous views of the flora and fauna.

It was midday by the time we began our hike and the temperature had soared well into the 90s. The songs and cries of the rainforest inhabitants played in surround sound, still not a critter in sight. Perhaps to our oblivion there were millions of eyes looking down on us, like in the old cartoons. To this city girl it seemed too darn hot for the local inhabitants to step outside the air-conditioned foliage, until…

I think the toucan felt sorry for us, coming all this way only to be met by a grey hawk and a pair of lizards. We had been bouncing back and forth across the very last suspension bridge for a while, looking for an exotic face to match the cacophony of screeches and whistles, when he offered his profile from a nearby tree hollow. He posed, unfazed by the paparazzi for several minutes, and remained in place as we giddily headed back up the trail toward ‘civilization’.

We saw the crocodiles while driving along the Tarcola River on the way back to the ship. I felt badly no one stopped to warn the egret.

Ship Happens, Epilogue

2010-03-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

Why haven’t I posted more often? My initial reticence in blogging rather than sending a newsletter was that I didn’t want to turn into one of those annoying people who immediately share with the Universe every thought that pops into their head. I DID, however, want to rise to the challenge of ‘showing up’ at the page every day and not be concerned with the minutia of the layout and editing of a newsletter. Well I haven’t shown up for awhile, but I’m happy to be back with loads to share.

When last we spoke I had just been released from a 48-hour quarantine and the ship was in the throws of an NLV breakout, the dreaded Code Red. We stayed in Code Red for almost 4 weeks straight, adhering to all the extra precautionary measures this protocol mandates. It is SO much extra work for the housekeeping and culinary staff. Not to mention the fact that even the Entertainment Department has to clean and disinfect their workspace every 24 hours. “Workspace” defined as the Show Lounge and backstage area, the library and internet café, the children and teens facility and the bandstands in all of the lounges. Here we gathered to wash down walls and surfaces with buckets of soapy anti-viral solution, disinfecting computer keyboards, mice, pens and pencils, etc. This, in combination with absolutely no self-service in any of the dining areas on the ship and we finally kicked this bug in the ass! When no new cases were reported in 48-hours, Code Red was lifted.

In light of the world wide prevalence of this virus on cruise ships the company has mandated that every ship in our fleet must adhere to Code Red protocols for the first three days of every new cruise. That way if a newly embarking guest unwittingly brings the bug onboard the likelihood of contaminating others is greatly reduced.

My friends and family, as well as several passengers have expressed great concern about safety in our travels, sighting tsunamis, pirates and drug violence. My colleagues and I are much more concerned about cooties spread through inadequate hand sanitizing.

In truth, NLV is a much more imminent threat, which is not to say I take my safety for granted. Ciudad de Juarez is having very serious problems right now, with CNN adding to the hysteria by touting this city just south of the Texas border as “The Murder Capital of the World.” Apparently there were over 2500 drug related deaths in Mexico last year. In the wake of this statistic urban legends are spreading faster than the stomach bug: “Why are we still going to Acapulco? Didn’t you hear that last week alone 25 Americans were shot in taxicabs?”

It’s like saying if there’s violence in Detroit it must not be safe to visit Minneapolis. People have missed out on perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites because they are too frightened to go ashore.

I have to admit that Central America is not a place I ever longed to see, but oh…Antigua Guatemala is perhaps the most touchingly beautiful city I have ever visited. Cartegena Colombia is spectacular as well. I will be back soon with new photos of recent expeditions.

My New Calling?

2010-03-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking of becoming a Sears Photographer during the off-season. Note how the iguana in the top photo is making love to the camera.

Ship Happens

2010-02-27T20:43:00.000-08:00

I was released from isolation yesterday after being confined to my cabin for just over 48 hours. I was hit hard with a gastrointestinal virus commonly referred to by the cruise ship industry as NLV or Norwalk-like Virus. This particular strain of the virus is found in areas where large groups of people are confined to relatively small areas; it is contagious through the air and by contact with surfaces and is characterized by violent episodes of simultaneous vom…well, you get the picture. If guests or crew show symptoms of this virus they are supposed remain in their cabin to avoid spreading the virus and notify the infirmary immediately. A nurse is then dispatched to the cabin.

My 3-hour episode of spontaneous self-combustion ended around 2:30am and the last thing I was in the mood for was a visitor so I passed out for about 5 hours before notifying the crew doctor. The nurse arrived around 8am. A lovely older woman from New York City, she introduced herself by saying, “Hi, I’m Jan…I’m sorry we had to meet under these circumstances.” “It’s OK,” I quipped, “I’m not dead yet.”

Jan from New York left me with a care package including a liter of Gatorade, Imodium, Purell instant hand-sanitizer, and paperwork detailing the onset of my ‘episode’ to be filed with the CDC. They don’t fool around here.

The truth is our ship is in “Code Red,” which means than more than 2.8% of the ships passengers and crew have reported incidents of gastrointestinal illness. “Code Yellow” indicates that between 1.8 – 2.8% have reported the illness and “Code Green” indicates less than 1% have reported symptoms, which is the norm. There is a specified set of cleaning protocols and precautionary measures associated with each respective color.

Code Red is a nightmare for the crew and not much fun for passengers either. In addition to heightened sanitizing procedures throughout the ship, guests are basically not allowed to touch anything on the ship and put it back where they got it. All games, books, playing cards and sports equipment are removed from the premises. The public areas have to be disinfected several times throughout the day. In the Lido “Buffet” restaurant, self-service comes to a complete halt. The guests are not allowed to serve themselves anything, which requires double the manpower and horribly long hours for food servers. The entertainment staff was asked to pitch in by serving food in the crew cafeteria. I was prepared to don a hairnet and plastic gloves when I too succumbed.

There are worse things than being confined to your cabin during a crisis of this nature. I ordered Jell-O, broth, saltines and ginger ale from the room service menu. It was delivered to me by a bell hop sporting a facemask and surgical gloves. I felt like E.T. When I tried to tip him he looked repulsed by my cootie-ridden dollar bills but accepted them reluctantly. At the end of my quarantine the Chief Housekeeper and two housekeeping staff, masked and coated with latex, came to ‘super-sanitize’ my cabin.

This is serious business. This bug is beyond contagious and is potentially fatal to someone with a compromised immune system. We had next to zero cases onboard until embarkation last week in San Diego, which means newly embarking passengers brought this on onboard. It’s the passengers who contribute to it’s spreading by leaving their cabins when they should be in isolation or not reporting their symptoms at all because they don’t want to miss out on BINGO and whatever else.

This morning I was awakened when the Captain came on the PA to comment on the earthquake that had just erupted in Chile and it’s potential consequences for seafaring vessels. A tsunami is most dangerous to those living along the coastal regions. Captain van Schoonhoven assured everyone that we are too far out to sea to be affected by the occurrence of a tsunami and finished by saying, “I hope dat dis will put your minds to resht. I wish you all a wonderful day at sea and please don’t forget to wash your hands.”

A Cabo Morning

2010-02-22T08:13:00.000-08:00

Never a morning person, I find it difficult to rise at 6am no matter where I am. However, knowing that after the first cup of coffee sinks into my veins I will take a tender boat from the ship into the marina at Cabo San Lucas instead of the N train to Times square soothes my soul beyond measure.

My task, when the ship is in port, is to stand at the pier and be available to the guests for last minute questions for about an hour and a half upon arrival in every new port. We are only in the port of Cabo San Lucas from 7am – 2pm and the last tender back to the ship for crewmembers is at 1pm. Still, from 9:00 on the morning is mine to be out exploring this tropical playground! The beaches are incredible here, soft powdery sand with a backdrop of enormous caves and rock formations created naturally by the tides.

Shopping ops abound, enough so that it’s easy to become desensitized as to what is beautiful and unique, what is a bargain, and what is absolute crap. No one leaves Mexico without silver! I think it’s a law…you can buy it in the high-end jewelry shops, you can buy it at the local crafts market, you can buy it on the beach and they practically shove it into your hands on some street corners. Bargains are harder and harder to come by despite the relentlessness of some of the vendors, (For you Amiga, practically free, how much you wanna pay? Amiga? Ola…)
Another retail phenomenon in Mexico is the availability of prescription drugs without the prescription. Perfectly legal mind you, you can stop off at the corner drugstore and stuff your Tilma with every painkiller, anti-depressant, tranquilizer, and performance enhancer under the Equator sun. The last time I was in Cabo was about a year ago when I had just started with the company as Cruise Director. Suffering from crippling anxiety, I stopped off at the discount pharmacy next to the Hooters and picked up some Xanex. The Xanex took the edge off temporarily but the real cure came when I changed jobs. Trading in my stripes and house account in favor of this mellow gig saved my sanity.

Other big changes this season include the presence of armed in the streets. I suppose in light of recent drug related violence in Mexico the presence of the military is an added precaution. I didn’t find anything menacing about Cabo San Lucas. I found it to be joyful and utterly festive.

Speaking of festive, I saw a guest entertainer perform last night who was absolutely extraordinary. She just SANG! Really well…for about 50 minutes. No bla bla bla, no super shiny glitter gowns, no fedoras, no fur stoles, no oversized boas and no Judy Garland medleys sung in keys lower than the ones even Judy sang. This woman was a Broadway veteran who really has the goods. I was inspired by her performance but rendered maudlin nonetheless. I do miss singing for a living! I miss the lifestyle and I miss the physical sensation of performing on stage! I have been spending time with the musicians onboard and will start jobbing out some arrangements after the completion of this cruise. By then I will have this gig under my belt and will be able to concentrate on finding my way back to doing what I love the most.

I'm disappointed that I am unable to follow the Olympics, but...

2010-02-17T23:05:00.000-08:00

The pelican had the best seat and stayed for the whole show.

The Turibus

2010-02-13T21:13:00.000-08:00

Puerta Caldera sits near the mouth of the Nicoya Gulf. Located in the northern region of the Puntarenas province on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific coast. The industrial port complex accommodates both cruise ships and cargo vessel and plays a vital role in Costa Rica’s trade with the world.

In and of itself the port is a bit of an eyesore and at first glance you would never guess that it is the entry point to every form of natural beauty imaginable. The country boasts tropical rainforests and cloud forests, active volcanoes and crater lagoons, mangroves, swamps, rivers, mountains and the most outstanding wildlife refuges in the New World Tropics.

We docked in Puerta Caldera yesterday around 7:00AM. Over 1,000 of the total 1250 passengers took went on prearranged excursions to the mountains, rainforests and various parks and sanctuaries. Shore excursions are by design, for people who want to plan their entire days at port and are less inclined to be adventuresome. It is part of my job to get to know the local tour operators and find out what other options are available in the ports to the more adventuresome traveler.

Without a doubt I plan to take an aerial tram through the rainforest at some point, maybe I’ll even take the Tropical Horseback Excursion, but on this trip I decided to stick relatively close to home and take the local Turibus to the nearby town of Puentarenas. The Turibus is an open-air bus meaning it has no glass in the windows. It is a school bus which has been meticulously gaudified with tropical graffiti, hood and roof ornaments, and the interior plastered with polymer clay reptiles. What fun!!!

We drove 13 miles to Puentarenas while our English-speaking guide provided scenic narration through a microphone that kept cutting out. In the background you could hear the soothing sounds latin music played on a xylophone. A bit like the Partridege Family on acid, I suppose.

The trip to Puntarenas was just under one half hour. It would have taken less time if the bus didn’t stop to pass around shots of rum. But what’s the hurry? The fish market isn’t going anywhere!

That was our first stop once we reached Puentarenas. We were met with fabulous local color, the sights and smells exactly what one would expect at a local fish market in the tropics. We also stopped to photograph a local church, and finally to the open market for some shopping. The “hot spot” we visited were not particularly memorable. The real event was in getting there and back.

Our return trip to the port was equally as entertaining. With beer and rum flowing each passenger got up and tried their hand at the xylophone. The whole excursion took around three hours. We arrived back at the ship completely windblown and spackled with dust and sweat. I haven’t had so much fun at the back of school bus since the 7^th grade!

Turibus, the Movie coming soon!

Through the Canal and Onward!

2010-02-11T17:25:00.000-08:00

The Panama Canal transit was awesome in the truest sense of the word. I’ve been to this part of the world before, but never in the capacity of someone who needs to know the historical context of such things as the building of this Canal, which is in fact, a monumental achievement!

The Panama Canal unites the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at one of the narrowest points of both the Isthmus of Panama and the American continent. The Canal is 50 miles long and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Panama Canal has three sets of locks: Gatun, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores. Each of of the locks has two lanes. These locks also functions as lifts, elevating vessels 85 feet above sea level from the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans to Gatun Lake. Fed by gravity from Gatun Lake into each set of locks, the water enters the locks’ chambers through a system of drains that extends under every lock chamber from the center and side walls.

After sailing through the Continental Divide, vessels are again lowered to sea level on the opposite side of the Isthmus of Panama. Each lock is 110 feet wide by 1,000 feet long. The maximum dimensions of ships that can transit the Canal are 106 feet in beam; 965 feet long (depending on the type of vessel); and 39.5 feet of depth reach in Tropical Fresh Water.

Panama Canal Fun Facts:

As the Panama Canal was being built, there were numerous attempts to put the enormity of the project into perspective. This was difficult to do, because the Panama Canal involved a lot of “firsts.”

· It created the largest earth dam ever built, which is the Gatun Dam, which is a mile-and-a-half long and 105 feet tall.

· It created the largest artificial lake. Gatun Lake is 164 square miles.

· It included building the largest concrete structure ever built. This was Gatun Lock; almost a mile long, and more than 2 million cubic yards of concrete.

· In order to create the canal it was necessary to drill and blast into the Culebra Mountain Range, This is an area about 8-1/2 miles long, where a huge trench had to be cut through the Continental Divide, which caused numerous earth slides.

· Additional obstacles included torrential rains and tropical diseases.

OK, ok, enough with the lecture, I’m still on a high knowing I am intuitively able to provide an informative, educational and entertaining presentation. I’ve included some shots of Gamboa, the Chagres River, and a couple of cool shots of the ship approaching the Pedro Miguel Lock with a neighboring cargo ship to the right.

Today we are at sea, currently sailing the Pacific north toward Costa Rica. I gave a presentation this morning on “Puerto Caldera and the Natural Beauty of Costa Rica.” Once again, the company provided me with a turgid template of information on which to base my lecture, up to me to tweak and anoint with fairy dust as needed.

Tomorrow we arrive in Puerto Caldera, my first time on Terra Firma since embarking the ship in Aruba on Monday.

Tuesday February 9th, 2010

2010-02-09T20:13:00.000-08:00

I try to avoid the window seat when I fly. The thought that I have to disturb at least two other people in order to get up and relieve myself burdens me. I much prefer an aisle, where I can drink copious amounts of water and get up to pee whenever I feel like it. Here is another variation of the classic airplane “wing shot.” I broke the rules and turned on my cell phone during our descent in order to get the shot.

Yesterday I joined the MS Maasdam, where I will be working as a Travel Guide for the next five months and seven days. The ship’s itinerary for the winter is the Panama Canal and Mexican Riviera, and my job is to be the consummate authority on the history, culture and tourist attractions for each and every port of call. Not an easy task, but definitely the type of work that doesn’t feel like work. The Travel Guide gives lectures on each respective port, has desk hours every day and a few social duties as well. When in port it is my job to get to know the local tour operators and familiarize myself with the locale. The fact is, I HAVE been to all of these places, more than once in fact. Another fact, I’ve never given a lecture in my life. But I ask myself. “How hard can it be?” I did the CATS show in German for God’s sake. I’m a singer/actor and yes I did CATS in German on and off from 1995 to 2001. I was in the German production of Les Miserables as well. Since that time this has become my benchmark in ascertaining the level of difficulty of any particular task. Is it harder than CATS?

No, giving lectures is NOT harder than doing CATS in German. As it turns out it’s much easier. That’s not to say I wasn’t shaking in my heels backstage. Today’s lecture “The Panama Canal: It’s History, Construction and the Future,” is by far the longest and most complicated in the lecture series provided to me by the corporate office. Today’s lecture is the precursor to tomorrow’s main event – the actual crossing of the Panama Canal. We’re scheduled to enter the first lock at 7:30AM. I will be back with photos and more tales from the sea.