Monday, September 26, 2016

It's Another Day! It's Just Another Day on the Rhapsody of the Seas

Hey y'all!

       I got a request this week to tell y'all about what a typical day/ cruise looks like.
We're in our ten and eleven day cruises right now. We will switch to seven after our crossover to the Caribbean. This was the schedule for last cruise:

Day 1: Venice, Italy
Day 2: Sea Day
Day 3: Corfu, Greece
Day 4: Sea Day
Day 5: Santorini, Greece (My favorite port we go to)
Day 6: Athens, Greece
Day 7: Mykonos, Greece
Day 8: Sea Day
Day 9: Kotor, Montenegro
Day 10: Zadar, Croatia
Then back to Venice

Day 1, we always do a boat drill. This is to make sure that our guests feel safe and know what to do in case of an emergency. We are the Muster Station Leaders. That means that we are in charge of all of the guests at our stations. We make sure that we give all of the information that they need and answer any questions that they have. I'm Muster Station 9 (the best one ;))
     The days we're at port, we get to get off and explore. I love getting off with my cast and making memories in countries and cities I never thought I'd visit. We'll be sitting at lunch somewhere and someone will say, "Guys... This is so surreal. We get to perform and travel all over the world". It's pretty humbling. 


On Sea Days, we do things like laundry, gym time, go over music and dances, and catch up on sleep. 

On show days, we have tech runs and notes at 9:15am. We share the stage with other Guests Artists, so we do tech runs to make sure that all of our set pieces, lifts, and cues work. It also gives us a chance to refresh ourselves with the show. Then we have a break from end of tech run till call, which is 18:00 (6:00pm). Our show times are 7:00 and 9:00. We have the hour before showtime to fix hair, makeup, preset costumes and wigs, and just be together. 


We perform our main shows three nights of the cruise, one per night. We also have sets that we do, in what we call, The Centrum. It's the center of the ship. Jake (B1) and I have a set called,  Summer Breeze". Tim (B2) and Chelsea (G2) have a set for 70's night. That night is a blast! That's when Tim and Chealse start the party with their set, a Cruise Staff Member will come out and teach disco moves, and then the entire Cruise Staff team comes out dressed up and it's a dance party! We also opened up our Baroque and Jazz Set this cruise!



At night, you can usually find us Back Deck. That's where we celebrate everything! Different Independence Days for different countries, birthdays, having a great day... everything haha! This is also where we get to see our friends that work in other departments! Rhapsody is a smaller ship and you get to make some pretty awesome relationships with those you pass on the I-95.



Then we do it all again next cruise! Keep those suggestions coming! And, thanks for keeping up with this Country girl on her adventures :)

Hollie <3


Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Adventure is Out There

Hey y'all!


I'm writing today from a cute cafe in Katakalon, Greece. It's been almost two months since we've signed on the beautiful Rhapsody of the Seas.
Isn't she a beauty? 

We've opened our shows: Ballroom Fever, Piano Man, and Pure Country (guess which one's my favorite. Hint: Dolly is involved) and are having a blast!
 Ballroom Fever
Pure Country





 My cast is great. Everyone is so supportive and kind. Which is great when homesickness hits you like a ton of bricks. They grab your hand and take you out for a great time Back Deck. Lots of dancing and laughter.
Here they are :) (Minus Fabio- He wasn't here yet... I really need an updated Cast pic)

The places we've visited have been amazing! We are currently in the Mediterranean sailing around Greece and Croatia. Santorini is my favorite place on Earth. If God allows us to choose what our Heaven looks like, I hope He lets me choose Santorini. I'll write more on these as we travel from place to place :)

Being here, I've realized that we take a lot for granted in the States. For example: free water. That doesn't exist here. Coke is 2,20 - 4 Euro, which is around $3-$5 in American Dollars. No free refills. Drivers do not like to stop... at all. Think New York Taxis, but worse. Eating is an experience. No rushing allowed. But really, who wants to rush while eating a Chicken Gyro or Greek Pizza? Certainly not me! Walmart and Target. Oh! This is HUGE for me... No Sweet Tea! I am constantly craving it and can't wait to get to Tampa in December to buy myself the largest Sweet Tea! 

That's all I've got for now! If you want me to write about anything specific, shoot me a message on Facebook. 



Hollie <3