It takes about a month

It takes about a month to get settled on board. Your first days are like jumping onto a moving treadmill at 100mph. Learning the ports, itinerary, get accustomed to the ship, making friends, unpacking and a zillion other things...large and small. Then preparing the port lectures on up to 10 different ports and delivering them to a live audience, on stage. It's like moving to another planet and having to learn how to get a car, insurance and licence. Even MORE than that.
So, here I am in the Eastern Caribbean. Every day is another paradise (for a few hours). The weather reminds me of S. Florida. in the High 70's, low 80's. Green, lush a gorgeous. It is different this time. Years ago when I visited the Caribbean it would be the dead of winter in Boston, escaping the cold snowy weather and head to the warm Caribbean. Coming from Florida, it is not THAT much of a change. But still warm and wonderful experience. I have just hit the 1 month mark of my 2 month contract. While I am supposed to leave on February 17th, I am hoping that they will extend my contract and keep me here until the end of the Caribbean season in late April. That would be ideal. After all, I am quite the expert on the ports and I go on shore excursions every day so that I can talk them up to the passengers. It makes sense to keep me on till the end of April. I will just be perfect when I am to leave in mid February. Keeep your fingers crossed, please.
My pants are tight and I am not happy at that I see in the mirror when my clothes are off. Too much good food with lots of desserts. They say a passenger gains 2 pounds every day they are on a cruise. What about crew?
I am very happy here and while I miss you and my coffee maker, I like life on baord the ship and the type of work I am doing. You may write to me if you like. Internet access is a little easier to get these days. I would love to hear from you. I check Facebook and see all the comments about how cold it is in Boston. I don't care to ever experience a winter back in Boston. Alaska, New England and now the Caribbean. Where to next? I can't wait to find out. Much love.

Happy New Year 2012

A year ago today what would my reaction be if you told me that NEXT year you will be working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean as a travel Guide? Would have laughed you off or be annoyed at such optimism? Here I am, on my 3rd contract in the heart of the Caribbean for the holiday cruise. Tonight is New Years Eve and the entire ship will be a floating New Years Eve party from one end to the other. Pick a deck and there will be a big band or a string quartet or Broadway tunes or tribute to Michael Jackson. Open bars, private parties, lots of fun and 2,000 people dressed up with dreams of a better 2012. New Years day will be long for all of us. At 8am I will be greeting guests in the lido restaurant. 10.30am on stage with 500 crew members saying goodbye to this week’s cruise guests. 2pm I will be on stage hosting a presentation on Pirates of the Caribbean and the day is only ¼ done. I am having a very good time. I like my co-workers, I like the Caribbean (what’s not to like), the shore excursions are awesome where everyday as part of my duties I am to go on a fun, expensive well planned trip to see islands like no other people get to experience. This week, my favorite shorex was a trip to Roseau, Dominica and getting a tour of the island…stopping at a local vendor’s truck on the side of the road and sampling some freshly picked pineapple, coconuts and bananas right off the tree. Maybe it was simply the best fruit I ever had because I was in a tropical forest with a local cutting my fruit with a huge sharp knife and almost hand feeding me. We were also in San Juan, Nassau, and St. John. Last night I needed a haircut and went down to B deck where a nice young Pilipino kid gave a one the best haircuts on a small stool with toilet paper in the collar of my shirt. He did a great job. I like the Pilipino and Indonesian crew. They have such a happy attitude and honest way about them. In a few days these passengers disembark and a whole new group gets on and I do this until February 17th. I like it a lot. The people, the ports, the food, the energy, the glitz of it all. I started by day ay 7am and it is now Midnight and I am not quite ready to go to bed even though I have to be up in a few hours. I am learning a lot and like the growth spurts, even though they sting when they happen. So, my dear friends, I will miss being at Vincent’s New Years Eve party or being with you in a small house party or just having a drink with you. This part is lonely blah, blah, blah. Happy New Year. Please know that you are in my thoughts and I ache to touch you and be with you. That’s why these blogs keep me sane. Happy New Year with a big wish for the best year yet. I love you and keep you in my heart every moment of my day. Hey, in 1 month I will be 59. That will not be easy to take. My dad was right…this goes by in the blink of an eye, Love you, Goodnight

Christmas Eve 2011

While I am thrilled to be traveling for Christmas and New Years Eve, I can't help but be nostalgic for the many years I spent with my family at the Lombardo's house for Chritmas Eve with over 100 friends and family. Laughter in every room, great food in every table and great conversation. I miss those days and the Lombardo family.We are putting on a Christmas eve show tonight at 11pm and singing the Chritmas songs has me very nostalgic for singing them with my extended family. I miss Sal and his hearty laugh, Vin with the kidding and fooling around, the kids squeeling in every room. I miss driving home with so many presents that they couldn't fit in my SUV. I miss you and the times we spent together.
At the moment we are 'at sea' heading from Nassau to San Juan. I went to a Zoo today in Nassau and toured a couple of forts. The weather was terrific but not as I remembered it. I always went to the Caribbean in the winter to escape the snow and cold from Boston. Now that I live in Florida, the weather was just about the same.
I like life at sea. It's LONG days and nights but the days ZIP by in a blur. Tomorrow I have 3 live presentations in 45 minutes. That is unnearving. Pretty soon my 9 weeks here will be complete and wondering where I will be off to next.
Have a wonderful Christmas and New Years and may this next year be 50 times better than you have ever dreamt it could be. Lots of love.

Day 2 at sea,,,,

 
 
 
The ship is rocking gently side to side as we head to St. Croix. Tomorrow is a sea day which means it is a long day of lectures, desk hours and schmoozing. Yesterday I got on the Maasdam at 9am, had a brief orientation followed by hours of desk duty, presentations and more desk duty. I hadn’t had much to eat so by the end of the day I was a bit shaky and tense.
Today started at 8am after taking a tender boat to Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private island to greet guests and send them on their way. Today’s excitement was horseback riding in the surf with about 30 other guests. I have not been on a horse for decades. It was not like getting on a bike. I was a little freaked out but the weather was exceptional, the island music was fun and the beach bbq was delicious.
Tomorrow I have a meeting at 8.45am and a live presentation at 10am on three different islands in the same 45 minute presentation. Here goes…. I am still practicing and hope it goes well.
Oh, this was funny… yesterday I met my next door neighbor. When he saw my nametag he said that there used to be a talk show host in Boston named Dick Syatt. When I told him that was me, he got a bit giddy and said that he used to listen all the time. His name is Barry and he is the Piano Bar entertainer.
So, it feels great to be on the ship again and I am meeting people all the time who are very nice. We compare each other’s contract length and how many ships we have been on. It’s a good icebreaker. I just felt like saying hello and showing you of today’s pictures.
Be well and know that I think of you a lot.

The Caribbean: Winter 2011-2012

My third 'contract' or assignment is just a few days away. On Monday morning December 12 I will join the Maasdam in Fort Lauderdale for 9 weeks in the eastern Caribbean. Can hardly believe I am on my third journey with Holland America. I have been keeping myself busy these past six weeks by preparing for my live presentations on the ship. Everyday I am on stage highlighting the next port of call with a touch of history and things to see and do while we are there. Talking in front of hundreds of people isn't what has me tremble. It's memorizing all the facts, places, names and shore excursions. Part of my job is to go on as many shore excursions as possible so I will be able to 'sell' them to the passengers. Just like in Alaska only in warmth and water instead of cold mountains with lots of rain. I loved Alaska and hope to go back this summer.This is 180 degrees different but I expect the same enthusiasm and happy attitudes as I experienced there.

So, we leave Fort Lauderdale on Monday and on Tuesday we arrive at our first port, Half Moon Cay which is a private island owned by Holland America. White sand beaches, horseback riding in the water, snorkeling, and just walking along the beach. Then off to over 8 different ports in the weeks to come.

I am expecting to take lots of pictures and writing this blog on a regular basis. I enjoy sharing my adventures with you. I wish I had spent more time in the gym so that I would look better in a bathing suit.

I will be shutting off my cell phone as it will not work in the Caribbean. So let me wish you very happy holidays and new year. I will be celebrating the holidays in a very magical way. A dream come true.

I miss you and think of you all the time.

First blog post from Maasdam August 30th

Dino is playing on my computer, I just had dinner with my friend Jessica (singer with the Hal Cats band on board) and this is the first moment since I came on the ship that I am taking for ME. There has been so much to learn. Learn about all the new ports and shore excursions and places to go and things to do and French. I can’t speak French and I am in Canada. Why didn’t I learn a language in school? Forty years after high school and I regret not learning a second language. This is day 5 of the cruise and I have been a nervous wreck from the minute I got on board. No training this time around. There are some similarities to my first ship but there is a whole new crew, a new layout and schedule and ports of call. There have been tests and forms to complete and run around the ship getting things signed off in order to get my credentials to work and go ashore. Communicating is difficult too. I went through one phone card in 24 hours and I can’t use my cell phone because I am in Canada. When I check my email I have to get on and off in a few minutes so the Internet card lasts for awhile. The hurricane didn’t help either. We had to redesign the itinerary and skip certain ports and go to alternate places. The guests are bummed out that they missed Bar Harbor and Nova Scotia. Oh, I have a big picture window in my cabin on the Veranda deck 9. In a guest area. Just 2 floors from the restaurant and coffee in the morning. I am just having 2 meals a day and skipping dessert. I can’t gain another 12 pounds this cruise like I did on the last one. We are heading to Quebec and Montreal this weekend, I hope I get to do some exploring on shore. Those ports look amazing. I did a walking tour of Charlottetown Prince Edwards Island. I wanted to order some PEI mussels. But I just came back to the ship to eat. This morning I had to take a tender boat to shore to greet the guests from this ship off shore. The learning curve is huge. I have a huge case of books, maps and literature to read and learn. That’s what I have been doing in between live presentations and desk hours. Reminds me of being a talk show host in a new city. Studying everyday for a new topic and guest and sounding like I knew what I was talking about. It seems more difficult now than it did then. I feel old. I have more on my mind than back then. I hope I get extended at the end of this contract and either stay on this ship or transfer to another one. I would like to do the winter in a warm climate like Bermuda, Caribbean or Bahamas. I turned in my car and my condo is being rented. Where will I go and what will I do when I have time off? I think I will get into my comfy bathrobe and turn on the TV in my room for the first time since I got here Saturday. I need to shut of my brain for awhile. I miss you and wish we could talk and write. Goodnight.

It’s all a dream…. July 24, 2011

I just woke up from a nap. I had the strangest dream. I dreamt that Lee encouraged me to get a job with a cruise line. In the dream, I applied to several cruise lines, got a response from Holland America Line, had several interviews and they hired me to be a Travel Guide in Alaska. This was one of those dreams that seemed so real when you woke up. In my dream, I left for Alaska with little notice. With the help of many strangers I found my way onboard the ship and got settled in my own cabin. I spoke on stage in front of hundreds of passengers every day about topics I never even heard about. Many times I was in the Bridge with the Captain of the ship as we sailed into glacier and fjord parks that are hundreds of thousands of miles in shape. Passengers had come from all over the world to see these sights and I was narrating the story with a cup of coffee in one hand, a script in the other while the crew navigated us through these waters. But this was a long dream. I did many things during the dream. I was on helicopters, floatplanes, Kayaks, and 4 wheel drive vehicles landing on glaciers, having a salmon lunch BBQ’d outside with 4 bears licking off the grill and playing in the trees and standing next to waterfalls that were as tall as the Empire State Building with delicious, sweet and cold water that had been frozen for 150 years. I was part of a 600 person crew from more than 30 countries. We worked 7 days a week, up to 14 hours a day. The days flew by so fast that in my dream, I thought I was dreaming. I was very lonely for a best friend on board but I did finally make some new friendships and enjoyed laughing and talking with several people every day. We got pretty close and I was sad to say goodbye to them. The dream went by so fast but in real time it lasted 2 months. I was not happy to come home from the cruise ship in Alaska. I had just started to feel comfortable and not lonely. Just before I woke up, I was on an airplane. It took a long time to get home from Alaska. Through several time zones. But when I woke up, I was in bed in my home in Boynton Beach. There are 3 suitcases still unpacked. I have hundreds of pictures on my computer from Alaska and I am going to another ship at the end of August. That was a wild dream. It felt so real. I wrote this on the plane this afternoon. When I got home at 1am, there was a note on my counter. It was from my Aunt Ida. She went food shopping for me and loaded the fridge. That was no dream. That is reality. There is only one Aunt Ida. I will always love her and never forget that treat. Thank you Ida and thank YOU for reading my blog and encouraging me every day. Your love kept me alive.