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.