On board for over a week now...

Long time, no post. Getting used to life on board now. Very overwhelming at first I must say. The ship was one big maze. Slowly getting my bearings now and starting to get out and about. The first couple of days all I knew was the gym, my cabin, the mess and the staff bar. I have since progressed to dressing up one night and seeing a show, the Martini Bar, the coffee shop, the Waterfall cafe, the crew bar, the crew mess (only cause there was a fire in the staff mess one night).

I have had 2 days off and ventured into Athens on my first day and yesterday Civitivechia where a couple of the girls and I consumed quite a few bottles of very cheap but good red wine. Had full intentions of making one of the crew parties last night but alas didn't have the stamina to make it through til 11:30pm. Probably a good thing though as it was my turn to open the gym this morning, which means a 6:30 am start. The other fitness instructor and I alternate days.

Things are quite slow at the moment as it's the end of the season here in the Med. We're all looking forward to the crossing and the Carribean. Everyone keep saying we will start to make more money and be really busy once we start there on 7 day cruises. I hope so - I do spend a lot of the day wofting (a Steiner term - translation waste of f**cking time - in other words trying to make yourself look busy).

Had one of the hairdressers do my hair yesterday - definitely one of the perks of the job along with the staff discount for all products - and this morning I discovered that the discount covers all of the shops onboard as well. So not only do I get duty free but then I get a reasonable percentage off that price as well...Very dangerous...but need to start making some more dollars first before I take advantage of that.

I have internet onboard but it is not the cheapest so my contact will be a little sparse. I need to suss out wireless onboard yet and see whether that is cheaper. I have to head back to work as this is my lunch break. Hello to everyone back at home - miss you all...

At Heathrow Waiting...

This will probably be my last post for quite some time as I sit here waiting at Heathrow for my flight to Venice via Munich.  I am nervous, excited and every other emotion you can think of at the moment....I have no idea what is in store for me really...I think it will really hit me as soon as I see my ship...The beautiful Celebrity Summit.  Check out www.celebritycruises.com to have a look at my ship - it is absolutely amazing online - I imagine it will be even better in real life...

I am traveling to the ship with a beauty girl from Ireland so am glad for the company and also nice to not be the only new girl onboard.  Today I hit the ground running.  We arrive in Venice at about 2:30pm and expected to make our way to the ship and then start working straight away after putting our bags in our room.  No idea what the other fitness instructor is going to be like and am assuming I will be working with a male (pretty safe assumption in this industry I think)...

Good luck to everyone else in my class - thank you all for making my time in Watford so much fun...Special goodbye to my roommate Bonnie...I will miss you heaps!!!  See you in 8 months time unless our ships cross paths...

Alex

I HAVE A SHIP!!!

What a day!!!  I don't think I have fully comprehended what I am about to do....I finally got my details today.  I am going to be working on the Celebrity Summit.  A very nice ship by the looks and sounds of things...Although I am going to be challenged by my clientele (sorry guests) apparently - my demographic is well-educated - doctors, lawyers, CEOs, etc.

So I am off to Venice on Saturday.  I will be cruising around the Mediterranean until the end of November.  My itinerary is as follows:

Venice, Italy

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Athens, Greece

Ephesus, Turkey

Naples/Capri, Italy

Rome, Italy

Florence, Italy

Nice, France

Barcelona, Spain

Not bad at all.  At the end of November, I do a transatlantic crossing:

Barcelona, Spain

Malaga, Spain

Madeira, Portugal

Lanzaroate, Canary Islands

Teneriffe, Canary Islands

La Palma, Canary Islands

Phillipsburg, St Maarten

San Juan, Puerto Rico

and then spend the next few months in the Caribbean (until April I think), when I make my way back to Europe and do it all over again.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Phillipsburg, St Maarten

Roseau, Dominica

St George's, Grenada

Kralendijk, Bonaire

Oranjestad, Aruba

I remember saying before I left home that I would love to do the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and a transatlantic crossing - seems the universe has delivered exactly what I put out there...Amazing!!  I cannot wait to really start this adventure...My trainer's instruction tonight was go out there and just SMASH IT!!!   So, that's what I intend to do...

Time for sleep...if that is at all possible...

Before I go would like to say a big thank you to Mike and Liz for the awesome dinner I had at your beautiful home - hope to catch up with you again in 8 months time...Enjoy your travels in Ethiopia.  I will be thinking of you tomorrow when I'm into my little goodie bag...Thank you again.

Love to all...Alex

The Torturous Wait...

So here I am sitting in the corridor of floor 3 of the Watford YMCA on my laptop.  The last 2 days have been quite torturous.  The fitness group is just not the same with half of us gone.  On the upside though I have been a model for the last couple of days and have had a deep tissue massage both days plus I also had a colon massage and scalp massage today, which I strangely enough enjoyed.  You should have heard my colon start up as soon as they started massaging with the algae.  Amazing - I think the whole room could have heard it grumbling!!

Have a new roommate - a hairdresser from France.  I don't think she likes Bonnie and I though - too loud and too messy, us fitness instructors!!  I have now been in the room the longest so it is definitely time to go I think...Some details come out on Wednesdays but Thursday is usually the big day so hopefully Thursday will be my day!!

Missing you all at home....Alex

Training Officially Over...

So I have made it through my 3 weeks Boot Camp.  A very intense 3 weeks...And now the wait is on.  Six of our group got their details yesterday so they will be leaving the folds of the YMCA in the next couple of days to start their contracts.  Very exciting but a little sad that our group is breaking up.  I have made some awesome friends while here - has been a bit like the Big Brother house in that I am with these guys day and night and have formed some close bonds in a short period of time.  So next week there will be 8 of us making our way to the Academy every day for retail training.  Hopefully more of us will be leaving by the end of next week - even better if it is me...

Anyway I'm going to enjoy my first weekend off in 3 weeks and go have a shower and wash my manky hair, head to the gym for a much needed workout and get ready for a night out with the rest of the group...A well-deserved night out might I add...

Alex

Training Almost Over...

Tomorrow is officially my last day of training. Although I may be here longer yet...Some of us are leaving on the weekend apparently - will find out tomorrow - the suspense is killing all of us I think. Will be exciting even if it's not me as it signals that my time is coming soon as the rest of fitness leave the folds of the YMCA...Have been lucky to train with an awesome group of people.

Have had an upset tummy today - I think my immune system is pretty trashed with not enough sleep, my usual clean diet non-existent over here and a severe lack of training...Hoping to get into a routine once onboard my ship.

Our trainer gave us the night off tonight so about to head off for a pint (I think that's the English way of saying it) - hopefully my tummy is up to it...

Alex

2 Weeks into Training...

It has been a while since I've posted anything. Not that I don't have anything to write about - quite the opposite in fact - more that I haven't had the time to do so. I am now 2 weeks into my training - has gone fast in some respects but also feels like I have been here forever. Have packed so much info into my brain in 2 weeks...who would have thought I could get that much in there in such a short period of time...

My favourite days to date have been yoga and pilates by far. The last 2 days of tai chi have been quite torturous however - I really hope my ship does not do tai chi as I think I would struggle to teach it. Just not my thing - way too slow - I need to MOVE!!!

Had a night out with the rest of the fitness group last night remembering to get home by our midnight curfew. Definitely needed a night out though - was a lot of fun just relaxing with a couple of drinks after 2 weeks straight of training with no days off. Our first day off is next Sunday - looking forward to that if I'm still here.

Hoping to be gone by then or at least get my details next week but who knows...it's a bit of a waiting game once you've finished your training...Hoping my wait is not long enough that I have to do tai chi again - I think it'll do my head in!!

Alex