Merry Christmas from the Summit...

Merry Christmas to all back home.  I am missing you all dearly and it hardly feels like Christmas Eve at all.  I start work tomorrow at 6:30 in the morning.  Will be the first ever Christmas Day I have worked and feels real strange and not really like Christmas at all.  

I do have one pressie to open in the morning though - Thank you Mum for getting it to me in time.  Receiving a package from home was the best.  Thank you again.  (Sorry Tanya, your package didn't make it in time for Christmas - should get it next week).

So, what's going on?  A lot of work but not much return at the moment.  And a bit concerning to say the least...

Two more of the spa girls left quite suddenly - one was transferred to another ship and another decided to go home after 4 months.  Sad to see them go - the Spa has not been the same without them.  I miss their energy.

Had some quality me time this arvo in Bonaire, which I think was much needed.  I enjoyed just wandering the town on my own.  You don't get much me time onboard a ship so was good to reflect and recharge.

Was asked to go to Captain's Club last night.  Basically had to dress up and represent the Spa mingling with guests.  Not too bad but hopefully not something I have to do every cruise...

Tonight there is Eggnog and Cookies in the staff bar at 11:45 pm - so 45 mins away - I should make it...

Need to pass on this free internet connection to my roommate now so will hopefully be able to get some more free time tomorrow night...

Love to all

Alex  

xxx

Waiting For Coastguard...

This morning we arrived in San Juan and a busy day although at the moment a bit of a waiting game...We have Coastguard today, which means we do boat drill with the Coastguard onboard to mke sure we know our stuff.  If there is something wrong with the ship or the crew in regards to safety, they can apparently hold the ship until it is fixed so kind of a big deal.  We have had multiple drills over the last few weeks to get us all prepared and to make sure we don't make any mistakes.  So I am sittin ghere in my cabin just waiting for the signal.  Ideally I wanted to go to the gym this morning (with the morning off but alas not today).  Hopefully it's not too much longer.

Also have to go through immigration today as we enter the US.  So another time-consuming task for the day.  And then start work once this is over meeting and greeting new guests.  We now move into 7 day cruising so looking forward to a change of pace and definitely enjoyed the change of place yesterday.  I had most of the day off in St Maarten yesterday.  Sun, sand and beautiful blue seas.  Looking forward to a change of energy for the next few months after coming from the cold of the Med.

Cannot quite believe that it's Christmas in under 2 weeks.  Doesn't feel like that time of year at all despite my efforts at making my cabin a little more Christmassy.  There's a high chance I will have to work on Christmas Day so that will be a first and will be quite strange I imagine...

Anyway, I think I've almost used all my internet time again...Catch up with you all soon...

Need to Eat Real Food...

Am getting tired of the crap food in the mess at the moment.  I have forgotten what it feels like to eat cleanly and my body is suffering.  Tonight's dinner was vegetables (which I knew had a coating of butter or something similar on them) and a bunch of grapes.  Very sad.  Nothing else looked edible to put it nicely.

Have had a frustrating day today.  This is our cheapest cruise of the year apparently and guests onboard are reluctant to spend money on anything let alone detox!!  We have done 4 seminars this cruise but next to no bookings and minimal sales.  I feel like I'm hitting my head against a brick wall at the moment.

I know next cruise (and the next 18 weeks) in the Caribbean will be better.  Cannot wait...Only 2 more sea days to go and then I have 2 mornings off in a row and then a whole day off so looking forward to a bit of sanity time...

Making Our Way Across the Atlantic...

As expected, a quiet cruise.  But on the plus side, have enjoyed getting off the ship in some new ports.  Spent a couple of hours off in Malaga, Spain.  Had an awesome tapas lunch.  Sooo yummy.  I was supposed to be out shopping for some weights for the gym but a girl has got to eat...I did look for the weights (after lunch) to no avail.

Enjoyed a day off  yesterday in Madeira, Portugal.  Another yummy lunch (piri chicken) but not as good as the tapas.  Also managed a quick dash to the supermarket for some supplies.  Enjoyed some sunshine (at last!!!).  Will definitely be visiting Portugal in the future.  Madeira was quite pretty and a lot cheaper than the rest of the Med so hoping the rest of Portugal is similar as I add it to my travel list...

Looking forward to my last day off for the cruise tomorrow in Tenerife in the Canary Islands..  Although am unable to leave the ship until about lunchtime as we have boat drill in the morning - the joys of living/working on a ship.  The sunshine will be worth it once I get off I'm sure...

I work solid then until we hit the Caribbean next week, with 5 sea days in a row.  Hoping they're not rough sea days though - will have to wait and see what the weather delivers us for the final leg of our crossing...I will then enjoy 2 half days off - 1 in St Maarten and the next in San Juan, Puerto Rico (which will be our base for the next 18 weeks) - so will have a 1/2 day off here for the next 18 weeks.

Enjoyed an awesome dinner 2 nights ago in The Normandie - the a la carte restaurant onboard.  The food and service was excellent - was wonderful to be treated like a regular person eating in style for a night.  It was one of the girl's birthdays so it was a real treat.

Tomorrow we suddenly say goodbye to one of our girls in the spa.  She is being transferred to another ship as an experienced girl has requested to come back to this ship.  She only found out yesterday.  Demonstrates that nothing is certain onboard - even I could be transferred at any time.  Will be sad to see her go especially before Christmas.  It is like a little family onboard but am sure we will all be missing our loved ones as the holidays draw nearer...

Loving the extra space in my new cabin.  Hoping to find a Christmas tree tomorrow for my room.  Managed to get some tinsel and Christmas lights yesterday - just need to get them up!!!  Need some tape...hopefully tonight...

Well I have no idea when I will actually be able to post this online as the internet has been down all day and doesn't look too promising - so this news may be a little old by the time you all read this...

Love to all...Alex

This is my ship and my home - The Celebrity Summit.  This is the only pic I have at the mo - I have been quite light on with pics so far.  This was taken in Naples a couple of weeks ago.

Cabin 1306 - my first cabin onboard.  Note the size of the room and they're are 2 of us living in this space!!  Makes you appreciate your space at home...However, in a bigger cabin now and despite the teething problems with the bathroom flooding, we are enjoying our extra space.  I will have to take a pic of my new room to show you the difference in space (and the new lights)...No guarantees when that will be though...

Have internet in my cabin...finally....

Finally managed to get an internet cable last night so now have access in my cabin...very dangerous as it is no cheaper - just much better to be emailing in the comfort of my cabin (if you call it comfort) and on my own laptop.

Yesterday was my first rough sea day.  The good news is I didn't get sea sick.  I had a couple of iffy moments.  I had some ginger ale and crackers and slogged through it.  I also had acupuncture - I couldn't look at the needles in my arm and leg but it did seem to work.  I'm still getting over the shock of having acupuncture...We had to close the treadmills and the ellipticals in the gym as it was not safe with the ship rocking so much.  I am still struggling to comprehend what would possess someone to come to the gym to walk on the treadmill when they are unable to walk around the ship without holding a handrail...Quite a few of the therapists had to leave guests in the middle of treatments to throw up.  Not a successful sea day all round for the spa.

We are currently in the process of docking in Naples.  I can hear and feel the vibrations underneath me as I sit in my cabin typing this.  We are here overnight now instead of overnight in Civitavechia tomorrow night.  Due to the rough weather, our itinerary changed.

Teaching my first Pilates class this afternoon.  To date, have had noone sign up to these classes so need to go and refresh my memory...Better get back to work...

Cannot believe this is my 5th week onboard already...

So onto cruise number 3 already. In some respects it feels like it's gone quick but also feels like I've been here forever. It is now normal to get up in the morning and put my hair in an upstyle and do my makeup. In fact, I rarely go without makeup these days!! A stark contrast to home. Also normal to get in the elevator to go to work. Also normal to pay 60 cents for a beer in the staff bar...(although that is on special). I think it's normally about $1. Definitely going to struggle going back to regular prices on land...whenever that will be...

We will have 3 new girls coming at the end of this cruise as 3 of the girls are finishing their contracts, so will no longer be one of the new girls in the spa. Will be exciting to get some new people but sad to see others leave. We lose another 2 after the crossing so in the next month, there will be 5 new girls in the AquaSpa.

Went to the movies last night - yes there is a cinema onboard that crew are also allowed to go to - saw The Bee Movie. Very cute although I must admit I was falling asleep as I had a big day yesterday. Was a successful sea day for me, meeting my sea day target. So have made more money this cruise already than I did in the entire last cruise. The rest of the spa is struggling but I have managed to get a few guests in for personal training and sold a few detox packages yesterday. Am bounding with positive energy once more. Last cruise was a downer and I must admit I did let it get the better of me towards the end of the cruise, which was not good.

Looking forward to my day off tomorrow in Kusadasi. May do a little shopping. Supposed to be quite good. Although trying to save my pennies still at the moment as I haven't accumulated masses of money as yet - saving that for the Carribean....

Anyway, off to enjoy the rest of my 2 hr lunch break. The Spa made target last cruise so we all enjoy a 2 hr lunch break this cruise rather than 1 hr. Definite perks to hitting targets...

Love to all back home...

Trying to get the girls in the spa motivated to exercise before the Carribean so am doing a circuit class for them tonight. Should be a lot of fun.