More Lobsta

I went to Acadia National Park on a tour. It is made up of entirely donated land. We drove up Cadillac Mountain and all around the park. The views of Bar Harbour were stunning and I even saw Martha Stewart and the Law & Order creator's houses. We ended at The Bar Harbor Club for a Lobster Bake. Maine is the most charming place to visit in the spring.

This Is It

Last night was our last big performance. It's all over now. I feel so odd because my heart hurts but I am so happy at the same time. I spent 9 months meeting amazing people, dancing and exploring the world. I'm not the person I was when I left Ohio in September. I have an entirely different outlook on the world and life. I've never been afraid to leave or step outside of what I'm used to. I feel as if the world is even smaller than I already thought it was and I definitely plan to do more traveling.

Sarah, Loryn, Gerry, Kevin, Ray, Esera & David: Knowing you has made my life significantly better. This is the most fun I've ever had. I don't think that one day has gone by in the last 9 months that I haven't laughed with you or at you. You are all so funny and talented. I can only hope that some of your amazingness has rubbed off on me. Thank you for being real and brutally honest. Your advice and guidance has helped me to become more confident in my dancing and life decisions.

So... What's next for me? As far as my career goes, I want nothing more than to make my childhood dream of becoming a Radio City Rockette come true. I will also be applying to jobs in line with my degree in communications. I would love to be a writer or publicist. In the meantime, I am going to spend time getting to know my family and friends again. I can't wait to cuddle my puppy and go through all of the stuff I bought in my travels. I also plan to see my amazing boyfriend which I am already counting down to.

Bye Veendam family!!

Quebec

Almost Home

We are almost finished with out 9+ month contracts. I feel like no one back home will understand anything that has happened on here. Our cast is way too comfortable with one another which is both hilarious and terrifying. Our discovery of 4 pics one word and Candy Crush has destroyed much of our verbal communication since there are no new Walking Dead and New Girl episodes to discuss. I think it may be time to say goodbye. I am going to miss the ship and my friends so much though. I even met a great guy from Holland so we are enjoying our time together while we can. Anyway…I’m off to crush some candy then get my party on in Canada tonight : )

Boston

Tea at the Chateau

I went on a walking tour in Quebec City which included a stop at the chateau for tea.

 

 

 

 

Yum

Chic Shack in Quebec City is the bomb.com!

Sydney

Sydney had the best weather yesterday. Hopefully it continues. We had great smoothies and coffee at The Bean Bank Cafe. One of the best dark chocolate mochas I've had. Can't wait to go back and try some healthy things. Ship food is nice, but this is healthier...and the wifi is legit!

PEI Tour

Prince Edward Island is stunning. It reminds me of Amish Country. I took a tour of the Green Gables house that Lucy Maud Montgomery based her Anne of Green Gables story upon. I think I read the books when I was younger, but now I want to revisit them. We also visited the Prince Edward Island Preserve Co. for lunch, where I sat with passengers from my hometown. They even went to my school. It's such a small world. I picked apart a lobster for the first time (usually my dad does it). I always seem to get the perfect tours for me; food and gorgeous scenery.

Halifax

I have been completely obsessed with the Titanic since I was in 2nd grade. Not only does the movie interest me, but also the tragic history surrounding it (twisted I know). I have always said I wanted to go down in a submarine to see the remains, but a trip to the cemetery in which 121 people from Titanic were buried will have to be good enough. At the Fairview Lawn Cemetery, poor and unidentified people from the wreck were laid to rest in 3 rows of graves that create the shape of the bow of the ship. These people are in Canada, because the branch office of White Star was in Halifax. Only the wealthy were sent home.

 

 

 

Peggy's Cove

The most photographed lighthouse in Canada.

Maine!

Say what?!

Cayman Islands

Grand Cayman was perfect. We didn't have much time to beach, but it was still nice.

Jamaican Me Crazy

We stopped in Falmouth, Jamaica for the afternoon. We went to Chukka beach and enjoyed mass amounts of rum and sunshine. There was a shopping area right in the port so our first stop was the bar for some punch. Then we took a bus to the beach where there was another bar with tropical drinks and food to enjoy while we floated around in the gorgeous blue ocean. Jamaica was our favorite stop in the entire 7 months that we’ve been on the ship.

 

 

Colombia

Cartagena, Colombia had the most beautiful weather. We didn’t even have to leave the port, because there was a little area with pina coladas, shopping, and a backyard filled with colorful birds. I bought a random headband with people on it and some Colombian chocolate.

 

 

Manta School

More than 100 crew members volunteered their time to help out at a school in Ecuador. Food, toys, bedding and other important donations were made. We had to load everything from the ship onto buses and then unload it at the school. Best workout ever. At the school, we painted the classrooms, fixed the roof and other things that needed to be repaired, and played with the children. It was a very hot day and the school is not air conditioned so we were all hot messes, but it didn’t even matter because it was really fun to be doing something for appreciative people.  The kids and their families were invited onto the ship for lunch as well.

                                        

 

 

 

 

 

Puerto Montt

Let's Go Dancing With The Stars

The cruise line I work for recently added a “Dancing with the Stars at Sea” show onboard several of its ships. The competition uses modified dances from the “Dancing with the Stars” TV show. Stars from the actual show will be on our ship this summer for a special themed cruise, but members of our cast are the pros in the competition. We taught three 1 hour classes last cruise (waltz, jive, cha cha). Six passengers were selected and paired with “pros” whom which they competed with in a huge production show. One winner will be selected from each cruise through November and then they will compete against winners from other ships on another (free!) cruise in January. This was a huge learning process and a lot of work, but it has been rewarding and passengers really seem to enjoy it.

 

 

Easter

We lucked out and just happened to be in Buenos Aires for Easter so a few of us went to the new pope, Francis’ old church, the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral. It was beautiful and packed with tourists as it is now an even bigger part of history. There was memorabilia for sale on the streets including magnets and shirts displaying the happy new pope. One of the newspapers took our picture in front of the church so we may be in it and many different news channels were filming inside. The service was in Spanish, but easy to understand. Happy Easter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oppa Esera Style

We began rehearsing during the last cruise for a crew show organized by one of the singers, Esera. He is basically Beyonce in male form. His voice is angelic. While it was his show, he made sure to include everyone in some way whether it was in a movie, a dance number or a joke. We kicked off the show with “Let’s Have a Kiki” which turned into a flash mob. As I had mentioned in a previous post, we had a Kiki themed birthday party and no one knew what it meant. Hopefully they do now! Esera sang several songs including some of his own. My favorite part of the night (other than free wine and pizza) was dancing while he sang “Love On Top” by Beyonce. We learned the dance from the music vid and had a blast on stage. We closed the show with another flash mob to “Gangnam Style.” I think Esera needs to go on tour. He is a star and put on a truly unforgettable performance.

Sheep!

We went shopping in Ushuaia and stumbled upon adorable chocolate sheep in the window of a store called “Ovejitas de la Patagonia.” They are filled with dulce de leche and taste muy delicioso. The lady that works in the store is super sweet and let us sample a bunch of yummy things. Aren't they cute!?