Elephant Island

We are getting closer to Antarctica. Today we were able to see Elephant Island as well as many whales and birds. It isn’t as cold as I expected it to be. I am spending NYE in Antarctica…crazy.

Day In The Life Of A Cruise Ship Dancer

Okay so I thought it was about time that I share more about actual cruise life. This is what a busy day in the life of this cruise ship dancer looks like:

9am: Possible deck sale if it’s a sea day. I picked up another job working occasional special sales for the shops. I absolutely love it since I have a ton of retail, fashion and PR experience. Very fun.

11:45: Notes and rehearsal if we have a show that night.

1pm: Lunch, coffee, TV.

2:30pm: Teach a ballroom dance class to passengers. I’ve never taught before so it’s quite an experience, but I’m learning a lot at the same time so it’s rewarding.

3:30pm: Gym. Basically, if you see some blonde chick kicking Rockette style next to the treadmills, it’s me.

6pm: Din.  

8pm: Show time!

10pm: Show time again!

11pm: “Midnight” buffet followed by sleep, Apples to Apples or having some fun in the OB.

If it’s not a busy day or it’s a port day I’m either sleeping or exploring. There is a lot of free time which can make you crazy, but I try to stay occupied. I read a lot and started writing my own book as well. I’m counting down the months until I’m home while taking advantage of my awesome job and traveling while I can. Dancing on a cruise ship is a sweet deal if you can get past the homesick part (which can be terrible at times!) Free food, free gym, free laundry, free travel, performing is great and the people are usually really sweet!

Falkland Islands

We took an unexpected trip to the Falkland Islands this week. We were all so happy that they speak English there. It was a super cute town with English pubs and British telephone booths. We had good fish and chips at one of the pubs. There were adorable Villas built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee that I really liked as well as the gorgeous, colorful flowers surrounding them. Hopefully we get to go back there soon and I also hope that this doesn’t screw anything up with Argentina since they aren’t fans of the British.

 

 

 

 

 

Prettiest Place I've Never Been

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is stunning…at least from the ship it is. The day we arrived was extremely disappointing and actually kind of scary. We heard rumors that Americans weren’t going to be allowed to leave the ship and these rumors were true. I certainly enjoyed the view, but hopefully someday I can come back and actually explore. I was however able to see the Jesus statue in the distance!

 

Overnight in Argentina

In an effort to save some money, I’ve been really bad about updating my blog. Sorry! Last weekend we had an overnight in Buenos Aires. We spent the day at a huge mall with tons of designer shops…I even found a Starbucks! Holiday SB never tasted better! Kevin and I ended up going to see La Casa Rosada after shopping. It’s always cool to see a piece of history and we were even able to go inside. Later, we got ready and pretty much all of the crew went out to a club. They gave us our first drink for free at the place we went…that would never fly in NYC! It was nice to dance the night away and actually be out on land for more than an afternoon.

 

Today I'm back in Montevideo doing some Christmas shopping. We are doing secret santa within our cast so I am on the lookout for a thoughtful present. I'm not the best shopper so hopefully I can find something. Last night we ate in the fancy dining room on the ship to celebrate an important anniversary in our friend's life. Ship life is good. Dancing is always fun and I've started training for the Rockette audition already. Trying to stay busy, but I've been missing home a lot lately. As of today, I will be home in 6 months : )

White Water Rafting

I did something that I knew would freak my mother out so I didn’t tell her until after. I went white water rafting in Chile! The area was beautiful as we were surrounded by mountains and a volcano.  At one point, we were able to jump out of the raft to swim in the 16 degree water. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be! I definitely love doing things in nature and have been surprising myself every day. I’ve never done stuff like this before.

Dance

We have been dancing the tango, mambo and Mexican hat dance with one of the guest entertainers, Juan Pablo. It has been so much fun! Here is one of the costumes.