Asia and One Night in Bangkok...literally...

Hello everyone,

Well, the 12 days cruise flew by so quickly…which I thought would happen, since we just got done with a 21 day cruise…whoosh…which was too long. 

Here's what happened:

Wednesday, March 23rd….we didn't arrive in Haiphong until late in the evening and couldn't get off the ship because there was nothing to do so it was pretty much a sea day…and a bad one at that. I was SO cold I couldn't believe it. I thought that we were suppose to be in warmer areas now…whats going on? One good thing that happened was I got to see the first lecture of Mr. Dan Rather (previously from CBS News). It was just strange, since I've seen him on TV for so many years, to see him in person was just strange but cool. He is a lot taller than I thought…haha.

Thursday, March 24th we had a good day in Haiphong, Vietnam. It was strange to be there and experience the life in Vietnam…very run down, dirty and congested. When we got off the shuttle bus, the entire gang headed off to find something to eat and/or find a cash machine to be able to buy things. I'll tell you something, figuring out the currency difference during this cruise is for the birds…its very very confusing. We walked around for quite some time before we found somewhere (we thought) was good to eat…KFC. I'm telling you…there wasn't anything else there…haha. I had some great mashed potatoes and roll though…it was really good…the chicken looked a little questionable but I had the popcorn chicken instead. Afterwards, we all decided to go over to the food market and just walk around…to get the feel of Haiphong. I'll tell you something, I have NEVER in my life seen so many motorbikes in one place. They were everywhere and you just had to RUN across the street to get to the other side….felt like we were playing the real life game of Frogger. Anyway, once we got to the market, they were staring at us like we had the plague or something. I guess they have never seen Americans or English before…they would look at us and comment to each other in their language…was a little weird. After we walked around for a while, Jodie and Greg went back to the ship and everyone else went their separate ways. Lesley and I walked around for a while, a little bit of time by the river…which was just sad to see….very interesting and eye opening but sad. When we were walking through one of the markets, Lesley stopped me and said, "Jason, I think that this woman is about to kill this chicken…." We both walked back there and she had put the chicken in SCOLDING hot water and killed it, then threw it on the floor. HOLY CRAP…I couldn't believe that we had just witnessed that. I turned to Lesley after it happened and said, "Makes you feel a lot better eating KFC, huh?"(HAHA). There was a lot of other gross stuff that we saw: cleaning a dead pig with the same washcloth that she wiped the table with, cutting up frogs…you know, the works…YUCK. We decided to leave that market and possibly go shopping for a little while (Lesley was on a shoe hunt this day). Again, crossing the street was a challenge…I made it across but Lesley wasn't so lucky and had to wait for a while. I taped her across the street and I was CRACKING up at her trying to cross the street….just bikes EVERYWHERE…haha…Run Lesley, RUN!!! Eventually we got pretty tired of walking around and decided to head back to the ship. It was a great but strange day in Haiphong.

Friday, March 25th we were in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam where there was a silver sea experience that I went on the tour of. Again, it was so cold…I couldn't feel my toes…what the hell…haha. Had a great time on one of their boats with some of the guests….some really friendly people on the ship right now. Sailing around about 1969 different islands in Ha Long Bay (which means Descending Dragon) I don't know about that…I saw NO descending dragons in the water…haha. It was really cool, with the guide pointing out that the different island / rock formations looked like different things like: A thumb, a sitting dog, a cat in the mountains, kissing chickens, king kong…was just really cool. While on the ship, you could buy these little paintings that at a fair distance glance…looked like someone painted but actually it was stitching which I thought was so cool…so I bought one. Had a great time getting to know some of the guests and talking about the difference experiences that I have gone through during my contract…was a good day. The rest of the day was spent on the ship as a half sea day…oh joy…haha.

Saturday, March 26th we were at sea again…but you know, it was a well deserved sea day…I needed the rest, apparently I was tired. Also, it was great because we just got some new movies on the TV and of course I've watched a few already like…Tangled and Burlesque. All in all, a restful sea day.

Sunday, March 27th and Monday, March 28th we were in Ho Chi Minh City or known to most as Saigon, Vietnam. The first day (the 27th) we headed out into the town…which was BY FAR a lot better than Haiphong. We headed down the street and right away you knew that it was defiantly going to be a day of souvenir shopping….holy crap, they were EVERYWHERE. First, we had to go find an ATM so we could get some money out…that was very important if we were going to shop today. We headed over to the big market that was there and before we could even get into the store we had a tragedy hit us…well not us…Jodie. A quite large bug had landed on her and she let out this HUGE scream (scared the crap out of me) and was scared to pieces and didn't want to be outside anymore for a while so we thought that we should have something to eat first…which was fine by me…I needed something to eat. I thought that everyone was going to go to this little shopping center that we had seen but no…we had Chinese food…oh no. Now, I'm really trying to be more open with my food intake and just enjoy the cuisine from around the world but I don't think that I am a chinese food kinda guy…I don't like the look of the food and I don't know how to use the stupid chopsticks. It took me five minutes to try and pick up a piece of chicken from my chicken fried rice…to where I threw the chopsticks on the table and said, "Ehhhh…I need a fork" (which they had…thank the lord). After lunch, we all headed back to the market…Jodie was better by this time and headed inside….HOLY CRAP…there were so many little vendors and people EVERYWHERE. We all got a few things but made sure that we stayed close together…it was NUTS. On our way outside, Jodie had bought one of the little fans that you see everywhere…to match her dresses. She had bought one from this older lady and started to walk away. This little 7 year old girl came up to her and said, "Why didn't you buy from me?" "Oh, I'm sorry sweetie, I already bought one from her…I didn't see you but thank you" Jodie said. "You have two hands, don't you…you can buy another one". Now, at first I thought, you little shit and wow…you have some guts but at the same time I thought and I said to Jodie, "She does have a point…haha." Needless to say…Jodie now has two fans and a picture with the little girl. As we were walking out past the front of the market, a man hit me in the shoulder REALLY REALLY hard. Just point blank punched me…like…really?  I turned around and just stared at him and he stared back. I thought…why did this random guy hit me but don't start something with someone in this country. Maybe he didn't like me cause I was an American….but man, my shoulder hurt for a few minutes after. On our way back to the shuttle bus, we all got a few things that we saw that we wanted and just enjoyed our time in Saigon…it was a good day. The second day (the 28th) I was on IPM so I wasn't able to go into town again…which was a bummer but I enjoyed the time on the ship….enjoying my bed and watching TV…haha.

Tuesday, March 29th we were again where…..oh yeah…AT SEA!!! I think that this at sea stuff is getting a little old right now….our days seem to go so much slower when you have no where to go or nothing to do…EHHHHH.

Wednesday, March 30 and Thursday, March 31st we were in Bangkok, Thailand and what an INCREDIBLE two days there. Lesley and I had been invited by one of the guests on the ship to be his guests in the wonderful hotel "The Oriental Hotel Bangkok" for the overnight (our first time staying off the ship for an overnight in 7 months…..wow, it was lovely). I didn't know just how glitzy this hotel was though but we had a DRIVER pick us up at the dock for the 2 hour drive into Bangkok. Our driver, Sammy…not James as my Mom pointed out…haha…was standing there and we said, "Are you with the Oriental?" And he said, "Are you Mr. Slattery?" I laughed because I'm telling you….he really didn't believe that we were the ones he was picking up…."Yep, I sure am". We get into the back of this beautiful BMW 7 series and enjoyed our 5 star service. Not joking….warm towels, reading papers, water and everything in this car….I just didn't know what to do…I've never been to a place like this…I felt very hill-jackish…haha. The trip in was great…didn't feel like 2 hours but once we got to the hotel…they greeted us in a way that made us feel like royalty. The Thai way to greet someone, was really cool. You put your hands in a prayer position and put it in front of your mouth and bow your head. It was so cool. When we got into the hotel, they had handed us these little flowers and Lesley and I didn't know what they were and we were trying to put them on our wrists (come to find out that they go over your hands for when you bow…whoops). They knew exactly who we were when we got there…by name, which I thought was AWESOME. Our friend was there to greet us as well and he asked us to go up to the room and come back down so that we could go sight seeing. We headed up to this hotel room and WOW…just amazing. Truly felt the 5 star hotel effect with just how nice everything was laid out. The bathtub was HUGE (Lesley loved that) and the beds were so comfortable (which we both loved…haha). I was just walking around, looking at the cool little gadgets that they had all over the room and just looking at the beautiful view that we had from our room. After we freshened up, we headed down and were on our way (via speed boat) to the Grand Palace where the "Emerald Buddha" was. It was so beautiful…the entire area and just amazed at how it was built. I found out that this was the palace to King Rama V, where "The King and I" is set….which I thought was awesome. I'm defiantly doing my research for musicals now…haha. After a wonderful day spent out in the grand palace it was time to walk back through the market (where I hit my head pretty hard on the low ceilings….guess I am just taller than the normal person over here) and get back on our speed boat back to the hotel to get ready for our evening. Before we went up to our room, we had a great time in the lobby of the hotel having proper English Tea Time…I've never had that but enjoyed it though. Once we got to the room, Lesley had a great bath and I spent the time talking to people online which was nice; I didn't have to worry about the time wasted or anything…whoosh. We all met downstairs to go to dinner at a GREAT restaurant called "Bed". I didn't really know what to expect from this place but I was told that it was great. We arrive there and you feel like you are entering a spaceship…just a really odd shaped building. Once you walk in everything there is white…EVERYTHING and your table is placed on this HUGE bed that you have to take your shoes off to sit / lounge back on. It was really odd to sit on a bed and during our AMAZING (and do I mean amazing) dinner….it was even harder to cut my food…when I was laying my plate in my lap….haha. Also during the dinner, they had a contemporary dance performance for you in the middle of the room…it was a VERY COOL experience. Afterwards, we had a GREAT night out in Bangkok….some really great stories to come back and tell…HAHAHAHAHAHA….what an eye opening experience, to say the least…haha. The song, "One Night in Bangkok" has a whole new meaning now…haha. Our second day in Bangkok was welcomed by a WONDERFUL breakfast down with our friend on the river. I had been craving pancakes for about 2 months and boy….did I enjoy them this morning…what a great breakfast (which is a lot coming from me…I'm not a breakfast kinda guy…haha). Afterwards, Lesley and I were treated by a 90 minute full body massage. OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH WOW…..I think I have caught the massage bug. When we first got there…they took us to our separate rooms…where we were shown all the ins and outs of the room and told to take a shower. I got in the shower but I guess that I took a little too long because the lady walked in on me….WHOOPS. After, I dried off and told the woman that it was all clear…haha…it was time for the 90 minutes of pure bliss….HOLY CRAP. I think I fell asleep at one time….which I really can't believe that I could but wow….what an amazing experience…one which I want to do again. After the AMAZING morning, we were off to go to do some souvenir shopping in town. We found some great things to buy and then headed back to the hotel for a great lunch before the 2 hours back to the ship, with Sammy as the driver. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE, which we both are totally grateful to have such a great friend that we have made on the ship….what a much needed time away. 

Friday, April 1st (April Fools) we were suppose to go to Ko Samui but we couldn't go because it was under 6 feet of water. Thats not the April Fools joke…it really was….essh. The captain decided to head to our last port, Singapore a day early so that we could have an overnight…we thought it was a good idea. This evening I had a WONDERFUL dinner with 4 people from California who are one of the sweetest people that I've met on the ship….had a great time talking with them and hopefully…will be able to stay in touch with them…so sweet. 

Saturday, April 2nd, half the day was spent at sea and then we got to Singapore and docked at 7:00pm to have an overnight. The cast decided to get off and have an impromptu overnight in Singapore. We headed into town via taxi and asked to be dropped off in Rivertown. Again, we had Chinese food…whoosh…but I was hungry…so I enjoyed my dinner. Maybe I'm getting use to it now…oh lord….haha. Afterwards, we had all seen this slingshot ride on the other side of the river. I had told everyone that I had done it before but no one else had. I KNEW that we had to go ride it….what a crazy thing to say you've done in Singapore. We got over there and decided who was going to ride with who. Jodie, Emily and Lesley were going to ride together and the three boys…Cody, Greg and myself were going to go together. First up were the girls and wow, was it hilarious watching them on the TV (which we bought the DVD of the girls and boys…haha) and hearing them scream. They all got off and just loved it. Greg was a little nervous about going on it because he doesn't do thrill rides very well (I can understand) but we got him on away. It was SO much fun and I had a blast…just really made me miss Cedar Point / Kings Island and all the thrill rides…defiantly going there when I get home…haha. We all had so much fun laughing at each other and talking about the experience. Afterwards, we all headed to get some ice cream and then realized that it was almost 3 in the morning…it was time to head back to the ship…which to find out was going to be interesting because none of the cabs were stopping. Emily worked her girl charm and we all got back to the ship safely to finally end this segment of the cruise the next day on Sunday, April 3rd where we embarked 340 guests onto the ship to continue on to Dubai. 

Our next cruises itinerary is: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 4th / Penang, Malaysia on April 5th / Phuket, Thailand on April 6th / At sea on April 7th and 8th / Colombo, Sri Lanka on April 9th / Cochin, India on April 10th and 11th / At Sea on April 12th / Mumbai, India on April 13th and 14th / At Sea on April 15th and 16th / Khasab, Oman on April 17th and ending our cruise in Dubai, UAE on April 18th. 

I hope that everyone is enjoying the beginning of April. I can't believe that I get to see my Mom and Nene in a little more than a month….its been 9 months since I saw them last…I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Until Next Time,

Jason

Lesley's Birthday / Beginnings of Asia

Hello everyone,

I hope that everyone has had a good March…I know that I've had quite the busy and excited end to my month. I can't believe that we're almost to April…everything is moving SO fast. 

On to the blog:

Saturday, March 12th and Sunday, March 13th we were at sea….and to be quite honest…it was the fastest two seas day that we have had in quite some time. HOLD ON A MINUTE….am I okay? Did I just say that the sea days were okay…WOW. Anyway….I think what made the days go quicker was all the news about Japan and the horrible earthquake / tsunami….I still can't believe that happened and I was close to it…hmmm. Also, we were so excited to get to Bali to celebrate Lesley's 25th birthday!!!!

Monday, March 14th (HAPPY BIRTHDAY LESLEY!!!!) we were in Benoa, Bali, Indonesia and had a great day. Lesley and I decided to get off early and scope out the place so that she could decide what she wanted to do for her birthday. Getting out of the terminal was a nightmare…with all the rain (that kept going on and off all day….wasn't horrible rain but just was a nuisance) and with all the locals trying to get us to take their taxis. I have NEVER in my life been so uncomfortable in my life. They were SWARMING us and Lesley and I didn't know what to do or where to go. We just kept walking and I just had to be rude and stern and say, "NO". Eventually we got to a place in the road where we were trying to talk to each other and collect our thoughts when out of no where this man said…."I'll take you to where you want to go…I understand that you don't like the crazy people…if you would like to come with me, you can…if not, I understand"…and I think because he was so honest and nice with us…we took his cab. He took us into town to get some money (which that right there was a joke) its 1 US dollar is 8,718 Indonesian dollars, so we were confused on how much to take out…it was a mess. Eventually our guide took us to a beach and we asked him to meet us back there at 4:00 to be back on board at the right time. We walked up to the beach and it was PORING down rain…like it was comical. Lesley and I took a picture of us in the rain and then decided to walk into a cafe and have a drink. We were looking at the different prices for everything and comparing it to the US dollar….their most expensive thing…which I think was a HUGE steak was $12.00…thats just how it work out to be…it was CRAZY. Afterwards, we decided to walk up to the main part of the road cause we saw some nicer places to eat and such. Walking up there, it was very strange to think that I was in Bali…someplace that I read about in Eat, Pray, Love….was just cool. Once we got to this restaurant called, "Arcade" Jodie, Greg and Emily were there and were excited to celebrate with us. We had a GREAT meal at "Arcade" (actually a lot better than I was expecting) but what made us laugh was when the bill came back and the total was over one million Indonesian dollars!!! We all laughed a loud and said, "Damn Les, you're expensive…that better have been the best meal ever if it was over a million dollars. Was just strange to say, "oh yeah…my bill wasn't bad..only 2 million dollars…HAHA". After we paid our check, our taxi guy (who had brought Jodie, Greg and Emily) asked us if we wanted to go to a few markets. It was raining at the time and we thought, there isn't anything better to do…why not. So, off we went to a fabric market first…which was so cool. All of these shirts and dresses and knick knack stuff that was all homemade by the people in the shop…was really awesome. We all bought a few things and then we were off to the wood market. On our way, we got to see all sorts of cool buildings and a little bit of the jungle…was just an awesome ride. We all had our cameras out and ready to take pictures that we thought looked awesome. When we got to the wood market…it was absolutely beautiful. Everything in the whole shop was made by the people there and actually, people were in the back making things as we were there….and actually got a few pictures of them working…was just amazing. They had all these animal carvings and cool musical instruments. What caught me off guard was how obsessed they were about the male…how can I make this politically correct….member? They had carvings all over the place of them…even "member" bottle openers…it was hilarious…haha. Everyone (except myself) got a wood carving and were very happy with their buys. Once we got back in the taxi, we were running a little later than we needed to, to get back on the ship at the right time. Our taxi guy said, No worries…I'll get you there in time. OH MY LORD, I have never been more nervous in a car in my entire life. I really don't understand why they had white lines on the road because no one payed ANY attention to them. It was a two lane road but with all the different cars / bikes all over the place…there were about 4 or 5. Sometimes he got a little TOO close for comfort and we all would hold our breath and grab onto each other. I asked our taxi guy in the middle of the craziness (and just to be funny), "So…have you ever been in an accident…cause this is crazy"….HE HASN'T!!!! Wow…thats impressive because if would have seen what we were doing….you wouldn't have believed it. Also, I thought….if anyone drove like this in American…you would be shot. He did get us back with our lives and 2 minutes to spare…what an adventure.

Tuesday, March 15th and Wednesday, March 16th were another quick sea days….I don't know whats wrong with me…maybe I'm getting use to the sea days. One the second day, we had another equator crossing celebration….meaning that we have to take bed sheets and wrap it around ourselves and parade in front of all the guests as the rulers of the sea (so stupid…haha). One fun thing though, we get to dump flour, whip cream, eggs on the guests and make them kiss a fish….oh the joys of my job…haha. 

Thursday, March 17th we were in Sandakan, Malaysia and what an eye opening experience that was. It started off kinda crappy because we had missed the last shuttle that we wanted to take before we needed to be back on board. Our boss, Jean Ann Ryan and her husband were joining us for the remainder of the cruise and we had a rehearsal that day. Greg and I decided just to get off anyway….to get away from the ship for a little while. It was shocking when we got into the town and just how dirty it was and how run down it all looked. Its hard to explain what we were feeling because we couldn't wrap our minds around the fact that people actually lived and survived in a place like this. I feel bad for these people only in the sense of knowing where I come from and what I have….but at the same time (as Lesley says) don't feel bad for them…they don't know any different…and thats true. Experiencing this place made me totally appreciate everything that I have back home. I now know (knew before but its cemented in me now) not to take ANYTHING for granted…personal items, money, a roof over your head and most importantly, the people that you love. You cant take that for granted because we are truly blessed to have what we have and live the lives that we live in America. Well, Greg and I walked around….smelling the HORRIBLE smells…just bad. What made Greg and I laugh was the fact that we found air freshers in a grocery store but the grocery store itself smelled like a fish hole…just awful…we laughed about that all day. We found a KFC (which confused us) and thought…I think this is the only thing that we can have to eat and to tell you the truth…it was REALLY good, I was shocked. What I thought was so cool…when Greg had ordered something to take away….and while we were waiting…the man that took our order gave us a little drink while we waiting. I thought that it was AWESOME business to give us a drink while we waited…for free. It was a good day over all….and once we got back to the ship, we had a rehearsal with our boss, Jean Ann and it was nice to do the show for someone different again….I enjoyed the rehearsal process. Overall…had a great day in Sandakan, Malaysia.

Friday, March 18th we were at sea heading out to Manila, Philippines. Just the normal sea day except the fact that we had another rehearsal for our shows this night….to make some changes and fix a few problems….all in all a good day.

Saturday, March 19th we were in Manila, Philippines and this morning we had an early rehearsal before we went out for the day. After rehearsal, Greg, Jodie, Emily, Jen and myself went off into Manila…to the 4th largest mall in the world called "Mall of Asia". When we arrived there…I was just overwhelmed with the size of this place. It was a mixture of an outdoor mall and an indoor mall…it would take a LONG time to get use to this place…I'm sure of it. We first went to a store called, "Zara" and we bought a few things…it was nice. Afterwards, the girls went into another shop and Greg and myself went and checked out the indoor ice rink….yes, I said in door ice rink. I told everyone that I had never been ice skating before and they thought I was crazy….I didn't get to do it that day either….maybe NYC when I get back. We heard that they had a TGI Fridays in the mall so we all decided to go have a great lunch there and it sure was. We had a great time together just enjoying each others company and talking about stuff. After lunch, the girls wanted to go to a few shops so Greg and I walked around the mall, just window shopping and if something caught our eye…we went and looked at it. After a long day at the mall, we decided to head back to the ship. On our way back, we were talking about what people are called from different places (eg. People from Rome = Romans) and talking about all this stuff. I had said that I could name all the states in America and they didn't believe me. I was SO proud of myself that I got all the states except stupid Connecticut….ehhh, if I had a map…I could have done it but I was pretty proud of myself. Getting back to the ship, we all had early socializing duties this evening and we all went out in full force and I met some lovely people on the cruise….some that have been on for a while and have been coming to each and every show that we've had. What a great day in Manila.

Sunday, March 20th we were at sea….our last sea day for this voyage….YES…on our way to Hong Kong, China. We had another day of duties and rehearsals in the evening….getting ready for our days in Hong Kong….I'm so excited!!! Something during the day which surprised me was how foggy it was and I had asked someone what that was and they said, "The pollution from Hong Kong"…HOLY CRAP!!!

Monday, March 21st we finally were ending our cruise in Hong Kong, China. I was on IPM which was nice cause we had rehearsals all day long with our boss, Jean Ann. I went outside at one point and I looked at the skyline of Hong Kong and you know what….it wasn't what I thought it was going to be like. I thought that it was going to be massive…like 2 or 3 NYC's but it wasn't. Granted we were docked in a horrible place in Hong Kong but still….it wasn't what I thought..hmmm, interesting. Later this night we had a great meal in the main dinning room with our boss, Jean Ann and her husband Howard. It was great to have them on board and I had a great time talking with them both. That night, everyone else (who wasn't on IPM) went out to the night market on the Kowloon side of the city…which they said was AWESOME. I was a little jealous cause they all came back with this awesome presents and stuff….oh well….can't do everything in life…haha.

Tuesday, March 22nd was another day in Hong Kong and the embarkation day for the new cruise. It was sad to say goodbye to some of the half world cruisers and others that were so pleasant but happy to say goodbye to some of those people that made our life hell on the ship….ehhhh. Before my embarkation duty, I went out with Lesley and Jen to see some of the city and to my surprise, Mickki Brown (our stars club singer) got on the shuttle bus to come out as well. It was great to see Mickki again since it had been 2 months since I last saw her. We talked for a while and she asked us where we wanted to go / wanted to see. She took us to the Hong Kong Island side of the city and we walked around for a while with each other. Lesley and Jen had decided to go down a few other side alley's to get a few things cause they had to be back earlier than myself…so Mickki and I had a great day together walking around. She use to work in Hong Kong at a very nice hotel not far from where we were. She took me on one of the above ground subways just to get a sense of what Hong Kong was about…it was a great time. We walked around, we got a few things at the 7/11 that was on one of the corners (I had to put that it in the blog…I joked with her about that) and then we made it to her hotel area that she use to work out. She told me a very funny story that I won't put here (love you Mickki) because I told her I wouldn't but it was quite funny and we laughed about it for a while. Had a great lunch in the mall that was connected to where she use to work and finally got to go to the hotel, the Island Shangri-La. It was a BEAUTIFUL hotel…very high class. It was cool (Mickki mentioned to me) that in the elevator…the carpet was changed everyday to say the day on the floor (eg. Tuesday, Wednesday…) which I thought was pretty cool. After the hotel, we took a taxi back to the area that we started in…I bought something cute for my niece and Mickki bought a few things before we headed back to the ship. She pointed out to me the two places that they shot "Dark Knight" in Hong Kong…which I thought was AWESOME and then we made it back to the ship so I could start my embarkation duties for the day. What a great day and wonderful way to end the LONGEST cruise that I've had during this contract…whoosh.

The next cruise's itinerary is: At Sea / Haiphong, Vietnam on March 23rd / Haiphong, Vietnam on March March 24th / Ha Long Bay, Vietnam on March 25th / At Sea on March 26th / Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam on March 27th and 28th / At Sea on March 29th / Bangkok, Thailand on March 30 and 31st / Ko Samui, Thailand on April 1st / At Sea on April 2nd and ending this part of the world cruise in Singapore, Singapore on April 3rd.

I am so excited to be able to say now that I've officially been to 6 of the 7 continents on the earth…which I still can't believe.  Like I've said many times that I've always dreamed to be able to travel the world and see different places and now I think (funny that its taken this long) that its starting to sink in how much I've seen and how truly blest I am to have this experience….very overwhelming at times but I'm very grateful for it.

Until Next Time,

Jason

Australia part 2

Hello Everyone,

I hope that everyone has had a great couple of weeks since the last blog….I know that I have been enjoying my time on the ship. 

Lets not waste any time:

Thursday, March 3rd was the first of MANY MANY sea days that we have had during this cruise. This is the longest cruise that I've had since I've been on the ship and thats nuts….21 day cruise. The normal things happened on the sea day….just the normal duties. Kinda bummed that the weather has been kinda crap lately…I hope that its better throughout this cruise.

Friday, March 4th we were in Brisbane, Australia and had a very good day in the city and then off on tour. I woke up in the morning and wanted to see the city of Brisbane (also, to get a good meal as well…haha). The city of Brisbane, is just like every other city in the world….streets, buildings…the works. I walked around their city mall and just enjoyed my time alone in the city. If you remember the last blog, I talked about Hungry Jack's (the wannabe Burger King)…well, I decided this day to have a meal there….just to see what it was like. I have to say, they are a lot fresher and nicer there….which is hard for me to say…I am a Burger King fan…but I have to give it to Hungry Jack's…they impressed me…HAHA!!! After my satisfying meal (haha), I made my way back to the ship for my afternoon tour that I was escorting to the Australian Zoo (Steve Irwin's Zoo). Got on the bus and had a great drive into Australia to make my way there. It was POURING down rain…like REALLY hard, but I was so excited to make it to the Zoo. On the drive there, I kept thinking about my Dad and when I was younger…we would watch the Crocodile Hunter on Animal Planet together all the time…so going to the Australian Zoo…where I would see it all the time on the TV…finally being there, brought back a lot of great memories with my Dad….it was nice. Yeah, I know that it was a little random but meant something to me. When I got to the zoo, it was absolutely POURING down rain…I have never experienced this kind of rain before. I didn't have an umbrella this day (BIG MISTAKE) so needless to say, I got wet. We went on the trolley to the Elephant feeding on the far side of the park. I got to feed an Elephant named Siam and it was so strange….someone made a great point to me…its like feeding the fruit to a person's nose….needless to say, I needed to wash my hands afterwards..haha. We headed off to the Tiger cage next but they wanted NOTHING to do with the people there…had their backs to us the entire time…made me laugh. We then took the trolley over to the crocodile area where we thought we were going to witness a croc feeding…just like Steve Irwin did when he first began everything, but when we got there…they told us that the feeding wouldn't be happening because the crocs get very excited in the rain…so it wasn't safe for the croc handlers….so that was a little upsetting but I understood. Next, we went over to the main area…where the Crocoseum was (this is the place where Steve Irwin's funeral was on TV…if you can remember that) and it was just strange to be somewhere I saw on TV and now, I'm there. After that, I found out that one of the guests had bought an opportunity for me to get a picture with a Koala…which was so nice of them. I was so strange to hold them…the Koala, not the guests haha…they are A LOT heavier than I thought but nice and soft….what a cool experience and I got a 8 x 10 picture with it…possible new headshot??? (Haha) After a great time at the zoo, we had to make it back to the bus to get us back to the ship for our departure from Brisbane. What a wonderful day…rainy…but wonderful. 

Saturday, March 5th we were, AGAIN, at sea. This cruise is going to be SO long with all these sea days…I can't believe that we have so many…ehhh. Again, we had another day full of duties and RAIN. I'm REALLY get sick of the rain and I don't understand why it is raining ALL the time. The people on the ship so far have not really been so much fun because on the sea day…we like to do water volleyball with the guests but no one on the ship seems to be interested….this is going to be a LONG cruise…haha. 

Sunday, March 6th we were suppose to go to Hardy Reef, Australia but again, due to the storms / tide…we couldn't do there…so you guessed it…ANOTHER sea day. EHHHHHHHHHHHHHH….SEA DAYS are SOOOOO boring. At least I'm getting my rest….haha.

Monday, March 7th we were in Cairns, Australia but I was ever so lucky to be on IPM so again…I couldn't get off the ship. I had the normal day of duties and then I decided to go upstairs and enjoy the fresh air…sometimes you need that…haha. It has been so humid lately (98% humidity) and it was so cool to see this storm coming towards the ship so since it was SO humid, you could see the rain in the distance. I thought that it was so cool…eventually when it got closer, you could see the rain but at the same time…hear the rain…kinda soothing. THIS was the highlight of my day….rain….has it really come to this Silver Spirit…really? (haha).

Tuesday, March 8th….sea day….SO sick of them…haha.

Wednesday, March 9th we were in Thursday Island, Australia and marking our 200th day on the ship (wow). We got off the ship early since we were leaving quite early from the port. There wasn't anything too exciting happening in this town but we walked around just trying to find somewhere to eat. We made our way to a pub that looked promising and walked in. We asked the lady there (which she was the only one there) if they had a menu and she said, "We don't serve food until 12:00 noon"…strange…so we walked off to this place that said, "THE BEST RESTAURANT IN AUSTRALIA" and guess what…they didn't serve food until 12:00 noon either….good job Thursday Island. Eventually we made it back to this little side restaurant and had a really good chicken and cheese sandwich. Afterwards, Lesley and I walked around and just enjoyed our time off the ship before we had back to the tender. Strange day here in Thursday Island….haha.

Thursday, March 10th is ANOTHER SEA DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know…it doesn't seem like its a huge deal probably that we are at sea for the day but you have to understand that there is NOTHING else to do on the ship…so you sit in your room, watching TV or taking a nap…all day LONG…24 hours…whoosh. I can't wait to get done with this cruise…don't like having so many sea days.

Friday, March 11th we were in Darwin, Australia our last day in Australia and marks my 3 months till I come home. This day we had a half embarkation day so I had to work the terminal in the morning…only welcoming 2 guests in the 2 hours I stood there….boring. I will say though that there was this cute older lady that reminded me of my Grandma (Nene) that I found out is a world cruiser…so she is on for quite some time. She sat there with me for about 40 mins and we just talked and it was a good time…let the time fly by. She is a very sweet woman and I hope to have dinner with her during the world cruise sometime. Afterwards, the cast got off and we got a great meal in town…we needed it. Had a great time sitting there talking with each other and reflecting on great but very rainy time in Australia. Afterwards, we took our computers over to an internet cafe and spent the rest of the day talking online and uploading pictures…something that I needed to do…which was nice. I stayed a little longer than the rest of the cast and eventually looked at my clock and saw that I had 10 mins to be back on board the ship. Mom, don't worry…we have to be back on board an hour before sail away….haha. I defiantly had my work out this day…because I ran back the whole way…it was quite the run…whoosh and I was only 5 mins late…I was very proud of myself because I was quite far away. After we had sailed away, we found out about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and that the entire Pacific ocean was on a Tsunami alert. It was strange that the Captain was talking about the fact that we were safe and that we wouldn't be in danger…especially out a sea. I say that it was strange because you don't think that you will see something so horrible on the news like this and actually be in the danger zone…that it could possibly reach us. It was crazy to see all of this stuff on the news and know that I'm not that far away from where it actually was….just crazy. We had been in Christchurch a week before the horrible earthquake there and now having been so close to this next natural disaster…so crazy. Hopefully, we wont have to experience anything more.

The rest of the cruise's itinerary is: At Sea on March 12 and 13th / Benoa, Bali, Indonesia on March 14th (Lesley's Birthday) / At Sea on March 15th and 16th / Sandakan, Malaysia on March 17th / At Sea on March 18th / Manila, Philippines on March 19th / At Sea on March 20th and ending our longest cruise with an overnight in Hong Kong, China on March 21st and March 22nd. 

I hope that everyone has had a great March so far and make sure that you keep those people in Japan in your thoughts….they need all the support that they can get.

Until Next Time,

Jason

Australia part 1

Hello Everyone,

I hope that everyone had a wonderful end of February and has now started March off…with a bang! Well, when I last left you, I had finished my time in New Zealand (which again…just a beautiful country…so clean and new looking….very nice) and I was about to make my way to Australia!!!

Saturday, February 19th and Sunday, February 20th were the WORST SEA DAYS….EVER!!!!!! I have NEVER experienced such rough sea…in the 6 months I have been on this ship. We were all warned by the captain that the Tasmanian Sea was known for this sort of stuff but I didn't think that it would be that bad. At night, it was impossible to sleep because you were thrown around SO bad and you were sick to your stomach. To get the feeling that I was feeling, lay in bed and have someone push down on your shoulders, chest, legs as far as they can and at the same time….move yourself in a circle…NOT a fun time. Thank the lord that we didn't have a show on those two days…I don't think that we would have been able to do them. Lesley and I one of the days went outside (which was SO windy…it was crazy) and saw how high the waves were. We were on the 5 deck and the waves were getting close to that level….we were told that they were about 10 feet swells, which I think that they were higher than that…but boy, did we ever feel them. 

Monday, February 21st we were finally on land at Hobart, Tasmania, Australia….the little island off the southern coast of Australia. The cast had decided to do the crew outing that the ship had scheduled for us…so we all went to this wildlife park. It took us about 40 minutes to get there but it was a great time…seeing all the sights and the beautiful mountains that took over the landscape…just great. Once we got to the wildlife park…we were given a bag of food and told all about the kangaroos, how to feed them and how to scratch their chests…they love it. We got a little guided tour at the beginning and we saw the Tasmanian Devils. They are cute little animals…really misunderstood by the world…haha. They aren't very quick apparently and the only way they can warn off predators is to make this HORRIBLE sound that they make…haha…but its cute at the same time. Then we walked over to where the Koala's were…it was so cool to see one that close. They are a lot bigger than I expected and apparently they can give you quite a bite if you make them upset. Eventually we finally made our way over to the open area where the kangaroos were all laying around. It was a little nerve racking at first…because they are big animals and you never know what they might do. I kept thinking about that show "Dangerous Animal Encounters" where the Kangaroo jumps and punches the guy in the chest….so I was a little nervous to say the least. Eventually, I thought to myself that they were so use to the people around the park all the time that they weren't going to do anything. It was so great to sit there and feed a Kangaroo….I bet I fed about 25 of them when I was there. Some were very nice but others were really greedy. One of them was so greedy, he ripped the food bag right out of my hands and started to eat the bag….he wasn't very nice…haha. I wanted to see what they would do if I scratched them on their chests like the guide said and it was the funniest thing. They would lean their bodies closer and closer to the ground and then put their heads back in the air, with their eyes closed…they must really like it. After we spent our time with the Kangaroos, it was time to head back to the ship area. Once we returned to the port, we all had a great lunch at a restaurant right next to the ship….what a great day!!! 

Tuesday, February 22nd…guess what…we were at sea…AGAIN!!!! Not as rough as the last sea days…but wasn't the calmest. The rough seas made everyone want to just lay in bed and close your eyes…thats all you can do on these days to make yourself feel better. It was a joke to get up and go to our normal duties of shuffleboard or golf because no one in their right mind would be playing these games on a rough sea day…so, back to bed we went…haha.

Wednesday, February 23rd, we had a great day off in Kingcote, Kangaroo Island, Australia. Today, Lesley, Greg, Jodie, Adam and myself got off the ship via a 45 minute tender ride (puke!). Today was a COLDER day than we were use to but the sun was shinning all day…so at least we had that. We all were starving so we headed to a pizza place up the street of this tiny little country town….looked like I was in an old west town…haha. The meal was great and we were all stuffed. We headed back up the street and did some shopping…bought a few presents for people back home and finally, after 6 months on the ship…bought myself a pair of sunglasses…haha. After we did our shopping, we headed back to catch the last tender that we could get to the ship. We had to wait quite a long time, so we sat there and threw rocks into the sea, we were that bored. We were trying to hit this buoy that was out in the middle of the bay….I almost got it a few times. OH…I almost forgot…there were the BIGGEST pelicans at this place. I have NEVER in my LIFE seen a bird that big and I'm sure that it would scare the crap out you if it landed near you. Once we got on the tender, we had another 45 minute tender ride back to the ship…to be greeted by one of the most beautiful sunsets. Good job southern hemisphere…you have pretty awesome sunsets so far. 

Thursday, February 24th…we had a GREAT day in Adelaide, Australia. What a beautiful day we had with the best weather we have had in quite some time. We all headed into the main town…where there was a HUGE shopping center. At first, I wasn't going to buy anything because for some reason, I haven't felt like spending my money. Some of the cast were like…Jason, come on…you don't buy yourself anything…you can do it. So, I bought myself a few things this day. I bought a great new audition outfit and I can't wait to get back to the city and wear it for auditions. Bought a shirt that was a yellow long sleeve shirt…never thought that I would buy a shirt this color…but I like it. I was in a weird shopping mood…I normally don't do shopping too much…but I did this day. I felt bad for the other guys…cause they weren't really buying anything anywhere, but I kept going into to places…the places that caught my eye. The girls were off this day, getting their hair done and stuff…so us guys just walked around all day. It was a GREAT day and I made some great choices…I was really happy. Once we got back to the ship, after our wonderful day, I went up to the top deck to watch the sunset…and holy crap, what a BEAUTIFUL sunset. Once again (I know that I keep repeating myself but) I can't get over the sunsets during this experience. I truly think that is going to be something that I miss once this contract is over…the sunsets. 

Friday, February 25th…once again…we were at sea…heading to Geelong, Australia and Melbourne, Australia. We have some funny people on the ship this cruise…one in particular from Australia, Merv. What a funny guy he was…he would come to a lot of our games that we would play and just make fun of us, himself and the other guests that take the games WAY to seriously. His wife was always smiling and laughing, so they were such a wonderful couple to have on board. They came to every show that we had and would always give us great praise. At one of the shuffleboards that I was hosting, they were all trying to decide what rules they wanted to play by and everything and he looked at me and said, "Do you have any idea how to play this game?" "I have NOT a clue..sorry". He said, "Good…me neither"…haha…what a great guy.

Saturday, February 26th…was my IPM day but we made it to Geelong, Australia in the morning. It looked like a lovely little coast town that had a beautiful park right on the river front. The weather was great and I sat outside for a while…enjoying the sun as much as I could. In the afternoon, it was time to head off to Melbourne…which was apparently 80 kn/m away. I sat outside for a while and watched us sail away from Geelong…heading to Melbourne. As we got closer and closer to the Melbourne…the weather got worse and worse. Finally arriving to the city, the city looked beautiful but the only problem was the rain…it was hard to see the city for what it was…apparently it was a nice view from the port. I felt bad for the cast this night because we were overnight here and they went out and tried to have a good time (which they did) but it just rained the entire time. I had an early night of watching a movie and then heading off to bed.

Sunday, February 27th we were in Melbourne for our second day. Lesley and I had a day off together and it was great fun. We took the above ground trolly into town and that was a lot of fun…haven't been on one of those since 2001 in San Francisco (remember Mom?). Something that has been screwing me up for the past couple places is the fact that they drive on the other side of the road…so I never look the correct way when I'm crossing the street…thank the lord that I have Lesley there with me. Its even worse walking down the street on the sidewalks…because everyone walks on the other side too…I may have caused a few collisions on the sidewalk…sorry!!! We had a great meal before walking around the shopping district. Lesley was in the shopping mood, so I helped her pick out a few things….which was fun. We stopped at a GREAT little cupcake place that was in this side alley. Had to be one of the best cupcakes that I have had…and reminded me of some of the places back home/NYC that I like so much. After awhile in the downtown shopping center, we made our way to another outlet mall that we were told about. There were shops EVERYWHERE and we were a little bummed that we didn't get to have more time in the outlet mall. Funny thing though, I found a place called, "Hungry Jacks" here in Australia…which is their version of Burger King….with the same logo and everything…haha…I thought that it was funny…I wonder if it tastes the same??? Once we left the outlet mall, we went to this little shop that was right outside our ship, to get the ship essentials. Lesley and I have made a GREAT meal on the ship now and we can't have a enough of it. We have to keep restocking our shelves with these items because we keep making our meals all the time…ummmm, so good. 

Monday, February 28th…our last sea day before we get to Sydney, Australia. I can't believe that this day has finally come…coming to Sydney. It holds so much meaning to me because of my Mom and Dad. When my father was alive, he and my Mom would talk about how they always would want to vacation to Australia when my brother and myself were older and moved away. So growing up, I became interested in this beautiful place too because my parents were so passionate about it. Unfortunately, my father passed away before they were able to visit Australia, which makes my coming here that much more special to myself but more to my Mom. This time in Australia has been quite emotional for many reasons but my Mom and Dad are finally getting to sea Australia….through my eyes. They are both with me EVERY DAY…everything that I experience…they will experience too. These are the times that I am even more grateful for this experience than I normally am. Going to a part of the world that holds a lot of meaning to my family. 

Tuesday, March 1st was a early started day due to sailing into Sydney. I was told before I went to bed that I needed to get up early and see the sail into Sydney Harbor…that it was one of the most beautiful sail in's that you'll experience….and I couldn't agree more. I walked outside at 6:45am (by the way, it was already 80 degree out…wow) and was greeted by a beautiful sunrise…just stunning. I make my way to the front of the ship and EVERYONE else is there, waiting for this beautiful view. Once we passed this cliff, the city appeared and FINALLY I saw the famous Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge. I got chills and started to get quite emotional…I just couldn't believe that I was finally here. Only 2 months ago, I watched the new years fireworks on the TV in my cabin and here I was. I kept thinking of the times that I would watch the Dick Clarks New Years Rockin' Eve (haha…Mom) and seeing that very place with my family, never really thinking that I would make it there, but there it was…right in front of me. One of the guest, that I told the story about my Dad and Mom wanting to come to Australia but never getting the chance to because of his passing came up to me and said, "This one's for your dad". WHOOSH…that made me just cry even more. I just can't explain the just "awed" feeling I felt seeing the Opera House…this beautifully, constructed masterpiece that is so iconic when you think of Sydney…and there it was…not on a Tv or a picture online…but right there in front of me…just an awesome, AWESOME experience and something that I'll hold on to for a long time. When we finally made it to our dock…I was so drained, I headed back to bed…haha. Slept for another two hours and then I decided I needed to eat some lunch before I started my embarkation duties. I headed off the ship alone, into Sydney (just so awesome). I headed to the Darling Harbor and had a great meal sitting on a park bench…just enjoying my day. I had a quick embarkation duty (I think that I was just excited to be there, so I wasn't thinking about the time) and then I headed off the ship with some of the cast to have a great night in Sydney. Once we got downtown, we walked around for a while…just enjoying our time in the city. We walked to this part where there were these things hanging in the trees….they were BATS!!! I haven't seen a bat that close and whoosh…they are ugly things but have a HUGE wingspan…just incredible. After we were creeped out by the bats, haha…we eventually made our way over to the Opera House. I walked there, up the steps, by myself because I really wanted to take it in and appreciate what I was experiencing….it was a great time. Eventually, everyone got really hungry, so we headed off to a bar and had a great meal…it was a great time. After our meal, we headed back to the opera house and then headed to a park that is right behind it and sat down. We all were quite tired and didn't feel like going out on the town…we just sat there and enjoyed our view. We all got a little tired, so we decided to head back to the ship but I wanted to walk back to the ship. So Lesley, Cody, Adam and I took the almost 50 minute walk back to the ship. I had an idea of how to get back but I liked the fact of getting lost in the city…just enjoying the weather, seeing places of the city that you don't get to see, just being there…in SYDNEY. 

Wednesday, March 2nd we again were in Sydney and had another great day. Lesley and I headed off the ship quite early so that we could get some stuff done before we met everyone else for our picnic in the Botanical Gardens later in the day. Lesley went off to the shopping area to find something that she was looking for and Adam and myself headed to the Apple store so I could upload some new pictures that I needed to put online (check them out if you haven't already). Eventually, it was time to head to our picnic and we had a great time. First, we had a wonderful surprise when we spotted some wild cockatoos in the park and we fed them and actually got them up on our arms and took pictures with them..what a great surprise. Then we headed a spot in the garden and started our lunch…unfortunately we were followed by this really odd looking birds and some annoying little birds that actually keep dive bombing Jodie's head….it was VERY funny, but Jodie didn't think so…haha. After our great lunch, we headed to the souvenirs store and got some stuff for our families. Wow, Sydney (or let me say, Australia) is not a cheap place…whoosh. After we did our shopping, we got some Starbucks and said our goodbyes to a great time in the wonderful city of Sydney. 

Sorry that his blog was so long but this time in Australia so far has just been so incredible and I have been enjoying myself so much. For the next blog, I'm going to talk about the following days of the next itinerary: At Sea on March 3rd / Brisbane, Australia on March 4th / At Sea on March 5th / Whitsunday Islands, Australia on March 6th / Cairns, Australia on March 7th / At Sea on March 8th / Thursday Island, Australia on March 9th / Sea Day on March 10th and end the blog with Darwin on March 11th the halfway mark to Hong Kong and marking my 7 months on the ship….wow.

Until Next Time, 

Jason

New Zealand

Hello everyone,

I have had a GREAT time in New Zealand…what a wonderful place.  I never thought of ever visiting New Zealand but what a great place…I highly recommend it!!! Here is what happened for the first part of this cruise:

Sunday, February 13th once again…we spent it At Sea….I am starting to think that I'm becoming a pro at this whole…at sea thing. Once again, had the normal duties that we have on the sea days…trying to find things to do, so that I'm not bored out of my mind. One of the guests asked me if I knew how to play Chess and I didn't know how but thought, why not learn something new. Come to find out that its actually a very interesting game and makes your really think about each and every move that you make. I guess that I got pretty good at it because our fourth game that we played…I won…YEAH!!! At least I have found something new now that will pass the time on the boring sea days.

Monday, February 14th we were in Wellington, New Zealand. I felt bad for Lesley because she was on IPM and couldn't get off the ship. Also, it was Valentines Day and I wasn't going to be the third wheel with all the other couples in the cast…so I headed out into Wellington alone (missing those back home in the states that I love very very much). Took the shuttle bus into town and enjoyed just walking around….getting lost in the city. First, I walked into the towns shopping center that is right in the middle of the busy downtown area. I walked into the shops and made my way to a Borders books and browsed. After a little while I became hungry so I started to look for a place to eat. I found a Subway and I thought…why not have a healthy lunch, my stomach had been acting up and I thought that it would be good for me to eat there. Again, I was a little questionable withe Ranch sauce that they put on my sandwich but it was TONS better than the sandwich in Barcelona…gosh. After my very nice lunch, I decided to just get lost in the city…to walk around and just roam the city. Its a great feeling to just walk among the people of the city…seeing them work, enjoying a coffee at the cafe in the city, seeing kids play on the playground…all of this surrounding me, while I'm halfway around the world from my home. Its cool just to be 'there'….to experience that part of life (probably doesn't make sense, but it makes sense to me…haha). Instead of worry about all the problems in the world, the crap that we have / or think that we have to face in our lives…the busy busy busy schedule that we MUST lead….sometimes people forget to slow down…take a deep breath and take a look around you…to enjoy…LIFE. Well, while getting lost in Wellington and enjoying life…it started to rain…I loved that…haha. I rain into the closest place that was next to me and you guessed it….McDonalds…(truly taking over the world). This McDonalds actually had some free wifi, so I was in luck. I got a chance to talk to some friends and also my lovely Mom…what a great Valentines Day present. After a while, I decided to get up and get some Hot Chocolate…so I walked around the corner to a little cafe that I spotted on my adventure in the city. I had a great cup of hot chocolate while I watched the people walk around the city. By the time I was done with my hot chocolate…it was time to get the shuttle bus back to the ship…what a wonderful day that I had to myself in beautiful Wellington, New Zealand.

Tuesday, February 15th we were in Lyttleton (the port city for Christchurch) New Zealand. Unfortunately, I was on IPM this day and couldn't get off the ship. No one came to my duties…so I had a lovely day of just relaxing on the ship. Had a wonderful lunch up on the pool deck and I just enjoyed the pretty, sunny weather. The mountain line that surrounded this port was just breathtaking….very very beautiful. Once it was time for us to pull away from the dock…the whole gang came back and said that they were going to play some games up on the crew deck (apparently, they had a REALLY good time off the ship…haha). We went to steal a board game from the card room on deck 9 (another James Bond mission completed by yours truly) and we played the game 'Sorry' up on the top deck.  Do you remember that game? I use to love playing that game when I was younger so it was fun to relive that part of my childhood…in the middle of the sea…haha. After a little bit of time…the ship was out in the middle of the sea…surrounded by mountains on both sides…just stunning. Also, we had a whole group of Dolphins following the ship….as we headed out into the deep sea…with a wonderful sunset behind us…what a great sail away. 

Wednesday, February 16th we were in Port Chalmers (Dunedin) New Zealand. Again, I ventured out into the city alone…Lesley wasn't feel very good so I was trying to find some free wifi to Skype with my madre…haha. Once we made the 20 min. bus ride into the city…I thought that it was best that I find something to eat…so I walked down the long road with all these shops and restaurants. This place reminded me of a bigger, more populated Key West…it was nice. I made my way to a mall (I don't know why I have the skill of finding the malls…but I do apparently) and found the food court. For some reason for a while, I had a craving for Burger King (don't ask) and luckily this place had one. After my very healthy and nutritious meal, I made my way up to the street level again…on my mission to find some free wifi. To my shock (haha) there was a McDonalds on the road and I remembered my other day with the free wifi in there…and luckily they had some. I set up my computer and was reading e-mails and such…nothing to important. Once it was time to start my Skype time with my mom…I come to find out that this wifi wasn't strong enough to do Skype…GREAT. So I rushed out of McDonalds (thanks for nothing) and made my way up the street to a place that I thought would have internet. Walked into the place and said, "Do you have any wifi?" A Japanese woman said, "Yes, sit down at a computer" "No, no…do you have WIFI..for a laptop?" "No, you have to go to the other store down the street….go there…go there quick". Ummmmm….confuse me? First off….why do you have a separate place in town for a laptop wifi place, compared to your quite large computer shop that I'm standing in. Second, why must I go there quick? Do you know something that I don't? Should I be nervous? ANYWAY…I remembered that I saw another place when I was walking down the street earlier, so I thought that I would try my luck there. I have NO idea what this place was…a bank, a wifi place…I have no idea but the people were very nice and let me use their free wifi. I had a great time talking with my mom…I needed a good talk with her…I miss her very much. After a long conversation, it was time for me to go…because my computer was about to die…haha. I made my way over to the Starbucks that was across the street to get…you guessed it….Hot Chocolate (I'm such a big kid…haha). Walking back to the shuttle bus point…I made myself just walk around the city again…just to get a feel of the city…it was very nice. When I got back to the ship…I wanted to make sure that Lesley was okay…but she was no where to be found. I searched the entire ship to come to find out that she had left the ship; walking to come find me in Dunedin (some 25 mins away on a bus….whoops). I walked up this little port city…which reminded me of an old western deserted town…was funny…to a grocery store to get some snacks and food. Did my shopping and when I was leaving…guess who I saw, walking towards me…LESLEY. I asked her where she had been and she said that she had walked for a good 45 mins trying to get to Dunedin…but thought, HELL…I'm not walking this crap anymore and turned around. We went into the store for her to do some shopping and then we made our way back to the ship and had a great time for the rest of the night….watching the Apprentice UK…It is such a good and addicting show.

Thursday, February 17th we were in Stewart Island, New Zealand. The whole gang got off this day…to find that it was not a big, populated area. We had to walk up a STEEP hill to get to the other side. When we got there, there was a lot of fog around the town / marina and it reminded me of a shot from Sleepy Hollow or Dawson's Creek (yes, I know…two very different and random titles to say…but I couldn't choose which one it looked more like….so I said them both…haha). When I said that this place had ONE street, ONE department store and ONE hotel…I'm not joking. There was NOTHING to do….so we just walked around for a little while. We were all REALLY hungry, so we wanted to find somewhere to eat and FAST. Finally, we decided to go to the hotel, since that would probably be our best bet. Once we walked the 5 feet to the hotel, we found out that they had a limited menu and were only serving seafood (GREAT…ehhh). We all decided that we would come back to the hotel after we went to another little cafe to play pool later. I went to the cafe and everyone else went to a fish and chips stop that they saw coming into the town. I met them and we had a great meal outside…right next to a stupid bee hive….not a fun meal. Once we ran away, screaming from our lunches…we made our way back to the hotel and played pool for a long time. It was so strange to see that the pool table balls were much smaller than what we have in America. Everyone told me that they are that size and Cody and myself thought that they were joking. I guess that the American way to play pool is a lot different than the rest of the world. Learned a new pool game from Greg and then we all decided to go back to the ship, we had enough of playing pool. Before we left though, we wanted to go play on a playground that we saw before we made our way to the hotel. I made the comment when we were playing on it that…wouldn't it suck if we broke the only playground that these poor kids on this island have….haha….whoops. Luckily, we didn't break it and had a good laugh all going down the slides…what big kids we all are. On the way back to the port, I remembered seeing this sign for a place called 'Observation Rock' and I thought that it would be cool to go see the view (we were surrounded by some beautiful mountain tops on this day). Once we made it up the steep, STEEP hill we had a ABSOLUTELY stunning view…just breathtaking….it was defiantly worth the trip up the hill. Just standing there, made me appreciate what crazy opportunity that I'm experiencing and how I really don't have much time left on the ship. What a great way to end a wonderfully calm and peaceful day on Stewart Island and a wonderful way to say goodbye to New Zealand. 

Friday, February 18th we sailed through the Milford Sound and what an absolutely beautiful place that is. It is incredible what all the world can offer to us if we really take the time to appreciate it. Just a beautiful mountain landscape with stunning waterfalls and glacier formed rocks everywhere. It was too bad that the weather was so crappy but still, that didn't take away from the beauty that this true wonder of the world had. After we sailed in the Milford Sound for about an hour or hour and a half…it was out to sea for 3 long and CRAZY sea days ahead of us….more to come in the next blog.

The rest of our itinerary includes: At Sea on Feb. 19 and 20th / Hobart, Tasmania, Australia on Feb. 21st / At Sea on Feb. 22nd / Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, Australia on Feb. 23rd / Adelaide, Australia on Feb. 24th / At Sea on Feb. 25th / Geelong, Australia and Melbourne, Australia on Feb. 26th / Melbourne, Australia (second day) on Feb. 27th / At Sea on Feb. 28th and ending our cruise in one of the places I've waiting my entire life to go to…the wonderful city of Sydney, Australia on March 1st and 2nd. 

I will write about my Australian adventures soon….I can't believe that I'm finally here…a dream come true…I'll tell you that.

Until Next Time,

Jason

French Polynesia...stingray, sharks and sea days....OH MY!!!

Hello everyone,

Well, TONS has happened since my last blog…its been a good cruise from Papeete, Tahiti to Auckland, New Zealand. 

Here's what has happened:

Wednesday, February 2nd we were in Raiatea, French Polynesia but unfortunately for everyone else…they couldn't get off the ship due to the swell of the ocean. I walked upstairs on top deck to get a few pictures of the place before we left and I swear…the winds we blowing so hard that if I was holding on to the ship…it would have blown me over. It was very pretty there though….just a shame no one could get off the ship, so we had a impromptu sea day…wonderful…haha. Had another normal day of the duties of IPM and sea days…I'm getting really, really sick of these sea days.

Thursday, February 3rd we were in Bora Bora, French Polynesia and this day had to be one of my FAVORITE since my contract started. It was INCREDIBLE. We started off by driving around the coast (which is just beautiful) going to a bar called "Bloody Mary's" which is a very nice and famous restaurant because Hollywood Actors come there to eat when they come to visit Bora Bora. It was so cool inside because the floors were sand and you could walk around with your shoes off…so cool. We had a great meal and just enjoying our time off the ship. Lesley and I had scheduled to do a crew excursion to swim with stingray and sharks so we had to get back to the port quickly after lunch. Our taxi lady didn't come back when she said she would and we were both really nervous…that they weren't going to wait for us. Luckily another taxi showed up and we finally got back to the port. Everyone was there and hadn't left yet (thank the lord). We all got onto the ship that was taking us out to the place that we would be snorkeling with the stingrays first. Now, when you imagine paradise…with CLEAR blue seas….this is it. The water was SO clear…I would consider it bath water…it was just so clear. Once we got to the coral reef, about 10 stingrays showed up and the guide said, "Alright…get in". I sat there and thought….ummmm, you first buddy…haha. He also told us that we should be careful around them because they don't bite but they suck. He said to us, "Guys, you have to watch your chest and bananas with these stingrays….watch for sucky-sucky." I was just laughing so hard….could you just imagine the stories that man has with these stingrays? Anyway, getting into the water, surrounded by stingrays…was a little strange and takes a bit to get use to. The coral reef was absolutely BEAUTIFUL with all these colorful fish swimming right next to you..it was the coolest thing I've done. At one moment, I got the courage up to take a picture with one of the stingrays…cause when would I have this chance again…so I started petting the top of it and Lesley snapped the picture. They are so soft and squishy…not what I would expect they would feel like. Well, apparently this stingray got excited or didn't like me because it was so strong it started to push me over….and then swam away…gosh, scared the crap out of me. I thought for a second that it was trying to give me a hickey on my chest….good lord. After Lesley and I took some pictures and videos underwater…we were all asked to get back on the ship to go to where the sharks were…so we could swim with them. On our way there…we were given so fruits to snack on and I had one of the smallest bananas that I have ever seen…it was so strange…but still good. Once we got to the area where the sharks were….thats when the butterflies came out. They threw bait into the water and all of a sudden about 20 sharks showed up and that freaked out everyone. Again, the captain of the ship said, "Jump on in" and we all just laughed. Eventually, Lesley and I made our way into the water and that just freaked me out…I have NEVER thought that I would be swimming around with sharks. They would come close to you but wouldn't get too close…they were more scared of us, then us of them. It was very surreal watching them swimming around us and thinking of where I was (Bora Bora) and how many chances people can say they have done this. Was a WONDERFUL experience. After we all got back onto the ship…they brought us back to the port where Lesley and I went for a quick bite to eat and went shopping for some souvenirs. What a WONDERFUL day in Bora Bora, French Polynesia….

For the next 5 days, Friday February 4th - Wednesday February 9th (with us losing Feb. 8th to the International Dateline) we were at sea again. We weren't able to go to the Cook Islands on the 5th…due to the cyclone that was off our port side…the wind and swell was just too big….so we were going to add another New Zealand port on the 10th. This is our last LONG crossing we have for a while. The normal duties were done over the next 5 days and it was so strange to cross the dateline…trying to wrap the mind around the fact that you lost a day of your life just traveling on a ship…just strange. I also thought that it was strange that of all the days that I could have lost…it had to be the day that my dad would have been turning 50….was just strange. This crossing wasn't as bad as the others but I will say…I am getting sick of these long crossing….it gets overwhelming. 

Thursday, February 10th we were in the port that was added to the itinerary due to the loss of the Cook Island port…Tauronga, New Zealand. We all got off the ship as early as we could…so we could enjoy our day in our first New Zealand port. We all walked down the main street that everyone told us to go to…looking for some great food and some internet. Lesley, Jodie, Jen, Adam and I went to this place called "Med on the Mount". It has the freshest food and bread that I've tasted. I had a wood burned pizza and wow…what an incredible lunch. We all got up and walked down to the internet cafe and all took advantage of that. Lesley and I uploaded most of the pictures that we needed to upload (just for you, Mom). Afterwards, Lesley and I walked down the street, went into a few shops and then made our way to the ship for back on board. We both didn't want to get back to the ship…we hated the fact that we couldn't spend more time off the ship…always having to be back at a certain time…just gets a little tiring. 

Friday, February 11th (4 months left) we were in Bay of Islands, New Zealand. It was a beautiful and homey town that we spent the day in. We all got off and Lesley really wanted to have fish and chips…so we found a nice little cafe so she could have that meal. The lunch was really nice and we all just enjoyed the town. In the past two days with being in New Zealand, I have found that everything looks very new and everything is very clean. Its nice to be around that compared to some of the other islands and places that we have been to. Back to the day…after lunch, Lesley and I wanted to find another place where we could have some free internet and we found it. We spent about 2.5 hours talking to friends and family from back home. I got the chance to skype with my brother, sister-in-law and niece for about an hour. It was great talking with them and seeing my niece crawl around and try to type to me on the computer…haha. I can't wait to come and see her after my contract ends…which is exactly the day before Riley's first birthday. 

Saturday, February 12th we ended the cruise in Auckland, New Zealand for the next embarkation day. I had to work that day from 12:00 - 3:30 pm checking in everyone to get on the ship. I didn't feel very well this day…for the past couple of days…I have had really bad stomach pains. I hope that I can get over this soon. After doing my shift on embarkation day, I met Lesley outside where I went to meet her sister (which she hasn't seen in about a year). I went to Lauren's wonderful apartment and had a great time talking with her and getting to know her. After a little while, we decided to go down to the port and have a good lunch. We sat there and had a great time…I felt bad for Lesley that she had to leave her sister so soon…that she didn't get to have more time with her…I understood what she was feeling. 

We are now currently on our next cruise and here is the itinerary for the first part of the cruise: At Sea on Feb. 13th / Wellington, New Zealand on Feb.14th / Christchurch, New Zealand on Feb. 15th / Port Chalmers, New Zealand on Feb. 16th / Stewart Island, New Zealand on Feb. 17th / Cruising Milford Sound and Doubtful Fiord, New Zealand on Feb. 18th. 

I'll write a blog about the first half of this cruise and another blog for the Australian part of the cruise. I can't wait to get to Australia…something that is extremely close to my mom, brother and myself. I hope that everyone is having a great February thus far and I'll update soon.

Until Next Time,

Jason

And the World Cruise begins...

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone has had a wonderful end of January….I have certainly enjoyed mine. 

Here's what has happened since the last time:

Friday, January 21 - Wednesday, January 26th we were at sea…crossing the Pacific. It was the MOST boring time I have had on this ship in 5 months….I can't explain the boredom. The weather was crap so we couldn't go up on the top deck to just enjoy the sun to make the days go faster. The guests were a little older on this crossing (again) so they weren't out for us to go talk to…they sat in their cabins. All in all, it was the most BOR-RING time I've ever experienced…ehhhh.

Thursday, January 27th FINALLY on land in Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands. It was a cute and very quite town. We got off in the morning, even though being told that the town had NOTHING to do…that was okay…just to be off the ship and touching land…was enough for me. Once we got off the tender, their were the town natives in their costumes and singing songs….and they offered coconut juice and I tried it (and that will be the last….tasted like old medicine). Adam, Cody, Emily, Lesley and I all walked the beach down to the center of town. We were told that we should go check out this church….apparently it was very pretty. So we wondered over there and it actually was very pretty. The entire church was made out of wood carvings….so cool. We sat there for a while, just enjoying our time off the ship and talked for a while. It was funny…on our way back, we kept seeing guests and they would stop and be like, "Hey guys…..how are you?" and all of us would be like, "Fine….thanks" (and think to ourselves….you never once talked to us on the ship…you ignored us…haha) We got back on the ship and enjoyed the night…refreshed from touching the earth…haha.

Friday, January 28th we were suppose to be in Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands but the swell was SO big that they couldn't operate the tender service. The waves were really strong and high with the winds gusting up to 50mph….so needless to say…we had ANOTHER sea day. Which pissed me off to be quite honest because the next day…we were suppose to be at sea as well and you guessed it…we were. So Saturday, January 29th we were at sea AGAIN. Now, it doesn't seem like a big deal and everything that we are at sea…because we just sit in our rooms and watch tv…but the bad thing was….the internet wasn't working very well and the tv's were going in and out with signal….so we REALLY had nothing to do. We all were getting pretty tired of being on the ship…it really takes a lot out of you to be on the ship for that long….trust me…haha.

Sunday, January 30th we are in Rangiroa, French Polynesia….one of the prettiest places that I've been to. I had an early duty this morning…so I couldn't get off the ship early like I wanted to. I sat there (at shuffleboard…woo) waiting for guests to arrive….looking at the BEAUTIFUL beaches that I thought the cast were at. This man come up from behind me and scares the crap out of me saying, "Shuffleboard" to me…haha. I was like…"sure…haha". We played a few rounds and he asked me if I had been off yet and I said, "no but I will after we finish the game…no rush…haha" (I'm very happy to report…he took it well…haha) After the game, I ran to my room to get off the ship. Once I tendered to the island…the whole cast were waiting for me at a little cafe to walk to the beach together…they are great!!! Walking to the beach…thats when it hit me of how absolutely beautiful it was there…just amazing. We all got in the water and enjoyed the clear blue water…just gorgeous and of course the weather….it was SO hot this day.  It was so cool….stingrays would be swimming around…not getting close to us but just swimming around the lagoon…it was so cool. We played with this red ball that Greg has (we have named it Susan….don't ask…haha). It was great passing the ball around and then looking around and going, "really…are we playing with Susan in this beautiful place….haha". It will defiantly be something that I never forget. After a while, it was time to go back onto the ship so we had to leave….on the way back…we saw a pig in a crate and it was so cute. It kept coming up to us and we took a few pictures with the pig. Today was a great day!!!

Monday, January 31 we started the day in Moorea, French Polynesia and ended the day in Papeete, Tahiti for an overnight. In the early morning….Lesley, Greg, Jodie, Adam and I, all off the ship to get to a beach…since we were staying half day here. Seeing the mountains around us and the beautiful views…it was BREATH TAKING. After we got to the port, we decided to take a taxi to a beach resort, not knowing what we were in for. Now, think of the word 'paradise' or a 'paradise vacation' and what that means….clear blue waters, white sand beaches, huts over the water….that is EXACTLY what I was experiencing. Once we got to the GORGEOUS resort, we headed right for the water….it was GREAT. Again, we played with Susan for a little while (haha) and I was really looking around thinking, "Am I really here?" After a little while, we got out of the water…I could feel myself getting buried…yes, ME…getting burnt. We sat around and I just really appreciated it….I thought that the Caribbean was pretty….but it doesn't even come CLOSE to this area of the world…just beautiful. Later, we all started to get hungry so we went and had a lovely lunch in the restaurant…surrounded by paradise. I had a great club sandwich…one of the best actually that I ever have had and just enjoyed the company I was with. After our lunch, we went and swam in the pool that the hotel had. It was one of the infinity pools…where it looks like its falling off a cliff…into the ocean. It was such a cool time….I can't really explain what it was like…it was all WAY to surreal. We made it back to the ship, just in time for us to leave for Tahiti and to have Spirito up on the pool deck. When we arrived in Tahiti, I made sure that I came outside to see the sunset….I was told that this place has the most beautiful sunsets and holy crap, they weren't kidding. It was the MOST beautiful sunset I have EVER seen in my life. I ran down to get a picture of it…it was SO gorgeous. I stood there in amazement that I was actually there in Tahiti seeing this beautiful sunset…it was just an amazing experience. Later that night, we had a great show of Spirito on the pool deck and wouldn't you know, 5 mins after we finished the show…it started raining. Someone up there was watching out for us….thanks!!! That night, we all decided to go off and have a great time. We had a big group of us and wanted to go to a bar and have some fun. Well, it was a Monday night and nothing was really open and it started to rain so we kinda were upset and didn't know what to do. We eventually decided to go to a bar that we saw in the distance, so we all ran in the rain to this bar….it was one of the funniest experiences. All of us screaming because of the downpour of the rain. I kept thinking of my brother and mom during this time and that great moment in Forest Gump when he was talking about the rain in Vietnam….well, Mom and Ryan…this was big ol' fat rain…haha. Finally, we got to the bar and had a great time all together and danced the night away…such a fun group of people.

Tuesday, February 1st once again, we are in Papeete, Tahiti for our first embarkation of the world cruise. I have 7 more cruise until I see my Mom and Nene….I'm so excited!!!!!! I had to work a 2 hour shift that day…standing there listening to Tahitian music…lets just say, it was getting a little annoying…but to entertain myself because there was NO ONE around…I started hula dancing….haha, it was funny and yes, I was that bored. After my Hula performance, I got off the ship and had a great lunch at a french cafe. I understood NOTHING that they said to me but I enjoyed the food. Afterwards, I walked around…enjoying the day to myself. I was trying to find something to buy…to remember the place but there wasn't anything that appealed to me…so I didn't. After a while, I sat in a beautiful park…over looking the marina…just enjoying the day….it was a great, peaceful day.

We are now on to our next cruise and here is the itinerary: Raiatea, French Polynesia on Feb. 2nd (IPM) / Bora Bora, French Polynesia on Feb. 3rd / At Sea on Feb. 4th / Rarotonga, Cook Islands on Feb. 5th / At Sea Feb. 6 - 10th (but I lose Feb. 8th (my dad's bday) crossing the International Dateline) / Bay of Islands, New Zealand on Feb. 11th and ending this cruise in Auckland, New Zealand on February 12th. 

I hope that everyones 2011 has been a great one thus far and here is something that a guest said to me while he was leaving this last cruise, I liked it…"I wish you health, love, money and time to spend all of them"

Until Next Time,

Jason