So we finally rounded the cape of South America. Took forever because the captain did a loop so the boat could see it again. I don't know why it was so interesting that it required us to pass it a second time. It was just really rocky with some amazing waves crashing all around. The boat was getting tossed around good. I took some mpeg's of it with the camera and you can see just how much the bow of the ship is moving up and down. Most of the crew got a bit sea sick from the waves, but I fared pretty well. Got a head ache and didn't have much of an apetite but I did ok.
I did just have a cold though. (Yes I'm dressing warm mom) It only lasted two days and I got loads of medicine from the medical center. They really stock you up with medicine when you need it. I went in, saw the doctor within 5 minutes and walked out 10 minutes later with cough lozenges, cough syrup and some aspirin. I slept well and drank a ton of water and poof! All better.
So I didn't get to see Argentina. I was sick, but we were only there for a few hours so they didn't allow any crew to debark so we wouldn't inconvenience the passengers. So I just slept. Didn't see much except from what was visible from the port windows in the crew mess. Didn't look like much to see anyways. The port was far from where we were anchored so the passengers had to take the tenders (the little boats) to shore. My friend Andrew was lucky to be assigned to a passenger tour so he got to go ashore. He was taken on a boat ride and saw seals and penguins. He got me two postcards and a little tiny penguin doll. So it wasn't a total loss.
Today we're in Montevideo, Uruguay. The ship was actually able to dock so I went off shore with Andrew and some other crew. We had lunch at a really nice little restaurant. I got a sirloin beef steak, fries, sprite and half a litre of beer for $13. I also got some postcards and really cute ceramic shot glass. We all walked around looking at the little shops and the sites but had to return to get deck 8 ready for the deck party tonight. Luckily its really hot outside and its expected to be really warm tonight. Last time we did the deck party was on the other side of the continent close to the equator so it was about 80 degrees out at 10pm at night.
I'm going to try to mail some postcards home today to Mom, Dad and Robyn/Danny. I was told the pursar's office sells stamps and will take the postcards right there to be shipped out in the next port. As for New York, I don't know where the port is exactly, but I know it's in Brooklyn. No one on the crew knows the exact name of the port, but we should be there April 15th.
The caribbean is after Rio De Janeiro but of the 3 stops were making, I'll only be able to see St. Kitt's unless I can find someone willing to switch port mannings with me. I may have to give up a day in Rio for it. I don't think anyone would really be willing to give up Barbados though. Sigh...
Ok that's it for today folks, miss you all. I'm learning a lot. I'm running the Grand Ma (light board) for Royal Court Theater more frequently. And the lighting engineer is leaving when we get to South Hampton but so far Cunard hasn't found a replacement. ;-) Maybe there's hope for a promotion or at least more training. My boss said by the end of the contract, Andrew and I will probably be fully trained on how to do the lighting engineer's job. Yay! Disney, here I come!
Friday, March 31, 2006
Friday, March 24, 2006
Peru and Chile
Well, since my last update I have visited three ports. The first was in Peru. I forget the name, but we didn't spend a lot of time at the port. We (me and 4 other people) took a cab ride to Lima, Peru. We spent the day at a shopping mall called Miraflores where we ate lunch at a Tony Roma's. It was nice having a really good American Meal. Cheeseburger, fries and an onion loaf that we all split. After that, we went back to the port where there was a little market for the tourists. It was nice because you could haggle prices. I purchased two shot glasses, a wooden recorder and a cute little llama. I only spent $7.
Today, I'm in Puerto Montt, Chile. The last port was in Valparaiso, Chile. But to be exact Puerto Montt Chile's coordinates:
Lat: 41 28.880 south
Lon: 07 56.242 west
I'm sure if you google it you can find it on a map. It's really bad weather so we got drenched by the rain, we only spent about an hour shopping and to our wonderful surprise, we found a pizza hut and ate pepperoni pizza. Sorry Robyn, but I splurged and had a Coke. :-)
I bought a cute little ring for $2 for my Mom, which is an addition to the little present I bought her for her birthday. A fridge magnet that's also a bottle opener from Acapulco. It has a little turtle on it so I'm sure she'll like it. I figure it's better I tell her here that she actually has something rather than wait until April when I might get a chance to see her.
But the bad weather isn't a total waste. At least I won't have to carry all the band equipment up to deck 8 for their outdoor concert in a while. Now, we just have to lug two speakers up to deck 12 where there is an indoor swimming pool and lounge area covered with a glass ceiling. That's a lot easier. Alright, the ships engines are warming up so we'll probably be leaving in another two hours. Usually when the ship starts pulling out of port all the satellite signals go haywire and you can't make a phone call or get on the net for a bit.
I miss all of you, and lots of love.
Roxanne
PS I saw a real llama today. What's up with South America and putting llama's on everything? ;-)
Today, I'm in Puerto Montt, Chile. The last port was in Valparaiso, Chile. But to be exact Puerto Montt Chile's coordinates:
Lat: 41 28.880 south
Lon: 07 56.242 west
I'm sure if you google it you can find it on a map. It's really bad weather so we got drenched by the rain, we only spent about an hour shopping and to our wonderful surprise, we found a pizza hut and ate pepperoni pizza. Sorry Robyn, but I splurged and had a Coke. :-)
I bought a cute little ring for $2 for my Mom, which is an addition to the little present I bought her for her birthday. A fridge magnet that's also a bottle opener from Acapulco. It has a little turtle on it so I'm sure she'll like it. I figure it's better I tell her here that she actually has something rather than wait until April when I might get a chance to see her.
But the bad weather isn't a total waste. At least I won't have to carry all the band equipment up to deck 8 for their outdoor concert in a while. Now, we just have to lug two speakers up to deck 12 where there is an indoor swimming pool and lounge area covered with a glass ceiling. That's a lot easier. Alright, the ships engines are warming up so we'll probably be leaving in another two hours. Usually when the ship starts pulling out of port all the satellite signals go haywire and you can't make a phone call or get on the net for a bit.
I miss all of you, and lots of love.
Roxanne
PS I saw a real llama today. What's up with South America and putting llama's on everything? ;-)
Friday, March 17, 2006
Greetings from Ecuador
I've gotten all of your guy's e-mails over the past few days, and yes I wish I could reply to all of them. But I love that I'm getting them, so don't stop! :-)
We just returned from Ecuador. The captain added a second stop to make up for the missed Costa Rica port. I drank 2 beers and basically sat on the beach getting more of a tan. I'm a bit burnt, just from setting up the bands outdoors on deck 8. But I took a towel and held it over my head while I was standing in line waiting to get back on a tender to go back to the QM2.
We left Karl behind because he wanted to stay longer, and we've pretty much seen as much as we could with the time we had. Lucky Karl doesn't have to work till way later tonight. But he's still searching for a shot glass for me, since I couldn't find one.
I can't feel the boat moving anymore like I used to, but everyone keeps saying that'll change when we go around the cape of South America. We're also expected to see some really neat glaciers and penguins! My nephew would love that! I keep hearing about drydock in Germany in May as well. We should be there for a few days doing maintenance and rehearsing shows, but we'll also get some time to go explore the city.
New York is still set for April 15th. That's when a lot of the entertainment crew leave and me and Andrew won't be the new people anymore. My roomie will be leaving too so I'll be getting a new cabin mate. We spent last night out on the deck partying for the "Crossing the Equator" party. It was awesome. I actually forgot I was on a boat for a while, until I walked over to the rail and looked out at the blackness all around us. All I could hear was waves and see the wakes from the boat. (We had a full moon, so it was gorgeous). Then we struck the band at midnight.
Ok all, glad to hear Andrea's moving. And thanks for the picture of the puppy Robyn. Oh, and for everyone, Disney wrote back, they're super interested and the guy wrote he'd put my papers thru to be interviewed in the next round when I return. Yay!
Bye all! Casey's Gay!
Roxanne
We just returned from Ecuador. The captain added a second stop to make up for the missed Costa Rica port. I drank 2 beers and basically sat on the beach getting more of a tan. I'm a bit burnt, just from setting up the bands outdoors on deck 8. But I took a towel and held it over my head while I was standing in line waiting to get back on a tender to go back to the QM2.
We left Karl behind because he wanted to stay longer, and we've pretty much seen as much as we could with the time we had. Lucky Karl doesn't have to work till way later tonight. But he's still searching for a shot glass for me, since I couldn't find one.
I can't feel the boat moving anymore like I used to, but everyone keeps saying that'll change when we go around the cape of South America. We're also expected to see some really neat glaciers and penguins! My nephew would love that! I keep hearing about drydock in Germany in May as well. We should be there for a few days doing maintenance and rehearsing shows, but we'll also get some time to go explore the city.
New York is still set for April 15th. That's when a lot of the entertainment crew leave and me and Andrew won't be the new people anymore. My roomie will be leaving too so I'll be getting a new cabin mate. We spent last night out on the deck partying for the "Crossing the Equator" party. It was awesome. I actually forgot I was on a boat for a while, until I walked over to the rail and looked out at the blackness all around us. All I could hear was waves and see the wakes from the boat. (We had a full moon, so it was gorgeous). Then we struck the band at midnight.
Ok all, glad to hear Andrea's moving. And thanks for the picture of the puppy Robyn. Oh, and for everyone, Disney wrote back, they're super interested and the guy wrote he'd put my papers thru to be interviewed in the next round when I return. Yay!
Bye all! Casey's Gay!
Roxanne
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Port Manning
Tomorrow is Ecuador. I won't have a lot of time because I will be port manning. That means, when we get to shore, only so many % of the crew are allowed off the ship. The rest that are required to stay onboard are called "port manning." So I will be missing Ecuador, but my cabin mate Caz (nick name for Caroline) will be taking some of my cash ashore and getting me a shot glass, postcards, and hopefully getting a really good "Casey's Gay" picture.
Before I go any further, if anyone is reading this on Thursday...
I will try calling home, I haven't figured out how to get my stupid satellite phone in the room to work. But I have a $10 calling card and I can try my cell phone again from Deck 13. I've just been told it's hell to get a signal from a third world country. That's the plus side of missing Ecuador, a lot of the guys aren't planning on leaving the ship because they've been to Ecuador before and just keep saying there's nothing worth seeing. The country is aparently really dirty, and kind of dangerous (even during the day).
So that's it. Oh, and I'm officially not a Pollywog anymore. That's someone who's never crossed the equator.
For those FCCT people, while I was in Panama, I heard the original Dancing Cucumber Song from Veggie Tales. Joel knows what I'm talking about. I heard the tune playing and it took me a while to realize what it was. Ok... adios!
Before I go any further, if anyone is reading this on Thursday...
Happy Birthday Mom!
I will try calling home, I haven't figured out how to get my stupid satellite phone in the room to work. But I have a $10 calling card and I can try my cell phone again from Deck 13. I've just been told it's hell to get a signal from a third world country. That's the plus side of missing Ecuador, a lot of the guys aren't planning on leaving the ship because they've been to Ecuador before and just keep saying there's nothing worth seeing. The country is aparently really dirty, and kind of dangerous (even during the day).
So that's it. Oh, and I'm officially not a Pollywog anymore. That's someone who's never crossed the equator.
For those FCCT people, while I was in Panama, I heard the original Dancing Cucumber Song from Veggie Tales. Joel knows what I'm talking about. I heard the tune playing and it took me a while to realize what it was. Ok... adios!
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Sans Costa Rica
Well the itenerary has changed. Yesterday we were unable to dock in Costa Rica so the passengers are upset. The swells were huge and it was knocking the whole ship around. People still actually wanted to try to get on the tenders (little life boats that take you to shore) so they could go on their little tours! I can't believe some people were willing to try. Anyways, the captain picked up anchor and we headed towards Panama (where we are right now) so we're a day ahead of schedule. I don't know if we'll continue on a day ahead of schedule or if he'll just slowly creep on so we wind up back on track.
Bad news, I can't upload photos. Not at all. It costs 12cents a minute here at this terminal and it wont allow me access to the USB or CD-ROM. I could use the wireless I was told, except it costs a fortune per minute and uploading pics would take quite a bit of time. So when I get a lot more pics, I will mail them home to my mom/dad/sister to upload. They'll have to give you the link, but it will be a while. I haven't taken enough pics to make it worth the while yet.
Alright, I have to run up to deck 13 (crew deck) so I can get a Casey's Gay picture. I forgot to take it ashore with me so it will have to be me holding it with Panama in the background. I didn't get to see the canal because it is about an hours drive away and we weren't allowed on shore that long. I worked at 4 pm today and I will be working at 8:45 and 10:30 again tonight. If you didn't know, I'm 3 hours ahead of you guys now. We lose an hour every time we change timezones, but it hasn't affected me. I actually get to take naps in the middle of day (no port hole) so when I turn off the lights the room is pitch black.
I miss you all. I'm glad Ryan did good at his t-ball game. If you guys leave a comment, try not to type in all CAPS, its really hard to read (I'm looking at Mom and Dad on this one).
Roxanne
Bad news, I can't upload photos. Not at all. It costs 12cents a minute here at this terminal and it wont allow me access to the USB or CD-ROM. I could use the wireless I was told, except it costs a fortune per minute and uploading pics would take quite a bit of time. So when I get a lot more pics, I will mail them home to my mom/dad/sister to upload. They'll have to give you the link, but it will be a while. I haven't taken enough pics to make it worth the while yet.
Alright, I have to run up to deck 13 (crew deck) so I can get a Casey's Gay picture. I forgot to take it ashore with me so it will have to be me holding it with Panama in the background. I didn't get to see the canal because it is about an hours drive away and we weren't allowed on shore that long. I worked at 4 pm today and I will be working at 8:45 and 10:30 again tonight. If you didn't know, I'm 3 hours ahead of you guys now. We lose an hour every time we change timezones, but it hasn't affected me. I actually get to take naps in the middle of day (no port hole) so when I turn off the lights the room is pitch black.
I miss you all. I'm glad Ryan did good at his t-ball game. If you guys leave a comment, try not to type in all CAPS, its really hard to read (I'm looking at Mom and Dad on this one).
Roxanne
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Schedule
March
11 Acapulco
12 At Sea
13 Puerto Caldera
14 At Sea
15 Puerto Amador
16 At Sea
17 Esmeraldas
18 At Sea
19 Callao
20 At Sea
21 At Sea
22 Valparaiso
23 At Sea
24 Puerto Montt
25 At Sea
26 At Sea
27 Punta Arenas
28 Ushaia
29 At Sea
30 At Sea
31 Montevideo
Acapulco was amazing. Spent a couple of hours on the beach with my co-workers. Since they've been there several times they knew exactly where to go. We ate lunch (carne asada, rice, guacamole, and tortillas) and drank Corona beers. Not much going on today. I'm working followspot again tonight for a show. Last night I just observed. I had issues updating the blog last time, I thought it didnt work, but it did! Yay!
Miss you all, here's some info, letters only, NO Packages. Mail should be sent way in advance, if the ship leaves port before the letter arrives, I will not receive it, at all.
Montevideo Mailing Address (3/31-4/1)
J.R. Williams
Solis 1533, PO Box 248
Montevideo, Uruguay
Rio De Janeiro Mailing Address (4/3-4/4)
Inchcape Shipping Service
Rua Sao Bento 9, 1andar, Centro
Rio De Janeiro RJ-20090-010, Brazil
New York Mailing Address (4/15, 4/29, 5/23, 6/4)
c/o Cruise Link II, LTD
676 Ninth Avenue, Box 238
New York, NY 10019
USA
Mailing should include
Roxanne Rosas
Queen Mary 2
Ents Tech/Entertainment
Upper left area of envelope should say "Crew Mail"
And just an update for you Knott's People, I have 2 pics of "Casey's Gay" in Acapulco. Yay! The crew here loves the idea.
11 Acapulco
12 At Sea
13 Puerto Caldera
14 At Sea
15 Puerto Amador
16 At Sea
17 Esmeraldas
18 At Sea
19 Callao
20 At Sea
21 At Sea
22 Valparaiso
23 At Sea
24 Puerto Montt
25 At Sea
26 At Sea
27 Punta Arenas
28 Ushaia
29 At Sea
30 At Sea
31 Montevideo
Acapulco was amazing. Spent a couple of hours on the beach with my co-workers. Since they've been there several times they knew exactly where to go. We ate lunch (carne asada, rice, guacamole, and tortillas) and drank Corona beers. Not much going on today. I'm working followspot again tonight for a show. Last night I just observed. I had issues updating the blog last time, I thought it didnt work, but it did! Yay!
Miss you all, here's some info, letters only, NO Packages. Mail should be sent way in advance, if the ship leaves port before the letter arrives, I will not receive it, at all.
Montevideo Mailing Address (3/31-4/1)
J.R. Williams
Solis 1533, PO Box 248
Montevideo, Uruguay
Rio De Janeiro Mailing Address (4/3-4/4)
Inchcape Shipping Service
Rua Sao Bento 9, 1andar, Centro
Rio De Janeiro RJ-20090-010, Brazil
New York Mailing Address (4/15, 4/29, 5/23, 6/4)
c/o Cruise Link II, LTD
676 Ninth Avenue, Box 238
New York, NY 10019
USA
Mailing should include
Roxanne Rosas
Queen Mary 2
Ents Tech/Entertainment
Upper left area of envelope should say "Crew Mail"
And just an update for you Knott's People, I have 2 pics of "Casey's Gay" in Acapulco. Yay! The crew here loves the idea.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Mexico
We're a couple miles off shore from Mexico right now. I've taken some photos but haven't got enough free time to upload any. I'm in between projects right now and should be taking a nap like some of the others. Maybe I still will.
Our first stop will be Alcaupolco and I will allowed to leave the ship. The next stop after that will be in Ecuador, and I will have to remain on board, but I've been told that I'm lucky for that. Apparently Ecuador is a disgusting little country. Last time, one of the crew actually saw a dead person on the side of the road, so most of the crew won't be leaving the ship.
As for the boat repair ride to Germany, it's still on for May, we'll be there 4-6 days while the boat is in Dry Dock (which means it'll be up on stilts) but we'll still be living on board with absolutely no passengers. Basically it becomes a huge maintenance week for everyone.
Food is good. Beer is plentiful. And the sights are amazing. I haven't felt the boat rocking much until just after we left dock in San Pedro and today. Probably because we're close to the tip of baja california and the wakes are bigger. I havent gotten sick from the sea, but I did start to get a little nauseous from the drinking my first night. It's an initiation to get the new people drunk the first night, but I was ok. I stayed away from the tequilla.
Alright, I miss all of you, I wish you were here, mostly to help lug stuff around. And I can't wait to hear back from you. You can just post a comment on here, I don't think you have to sign up for anything, but you'll have to do a word verification (Dad hates those).
Robyn, hug Ryan for me. Mom slap Robyn for me (just kidding ;-) wink wink)
Roxanne
Our first stop will be Alcaupolco and I will allowed to leave the ship. The next stop after that will be in Ecuador, and I will have to remain on board, but I've been told that I'm lucky for that. Apparently Ecuador is a disgusting little country. Last time, one of the crew actually saw a dead person on the side of the road, so most of the crew won't be leaving the ship.
As for the boat repair ride to Germany, it's still on for May, we'll be there 4-6 days while the boat is in Dry Dock (which means it'll be up on stilts) but we'll still be living on board with absolutely no passengers. Basically it becomes a huge maintenance week for everyone.
Food is good. Beer is plentiful. And the sights are amazing. I haven't felt the boat rocking much until just after we left dock in San Pedro and today. Probably because we're close to the tip of baja california and the wakes are bigger. I havent gotten sick from the sea, but I did start to get a little nauseous from the drinking my first night. It's an initiation to get the new people drunk the first night, but I was ok. I stayed away from the tequilla.
Alright, I miss all of you, I wish you were here, mostly to help lug stuff around. And I can't wait to hear back from you. You can just post a comment on here, I don't think you have to sign up for anything, but you'll have to do a word verification (Dad hates those).
Robyn, hug Ryan for me. Mom slap Robyn for me (just kidding ;-) wink wink)
Roxanne
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