Things have been busy at my floating home, and so I know I’ve been well behind in providing proper updates. It seems we turned around twice and the last day was here! It always goes quickly, but this time it went even more quickly than usual.
In an attempt to sum up: despite considerable obstacles in the final week (without going into detail, let’s just say red is not my favourite colour) we managed to not only make the ratings, but practically slaughter them; coming in ‘perfect’ scores (meaning a rating sheet in which every department clears baseline) in all the segments of the voyage, something which was until now basically considered impossible. This is the result of a really good team, some great guests, and a LOT of very hard work. We are justifiably pleased with the results.
The cabin that has served as my home has been stripped of all things that once registered it as mine. My luggage is downstairs awaiting off-loading and all that’s left to do is pack my carry-on. The computer is always the last thing to go in. Considering I worked 8 hours straight without much in the way of a break today I should be exhausted, but as usual my brain is consumed with thinking that I’ve forgotten something…and every time I try to relax I think of something else.
Of note is the fact that the cruise ended on a surprisingly upbeat experience. At the last moment our cruise director invited me to join the cast singers in backing him up for the finale for the farewell variety show. At first, we all thought this a bit of a lark. We only had two rehearsals, and the back-up parts weren’t exactly difficult. But the guests LOVED it, we got cheers and hollers and a full standing ovation, granted most of it was probably for the cruise director, but still, it was a really fun way to end 75 days, and it felt surprisingly powerful. Well, perhaps not surprisingly – just unexpected, we didn’t really know how it was going to go over.
So, tomorrow I will be on a plane somewhere over California, and at midnight I will trudge out of the Victoria airport, hopefully with all my luggage this time, and head home for the holidays.
As usual, I don’t know how much posting I’ll be doing over my vacation, I still reserve the right to withdraw into my own little world. I need that sometimes, especially after 75 days of being ‘on show’…but I’m also very much a holiday person, so we’ll see.
In the meantime.
Wishing you all safe sailing and fondest wishes.
Shaughnessy