Swimming with fish and a dog.

I’m writing this new addition from the comforts of my cabin after a relaxing day on Princesses very own Island called Princess Cays (pronounced Keys). This was my first port of call since the 6 day Atlantic crossing from Europe to Florida. I’m very content just laying on a beach with the sand between my toes and the sun beating down. This really is paradise to me. There’s only a redheaded lady missing to make this a picture perfect paradise! So since my last blog I have lots to share with you. Whilst soaking up the tropical paradise, I had the opportunity to test out my new camera; it is an underwater one too! The best part of it is it didn’t cost me a penny! My name was entered into a raffle during a crew show and I was the lucky winner of an Olympus Tough, 14 megapixel with a water depth of 10ft. So far so good though. Perfect timing because a new camera was on my wish list whilst sailing around the Caribbean. I was a little reluctant to put it under the water at first…you know me, I never trust anything to actually do what its supposed to do…this must be a British thing, thinking its to good to be true. I was pleasantly surprised and snapped some fantastic under water photos. This may just be my new hobby! I’m going to be spending the next 4 months cruising around the Caribbean so I hope I can use this camera to capture the beauty of these islands. 

confused if Jessica had taken the photo of not.

The Ruby Princess finally made its way to 
Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday 6^th. After being at sea for 6 long days! I figured this was going to be horrible but the time sailed by (pun intended!) and I am now in all three production shows onboard! Still have a few numbers to learn in the Broadway Ballroom show and some more when the injured female dancer returns. That’s still up in the air so let’s hope she is back with us after dry dock.

is that fish really smiling at me?

I was lucky enough to spend an entire day in Barcelona with my Mum and her boyfriend David. He owns a place out there and since my mum has retired they spend three months living in Spain together and then head back to dismal England for a few months and so on! It all went to plan apart from trying to find a place to park for 30 minuets. No ones fault just a very congested city to park in. My mum isn’t the best of passengers and would point out every parking spot we missed! We silenced her quickly!!  David gets 10 out of 10 for driving and parking whilst dealing with the traffic and Mum! Anyway it was so good to sit and have coffee with them both. We caught up on all the gossip and shared photos back and forth. One thing I’ve learnt about my mum though, never pour her a warm cup of coffee…she likes it piping hot! Haha! David tried to explain that it is because she orders milk and this cools the coffee down!

Mum and David dropping me off at my ship.

Spent the day walking along ‘Las Ramblas’, it felt so strange to be there with them both and for only one day! It felt so surreal. Had lunch in a great little Spanish restaurant and at the same time skyped with Allison. The weather was the best it has been since I got onboard so that made it even better to be outside all afternoon. So as soon as they had arrived it was time to say our good byes! I felt very blessed that they drove 4 hours to visit me.  But really what else do they have to do now they are both retired! J This was just what I needed and it couldn’t have come at a better time.  Said my good byes and went up to the crew deck to sit in the Spanish sun. Although it had got a little colder the sunbeams were still warm. Had a little cry by myself and stayed there for nearly 2 hours! I miss my mum being around so much. Hopefully that will change soon!?

Also another exciting event happening in the month of November.. my school reunion! It’s been 10 years since I left Neville Lovett School at the age of 15 !! (I turned 16 two weeks later!) I can’t believe where I have ended up in these 10 years! I don’t think I ever could have imagined I’d be where I am today! Living thousands of miles away, kicking my legs for money, Happily Divorced and cruising the Caribbean! At the time when I graduated you think the people around you are the only ones who matter and care! This is not the case! There is a big big world out there where no one has ever heard of the little town of Fareham, in Hampshire. At 15 I used to think life was so complicated but as you get older you realize it is nothing compared to life right now! Wouldn’t you all agree? I’m pretty much still the same guy who left in 2001… just a little more mature and with a little more expensive tastes in life. Who takes advantage of being an adult and is still as silly as a school boy! I’ve learnt rules are there to be broken and you can only really trust yourself. I’ve gained the confidence to speak my mind and this isn’t always a good thing but I hate all the pointless small talk and I’d much rather just get to the point. Last but not least I’ve discovered a love for Gingers! So as you can see I won’t be making the trip back to England for the reunion. This really annoys me because I always told myself that if we ever did have one I would make the effort to go. So if any of you from the class of 2001 are reading this, have a wonderful time and know I will be at the 15^th I promise!! The school memories still surface now and then so none of you are ever forgotten. I would like to be there to catch up on all your lives and adventures. Have some drinks for me and I look forward to seeing some of the photos soon.

Yeah...you that's really me! It was a dare.

Trust me the hair was in fashion!

So this cruise takes me back to a favorite Island of mine, St. Thomas. This was always the port I’d look forward to the most. Sadly I’m having real mixed feelings about being back there because this was where I had the dreaded phone call that my Step Father John had passed away. Still over 3 years later that horrible phone call from my mum still plays on repeat in my head. We not only lost my mum’s companion but my best friend! He influenced my life more than anyone and I have him to thank for my strong character but sensitive nature. I miss him everyday! No one will or has replaced the void in my life. He was only with my mum and I for a short while but it was the best 13 years of our lives! I’ve realized he prepared me for life in a way no one else could. He gave me all the tools I needed and then his work was done and off he went. He taught me to enjoy life even if it’s a simple thing but still get enjoyment out of it. Also a sense of pride with anything I own or would like. To look after things so they last a lot longer…plus I share his love for music and watching movies! Nothing beats watching a good movie at the Cinema! Thank you John for everything.

My Father and my Step Father.

Well Halloween just passed and it actually wasn’t a bad one. I’ve only ever been to two Halloween parties…and if you know me all too well you’d know I am a sucker for dressing up in costume! Nothing changes! I’ve had a brilliant idea for a costume and finally got the chance to put it to use! I’ve attached a photo so it pretty much explains its self. Bad taste I know but as the celebration was on a Cruise Ship why not go with a seafaring theme. Well I got a good laugh out of it…and so did most people that night! I actually was short listed for a prize of $400! But I didn’t look as creepy as the winner…anyway no one in my department deserves to win money. Compared to what others earn on here it wouldn’t be fair. I was just happy to take part and make some folks laugh!

Ryan as a Smurf (I said his hat looked more like
a turban  so we called him Punjab Smurf)

I am slowly getting into a routine on here, although walking around the ship is still an odd thing to do by ones’ self! I’m very comfortable with my own company and I tend to enjoy my independence but at the same time would much rather be sharing the experience. I’ve had to accept that this is great for me and my soul but crap for my girlfriend and our love life! We knew what we had signed up for though so I can’t let myself be a hypocrite and say ‘this isn’t what I signed up for’… because it is! A difficult decision but really there is a light at the end of the tunnel…with a small dog sitting and waiting! Yeah!

Downtown in Lincoln, Nebraska, September 2011

I’ve been thinking recently if I should have just done this a year ago? Instead of leaving the show ‘Joseph’ and moving to Knoxville..?? I wonder? But at the time I hadn’t the opportunity or desire. After all I had to deal with in 2010, I think I made the right decision to stay and be a land lover. I would have felt like I was running away from it all and at the time I had so many things to sort out and tie up it would have been the wrong choice. I also had to spend ALL my money somewhere…I seem to find a lot of these places. Plus a certain beautiful redhead gal waltzed her way into my life (and I gladly accepted).

Adjusting to life with out my little dog Klause is not easy. I think of him as often as I think of Allison and my own family. But he is in good hands with Logan! Forever grateful to you, buddy. See attached photo of my boy.

My boy.

So for those of you who don’t know I will be cruising with Allison on the Grand Princess in December!! I didn’t want to write about this until now, just incase it didn’t work out but for mine and Allison’s sake it did!! My ship is going into Dry Dock December 11^th. This means it is out of service and will have any maintenance done to it that is needed. Most of the crew stay onboard but work very little and some disembark. This does mean I won’t be getting paid for 11 days but I don’t care if it means I can spend 9 glorious days with Allison. Out of my cast only three of the dancers are disembarking…two are going to New York and I am leaving a ship to go cruise on one! Mad!! In all my traveling I’ve never been on a cruise as a passenger…not sure if I would ever go if it wasn’t for Allison signing me on. I have been an employee for so long it kind of ruins the magic! But I will be taking full advantage as a guest onboard! No name badge, dress codes and safety drills! Just watching the shows and eating with Allison onboard. Plus I can eat at the Sushi bar whenever I want!! Yes!! And for only $15 a day this is going to be the best Christmas present ever! Looking forward to hearing Allison sing her face off in her shows, sleeping in her deluxe double size bed…I’m going to feel like a king after my Vacation…going back to my tiny room with bunk beds and a room mate! (Who is totally cool) (Incase he is reading this!!) So I get off of my ship on 11^th and stay over night in Ft.Lauderdale then fly to Curacao where I am being put up in a 4 star hotel courtesy of Allison Frenzel. She will be docking there early in the morning (the ship that is!! J) and will come and meet me at the hotel. The ports of call aren’t anything amazing but that’s not why I am going, she is! So we will be celebrating an early Christmas together…just a shame a certain little dog called Klause couldn’t be there! This cruise is going to be exactly what both of us need at this point in time…after the dry dock I only have just over two months left of my contract! Then not sure where we are going but I know for sure it will be together! Thanks for reading… 

Digging for bones apparently? 

'Scones in the Staff Mess?'

 Welcome to my first update whilst at sea. After my 26 hour travel adventure to Italy, I finally boarded the ship Saturday 8^th at 8am. In fact I nearly missed my taxi ride to the ship, due to jet lag I fell into a sleep coma and was only woken up when the front desk called to say my taxi was here. Me being half asleep replied ‘oh he’s early?’ her response was ‘No, it’s 8:05am. Sir, your late!’ Luckily for me I had rearranged my bags that night and could up and leave within seconds…and that’s what I did!! 30 mins later I was carrying my luggage up the gangway and through security (I am pleased to announce I was cunning enough to smuggle a bottle of HP Brown Sauce/Salad Cream/1Box of Weetabix and a Christmas Pudding!) I was met by the Dance Captain and a blast from the past who goes by the name of Sam Cowens! 

The real thing in Pisa, Italy

For those of you who aren’t familiar with our connection, from the age of 5 we used to compete against each other in many Dance Festivals and have crossed paths twice before on Celebrity Cruise Line. It was good to see at least someone I knew. Having said that the cast are such a friendly bunch and have made me feel very welcome and I’m starting to settle in nicely. Truth be told I think they were just grateful to have their replacement onboard so the show would return to normal!(no just kidding) But as I arrived another one left! Sadly Megan who is a female dancer, had to medically disembark the next day due to a foot injury and had to fly home to the land ‘Down Under’. Fingers crossed she will be back in a few weeks.  So I spent the day getting a tour of the ship and then unpacked my suitcases. I’m sharing a cabin with a dancer from South Africa, his name is Tinis and is a great chap. I’m very pleased to have a room mate like him but I just hope he feels the same way about me!? Time should tell. 

The view of the Santorini, Greece (this isn't my ship) 

So it’s back to sleeping in a bunk bed…the top bunk is always my favorite place to sleep…I think that comes from being a kid who had bunk beds but it was only me in the room. I would often alternate between the two but the top bunk seems to be a magical place to sleep, don’t you agree? Anyway the first night I managed to keep my sleepy eyes open to watch the cast perform ‘Stardust’. I really enjoyed the show and they are a wonderful group to watch. 

So all that aside I do have to mention that being on here isn’t as perfect as it might read. Without my girlfriend here to share this all with, it really does put a damper on it all. I’m trying to not think about it too much but it’s hard to adjust to being on here by yourself. She seems to make my days full and exciting now it’s just sleeping, eating, rehearsals, sleeping, eating and eating! I’m gutted I can’t be there to share her first time experiences onboard a Cruise Ship. I’m not able to protect or encourage her too. Plus if I was onboard with her I’d be sleeping in the same bed in her luxury guest cabin and not in a small shared cabin that’s the size of a garden shed! This will be a huge test to our relationship and I’m sure we will pass with flying colors otherwise I wouldn’t have decided to do it this way but you can’t help but think is this all worth it? Well yeah because life is all about lessons right? (according to Oprah it is) and boy have I had some lessons taught. Its just frustrating that we aren’t able to share this experience together but I know we will in the future.

Mykonos, Greece

My only concern in life right now is if I ever let the social network community know how amazing this ‘Allison’ girl really is, she could be snapped up and taken away from me! So with that said all I’m going to say is…world you must be missing a huge piece of something because she probably took most of what you had to create her and I’m just blessed to have her (and as an added bonus she is a fabulous cook). So Thanks!

 I’ve been slowly adjusting to the showering experience onboard. Those of you who have been a crew member know exactly what I’m talking about! Imagine your bathroom being the size of a restroom cubical… squeezing a sink/toilet and having a shower in there can be a mission! It’s kind of like going to the bathroom on an airplane…a frustrating and difficult task eh! So whilst bending over to apply shampoo the shower curtain decideds to get fresh and wrap its self around you like a Roman Toga! This will be an ongoing relationship I think.   

Mykonos, Greece

Princess Cruise Line are so far the most relaxed company I’ve ever worked for when it comes down to Dress Code, Eating in guest area etc etc. So at the moment I haven’t really taken full advantage of this but once I’ve finished learning all the shows I plan to make this a priority.

So last night was my big opening night on the Ruby Princess! But before the big night I had performed a little deck party routine and two performances of a number from the show (a sneak peak). So with all my first night jitters running around inside of me we had to stop the show after only 1 minuet in!! There was a problem with a set piece so we had to reset the show and start again! I questioned if this was an oman of things to come… I hope not. I also missed an entrance to a number that starts on stage… so my slow ass had to wait until they moved to an easy place for me to acces them on stage. Come the second show it went much smother and I have to say it was nice to finally be dancing on here.

Sunset in Santorini, Greece

Two nights ago I was pleasantly surprised to walk in the staff mess and find delicious looking scones! This was such a treat and after felling like you sometimes do on a ship ( a prisoner) well this just made me feel like a human again… mmmmm it really hit the spot.    

A little something I came across whilst doing some safety training on the ship!

On a side note, whilst I was flying to Italy I started to wondered whatever happened to the complimentary boiled sweets they handed out before take off and landing? As a child I always looked forward to this. It was to help with the pressure change and supposedly sucking on a sweet would help/prevent this!? Did someone realize it never really worked? I wonder how much the airlines saved by cutting this?

'As the Scarecrow Flies'

So this has been something I've wanted to do for many years. I didn't really think I had enough to write about but in these last couple of years I seem to have collected plenty of material. I figured I'm going to be by myself on my next adventure so why not invite you all along whilst I document my travels and thoughts. When it comes down to social networks I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan. I do take full advantage of sharing photos and comments with friends and family but I like to have control of what is published on the web! This seemed like a sensible way to share my thoughts and experiences with those of you who actually are interested in reading my posts. Eliminating those who were just some guy I once knew at school and thought it was only polite to add me as a friend. I'd like to say I am 100% dedicated to writing this blog but I tend to loose interest in things pretty quickly so please don't hold your breath! I will give it a go and see what comes of it.

My new adventure is taking me back to a place I wasn't sure I'd return to... Cruising. And not the kind you do in your car around a red light district but out at sea onboard Princess Cruise Line. The name of my ship is the 'Ruby' and its passenger capacity is 3400 guests! I will be joining the cast as a replacement and will be onboard for the next 5 months! At this very moment I am waiting for my medical results to come back and when they do I shall be flying to Europe to join the ship. I will slowly be placed into the shows so I probably won't have much time in the ports but I'm flat broke so it's really ok. Then starting in November I will be porting out of Ft. Lauderdale and cruising the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

Sadly my girlfriend Allison (who is a Singer on the 'Grand Princess') will never get a chance to dock with me in the same port!! So frustrating as we are going to be cruising the same islands but not on the same schedule! I thought at least we would be porting together...but no! Not only is it hard enough being on a ship by your self but your loved one is in the same stretch of sea and you can never see her! Luckily I have a Dry-Dock scheduled for December (meaning they take the ship out of the water and do a routine maintenance check) it's for 10 days and we can either stay on the ship and get paid to do nothing or we can disembark but not get paid. So I am jumping at the chance to go spend a week with my girl for only $15 a day. I'm flying from Miami to the island Curacao and will board her ship from there. (no pun intended) So at least we will have a week to spend with one another right before Christmas. That's something to look forward to.

Well that's my quick and easy update for you all. Check back soon for photos and more stories.
Wish Me Luck.