Has it really been two months since my last post? Quite a bit has happened, but I’ll just hit the high points.
View from the plane
The end of rehearsals went by quickly. We learned our last show in less than two weeks, cleaned it in three days, and performed our Office Run. I rarely left the studios and apartments, but still enjoyed myself. A few friends from previous contracts were in rehearsals as well, so I was able to catch up with them in my down time. I had one day off to pack before flying to San Juan. I thought my bags would be underweight, but due to 2 bags of feathers that I had to take to the costumers on the ship, I had extra weight and pieces of luggage! As we were landing, we could see our new home, the Adventure of the Seas, in port.
Excess luggage
As soon as we signed on, we started working! Costume fittings, rehearsals, trainings, and drills filled our days. We opened our first show day 6, and started working on the next show the day after! We had all three production shows up and running in less than three weeks. After that, we had to open our “Welcome Aboard” routine, “Farewell” dance, a hip hop number, and a parade. After two days of peace, we started installing Mystery Theater! We had about 10 days of rehearsals before opening night.
Opening Night!
Luckily, I’ve been able to enjoy turnaround day in San Juan every Saturday. I love walking around Old San Juan. In my explorations, I’ve seen some beautiful places and eaten some delicious food. My roommate and I stopped at Anam Spa & Cocktail Lounge (http://www.anamspacocktaillounge.com/) one week to get our nails done, and were given a complimentary glass of sangria that we enjoyed on the patio after our service. The view was fantastic! Another day, we went to El Morro. We didn’t stay long because it started raining, but it was nice to walk around the fort again. Dining highlights include ceviche at a bar that I forgot the name of and a chocolate-chile rubbed chicken eggs benedict at Casa Cortes. I didn’t love the chicken, but I have to give the restaurant credit because they gave me a free chocolate coconut frappucino! Chatting at a restaurant, I got suggestions from a local for other things to do in San Juan. I hope to soon go to the rain forest, and to explore other areas of the city!
I’ve also had the pleasure of getting off in Curacao. I’ve spent two days relaxing at the pool at the Renaissance Hotel. The infinity pool looks out onto the ship, and the poolside bar has great food, including a tasty (albeit overpriced) tuna salad, and an extensive cocktail menu. A lot of crewmembers go there, so I had a fun group to spend my time with! I had a rare evening off, and joined some girls from my cast for dinner and drinks at Gouverneur. The chicken satay was delicious! I also loved walking around town as the sun was setting. The colorful buildings were extra beautiful in the fading light.
The only other port I’ve enjoyed so far is Aruba. I walked around the downtown area one day, and spent another at Palm Beach. Although the beach is more crowded than I really like, the water is gorgeous. I had a delicious cocktail, a seaweed and seafood salad, and way too much sun!
Walking around Aruba
Now that install is over, I will finally be able to settle into a normal schedule and will have more opportunities to explore ports. I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with you all!
More beautiful beaches to come!
**Please stop by my friend’s Surviving Your Art. It’s a realistic take on the art world with heaps of insight a dash of sass.
waltzing on water 