One benefit to life as a cruise ship crew member is the travel opportunities. Granted, we visit the same ports over and over again for months, but, this lifestyle does lend itself to experiences that are not necessarily available on land. In addition to basically living in beautiful vacation destinations, occasionally the right set of circumstances puts me in a position to partake in shore excursions offered by the cruise ship at a discounted rate. Good times.
Last week there was a crew excursion on a catamaran in Aruba. It involved sailing, snorkeling, sunbathing, music, and an open bar. Attendees were most of the production cast, ice cast, and a few musicians. We hopped off the ship in the morning, took a bus ride to our catamaran, lathered up with some sunscreen, and sailed out into the clear blue water. We anchored close to shore for some shallow water snorkeling. I saw hundreds of beautiful fish, a starfish, and two octopi.
A quick aside: most of my friends onboard are singers, dancers, ice skaters, and other performers. A group largely made up of tremendous athletes and people whose job requires that they stay in excellent shape. Going to the beach can be a little intimidating with these folks. It's kind of like hanging out at a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition photo shoot.
After a short sail we anchored near a historic shipwreck site. A German freighter had an explosion onboard due to engine problems and sank very close to shore in the early 1940's. The water depth where the ship sank is only 55 feet and it's one of the only places on earth where one can get close to such a huge wreck without the need for scuba gear. I, of course, was terrified. Not only was it open water snorkeling (which means strong currents), but, the deeper the water…the bigger the ocean creatures. Not to mention that I find shipwrecks pretty creepy generally speaking. In any case, I overcame my fears (I'm not kidding about this…I nearly had a panic attack when I first jumped in the water) and participated. I even held my breath and swam down a few meters to get a closer look. Overall, it was an exhilarating experience. Hey, what can I say? Sometimes it's fun to be scared.
The party bus.
Kieran following directions on his glasses.
Pre-sail debrief with the staff (where's the bar again?)
My sun protection plan often involves a t-shirt, hat, and sunglasses.
Dustin (alto sax), Beau (tenor sax), and me. I don't tan well.
Me with JoJo (dancer) and Henry (piano).
Beau and Suzie. Cute picture.
Kim is the aerialist with the ice cast. I told you there were
tremendous athletes onboard!
Me overcoming snorkeling fears.
