Let's talk about crew immigration...NOT A FAN! Closing the space and then having to be up a little over (or under in my case) 3 hours. We get up and this timet he Customs Agents were there on time. It went pretty fast, but then when it came time to get off... the crew window was not open. CBP had boarded our ship to do a random (and methodical) drug sweep. At 6:45am I went to go to the gangway to get off and we were told not yet it may be a bit. 3 HOURS later we were finally let off the ship. We have special Security MARK from (who cares I wouldn't claim him for USA so no worries) and this new guy who has absolutely no idea what he's doing. We weren't allowed to stand on the I-95 even though it's a crew area. He came over to us rudely to begin with and then came back later while I was stopping to talk to one of my counselors about the day and made a bit of a scene. I was the bigger person although for each hour that we were rudely spoken to and told to stay of I-95 or "GO BACK TO OUR ROOMS" as he pointed at us, I lost a bit of the leadership edge. He threatened to call our leaders... teh counselors thought this was funny since I am a leader... I told Erika about hte specialness of security which we already know but we also got reprimanded for accumulating near the gangway. Any other day the area we were in is full of crew members anyway using their cell phones. All I can say is Mark from Security can go fly a kite! This is the short version of this story...ask me when I get home and I'll share the entire melodrama with you!
I am ready to come home... I've been on a ton more Adult time outs in the past few cruises...ridiculous is what I have to say about some of the people on the most recent voyages. We had a man just complain about us not leaving his son in the space on the island after we closed. We made sure his child was safe and evidently that was not enough.
9 days until Tejas friends... it's on like Donkey Kong when I get home... after I get my foot checked out of course!!
Staff recognition tonight...yes on the night of crew immigration as well as a night where I am exremely tired... no bueno for me. 3 cruises left...then I'm leavin' on a jet plane...
just keep swimming friends!!
-ash
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
I NEED A NAP
I NEED A NAP!!!
Feel like I've been up forever but it hasn't been that long. I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep and I have a ton of stuff to do today. Have to wait to try to register for my classes to see what the financial aid folks said. I don't 3900 dollars to fork out for school I'm 5 classes shy of hte masters in sports management and am thining intently about pursuning a masters in history with an emphasis in sports history
Feel like I've been up forever but it hasn't been that long. I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep and I have a ton of stuff to do today. Have to wait to try to register for my classes to see what the financial aid folks said. I don't 3900 dollars to fork out for school I'm 5 classes shy of hte masters in sports management and am thining intently about pursuning a masters in history with an emphasis in sports history
Thursday, September 9, 2010
MERRITT ISLAND MALL = FREE INTERNET
FREE INTERNET is a blessing that we don't have on the ship. Everyone pays their $7 to board hte bus to come to the mall to have free internet. If you have 2 hours off it can mean getting bills paid or just actually talking to friends online.
I'm on the look out for a new bank friends... if you know of one that is good and is also n the west coast, please let me know. I do not want to go to Bank of America and am ready to leave Compass so give me some ideas. I would like to be able to go somewhere close to the port in LA to get money if I need it AND have a debit card that works. Talked to mom today and one of these days I will talk to Claudine. Ayana I miss you sister friend and all my BLACK DAISY friends and FC DALLAS friends as well. Alice...your post cards are always welcome... everyone on ship gets a kick out of them!!
I think a visit to the ortho is going to happen when I get home... the medical center staff on board is not my fave so I will go to get an opinoin and then when I get home I will get it checked out.
Anyway... I ohpe all is well with everyone... I miss you all and will be home in 7 cruises so no worries... plan some fun for me from October 4th through November 26th. Sports are a big plus... I miss watching them in person and on TV.
Gotta go...just keep swimming!
Ashley
I'm on the look out for a new bank friends... if you know of one that is good and is also n the west coast, please let me know. I do not want to go to Bank of America and am ready to leave Compass so give me some ideas. I would like to be able to go somewhere close to the port in LA to get money if I need it AND have a debit card that works. Talked to mom today and one of these days I will talk to Claudine. Ayana I miss you sister friend and all my BLACK DAISY friends and FC DALLAS friends as well. Alice...your post cards are always welcome... everyone on ship gets a kick out of them!!
I think a visit to the ortho is going to happen when I get home... the medical center staff on board is not my fave so I will go to get an opinoin and then when I get home I will get it checked out.
Anyway... I ohpe all is well with everyone... I miss you all and will be home in 7 cruises so no worries... plan some fun for me from October 4th through November 26th. Sports are a big plus... I miss watching them in person and on TV.
Gotta go...just keep swimming!
Ashley
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
It’s nice to be noticed. :O)
9/8/10
It’s nice to be noticed. Last embark day I got asked to lunch sometime by a Disney handler (shore side) … really nice guy funny and all that good stuff. Today trying to wash my clothes and getting hit on in the itty bitty laundry room by a guy from Mauritius who works in Carpentry or something… he can fix electrical goodness so that’s a plus right, lol. It’s funny how everyone starts looking good after a while. Not that these two guys look bad just saying life on the ship is very intense and the social life can be very strange and or nonexistent if you don’t go out to the crew bar. Which if you know me, you know I don’t.I love to go out to deck 5 forward and sit in the dark looking up at the sky trying to clear my head… I also like to walk around deck 4 which is our track. How nice it is to be noticed for being pretty instead of gaining weight. :o) My social life consists of work which isn’t too fabulous since my MAN SUIT as I call it adds like 20 pounds. One of the house keeper guys did tell me today “oh you’ve put on a few pounds since you got on the ship huh?”
Mom told me there was a hurricane… my bad tornado (obviously spending a lot of time on the ocean… I think of water before wind these days. Hope all is well in the Tejas… love and miss you all and will be praying for anyone who might have lost anything in the twister(s).
So back to work goodness… had a great closing team tonight and had a great meeting with a counselor. He wants to stick around the company for a while and wants to know what he needs to do to advance. I think he could advance, he just has to have the right mindset AND focus. My team was done by 1:00am and no one but me stayed after their scheduled time. I should probably change my scheduled time in the template since it doesn’t make since for me to leave at 12:30am but my closers don’t leave until 1:00am. It was a great cruise… I don’t mind the 4 day cruisers as much as the special 3 day cruisers. Those that come on our 3 days seem to want it all for free. Not everything is free and you can’t treat people like crap and expect great service. It’s like that old example of treating your waiter poorly before you get your meal. Why irritate nad treat your childs caregiver horribly while you have your kids in care with them? That’s just stupid. The 3 day seems to be the cruise for those about to fall or have fallen off the wagon. Boozers everywhere. Hopefully this cruise will be different. I know the next 4 day will be different since it is the Disney Vacation Club cruise. I have to go back and look at the scheduling template to make sure we have filled in all the holes.
I need to sign up for school this week. By this week I mean tomorrow or Sunday since I think I get paid on Saturday. We’ll find out tomorrow when I hit the atm in the mall to check my balance. The atm at Walmart and the actual cash register at Walmart hates me I think. Going to have to call the moms and get money moved around so I can start my classes. I only have 5 left until I can take my comprehensive and hopefully have a masters in Sports Management. I have to sign up by the 25th so that don’t have to go back through all the crazy paperwork… USSA is a bit special as well so we try to K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) for them. I am going to sign up and have the books sent to the ship so I can get started and while I am at home finish before the week of Thanksgiving so that I can take the final at SMU. I have no choice, there is no time to take anything once I return here, although I could look into what schools in the area have testing privelages or where there is a nearby testing center. I am ready to go and get back into my sports management. It’s the fall so I’m missing watchin my Black Daisies or Replacements or whatever they are calling themselves this season, I miss watching my Mustangs (WOO HOO GO SMU!!) play some soccer, volleyball, and football. I miss all my college teams and my Cowboys as well as FC DALLAS. I pretty much miss sports in general. I would say that is my main issue with Disney… can’t watch all mys ports. If I get some time I could potentially go to the cove and watch ESPN, but I couldn’t watch all of world cup due to broadcast rights… WE OWN ESPN AND ABC!!! Doesn’t make much sense to me but hey” I just work here!” .
Some of you will appreciate my quotes… I am running low on quotes at the moment. If you have any good ones… add a comment to this page and I will write it down. I’ve been putting quotes at the bottom of my counselors schedules. :o) I know it’s soooo me. Miss you all but remember: JUST KEEP SWIMMING!!! Hello 3:00am.
7 CRUISES!!
Ashley
It’s nice to be noticed. Last embark day I got asked to lunch sometime by a Disney handler (shore side) … really nice guy funny and all that good stuff. Today trying to wash my clothes and getting hit on in the itty bitty laundry room by a guy from Mauritius who works in Carpentry or something… he can fix electrical goodness so that’s a plus right, lol. It’s funny how everyone starts looking good after a while. Not that these two guys look bad just saying life on the ship is very intense and the social life can be very strange and or nonexistent if you don’t go out to the crew bar. Which if you know me, you know I don’t.I love to go out to deck 5 forward and sit in the dark looking up at the sky trying to clear my head… I also like to walk around deck 4 which is our track. How nice it is to be noticed for being pretty instead of gaining weight. :o) My social life consists of work which isn’t too fabulous since my MAN SUIT as I call it adds like 20 pounds. One of the house keeper guys did tell me today “oh you’ve put on a few pounds since you got on the ship huh?”
Mom told me there was a hurricane… my bad tornado (obviously spending a lot of time on the ocean… I think of water before wind these days. Hope all is well in the Tejas… love and miss you all and will be praying for anyone who might have lost anything in the twister(s).
So back to work goodness… had a great closing team tonight and had a great meeting with a counselor. He wants to stick around the company for a while and wants to know what he needs to do to advance. I think he could advance, he just has to have the right mindset AND focus. My team was done by 1:00am and no one but me stayed after their scheduled time. I should probably change my scheduled time in the template since it doesn’t make since for me to leave at 12:30am but my closers don’t leave until 1:00am. It was a great cruise… I don’t mind the 4 day cruisers as much as the special 3 day cruisers. Those that come on our 3 days seem to want it all for free. Not everything is free and you can’t treat people like crap and expect great service. It’s like that old example of treating your waiter poorly before you get your meal. Why irritate nad treat your childs caregiver horribly while you have your kids in care with them? That’s just stupid. The 3 day seems to be the cruise for those about to fall or have fallen off the wagon. Boozers everywhere. Hopefully this cruise will be different. I know the next 4 day will be different since it is the Disney Vacation Club cruise. I have to go back and look at the scheduling template to make sure we have filled in all the holes.
I need to sign up for school this week. By this week I mean tomorrow or Sunday since I think I get paid on Saturday. We’ll find out tomorrow when I hit the atm in the mall to check my balance. The atm at Walmart and the actual cash register at Walmart hates me I think. Going to have to call the moms and get money moved around so I can start my classes. I only have 5 left until I can take my comprehensive and hopefully have a masters in Sports Management. I have to sign up by the 25th so that don’t have to go back through all the crazy paperwork… USSA is a bit special as well so we try to K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) for them. I am going to sign up and have the books sent to the ship so I can get started and while I am at home finish before the week of Thanksgiving so that I can take the final at SMU. I have no choice, there is no time to take anything once I return here, although I could look into what schools in the area have testing privelages or where there is a nearby testing center. I am ready to go and get back into my sports management. It’s the fall so I’m missing watchin my Black Daisies or Replacements or whatever they are calling themselves this season, I miss watching my Mustangs (WOO HOO GO SMU!!) play some soccer, volleyball, and football. I miss all my college teams and my Cowboys as well as FC DALLAS. I pretty much miss sports in general. I would say that is my main issue with Disney… can’t watch all mys ports. If I get some time I could potentially go to the cove and watch ESPN, but I couldn’t watch all of world cup due to broadcast rights… WE OWN ESPN AND ABC!!! Doesn’t make much sense to me but hey” I just work here!” .
Some of you will appreciate my quotes… I am running low on quotes at the moment. If you have any good ones… add a comment to this page and I will write it down. I’ve been putting quotes at the bottom of my counselors schedules. :o) I know it’s soooo me. Miss you all but remember: JUST KEEP SWIMMING!!! Hello 3:00am.
7 CRUISES!!
Ashley
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
People come and go…
9/7/10
Can’t believe there are only seven cruises left…something like 25 days until I’m headed back to the Lone Star state! I have been on the early shift which is always interesting… something always happens in the middle of the morning time when all is a bit busy/hectic. Yesterday on the island was fun… lots to do a slight breeze and then just a plain sunny day. We had a moment of rain but I think Mother Nature thought Katy was opening and then realized it was me so she pulled back the rain clouds. A cloud came later in the day as well when shift was changing but I told Mother Nature it was Carly coming out not Katy, lol. Whenever Katy opens the island, it rains. When I say rains, I mean RAINS! Had crazy island times as well as good ones… the medical team was busy… broken arm and allergic reaction… things were going well and then BAM a random emergency. All was handled well by the Disney Island team so thank goodness for that. All in all we could enjoy the COCONUTS and SHELLS, COCONUTS AND SHELLS.
I’m sad my friends are leaving so soon. Katy is goofy and crazy which the counselors don’t really ever get to see, Carly is insane but in a good way… Darcy is also pretty goofy. They only see us when we are stressed out about this that or the other. We are all very different but we make a good team I feel. It’s hard though…morale is way down and people aren’t coming back… you’d think with such a large leadership team that there would be at least one person that the the counselors feel like they can talk to. We seem to all be intimidating (you YMCA people hush) so they go to our boss to talk about things that they could have come to us about. It sucks, since I try to be open and available to everyone and try to be in the space as a participant as much as possible. Hmmmm… I guess it’s another lesson learned… you can’t make some people happy no matter what you do. Make the majority happy and you should be okay but 100% satisfaction does not exist.
Oh well, just keep swimming.
Ashley
Can’t believe there are only seven cruises left…something like 25 days until I’m headed back to the Lone Star state! I have been on the early shift which is always interesting… something always happens in the middle of the morning time when all is a bit busy/hectic. Yesterday on the island was fun… lots to do a slight breeze and then just a plain sunny day. We had a moment of rain but I think Mother Nature thought Katy was opening and then realized it was me so she pulled back the rain clouds. A cloud came later in the day as well when shift was changing but I told Mother Nature it was Carly coming out not Katy, lol. Whenever Katy opens the island, it rains. When I say rains, I mean RAINS! Had crazy island times as well as good ones… the medical team was busy… broken arm and allergic reaction… things were going well and then BAM a random emergency. All was handled well by the Disney Island team so thank goodness for that. All in all we could enjoy the COCONUTS and SHELLS, COCONUTS AND SHELLS.
I’m sad my friends are leaving so soon. Katy is goofy and crazy which the counselors don’t really ever get to see, Carly is insane but in a good way… Darcy is also pretty goofy. They only see us when we are stressed out about this that or the other. We are all very different but we make a good team I feel. It’s hard though…morale is way down and people aren’t coming back… you’d think with such a large leadership team that there would be at least one person that the the counselors feel like they can talk to. We seem to all be intimidating (you YMCA people hush) so they go to our boss to talk about things that they could have come to us about. It sucks, since I try to be open and available to everyone and try to be in the space as a participant as much as possible. Hmmmm… I guess it’s another lesson learned… you can’t make some people happy no matter what you do. Make the majority happy and you should be okay but 100% satisfaction does not exist.
Oh well, just keep swimming.
Ashley
Sunday, September 5, 2010
New post coming soon ...snippet of THE MOTION OF THE OCEAN
Will update my Hurricane posts on Thursday maybe before... I haven't forgot I had things to do today!! Miss you all... FCD IN THE PLAYOFFS!! WOO HOO!!
Hurricane Earl... you suck!!
401 emails - NO BUENO
Upset guests - aaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!
Counselors - workin hard to keep the dream alive... teamwork makes the dream work!
Just a snippit for you...
I've never seen so many black people on a boat in my life... as many people as I know that say they don't do the 2 Fs... float or fly there were a ton on the ship.
I'll talk to you later.
Just keep swimming!!!
Hurricane Earl... you suck!!
401 emails - NO BUENO
Upset guests - aaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!
Counselors - workin hard to keep the dream alive... teamwork makes the dream work!
Just a snippit for you...
I've never seen so many black people on a boat in my life... as many people as I know that say they don't do the 2 Fs... float or fly there were a ton on the ship.
I'll talk to you later.
Just keep swimming!!!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Mad Dads, Kid Fights and Seizures oh my!
Yes it's been that kind of day today... we've had it all on the last day of this fabulous 3 day cruise. This one makes me want to go home. I have 8 cruises left I think after this. I haven't counted cruises until today. My electricity went out on my late day so I was forced to go out to the island... I know, I know... poor poor me having to go to the island, but I REALLY wanted to sleep. ... my foot has been hurting pretty consistently and ALOT. I've had people yelling at me and cursing at me today... I smell GSM Comments out the wazoo!! VOMIT #1139 or voyage 1139 as it's officially known. I'm going to bed to make this day go away... just keep swimming, just keep swimming.
Ashley
Ashley
Friday, September 3, 2010
SEPTEMBER WHY YOU DO ME LIKE YOU DO
September has been a bit of a B so far. Bad no check that, HORRIBLE weather. Yesterday was all about high waves and wishing Hurrican Earl would have gone even farther. His wake was what got it but hey even if he had gotten closer, we are pretty safe on the ship as the Captain can try to avoid his path. We almost didn't go to Castaway due to weather but when I woke up this morning, WE MADE IT!! Bright and sunny day and everything. We were thinking it was 90% that we were going ot have an additional sea day but way to go Captain Henry!! I was lucky and got of at 8:30pm last night so I was able to be in my room and chat with D and all my facebook friends who were online.
I want to start workign out here on the ship, but it makes a treadmill with out power look good so it's not appealing to be inside. I miss being outside everyday...some days I don't actually go outside so when I do get out...it's amazing. My foot that I hurt when I came home in July is really starting to hurt but hopefully it will stop. We'll see. I have a tone of reviews to write and deliver...Disney reviews waaaaaay different from YMCA reviews... a lot more sugar coating ...pixie dust and all that, lol.
I want to start workign out here on the ship, but it makes a treadmill with out power look good so it's not appealing to be inside. I miss being outside everyday...some days I don't actually go outside so when I do get out...it's amazing. My foot that I hurt when I came home in July is really starting to hurt but hopefully it will stop. We'll see. I have a tone of reviews to write and deliver...Disney reviews waaaaaay different from YMCA reviews... a lot more sugar coating ...pixie dust and all that, lol.
THE MOTION OF THE OCEAN
9/2/10
Motion of hte ocean not my friend...
It makes sleeping and just walking in general a bit hard. It feels like hte hsip is about to tup over!! If you can't imagine... I'll let you know it doesn't feel so good. I was on deck 5 forward (crew area and pool) and the wind was going something crazy and there was a table with another table stacked on it that kept moving. I was checking the weather (aka going for a smoke not me her :o)) with Carly and decided it was time to go in. I wasn't feeling the tables and chairs stacked up for safety moving around. The waves were crashing something awful last night. Everyone on the ship was getting sick... vomit was everywhere... it ws gross but funny all at the same time. Every time you turned around we were calling to get a spot cleaned up and guarding it to keep guests from stepping in it. Housekeeping had quite the day... someone hit a sprinkler on deck 1 aft and flooded it earlier in the day and then the motion of hte ocean came, no bueno.
crazy times
32 or so days until I debark. I need to start sending some of my stuff home or buy another piece of luggage ... this could be crazy... i shoved all my sh&t in one on the way but have since gotten two additional bags... maybe I can make it work. Looks like it's time to start giving things away.
Crazy thing is ...it seems like it's been a really short time since I got here. Although a lot has happened since I went away... I'm having trouble remembering the sequential order of some events. When Daisy died... was that before Joan or after... when was Terri... all these thigns popped into my head the other day and I had a moment trying to figure out everything. I think it was the motion of hte ocean and my lack of Sea Bands and sleep.
There are some serious black people on the ship by the way. For all the people of color that I kow who say they don't do the 2 Fs FLOAT and FLY I thinkthey all tried it on this cruise. I haven't seen this many people since going to Atlanta, Georgia!! It's crazy too b/c they all came with crazy expectations and all that attitude... which is unnecessary. RUDENESS IS IN ABUNDANCE THIS CRUISE!! I get that they don't feel well but dang it I can't help it... I'm trying to help you kids have a WONDERful time.
Anywho... going to sleep now!
Hasta la bye bye.
Ashley
Motion of hte ocean not my friend...
It makes sleeping and just walking in general a bit hard. It feels like hte hsip is about to tup over!! If you can't imagine... I'll let you know it doesn't feel so good. I was on deck 5 forward (crew area and pool) and the wind was going something crazy and there was a table with another table stacked on it that kept moving. I was checking the weather (aka going for a smoke not me her :o)) with Carly and decided it was time to go in. I wasn't feeling the tables and chairs stacked up for safety moving around. The waves were crashing something awful last night. Everyone on the ship was getting sick... vomit was everywhere... it ws gross but funny all at the same time. Every time you turned around we were calling to get a spot cleaned up and guarding it to keep guests from stepping in it. Housekeeping had quite the day... someone hit a sprinkler on deck 1 aft and flooded it earlier in the day and then the motion of hte ocean came, no bueno.
crazy times
32 or so days until I debark. I need to start sending some of my stuff home or buy another piece of luggage ... this could be crazy... i shoved all my sh&t in one on the way but have since gotten two additional bags... maybe I can make it work. Looks like it's time to start giving things away.
Crazy thing is ...it seems like it's been a really short time since I got here. Although a lot has happened since I went away... I'm having trouble remembering the sequential order of some events. When Daisy died... was that before Joan or after... when was Terri... all these thigns popped into my head the other day and I had a moment trying to figure out everything. I think it was the motion of hte ocean and my lack of Sea Bands and sleep.
There are some serious black people on the ship by the way. For all the people of color that I kow who say they don't do the 2 Fs FLOAT and FLY I thinkthey all tried it on this cruise. I haven't seen this many people since going to Atlanta, Georgia!! It's crazy too b/c they all came with crazy expectations and all that attitude... which is unnecessary. RUDENESS IS IN ABUNDANCE THIS CRUISE!! I get that they don't feel well but dang it I can't help it... I'm trying to help you kids have a WONDERful time.
Anywho... going to sleep now!
Hasta la bye bye.
Ashley
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