I Don't Believe It!

I Don’t Believe It!

24^th July 2011

Another night of four hours sleep and the bags under my eyes are starting to look like huge sacks! This goes for pretty much everyone. As much as I love gangway, I like my sleep… and that means a little more than 4 hours. 

Climbing into the sailor’s costume, I grabbed David’s sailor’s hat. The guests could wear it, if not, I’d stick it onto my head. With my hair tied up and Aviator sun glasses on, Fede, Sandra and I were all ready for gangway.

The ship is too large for the port so we had to use tender boats to get into Cannes. I’d never experienced tendering. Apparently we were supposed to get onto the same boat as security but they left at 6.30!! It would have allowed us to prepare for the guests to come on the next boat. 

At 6.45 we were on the tender and waiting for the guests to get loaded on. Security popped onto the tender to tell us we needed to get to the other boat as it’d be leaving sooner. 

Running around to the other tender hub, I punched my card in. All of a sudden I was surrounded by security and officers. “Sorry Lou, you’re port manning”. WHAT!? I told them I was working on the gangway. The new M&R manager, Marie, came over and told me I was port manning and therefore wouldn’t be getting off the ship to work on gangway. She told us Jomar should’ve informed us that I was port-manning. Simultaneously we all turned and replied “Jomar doesn’t tell us anything”. Marie didn’t look too impressed.

Looking at me she informed me the tender boat would be leaving in 5 minutes and I’d better go find someone to wear my costume. Just as I was about to leave she called me back. I had a can of coke in my hand. “Next time I see you with a can of drink in your hand you’ll receive a warning. The I-95 is a guest area”. Since when has the I-95 a guest area?? It’s the main strip that crew use which runs from one end of the ship to the other. I didn’t have pockets so couldn’t put the can anywhere else. If I did have pockets, I wouldn’t have put my can inside… my pants would fallen down!!

Ringing Jomar, he had a go about me walking around with a can of coke. What the hell? I heard myself repeating Victor Meldrew’s infamous quote: I don’t believe it!! 

Jomar told me to tell Hernan he’d be taking me place as sailor. He was already working as the sailor from 9 to 11.30 and I didn’t fancy waking him up and giving him five minutes to get ready and onto the tender. “He’s asleep?” What a question! You went to bed at 2am. It’s now 7am and you don’t have work until 9am. Wouldn’t you be asleep? Common sense is obviously lacking! 

In the end after much confusion Jomar told me to let Fede he’d be free shooting alongside Sandra. Running back to the tender station, the boat had already left. Sanela who was supposed to be shooting the rail was nowhere to be seen. Late as usual.

Jumping back into bed for a couple of hours, I slept until 9.30. Getting my laptop I sat on Back Deck for a bit typing away. At least I had a few hours to update my blog. In fact, I had more than a few hours. I wasn’t scheduled to work until 6pm. 

A couple of hours later Camila and Luci came onto Back Deck to get me. Popping up to the Staff Mess we had something to eat before sitting out on the deck for a  while. 

Camila couldn’t go out as she was not fit for duty. Her hand is swollen like a balloon and the doctor’s don’t know why. Luci wanted to go out but had a lot of work plus she didn’t want to leave us on board. 

Watching the world go past, I was so upset I couldn’t get off the ship. This was the one port I was desperate to see! Talking to Eve, she said Monte Carlo was an hour away by train. It didn’t make me feel any better! 

The sea in Cannes is like a yacht’s motorway. It was so busy. Some of the private yachts going past were unbelievably impressive… and half the size of our ship! We were all shopping for our future yachts for when we marry an old, overly rich man. You didn’t think we’d be on the lookout for Prince Charming did you? 

The day was lovely and sooner than later, the only ones who were on the ship were those who were port manning. I wasn’t the only one saying “I Don’t Believe It!!!”

Rather than spend most of my time pulling my hair out, bored out of my box, I decided to make the most of my time… by sleeping. To add insult to injury, it was formal night. The first formal night so we were predicting it’d be busy.

Once again, I was on Titanic. If it’s not Bow, it’s Titanic. Still the new hires are getting the good back drops or Centrums where most of their photos are coming out completely out of focus. It didn’t make sense but I guess that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

During the evening, Hernan told me Lee’s parents were on the gangway to see us all. They asked where I was. I don’t believe it!!! Lee’s parents who were guests on the ship when I first joined (and were absolutely fantastic) were on the gangway and I didn’t get a chance to see them. That kind of upset me. It’d have been great to see them. Maybe next time? I hoped so!

We were finally on our way to our next port, Corsica (France). Maybe Jomar will give me Cannes off? I’m owed two days off due to good comments. That way I’d have plenty of time to get out, jump on the train to Monte Carlo and snap away! I can’t wait!

That’s not the only thing we have planned. People were parasailing and nearby was a small island where the properties are apparently enormous and completely out of this world. For 50 euros you can be taken to the island and go scuba diving for 3 hours. Some of the guys are planning to go scuba diving next time. While they are at the bottom of the sea, Hernan and I will be high in the sky parasailing! 

Bring on the good times!