Changes & Freebies

Changes and Freebies

9^th October 2011

Today we’re in Kusadasi, Turkey and there were a large amount of crew due to leave the ship. The weather was crap when we arrived and the sea incredibly rough. The gangway was opened 45 minutes late – not that we were complaining.

Once onto the gangway it was pure mayhem! The guests were charging off the ship and scurrying in every direction. Hernan, the Persian Prince had me shooting him. David was shooting Camila who was bursting out of her Cleopatra’s dress. 

Everyone was smudging like crazy and jumping all over the place to get the guests to have their photo taken. It was madness – just the way David and I liked the gangways. It made it more interesting than the easy, run-of-the-mill conveyer-belt like queue that we sometimes get.

It wasn’t long until the place went dead. Also, it wasn’t long until a large line of crew came out. It was the sign-offs disembarking from the Marienr. David got excited as that would soon be us (David, Hernan and I). A lot of people who were leaving were friends of ours. It was sad seeing them go and it'd be strange not seeing them around. Edi and three others from Laundry were disembarking. I gave them a quick hug before returning to work. All were sat on their suitcases for about 20 minutes watching us go about our jobs on gangway.

I was happy the lads from Laundry were going, they’d been working on the ship for a minimum of 10 months - a long time to be away from home. These lads were the ones I knew the best and it’d be strange not seeing them every day while walking past to the lab or dropping off the costumes.

Gangway was done and dusted with within 1.5 hours. The ship was deserted.

Back inside, we grabbed something to eat before heading out to use the internet. The heavy rain then started to pour down and the thunder came rolling in.

I returned to the ship to get ready for work. Sandra had just got back from the Ephesus tour. She’d been in the Duty Free store and was asking the workers there if they had a particular perfume. They did, but it was only the tester bottle. They’d sold out. Being as cheeky as Sandra is, she asked for the bottle of perfume, as they were only going to throw it away or keep it in the back. Amazingly, the works said yes, but in one condition: Sandra had to take photos of them and then email the pictures to one of the workers. Deal! Sandra took their photos and email address and got a 80% full bottle of free Escada Taj Sunset perfume. Lucky mare! Sandra was rolling up when she told me. 

I had work in 30 minutes while Sandra wanted to go back to the Duty Free and purchase bottle of perfume she liked. She didn’t have the money to buy it before. Grabbing the money from her safe we ran out into the rain and towards the Duty Free. The people in the store were so friendly. 

While running back to the ship, Sandra nearly slipped over a painted patch on the floor. It almost sent her flying! I guess that’s one form of pay back when you get a nearly full bottle of Taj Sunset perfume for free!!

Hernan, Me and David on the Ring