I wanted to give an update with the blog and also let everyone know about some things coming up soon. There is a reason that I started this blog; when I started working as a musician onboard a cruise ship in 2008 I literally knew nothing about what to expect. I searched the internet trying to get as much information as possible and there really wasn't much out there. I promised myself to always help people who are interested and are new onboard so that can be better prepared than I was. After helping several musicians get hired by cruise lines and also helping new crewmembers when they come onboard, people were suggesting that I start a blog and share the information with everyone. I gave it some thought, but I had never done the blog thing before and the idea went to the backburner.
In 2012 my then fiancee (now wife) and I took a break from working on ships in order to focus on our upcoming wedding. We finished our last contract in May 2012 and got married in August. Since then we have performed on land and have been living in her hometown of Cebu, Philippines. She performed in the musical Avenue Q at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and we have both performed at different venues in Manila and Cebu.
Now fast forward to 2013 and there is another reason that the blog finally came into being. My wife and I got offered a contract to come back to ships again. My wife will be a featured singer in the production cast of singers and dancers and I will be playing drums in the orchestra. I figured it would be a good time as I get ready to go through the experience again and plus I will have new adventures to write about and share. We have worked for the company before and have even worked on a sister ship (meaning same design and layout). One of the bonuses is that the ship is small and has an amazing itinerary. We will be visiting 40 countries during our contract onboard. I will be signing on January 21 in Hong Kong while my wife starts rehearsals with her cast in Florida this week. She will join the ship in March in South Korea. We will sail in Southeast Asia, then over to India, the Middle East, the Red Sea, through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean, and then up to Northern Europe and Scandinavia. With a smaller ship you can get to ports that the larger ships just can't fit into. Plus this cruise line is known for a lot of overnights and their great itineraries. Our contract will run until August when we sign off in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The blog will continue with the theme of performing onboard an international cruise ship but will start to include some new firsthand travel experiences. We are excited about returning and traveling again. We are sad to leave our friends, family, and our dog but it will be fun to return to traveling to new places and performing every day.
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