Third time's the charm?

While I was working today, I got another phone call... my ship assignment has been changed. After first being given an assignment, then the date changing, and now the ship AND date changing, I certainly hope everything is sorted out.

I will now be working on Explorer of the Seas, sailing out of Cape Liberty in New Jersey. My contract will start on October 1st (so I'm back to the original date). Explorer of the Seas sails several different itineraries. I'll be starting in Canada/New England and Bermuda, and then as the weather gets cooler the ship will move to Eastern Caribbean routes. Explorer of the seas is part of the slightly smaller (compared to Liberty) Voyager class of ships.

Unfortunately, my mom and my sister had booked a cruise on Liberty of the seas for Christmas week so that they could be with me for the holidays, and then they were going to spend a week in Aruba which had already been planned. Now the cruise has had to be canceled. There is no cruise on the Explorer that they would be able to visit me on because the cruises are mostly 10-14 days in length as opposed to a week. It was extremely lucky that it happened today though as today was the last day my mom could get the deposit back on that cruise. The flight on the other hand is costing a lot more money now that they are back to flying straight to Aruba instead of spending a week in Miami first. I guess we've learned our lesson now not to book any cruises to visit me until I'm actually ON the ship.

Although I will miss seeing them for a week, I am very happy with the new routes I'll be sailing as there is a lot more variety. Also, the cruises are longer so I can only hope that means a greater variety of on-board shows and guest entertainers.

I have spoken to the cruise hiring agent and they have informed me that Royal Caribbean is going to be paying for my new air ticket to New Jersey (since I had a non-refundable ticket to Miami). So that's great news.

More details

Alright so there was a minor screw up with my start date. The day I got my ship assignment, I headed to the Royal Caribbean website to see what itineraries it sails. It struck me as odd that the ship was not in Miami on October 1st at all, which left me wondering how in the heck I was supposed to be joining that date. I sent an e-mail back to the hiring partner to find out what that was about. Turns out that I'm actually supposed to be boarding on the 3rd of October... good thing I checked before booking a flight that would have been 2 days too early. Goes to show that if something doesn't look right, don't be afraid to speak up about it!

I'll be flying down on October 2nd and they will pay for my overnight stay at a hotel. I even have my flight booked already.


Here are some details about the ship I will be working on, Liberty of the Seas.


Gross Tonnage: 160,000
Maiden Voyage: May 19, 2007
Passenger Capacity: 3,634 double occupancy (approx. 4,300 fully-loaded, plus 1,300 crew)
Godmother: Donnalea Madeley
Length: 1,112'
Max Beam: 184' (width)
Draft: 28' (height of the portion of the ship which is below sea level)
Cruising Speed: 21.6 knots




Liberty of the Seas is a Freedom-class ship, which is currently the largest size of cruise ship in the world. This will change about a month after I board when the latest largest ship in the world, Oasis of the Seas, is scheduled to go into service.

Ship Highlights

FlowRider® H2O Zone Cantilevered whirlpools Rock-climbing wall Ice-skating rink Royal Promenade Extensive WiFi capabilities and connectivity for cell phones Full-size, flat-screen TVs in every stateroom Themed bars and lounges Adventure Ocean® youth facilities Fitness Center and Day Spa Full-size Everlast boxing ring

Casino RoyaleSM Presidential Family Suite Sports Pool Full-size sports court 9-hole miniature golf course Johnny Rockets® '50s-style restaurant Portofino Italian Restaurant Chops Grille Ben & Jerry's® ice cream Vintages wine bar Boleros Latin-themed lounge Sorrento's pizza Vitality Wellness Program

Contrary to my initial posting, LOS sails both Eastern and Western itineraries, and even those change up a bit themselves... so I shouldn't be getting bored of the ports too quickly.

My contract will last at least 6 months (6 is the minimum for my position), however I have not been informed of my exact date of departure from the ship at this point.


That's all for now. I'll post any new information when I receive it. Until then, it's time to get my life in order before I leave :).

Good News!

I have just received a call from Cruise Services with my first ship assignment. It's on Liberty of the Seas, starting October 1st. The itinerary is Western Caribbean. I'm so excited.

At least there will be lots of time to get my life sorted before I start.

Should anyone want to send me letters or anything like that ;), I'll be posting the ship's address at some point soon.