Did the read about the first half of my first cruise as a youth staff member? If not, click here!
DAY 4: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25 – HALF MOON CAY
My morning was pretty much a whole lotta training. There’s so much that goes into working on a ship, many things that I would never even think about. Admittedly, the training is super long, but it’s all important and necessary. Training started around 9 am, and we got a break at 12 pm for lunch before proceeding with more training at 1 pm until about 3 pm.
After training, I had a free afternoon until 7 pm. I decided to be productive and get a lot of things done that I had been procrastinating on, so to speak since this was only my fourth day. I turned in the paperwork to get direct deposit, I turned in my old nametag that had “Los Angelos” listed as the place I was from rather than Louisiana, visited the medical center and I updated the information on my ID.
Joe and I had a 4 pm phone date, but it ended up being a few minutes later than planned since the offices all opened back up at 4 pm. We talked for a little less than an hour before he had to go start his day.
Even though I was off until 7 pm, I still went to Kids’ Dinner so I could eat a good meal on the Lido Deck. I ended up just basically snacking. I had a ton of meat, cheese and bread. I also had a Caesar salad and some fruit. For dessert, I had a churro along with some vanilla and chocolate soft serve.
I hung out with the 2-5’s again tonight, and I’m just really adoring this group. With younger kids, their attention span is basically non-existent – something I can definitely relate to – so you basically have to have a few different activities planned out for the night. Today I realized that one downside to having such short cruises is that you have to say bye to the kids so soon. I’ve grown attached to a few of them. It’s so fun to be walking around the ship and have them recognize you and say hi. Little kid hugs are my absolute favorite. They’re just the sweetest little munchkins. Anytime a child puts their hand out for a high five, runs over to show me their artwork, sits next to me during story time, asks me if I noticed something they did or even just address me by name, my heart melts. There’s just something so sweet about their innocence. Anytime I can make a child laugh or smile, it honestly brings me so much joy.
After work, I had my first drink with the staff. We visited the martini bar, and I got a Pirate Punch, which was made with two different kinds of rum and lots of fruity flavors. It was fun to be able to hang out with some people from the camp staff outside of work and get to know everyone better. There was an in depth discussion about Gilmore Girls, and I also passed around a picture of Joe. I’m definitely proud to call that guy my boyfriend.
Around midnight, I was hungry (when am I not?), so Cassie and I went to the Lido Deck to get some pizza – available 24-hours. YAAAS LAWD! While we ate our slices, we impatiently waited for the Gilmore Girls trailer to load. It took about an hour, but the wait was definitely worth it. We’re both huge fans, and Cassie plans to buy the seasons at Target so we can all binge watch together. Many of the camp staff haven’t seen it, so we need to educate them on how incredible it is. We’re also already making plans for binge watching it when we’re at port in Jacksonville. It’s that serious.
When I got back to my room, Joe was awake, so we talked on WhatsApp for about an hour. I was freezing, so I stood outside the door with the Harry Potter robe that my friend, Stu, bought for me. Many people passed by with different reactions. Two people from the entertainment staff, Miky and Brooke, walked by and chatted with me about it. They’re Harry Potter fans too, which basically means we became instant friends. Harry Potter just brings people together, ya know? Miky said I need to keep the robe underwraps before someone tries to steal it. Later when we ran into each other again, he asked where I got it, and I told him I’d get in touch with Stu for the details.
I talked to Joe for about an hour before I headed to bed around 2 am. I was so tired the next day, because it was my busiest day thus far on the boat, but it was all worth it to be able to hang out with the camp staff and end the night talking to the boyf.
DAY 5: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26 – SEA DAY
On Wednesday, I struggled getting up bright and early for the Dr. Seuss Breakfast. I didn’t have to dress up as any of the characters, but I still followed along so I could better understand the process. We met at the locker to get the costumes, and then we went to the conference room where all of the animators would be changing into them. While we waited, we enjoyed some pastries and juice.
At the Dr. Seuss Breakfast, guests are served Dr. Seuss-themed foods, including green eggs and ham. The room is decorated colorfully, and each of the characters come out one at a time to take photos with the guests.
After breakfast, I had a bit of free time, so I did some writing before heading back to camp to get everything for Groove for St. Jude. During this part of the cruise, the youth and entertainment staff sell items on the Lido Deck, and all of the proceeds go to St. Jude. The entertainment staff sells things like t-shirts and wristbands while the youth staff sells stuffed St. Jude teddy bears. There’s also a DJ that plays fun music, and we do some line dances with the guests that come up to participate.
Next, I had lunch and then worked the Beary Cuddly Workshop (this may or may not be the proper name. Whoops!). Kids can come in with their parents and choose an animal to stuff. They can also buy an outfit for the bear. We give them the items, and then they stuff the bears together.
After the workshop, we cleaned and sanitized the entire play area along with all of the toys, games and equipment then I attended my first staff meeting. Next was Kids’ Dinner and then I hung out with the 6-11’s until I got off work at 8 pm.
This cruise was the last cruise for one of our youth staff members, Monica, so we all met up at the crew bar around 11 pm for a proper send off. We gave her a group gift, took lots of pictures and sat around and bonded. It was my first crew bar experience, and let’s just say it was a night to remember (or forget). Most of the staff left by midnight, but Cassie, Lauren and I stayed out to chat with each other and other people that were hanging out at crew bar. Josh, who works at Club O2 with the 15-17’s, and Lauren, who works at Circle C with the 12-14’s, got off at 1 am and joined us. I made a lot of new friends, took lots of Snaps and made my debut on Cassie’s Snapchat thanks to my rendition of “Lose Yourself.”
How to make friends – Tip 1: Get lost and ask random people for directions. I promise they’ll remember you.
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) October 27, 2016
How to make friends – Tip 2: Get drunk at the crew bar. Wait for “Lose Yourself” by Eminem to come on the jukebox and sing all the lyrics.
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) October 27, 2016
How to make friends – Tip 3: Wear a #harrypotter robe in the hallway. INSTANT BEST FRIENDS!
— Tiffany Khyla (@tiffanykhyla) October 27, 2016
The night ended with some pizza, and my head hit the pillow around 4 am. What a night. (Side note: I wasn’t supposed to work until 10 am, but we got called in around 8:30 am, and needless to say, I was absolutely exhausted.)
My first cruise was pretty unforgettable. I got a lot of information thrown at me, and I still have several weeks of training left. It is definitely overwhelming, but in a good way because I’m excited to learn about the job and do what I can to excel in it. I’ve really enjoyed working with the kids so far, and I’m interested to see how life as an animator will be whenever I make that transition.
I get little random moments where I have epiphanies about the fact that this is literally going to be my life until April. Some random things I miss are having larger showers, the freedom to be able to go wherever I want when I want, 4G for sure and Chick-Fil-A. That said, I’ve already made so many memories, have had lots of laughs and met some really great people. Even though I just finished my first cruise, it feels like I’ve been doing this for awhile already, and I’m loving it. There are so many adventures to come and even more stories to tell, and I can’t wait to share that with y’all!
My posts will be few and far between, so be sure to follow along on Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram (all @tiffanykhyla)!
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