I found out that a few of you actually google translate my blogposts in order to read them. Since my main reason to start a blog again was to keep my friends and family updated, I’ve decided to write my posts in two languages from now on. So here we go😘:

Ahoi ⚓️

It is really happening! My last couple of days were so exciting, stressful, spontaneous and chaotic that I am just now getting a chance to update you all 😋: I boarded AIDAmar today in Skagen, Denmark. Just yesterday I was sitting in a hotel room in Hamburg, writing my german blogpost, almost exploding of anticipation. But how did I get here?

After I could not go on the ship in march as planned, I checked my mails daily, hoping for a miracle to happen so that I could go on board soon. But nothing happened, so I kind of got used to the thought that I would not leave for my great adventure in 2020. I started working at a primary school and I applied for college for this semester. But we all know the saying „The best things in life happen unexpectedly„, which is exactly what happened: Last Thursday, I was sitting in the car with some friends on the way to get brunch, when I checked my mails for news from the college. And there it was: a mail from the cruise company. AIDAmar – spontaneous slots available! Of course I answered right away, saying that I would be available whenever. Not even 10 minutes later I got a call asking if I could be in Hamburg on Monday and embark the ship in Denmark on Thursday. Without hesitating, I said yes. I was offered a contract for 2 months, but I extended it until February within that same phone call.

The following days brought nothing but chaos. Doctor’s appointments, packing, saying goodbye to friends and family and trying to realize what’s happening. To be honest, I’m still working on that last point 😅.

It was not easy to get an appointment for the Italian medical certificate so last minute. After several phone calls and desperate emails, I finally found a doctor in Frankfurt who was willing to squeeze me in on Friday. Unfortunately, I had to spend 4 hours in the waiting room because they were only able to see me for a couple minutes whenever another patient was done and until the next one came. Additionally, I needed to get some other medication for the next four months, which is why I spent my Friday driving from one doctor to the next until I had everything. There wasn’t much time left for packing that day. In the evening I met up with my friends to go to the mall to buy the last few things I needed.

My Saturday morning was spent packing with my mom and in the afternoon I went out for dinner with some of my friends. Sunday was supposed to be the last day with my friends, but since my best friend and I weren’t ready to say goodbye yet, she spontaneously decided to drive me to Hamburg with another friend on Monday.

So instead of taking the train on Monday noon, the three of us started our little road trip in the morning. I couldn’t have been happier! I am so grateful that I got to spend one more day with them and that I didn’t have to travel with my two huge suitcases all by myself. On Monday night we met another one of my friends in Hamburg for dinner and a little bit of sightseeing in the most beautiful city in Germany. I also met some people in the hotel lobby that night that are going to spend these next few months on the ship with me.

When my friends left on Tuesday morning, I realized for the first time that my big adventure was about to begin. I met the other „Gastgeber“ (that’s the position I have on the cruise ship – similar to an entertainer) at breakfast on Tuesday and I couldn’t be more satisfied with our little team. That noon we all did a Covid-test at the hotel.

Everything went as planned and we got on a bus in Hamburg at 2am this morning. We arrived in Skagen around 9am and boarded the ship. We had to go straight to our cabins, because we are going to be quarantined for the next 14 days. We all got a guest cabin with a balcony, which we won’t be allowed to leave at all for a week. That’s called hard quarantine. After that follows a week of soft quarantine, which means that we get to go to work, but after that we go straight back to our own cabins. During this time we are going to leave Denmark and heading towards the Canaries, which is where we will welcome our first guests in November 😍.

I am so incredibly greateful that my dream of working on a cruise ship is finally coming true and that I get to go on this exciting adventure with so many great people.

I am going to try to keep you updated on here as much as possible. If you want to have further inside into my life on the ship, feel free to check out my instagram!

Sea you soon,

Saskia ♡