Ahoy!

Some of you may have noticed that after my last blog post, things suddenly went very quiet. I wanted to report about my first week with guests and suddenly nothing came up. This is not because I didn’t have the time or interest in continuing this blog, but because I didn’t know what I can/should write. But now I’m back and have a lot to tell:

First things first: the week with guests!

It was such a nice week and even though I know that one week doesn’t show everything, I realized how much I love this job. Of course there were a few guests who didn’t like the new concept, who didn’t wear a mask or who didn’t want to adhere to the seating rules in the theatrium. But for each of these guests there were at least five sympathetic ones who supported us and were just happy and grateful to be back on board. And these guests have given us so much strength. I received such positive feedback and had such nice conversations every day that I was happy every morning when I got out of my cabin and was allowed to go to the guest area. The time went by super fast (which is always a good sign) and suddenly it was Christmas. I was wearing my beautiful gala outfit, looked at the Christmas gala with amazement and saw many happy faces. Both guests and crew were in a good mood and it was just a great evening. After I left the guest area, there was some Glühwein, Christmas music and good vibes in the crew area and I was just happy. And suddenly the internet went off.

At that moment I didn’t care much about it, continued to enjoy the evening and went to bed happy and fulfilled.

The next morning the mood was a little strange. And it wasn’t long before we learned that the next trip would not take place. AIDAmar had IT problems and these first had to be solved in order to guarantee the next guests a safe trip with high standards.

The Christmas trip was of course continued and we still had nice days with the guests.

When we said goodbye on the last day, I was really pleasantly surprised. I was expecting mostly complaints (maybe because I’m a little pessimist at times), but the opposite happened. Of course there are a few exceptions, but most of our guests said goodbye with a smile, thanked us for the successful trip and wished us all the best and lots of strength for the upcoming time. Instead of the descending guests complaining about the lack of internet or possibly longer waiting times in front of the restaurants due to the paper lists, they were sorry for us that we had to continue sailing without guests again. And that is exactly what confirmed my opinion that I ended up with the right company, with the best crew and the greatest guests 🙈.

What has happened since then?

The loyal blog reader (hello Mama😋) knows that I’m a big fan of subheadings and lists, so here we go:

The first week without guests

The first week without guests was … weird. Somehow back to normal, because I didn’t get to know it any other way, but the mood was depressing. We had just achieved our big goal and it passed way too quickly. There was also a fair amount of uncertainty; How long will these IT problems last, when will we see the next guests, will Corona possibly even put a spanner in the works?

Still, we all made the most of the first week and had a great time together. We were allowed to sit in the beach bar in the evening and listen to music, we did secret Santa with the hosts, were allowed to eat the New Year’s Eve menu (actually planned for the guests) in the Buffalo Steakhouse and even go ashore again as part of a guided crew tour. And then New Year’s Eve came.

New Year’s Eve

Probably the most longed-for day in 2020. We all knew that not everything would change for the better within one night, but I think everyone was happy when the number 2020 dissolved at midnight and became a 2021.

We all had hoped to start the new year together with guests, but of course it was also nice to have the ship to us, to hear nice music, to do the countdown together and to watch the beautiful fireworks.

We wore gala outfits, there was good music, the pool deck was decorated with fairy lights and there was delicious currywurst (disclaimer: my completely white outfit didn’t get any curry sauce on it!). At midnight the youngest and the oldest person on board rang the bell together on the stage. And 2020 was over.

Travel cancellations

Unfortunately, the new year didn’t have too good news for us either. Just as 2021 started we learned that all trips had to be canceled until March 6th. This time again due to the Covid-19 situation. The news shocked most of us, as this time it was not a week or two, but two months. For me that means: no more guests in this contract … I am leaving in mid-February and have only worked with guests for one week within 4 months. Of course, for a few days I was just sad, disappointed and overwhelmed. What am I still doing here?

Back to the guest area

But the old daily routine quickly started again. We were allowed to go back to the pool, to the guests restaurants and bars and again offered activities like darts and shuffleboard for the crew. In order to keep everyone in a good mood, there was even a lot more, such as a crew meets band concert where the crew members could prove their singing talent. In addition, a bit of entertainment was required on the pool deck, which is why I have been moderating the crew radio twice a week with Päddy since the beginning of the year. Every Wednesday and Sunday we play music for an hour, tell fun facts and crew news, invite interview guests and play games. There is also Movie Monday every Monday, where a previously selected film is shown on the pool deck at 8:15 pm. This is how the crew is kept happy during this time.

The biggest event for me that took place during this time was the bodybuilding competition “Mr. AIDAmar ”. Eight men were allowed to present their muscles on stage within 3 rounds and show that they have brains as well and the winner became “Mr. AIDAmar ”. I was allowed to moderate this event together with David in English and it was great fun. That was my first really big moderation on stage with a huge audience and I actually received only positive feedback, which made me very happy and proud. Even if the time without guests sometimes seemed really dreary, I will never forget the things I have experienced and I am super grateful that I was allowed to be a part of all of that.

Heartbreaking goodbyes

Let’s get to the day that has bothered me the most in the past few weeks. I knew it very early on, but it still bothered me for a long time that the people I liked the most here on board disembarked a month before me. And so, January 23rd, 2021 slowly crept up. Because there were no guests here, I spent a lot of time with some people on board and when I saw them leave on the small boat on Saturday morning, I couldn’t hold back the tears. I had gotten so used to dealing with these people that I suddenly no longer knew what to do here on board when they were no longer there. Of course, I quickly adapted to the new situation and now don’t walk around alone all day, but I just miss my people, our topics of conversation and jokes.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a habitual person when it comes to that and that I cannot cope with saying goodbye. I think I’ll have to learn that for better or worse in the course of the next contracts, but until then I would like to complain a bit more and say: I miss you !!

Our team has become so small within a very short time and more and more people are now leaving every day. Our entertainment manager, the entertainment office manager and the show manager have also disembarked and when I go to the entertainment office in the morning to sign the temperature check list, I miss the people who should be sitting on the now empty chairs.

So you slowly notice that the ship is getting empty. New people are supposed to embark, but by the time that happens, I will also have left so I won’t be seeing a crowded AIDAmar anytime soon.

The grand finale

As I said, my time here on board is slowly coming to an end. I’ve learned so much, I’ve grown beyond myself and I’ve changed into a new person. I am so infinitely grateful for the time here and will leave the ship in a few weeks with a crying and a laughing eye (I hope that’s also a saying in English and not just in german 😂). I’m already looking forward to my next contract on board of an AIDA ship and it can’t start fast enough for me. I would love to arrive at home, repack my suitcase (I have also become a little smarter when it comes to packing) and take off right away.

Until then, I’ll be enjoying the time here on board, the sun, the music, the food and the people, and I’m more grateful every day that I get to be here.

All the best,

Saskia ♥ ️