Mele Kalikimaka!

As the Hawaiians would say, Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas)! I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas...with or without snow...and a Happy New Year!

I'm really looking forward to New Year's on the ship...we're going to tear it up in Hawaii!

I LOVE HI!

The Pride of Hawai'i

Well, I'm all settled in on the Pride of Hawai'i. I've been over here for two weeks now and a lot has happened. I worked 85 hours last week...to my surprise when I arrived I was handed handover notes and I started working. I was in charge of the Freestyle Daily, which is the daily newsletter that tells the guests what activities and shows are being held that day...they're guide to cruising. I also updated iTV, which is the Interactive television that is in all of the staterooms for guests to order movies, check out the daily shows and activities and they could also book shore excursions from their TV.

So I arrived on the ship and went right to work. I was notified that the newsletter was going to be reformatted and it had to be reformatted by Monday (two days prior). OH GOD! So I spent the week glued to my chair trying to find out how to reformat the damn thing and on top of it...write the current week's newsletter. It was HELL...nonetheleast! And Corporate wasn't paying me any more than I was getting paid as a hostess. So they were giving me more responsibility and no more compensation...doesn't sound good, right? So I told them that I want to go back to being a hostess again...with less responsibility and more time in front of the guests entertaining...afterall, that's why I signed up for this job. If I wanted to stay behind a desk, I could do that in KC.

So this week, I'm getting back into the swing of things as a Cruise Staff Hostess...and I'm enjoying life once again. I'll take pictures of the new ship and send them soon!

Surprise...

Yesterday (Friday), I was called into the Cruise Director's office. I was so afraid I thought that I was in so much trouble. Everytime that she talks to me...I've been in trouble...so I thought this was no different of an occasion. I went in there on Friday afternoon and Shona, the cruise director on the Pride of America, informed me that she received an e-mail from the corporate office in Miami and they were demanding that I transfer to the Pride of Hawaii to act as the Administrative Hostess.

This is definitely exciting and scary at the same time. I'm excited because after 9 weeks of working for this company I've been promoted to a management position. I'm scared at the same time because I'm shipping over to a new ship where I don't know anyone and I have to start all over from scratch! Especially during xmas time...I really wish I could spend it over here. I have created my family over here on the America.

I'm supposedly replacing the Admin Host on the Hawaii for 2 weeks while he's on vacation...though, everyone I've talked to thinks I'll be stuck on the ship...we'll see. Hopefully my vacation dates won't change and I'll be home soon to see all of you.

I love you all and wish you a very Merry Christmas! Cheers!
Megan

Giving Thanks!

I experienced my first Thanksgiving away from home this year...hopefully this will be my first an last Thansgiving away from home! After 9 weeks of being away from home, this was the first time I experience homesickness...I really missed KC and being with my family! Next year I think I'll be somewhere where I can fly home and share the holidays with the fam. Believe it or not...I'm missing the snow. The 80 degree sunny weather is getting quite repetitive.

On Thanksgiving, we were in Kauai and shared a Thanksgiving feast of greasy goodness at JJ's Broiler right on the beach. After we stuffed our faces full of chicken wings, chili cheese covered potatoe skins and french fries, we headed out to the beach to play some beach volleyball...or in Kansas it's otherwise known as sand volleyball.

Enjoy the pictures from my Thanksgiving. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. Please keep in touch. I'd love to hear from everyone during this tough holiday season.



Love you all,
Megan "Red"