What's Next For Me...

Hey everyone! Just wanted to keep you updated on my life at sea. I was just offered my next contract which will bring me back on my current ship, the ms Westerdam! When my current contract ends on April 17th, 2007, I disembark and fly home just after finishing a 17-day crossing from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean. My ship goes in for some refurbishing while I'm on vacation for three weeks. On May 5th, I fly back to Italy and embark on my ship on the 6th. After a few more days in dry-dock, we then begin 20-day eastern and western Mediterranean cruises! My contract will be from May 6, 2007 - October 28, 2007. Our regular itinerary will be...

• Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy -- Dubrovnik, Croatia -- Kerkira, Corfu, Greece -- Olympia, Greece -- Santorini, Greece -- Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey -- Athens, Greece -- Messina, Sicily, Italy -- Rome, Italy -- Monte Carlo, Monaco -- Florence/Pisa, Italy -- Barcelona, Spain -- Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain -- La Goulette (Tunis & Carthage), Tunisia -- Palermo, Sicily, Italy -- Naples, Italy -- Rome, Italy.

Some cruises our itinerary changes, and we will be visiting the following places as well...

• Naxos, Sicily, Italy
• Valetta, Malta
• Venice, Italy (overnight for two days!)
• Salerno, Italy
• St, Tropez, France
• Marseilles, France

On October 5th, 2007, we make the crossing back to the Caribbean. Here is the itinerary...

• Civitavecchia, Italy -- Livorno, Italy -- Monte Carlo, Monaco -- Marseilles, France -- Barcelona Spain -- Valencia, Spain -- Almeria, Spain -- Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal -- Half Moon Cay, Bahamas -- Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

After that, I work a one-week Caribbean cruise before I disembark. Needless to say, I am very excited that I will be visiting countries I have never gone to before, and spending five months in the Mediterranean! I will keep you all posted on these exciting ports-of-call!

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Key West, Florida

Costa Maya, Mexico

Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, B.W.I.

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands, B.W.I.

(March 2007)

Grand Turk -- one of the islands in the Turks and Caicos archipelago -- was a regular weekly stop on my last ship. On the Westerdam, we stop here a lot less frequently. My new friends on the ship hadn't been over much of the island, so I spent a day playing tour guide as I took them around.




My coworker Joelle and I on the north shore of the island (near the lighthouse).

St. Mary's (built in 1900).

Grand Turk Supreme Court.

(For more photos of Grand Turk, check out my previous blog entry about the island, posted December 7th, 2006.)

Road Town, Tortola, B.V.I.

(March 2007)

It was sure nice to be back in Tortola after being away for a few months. This time, I went to one of the nicest beaches on the island for a day of fun and sun. Situated just east of Smuggler's Cove in Tortola's West End, Long Bay Beach is uncrowded, pristine, and beautiful! Here are a few shots of my friends and I from that day...








Some shots of the beach!







After the beach, we went to the "Bamba Shack," a well-known little hole-in-the-wall shack that has killer drinks.

My friend Stephen (one of the dancers on the ship), and I at the shack.