A busy week!

This week the ship is PACKED and it’s interesting because its given the whole ship a different feeling.  It’s not as relaxed at the moment, but everyone is working very hard still to perform well and give each guest the best experience possible.  Last week, however, was a really great cruise.  Of our entire Baltic season, this group was probably our favorite.  The passengers were so warm and ready to have a good time.  I also was able to go on a few tours which was nice.

I first went on the “Highlights of St. Petersburg” excursion that covers a nice chunk of major sights around the city.  It was fun, but I must admit… this group really kept me working as an escort!  Ha ha!  I was running around searching for passengers all over the place.  One family on the tour was from Hong Kong and they had a few children with them.  This is where I was able to meet my new friend, Ethan.  He spoke PERFECT English and was a very smart little guy.  We have many passengers from all over the world who speak English, but I was blown away by the way these native Chinese children spoke English with NO accent at all.  Ethan was very curious and VERY smart, asking me all about my contract, where I live on the ship, how I got the job, etc.  He was 7. 

Later in the week I also went on a tour that went in depth covering a few of the beautiful cathedrals in the city.  That night I met another new friend, Lucinda, from Charlotte, NC.  She had such an amazing zest for life and while we shared dinner we had a blast laughing and joking around any time we could the rest of the cruise.  I was really touched by her story and felt a great connection with her. 

Once in Helsinki, Finland I escorted a tour to a small Finnish town named Porvoo.  It was a stunning area with a nice old town and cute shops and café’s.  I had a lot of fun, too, because it was really sunny out and it was the perfect day to wander around such a quaint area.  We also had a fun night at “Beatles Night” where Ethan showed up ready to dance!  Ha!  He was a madman on the dance floor showing us some great new moves and having a blast partying to music by the Fab Four.

Finally we ended the week in Visby, Sweden where I went on one of my favorite tours to date, “A Taste of Gotland.”  This basically covered the medieval town of Visby plus we got to explore more of the countryside of the Island of Gotland.  We went to churches from the 14 century and headed to a family farm that specializes in making cheeses…which we happily tasted!  The family was so sweet, having made a sweet cherry drink for us as well to wash down the three types of fresh cheese made with milk from their dairy cows.  I also had a particularly good time on this tour because I got to hang out with Lucinda most of the time!  Ha ha! 

While on the walking tour section of this tour of Visby, there was a parade through town with participants dressed in medieval attire for a big festival celebrating the area’s history.  Lucinda and I had a really good time joking around about the authenticity, spending the rest of the day pointing out the participants’ “medieval motorized scooter” or “medieval crocs.”  Ha ha!  It was a real trip.  I am going to miss Lucinda’s witty humor for sure!

Preparing for the next set of guests this week, Lindsay and I headed into Copenhagen for a quick lunch of delicious lobster bisque and a walk around the town.  When we arrived to the ship, though, I was sad to hear that Ethan had been looking for me before he left wanting to say goodbye.  Also- Lucinda wrote a handwritten letter to the Captain of the ship and the Cruise Director that mentioned Lindsay and me as having made her experience so special.  She also wrote each of us a letter thanking us personally.  So sweet.  Here’s to Lucinda!  Hope all is well at home.  Miss everyone tons. 

Love,

Tripp

ps- I cant’ help but leave a quote from Lucinda’s letter to me.  She ended it by saying : “I absolutely expect to hear from you if you are ever through Charlotte.  Give me a call and we will have a ‘Medieval Good Time’!”  Ha ha!  What a riot!  Don’t worry, Lucinda- I will certainly take you up on the invite!