Melbourne Cup onwards

It's been precisely 11 days and 4 hours since I arrived in Australia and it's been one hell of a whirlwind so far.

You forget how tiring this job is, how tiring it is to counter-act the rocking while in the Gallery, watching the guests ricochet from wall to wall while you stand straight, a beacon of hope that they will one day get used to the motion of the sea.

However, I am having a whale of a time! The hours are long and the budgets sometimes seem impossible... But over all i'm loving being back at sea. The ship is beautiful - kind of a bigger version of my first ship the Pacific Pearl - and the crew so far have been incredible welcoming, I've bfelt at home almost straight away which is always appreciated when you're working 13 hours with 1 hours sleep for a week solid. The jet lag has been horrendous. I am also 3rd senior on the team, which is proving to be good fun too, a little responsibility never hurts and it's giving me some aim in this job, rather than just floating around the ocean i have focus an aim and am determined to get the promotion the could be waiting at the end of the contract.

We had the first proper ship-party last night too, and all i'd heard was this ship could be a little clicky, with everyone sticking to their own departments because the crew bar is so big there is no need to actually inter-mingle, but by 3a, this morning there were photos, bar tenders, shoppes, youth staff and people from all over the world crammed into a tiny cabin with barely room to breathe. I'm incredibly used to meeting people and being circumstantial-friends... last night was the first time since being onboard i felt lthat was not the case. Now this could have been down to the beautiful shapes people were throwing on the dance floor, but it could also be that i have settled into the life I am now going to live for the next 4 month, 3 weeks and 2 days. I am really hoping it's the latter... though those dance moves were top notch.

Today we set sail for Papua New Guinea, here's to safe travels and calm seas!