The Smiths Take Europe!

Well the Smith family has arrived and taken the Celebrity Century by force.

Our family vacation did however get off to a rough start.. I unfortunately came down with  a pretty bad case of swollen tonsils. After a few trips to medical (including a shot of penicillin, a Z-pack a few days later, and LOTS of tea with honey and lemon), I am feeling much better! We did have our show “Touch of Broadway” last night though when I was feeling my worst. My costumes got a bit more sweaty than usual because my body was resisting all the running around, but I made it. And both shows went off fairly untainted. Phew!

After my last post, I immediately met up with the fam at their hotel. We set out in Barcelona for breakfast. On Sundays nothing much opens in Spain until the late afternoon, but we managed to find a nice outdoor cafe for breakfast. Then we just wandered around Las Ramblas and meandered back to the hotel for check-out. We took some pictures at the rooftop of the hotel before packing up their bags.

Then we headed to the ship!! I waited with them for most of the security and check-in process, but I left partway through to go change and get ready to meet them on the gangway on board! At our embarkation port, crew has a separate ship entrance from the passengers. Once on board, I took my parents on a tour of the ship. I think they like it. ha. After passenger boat drill, we met up on the pool deck where the party band was playing to hang out before sail away. The sail out from Barcelona was gorgeous! And the weather was perfect (knock on wood it stays this way!)

Afterwards we had to part ways.. I went to get ready for the Welcome Aboard shows that evening and they headed to get ready for their first dinner in the Grand Restaurant. We don’t do much at all for the Welcome Aboard show, so I told my parents they really only needed to come to the second show. I was able to meet them for a few between shows before they headed to the theatre. The show was fine. We went up to the Crystal Lounge for a drink after the show and to listen to the Party Band. Unfortunately, I started feeling worse and had to peace out early.

Our first day on board was a sea day! I was still feeling worse, so I stayed in bed most of the day. I ended up meeting up with the family for breakfast and lunch, but otherwise they hung out by the pool, and I stayed inside. We had a show that evening so I wanted to conserve my energy as much as possible. The show last night “Touch of Broadway” ended up going very well despite all my stresses. It was definitely very draining though. I was not feeling well and my energy definitely died out about halfway through the second show. My whole family loved the shows though! They were the first to shoot up to their feet (of course) in the audience. I think they enjoyed them anyway.. And Dad got a good recording of the Jersey Boys/Mamma Mia number. After the shows, I showered and headed up to my parents’ room for some free room service before I crashed in bed.

This morning we woke up in Messina, Italy on the island of Sicily. I decided to take the day to continue to recuperate, so my family got off without me. They had a great day wandering around into churches and random buildings. The pictures came out great from their day out. 

By the time they got back, I was feeling much better and spent the afternoon with them outside taking in the sites from the ship and watching sail away through the rest of the Strait of Messina. Next we got to have our first family dinner in the Grand Restaurant! I wasn’t able to dine with them due to shows the past two evenings.. Tonight, though, we finally ate together! I love the Grand.. Especially with family. We had a great table by the window and amazing food. Afterwards, we wandered around the ship. We sat in on the train wreck that was Karaoke for a while (but did not perform) and then headed upstairs to hear the Party Band play. We had a great evening.

Tomorrow’s another sea day on board.. Who knows how we’ll spend it? Most likely lazily by the pool. 

We’re having a great time, and the fun’s JUST getting started!

Cruise of excursions

What a cruise!! And a busy one at that..

We started off again in Villefranche, France. The day was fairly overcast and we were celebrating a few birthdays, so we skipped the beach and headed for some food and wine. We happened to stumble upon a pub with some beer on tap and a pool table and decided to hang out there for a while. We had a nice time!

The next day we headed to Livorno, Italy - port of Pisa and Florence. We had a show that evening and my throat was feeling a little bit scratchy, so I opted to take the day easy. I got off for a short while to just grab lunch (and some free internet) in Livorno. I also found a post office and was able to send some postcards home to my grandparents. The show went fine vocally. They both went well, actually! The European audiences love the British 60’s “Liverpool Knights” show. They definitely hoot and holler a lot more for this show when it’s our first.

In Civitavecchia, Italy (the port for Rome), a bunch of us signed up for a crew tour they offered to head into Rome! The tour was great! We all boarded a bus with a tour guide and a driver to head to Rome! We first drove by the Coliseum and headed to the church of St. Peter in Chains. The church was stunning. Inside they had Michelangelo’s monument that included his sculpture of Moses. Now - I’ve visited several churches before. But to visit one that had an actual relic on display (Peter’s chains) and a sculpture by Michelangelo was awe-inspiring. The history here is real. I can’t get over it. Next we visited the Coliseum. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to go inside, but we learned a lot about the actual building. It’s crazy how huge it is! Our guide also discussed several of the historic sites around the Coliseum before we boarded the bus again and headed to Vatican City! Vatican City was AMAZING!! Once in St. Peter’s Square we waited in a security line to get inside the Basilica. The whole time our guide was telling us all about the history of the site and the artwork/architecture visible from the square. Inside the Basilica is unreal. I really can’t describe it. It looks fake it’s so crazy. The sheer amount of art in that one giant room of the cathedral was awe-inspiring. Add in the infamous artists and works of art that I only thought I’d see in textbooks (like the famous Pieta), and you’ve got one heck of an experience. I really can’t even describe it. St. Peter’s Basilica is definitely a site not to be missed. Afterwards we boarded the bus to head back to the ship.

Next was a sea day and thus a show day.. We did Broadway second for this cruise (because our adage couple was still on leave and it’s the easiest show to do without them). It went really well! Mostly I was excited because every port after this one was going to be brand new!

In our next port, I volunteered to be a Tour Escort for one of the shore excursions in Dubrovnik, Croatia. They let us sign up for these to go for free. All I have to do is fill out a survey when it’s over and walk in the back of the group. Not too hard a task for a free guided tour, right? ha! I had so much fun. The group boarded a bus and first headed to the small seaside resort town of Cavtat (pronounced tsahv-tot, not kav-tot like I naively thought) - a 30 minute drive from port. This tiny little town was stunning! The guide spoke about the history of the Old Dubrovnik Republic the whole way there, and upon arriving in Cavtat we were given free time to wander around for an hour. Then we all reunited on board the bus and headed to the heart of Old Dubrovnik. On the way our guide told us all about the war that ravaged Croatia in 1992. It was weird to think about just how recent that was.. Old Dubrovnik was beautiful - completely surrounded by the world’s best preserved protective wall, beautiful marble streets, gorgeous architecture on small windy streets, etc. We followed our guide for a brief walking tour of the town and the Rector’s palace before an hour of free time. (Since it was father’s day I managed to find an internet cafe to call my Dad.)

After Dubrovnik we set sail for Venice, Italy for our first overnight!! First off, sail-in was beautiful. We passed right by St. Mark’s Square on our ship right before the Grand Canal. Here’s a picture of me on the front deck of the ship as we sailed in.

Once we docked, we just got off and wandered through Venice. The line for water shuttles directly to St. Mark’s Square was very long with guests, so we opted to walk into town. The walk was gorgeous and we found some great restaurants and shops along the way that were off the tourist path (and way less expensive). Venice was awesome! The canals were beautiful. I really couldn’t get over how the ship actually flooded during high tide! Granted, the locals said it was a higher tide than normal, but St. Mark’s Square actually flooded with water - several inches deep in some parts!! I mean - buildings were underwater, shops closed, people were walking around barefoot through the water in the streets. It was insane. Since we were there overnight, we found a place for a late-night dinner (something we haven’t had off the ship yet) and then took the last water shuttle back to the ship for the night. They threw the crew a Wine & Cheese Night, so that was fun. The next day I got off the ship again and wandered around. This time I went into town with Merrick and Marc who hadn’t gone into town the day before, so it was fun to experience the city with them since it was their first time. We had to board the ship again by 4 in order to sail out. Venice was beautiful.

The next day we were in Split, Croatia. The weather was cool and kind of overcast, so I wandered around town for a bit before settling in a cafe with free internet. Here’s a few pictures. The coolest part was under the old town there were all these old tunnels and they filled them with a market! The stalls were mostly touristy, but it was cool underground.

The next day (at sea) we had our show Dance Around the World. I also was a huge nerd during the middle of the day and attended the guest lecturer’s talk on Walt Disney’s first feature films. It was really interesting! I’m a nerd - but I liked it.

In Salerno, Italy next, I had the chance to do another excursion as an escort! This one was AMAZING! First we boarded a small boat and headed up the Amalfi coast to the small fishing town of Amalfi. Ha. The 30 minute ride was beautiful. Everywhere just sharp cliffs into the water, and where there was a nicer slope they were covered in lemon groves. Apparently 60% of Italy’s lemons come from the Amalfi coastline! Amalfi was pretty. Our guide took us to its cathedral and then we had free time. I wandered around and looked at the beautiful ceramic artwork. The tiles and plates and stuff were beautiful. I really wish I had a nice apartment to decorate with them. Ha! Next we took the boat back to the dock where our ship was to get onto a bus and head to Pompeii! Once there we had a delicious 4 course meal (with lots and lots of wine) all on Celebrity! Then we had a guided tour of the Pompeii excavation site. I couldn’t believe how HUGE the ruins site is! And everything is SO well preserved. It was a really interesting tour! After about an hour and a half we headed back to the ship.

We had the final sea day completely off. So I helped out with the backstage tour and then we had cast craft day! We all made name tags for our dressing room stations out of supplies from the kids Fun Factory.

And now, MY FAMILY IS HERE!!!!!! The whole fam (parents and sister) are here for a 12-night cruise! We’re going to have a blast. I can’t wait. I just got off extra early this morning to post an update before I meet them for breakfast. Stay tuned for Smith-family updates! Let the good times roll.

First European Cruise DOWN!

Well we've made it!! I am currently BACK in Barcelona after an amazing 12-night Mediterranean cruise. The Mediterranean is awesome. I really can't get over how amazing it is to be here. So far, Easter Mediterranean is my favorite - Greece and Turkey were perfect. But more on that later..

After leaving Barcelona exactly twelve days ago, we awoke the next morning in Villefranche, France - a small beach town on the coast of the French Riviera. The real draw here is to take the train to Nice, Monte Carlo, or Cannes. We opted to spend the day in the beautiful gorgeous town of Villefranche. First we headed straight to the beach. A beautiful rocky beach (no sand) with giant slabs of marble in the ocean from a wall that used to stand there. This beach was stunning!! Afterwards, we wandered around town. We found a cute little cafe on one of the windy streets with al fresco dining.. I had my first crepe!! It was so good.. and real french wine. yum!! We wandered around the shops and village some more before finding some friends from the ship at an English pub!! Here, we got a bit non-French. hahaa.. we grabbed a pint of beer and sat around the pool table. so fun. Then we headed back to the ship. Villefranche was beautiful, and I can't wait to explore the surrounding French Riviera.

The next day we arrived in Livorno, Italy. From here, passengers can easily travel to Florence or Pisa. We again decided to stay in Livorno. Here, however, there really wasn’t too much to do.. We walked around some shops (I got a pair of pants at European Zara - so much better than US Zara....), had my first Italian pizza for lunch, and some infamous Italian Gelato! Otherwise, the city was kind of a bust and not too pretty.. But it is just the docking port for other better cities. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to explore other places this cruise. That night we did our first show of the cruise: Liverpool Knights!! The show (all 60's British rock) was a HUGE hit here with the European audiences. They loved it. It's the best time I've had performing it yet.

Next up was Civitavecchia, Italy (the ship’s port for Rome). Here we had our crew boat drill in the morning followed by a couple meetings. Because of this, we really didn’t have much time to get off in port - and definitely not enough time to take the hour long train into Rome. So we just sat in an internet cafe for the day - nothing too eventful. No pictures to post.. ha!

When we left Civitavecchia, we headed to the island of Sicily (the big rock that the boot of Italy is kicking) - specifically the city of Messina. From here, there’s a lot of really cool things to do and see around the island. We, however, stayed in Messina. The city was mostly closed down for “siesta” when we were off, but we had a decent time nonetheless.. And I had a great Italian beer named "Messina". here I realized that for most of these ports we really need to take the time to explore away from the port.. The coolest part of Messina was actually the sail in to port! We went through the Strait of Messina - a very narrow channel between the mainland of Europe and Sicily. It was so cool to see both sides so perfectly clearly from the very tip of the ship. In the first picture here of the gold statue, we are in Messina on Sicily. In the distance is the mainland of Italy.. It was a gorgeous view of mountains everywhere you looked.

After a sea day (and a performance evening of Dance Around The World that went extremely well), we arrived in Mykonos, Greece on June 9th - my birthday!!!! Here, I had an AMAZING time - and such a great birthday. The entire village was GORGEOUS! I can’t really describe it. Even the pictures don’t do it justice.. We at ate waterside cafes and bars under flowered canopies on cushioned couches. It was beautiful. We saw the windmills, found an amazing restaurant for my birthday dinner that charged us half what the real bill should have been, drank Greek Ouzo (not good... but I had to try it), and shopped along the windy streets of the city. It was gorgeous, and I can’t wait to go back.

The next day was Kusadasi, Turkey. From here, guests typically travel into Ephesus where they still have some of the best preserved ruins ever. We, however, were kinda lame.. ha. We went to a water park in Kusadasi!!! And let me tell you - it was a blast. This place was no Six Flags White Water.. It was more like a botanical garden with water slides.. It was gorgeous - and our group had so much fun. I don’t really have too many pictures because I didn’t want to get my camera wet anywhere.. but here’s one of the slides and also the view from the mountain where the water park was located.

Our next port adventure was in Athens, Greece! Here we had so much fun as well.. When we got off we walked to the train station (a very long hot walk in the sun....) to get from Piraeus (our port) to Athens - the train was just 1 Euro each way and took about 15 minutes. Not too bad at all! Athens was a blast.. we conquered the Acropolis and had a great Greek lunch. There’s really not much to say aside from the pictures. It was so much fun. Just being surrounded by SO much history was really awesome. OH! I also ran into my old modern dance teacher from NYU!!! That was just INSANE!!! In the middle of Athens.. ran into my teacher from NYC with her husband.. This world is TOO crazy small.

We finished off our cruise with another sea day (we performed our final show Broadway to some very ecstatic audiences) on our way to Salerno - a popular destination to get to Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento, and/or Capri. I decided to take it easy this day though after several busy (and expensive) days in port. I just found a restaurant with free internet to upload pictures on facebook and catch up with friends and family via skype. The pasta was amazing, though! And the owner gave us free dessert. Yeehaw! ha. Afterwards, we had one more sea day (and a day off!) to get to Barcelona. I helped give the backstage tour and went to dinner in the Grand Restaurant - so good!!

Overall, the cruise was a TON of fun!! This coming cruise, the first half is the same, but then instead of going to Greece and Turkey we head up to Croatia and Venice! I can't wait. This cruise was a blast though due to all the familiar faces! This world is too small. In addition to running into Roxas in Athens, there were two families from my high school (Pace Academy) cruising, and one that I knew from NYU. Here's hoping the trend continues! Seeing a familiar face every now and then definitely helps feel connected to the real world.. I'm missing everyone a lot and can't wait for my family to come cruise in 12 days! The next time I'm in Barcelona, my family will be waiting for me. We're going to have so much fun!!

Thanks for reading, y'all!! My adventures have been a blast. Here's to another cruise down!