Hi Everyone,

I am really on the countdown now!! I only have 15 days to go! The new cast are on now. They are really lovely. I’m so looking forward to seeing them do some of the shows. For our last cruise we have done ‘Welcome Aboard’ and ‘Pianoman’ for the last time and for the remainder of this cruise they will do all the other shows except for my favourite ‘Curtin Up’. ‘Curtin Up’ has now been taken off the Princess Ships due to copyright issues, so as the new cast didn’t need to learn it for that reason we will do it one last time and then that’s it!

Mum and Annette disembarked in LA and after 4 days there are flying home today. Mum got teary saying good bye to me, but I’ll be home in just a couple of weeks. They had a great time onboard. I was so lucky the First Purser allowed them their own cabin.

After I last wrote in Aruba we then travelled through the Panama Canal again and did a tour that night in Panama City. In Costa Rica we did a tour of their capital city San Jose. I had done the tour before with Dave at the beginning of my contract and thought it would be one of the best ones for them to do.

In Guatamala we went to Antigua an ancient city once the capital of Central America. Our next port was Huatulco, Mexico. Huatulco was where the ship got damaged. We hadn’t been back there since that had happened. I swear if the Captain could have picked the ship up to get it into port he would have. It took us forever to dock. Huatulco was really really hot that day, as was Acapulco. In Acapulco Mum, Annette and I visited an old fort before going to see the famous cliff divers and then lunch at Los Flamingos.

Cabo San Lucas was our final port that cruise we’re we did a Coastal Highlights tour. Cabo is a really pretty place. It’s very rocky and arid set on the coast which makes it quite picturesque.

In LA after saying goodbye to Mum and Annette we all went to greet the new cast and then headed out to Longbeach for lunch. We don’t work now for two weeks. In a week or so I’ll start packing but until then there’s not much else to do now except look forward to ports. The first port in this cruise saw us back in Cabo. All of us went to the Hard Rock Café to celebrate Nipples birthday. On the walk back we came across a place that had a baby lion which I got to hold… see the photo. He was so cute. Today we are in Acapulco for the last time. After doing some internet I’m off the water park!

I can’t wait to April 28th!!!

Lots of love
Jess xx

Photo’s

1. Me in Cabo holding a baby lion.
2. Mum and Annette out side a mission church in town outside of Cabo San lucas.
3. Mum trying on one of my wigs…. She’ll kill me for posting this on my blog… I know my brother will love it though.
4. Mum in the foyer of the National Theatre in San Jose, Costa Rica.
5. Mum and one of the mysterious ancient spheres of Costa Rica the National Museum.
6. Me in Cabo.
7. Mum, Annette and I in Guatamala.
8. Mum and Annette at the fort in Acapulco
9. Mum and I at the fort in Acapulco.
10. The cliff divers in Acapulco.
11. Annette, Mum and Dave on deck during sailaway.

PS. I've added the rest of the photos I had trouble posting last time in my last blog post... so see below if you want to see them.

Hi Everyone,

Today we are back in Aruba and for me it is for the last time. We are now 3 days into my second last cruise and for Mum and Annette their last cruise. Since I last wrote we have visited St Thomas (part of the US Virgin Islands). There, we shopped in the morning before we went our separate ways for the afternoon. Mum and Annette did a tour of the island while I went with the rest of the cast on a sailing yacht. Nipples had organised it as a thank you to all of us for helping him with the tours over the course of our contract. It would have been heaps of fun had I not felt seasick…. I was really glad to get back on land.

In San Juan we visited Old San Juan and one of the Forts there before heading to the Mall for shopping. The next day we were in Tortola (part of the British Virgin Islands) and I have to say one of my very favourite ports. We did a tour of the island before meeting Nipples, Bobby and Marnie for lunch at the local pub.

Today (in Aruba) we have just come back from a tour on a glass bottom boat and then a swim at the beach. I’m in good old Dunkin Donuts one last time using their free wireless while I have the chance. I don’t know when I’ll get it again now….. I don’t know if I’ll have time this Acapulco to go to Starbucks.

The new cast get on next cruise on April 9th for their handover. We will be performing some our shows for the very last time this cruise. Unfortunately we don’t know which ones and seems we wont until they get on next cruise.

Mum and Annette are having a great time. They love the shows and the cast, plus all my other friends on board. Tonight we are having dinner in the restaurant with Dave and Nipples and are planning to go and see “Man of the Year” in the Princess Theatre. Tomorrow we are at sea and then we go through the Panama Canal.

I am so looking forward to coming home. I can’t wait to see Chris!!!!!!!! He leaves for Toronto on Saturday for two weeks. We he gets back he’s only got a week and half til I’m home. I hope Megsie (our dog) remembers me.

Anyway, enough from me I’m rambling now.

Love Jess

PS. Sorry I couldn't add more photos. The connection keeps dropping out. The ones that I did get up are of my beautiful flowers the boys sent me for Chris for our Anniversary, Mum feeding Ostrichs in Aruba last time. Mum and Annette in Aruba last time. Mum and I in Tortola on a tour and mum at sailaway from St Thomas.

Hi Everyone,

I know it’s been a while so I’ll try to keep the last months update concise.

Basically as I mentioned in my last update, the ship hit rocks while reversing out of Huatulco, Mexico. The passengers were due to get off the next day in Acapulco which they did. The new passengers due to embark in Acapulco did, but were sent home two days later as it became apparent that the ship needed urgent repairs. After three days in Acapulco the ship sailed four days with only crew to Panama. We weren’t told a lot, but did hear that the ship had three to five holes varying in size of up to 6 metres in length and that there was a massive 45 metre dent. Four pumps worked to keep the water out as we limped to Panama, however apparently if one of those pumps failed it would have taken the ship one hour to sink….not very comforting hey!! We did manage to easily amuse ourselves with no passengers on board by doing a couple of production shows for the crew, dressing up for the Oscars and watching it on the big screen of the Show Lounge, having a party on deck….etc etc

In Panama the ship spent nine days being repaired in dry dock. Dry dock is a unique experience…. Limited air con lead me to remain the ship the Regal Sauna! There was not much to do in Panama except shop, go to the movies, shop, go to the movies and shop and go to the movies. On one day we went to Old Panama which was cool and then across the city to visit some old ruins. Two cancelled cruises and an empty wallet later the ship was finally repaired and we sailed four days to Callao, Peru.

In Callao Mum and Annette boarded the ship and are now over halfway through their first cruise. They had a great time in Peru visiting Machupichu and are now enjoying ship life. After Callao, we stopped in Manta, Ecuador which was okay…. Manta isn’t really tourist spot….. an interesting story about Manta though. A huge plane crashed into the city 10 years ago and the people were paid so much money in compensation by the airline they didn’t know what to do with it, so they all pitched in to help develop the city.

In Costa Rica, we went with Nipples and his girlfriend (another Aussie) who is onboard visiting him to visit a possible new tour. This was a really fun day. We saw so much wildlife and had a great lunch.

Today we are in Aruba. We did a Landrover tour of the island which was fun and at the moment Mum and Annette are shopping but will soon join me to talk to Nathan (my brother) on Skype.

There is so much more to tell but I’m trying to keep this not to long. I’ve only 5 weeks and 2 days to go now. I’m so looking forward to coming home. Chris and I had our 2nd Wedding Anniversary on March 13th. Dave and Josh organised the most beautiful bunch of flowers, chocolates and my favourite perfume for me on Chris’ behalf. Chris leaves for Toronto, Canada at the end of the month for two weeks for work. That will keep him occupied for a while longer til I’m home.

That’s it for me…. Oh except that I chopped my hair off. There are some photos of me doing my Welcome Aboard show which kinda show what it looks like. The other photos are of a group of us in Acapulco at Los Flamingos for dinner on our last night there before heading to dry dock. Photos of Mum and Annette in Lima, Peru and Manta, Ecuador. Some of the animals we saw in Costa Rica the other day and a photo of what the dry dock looked like before the ship went in for it’s repairs.

Will update again soon.

Love Jess x

Yet another day in Acapulco!!

Well I'm becoming very acquainted with Starbucks in Acapulco and their free wireless. It's confirmed our ship has a hole in it and we have to go into dry dock for repairs. The passengers that embarked two days ago here to commence their 10 day cruise are being sent home today and tomorrow and on Friday we will leave Acapulco and travel somewhere we dont know yet for repairs. The rumours are either Panama or San Francisco. It's reported now that we did hit bottom while reversing out of Huatulco on Sunday. I thought we were really close to the rocks, obviously we were too close. I believe if you go to the Princess.com website down the bottom right hand side of the page is a link to news and announcements. If you go to that you can keep track of updates.

Meanwhile, we've been the movies twice, spent much time in Startbucks on the net. I love Skype!!! I've been able to sit look at and talk to Chris, my brother and my sister-in-law and nephew. Liam (my nephew) even sang me "I can sing a rainbow" it was awesome!!!

After 4 months of performing we are happy for a break, however I really hope everything is sorted for when mum and Annette are due to come on. At this point it seems that will all be fine. Fingers crossed.

Lots of love
Jess x

Hi Everyone!

Today I’m back in Acapulco which marks the end of another cruise. Only two more cruises to go now til Mum and Annette get on. I’m really getting excited now.

This cruise seemed to go slow. After all the back to back ports we had the cruise before around the Caribbean Islands, all the sea days back on this run has made it seem slow. I’ve really started to feel homesick now and am looking forward to coming home. I’m so glad Mums going to be on soon.

After my jellyfish sting in Aruba at the beginning of the cruise we then had three sea days… one of those being the day we go through the Panama Canal, which to us is like a sea day as we don’t get off. There were meant to be some brand new tours that day that have never been available before, but they were cancelled due to our delayed transit through the canal. There was a lot of traffic that day.

In Puntarenas, Costa Rica, Dave and I did a rafting tour. As it was a wet tour I didn’t take my camera, however we’ve ordered a CD of photo’s the tour company took which should arrive soon so I can show you some of those photos then. On the rafting tour we went through rapids before paddling up stream to find some crocodiles. We found two. One was about two metres long that swam on the surface of the water about 5 metres away from our raft. All up we were on the water for about an hour. It was a lot of fun.

After another sea day we then arrived in Puerto Quetzal, Guatamala where we finally spent the day at the water park. Nipples organised it for us…. The reason I say we ‘finally’ spent the day there is that this is our third attempt to go. Each other time it’s always been closed. We had such a fun day together. There were about a dozen of us racing each other down the slides and basically being big kids. I’ve included a couple of photos…. One of me on one of the slides and a group shot of all of us.

Yesterday we arrived late into Huatulco, Mexico due to bad weather which meant all the tours that day had to be cancelled. We only ever spend about 5 hours there so we ended up with only 3 hours this time. The beach is right at the end of the pier so we were able to make the most of it in the short time we had. It was really rough yesterday afternoon when we left Huatulco and rumour has it that the ship was dented on the rocks. Actually the first rumour was that we had two wholes in the hull then we heard it was dented. It was really rough, some were surprised we sailed. I remember looking out my port hole last night surprised at how close to the rocks we were. Later there were waves smashing against my port hole. Apparently we limped to Acapulco which made us late into port and we've heard some people from LA are coming to assess the damage. Rumours run rife around a ship as you can imagine. The latest we heard was that if we needed to go into dry dock for repair we could end up in San Francisco.... I doubt it though. Stay tuned I'm sure I'll have more rumours for you on this on my next update.

Last night I organised a girls night. We went for dinner in the pizzeria followed by drinks in the night club and then a movie in my room. I introduced them to one of my favourite movies called ‘The Pirate Movie’ and old eighties movie filmed in Australia based on the Pirates on Penzance. It’s a comedy and they loved it.

This cruise we celebrated Valentines day. I’ve included a photo taken that night of Danielle, John and myself. John and Danielle are the two singer dancers in my cast. I really wasn’t in the mood for celebrating (for obvious reasons) so didn’t stay down stairs in the crew bar for very long.

Overall I didn’t take too many photos this past cruise so I thought I’d put in some show photos. I haven’t put any of the production show photos in for a while. These are some of the ones that Tom Fletcher the comedian that was on a couple of cruises ago took.

I’m looking forward to coming home soon. Only ten more weeks to go!!