Happy New Year from the Carnival Miracle

Happy new year to all my beautiful wanderers! New Year’s Eve on my ship was absolutely amazing! I had such a fantastic time. Some of the spa girls and I all went out onto Lido deck for the countdown and the cruise director yelled in the microphone “oooh here comes the Steiners” and then invited us up onto the platform in the middle of the entire crowd where we danced, drank, and rang in 2015!

Christmas, on the other hand, was incredibly tough. It didn’t feel like Christmas since I had to work all day & was missing my family terribly, but luckily it went by fairly fast. Now the holidays are over and life on the ship feels like normal. Ship life is starting to feel more and more like I’m in the right place. I used to ask myself everyday what I was doing and why I was here, and now I feel like I’m doing the right thing for myself and my future. Everybody told me that it would take about 3 months for everything to feel natural and that’s exactly what it took. Granted, I still miss my family and this place will never truly feel like home, I’m still happy and having a good time!

The new ship has been an adjustment for sure. The people are phenomenal! I love how everybody is from different places around word! My roommate is from England, and my fitness colleague is from Serbia. The ship itself is not as nice as my last, but the rockin’ people make up for it! We will be dry docking in March, which means they will no longer be doing cruises for 3 weeks while they do some renovations to the ship. More importantly, this means I can possibly and most likely be transferred AGAIN! I would not mind at all if I got another ship. That would be 3 months for 3 different ships in my first contract. That’s more than most people see in 2 contracts!

I’ve been thinking more and more about if I will want to come back for another contract, I’ve been on the fence since I’ve started and now I’m most likely. Obviously there are some things that make ship life incredibly hard, but anything worth having takes some hard work and determination. The good outweighs the bad and I’ve worked way too hard to get here to throw it all away after one contract. Eventually I would love to move up in the company and I’ve even been talking to my manager about applying for a spa manager position. For now I’m still just along for the ride, letting Steiner take me wherever they wish and trying to adapt to each new ship.

I’m over a third of the way done, and the last month has flown by since I have been getting to see my parents every embarkation! My home port is in the same area where my parents live which has been an absolute life saver! This week I got to bring them on the ship for the day with a guest pass so they got to see where I work, sleep, eat, play and live!

I know that a lot of people have had bad experiences with Steiner but I’ve said from the beginning that this job is whatever one makes of it. I have been striving to make the best of every situation and working incredibly hard to succeed and improve my skills. Needless to say, my experience thus far has been incredible!

I will leave you with a quote that has gotten me through the past couple weeks:

“You don’t have to be the best; you just have to do your best. You know what that is and you are accountable for holding yourself to that standard.”
-Cameron Diaz “The Body Book.”

I read this and instantly thought of myself and how easy it is to get unmotivated and discouraged in this job. Trying to be THE best rather than just focusing on trying YOUR best can be toxic! Ever since I incorporated this mentality into my work I have been far less stressed, more motivated and focused because it’s true — it is my responsibility to do my best, only I know what I’m capable of and I intend to work up to my full potential, and I challenge everybody who is reading this and considering working for this company to do the same. I guarantee you will succeed with this mindset.

Ciao baby!

December

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…wait, it’s 80 degrees. Holiday tunes, Christmas trees, red Starbucks cups, cranberry bliss bars, pumpkin spice, and PALM TREES! Christmas time in Hawaii is so wild!

In other news- I got my new ship details!! Steiner is transferring me to another ship in exactly 1 week. I’m so excited about this change. Ill be sad to leave all of my friends and the comfort of the Pride of America- but I began this experience to do 2 things: travel and make money. I’m so excited to travel outside of HAWAII! My new ship is the Carnival Miracle. It travels from home port of Long Beach Ca, USA, to Hawaii and Mexico!

There are so many exciting things about this new experience: 1. My parents live in the ships home port area so I’ll be able to see them! 2. I will port in some of the same islands as my current ship so I can still see some of my friends, AND do the things I didn’t have time to do on this ship! 3. Mexico. Enough said. 4. There will be at least 3 sea days which is great for money!

For those of you reading this who are interested in working on a ship with this company, you may be wondering why I am moving ships. Steiner is at liberty to change our ships whenever they want – we are kind of like baseball players. I knew for months that I’d be transferring, but that isn’t always the case. You must be prepared for that. I find it quite exciting not knowing if/when they will transfer me. There are many reasons why one would be transferred: 1. You’re doing exceptionally well and deserve a better ship. 2. You’re doing exceptionally poor and need to be moved somewhere to better grow your skills. 3. A previous trainer/massage therapist/beauty/etc. who you replaced is resigning their contract and is coming back. In my case it was scenario number 3.

The second reason I did this experience is to make money and grow as a trainer. The first few (as in like 7) weeks on my current ship I didn’t reach my target and felt super discouraged. It was a really humbling experience to come somewhere with all intentions of kicking ass (sorry grandma), and do otherwise! However, these last couple weeks I have finally found my stride and am killing it! Last week my target was $4200 and I closed the week at over $4800. This week my target was $4000 and I’m already at $7000 and the cruise isn’t over!

As soon as I stopped worrying so much about reaching my target- and just focused all of my attention on continuing to learn and improve, I started exceeding target. I think for everyone that works on a ship in this position experiences a bit of a slump in the beginning – don’t let that discourage you!

More updates on my new ship and life in the Mexican riviera soon!

Cheers y’all!

November

Its mid November & I’m still loving the ship. It’s really hard work and mentally stressful — but equally rewarding.

I have come to the realization that when I’m not hanging out with the spa girls, I am much happier. Not that they are awful, but I work and live with them so it’s nice to have a break. Also I’m not used to working with girls. Back home I work with super laid back guys — the spa setting and spa girls are definitely something I will have to get used to. But I feel like I can’t truly get close to anyone since I have to say goodbye in a month!

Lately I have just been going off the ship planning on relaxing at the beach by myself and every single time I see someone I know and we go on an adventure! It’s so fun and spontaneous which are two brilliant words to describe ship life!

Just yesterday I ended up hanging out with a group of friends and we went canoeing and hiking where Jurassic park was filmed. Talk about spontaneity! We got lost in the woods for a while, capsized a canoe, and almost missed our only taxi home(to the ship. I can’t believe I just called the ship HOME!). There were so many things that should have made that day suck, but it’s hard to have a bad day here in Hawaii. The people are so genuinely nice and it’s always beautiful!

I still don’t know where I am going when I leave this ship! I have exactly one month until I leave and go international, so I hope I find out soon!

Work is going pretty well. Each week is completely different. One week can be the busiest week ever and the very next week can be the slowest. We’re getting into the busy season though with the holidays quickly approaching, so I should be making good money soon! I was feeling discouraged a while back , as you probably read, but the other day I saw the rankings for all the personal trainers in my fleet and I was in the top three even when I was having my bad weeks. That made me feel much better.

The holidays are coming, and stores are starting to decorate and play Christmas music. I don’t know whether to be happy or sad about it. I love the holidays, I love the environment and festivities — but one of my favorite parts is being with my family which I don’t get to do this year. Even just writing this makes me sad. I heard the first year being away from family is the most difficult — and Lord I hope so! I’m deciding to be happy that the holidays are here despite not being with family. There are so many people on this ship who have family much, much further away than mine.

Everyone that works on the ship that hasn’t met me ALWAYS asks if I’m one of the dancers. It’s weird because it’s not just one or two people, there’s been like 10! So I think I must look like a dancer — which I won’t complain about. I wish I had the schedule of the dancers though! They work about 5 hours a week and get paid double my pay. I do, luckily enough, have one of the top 5 jobs on the ship and everybody knows it! Some people resent us for it, but I just wish they knew how hard we worked for this position.

I am networking with so many people here. I am constantly meeting new people and making new connections. I have made it a point to always truly listen to what people have to say because each person has something to teach me about life. I have no idea how long I will be working on cruise ships because it changes every day, but since I’ve been here I have discovered so many different career opportunities in my field of work — I just don’t know which I want to pursue.

I want to thank my friends and family for the huge amount of support you have blessed me with. To all my other readers: If you have any questions whatsoever, please email me or comment.

Cheers y’all!

Month one

I have now been on the ship for just over a month — which means only 8 more months of my contract! I have learned so much already about my job, ships, and people. I’ve met the most amazing human beings, and some that I wouldn’t mind never seeing again. I have learned that there is NEVER a dull moment on ships, and that it takes a crazy person to work on one of these. I think I might be crazy because I’m starting to really get the hang of this whole ship livin’!

All in all, ship life is great. I’m learning a lot about myself as a person, friend, and employee, and that is one of the reasons why I wanted to do this journey, so I could do some souls searching and step outside of my comfort zone. Well I am WAY out of my comfort zone and each day is getting a little easier. I am incredibly homesick and miss my family and friends like crazy, but I know that they support me and I will see them in 8 months with a lot more life experience and a lot more success with my career.

I’m finally getting into my flow on the ship and with my job. I have some really great friends on the ship already, but I am getting a little tired of saying goodbye to friends every week when their contracts end. You really learn to cherish every moment you have with people here on the ship because you never know when they will be transferred end their contract or leave. I eat more pb& j sandwiches than when I was 7 (crew mess serves these 24-7). I am losing a lot of weight since I’m doing my classes every day and I’m constantly moving around. I’m always either walking, running or swimming which means that by the end of each day my body is screaming for my bed! Each day I’m noticing changes in my performance, in my body, and in my mindset about what ship life/hard work really is.

The money so far seems to be pretty good. I haven’t yet made my target and am still making decent money, and have little expenses- when I start making target it’s going to be much better pay.

From now on I am going to try to just update once a month at least!

Cheers to another month!

Week 3

Aloha!

Week three has been amazing! I started off with a fantastic embarkation. I got so many sign ups and even sold a product and did a bca! Needless to say, I rocked embarkation! The middle of the week slowed down significantly, but tomorrow is a sea day due to hurricane Ana, so it will be BUSY! I’m still hoping to make target this week. However, I have had a realization, epiphany, if you will. I need to STOP FREAKING STRESSING! I’m done letting the sales goals get the best of me. I noticed the last couple of weeks it has been all consuming and I don’t want to stress my life away. The targets are definitely important and of course, my key to success, however I am quickly realizing that if I’m enjoying my job and passionate about my work, the money will come. People will see that I truly love what I do and be drawn to it and trust me more with their money.

My goal for this week has been to talk to as many people as possible – guest and crew. I want to be more known and respected by folks on the ship and to do that I just need to do what I do best — talk! I have met some amazing people and even got invited to eat breakfast with the executive chef! His name is Errol and he is the nicest man from Jamaica. We talked about so much and he is the kind of guy that is genuinely interested in what people have to say.

Random embarrassing story of the week- I was just finishing up my cycling class and was getting my class sanitizing wipes for the bikes when all of a sudden I had fallen right on my bum. It was one of those slips you see in the movies. The entire class came rushing to my aid asking if I was ok- I was fine, other than my pride.

Cheers y’all!

Week 2 & more

Week 2 was anything but a success. I was incredibly discouraged for a while however I didn’t let it affect my work. I kept hustling as much as possible. I wasn’t able to do most of my embarkation because Of the training I had to do for the coast guard. This severely impacted the rest of my week since i didn’t get to make those positive initial connections with the passengers.

I ended the week (literally my last consultation of the week) with a nearly $1500 sale so that was exciting! I still didn’t make my target though.

I was able to go to the beach a couple times last week which was great! It is the best way to rejuvenate for the rest of the cruise. I did, however decide to swim in the ocean with my brand new watch (very unintentional). Since I fried that watch, of course I had to get a new one!

Sometimes I still can’t even fathom where I am and my new way of life. There are so many emotional ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change it for the world!

Yesterday I did my embarkation for week 3 and it went so well! I got so many more sign ups for classes and seminars and got to talk to loads of passengers! BONUS: I also sold a product and did a BCA — all in the first day! This morning I did my classes which also went amazing! This cruise is already off to a great start and I am determined to make my target this week!

Currently I am relaxing on the beach in Maui watching about 100 kite surfers ride the great, blue, Hawaiian waves! I live for days off on the beach!

I can’t wait to continue to keep the ball rolling this week and make some serious money!

Aloha!!

Week 1

My first week on the ship is officially in the books!

Throughout the week I did a combination of training and shadowing the current trainer on the ship. I learned a lot but was eager all week to get started with my real job – personal training!

The people I work with are all so sweet and helpful! I get lost on the ship almost everyday, but there is always someone around to help me get where I need to go. I am getting better at finding my way though!

My schedule for the week varies a bit but here is the outline:

Saturday- 2-8embarkation day
Sunday- 6:30-7:15 yoga
7:30-8:00 boot camp
8:15-8:30 stretch and relax
Monday- 6:15- 7 TRX
7-7:15- killer abs
7:30- 8:15- Pilates
8:30-9:30- indoor cycling
9:30-5:00- consultations/ training/ break for lunch
5:30-6:30- detox for health and weight loss
Tuesday-6-6:45 sunrise yoga
7-8- indoor cycling
8-8:30 boot camp
8:45- 9- stretch and relax
9-5- consultations/ training/ break for lunch
5:00- 6- walking in comfort Goodfeet seminar
Wednesday- 7-7:30 boot camp
7:45- 8- abs workout
8:15- 8:30- stretch and relax
8:30-5- consultations/training/break for lunch
5-6- eat more to weigh less seminar
Thursday- 6:15-7 TRX
7-7:45 Pilates
8-9- indoor cycling
9:915- stretch and relax
Friday- 1:30-2 body toning
2-2:45- TRX
2:45-3- killer abs
3:30-4- boot camp
5-9- consultations/training/ break for meal

So that’s it! That is what I will be starting this week!

Cheers ya’ll!

The Pride of America

Aloha!

I am currently sitting in a mai tai bar in one of the biggest outside malls in the country, writing this post for all of you beautiful people! I have just arrived at my first destination which is Honolulu, Hawaii! I couldn’t be more stoked to start my new adventure working on the ship! In addition to the excitement I am feeling an overwhelming amount of nerves — I call this “nervcited.”

My ship is the Pride of America which travels through 5 Hawaiian islands for 7 days. I will only be on this ship for 3 months and then I am being transferred to another ship. The reason for this is because the person who I am replacing on the ship is coming back after his time off, so I am just filling in for the time being. After he comes back I will be moving to a different ship for the remainder of my contract. Different ship means different locations, different guests, different EXPERIENCE!

I feel very blessed to have gotten the opportunity to work on two different ships so I can see the best of both worlds — literally! I will be working on an American ship and an international ship. In this time I hope I can make some good Money and see some amazing parts of our beautiful world.

I will try to post about my experience at least once a month, but ideally weekly updates are my goal! I don’t have phone service so I will solely be working off wifi (when available).

Mahalo (thank you) to everyone who reads my blog, and if you have any questions do not hesitate to comment below!

Aloha!

Packing list

Packing list

This packing list is strictly for the ymca, I haven’t been on the ship yet so I can’t say what you will need there, but it shouldn’t be any different. If it is, I will edit it. For now I am only going to write the things that might be out of the ordinary or that you may not think of.

Bath products:
-basic shower gels that you use. Don’t pack big products only travel size as you can get more when you’re at the academy.
-Ladies: make up
>foundation, powder, blush/bronzer, bright lipstick, mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow. I would invest in nice makeup since you will be wearing it everyday.
-tweezers
-Men: shaving kit. I would invest in a nice kit since you will be shaving everyday.
-hair dryer- these aren’t provided.
-bath towel- also not provided.
– hairspray, even if you don’t currently use it, you surely will at the academy — they will make you spray your hair when it is up in a bun.

Clothes:
– Something warm. England is quite cold most of the time.
-Do not over pack. You wear your uniform every day so there is no need for loads of clothes.
-black or white socks for fitness
– white or black trainers

Miscellaneous:
– clear bags to put valuables in at the academy. You aren’t allowed to use big bags for all of your stuff.
-plasters for tattoos just on case your uniform doesn’t fully cover them.
-donut hair bun
-school supplies. I didn’t bring much of this, but I ended up needed to buy it in Watford which ended up being very expensive! You will need pens/pencils, folders, and a notebook (preferably one that has subject dividers).

What not to bring:
-Iron, they will take it out of your room if they find it. There is one provided at the Y.
-Too many clothes. You won’t use them.
-X box/video games (someone did this during my training). You absolutely will NOT need this!

When I got to the academy they told me I had to purchase many things that they never told me about prior, so I hope this saves you some precious time at the academy!

Happy Shopping!

Kyrie

The Academy

Hello all!

This post will mostly pertain to fitness, since that is what training I completed at the academy, however, I think the other occupations may find the information useful as well.

I will start from the beginning, from my first days in London.

I went to Europe a week early because I wanted to do some traveling and sight seeing. They tell you that you won’t be able to do any sight seeing during training, and they aren’t kidding! Fitness gets 1 day off in the 3 weeks of training and it’s the last day! So you go 21 days before getting a day off. After that 1 day, you’re back at the academy until you get your ship.

During the week I was there before training, I went to most of the iconic places in London, and then took the train and ferry over to Ireland! Ireland was absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to go back someday! I was so happy to have that week to myself before shit got real in training! I highly recommend going early to sight see, have fun and live your life. Because that’s what all of this is about right? Living your life and seeing the world from a different perspective!

Day 1: induction day. Come dressed to impress. Business/Formal. Cover all tattoos and take all piercings out except you may have 1small stud in each ear. Ladies, make sure you’re in full make up (foundation, BLUSH, eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, LIPSTICK), your eyebrows should be clean and your hair should be pulled up with no bits hanging out and no flyaways. If you have short hair (like me) life is much easier, and you may have your hair down but blow dried into a nice style with no flyaways! Gentlemen, you must be clean shaven (you have to shave every single day) with your hair looking nice and clean. If you do not look acceptable, prepare to be told that from then on you need to change it. They won’t get angry with you on induction day if you don’t look perfect, but the coming days they will. If you do look up to their standards you will already be ahead of most people, which is exactly what you want. Female fitness: you still have to abide by the same makeup/hair standards.

This is the day where you do a lot of waiting, fill out loads of paperwork, get your uniform (which you will wear every day following) and get a medical if necessary. If you do have to get a medical in London, prepare to have about 300 pounds in cash! So if it would be cheaper to get it done in your country, do it.

Entrance exam: on this day, be prepared for the entrance exam! Ours was on induction day, but all other occupations had theirs on later days. The exam covered a lot of the info in the starter pack, even the extra things they ask you to research. If you haven’t received your starter pack yet, this won’t make sense to you, but it will once you receive it. Basically, when you get your training date they will give you a packet filled with info about your occupation and all the info you need for training. For fitness we get an extra packet with material they want us to research — be sure to do the research because you’re tested on it on induction day! Also, they give you an online training/testing you must pass before coming to training. It is pretty simple, but you have to learn a ton of products. Fitness– this is the only time you’re tested on most of these products. Don’t worry about any of the products except the detox products (I made the mistake of studying all of them and wasted loads of precious time before training). You may be wondering “what happens if I don’t pass the entrance exam?” If you do not pass, then you will get a “performance counseling” form that you must fill out and sign. This basically says that you are at risk for going home if you get 2 more. After 3 of these forms you will have a talk with your instructor and he/she will then decide if you are going to stay or go home.

NOTE: when the instructors are deciding whether you stay or leave, they are taking into consideration everything including: how many times you were late to class, your attitude, how you follow directions and your overall performance.

The curriculum: The days after induction day are intense. You learn how to speak in public, seminars, consultations, products, yoga, Pilates, indoor cycling, bootcamp, stretch/abs classes, and much more! These are all great skills to have and will get you far if you are good at them. You only have time to learn bits and pieces of everything, so it is up to you to study even after training, and to continue studying on board I’m order to master everything!

Fitness level: You need to be physically fit. You won’t be doing too much exercise during class, only on the days you learn classes. But when you are doing the classes you want to be able to perform adequately. Use your time before training to get very fit. If you look the part, you will get a ship faster. They don’t say that, but it’s true. I also suggest starting a yoga or Pilates class to work on your balance and flexibility.

The people: my favorite part of training was the people I met. They made everything worth while! You get so close to everyone so quickly because you’re all going through one of the hardest and most vulnerable times of your life together! I met people from South Africa, Australia, Serbia, Poland and many many more places. I was the only American in the entire academy! You will learn about people’s cultures and meet all kinds of people. The hardest part of training is saying goodbye to everyone as they start leaving for their ships or you leave for yours!

The YMCA: this is where you stay during your time training at the academy. All Steiner employees stay on the 3rd and 4th floor so it’s like you have your own little flat! A lot of people go to the Y thinking that Steiners are the only people living there. Don’t be that person. The Y is home to a lot of rough people who are going through hard times in their lives, have addictions, or are homeless. We are just a little part of the population there. The people are nice but like I said, they are pretty rough. They wouldn’t do anything to hurt you though and the only time you are ever in contact with them is when you’re eating, or entering and leaving the building. Remember, staying at the Y is like staying in a hostel. It’s not a 5 star hotel. The rooms aren’t terrible, I’m fact, I stayed at hostels prior to coming to the Y that made the Y look like a 5 star hotel! They wash your sheets once a week and clean your room everyday. Although the rooms/bathrooms aren’t the cleanest, they could be worse. My advice: go in with an open mind and don’t expect much. That way when you get there you might be impressed!

My neighbor ended up being my best friend there and we did everything together! It was so nice to have her to eat with, travel to and from the academy with, study with, and talk to whenever!

You will be in a room with up to three other people and they can be from any of the occupations. Make friends with them and talk to them, because you will learn so much about their culture!

There is so much information about the academy, so if you have any questions feel free to email me. Hopefully in time I can develop a frequently asked questions list to provide all you beautiful people!

Cheers y’all!