Living the Good Life...

Couple things I forgot to mention.

Buy about 5 small to medium size locks. In my case these will be for two desk drawers, wardrobe and two drawers under my bed. You need two minimum, that is all I have but at times wish I had a couple more. I do know people that have things taken from their rooms. I lock all valuable up whenever I leave my room. Do not bring anything like an iron, teapot, cup warmer etc. as the will be confiscated for fire safety reason.

The Dream off Belize Earlier This Week

Local Bar in Belize City

View from my favorite place for fish tacos, $2 each, in Costa Maya

Spa Girls Natalie and Sophie stopped by last night 

to see if I wanted to go to the show

WORK HARD

Now lets talk paperwork. I’m a fairly organized guy, somewhat metal in TCM. The night before embark I post my schedule on the spa computer, my Macbook and organize my weekly work sheets for each day. Theses are appointment sheets with times available to book people throughout the week, essentially my schedule. I use a pencil to write down the name and cabin number of the patient in case of changes and I use a yellow highlighter to mark times that are not available such as lunch, dinner, time off, seminars etc.

During embark and throughout the week I use this to book consults and appointments. As soon as I do during embark I tell the receptionist on duty to enter it into the computer so it is not double booked and the rest of the week I enter the information myself.

This gives you three points of reference, the spa computer, which I constantly check throughout the day for added appointments. The spa computer is the master schedule and my Macbook is the slave and I post appointments on it according to the spa computer.

My daily/weekly worksheets are used to book appointments during my seminars, embark etc. Always transfer appointments to the spa computer making sure you were not booked. When I give seminars and book appointments after them on my daily sheets I tell the patient that I will check the spa computer and let them know if the time had been booked during the seminar and will call if there is a conflict to reschedule. This happens very seldom but it does happen. You must keep in mind that the “master schedule” is the spa computer, not your personal computer or worksheets. I’ve found this system to be very easy to use and avoid any scheduling mix-ups.

During the seminar I also have a sign up sheet for those that attend. I have them fill this out while I am waiting to give the seminar. This enables you to see who is at the seminar and why. This way you can gear your talk to address their specific needs. I usually have a very high percentage of those at the seminar sign up for consults or appointments.

The problem I am having is getting people to the seminars. This has just happened over the last few weeks and we think it is due to the “spring break” demographic. That and the weather has been exceptional so everyone is outdoors enjoying the sun. We have done cabin drops, display boards talking about seminars, the morning show…everything but to no avail. They are just not showing up.

What gas carried me through is I have had very high embark numbers. That is until this week. This has been the slowest embark since I joined the ship. Very few people on the spa tour and very few of them interested in signing up for free consultations or the 20% discount we began to offer for embark night only.

Usually how I now start my embark speech as I have few little time with the guest is to say “My name is Larry and I am the onboard acupuncturist. It is my job not only to welcome you aboard but to also tell you how I can make your cruise and your life a little nicer. One way is to relieve any stress that you may be going through. They other it to relieve you from any pain you are experiencing. Acupuncture is good for any type of pain form back, neck, shoulders, knee, elbow etc. Are you experiencing any pain?” Usually they will say yes and then I say “there is no reason to answer yes etc.”. Then follow up from there telling the person how you can help them. I also always have my testimonial book with me and show them what others with similar conditions have had to say and how much I have helped them. This is very important and has helped my book a number of appointments. Remember you only have minutes to get the point across that you can help them.

That is it for now. Let me know if you have any other questions etc.

PLAY HARD

Right now I am sitting in the local crew bar/hangout in St. Maarten and decided it was time to catch up a little with my blog.

Boat ride to St. John

Yesterday while in St. Thomas I decided to take a boat to St. John. Once in St. John it was off to Trunk Beach, which has been rated one of the top 10 beaches in the world. If it wasn’t for all the people I would have agreed.  It certainly was beautiful and the water was an amazing color and was unbelievably clear.

So without any further talk I'll let it speak for itself….

From the taxi on the way to Trunk Bay below

Trunk Beach

Other End of Trunk Beach

The Beautiful Waters of Trunk Bay

Trunk Bay

Trunk Bay

Trunk Bay

AND WHAT MAKES IT WORTH IT...

...Days Like Today

It's long hours and a lot of hard work but when you have time off to relax and party with friends it makes it all worth it.

Today at Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Honduras

Chairlift to Mahogany Bay Beach

Mahogany Bay

Mahogany Bay

Mahogany Bay

Mahogany Bay

Mahogany Bay Touristville

And then there is partying with the Spa Girls...

Eanne and Sara

Sara and Katie

Katie and Sara

Me and the Spa Gang

Spa Gang Gets Wet

Spa Girls...and Raymond

Eanna and Katie

Peta Gets Her Rock On

We Will We Will...

Rock You!!!!!!!!

Sophia Rocks Too...

After 23 years....

...I finally got a room with windows! And talk about an office with an ocean view, talk about an office on the water…literally!!!!!!!

My new office…this view would be hard to beat for anyone.

Great sunset from "my office"

WORK HARD

Other then that now lets talk about the room where I live and what you should think about bringing on board with you. I’ve read where others have said not to pack a lot. I have to agree even though I did over pack. I am going to end up shipping a few things back home so I don’t have to carry them off the ship when I leave.

So what should you bring? Bring a handful of civilian clothes and you don’t have to bring much. You really can buy anything you need at any of the ports that you find you need. At least this is what I’ve found in the Caribbean.

I wear mostly shorts and t-shirts although I did bring three nice silk Caribbean/Hawaiian type shirts. Although you can certainly buy them here for around $10. I also wear sandals for the most part as you have to take them off when you board the ship. So either sandals or slip ons is going to save you some time etc….think airport screening.

As far as work I brought 6 long sleeve dress shirts, 4 silk ties, 4 pairs of pants, 3 lab coats and one suit for formal night. You will find that your room steward and laundry will take care of your dry cleaning whenever you want. Your uniforms are cleaned and pressed for no charge. You will also find that there is a crew laundry for your regular clothes. Do not make the mistake I did by bringing an iron, as it will be confiscated.

On the subject of room stewards mine does an excellent job. My room is always clean and my laundry is always done. You pay them $10 per week cash. I also paid the last one I had a large “going away” tip when he left the ship.

A couple things I found very useful is a couple cups for drinking water etc. I use plastic bar glasses that in restaurant terms are called a “bucket”. I also brought a water filter pitcher like a Brita although I use a different brand. I found this saves a lot of money as I drink a lot of water. Water in the crew bar is $1 a large bottle. There is a small refrigerator in my room and it keeps things cool at best, certainly not cold.

Another thing I found useful is a bathroom “valet”. I bought mine from REI for about $25. It holds my toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, brush, shampoo and body wash. It saves a lot of space in the medicine cabinet for other things. I also brought two large bottles of Vitamin C to try and stay healthy.

And yes bring your laptop. Crew Internet is expensive at $20 for 200 minutes. So the trick is doing most of the Internet on shore as mentioned in a previous post.

I think that is probably that excluding personable items.

Spa Girls at Sunset off Cozumel

PLAY HARD

This week is the first time I’ve been able to leave the ship in some time due to corporate and my injury.

I spent one of my port days walking around Philipsburg, St. Maarten. I’ve been collecting gifts for my son and grandkids. I can’t say what as they read my blog and I what to surprise them. Of course I always end up at Paradise Point checking out the view and listening to live reggae.

Beach at Philipsburg, St. Marrten

Beachfront shops in St. Maarten

My next port days I took a few hours off and walked around Nassau and today did the same in Cozumel. Yes buying gifts for my son and grandkids. So that is about it for this week.

Plaza in Cozumel

Still in the plaza

Getting "arty" with hammocks

Cozumel Malecon

At some point I’ll play tourist and take some excursions. When I do I’ll let you know what I found and which ones I like the most.

My new home beginning July 22^nd was moored next to us in Cozumel today

Take care and keep the questions and comments coming.

More Request Info

Right now I am sitting in a restaurant on the water in Philipsburg St. Maarten. The trick is to do internet when you get on shore as many places offer it for free as they want your business. It gets expensive from the ship with "crew internet". They usually give "crew" discounts for food and drink as well. Same goes for many "tourist" things like excursions etc. You can also get a lot of these for free. You just have your manager contact the excursion and away you go.

It is very long hours especially on Sea Days. But you get to make your own schedule and get a lot of port time off.

Just before beginning Pain Seminar

This weeks schedule is:

Saturday 1pm-9pm embarks from Cape Canveral at 4pm

Sunday Nasssau off from 8am-1pm and then work 1pm-8pm, ship leaves at 2pm. I also give a 1 hour seminar on Pain/Arthritis at 3pm

Monday Sea Day work 8am-8pm, seminar on Acupuncture for an hour at 1pm and 1 hour for lunch.

Tuesday St. Thomas work 8am until 11am, ships docks at 10am then took the rest of the day off, ship leaves port at 8pm

Wednesday St. Maarten all day off, ship leaves at 6pm

Thursday Sea Day work 8am-8pm, seminar on Pain/Arthritis for an hour at 11am and 1 hour for lunch.

Friday Sea Day work 8am-10pm, seminar on Herbs For Life for an hour at 11am and 1 hour for lunch and dinner. Also "port clean" which means we clean our room for about an hour.

Next week is similiar except we only have 2 sea days and go to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan and Costa Maya.

Saturday 1pm-9pm embarks from Cape Canveral at 4pm

Sunday Sea Day work 8am-8pm, seminar on Pain at 11am, lunch at 12pm and Acupuncture Seminar for an hour at 1pm.

Monday Cozumel and ship ports at 10am-6pm. I work until 11am and then take the rest of the day off.

Tuesday Belize 8am-6pm. I usually here as it is not one of my favorites 8am until 8pm and an hour for lunch and dinner

Wednesday Roatan and ship ports at 10am-6pm. I work until 11am and then take the rest of the day off.

Thursday Costa Maya and ship ports at 8am-3pm. I work from 3pm until 8pm.

Friday Sea Day work 8am-10pm, seminar on Herbs For Life for an hour at 11am and 1 hour for lunch and dinner. Also "port clean" which means we clean our room for about an hour.

I think I got all that right. We are under contract to do 52 hours but I seem to always do a bit more.

I've been told I got my next contract confirmed on the Radiance of the Seas starting 7/22
Schedule is as follows:

Alaska for 2 months from July 22 until mid-Sept.

Vancouer to Inside Passage, Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Skagway, Hubbard Glacier and Seward.

Then 2 weeks in Hawaii

Kailua Kona, Lahaina Maui, Nawiliwili Kauai, Honolulu Oahu.

And then from the end of Sept through Feb to New Zealand and Austrailia for the most part but also ports of call in Papeete Tahiti, Moorea French Polynesia, Bora Bora French Polynesia, Bali Indonesia, Noumea New Caledona, Isla of Pine New Caledonia, Ouyea Loyality Island, Vila Vanuatu, Lugnaville Vanuatu and Mystery Island Vanuatu.

In Austrailia we are going to Hobart Tasmania, Sydney, Brisbane, Airline Beach, Port Douglas, Darwin, Broome, Geraldton, Perth, Albany, Esperance, Adelaide and Melbourne.

In New Zealand it is Aucklane, Bay of Islands, Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Napeir, Tauranga and Volcanic White Island.

Not too bad for a poor boy and old man of the sea....

So there you have it. What it is like to some degree. I'll probably extend in Feb so I can travel back through the Panama Canal.

Also you can do 4 or 7 month contracts and extend if you like too. This lets you find out if you like it and if it fits your needs. Also I think I told you that you also get your own cabin so you so not have to share living quarters, this is huge.

PLAY HARD...

Some Pics of Play Time

Eanna and Vega at Enna's Birthday Bash (crew lounge)

Spa Girls Dressed to Kill in the Crew Bar

Eanna, Raj and Me at the Crew Bar

Cozumel - No Name Bar with the Spa Girls, Vega and Ben

Vega and the Spa Girls

Amorica and Sara

Too Much Fun in Cozumel

Me and the "Techno-Babe" Sara in Cozumel

Crew Hot Tub on the Dream after Cozumel

Today at Paradise Point in St Thomas with the Spa Girls

Paradise Point Fun with the Spa Girls

Too Much Fun - Paradise Point, St. Thomas

Behind the Green Door - St Thomas

Door #1 or Door #2

Old St. Thomas Bank

Hibiscus Row

Just liked the shapes, shadows and colors

It's All Good....

It’s Tuesday March 15^th and I am in St. Thomas at my favorite place to spend the sunset, Paradise Point. It is on top of a hill just above the ships and only minutes away. You take a ski gondola to get here, which only costs $5 with your crew discount. I have found where ever you go ask if the give a “crew discount”. You’ll find like I have many places do.

So I am sitting here having something to eat, drinking a “Bushwhacker” chased by a couple Virgin Island “Island Summer Ales”, listening to live reggae and enjoying the view.

So I guess it is time that I catch up with my blogging. I do have a couple of excuses, some valid, other probably not.

I’m going to make much of this short as I am reaching back into the memory of an old salt that was much to old to be doing some of the things he did…especially on St. Maarten.

Just before give Seminar

PLAY HARD – 2/16

The week of 2/16 didn’t get posted as I went partying with some of the spa girls and did a pub-crawl in St. Maarten for a “Dirty 30” birthday celebration. The trick was when it came to your name alphabetically it was your turn to buy the round. I know it made it past my name as I remember buying my round and Mark bought his after me. From the point on things get a little fuzzy as there were at least 9 of us plus a few that joined us here and there. To this day some of us laugh about it as none of us really remembers getting back to the ship that night. However I do remember making it to the crew hot tub, which is just outside my cabin. The next day I noticed that I left my leather topped crocs and my sunglasses by the hot tub and they are now history….much like that night.

WORK HARD – 2/23

This week there was no play hard. Lisa from corporate was on board and I spent all my spare time learning any and everything she had to share. If she ever makes the rounds when you are on board I suggest you do the same. She is a wealth of knowledge especially to those of us that are new to this adventure.

WORK HARD - 3/2

Well at least I tried. This week I had a Bakers Cyst rupture in my right leg. I was walk down one of the passageways and I felt what seemed to be an explosion in my right calf. At first they thought it might be a deep vein thrombosis so I was sent off the ship in St. Thomas in a wheelchair for an emergency visit to a specialist. I was told the night before to take no medications so even with the oxycodine in my drawer that the VA gave me for my knee I could take anything. I tossed and turned all night in pain unable to sleep.

It was extremely painful. And even after two days I could not walk or put any weight on my foot. Both my leg from the knee down and my foot seemed to double in size. By the third day I started to do acupuncture and started to chug the herbs. The next day it felt about 50% better and I could walk on crutches. I continued the acupuncture and herbs along with the 500mg of Aleve the doctor gave me along with visits for ultrasound. Something is working though as it is getting better. To me it’s not the Aleve, maybe its some with ultrasound but I know when I do acupuncture I can feel a difference verses when I don’t for a night.

WORK HARD – 3/11

More of the same. I’ve spent the entire week with any free time I have had nursing my leg, laying in bed and elevating both my leg and knee. And of course my bad knee which I tore the patella ligament several years ago while backpacking in the Sierras is now being affected from the altered gait. At least that is something I am familiar with as I have dealt with it on and off for close to 20 years.

WORK HARD – 3/14

Well I am finally feeling better and back in St. Thomas where two weeks ago I was carted off the ship to the emergency room. Today is a little work, but a pleasant version of it. Lisa is in port and getting some of the acupuncturists from other ships together. We spent a couple hours together and I met Kristi from the Noordam. She is on her first contract and only on her second week. It was nice meeting another acupuncturist and I’m looking forward to meeting others along the way and learning from them.

Here is something that Lisa had me share. When asked about the cost of packages my rant is…

“The first visit is $150, on shore they run between $150 - $200. Then they rope you in saying the follow up visit is $75, where I was it was $95. Then a month later you get your bill and it is $150 - $200. You call and speak to the receptionist and say ‘I thought the treatment was $75.’

And she says the treatment was $75 but the office visit was $50 and the ultrasound was $50 and the heat packs were $30 and all of a sudden you have a $200 bill. Here the more you get the less it costs. We also find that we get better results. We get the same results in 3-5 treatments that it takes 1 – 2 months, sometimes 3 months on shore. This is because it has been proven that the body is just more receptive to healing in a stress free environment. And there is not too much more that is more stress free then this.”

PLAY HARD

It isn’t really playing too hard. My knees are still a bit tender but I walked a couple miles through Phillipsburg checking out the side streets and taking a few pictures. Next I headed for Paradise Point. And then it happened….SPA GIRLS...they found my hide out. So now it is a few cocktails and play with the spa girls….

A REQUEST....

And I’ll end with a request. I’ve been asked how the food is. It’s not great but it’s not bad. There is a descent salad bar and a number or entrees. There is always chicken breasts, white rice, usually some sort of pasta dish, a beef dish, and a small variety of ethnic food. There is always fresh fruit as well and some sort of soup. Overall it is fairly good but it does get a bit monotonous over time. Breakfast is scrambled eggs or you can order fresh eggs but I swear they can’t cook anything then over hard not matter what you order. There is also grits sausage, bacon, ham etc. Drinks are ice tea, water, lemonade, punch and apple juice.

So there you have it. I’ll try and keep up now every week and keep answering your question. Thanks for them and any other feedback you may have.