Been A Minute!

jessilittlej
Mar 30
4 min read

It’s been a minute!

Hello.

I am writing this outside on Deck 14 in the Adults Only Section. It’s currently 7pm and the setting sun is sparkling over the water as we leave Fort Lauderdale.

This will be our 8^th cruise.

Grateful for this 2 hour break we have between our shows today. Tomorrow is a full day for Cal and me. A little too full for my liking. We start the day greeting (Mirabel and Bruno), then head to one of Grand Hall shows right into our Adventure Tea show, then a Cruella Show, then two With Great Power (aka the Marvel show) shows, and end the night with a rehearsal for our contingency shows of Adventure Tea.

Thankfully Pirate Night continues to give us respite. It lands on Monday this cruise and we aren’t called until 4:30pm. (Unless we get selected for a Safety Training. Those happen randomly.)

I will hopefully sleep well and get off the boat in for a massage. We’ll be in Cozumel.

Now for the exciting news! As a few of you know, Cal and were almost fired last week. Oh yes, you heard that right. A very stressful day.

We were being investigated for using the word “bitch” in one of our adults only shows in the Cruella De Vil Bar. The show is an interactive, audience participation improv show where we make up a new song for Cruella. One of our phrases ended with “rich” and when we asked the audience for a word that rhymed, guess what they said? Haha. So we used it.

Had the word only been used just in that moment, and not chosen for the song that we sing to Cruella when she re-entered the room, we would not have gotten in trouble. But due to a character being in the room, plus singing it a few times, it moved high up the food chain.

I can respect them drawing the line and saying we crossed it. But what I don't respect is how in the dark I felt about the conversations being had behind closed doors. And how getting fired was even on the table when we were given no guidelines or a warning first. Especially because our records are clean, we’re dedicated cast members, our ratings are thankfully very high, and we like our immediate bosses and they like us.

But in the end, we were not fired.

It all ended with a W2, which is the highest mark of discipline on a Disney record and it lasts for 6 months, then it goes down to a W1, then after another 6 months it goes to a verbal, and then another six months, it disappears.

I am holding two truths. On one hand, I am taking this seriously, and it has instilled some fear in me. And on the other hand, it feels silly, and doesn’t matter.

There are many things about DCL that make the discipline feel silly.

The boat is a rollercoaster. Some days feel like it all feels like one thing too much, and other days it feels good. I wish it was all a little less rollercoaster-ey. I’m ready for a smoother ride. Hopefully that eventually comes.

It's just hard to be in a functioning adult on the boat. Doing life admin proves difficult with the slow, limited wi-fi, no cell service, and the busy schedule.

All in all, if I decide to take a second contract, I will be asking for more money. It's just not worth it otherwise. I am still 50/50.

And then a little update on my voice. I pushed her too hard when I was sick and I believe I did some damage. I can talk, but I can't sing much. A surgery may be in the cards for me when I am back in September. I am beginning my research into this and corresponding with my vocal couch and a singer friend who has gone through two vocal chord surgeries.

In the past two weeks, I was able to get off in Cozumel, Nassau, and one of Disney's islands Look Out Cay for the first time.

Cozumel, we ate at a touristy place and then went to the cruise ship crew bar called No Name. You’ll find crew members there from all the cruises that are in port.

Nassau, we ate at Oku. A delicious sushi restaurant. So good.

Look Out Cay I got off on my own and just walked along the beach.

Xan joins me on April 11^th and I am oh so excited to have her on board!

Some pics below!

Love!