Happy New Year to all! I hope everyone has had a happy holiday and are enjoying what 2004 has brought to us thus far, and looking forward to what excitement 2004 has in store for us.

Well, I’m back on the Disney Wonder for contract #3 (am I insane??? Hehehe!) and had a very unique and interesting holiday aboard the ship. I had two Christmases this year as while I was home in Saskatchewan we had an early Christmas at the beginning of December, and then when I got back to the ship, seeing everything all decorated and all the holiday related events got me into the Christmas spirit all over again. I’m a Christmas nut and there is no such thing as to much holiday spirit in my opinion. J

The ship was beautifully decorated. We had a tree set up in the deck 3 atrium that stretched all the way up to deck 5! And there was garland and wreaths hung everywhere. The bakers and cooks even got into the spirit and made a life size gingerbread house that was on display. It took like 25 pounds of flour and 4000 gingerbread cookies or something to make… it really was phenomenal and smelled delicious. You could smell that house from a mile away! Hehehehe! The best part was our private island of Castaway Cay though. Thanks to the "magic" of Disney it snowed in the Bahamas!!! No word of a lie, they had this beautiful winter wonderland display complete with a snow machine so as you stepped off of the gangway, there were real snowflakes swirling around you! It was so unique and special and of course I took tons of pictures. J As well, Castaway Cay boasted a 60 foot (no exaggeration here) Christmas tree! Put it this way, I was on deck 4 admiring the tree one day and waiting for the tree lighting ceremony and I was eye level with the very top of it! Magnificent! Even Mickey and Minnie and Goofy had special Christmas outfits to celebrate the sounds of the season.

So overall, Christmas was a nice time. There were lots of events going on for the crew including a crew talent show where we discovered some of our fellow crew’s hidden talents… and discovered some talents that we didn’t need to know about! On Christmas Eve, our Programming Dept got together and had a Secret Santa gift exchange. We were given someone’s name and a questionnaire that they filled out telling us about themselves… favorite color, favorite Disney character, etc.. and then we had to buy a gift for them. Having the questionnaire was a total lifesaver and everyone got some really nice things. Our managers really wanted our Christmas get together to have that homey and cozy feel, so some of the crew went to a lot of work to create a "mock" fireplace and mantel so we could open our presents near the "fire". It was a really nice time but the highlight of the evening was Blessing (the Club co-oridinator from Zimbabwe) getting down on one knee and popping the "BIG" question to his girlfriend Stacie (a programmer from Australia). Blessing arranged to have some of the Disney characters come and witness this event so among our special guests were Mickey, Minnie, Cinderella, and Dopey. Before he proposed to her, he played over the sound system his phone call to her parents asking their permission to marry their daughter. Let me tell you, it was such a happy and special occasion and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place! It was SO romantic… *dreamy sigh * and something I’m sure she’ll remember for a long time to come! Then on Christmas morning we all got up at 7am and our managers treated us to breakfast at Perkins. The managers really did achieve their goal of having a nice, homey like Christmas and it was a really great bonding experience for the team. Working and living together in the close quarters we do, your fellow crewmates really do become your family and the ship does become your home away from home. It was super special and something I really enjoyed and will remember for a long time to come. They also had midnight mass and a Christmas morning interdenominational church service. It was a very nice service and despite the fact we are all from different countries we were all bound by our faith and belief in God that night/morning. It really was a beautiful celebration and proved that faith really has no boundaries. Christmas Day we spent floating, to quote Nemo, "on the big blue". It was fabulous to look out on Deck 4 and not see anything but ocean surrounding you. I do totally have to mention that the icing on the cake was seeing wild dolphins jumping along side our ship about two hours after we set sail on Christmas Eve! It was the most magnificent sight, as there were about 9 of them in total jumping and "playing" along side the ship. For one moment we actually forgot about the kids and all took turns running out to the outside decks to witness this phenomenon. Kids??? What kids… who wants to worry about kids when there’s DOLPHINS outside!!! J

So while Christmas was fun, New Year’s was a whole different story in my opinion. I couldn’t wait for it to be over and I was so stressed out from work I thought the evening would never end. It was just really busy and chaotic and noisy and the kids just seemed a little overwhelmed with everything and therefore weren’t happy campers. You could see the tension on my fellow co-workers’ faces as the evening went on. After my shift was over, they had a crew formal party and so I got to dress up in my "Cinderella" dress J and hang out with my fellow crew. The party was okay but very busy and crowded as the space it was held in was very small. But it was all right, I stayed for a bit, took tons of pictures with my fellow crew mates all dressed up and then went to bed at 2am as I had to be up bright and early to work at 8:30am on New Year’s Day.

Right now, the holidays are over and things are back to normal… normal itinerary (we had to revise it a bit for the holidays), normal work schedule (68 - 70 hours a week), and manageable, if not lower, children’s numbers. I’m really enjoying this pace as the last couple of cruises we’ve only had about 580 kids between the ages of 3 - 12. Some of you may be picking your jaws up off the floor because that still seems like a lot but during our busy time those numbers can creep up to 850 - 1000. So I think after the hectic holidays, me and my fellow programmers are glad for the post Christmas holiday "break". Hehehehe!

I’m currently working in the 8-9 group right now and when I first got back to the ship and found this out, I was really disappointed as I was expecting to go back into my beloved 10-12 age group as I’ve been there for the last two contracts. But as I’ve gotten back into the swing of things, I’ve been pleasantly surprised and am enjoying this age group and their programs to the fullest! These kids are so special as they’re not quite grown up yet but they’re not little anymore. They’re at that "in-between age" and are so easily entertained and impressed with everything we do with them. So it’s been a lot of fun.

I do have my down days on the ship, but overall I’m having a great time and was so glad to be a part of and experience a Disney Christmas. I’ve never been anywhere warm and hot for Christmas so that in itself was a bit of a treat although there’s nothing like white fluffy snow peacefully and silently falling on Christmas Eve to complete your holiday. My mom gave me plastic glow in the dark snowflakes that I hung up by my bed so I could have some snow this season. Awww… J

I’ve also reached and accomplished my two goals that I set out when I joined this company. When I got interviewed for the job, they asked me how long I wanted to stay with the company and I thought a year or three contracts would be great. Well, January is the month of my one-year anniversary with Disney Cruise Line and I got the little gold Steamboat Willie pin to prove it. J I also set a goal to become a Disney Trainer meaning I get to train new hires in the job as they come in. And right at the end of contract #2 I finished the required course and got the exclusive Disney Jiminy Cricket Trainer pin. It is a very self-satisfying feeling, that despite the bumps and obstacles you encounter along the way, you can still pull through and achieve your goals. J While at times, life on the ship and the job can be trying; overall it’s a great experience and one that I am so glad to have had the opportunity to do. J Being in a situation like this, you really learn a lot about yourself and grow as a person.

The weather down south has been interesting. The week leading up to Christmas was magnificent probably 26 to 28 C (that’s ABOVE zero, folks *winks * hehehe!) but we have had our "cold" days to. Last embark day (Sunday) it was "freezing"… well by Florida standards anyways… it was probably between 12 to 15 C!!! No word of a lie, the customs and security officers were wearing earmuffs, toques, gloves, and some went so far as to wear parkas!!! It was a bit nippy, I admit, but I had to laugh and think how the Floridians would do in good ole deep freeze Saskatchewan at this time of year… now there’s an interesting image!!! I do have to confess though; my thick prairie skin is getting thin since I’ve been here and when it does get that low, I have to bundle up wearing a fleece sweater or long sleeved shirt. * innocent face * Hehehehe!

I hope everyone is well. Please forgive me for the mass email and I promise I will try and write to everyone individually whether it is snail mail or email. I love keeping in touch and when you’re away from home hearing from the home front even if it is the littlest most insignificant thing means a whole lot. Even if you think it’s not important any news is great! J

If any of you want to do the good ole fashioned snail mail (*hint hint, nudge nudge* ) here is the ship’s address:

Disney Cruise Line - Disney Wonder

Attn: Crew Member - Glendyne Collins

Dept.: Programming

Caller #9005

Cape Canaveral, Florida

32920 - 9001

USA

Well, that’s about it for now. Take care and keep in touch!

As the famous saying goes "See ya rrrreeeeeeaaaaaaalllllll soon!" J

Sending all my love from the Disney "bubble"

Glendyne J

PS - Please feel free to pass along/forward this email to anyone you think might be interested in reading it or anyone that I accidentally forgot on my email list! Thanks. J