Day 34: - At Sea and behind the scenes...

Today was a day at sea...

So what did I do? Well, after breakfast, we packed whilst Michael and Julie saw the presentation on Rome. After this, we met up with them in the Grand Promenade Cafe where I was on the Internet. We then went for lunch... After lunch, whilst Michael and Julie packed, I went on a behind the scenes tour of the stage area and Metropolis Theatre. WOW! It had been some years since I was actually on stage (10 years in a production was enough...) and it felt great to be back in front of the lights, and behind the curtain! The theatre seats around 1300 people, and the fly tower covers from deck 2 where the stage is, right up to deck 6! After starting on the 'Prompt' side, into the wings, behind the rear fly (which is an LED encrusted fly at 4" centres that they can actually put an image on! Behind here is the Wardrobe and dressing rooms (which were actually 'cubicles' where costumes were hanging, so you were in REAL trouble if you had Modesty Issues! Then onto the 'Off Prompt' side to see where the actual stage sets roll in and out from the computers!

There is also no cue run sheet either, as it is all run from a series of 8 networked computers! All of the 9 band members are listening to a 'clicker' which sets the speed of the show. It all (lights, audio, SFX and even the cast and choreography) run at a speed of 32 frames/minute. Thank GOD, I am not part of this show!!! And it all runs like this for an HOUR!!!

Anyway, after the tour, we had to calculate the 'Gratuities'... This is a very strange concept for us, being Australians' where 'tipping' is not a common thing at all and in fact, can be seen as a bribe or something! So we worked it out based on the USD and headed to the ATM to withdraw some cash. Trouble was, the machine (after a WHOPPING $6 fee) only dispensed Euro! So it would have meant a further fee to exchange it into USD! So I got out my phone (love my phone apps...) and got the exchange rates for the day, and made sure we did it for the same amount! We also put in a personal note to all of the staff (Waiter, Assist Waiter and the State Room Attendant) thanking them for the service and apologies for the Euro and not USD!

With all of this done, I hit the spa (for 90 mins) before our last dinner with our lovely dinner companions... We exchanged email addresses at the end of dinner and got a photo of us all as when the ships photographer got it at the table, Michael and I were 'Isolated'! Oh, by the way, we got a letter saying that we will be compensated for the time confined for the next RC Cruise we take!!! I am already looking!

Tonight's performance show was great, from a recap of the performances, to a snippet of the Cruise in Review DVD (bore) to a Cirque de Solie performance from two performers which was first class, especially the very last drop!!

So its off to bed now, and then into Rome tomorrow where I will upload ALL of the remaining photos to Flickr that is not in FB, and I will either do a Mosaic for all of the posts missing photos, or an overall slideshow of them all...

Hoo Roo!

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