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February 2026
After seven weeks at home (it took about a month before I woke up less tired than I was when I went to sleep) and some drama with my medical, I arrived in Sydney, Australia as the Entertainment Manager on the Villa Vie Odyssey.
We’d found someone to cover my vacation as Destination Manager, but this guy wanted to work for four months rather than two or three.
The audacity!
So we worked out a rotation between Anthony, Lauren and me where everyone could work for four months and then have two months of vacation. I would spend two months as Entertainment Manager covering Lauren’s vacation, and when that finished, it would be time for Anthony to go on vacation, so I’d switch over and spend then next two months as Destinations.
So there won’t be guides to the ports I visit until I go back to Destinations.
I was concerned about taking on the role of Entertainment Manager- not because I didn’t think I could do the job, but because I’d watched women in leadership positions, whom I greatly respected and admired, become frustrated and disillusioned. I’d been protected in my position as Destination Manager (because I reported to Entertainment Managers who all treated me with respect), but from the outside it seemed like these women were not being listened to or respected, nor were they given the trust and support to do what they did best.
I hoped two months wouldn’t be enough time to break my spirit. I hoped I could navigate the mysterious obstacles they faced. I hoped I could weave together an entertainment program that would please as many residents as possible.
I took on the challenge because I genuinely enjoyed and appreciated the community on this little residential ship. I wanted someone who understood the community to run the department – even if it had to be me.
And I also really wanted to come back to New Zealand.
Oh, and shortly before I returned, Lauren had been hired as a Cruise Director at Saga, a cruise line in the United Kingdom, so she wouldn’t be coming back. She hadn’t been as happy at Villa Vie as I was (obviously she was one of the women in leadership positions I mentioned above), so I was very happy for her when she found a new path.
We had five days at sea before reaching Tauranga. I worked 14-hour days trying to catch up on the daily tasks, put together a schedule for the next month, and get to know my new team.
Anthony, whom I’d briefly met before I disembarked in December, was our Destination Manager from the UK. Big Mac, with a personality to match his name, from Canada, was the Activities Host. Izzy was our Fitness Instructor and had joined 10 days before I arrived. Petter, from Trinidad and Tobago, was our Sound and Light Technician and had been on board since December.
Tauranga – February 26, 2026
I bolted off the ship as soon as I could.
There had been a landslide on Mount Maunganui, so the hiking trails were closed. Instead, I revisited my favorite spots.
When Anthony could escape, I met him at an Irish Bar – he was craving a Guinness.
I was starting to feel like a person again.
We went to The Barrio BrothersĀ for some AMAZING chimichangas. Lauren was awake, so we video-chatted with her for most of the dinner. She told me Anthony had a godsend to her after I left for vacation.
I didn’t know it yet, but he would be for me too.
Well, we were supposed to spend a couple of days in Tauranga, but plans changed, and we ended up with only one.
I had absolutely made the best of it.
New Zealand has very strict biosecurity laws. While I was on vacation, the ship’s hull had been scraped to remove barnacles and debris, but when the New Zealand inspectors came on board in Sydney, they determined that the hull hadn’t been cleaned thoroughly enough. The plan was to anchor off the coast of Tauranga and scrape the hull some more.
It’s one thing to know you have five or more sea days coming up. I can plan for them- or at least mentally prepare myself.
It’s less fun when each subsequent sea day is a surprise sea day.
Now I was putting together two daily programs: one in case it was a sea day and another in case it was a port day. What I’d thought would be two days in Tauranga, one sea day, and three days in Wellington turned into five more sea days.
Wellington
Our three days in Wellington shrank to half a day, but I was still able to meet up with Corey Moir! Good thing the only day we were there was the day he had available!
Corey was my Cruise Director on the Golden Princess in 2019. After the pandemic, he got a grown up job instead of returning to sea. I still use the game shows he created – and they’re still staples on Princess too.
I told Corey about the drama of the previous couple of weeks and he laughed.
He did NOT miss that part of working at sea!
He would soon be taking to the stage in a local musical.
Corey had to go back to work, so I dropped him off and went looking for a Wellington adventure. A ride to the top of the hill on the cable car fit the bill!
The hull had been scraped enough for us to continue our journey in New Zealand, but we would only be allowed to stay in certain ports for 24 hours. A couple of weeks exploring New Zealand, complete with several overnights, had turned into four days.
I was happy we’d made it at all, but now I was in charge of the entertainment onboard – a key part of distracting the residents from their disappointment.
I continued shuffling events around as the itinerary shifted.
Lyttelton
Lyttelton is the gateway to Christchurch, which is about an hour away. It was a new port for me, and since I only had the evening to escape, I opted to stay in the cute little town.
Anthony and I went on a pub crawl that included some fantastic pizza.
On the way back we passed the shuttle bus.
Lyttelton was a delightful little town (- ah, I get it now) and a welcome respite from life on the ship.
After we sailed from Lyttelton, Rick and Ellie lit (electric) candles in the Neptune lounge for their wedding ceremony.
