"Amanda Poulson"
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Rotorua, New Zealand

3/5/2019

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I was able to do a fantastic day trip to Rotorua, a place that has been on my bucket list for awhile.  It's a geothermal valley with boiling mud pools, geysers and has been the home to many generations of Maori tribes.  
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Dunedin, New Zealand

2/19/2019

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We had an amazing local group of High School students from the area visit the ship and they are called He Waka Kōtuia.  It was an incredible afternoon of music, a glimpse into Maori culture and a chance to see the younger generation embracing their heritage and celebrating it through performance. Destination emersion indeed.
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Sydney, Australia

2/18/2019

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It was fantastic to be back in Sydney, Australia.  I had a busy day onboard so I only had a few hours to get out and enjoy but I certainly made the most of it.  I went to the grocery store and got a few packs of BBQ Shapes, my all time favorite Australian snack and I treated myself to lunch at Din Tai Fung.  The Whelan Family took me to my first Din Tai Fung many years ago in Singapore and anytime I have a chance to enjoy their Xio Long Bao I jump at the chance.  It was even better than I remember.  I’ll get back to Sydney again in March and I’m really hoping I get to see my old friends Kanen and Jacqui.  We met back in the early 2000s and I have managed to catch up with them when ever I make it down this way.  Here’s to having wonderful friends spread out around the world!
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Milford Sound, New Zealand

2/10/2019

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Words and even photos can't do it justice.  It's just a breathtaking moment when you stand on the deck of the ship with mountains on either side of you.
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Super Bowl 2019

2/10/2019

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We had a fantastic party in the Cabaret Theatre.  We had the game on the big screen, our culinary team provided top notch food and decor and we had about 300 guests cheering and booing.  It was fantastic.
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The Azamara Quest

2/10/2019

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Again this post is quite late as I joined the ship on January 30th.  I flew from Madison to San Francisco to Auckland and then to Blenheim and then a van to Pickton.  It was a long trek to get to New Zealand but it's warm, beautiful and worth the effort.

I'll admit, I was a bit nervous to come back to the Quest in my new role as Cruise Director.  I spent 4 contracts, which equals about two and half years, as a feature singer on the Quest.  When I took the leap into Cruise Director I was over on Azamara's newest ship The Pursuit.  My nerves were due to being in on a "new" ship, well, new to me in my role as Cruise Director.   All my worries disappeared the second I walked up the gangway.  I knew the security team, I knew the housekeepers, the waiters, the management team - it was truly like coming home.  I'm a lucky woman indeed.

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Disney World! (yes, my post is a bit late.....)

2/10/2019

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I had an amazing 2 day get away with one of my very best friends.  That was nearly two weeks ago.  In those two weeks I packed up my life, flew to New Zealand and joined the Azamara Quest.  So much has happened in these last two weeks (including a lack of wifi access) but those days in Disney World were so fantastic they deserve a post even if it is a bit late!

My flight was late so we cancelled our evening plans and just ordered pizza, curled up in the hotel and had a fantastic catch up.  The next day we were up bright and early for a Character Breakfast in the Animal Kingdom. We got some fantastic pictures with the great Disney Characters and then we made our way to meet up with our incredible tour guide for the day.  Carly's brother was amazingly kind and set us up with a VIP tour guide for our day at Disney.  It was truly magical.  We went on EVERYTHING.  We were able to have behind the scenes acmes to the lines so the longest line we waited in was about 15 minutes.  We got walked onto the front cars of the roller coasters, we even hopped in a van to drive to the rides so we didn't have to walk though crowds in the park.  It was the most VIP thing I've ever done or ever will do and I couldn't be more grateful. For those of you planning a trip to Disney World - while I LOVE the Magic Kingdom, The Animal Kingdom is where it's at.  FANTASTIC rides. I've ridden Dinosaur at least 20 times in the last 10 years and it's always a hoot.  This trip I rode "Flight of Passage" for the first time.  It had a 4 hour wait, thankfully our guide allowed us to skip all of that, so if you are going get the Fast Past.  This ride is unlike anything else.  It's based on the move Avatar and you climb into a simulator that allows you to "ride' on one of the flying dragons.  It really and truly feels like you are flying through the land of Avatar.  The 3D is so well done, I usually hate 3D but this WORKS.  Do not miss it.  Don't wait for 4 hours, nothing is worth 4 hours of your life but with a Fast Pass you can be on in less than an hour - well worth it.
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All in all we did every ride we could have ever dreamed of and while we did we chatted and caught up and it was like we'd never been apart.  We try to see each other once a year.  Sometimes it's two years but never more than that.  Keeping friendships like ours alive, in my opinion, is what makes life worth living.  I love ya Carly - we need a dance party soon - even if it's over FaceTime.
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Out On The Patio.

1/19/2019

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What can I say, it’s my happy place.  

My dear freinds Cat and Josh live in Mesa, AZ right out side of Phoenix and it is always a treat to get to visit them.  Cat and I have been friends since college and there is nothing better than curling up on her back patio with coffee and chatting the morning away.  We had some wonderfully relaxing days and then Cat took us to the incredible Joya Spa.  We enjoyed amazing treatments and a stunning poolside lunch, certainly a change from living out of Patchwork the Van.  Then we spent the day at the Russo and Steele collector car auction.  We got up close to lots of fantastic cars and watched the bidding all afternoon.

Sadly, this amazing month of adventures had to come to an end.  Matt made it home to Alberta without delays or drama. I, however, am stranded in Phoenix thanks to a mid-west winter storm.  So instead of being at home today franticly working my way through my to do list and packing for another four months at sea, I’m curled up on the Patio. 
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The Crack In The World.

1/19/2019

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Ahh yes, The Grand Canyon.  While we knew it was January, neither of us were prepared for just how cold northern Arizona would be.  I mean, it looked a lot like Alberta.  Our plan was to stay on the North Rim the first night but everything was closed, so we made our way to the South Rim and while there were no rangers or attendants at the gate, it wasn’t closed so we pulled in, found a parking lot and crawled into the back of Patchwork for a movie and good night’s sleep.  In the morning we worked our way along the scenic views of the South Rim.  Matt got some really beautiful photos but all in all it wasn’t quite all we had built it up to be.  We were a bit disappointed that we couldn’t properly camp as it was just too cold.  It was far too cold to even make our morning coffee.  Hoping we can make it back in Spring or Summer when we can really enjoy being outside.
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What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas.

1/15/2019

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I wish it were that dramatic but all in all it was quite a tame visit.
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We began with a fantastic reunion with my friend Vida.  What can I say - she’s the reason I survived my 2nd RCCL contract.  It wasn’t until we started sharing war stories with Matt that I realized just how dramatic that 10 months really was.  It was fantastic to see her again - Vida, I’ll be back before you know it as I have a day dream buying an investment property there. We even drove around a few neighborhoods to get the lay of the land.

Then we made our way over to the MGM Signature Tower 2 to have an incredible 24 hours with the one and only Jeremy Kranz.  My best friend since I was 19, he’s a legend.  We began our adventure at Top Golf, a driving range unlike any other with nibbles, heated sofas and software that tracks your speed, accuracy etc. After that Jeremy gave us a full tour of Sin City.  We walked The Strip, enjoyed the fountains at the Bellagio, ate Secret Pizza, sang along at Coyote Ugly, danced at Hakkasan and finished with beer flights and Wolfgang Puck’s late night food .  We were up way past our bedtime and loved every minute.  The best meal of the 24 hours? Nacho Daddy for brunch. We expected cheesy chain food and were thrilled to be proven wrong.  Really, really good nachos.  Next stop, The Grand Canyon.
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