Home for Christmas

I'm home for Christmas and New Years, spending plenty of time with my family in Salisbury, England.
We've put up the tree, stocked up on too much food and bracing ourselves for the blankets of thick, icy fog that is bellowing over the adjacent fields. Alas, no snow yet, but our fingers remain crossed.






















The plan for the new year, is that I fly from London to Melbourne, Australia on 7th January, arriving on 9th. Then spending a couple of days in a hotel and joining the Sapphire Princess.

(Bridge cam shown here)
















On the news there has been talk of an airport strike on the 7th, so I'm very much hoping that it's called off as it will severely disrupt my plans, as well as the thousands of other people wanting to travel after the new year.

Home

Right, well I'm finally home after 7 and a half months at sea. I flew from Brisbane to Singapore and onto London, Heathrow on two very long, but straightforward flights with no delays.
Now I have a permanent and fast internet connection, I am able to upload a larger selection of my travel photos from the last couple of months in Australia.
Here they are:

Crocodile Hunting:

From Noumea

We're docked in Noumea, and I'm using the rare opportunity of a free wireless internet connection from outside the ship. The sun has just set and there are some dark clouds coming over the mountains. Some of the locals are putting on a dance show just beside the gangway and the drums can be heard throughout the town.

Tonight is a 'UK Theme' party in the crew bar, so I'm providing the music and will be filming it for the crew dvd, which is always a nice souvenir to be sent home, showing the different ports, production shows and any events with a high crew attendance.

Here is a couple of photos from the past few weeks here on the Pacific Star. The first is a photo I took whilst snorkelling in the Barrier Reef, and the second is one of me, taken by one of the Photo team, whilst walking through the ship.

Brisbane Koala Sanctury

In Brisbane, Australia, we were dry-docked yet again due to some 'Technical Difficulties', so a few of us decided to go and visit the Brisbane Koala Sanctury to see what we could find.

The next cruise stars on the 18th, and hopefully will be free of mishaps and 'technical issues' that require further dry-docks. But, it's an old ship, so who knows?

South Pacific

Well, I finally made it to the ship, and we've just finished my first cruise. I've been keeping very busy and on several days have been working for more than 18hours!

The two photos below are the front of the ship, whilst leaving Mystery Island, and the other is me, on the beach after filming some cruise passengers on the beach. (I also went for a swim and relaxed for a while).

It looks like I'll be staying out here until the end of October, which will give me a chance to get my bank balance in order (I hope).

We were meant to have a big Coastguard drill today, so we have all been studying up on emergency procedures. But the drill was cancelled, and cheers were audible from the crew quarters. This meant we could all go out in Auckland, which is where I am right now.

Talk soon

Missing ship!

After 3 long flights from Rome to Dubai, Dubai to Perth and Perth to Auckland, I arrived at the airport to find nobody holding a P&O Australia sign.

I thought it was strange, but not unsurprising so I went to the information desk and asked if there was anyone from the company nearby.
The lady asked if I was joining the ship that was in the storm, to which I agreed. She then told me that the ship had unloaded all of the passengers in Vanuatu and was now in Brisbane, Australia being repaired.

After some phone calls and cup of mint tea, my new plan was scheduled. I was to catch the shuttle bus to the Grand Chancellor hotel, where they would fax my details to the port agent's office so they could sort an Australian Visa and flights to the shipyard to join the damaged Pacific Star.

At the hotel I met two guys that are heading for the same ship, so I will be travelling to them tomorrow. One is a Food and Beverage Utility Cleaner and the other is an Englishman, working for the onboard Casino.

According to the newspaper, there was some hull damage as well as external window and doors needing repair.
The next cruise is starting around 28th July, but I'm not sure if it'll be ready by then.

We'll see.

I'm off on a wonder around the Auckland suburbs to see what I can find.

Another Change Of Plans!

Right, so a few nights ago, I received a phone call from the head office in LA.

I was offered the senior Videographer's position on the Pacific Star (sister ship to the Pacific Sun - the ship I was originally offered). Of course, I said yes! So I'm due to travel around the 16th of this month and head to Auckland, NZ. I will be travelling around the South Pacific, NZ, the east coast of Australia (in August and September) and all around the little islands (Vanuatu, New Caledonia, etc.)

This is a great opportunity for me, as I'll get my first promotion within this company and it puts me in good stead for future cruise contracts.

That's it for me now. I'll put more updates as and when I get them.

As usual, here's a few photos from my travels.





















This is a blurred view of the back of a water taxi at night, jetting around Venice.





















Walking around Rome.
















A parade heading toward the St. Peter's Bassilica in the Vatican City.

Barcelona, Marseille and Capri

Hi

I've found another free wireless hotspot in Kusadasi, Turkey so I've unravelled my laptop and am online to continue my travel blog.

We started this cruise in Barcelona, which is a really nice city and has a similar tube network to London - Just as fast and confusing.














Then I went on a tour in Marseilles and got completely lost but found a really nice spice market and tried a couple of hand-made candies.















In Capri, an island off Naples, I went on a chair lift that wasn't much more than a wooden school chair attached to a metal bar and a long, high chain. - All for the cruise DVD I shoot for.




















Right, I'm off again now

bye

Greetings from Turkey

Well I've finally found a wireless hotspot that's fast enough to use. I'm in Kusadasi, Turkey, home of Ephesus and knock-off Rolexes and DVDs.

Yesterday, in Mykonos, most of the Photo department and I hired 4wd quad bikes and drove all over the mountainous island and headed for Paradise Beach, which was very nice indeed.

The cruises are really fun and as they are all 12 days long, the time is speeding by. Apart from a couple of chilly days, the weather has been exceptional, with blue skies greeting us most days.

Postcard from Trieste, Italy

Well, I've started my new cruise contract, here in Trieste, in the north of Italy. The Emerald Princess is in dock for another few weeks, while work is finished on it.
The weather here is very similar to England, as it's cold and windy.

The team I'm working with are very nice and we've had lots of fun so far and a couple of nice meals out in local restaurants.

As you can see, this ship is a lot larger than my previous ship, the M.V. Mercury. In fact, it's about 4 times the size!

Pacific Sun - Bridge webcam

Here's the webcam from the Pacific Sun, which I'll be on from 21st April 2007.

More exciting news!

I just got back from a long walk in the countryside, to a phone call from Princess Cruises. "Just calling to tell you about your working dates..."

I'm joining the Emerald Princess on the 20th March and leaving it on the 18th April. But the news is that I'm joining the Pacific Sun P&O Australia ship on the 21st April in Sydney, Australia.

Here's my first few cruises:

Sat 21 Apr	Sydney, Australia	-		4PM
Wed 25 Apr	Vila, Vanuatu		8AM	6PM
Thu 26 Apr	Mystery Island, Vanuatu	-	8AM	6PM
Fri 27 Apr	Noumea, New Caledonia		8AM	5.30PM
Mon 30 Apr	Sydney, Australia

Mon 30 Apr	Sydney, Australia	-		4PM
Fri 4 May	Wala, Vanuatu	-	9AM	5PM
Sat 5 May	Vila, Vanuatu		8AM	6PM
Sun 6 May	Mystery Island, Vanuatu	-	8AM	5PM
Mon 7 May	Isle of Pines, New Caledonia	-	8AM	4PM
Thu 10 May	Sydney, Australia

Thu 10 May	Sydney, Australia	-		4PM
Mon 14 May	Luganville, Vanuatu		8AM	6PM
Tue 15 May	Pentecost Isl, Vanuatu	-	8AM	6PM
Wed 16 May	Vila, Vanuatu		8AM	6PM
Thu 17 May	Mystery Island, Vanuatu	-	8AM	5PM
Fri 18 May	Isle of Pines, New Caledonia	-	8AM	4PM
Mon 21 May	Sydney, Australia

Later on there's a cruise that goes up the East Coast of Australia as well.

New ship

Right, so I've had to change from my old company Ocean Images, as they lost the contract with Celebrity Cruises. Now I'm with Princess Cruises, joining as a 'Staff Videographer 3', which is just under the position of 'Senior Videographer'.

I'm joining the Emerald Princess to help set up the video department from March 20th, and the ship sets sail on April 11th from Civitavecchia, Rome. The itinerary contains ports around Greece, Italy and Turkey.








According to the website: http://www.princess.com/ships/ep/ - the Emerald Princess looks to have some really nice features including the 'Movies Under The Stars', which is a huge screen above the outdoor swimming pool.










It looks like a great ship, although I'm hoping I can be sent to a P&O Australia ship for the rest of my contract to enjoy the South Pacific.