A playground at sea!

Today is sea day and all the youth team are ready for a busy fun filled day ahead...

Sea day is the 2nd day of the cruise after leaving the home port the night before, so there’s always lots of fresh-faced kiddiewinks, along with those just getting stuck into week 2 of their holiday. We opened base camp at 9am and waited for all the new children to arrive, and before we knew it we had a full house ready for the fun to begin.

The morning began with crafts with children making Captain’s hats and stripes, joining in colouring competitions and much more to keep us busy up to lunch. Then once they’d had time to refill their little tummies and recharge the batteries, we all marched down to deck 7 singing all the way to meet an extra special guest we had on board - Basil Brush! Sadly he was only with
us for the day as a trial to see is the children took to him or not, but he went down a storm so hopefully he'll be back with us really soon.

After the show the little ones were full of energy so we walked around the outside decks of deck 7 (still singing the songs!) in time for our ‘Captains Coketail’ party in Connexions bar. And as if Basil Brush wasn’t enough, the special guest was Paddington Bear for photos and cuddles, some old favourite party games and even a bit of a boogie!

Paddington dishing out one of his famous cuddles!

But the fun didn’t stop there and it was time for cheesy grins in the Photo Studio before making our way back up to deck 14 where the kids played freely with the games, toys, PS2’s and in the ball pool until it was time to be collected, by which point they were all well and truly worn out!

Giving it some pedal power

Working on the ship can be tiring, and getting time to go to the gym and stay healthy can be a bit of a task. So I decided to take advantage of working in the Action Ashore department and get fit the fun way.

It started with a call in La Goulette (Tunisia), and as I haven’t exercised for a while I thought I’d have a go at wangling my way on to one of my biking tours. Any room for a small one (I’m only just 5ft)? I managed to get on, so all 37 of us grabbed our bikes and headed off into Tunisia with our bike guides Aaron, Russell and Randall. To see what it was really like doing the trip as a passenger instead of Destinations Manager (and so that I didn’t show myself up!) I was incognito in civvies for once.

Getting ready to set off

Our journey took us through the town of La Goulette, and I know you’d expect me to say this but I really do mean it, but there really isn’t much to do there unless you are on a tour. As we rode over to the Roman ruins at Carthage, Aaron told us that the streets we had just ridden through were in films such as Monty Python’s The Life of Brian and Jesus of Nazareth. Thankfully it was then time for a breather for those of us already feeling the strain. As I gulped down the water provided, I thought to myself that I think I have a higher opinion of my fitness than my body does!

After our stop at Carthage we started en route to the hill top village of Sidi Bou Said, and when Randall said ‘hilltop’, he meant it! It wasn’t really a steep hill but it was a long one top get to the top of, so we all shifted down a few gears before the slope took its toll. There was just time for another breather before the final push to the village, when we all suddenly realised that before us was a VERY steep hill. We all looked at each other (secretly thinking ‘he’s not going to make us cycle up that is he?’), when Aaron told us that we get off and wheel the bikes up that bit! Relief is probably the best word to describe what we were feeling at that point.

Our bike guides (L to R - Aaron, Russell and Randall)

Reaching the top, I dived in the nearest café to grab a drink and some shade as the it was absolutely boiling, and we all swapped stories of how we were finding the ride. On the way back to the ship we went via the WWII memorial for the British and US soldiers and past some stunningly ornate mosques and while Aaron (a vision in pink lycra) stopped traffic while we wobbled our way across the local roundabouts. Then there was just time for a group photo by the beach before heading back to the ship for our 12.30 deadline.

Me and my fellow bikers (I'm 4th from the left on the front row!)

All in all the cycle tour was a great morning out and a really different way to see somewhere you probably would think twice about exploring on your own. The locals were friendly with a ‘Bonjour’ as we cycled past – probably because they have a good laugh at a group of Brits cycling through their towns and villages in single file every Thursday! Needless to say, my legs were like jelly when we got back on board and I think I might have to eat a few more chips before I go again – either that or get a more padded saddle - but a great trip, good staff and keeping fit to boot….

Tomorrow... hiking Up Mount Vesuvius in Naples. I’m going to be shattered by the end of this cruise!

Bernie

We are family!

Over the years, I have got used to being so far from loved ones when working on cruise ships at sea, but it can be hard when it comes to important dates like birthdays, festivals and anniversaries - espcially when they are big family occasions where we all get together and celebrate. So with India’s Independence Day coming up knowing my whole family were thousands of miles away I wasn't exactly expecting the usual event.

I’d just got used to the idea that this year was going to be different and that I would just be celebrating it with a few close friends on board, when I overheard something being organised by the Indian officers and crew. Indian Independence Day here on Ocean Village Two! I can’t even begin to tell you how surprised I was! It wasn’t going to be like home, but it already made me feel a lot better.

And we weren’t disappointed - the whole evening was so much fun! What I thought would be a small gathering turned into a celebration with about 500 of the ship's crew below deck, starting with the Reception and Comms team dressed in traditional outfits they’d had sent from India. Upstairs in the crew mess, we had a gala dinner with some of my favourite traditional foods (prawn biryani, and a sweet dish with carrots called gajar ka halwa … mmm!), and a full bar run by the Laundry team. Then it was time for the highlight of the night… the entertainment! As well as the DJ skills of various people from the different departments, we also had a ‘Bollywood’ number and an Indian dance performed by British and Filipino crew members!

Some of the girls performing as the Indian dancers

It was such a good night and really kept our spirits up at a time when we could have otherwise been sad to be missing home. What made it even better was that it meant so much to know that so many people were willing to join in and make the night a real success - especially as all of the duties and expenses were shared through voluntary contributions even from those that would not normally celebrate the festival. It helped me to realise that although my family are so far away, I have a new family here on board that are also very special.

Radley

From cruise ship to record deal

It’s amazing to think that it was on this very day, two years ago, that I departed my home in New Zealand to take up my first ever cruise contract. Not only would it be my first time working on a ship, but it was also going to be my introduction to entertaining UK audiences; something I viewed as a truly daunting prospect!

I boarded Ocean Village on the Tuesday in Palma de Mallorca. There were hundreds of people boarding along with me, however they were most definitely in holiday mode. I was in more like, where-am-I-and-what-am-I-doing mode !?!



The crew greeted me, with a mixture of smiles and concern… (“is this ‘child’ going to be capable of entertaining our passengers ?!?”) … but, I gradually adjusted to the ins and outs of the ‘cruise ship performer’ job, as well as the needs of the UK audience. Not only that, but when I departed some weeks later, I left knowing that I had met some amazing people, people who I knew would be my closest friends for years to come.

It certainly brings a smile thinking back to my first cruise contract. After all, it was whilst working onboard Ocean Village that record label representatives flew out to witness me “do my thing”. My end of the negotiations, was initially done via the Cyber Café! Now, I’m fortunate enough to be signed to ‘Universal Classics and Jazz’, with my debut album ‘A NEW WORLD’ in stores THIS WEEK!




I'm about to go back on board Ocean Village this weekend to see where I started, so I'm looking forward to singing a song or two in some familiar places. Bring on ‘The Marquee’, ‘Balcony Bar’, and late night snacking in ‘Plantations’! I'll also be finding out what position my album enters the classical charts on Sunday so hopefully we'll have something to celebrate too!

See You Soon …

Will Martin
Vocalist on Ocean Village - Sep to Nov 2006

Onboard with an original ‘guitar hero’

I'm used to seeing celebrities on board from time to time, but last week we were lucky enough to have ex-Stranglers legend Hugh Cornwell travelling on Ocean Village Two. Rocker to cruiser – I never thought I'd see that!

Hugh Cornwell nowadays

After all of the stories you hear about rock stars, I didn't really know what to expect before he arrived but luckily it seemed Hugh’s punk days are long behind him. I briefly met him and he told me he's now solo artist and is actually working on a book, which prompted a rather unusual request: what did we know about Roman archaeological sites around the Greek Islands and North Africa? I can tell you, I don't know a lot!

To try to help him with his book research (and also to wow him), Hugh was taken on a tour up to the Bridge to meet the Captain as we sailed away from Genoa, down to the Club Lounge for a glass of wine, and then on to 'The Bistro' to tuck into one of James Martin’s gourmet creations.

After his slap-up meal watching the sun go down, we then took him outside to watch our aerial deck show ‘Planet’ where he mentioned how impressed he was to see this sort of show on a cruise ship. To be honest, that's what we tend to hear most weeks - Planet is always a big attraction for guests, which is hardly surprising given that it’s performed by acrobats 40 foot above the pools while the ship is moving.

The spectacular Planet deck show

And then Hugh got what most people like to do on their cruises... the opportunity to park up on a sunbed, catch a few rays and get ‘Golden Brown’... Sorry but I couldn't resist that one!

Phil

James Martin shows us his stuff!

Hi there and welcome to Boat Buddy!

Working in the Operations team for Ocean Village, it’s not every day you get to spend time with celebrity chef James Martin, but last week I happened to be on board when he was cruising with us. It was great fun for me and the passengers who bumped into him around the ship.

James joined the ship in Cephalonia a day after me to catch up with his crew in his restaurant The Bistro, and even managed to don his chef whites and squeeze in a cookery demo on deck. We usually have a bit of healthy rivalry in 'cook-offs' between The Bistro and La Luna, but this time it was all about James. In his usual laid-back style, he made panfried scallops with a pea shoot salad and at one point he even pretended to use his tea towel to blow his nose. Don't worry though - he quickly covered his tracks by producing the famous hand sanitiser we all know and love for a quick hygiene lesson! Nevertheless, as you can imagine the end result looked delicious, leading to a stampede in the direction of the buffet lunch!

James showing off his stuff

Whenever I’ve seen James on the ship he’s always a massive hit, and this time was no exception. It was pretty obvious he’d arrived on the ship when I found a huge queue in the Village Square waiting for him to sign his cook books, and the Bistro was buzzing the whole time he was onboard. I overheard one diner saying they could even watch him and his team cooking their dinner in the galley on the TV screens mounted on the walls, so I guess he’d stopped joking around by then! In fact, I was even told that James had mentioned to the Hotel Director that he was so happy with his team in the Bistro that he was going to book them all onto a helicopter ride as a thank you. Now, that’s the kind of boss I want!

Before he left the ship I managed to catch James for a quick pint in Connexions but he was soon off chatting to passengers, posing for photos and signing autographs. Hopefully I’ll be able to grab some more time with him when he’s next on board Ocean Village in September.

Paul