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