Register | Forgot Password? | Customer Service

The charming, talented and multi-lingual Anthony Richards, Cruise Director aboard the Radiance of the Seas, recently took time out from his busy schedule to speak with me. Here is an edited version of our interview: 

CD:  Hi Anthony. Where are you from? 

AR:  I’m from Vancouver, British Columbia.

CD:  How did you get into cruising? 

AR:  I got into cruising when I graduated university in 2003. I wanted to travel the world and enhance my Spanish, so I joined Royal Caribbean as a part of the Youth Staff.  I thought about doing it for just five months and then I was offered a job on the Splendour of the Seas in Europe. Then, I was offered the opportunity to go to a new build in Finland, the Mariner of the Seas, to develop some kids programs. From there I got a management opportunity as Youth Activity Manager.  This is where my degree in international business came in and I was able manage a team of 6-10 staff of between 5 and 10 different nationalities.  So that worked well for me and eventually I became Assistant Cruise Director, which we call Activities Manager, and eventually Cruise Director. 

CD:  So how many years was it from starting in cruising to becoming Cruise Director? 

AR:  Five and a half years. It gave me the opportunity to a lot about everything in the portfolio before becoming a Cruise Director. 

CD:  So what are you responsible for now, and how many people do you have working for you on this ship?

AR:  I am responsible for all the onboard entertainment and activities, including all the shows we put on.  Depending on the cruise and activities taking place, I have between 80 to a 100 people working for me in our division — right now it’s 85. Some of the key roles include the Activities Manager, who runs all of the Cruise Director staff activities, and the Production Manager, who is responsible for all of the shows and the technical operations in the theatre.  We have a Sports Supervisor who is responsible for all the sports programs including the vitality program which is the evolution of the Ship Shape program.  There’s also an Adventure Ocean Manager who is responsible for all the activities for tots from 6 months old up to 17 years old, and then I have a Musical Director who is responsible for all the onboard musicians and the scheduling of the live music.  

CD:  You speak Spanish very well and often use on the ship. How did you learn it? 

AR:  During my years in university I wanted to study international management.  There were a number of prerequisites including taking a second language.  So I looked at the world Almanac and discovered that Spanish was one of  the most widely spoken language in the world by population.  So I learned the A,B, Cs of the language, and then took an exchange program to a university in Mexico where I lived with a family and became more at home with Spanish. My reading and writing is a lot better than my speaking, because the speaking part comes through practice. On Royal Caribbean I am mainly on European cruises with Spanish speaking guests. They also asked me to come here for the South American itineraries because there would be a lot of Spanish-speaking guests, as well as Portuguese. 

CD:  Do you speak any Portuguese? 

AR:  Very little.  I have my Rosetta Stone and have been working on it.  I am able to welcome them to the shows.  Portuguese and Spanish are very similar. Out of respect for the language and for the Brazilian and Portuguese people onboard, it’s nice to be able to acknowledge them and welcome them as much as you can in their language as well.

CD:  What’s your favorite itinerary for a cruise? 

AR:  Well, this is my first time in this part of the world, so it’s pretty neat. But I have to say I like the western Mediterranean which is where I find myself most of the time – sounds like I am spoiled, which I am!  But the western Med and the south of France is my most favorite.  There is a little town in a bay east of Monte Carlo called Villefranche.  If you ever get the chance to go there, please do. It’s just precious. Many ports in Europe are wonderful and unique in their own way, but for me that place is so relaxing: beautiful scenery, beautiful homes.  I also enjoy Key West if I am in the Caribbean.

CD:  What’s the funniest or strangest thing that’s ever happened to you? 

AR:  Well, I haven’t been a Cruise Director for very long.  However one thing I would say is sometimes when you get your introductions wrong on the stage. For example, the other night I had to introduce a tenor and called him a “tender” as I had just finished speaking about boats tendering. And one day we were arriving into Mykonos and I told a group of 700 Mexicans in Spanish that we that we were going to arrive in the downtown of Mexico, instead of Mykonos.  They thought that was very funny. 

CD:  I understand that the Radiance of the Seas is your favorite ship. Why is that? 

AR:  It has a lot to offer. The size of the ship and the venues are absolutely wonderful, and the finishing on this ship is terrific.  It’s very cozy and intimate, and small enough that you will bump into staff like the Cruise Director many times per cruise and you see the same people more than once, but big enough that you have plenty to do.  

CD:  People on the cruise seem to love this itinerary, but Royal Caribbean won’t be offering it again next year. Any particular reason for that? 

AR:  I think it’s mainly driven by the current economic situation which is making it more difficult to sell itineraries to out of way places like this one. Also these longer cruises limit how many people can take them.  It’s also expensive to fly so far to get to the ship.  This is a once in a lifetime trip for most people, and a lot of them right now are putting these types of trips off. In my personal opinion, I think we will be back here one day when the economy improves and demand for it returns. 

CD:  I understand  that you were part of the “take out” teams for a couple of new ships.  What does that entail?  And how different is it to being on a ship that’s been around for a few years, like this one? 

AR:  When you are part of a “take out” team, you are there to help set a new ship up, so to speak.  The team usually comprises some experienced staff whose job is to set up the ship for success.  So when we went over to Finland, our role was to get the itinerary and set up the programming for the Cruise Compasses (the schedule of various theme nights, events, etc.).  The Cruise Director will be looking into what shows to put on, what kind of activities for the type of guests expected.  Really setting up for success.  It’s pretty much a blank slate when you arrive, which is the difference.  You are not following a set path.  You get to be creative, which is the exciting part.  That was also the case on the Radiance when I recently arrived for the South America season as we were on a new itinerary with quite a mix of languages. Typically this ship is touring Alaska, the Caribbean, Panama, or Hawaii with mainly North American English-speaking guests.  For example, the recent Seventies night that we put on here had never appeared on the Radiance before.  And some of our entertainers are a bit more specialized with languages and more appealing to the different demographics we have on board. 

CD:  What about the spectacular Tango show last night?  Is it just for this ship?  Is it new? 

AR:  The Tango show is only run on a few of our ships. I believe only three or four of them as it’s an itinerary specific show.  We got it specifically for our South American season, but we are trying to keep when we go back to Alaska as it’s one of the best additions to the theatre program.

CD:  Final question.  What does a Cruise Director do when he’s not working on a ship? 

AR:  Believe it or not, I’m travelling. I go home to Vancouver for about two weeks usually to see my friends, catch up, and enjoy my new car.  I then sometimes go to Miami, or to visit my parents in Palm Springs.  Or maybe go to South America.  Wherever I haven’t been yet, I am trying to make a point of getting to while I am young. I really do have the travel bug – itchy feet!  I went on an exchange to Australia in grade 10 and haven’t stopped travelling since then.

During a sea day on the Radiance of the Seas, I recently sat down with Sean O’Shea, the talented entertainer who has been performing his superb musical impressions and comedy aboard cruise ships around the world for close to 20 years. Here is an edited version of our interview: 

CD: Hi Sean. Can you tell us where you are from?

SO: I grew up in a little town east of Vancouver called Maple Ridge in British Columbia, and now live nearby in a town called Pit Meadow.

CD: How did you get into entertainment?

SO: It was the strangest circumstances and luck you can imagine.  After high school I didn’t intend to be an entertainer. I just liked doing the community theatre and things like that.  I was studying to be a geologist, but I needed money for school so I got a job as a waiter at a restaurant that had singing waiters doing a show. Sort of cabaret, vaudeville… hard to describe but it was hilarious.  One day a miracle happened.  All the teachers in university went on strike and on that same day one of the actors didn’t turn up for the show at work.  The boss looked at me and said, “You’ve seen the show many times, get up there and perform.”  And I’ve never stopped performing since. 

CD: How long ago was that?

SO: I think around 1990, 1989.  I built up my chops with their theatre club, learning how to do impressions and impersonations for a while.  Then somebody said to me, “Hey, you could do that on cruise ships.” And I laughed because I didn’t think cruise ships were very hip for performers. You know, here comes another “Gershwin toe-tapper” and the like. But he said “no, no, cruise ships are really modern these days, lots of fun and young clients,” so I went to the audition.  And guess what happens when you really don’t want the job: you get it.  I ended up in Fort Lauderdale two weeks later, then flew to California to join a ship where I fell in love with cruising – and where I fell in love with my wife. 

CD: You met your wife on a cruise ship?

SO: Yes. We were both on the same cruise from Los Angeles and we met during a stop on Catalina Island. So I literally “met my love in Avalon!”  She was the social hostess on board the ship – the only Norwegian social hostess. She was pretty straight forward. When she introduced herself she said, “Hello, my name is Maryanne and I would like to get to know you better.” She was a beautiful Norwegian blonde, and I thought why not?  And we eventually got married.

CD:  Does she still work on ships and get to travel with you?

SO: She doesn’t work on ships anymore, but she understands what it’s like to be away from loved ones when they’re at sea. She worked almost all her life on ships as her father was a sailor, and her father’s father was a sailor, and so on. So the marriage has worked out for us.  She’s in Vancouver now, but will be joining me on the ship later this week.

CD: How often are you on ships?

SO: I work about six months a year on ships, but not six months in a row. It generally works out to be two weeks on the ship, and then two off. 

CD:  Do you work on ships all over the world?

SO:  Yes. In fact I’ve been to so many places, it’s easier to say where I haven’t been.  I’ve not been to Dubai, India, and South Africa.  I’ve been to Hong Kong many times but never stopped anywhere in mainland China like Shanghai, or in Korea, although I have been to Japan.

CD:  You must spend so much time on airplanes travelling to and from cruise ships that you’re at the level of every frequent flier program there is in the world!

SO:  I have enough air miles to fly to the moon!

CD:  What’s the best thing about being a performer on a cruise ship? 

SO:  The best thing is how well cruise ships care for their performers. All we have to do is show up, rehearse and perform. All the other things we sometimes have to worry about on land  like sound, music, lighting, staging, etc. is all taken care of. The other thing is the ability to meet and talk with people during the cruise who have seen my show. In fact, I meet so many people that I sometimes see them again on other cruises and they wave to me and call me by name. Unfortunately, I don’t remember all of their names!

CD:  Have you performed on many cruise lines?

SO:  Quite a few, including Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Silversea, Regent, Celebrity, and Princess.

CD:  Do you have a favorite place you’ve cruise to that you enjoy the most?

SO:  Vietnam, by far the best.  It’s hard to explain why if you haven’t been there.  It’s chaotic, it’s crazy, and the people are just so sweet and kind.  It has a fascinating history, and it’s hard to fathom how they got into that war.  And it’s so different from the stories you hear about it over here.  Their culture, music, dress is all so different. I hope they don’t get too westernized and that they find their own way.

CD:  Any bad things about being a performer on a cruise ship?

SO:  Long breaks between shows, and long sea days.  Now many passengers love that, and I can see why: it’s very relaxing. But I have a little too much energy, so I want to be working or at home with my wife. But the extra time has allowed me to make a lot of friends at sea.

CD: How do you kill the time aboard ship in between shows?

SO:  I have other projects.  I do songwriting. I do music creation. I have a video blog I want to start editing. I like to write; in fact, I should start a blog. I have enough material.  I fill up my days reading, writing, exercise, editing, music creation, music compositions… enough to keep me busy.

CD:  What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you while performing on a cruise ship?

SO:  The funniest thing involved an audience, which is where I sometimes get material from unintentionally. One of my favorite routines is when I pick up a stemmed martini glass and stemmed one, and ask the audience “who do you think I’m going to be impersonating next?” The answer of course is Dean Martin.  But this time a little girl in the front row yelled out “the Captain!”  I laughed so loud I had to stop the band, compose myself, and meanwhile the audience was howling as they heard it too.  I said, “someone write that down!”

CD:  What comes next after performing on cruise ships, or do you see yourself doing this until you are 75?

SO:  I wish I could do this until I’m 75, but I think one day I will do more song writing, and more gigs on land. I’ve done a few contracts with casinos and corporate events.  It’s good money, but one thing about cruise lines is they take such good care of you and it’s such a great environment.  With the corporate jobs you have to take care of everyone else: you hire the sound man, the bands, the people and make sure it all comes together.  So part of me says take less money and continue to perform at sea.

CD:  The other benefit of being a ship’s performer is that you get to see the world.

SO:  We do, but sometimes you get so jaded. People ask me what’s your favorite port, and I answer “the one with the fastest internet connection!”

I recently sat down with Martin Ford, the affable and accomplished Passenger Services Director aboard the Emerald Princess. Martin has served on cruise ships for 29 years, including aboard the original “Love Boat,” and has helped launch seven new ships for Princess. Here is an edited version of our interview:

Commodore Dave: Hi Martin. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Martin Ford:   I live with my wife Louise in the southwest of England, but I’m originally from London. We have two delightful girls, aged 12 and nine. We live in a village called Blagdon Hill just outside Taunton. 

CD: How did you get into the cruise business?

MF: I did a degree in hotel catering and management early on when I left school.  My father owned hotels and pubs in England and that gave me a major interest in being involved in the hospitality industry.  He was also with P&O Cruises before the war, so he sort of guided me into working on cruise ships.  Dad always said that time at sea is a great way to see the world. I first went to sea when I was about 23 and started at the bottom as Junior Assistant Purser.

CD:  Can you tell me about some of the ships you have worked on?

MF:  My first ship was the Canberra.  When P&O bought Princess Cruises, I went to the Pacific Princess, and have been with Princess ever since.  I’ve sailed on many great ships and have had the honour of bringing out seven new ships for the company. 

CD:  Did you sail on the Pacific Princess during the filming of the “Love Boat” television series?

MF:  Yes, during the original series and then on the Sun Princess when they filmed the short-lived comeback series. We used to have the whole cast on board taking up a great part of the ship for about 14 days.  During that time, they would capture all the scenes they required of the exterior and the public areas for the entire year, and the rest was done in the studio. There were about 150 cast members and crew, which is significant for a ship like the Pacific Princess that only held about 600 passengers. 

CD: Did you meet any celebrities on board?

MF:  Yes. I met the whole crew of the “Love Boat” including Gavin McLeod (Captain Stubing), and a number of guest stars including Henry Winkler (The Fonz). I also met famous people on other ships. I remember meeting Cary Grant and his wife on the Sea Princess.  The man was very charismatic and truly an icon. We made him an honorary member of the wardroom.  I also met one of my superheroes, Steve McQueen, on the Pacific Princess.   He used to go to Mexico for his alternative cancer treatments and then cruise with us. We also had Richard Nixon’s Vice-President, Spiro Agnew, on board.  He was in the dog house at that point, having fallen from grace.

CD:   I guess the “Love Boat” TV series did a lot to promote cruise vacations?

MF:   Yes.  The Love Boat series was phenomenal.  It did tremendous things for cruising in general.

CD:  What are your most memorable experiences on a cruise ship as a passenger services director?

MF:  The exciting thing for me was bringing out seven new ships.  I spent several months in St. Lazare, France to help finalize completion of the Coral Princess and Island Princess.  The same for Golden, Star, Crown and Emerald in Fincantieri, Italy. And Sapphire in Japan.   Being there a couple of months before the ship goes into service was a fascinating experience, particularly in Japan.  The people in Japan have an unbelievable work ethic.

CD:  Why do they send officers to the building of a ship?

MF:  I suppose what we do is start the handing over process from the shipyard.  Our job is to ensure the quality of the ship is acceptable and sign off that we have taken over for Princess.  It’s building the crew also. It’s like a family and when you take a ship into service it’s very exciting.  All ships are like a new birth, and that child is different every time.  Sometimes they go into service immediately, and sometimes they even leave the shipyard early and add another cruise.

CD:  Is a maiden cruise more exciting than normal?

MF:  It’s hugely exciting. Also a lot of hard work as you have the expectation to meet past standards. And a lot of the maiden voyage passengers are very seasoned cruisers that know our product well.  The same applies to repositioning cruises. This cruise has over 2,000 members of the Captain’s Circle (the Princess repeat cruisers club), many of whom have done 50 – 60 cruises. They are great supporters of the product and also great critics, in a positive way.

CD:  I’ve noticed in recent years that many cruise lines have gone from doing a purely trans-Atlantic crossing to including some interesting ports along the way.

MF:  The idea is to make the itinerary as attractive as possible.  In reality the ports of call are a huge bonus to making the cruise a success, in all areas of the product.  A purely trans-Atlantic cruise would have limited appeal these days.  By throwing in some nice ports at the beginning, it increases the market appeal of a trans-Atlantic cruise.

CD:  Would you advise your children to take a career at sea, as you have done?

MF:  Possibly not for their entire career. I’m away about 8 months a year, which can be difficult for a family.  The benefit is that I get to spend quality time 24/7 when I go home for two months at a time.  I justify it by thinking it’s the same as if I was in the armed forces for a career, although of course we have a much nicer situation! And since my family join me at sea from time to time, we get some nice holiday together out of that.  So I would say to anyone contemplating a career at sea to be prepared for the sacrifice, and to be aware that you are leaving the spouse at home for an extended period as a single parent. 

CD: What are your favorite ports of call?

MF:  Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, and all the Society Islands of French Polynesia for their white sandy beaches, turquoise sea and incredible beauty. 

CD: Is there anywhere in the world you would like to visit that that you haven’t travelled to yet on a cruise ship?

MF:  The Maldives, and the Seychelles.  But I’ve been very lucky. I’ve done world cruises, and been to Australia, the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Alaska, South America, and the Eastern Seaboard of the USA. 

I recently had the privilege of speaking with one of the best Cruise Directors in the business, the talented and charming David Bradshawe of the Pacific Princess. Here is an edited version of our discussion:

Commodore Dave: So, David, how did you become a cruise director?

David Bradshawe: I was as an actor in Britain, and I interviewed in 1991 with P&O Cruises for a job as a performer. Luckily enough they gave me the job as entertainment officer on board the old Sea Princess which was part of the Princess fleet. In 1993 I was hired as an assistant cruise director and stayed for one contract and then in 1994 I went to P&O’s Canberra to do a world cruise. After that I chose to go back to what I originally trained as, which is an actor and performer. But I was in love with the sea so I returned to cruising in 2002 as part of a repertory company with Crystal Cruises. The Repertory Theatre at Sea, it was called, and I became the only British actor on this ship, and I had a ball. I did two contracts on Crystal and then after a short break went to New York to join the cruise staff for the inaugural year of Cunard’s QM2. I stayed with the QM2 for 15 months and eventually made my way up and am proud to say I left as Cruise Director in 2005 before rejoining Princess. So that’s how I did it.

CD: I think performers make great cruise directors. Have you ever had to jump in and perform in a show?

DB: On one of my last ships I had to do that. We had a number of performers down, so I had to don a pink suit – it wasn’t a pretty sight, but I did it.

CD: I was going to ask you if you had any favorite moments as Cruise Director that you could tell us about.

DB: That’s one of the moments that I can say is. We had a dancer with flu, one with an ankle injury, one hurt her arm and the other guy was throwing up in the wings, so I just had to go on and jump in there. So I donned this pink satin jumpsuit with feathers, which was a take on Elton John. It was pretty much fun, and I parodied Elton John and parodied myself and the audience loved it.

CD: What are some of the best things about being a cruise director?

DB: I think the places I have seen, and the people I have met. That’s the reason why we love this job. Certainly I do. Meeting people from different places and seeing how they live their lives. You never tire of learning. I don’t anyway. I am a student of life and I love that aspect to this particular job.

CD: How many days at sea have you put under your belt?

DB: Oh gee. I must have been around the world a minimum of five times. Before I came to sea as an actor, I was doing various jobs and got one working for an American charter airline called TIA. I went pretty much around the world with them for about 18 months on and off, also doing acting work. I have been at sea quite a few years now, so if you add up the total it must be about nine years at sea.

CD: What about ports of call? Can you estimate how many?

DB: Gee. I can’t imagine. It must be well over a hundred.

CD: Besides your home in Geneva, do you have a favorite port of call?

DB: I love coming into Sydney harbour. There’s something quite wonderful about that. New York as well is very special to me. The town itself, the city kind of feels like home for me, having lived there for six months. Venice is very special during the daytime as well. I am wide-eyed and very eager whenever I come into these ports.

CD: What is the cruise director’s day like? What’s your job?

DB: I am responsible for all the entertainment on board, which encompasses technicians, musicians, performers, administrative work as well. My day starts off around 8:30 with meetings, dealing with hundreds of emails, always problems with anything that goes on arising from entertainment, arising from broadcasting. It could be movies, machinery, technical issues, problems at home that people have, injuries… a multitude of things, so my day is encompassed around serving others.

CD: How long are you usually away from home?

DB: Usually the contracts run from 4-5 months with a 6-8 week break, then you are back. I only recently came back to Princess after 15 years away, so as the new kid on the block, I get the job as fill in for other cruise directors when they go on vacation. So I flit from ship to ship, which is rather wonderful as I get to see all different parts of the world. It’s suddenly déjà vu many years later.

CD: You were telling me earlier you are thinking of making a move to Toronto?

DB: That’s right. My wife’s family lives there and we are talking about it very seriously and looking forward to North America really. She’s a therapist in Geneva, which makes sense when you look at me! We’ll always have a base in Europe, but now’s the time to move onwards and the kids are coming out of university and school. My youngest is 12, going on 32, and he will be joining us in Canada so it will be a chance for the whole family to be together. We have four children: 2 boys, 2 girls. My eldest is 23 and very intelligent and beautiful. My youngest daughter again is highly intelligent and beautiful and wants to become an air hostess before setting up her own business. My oldest boy, Nico, is training to become a nurse and my youngest boy, Marco, is training to be a ladies’ man I think…he’s got all the ladies after him already. He’s a charmer!

CD: When you are on a ship for 5 or 6 months, do you get to have your family visit?

DB: Sometimes yes, we are lucky enough to get that opportunity. Initially my job is to get to know the “new family” that I have on board ship, to cater to their needs. Then my real family does come on board ship now and again. But it depends on breaks, it depends on Leah’s work in Geneva, and the kids having time off.

CD: Do you see your future continuing on cruise ships?

DB: For a few years yes. I take it as it comes. Travel is still in my blood and I am happy enough to perform now and again, and to do the management side.

I recently sat down with Peter Pratt, a veteran cruise officer who brings more than 40 years of sea experience to running hotel and passenger services aboard the Pacific Princess. Here is an edited version of our discussion:

Commodore Dave: Hi, Peter. Can you tell me a little bit about your background?

Peter Pratt: I was born in Portsmouth, which is a fairly famous naval base. My mother’s family were all in the British Royal Navy. I now live in North Yorkshire, which is about 250 miles north of London. I am married with two daughters and I split my time between Yorkshire and a place in Spain.

CD: How did you get involved with cruising?

PP: I always wanted to travel, and one of the best ways of doing it seemed to me to be working for a shipping company. So I applied to all the UK based shipping companies, and P&O hired me. I hadn’t actually intended staying all that long. I did a couple of trips and got promoted and decided to stay a bit longer, perhaps do another trip. That was in 1967 and it’s now 2008 and I’m still here, so it’s been a very successful career.

CD: Can you tell about the role of the Passenger Services Director? It sounds like the jobs of Purser and Hotel Director combined.

PP: The term of purser comes from the Royal Navy. He was the paymaster, so the purser looked after all the accounts on board and the crews’ pay. Then as passenger shipping became more intense, it stretched into being more of a hotel manager, managing a floating hotel. Over the years various aspects of that have expanded into food and beverage, that sort of thing, so it has become more into the hospitality area.

CD: Everyone has a favorite port of call. You’ve been on the seas for some 40 years. Can you think of one or two places that you think of as a favorite port, somewhere you look forward to?

PP: Sydney, probably; partly because it’s such a wonderful harbour and such a wonderful entrance into Australia. And I do love the Australians. I suppose years ago when we used to carry immigrants out to Australia we used to be in Sydney seven days at a time and that allowed you to explore ashore with a bit more depth than normal and develop more friendships and that sort of thing. So Sydney is where I would consider I have a second home.

CD: Everyone who has worked on a ship has some unusual stories. Do you have something that you remember as being a particularly challenging situation?

PP: Yes I have. One I always remember was on the Royal Viking Sky. The First Purser suddenly wasn’t on board one day when we were sailing from a North American port, and we didn’t know what had happened to him. All his gear was gone. But when we looked into his safe, there was no money in there - but there was, however, an IOU for $850,000. I think it was about six months before they actually caught up with him but meanwhile he continually every month sent in a $50 cheque to the company as part repayment of his “loan”.

CD: I am sure you have had some celebrities on board. Can you tell me about some of them?

PP: I can remember back on the old Oriana in 1968 we had Cary Grant travel with us from Southampton to Los Angeles and I remember him having a champagne reception. He was an absolutely delightful man; very, very easy with everybody, not standoffish at all. I also remember sailing with Peter O’Toole and Jack Hawkins. We didn’t see a lot of Peter O’Toole. Jack Hawkins was a most charming man. I also remember sailing with Tippi Hedren who was in the Hitchcock movie “The Birds,” Billie Jean King, Merle Oberon, and Norman Wisdom, a British comedian.

CD: So there have been quite a few over the years. Most of them have been well behaved. Obviously you didn’t get someone like Oliver Reed on board then?

PP: No but I think he would have been a bit of fun!

CD: Given your experience at sea, what type of destination would you recommend for a novice cruiser?

PP: I think a seven-day cruise, to see if you like it. And I would suggest somewhere like Alaska, the Caribbean or maybe Mexico, depending on your age group and what sort of fun you are looking for.

CD: What about someone who’s been on three or four cruises. What would you say to them?

PP: Either a Mediterranean cruise, or the Baltic. Or if you want to go further afield, going down to Australia. But certainly if you take a cruise out of Australia, I suggest you take a bit of time pre- or post-cruise in order to see something of the country.

CD: I guess one thing people wonder about is if you have a wife and family and are away at sea for so long, is that hard? And how do you cope with that to make it easier?

PP: Very difficult. I think both parties have to be very independent, which fortunately my wife and I are. And I think yes it is very difficult for both parties, and the children. There are a lot of things I have missed through being away at sea: parents’ evenings, childrens’ plays, sports days, and all that sort of thing. On the other hand, recently I was with my older daughter, having a drink in a pub in England, and I asked if she thought I did the wrong thing by staying at sea and missing a lot of her growing up. Her answer was “Yes, at the time, when I was at school, because other kids had both parents at things.” But, she said “Now I’ve grown up I realize there’s always a price to pay whatever you are doing in life and my sister and I have traveled all over the world with you, much more than we would have been able to do if you hadn’t been doing what you did, and I think you did the right thing.” Which made me feel a bit better.