Southampton-Boat Show

How Swede It Is-The smaller the boat the bigger the Captain

Had some business in Bournemouth today, and on the way back stopped by SO'TON for the UK's Leading Outdoor Boat Show. In the background is The Queen Mary 2, Cunard's flagship. Sailed that last year and it was cool to see her docked alongside all these wonderful yachts.

Keep Calm Cause Ship Happens

I always get an amazing feeling when I walk past a ship I have "lived" and worked on. If ecstasy is doing something out of your ordinary experience, and nostalgia is the pain of remembering something beautiful-then that sums up cruising---it's an amazing lifestyle!

It's a miracle that I "Get to go" to work on ships-If a miracle is a shift in thinking-then it takes a special kind of shift to count your blessings, ride the wave and enjoy the ride.

The QM2 and the Cunard brand, is no miraculous exception.  This is not your typical cruise ship. In fact, The Mary  is the last of the great ocean liners- passage ships designed for 12 months of  brutal Atlantic sea crossings: NY to SO'TON. Her keel sits higher above  the water line, 7 decks instead of 5, which makes it cut water better and makes for a smoother sail.

Low tide April 2015

Brooklyn Cruise Terminal July 2014

I Remember these transatlantic crossings- 'the shortest bridge between Europe and America.....and when I went under the Verrazano Bridge, and saw Lady Liberty after  5 days at sea, I felt born again:
After all-The whole object of traveling is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.

QM2 @sea July 2014

After 6 sea days, we took a voyage, not a cruise onboard the Queen Mary2. This is the shortest bridge between New York and Europe. Airplanes, after all, are like diets - I don't like being on them.

The QM2 allows dogs onboard-cute!

The Queen Mary 2 comes to Hamburg every year.
 For her tenth jubilee she got a special celebration.

I took lots of videos, and posted them for my my friends on Facebook, but this one pretty much sums up the crowds enthusiastic response  as the flagship sails away down The Elbe River to open waters in the North Atlantic...

Sailing across The Pond to NY

Here  Are Some Of  Other  Ships I lived and Worked On

Pacific Pearl P&O Australia 

Crystal Serenity- Why Pay Less?

How inappropriate to call this planet Earth
when it is quite clearly Ocean.Celebrity Solstice- That's Greek To Me

Costa Atlantica-
 Va Veni-

Azamara Journey-Check Please

Golden Princess- Nature is More Cruise Ship Less

Princess Cruises-Alaska The GR8 Land

Royal Caribbean-Oasis of The Seas-
An Embarrassment of Coconuts

Coral Princess Panama Canal Xing The Dude Abides

Carnival Splendor- Smoke on The Water

Disney Magic- As John DeLorean said "I'm going to Disneyland."

On The Disney Wonder looking at last years ship
that I was on, The Carnival Splendor that caught fire,

MSC Poesia- The  YOUniverse

Disney Dream @ Sea Picture Perfect

Holland America- NoorDAM Ships

Navigator of the Seas AmeriCAN

Serenade of the Seas  Vitamin SEA

Pride of Aloha LOST and Found

Pride of America- Aloha Spirit

My first extended stay In  Paradise was on America Hawaii Cruises. I just wanted a different experience, and I took the first job I could get, which was a deck hand. We sailed for seven  days and each day we had a port of call

SS Independence   Aloha, Mahalo and Hanging Loose in Hawaii

1994-My First Ship -
A Rust Bucket- SS Constitution(a glorified ferry) with a lot of heart 
known  as "American Hawaii Cruises"

Shoveling Sunshine

The definition of ecstasy is that you are not doing your ordinary everyday ho-hum existence. Shoveling sunshine in Hawaii beats a day at the office

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SOMEDAY is the busiest day of the week-Get Busy!

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9 Cruises I had To Go On Before I Died