Friday 13 January 2012

Independence Of The Seas Jan 7 - 13 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I came home on the 4th January from Aruba via Miami and had a day with my family, it really was

a fleeting visit and on the only day off I had I had to go to Real Radio Studios in Cardiff to help write and then record another Ad for Trade Centre Wales, oh well that has to be done too!

I had 3hrs sleep and at 3am Billy from Executive Cars www.executivecarswales.com was there to rush me back to Heathrow for my flight to Madeira where I join the mighty Independence of the Seas. I arrived at 10.20am and jumped into a taxi which cost me 35euros and joined Independence, I have to say you get a great welcome here, I was met at the gangway by the Production Manager and he helped me through the formalities at the guest relations desk, soon I was unpacking and sending suit and shirts to pressed for tonight’s show, the cruise director Joff Eaton rang me and welcomed me on-board and was so grateful to me because I was asked to work tonight after my nightmare early start and flight out, but hey it’s what we do at the end of the day.
After lunch I just had to go to sleep so straight into bed and a good hour and twenty minutes sleep and boy I felt better for it, I have just 25mins to rehearsal and sound check as my shows tonight are at 6.45pm and 8.45pm then the biggest sleep known to man awaits.



Just back from my rehearsal and the band are awesome, a kicking 9 piece and a great sound on stage too, so I’m happy but ever so tired. I have 1hr and 25mins to my show now so time to chill with my thoughts.

The 6.45pm show was only half full but what a great crowd, it could not have gone any better, I’m now back in my suite with 30mins to go to show two so lets hope it goes as well…see you later!

Well the 8.45pm show was 100% full and what an atmosphere the show went great and afterwards I met up with an old pal and brilliant act Tommy Bond, he has to be the nicest man in showbiz, we had a few pints together and put the world to right, I was crushingly tired and had to give in, so bed for me and 9hrs later I woke up.

We are at sea today and on our way sailing to La Corunia in Northern Spain, a nice place and great for tapas so Tommy and I are thinking of doing just that. I now have a few days off to relax, quite a few people have colds and coughs so I do hope I don’t pick something up, that’s the one thing I hate is being poorly, under the weather and not on par as it interferes with my job and then can’t do what I want to do with my voice.
This is Tommy and I having a few!



Tommy came round last night and showed me loads of stuff on the Mac and do you think I could take it all in, no chance but it was fascinating to watch though! Thanks Tommy!
I was up early this morning around 6.40am and sat and watched the sun come up over the sea, nice photo!
Today we are in La Coruna’s in Northern Spain and it’s a lovely sunny day with a temp high of 14c so not too bad, perfect for golf, oh how I miss my golf!

A little about La Coruna. It is heavily wooded and ever so green, it’s a very beautiful place. Some say it bears a strong resemblance to Wales and Ireland, in both climate and culture. Celtic influence was strongest here in Spain’s region of Galicia, and La Coruna was no exception. I just might go ashore today with my mate Tommy Bond, you should Google him and see what he’s done in his life! The time difference is 1hr on here BUT we are staying on ships time as we walk around the town, hope nobody gets it wrong and misses the ship!

I had the most lovely day out with Tommy yesterday, we walked around beautiful La Coruna, checkout these photos.

We found a really nice Italian restaurant (I know we were in Spain) and it was just divine, I had spaghetti cabonara (can’t spell it but it was the best ever) a few beers and then after that we found a fantastic wine bar and had a couple of glasses of the most beautiful red wine I think I have ever tasted, sorry I can’t remember the name of it and it was cheap too!

Last night onboard it was Pub Night, it is an amazing spectacle, have a look at these photos, they say it all!

Today is a sea day and we transiting the Bay of Biscay and thank you Lord it is nice and calm, as sometimes this stretch of water can be very rough. In 30mins I’m off to the barbers on deck 5 for a haircut and something I have never had done before and that is a shave with the hot towels and all the stuff that goes with it, I will report after I have had it done, I’m a little nervous, will he cut me, will I come out in a rash? See you later!
Ok I had my haircut and that was a waste of time as she kept saying “nothing coming off” then I had my shave, it was nice experience however I could have done a better job if I’m totally honest, the hot towels, masks, creams, facial were all fantastic, but that was it, my bum went to sleep as did my both little fingers which wasn’t nice and it too 1hr and 15mins, oh well never again!

It’s a grey old day today but the Biscay still calm which is a bonus. Southampton tomorrow and the ship turns around with 4000 getting off and another 4000 people getting on, I’m staying on to and getting off in Lisbon on 13th January.


Good morning and welcome to Southampton, it always feels as if I could just go home from here, but today we turnaround and do it all over again. Another old mate comic Tucker is getting on today as he is on tonight, he’s a great comic and I will have a tough act to follow. I spoke to Marie this morning and she is flat out getting Sam ready for school, so we’ll speak more after nine, I however have been up since 5am! I had to go and see the UK Immigration at 7am as I joined the ship outside of the UK so you have to go and see them, it took 10 seconds. I think I will pop into town later to stretch the legs and have a mooch around, we sail at 4.30pm. I am looking forward to talking to my son Tom today, he’s still in panto up there in Wolverhampton

Having the time of his life, he is going to miss that when it’s over.

Back onboard quickly thanks to pier manager Maggie as there was a que a mile long with all the new guests arriving at the same time. I actually had a little snooze for an hour and even slept through drills, I will get a telling off letter for that. I went to the welcome show and watched very funny comic Tucker who did a great job and we only clashed on two silly lines so I felt better for that. An early night for me and I slept for a good 10hrs, what my wife Marie would give for a sleep like that poor thing, she hasn’t had a full nights sleep for a very long time.
Good morning and a day at sea ahead, the Biscay is once again nice and calm, we are heading south and the Queen Mary 2 is just across from us, here’s a photo,


it’s not great as she quite a distance from us, I think she is traveling to Madeira, I pick her up on the 8th February in Freemantle Perth Western Australia. Tucker called me and we went for lunch together, he is a great bloke and he’s really happy at the moment as his wife has just given birth to twins, two lovely girls Darcy and Sydney, they are over the moon.

My shows are tonight at 8.45pm and 10.30pm and my rehearsal is in 40mins so I’ll see you later!
Just back from rehearsal, great band and great sound and lights, you can’t ask for more than that, I love this ship!

I’m back from 8.45pm show and it was 100% full and I enjoyed it very much, the sound let me down a tad with not enough in my monitors but I have now spoke with him and he assures me all will be well for the 10.30pm show.
Yep the 10.30pm went great but for some reason I was very tired up there, the monitors still weren’t great but better, I was knackered after the show. I had a drink with the lead singer/guitarist of the rock band “Rock The Boat” after the show and it was lovely to talk about the business and his life onboard Independence, it made a change!


Today we are in a very sunny warm Vigo in Spain, how can the weather be so different from home, we not far from the UK? I got off the ship with comedian Tucker and we just had coffee and chatted away and laughed a lot, which was great, he’s a nice man! Tomorrow I fly home from Lisbon via Amsterdam so arrive into Cardiff at 9pm so should be in the house by 10pm…can’t wait!
Lisbon and I am already at the airport sitting on a hard seat with 1euro to my name as the taxi driver charged me 35euros to get here, it’s only 15euros tops, I hate being taken for a mug, I do this a lot and sometimes you get taken for an idiot abroad!

Having said all that it has ben a successful trip and I’m now looking forward to going home to my family!

Thursday 5 January 2012

Christmas 2011 at home - and Ventura

I had the most lovely Christmas with my family, I came home from Azura flying from Tortola to San Jaun then onto London via Madrid, I was so tired when I got home, but so happy to be home. We did the last minute shopping just everyone else and Christmas Eve was here before you could say Santa Claus is coming to town, Sam was so excited, he went to bed with dreams of Santa and hoping for his big present the Bat Cave. Marie and I put out all the presents and I put the carrot for Rudolf and mince pie and sherry for Santa on the little table next to the front door, we were in bed at midnight after enjoying a Grahams 10year old port and even we were excited for the morning.

Christmas Day.

We were up before Sam and couldn’t wait for him to wake up so we made some noise and soon he awoke, he shouted “Mumma Dadda he’s been”…he ran into us with his filled stocking and was on cloud nine, we then crept down the stairs, I had the Christmas Tree on the timer so that was on and twinkling away in the still of the morning, “Dad he’s ate the mince pie” Sam said with excitement in his voice, we open the living room door and we all walked into a magical Christmas moment, Sam’s face said it all, we did laugh when he said “see that big present, that’s my Bat Cave”.
It took a few hours to open everything, I had a lovely jumper, a shirt and some Ted Baker socks, Marie loved her things too. We were enjoying Mulled Wine by 10am and as soon as the bird was in the oven we went up the pub for an hour and had a couple with friends. We had in my opinion the best Christmas Dinner ever and it was chicken, fantastic ,well done Mrs Doyle.
Boxing Day was a strange day, I felt I should have been working by 2pm as for the past 22yrs I have been in panto, I did work that night at the Towers Hotel & Spa Jersey Marine near Swansea and we had a great night, Mark Bailey brought a big group from Trade Centre Wales and Sarra, Lesley, Meryl and Roy came too so had a great night.


We went to Wolverhampton to see my son Toms Panto Snow White with Sam Kane and Linda Lusardi, it was sensational and Tom had some tricky stuff to do, he had to fly Linda up and out into the crowd over peoples heads, Linda said she puts her life in his hands everyday. We had the best welcome ever and we stayed at the Premier Inn Bluebricks in Wolverhampton and I recommend them to anybody

With only one day left at home and so much to prepare for the cruise Marie and I went for a nice quite drink down the WaterMill in Ewenny. Marie’s mum arrived on the train from Bath and I packed to go away.

4am and my car was on the drive to take me to Manchester Airport and my flight back to sunny Barbados.
Arrived at Barbados having had no sleep on the plane and soon at the Ventura and a brilliant welcome by Hughie Taylor and Dee who are Cruise Director and Deputy, we went out for a meal that night and we were joined by another great mate Richard Agg and his partner, great meal but boy was I tired. When we got back to the ship we were greeted with the news that the main man in the Theatre Company had broken his ankle playing rugby and was signed off and will have to be flown home. I went to bed and fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.

Good morning and another day in Barbados, I was up by 9am and had breakfast with a great mate and brilliant act Louis Hoover who flies home today, I always enjoy his company, he is playing the London Palladium on the 13th February so good luck to him. I am working tonight in the Arena on Ventura two shows 8.30pm and 10.30pm then there is a big party on deck to bring in the new year, strange because it will be 2012 at 8pm here as we are 4hrs behind the UK. My rehearsal is in 50mins…see you later and if not…HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ha ha I’m back, just had my rehearsal and it went really well, brilliant soundman Peter Hughes who has worked with my brother Phill on Thompson Cruises, what a great soundman. It’s 5.25pm here and 9.25pm at home so 2012 will be there before it is on Ventura, very strange!

Both shows went well but found it harder than usual, people were tired from the flights and were doing their best to stay up for the New Year, I watched London on the Telly and saw the New Year in but it was only 8pm here, very strange, I don’t think I will go away for New Year again, I am missing my family too much.

It’s 2012 and what a busy year ahead for me, I’m travelling around the world on some of the most luxurious ships in the world, Caribbean with Azura and Ventura, Canaries on Independence of the Seas, South Africa on Silver Spirit, Australia on Queen Mary 2, USA on Queen Elizabeth and so it goes on, it all sounds amazing and I am very lucky to be doing it, but I will miss my wife Marie and my sons Sam and Tom very much also the rest of my family.
Today we are in Curacao, I was here only 2 weeks ago with Azura, weather is a mixed bag sunshine and the chance of a few showers but nowhere near as bad as it is back home, Marie told me it’s awful at home, poor thing she had an awful New Year with me not there and pouring with rain and she has a cold, it’s hard on us sometimes as a family living apart for most of the time, it breaks my heart from time to time.



I have my show again tonight in the Arena Theatre at 8.30pm & 10.30pm so rehearsals at 4pm I think. I have ¾ packed and just waiting to go home really, if it wasn’t for my friends Hughie & Dee it would have been so hard for me this cruise, I dunno, New Years always makes me feel a bit strange, roll on February! Oh dear doom and gloom I’m sorry!

My tour starts back up again in February with Theatre Severn Shrewsbury then Brecon, Porthcawl, Swansea Grand, Towers Jersey Marine and the Muni Pontypridd, I’m even doing the Neath Workingmen’s Club, a club I once used to work a lot back in the day, I even won a club award there alongside a great singer Wendy Kane so great memories of this club.

Both shows went great and the crowds were fab, all rested up after their long flights and were really up for my show, I really enjoyed it.

I am now sat at the gate for Miami at Aruba Airport and a long day/night lies ahead of me, I do hope I get some sleep on the Miami to London flight.



It has been a very short visit to Ventura and the Caribbean but I had the most enjoyable time, thanks to Hughie, Dee, David Shepherd (Executive Purser) Captain Charlie Carr, Richard Agg and his lovely lady, Wayne Denton and his lovely wife, Vlad, Akos and the boys in the band, Pete Hughes for the best sound ever, and thanks for the amazing lighting what a finale last night, I thought I was onstage in a rock concert, thanks boys.

It’s 3pm here and I won’t be home till 1pm tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks for reading my crazy blog; I don’t half pour my heart out at times…sorry!

Don’t forget the tour picks up again in February.

I’m now at my gate at Miami Airport and boarding soon, I really hope I get some sleep this time as the last flight back home from San Juan was a disaster, I just sat there watching the clock, awful!

I had some lovely tasting pizza a while ago and washed it down with a nice pint of Samuel Adams Beer which is a Boston Beer, it was quite nice but nowhere near as nice as Brains Bitter, what can you do, when in Rome!