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!
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