Just Cruising some Expert Advice!

I spent an incredible time in the early 90’s working on cruise ships in the Caribbean. I clearly remember the excitement of flying out to Miami armed with my Seaman Visa, 10 rolls of camera film and a thousand dollars in travellers cheques. Does that age me?

With a continuous struggle to nail down exactly what I wanted to do in life, I kept turning to travel. It’s all changed today, but back then, the casino department were never open in port and so of all the jobs on board a cruise ship, this was perfect for a traveller. As soon as we docked or arrived by tender on to these islands, we were off utilising our ‘’crew passes’’ for discounts in the local restaurants and bars. 5* resorts would welcome us in and at times I would wonder if I was actually working. Ok, it’s not quite as easy as it sounds, long sea days, and late shift finishes at 4am would counterbalance the island life, but going to bed in Jamaica and waking up in the Cayman Islands still sounds as wonderful today as it did then.