Saturday 25th April

Have had a pretty easy week this week, even though there has only been 4 of us working on board. We actually had time yesterday to go and get dinner all together, and not have to rush it down on a formal night. I do have the feeling however that the pay won't be too good at the end of it considering what we've been working.

Can't wait to go home and see everyone at the beginning of May, but I am enjoying my own cabin a lot haha.

Can't think of much else to write right now so I'll leave it at that.

Tuesday 21st April

Well I've been here just over 2 weeks now, and I'm finally pretty familiar with the ship and most of the crew, apart from the new ones who joined over the last couple of days.

I havent posted for the past week as we've been mega busy all the time. This past weekend I've had between 4 and 5 hours sleep a night, and then working all day which took it's toll on me, but at least I got a good pay for it.

Yesterday I met up with Dannii and my family in Southampton and it was amazing. I had such a good day with them. Got Pizza Hut and went on a big shopping spree (I got off the ship with £270 and came back with £25) haha. Today I'm moving into my new cabin as there are 4 cabins for photographers and there's only 4 of us on this cruise, so i get a double cabin to myself for 3 weeks which is brilliant, I can't remember where we're going on this cruise but I know we're going to Rome which I can't wait for as it'll give me some good photo opportunites.

Get to go home for 2 days after this cruise too, which I also can't wait for. To see my family and friends, go out and get real nice and a bit drunk and have a laugh, so everyone better be out.

Right I should be on more often now as this cruise won't be as busy as usual so I'll have more free time.

Wednesday 15th April

Good afternoon, well today I've got half the day off which is cool. Worked 9-12 today and then working 6-11 tonight, all gallery work though but hey as long as it's busy it's ok.

Tomorrow we're in Vigo and I'm gonna go do a bit more shopping as I've got some money left from Tenerife, and then back to Southampton on Friday. It's a pretty easy week now from today onwards, all the crazy bits have gone. But Fliss is now in a bad mood 24/7 for some reason which is fun for all of us.

Met some more people over the past couple of nights from going out and they're all pretty cool.

Also, I'm not racist, but my mind has changed about the majority of foreign people. I've realised that not all of them are dick heads, there are a lot of nice guys on this ship, who are willing to help you out if you need it. For example, the night before last I was doing cabin rounds with a load of flyers, and a cleaner came up to me and said he'll do it as he's got to go to all the cabins anyway. And last night I was packing away a studio, and one offered to help even though I had never seen him before.

Anyway I'm off for an afternoon kip and to eat. I'll probably be posting more now as we're less busy.

Tuesday 14th April

Not posted for a couple of days now, but went into Tenerife yesterday and had a right laugh, went shopping and got some lunch. Had a really easy night last night, just had gallery so didn't have to really do any work.

Today it's Lanzerote day and we're all staying on board, I kinda needed to go to the supermarket but that can wait until S'Hampton.

I'll post a longer one later or tomorrow.

Saturday 11th April

Early morning today, was up for Gangway photos as people came off the ship into Madiera. Was very warm but I still had to wear a bloody long sleeve shirt! Then after this had an hours rest before going into Madiera with Craig, Fliss and Claire. When we got into Madiera we went to a restaurant and had Steak on a Stone which was lovely. Then we wandered down the seafront and i brought a fridge magnet, and we had an ice-cream. After this we headed into town and wandered around for a while taking photos and just generally looking around. Eventually we got pretty bored and tired so decided to head back to the bus. However Fliss thought it would be a good idea to walk to the ship and not get the bus. "Don't worry it's only a 5 minute walk". This 5 minutes turned into about 20 minutes of walking in the baking sun and on crap slabs which was fun.

Anyway just got back to the cabin and having a couple of hours free time before I have to go up to the Gallery to work, I'm on IPM tomorrow which means I can't go into Gran Canaria and I'm sure will be a lot of fun so I'll probably be online for a while tomorrow.

Friday 10th April

Bit of an early one today, we went out to the Wardroom last night and had a few drinks which was cool. Then had an induction this morning, which was pretty long and boring but hey. Basically told us everything we needed to know about the ship and all that jazz. Now sat in my cabin waiting to go up to the Gallery for 4 hours. Then I've got a Pirate photoshoot and then portraits tonight. Hopefully it'll be an early finish again so I can get a good nights sleep for an early start tomorrow.

Thursday 9th April

Yesterday was quite a busy day, as we had turnover in Southampton. We also had 2 togs leave us and 1 join, who became my new cabin share for a day, nice guy. Got up at 7.30 for Gallery duty until 10. Then at 11.30 it was down to the terminal to do Embarkation photos which is a long and boring process (4 hours stood in front of a black backdrop being told by people that they don't want photos because they're tired). Then at 4 o'clock we had drills which is also pretty boring. (haha i sound like a right moan) then gallery duty again from 6-11. This was the first night we've finished before 12 this past week so we all (apart from 2) went to the Officers Bar until about half 1 when i went to bed and fell straight asleep.

Today I woke up at 11.30 and went basically straight down to the gallery as I had Gallery work until 4 when I had to nip to do a photo of a kids party with Noddy. After this I had an hour off until half 5 when we had to go do Party photos in 2 sittings, I finished at 8.45 came downstairs and moved into my new cabin with Craig as Martyn (new tog) has a partner who's moving into his cabin with him. Now I'm just sat in the cabin waiting for the others to get ready/finish work so we can go to the Officers Bar again.

Tuesday 7th April

Yesterday afternoon and evening was very hectic. I started in the gallery at 2PM and we basically didn't stop until 2AM. From 2-4 we were arranging prints and trying to compress everything down as much as we could so that we could fit in the formal night photos which would be coming later on. At 4 we went and set up various portait set-ups around the ship; 2 backdrops and 2 natural set-ups within the ship. We finished this at about 5 o'clock then went back to the gallery. Between 6 and 7 we weren't very busy at all, as everyone was out at the portait sessions. At 7.30 all the other togs came back to the gallery and we went and got a quick bite to eat, then it was straight back into the gallery at 8.

Throughout the night there were passengers everywhere and memory cards being thrown at us left, right and centre. With just 2 of us in the gallery we were trying to serve as many passengers as possible, print all the images from the night and put them out on display. We didn't stop working until 2AM, at about 12.30 the other togs came back and helped us arrange and put out photos but it wasn't enough still. We then gave up and decided to call it a night.

Had another early start this morning, having to get up at 7 for gangway photos again in France, however this time I actually got to shoot. Not a very busy morning really, only shot about 60 images through the 3 hours we were there. Went outside before shooting to find Cunards Queen Mary next to us in the port, bloody huge ship!

Just finished there and now free until 3PM when I'm back to the gallery. Tonight I've got my first portrait shoots to do and then no doubt it'll be a late finish again. We're going out after work tonight as it shouldn't be an early start tomorrow and it's Andy (Tog) and Tristan's (Asst. Photo Manager and my cabin share) last night on the ships. Back into Southampton tomorrow too where I'm shooting Embarkment between 12 and 4, might have time for an update tomorrow evening but not sure yet.

Monday 6th April

Well I'm onboard now. I got on about 10 o'clock yesterday morning with some sad goodbyes to my family and Dannii. Straight away found a few of the other togs who then showed me where I needed to go and what I needed to do. After signing in and getting to my cabin I had some time free, so I unpacked and went to have a look round the ship. It's very confusing at first, but I think I've got used to most of the places where I'll need to be now.

Yesterday afternoon I was meant to have an induction session which was cancelled (well nobody was in the room when we got there) and then I went and got changed into my uniform and started at the Gallery. This is where I met the rest of the togs and a couple of other staff members, basically for the rest of the day I was working in the Gallery displaying and selling the photos. This wasn't the most fun I've ever had but at least it's an easy job I'm used to.

Last time we were working until about half twelve in the gallery, but I went out on a shoot photographic another photographer who was dressed as a pirate, which we got some funny reactions to. Then we went to the crew bar where I managed to get 2 rum and cokes, a can of coke and a pack of 20 marlboro reds for £4.51. Come 2AM we decided to leave, realising that it was in fact 3AM. Went back to the cabin and got straight into bed. Then this morning awoke to my alarm, and realised that it was actually 8 o'clock and not 7 o'clock. Luckily however the ship had not reached Belgium at this point so we had about an hour and a half free to get ready and get breakfast.


At about half 9 the ship reached port and we did a gangway shoot, but because of the number of people trying to get off at one time and because of the stewards trying to rush people on we didn't get much out of this. Just sat in my room now and am gonna go get some lunch in a minute. Below are a couple of pictures of my room too.

Miss you love you Mum, Dad, Shannon & Dannii.
I'll be back on either tomorrow or Wednesday when we get back to Southampton to give you an update.

All ready to go.

Well as a lot of you know, a week today I'm starting new job with P&O Cruises and The Ships Photographer working aboard cruises. It's been a long process getting everything sorted but I'm finally just about ready. All my equipment is ready, all my relevant documents are either sorted or are in the final stages of being sorted, and almost all of my uniform is sorted.

I found out the other day aswell where I am going to be heading to first. On Wednesday I will heading over to the Canary Islands and Spain for a 10 day cruise on P&O Oriana, then straight after that I will be heading to Belgium on a 2 day weekend break. My boss hasn't decided where he would like me to go after that but i am looking forward to hearing where.

Basically the idea of this blog is so I can keep you all in the know about where I am and what I've been doing. It may not be an every day thing but I'll keep regular updates on here to save having to answer the question's that everyone asks a hundred times.

I'm going to miss a lot of people while I'm away, especially my family, Dannii and the boys. But it's something I have to do and I'm sure good things will come out of it.

Hopefully I'll have a little bit of time free next Wednesday when i get aboard Oriana and I'll let you know what it's like.

Marcus