My Ship Story

Micha joins the Carnival Ecstasy in 1991 as cruise staff. He tells a hilarious #AMTS in Jamaica, has an encounter with a cone, gives some good relationship advice, management changes, makes use of his time improving his mind and body, hosting activities, going after your dreams, and writes a book called Permanent Passenger.  http://michathemouth.com/

Jaden leaves Utah to work on cruise ships and gets a job as a photographer with Cunard in 2018. He works on the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary, and Queen Victoria doing trans-Atlantic and world cruises. He tells the story about painting a world map mural, hiding JAR stickers around the ship, experiments with the Betel nut in Papua New Guinea, the hidden crew deck, and passenger parkour. Follow Jaden...

Cris was working in Dubai when he decided to try cruise ships. He joined Oceania Cruises in 2006 as a Snack Utility but quickly moved up the ranks to Assistant Waiter, Waiter, and then Bar Waiter. He tells about giving a tour of Muscat to a German passenger on his first contract - which will completely change his life. He eventually goes back to the Philippines to become a teacher. 

Jason was working as a motor-coach tour guide in Iowa and decides to try cruise ships. He joins the Sun Viking in 1991 for a short run and then quickly gets transferred to The Emerald Seas. He tells the story of being on the Code Blue team, death in the hot tub, makes an announcement in the Paris train station, kept a beer mug from a french hotel, crew talent shows, the perils of working the front...

Nick begins his long career entertaining on cruise ships in 1970 when he leaves London at 19 to join Chandris aboard the TSS Romantica. He tells the stories of world cruises, a French nuclear test, the Panama Canal, and the Norwegian coast. After refusing to take a bad cabin he meets his American wife in London over a bad cup of tea. He then moves to California and joins Sitmar Cruises, which woul...

Rich was a tech engineer for Disney World and gets a job working on the Sovereign of the Seas in 1988 as one of the first sound & light technicians. He tells the story of his first contract aboard sailing without an assigned cabin, working with equipment no one knew how to use, and being assigned to dance with passengers. After several years onboard he moves to HMS doing the set up for new ship bu...

Marie does a tour in Italy and gets the idea to work on cruise ships. In 1990 she joins the World Renaissance in Genoa and goes on to the Oceanos. Gets an invitation from the captain that does not go well. Works on land for a while but decides to go back to ships with Carnival on the Holiday. Met her husband at Victoria Station, a wild party in the crew bar, and an eye catching walk to the Ocho Ri...

The hosts get together with a group of listeners and previous guests to talk about the first 99 episodes.  We discuss behind the scenes on how the podcast is made, some of our favorite moments, and hear a couple new stories!  Don't forget to LIKE - SHARE - SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and YouTube channel!

Ramona, our first guest from Romania, is working as a teacher but has a dream to get out and see the world. She takes a job with Carnival in 2000 as a bar waitress, then later switches departments to become a Purser. She leaves ships in 2008 but comes back in 2017 with NCL as a trainer. She tells an #AMTS story about getting lost in Miami and being returned to the port by the police, gets a very s...

After growing up cruising many times as a passenger, Danny wants to work on cruise ships. She starts in 2017 as a shop attendant with the Starboard concession on the Explorer of the Seas, and then quickly moves to a Shopping Host. She tells a story about a passenger that forgot their child, the glass girl story, meets her husband Dinko onboard, he gives us an #AMTS and a couple of casino stories,...

After a random encounter with a former cruise ship employee, Fraser leaves Canada and joins the Celebrity Zenith in 2003 as a shop attendant. He tells about doing a "blitz" contract, an #AMTS in St. Martin, has a big night out with a friend-guest and discovers that the paperwork isn't quite right, which leads to a captain's hearing. Then gets landed in Mexico and has a couple nightmare auditions t...

Jon happens upon an important early cruise ship connection after graduating from university and goes to work as a diver on Coco Cay. He travels extensively on and off ships until eventually taking a job as Shore Excursion Manager on the Sovereign of the Seas in 1992 just as Hurricane Andrew hits Miami. He tells stories about going to Bob Marley's home, #AMTS, has a wild night in Dominica that lead...

Richard leaves France to join the Viking Serenade in 1991. He tells stories about the tough working conditions onboard for a waiter, gets harassed by the Filipino mafia, and decides to jump ship toward the end of his first contract. When he gets back to France he starts working at his dream job on private yachts. He now works as a purser on ferries and has his own podcast passing on information yo...

We welcome the first Printer Purser and first Filipino guest. Auggie has to leave his wife and 1 year old child to join ships in 1987 and goes on to serve 32 years with Royal Caribbean. He takes us through the duties of a printer, tells stories about the worst time on The Jewel of the Seas, curses at Al Martin, gets caught smoking in the print room, has a major printing disaster while President Ca...

The first Security Officer on the show, John transitions from the Royal Navy to cruise ships and joins the Seabourn Spirit in 1990.  Soon after he gets a contract with Royal Caribbean on the Sovereign of the Seas.  He tells stories about the fire in the show lounge, a couple of very stupid smugglers, the boxes of drugs welded to the hull of the Majesty,  the Snoopy Group robbery, solves a telephon...

After a short stint as a flight attendant, Jennifer joins the Nordic Empress in 1990 and then does seven more years with Royal Caribbean. She tells the story of her first day onboard, bringing out the Legend of the Seas, has a crazy night and morning in Venice, the Shanghai Zoo, the Century Club, wins the Limbo contest on a booze cruise but didn't know it until later, the engine room, gets a writt...

Tom leaves Dallas in 1992 and goes to San Juan to join the Carnival Festival. He tells stories about a booze-cruise on The Bajan Queen, the male lingerie contest, "Phil the-pretty-good", Cones-Coning-Coner, the dating game, boat drills, Purser's Disease, the Passenger Talent Show, Hurricane Andrew, and meeting his wife onboard.

Alex was working for Euro-Disney in Paris when he gets a job with Royal Caribbean on the Majesty of the Seas in 1994 with Brad and Eric. He recalls the dead body in Coco Cay, tells a story about kidnapping a teddy bear, being kidnapped himself, dealing with difficult passengers, romantic encounters, streaking deck 7, Christmas in the disco, more fake utility bills, the Majesty's major list, ski-ju...

Valerie moves from Chicago to Florida and takes a cruise on the Norwegian Pearl where she meets an American photographer who gives her a tip on how to get a job on a cruise ship. She gets a job in 2017 with Park West Gallery and joins the Grand Princess in San Francisco.  She gets a tattoo in Hawaii, has a run-in with security involving a wheelchair on The Independence of the Seas, the Nina incide...

Neil leaves Brooklyn for Florida and eventually gets a job on the Majesty with Royal Caribbean in 1997. He tells us about life onboard as a stage staff, doing things while drinking, a shore excursion in Jamaica, scuba diving in Cozumel, jet skis and Frankie Valli, and a disco night leads to a new life.     

Originally from Ireland, Harry joins Royal Caribbean in 1980 as a waiter on the Song of Norway.  then goes to Dolphin as Operations Manager, then Premier/Cape Canaveral Cruise Line, Regency, and American Adventure. Harry tells stories about a wine run to Gibraltar, a lost money bag, another purser heist, the love life of a waiter, the repurposed lobster, a scary night, a "Bond" style #AMTS , and a...

Claudia goes from Mexico City to London to visit a cousin and meets a French girl who is trying to work on cruise ships. She goes with her to the interview and unexpectedly gets hired to work as a cruise staff on the Nordic Empress around 1992. She tells us stories of her six years onboard about a blender, Stevie B! kidnapping her teddy bear, a Tabasco sauce bottle pinata, inheriting a pet hamster...

Born and raised in the great sea-faring nation of Zimbabwe, Moss goes to South Africa and ends up as a musician on ships. On his first ship, the Astor, he's in a huge storm in 1989. But already bitten by the "cruise bug" he continues to work on ships.  And then Moss tells the incredible story of how the Oceanos sank in 1991, and how he helped save all the passengers onboard. #Oceanos #SilverSea #h...

Pedar comes out of "TV School" in 1996 and joins The Majesty of the Seas as a stage staff and immediately moves into a video tech position. He goes to Celebrity on the Galaxy for a long contract and then on to the new R-ships with Renaissance. He tells us about meeting his wife onboard, a hard partying sound tech, the video walls, the Acapulco overnights, the joys of the crew bar, some bar in Stoc...

Paul takes his dog for a walk in 1976 and it directly results in him joining cruise ships as a casino cashier.  He works for Atlanta Associates onboard for 9 years before trying a short stint as a teacher but can't shake the ship bug. He goes back to ships in 1984 with RCCL as cruise staff and port lecturer and works his way to Cruise Director. He tells some some great stories from his new book. "...