Girls Night In

Girl’s Night In

11^th February 2011

It’s turn around day today. The start of a new cruise and I finally get to lose my “Earning My Ears” ribbon.

After 4.5 hours sleep I had to attend immigration at 05.45 at the Walt Disney Theatre for my I-95. The I-95 is a small slip of paper stamped by U.S. Immigration and allowed me access to U.S. owned ports such as Port Canaveral, St. Maarten, Key West etc. Without it, you simply have to stay on the ship. Needless to say, after immigration I went straight back to bed but, sod’s law, I couldn’t sleep until 1 hour before I had to get up and get ready for work.

Maryna has been signed off work with G.I. – another one bites the dust! Left on embarkation was Mark, Bjanca and myself. Embarkation on Disney Magic doesn’t last as long as it did on Mariner of the Seas, probably because there’s a lot less guests. 98% wanted their photos taken. I think I took about 300 images. Here on Disney things are quite slow paced because of the children, whereas on Royal Caribbean we used to rush everyone through as quickly as possible to get the counts up.

Speaking to Bjanca (Croatia) during a break we spoke about the things we wanted to do during our contracts. There’s not a huge amount to do in the Caribbean apart from go to the beach and let’s be honest, that can get a bit boring sometimes. We wanted some excitement! This cruise is the Eastern Caribbean cruise so we’ll be docking at St. Maarten. If we have enough time to get off the ship, we are planning on heading to Airport Beach to go Jet Blasting. If you don’t know what it is, it’s when you get blasted by aeroplane jets! Look it up on Youtube.com and you’ll see a number of videos on the subject.

After embarkation I had a three hour break. First thing was first, persuading myself to get to the gym, which I finally did. I was the only one in there, so I stuck my headphones in my ears and started running. I only did 45 minutes in the gym, but it’s a start. My main worry is pulling a muscle and then having to lift/pull/drag heavy loads at work. The studio light bags weigh a ton and have to be dragged half way across the ship! Broken wheels on the bags doesn't help either! Anyway, I’ll be going again tomorrow so hopefully I’ll be able to spend a bit longer in the gym.

Back at the cabin I tried calling the parents but without success. I’m getting a bit worried now as they haven’t been picking up the phone for two days. I hope Mama hasn’t been admitted into hospital again.

Today I was shooting three sessions of character, Sailor Mickey Mouse and Goofy. The first session was pretty slow, the second picked up and the third was dead until the last 10 minutes. We ended up staying an extra 15 minutes as we got so busy. In total I took about 400 images but missed my target by 50-100 shots. It wasn’t bad and if the people aren’t around, what can you do? Nothing.

During one of my breaks, I left my camera hidden in a corner of my studio, hidden behind a pelican case. While at dinner Carolee told me Dave the BM was looking for me. When she said why, I darted down from deck 9 to deck 3. Dave was nowhere to be seen and my camera was still there but this time on show. For someone who was so annoyed at me for leaving my camera out, although hidden, he’d left it there. Also, why uncover it when it was perfectly hidden? It didn’t make sense to me. Picking up the camera I walked down to the lab to see if Dave was about. Better get the bollocking over with, I thought. Again, he was nowhere to be seen.

After the second session in the studio, I was scheduled for the lab. Dave was in there but didn’t say a word to me, not even a hi. While putting sleeves into DVD cases, he told Bjanca and I that he was having problems opening his Yahoo! Account. When I tried to help him, he started speaking to me and after that was fine, as if nothing had previously happened.

Aniko came running into the lab with some news for us. Whitney Houston has died at the age of 48. Looking shocked, Bjanca and I didn’t believe her. Apparently it’s all over the news, Whitney Houston apparently collapsed yesterday and died today? The first thing that popped into my mind was a drug overdose but Aniko said nothing’s been confirmed or denied. What a shock though. As usual, we are always the last to find these things out while on ship. Once again, we are all in a little bubble. A different world from the one on land.

During my last session Kate came over to speak to me. I was feeling a little down as I couldn’t get hold of the parents. The more I thought about it, the more worried I got. Even though I was trying to focus on my job, it was hard to concentrate, especially as we have two sea days before reaching St. Maarten; so if anything had happened there’s be no way of getting a flight home until 14^th February. Kate told me to come down to her cabin after the team meeting and we’d have a few drinks and a chat.

The meeting went quickly, it was mainly about a couple of bad comments we’d had during the previous cruise. One was “I asked a photographer for help and she walked straight past me and ignored me.” Really? Before you ask, it wasn’t me! The only reply we had for that one was that the photographer may not have actually heard the guest, especially if it was during the last day when Shutters was packed to the rafters. I asked for the good comments which we’ll have within a couple of days.

I’m still not sure if I’ve been paid or Image have taken the money to pay for my flight. Come to think of it, I don’t even know how much I’ve earned!

A couple of hours down in Kate and Claire’s cabin was a giggle. Claire was trying to highlight Kate’s hair. When we told Claire the news about Whitney Houston, she didn’t believe us and generally thought it was a prank. Someone’s obviously got a sick mind! We had to log onto the internet and show her a news article stating Whitney Houston had died. Claire was absolutely gobsmacked but didn’t reduce to tears like she's anticipated! All in all, it was a good night to end a crap day!

Sailor Minnie and Mickey Mouse

Sailor/Captain Mickey Mouse

Goofy

Aye Aye Sailor - Again

Aye Aye Sailor!

31^st July 2011

Aye Aye Sailor! That’s right I was scheduled to dress up as the sailor for gangway today in Cannes. Unlike last week I actually made it to the gangway! It was the first time I’d travelled to a port by tender (the port is too small for the size of our ship).

The overall gangway was much different from what I’ve experienced at previous ports. Usually people are constantly coming in and out of the ship, even if they are trickling through. Today is was a mad rush when the tenders arrived and then we’d stand around for 5-10 minutes with nothing to do. 

The attitude of the guests also seemed different. Getting people to stop for their photo was much harder than usual. Once we got into a routine, I was literally just holding one arm out to stop the other guests to walk into the photo. My other hand was held to my head saluting, looking straight at the camera with a smile plastered on my face. 

Once one person said no, everyone would and a stampede would start. The guests would be pushing and shoving to get off the gangway. Sandra (shooter) and I would have to smudge our arses off and I was even blocking people, standing in their way or holding my arm out. 

Normally we have to let crew go passed, unless they want their photo taken. Today, it was different. We had to grab the crew for a photo, whether it was to keep the queue going with the guests in line and following suit or to start things off again. Some guests were trying to get around us which at one point caused a stampede and Sandra and I struggled to get everything back under control. 

One member from Laundry came along and was about to walk past. Grabbing him I managed to quickly whisper an apology, but I had to get everyone or else the guests would make a run for it. He laughed and didn’t mind, so the other members of laundry join in with the fun and got their photos taken. As a small token for helping us on gangway and cleaning our costumes - for free and some times at short notice - I took gave them their prints later in the day.

Our target was 600 images but we didn’t reach it. Instead we got exactly 500 images. In fact, none of us hit our targets but we had a good go at it and most of us got near. However, getting near your target  isn’t always good enough. I suppose it could have been worse!

While working gangway our new hire arrived. We nearly have a full team! Leandro Kenji Sato. He’s originally from Brazil (half Japanese) and attended training with Camila in Miami so she’s over the moon that he’s joining our team on the Mariner. He’s also from the same part of Brazil as Luci. For a couple of days until Luci leaves there’ll be four Brazilians on the team. What we really of need are more Italian speakers, although Hernan’s soaking up the lingo like a sponge!

As soon as we were back on the ship we headed up for something to eat. We were starving. Sandra and I bumped into Hernan, Zoran and David who were going to the beach. They gave us rough directions to the beach they were going to and included the unnecessary detail saying it's “saggy tits heaven!” Not what we wanted to hear that before eating! The lads have a great time sitting on the beach looking at the sea of boobs and a royal laugh at the saggy pairs getting dragged across the sand!

After eating we quickly got changed and met in the photographer’s corridor. Sandra and I managed to jump on a tender just before it left. 

This was the first time I’ve been able to have a look around Cannes. Walking along the seafront we kept our eyes open for the guys but couldn’t find them anywhere. The place was packed. We walked along some more, had a nose around the small shops selling everything from spade and buckets to souvenirs. In the end we gave up looking for the lads and decided to park our bums on a quieter but still jam packed beach.

Everyone was shattered from the late nights and early starts so it felt great to be able to lay out in the sun and do absolutely nothing. Sandra and I had a good natter about pretty much everything. She told me a lot of Columbia and what she’d been doing before she came to the ship. 

Sandra wants to have fun, learn, experience things, become more open minded, and see different cultures. In short, most of her friends have kids now (she’s 26) and she wants to enjoy her life before any of that. She wants to go places and meet people before having to settle down somewhere. Opening her own business is also on her list of things to do. 

To talk to someone who is so much like you is like a breath of fresh air. Most of the people I (I'm 24 years old) went to school with have a kid, some even have two or more. Very few people I know want to get out and do something with their lives. They are quite happy slogging away at a dead end supermarket job, roped in by the endless, fruitless possibilities of being management one day. Most of them seem happy about knowing only what was in their back garden. Sandra and I wanted to know what was in everyone’s back garden including our own!

At 16.30 we headed back to the tenders. Crew all abroad was 17.15 while guests were 17.30 so we expected a queue and boy, was it long! While queuing saw signs advertising buses going non-stop to Monte Carlo. I was going to pop in and check the prices but it was closed. I’m determined to get there no matter how much it costs!

We bumped into Fabio on the tender. Well, it’s probably better said that he bumped into us… completely plastered. While tendering back to the ship Fabio had fallen asleep and kept slowly leaning to one side. On a couple of occasions we thought he was going to fall off the bench he was sitting on.

It wasn’t long until we had to change into our evening wear and get to work. We’ve all been rotating between gallery and studios. My first stint was in the gallery before taking over Leandro on our new backdrop “Beach”. It’s actually a really nice backdrop with a Cannes feel rather than a Caribbean. Zoran was on LSP. 

Looking around I saw someone acting strangely on the spiral stairs which twist themselves around the Centrums. The penny dropped… it was Brand Quality sniffing around. Coming to the bottom of the stairs, he stood around watching me. I smiled and nodded (he was too far to say anything to). I was hoping he didn’t look at the bottom of my trousers as they were as creased as tin foil. Maybe I should pay someone in Laundry to iron my clothes? After burning a triangle in one pair of trousers, I'm refusing to iron!

Brand Quality walked half way down the other set of stairs and was watching me from there, as if I couldn’t see him. It’s like Big Brother spying on you! Having someone watching you, waiting for you to cock up was so uncomfortable. 

Just as the was going down the remaining stairs, I disconnected my camera and ran to bridge walk way that separates where my studio and the centrums. I could see Zoran wandering aimlessly on Deck 3. Quickly calling him, I managed to signal that Brand Quality was on his way down. Zoran quickly connected his camera to the pentab and straightened his uniform out. What a load of palava!

Sailor Lou on Cannes Gangway, France

On the Red Carpet at Cannes, France

The Laundry Guys

Edi (Laundry)

I Don't Believe It!

I Don’t Believe It!

24^th July 2011

Another night of four hours sleep and the bags under my eyes are starting to look like huge sacks! This goes for pretty much everyone. As much as I love gangway, I like my sleep… and that means a little more than 4 hours. 

Climbing into the sailor’s costume, I grabbed David’s sailor’s hat. The guests could wear it, if not, I’d stick it onto my head. With my hair tied up and Aviator sun glasses on, Fede, Sandra and I were all ready for gangway.

The ship is too large for the port so we had to use tender boats to get into Cannes. I’d never experienced tendering. Apparently we were supposed to get onto the same boat as security but they left at 6.30!! It would have allowed us to prepare for the guests to come on the next boat. 

At 6.45 we were on the tender and waiting for the guests to get loaded on. Security popped onto the tender to tell us we needed to get to the other boat as it’d be leaving sooner. 

Running around to the other tender hub, I punched my card in. All of a sudden I was surrounded by security and officers. “Sorry Lou, you’re port manning”. WHAT!? I told them I was working on the gangway. The new M&R manager, Marie, came over and told me I was port manning and therefore wouldn’t be getting off the ship to work on gangway. She told us Jomar should’ve informed us that I was port-manning. Simultaneously we all turned and replied “Jomar doesn’t tell us anything”. Marie didn’t look too impressed.

Looking at me she informed me the tender boat would be leaving in 5 minutes and I’d better go find someone to wear my costume. Just as I was about to leave she called me back. I had a can of coke in my hand. “Next time I see you with a can of drink in your hand you’ll receive a warning. The I-95 is a guest area”. Since when has the I-95 a guest area?? It’s the main strip that crew use which runs from one end of the ship to the other. I didn’t have pockets so couldn’t put the can anywhere else. If I did have pockets, I wouldn’t have put my can inside… my pants would fallen down!!

Ringing Jomar, he had a go about me walking around with a can of coke. What the hell? I heard myself repeating Victor Meldrew’s infamous quote: I don’t believe it!! 

Jomar told me to tell Hernan he’d be taking me place as sailor. He was already working as the sailor from 9 to 11.30 and I didn’t fancy waking him up and giving him five minutes to get ready and onto the tender. “He’s asleep?” What a question! You went to bed at 2am. It’s now 7am and you don’t have work until 9am. Wouldn’t you be asleep? Common sense is obviously lacking! 

In the end after much confusion Jomar told me to let Fede he’d be free shooting alongside Sandra. Running back to the tender station, the boat had already left. Sanela who was supposed to be shooting the rail was nowhere to be seen. Late as usual.

Jumping back into bed for a couple of hours, I slept until 9.30. Getting my laptop I sat on Back Deck for a bit typing away. At least I had a few hours to update my blog. In fact, I had more than a few hours. I wasn’t scheduled to work until 6pm. 

A couple of hours later Camila and Luci came onto Back Deck to get me. Popping up to the Staff Mess we had something to eat before sitting out on the deck for a  while. 

Camila couldn’t go out as she was not fit for duty. Her hand is swollen like a balloon and the doctor’s don’t know why. Luci wanted to go out but had a lot of work plus she didn’t want to leave us on board. 

Watching the world go past, I was so upset I couldn’t get off the ship. This was the one port I was desperate to see! Talking to Eve, she said Monte Carlo was an hour away by train. It didn’t make me feel any better! 

The sea in Cannes is like a yacht’s motorway. It was so busy. Some of the private yachts going past were unbelievably impressive… and half the size of our ship! We were all shopping for our future yachts for when we marry an old, overly rich man. You didn’t think we’d be on the lookout for Prince Charming did you? 

The day was lovely and sooner than later, the only ones who were on the ship were those who were port manning. I wasn’t the only one saying “I Don’t Believe It!!!”

Rather than spend most of my time pulling my hair out, bored out of my box, I decided to make the most of my time… by sleeping. To add insult to injury, it was formal night. The first formal night so we were predicting it’d be busy.

Once again, I was on Titanic. If it’s not Bow, it’s Titanic. Still the new hires are getting the good back drops or Centrums where most of their photos are coming out completely out of focus. It didn’t make sense but I guess that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

During the evening, Hernan told me Lee’s parents were on the gangway to see us all. They asked where I was. I don’t believe it!!! Lee’s parents who were guests on the ship when I first joined (and were absolutely fantastic) were on the gangway and I didn’t get a chance to see them. That kind of upset me. It’d have been great to see them. Maybe next time? I hoped so!

We were finally on our way to our next port, Corsica (France). Maybe Jomar will give me Cannes off? I’m owed two days off due to good comments. That way I’d have plenty of time to get out, jump on the train to Monte Carlo and snap away! I can’t wait!

That’s not the only thing we have planned. People were parasailing and nearby was a small island where the properties are apparently enormous and completely out of this world. For 50 euros you can be taken to the island and go scuba diving for 3 hours. Some of the guys are planning to go scuba diving next time. While they are at the bottom of the sea, Hernan and I will be high in the sky parasailing! 

Bring on the good times!

Aye Aye Sailor

Aye Aye Sailor!

2^nd June 2011

Don’t be silly… of course I wasn’t dressing up as the Sailor after what happened last time! It was my turn to shoot Jeni, dressed as the Sailor. We arrived in Chania, Crete (Greece) later in the morning so it was a relatively late gangway compared to most. Stu was already out on gangway shooting Fabio who was also dressed as a sailor.

The morning hadn’t got off to a great start, I fell out of my top bunk! It wasn’t so much of a fall but it was! Jeni rang me early to ask if I had to costume as a pair of pants were missing. In the end they were in Hernan’s cabin. Getting a call completely disorientated me and I stepped off my bed expecting to put my feet on the floor, instead I went into a quick free fall. One foot hit the chair while the other crashed towards the ground. Even though the chair broke my fall, I felt the muscle pull non too gently in my leg. Telling everyone on gangway what had happened provided a laugh.

Fabio and Stu were going back on the ship, they’d got 200 images. All aboard was at 13.30 (13.00 for crew) so everyone would be leaving the ship early to make the most of the time in Chania. Stu said to get 200 images and then check how many were left on board. We got cracking and the numbers soon started racking up. Our target was 200 images each. Within an hour and 15 minutes we had our 200 images. We couldn’t go in too early as we were supposed to be on gangway until 11. For 15 minutes we continued taking photos and got to 220. 

The port went dead. Security told us there were only 280 guests on board so we called it quits. We’d reached out target and passed it. There were only 30 minutes left so we went back on board and called Ritesh who gave us permission to end shooting. Result!

We headed up to the Crew Mess, which is more like a zoo, for something to eat before heading for a nap. Luci was out on tour so I had the cabin to myself. I love having the cabin to myself. I can put my music on, dance around, make as much noise as I like and even walk around naked if the fancy ever took me (not that it ever does). 

After sorting out my music and camera equipment, I left the door open ajar (which Luci hates) and jumped into bed for a nap – this time reminding myself I’m sleeping on the top bunk rather than being at home. For some reason I feel more comfortable leaving the door open ajar or all the way. The others drop in, sometimes just to say hi, and you feel less confined in your cell.

As soon as Luci comes in, she’ll shut the door. She wants the privacy without people passing by. Each to their own.

At 13.00 we had training in the office with Reuben. We had a test which “wasn’t a test, it’s just to find out what you guys know”. So it was a test. Later Reuben spoke to us about selling and techniques. Not only did I find interesting but helpful. Patricia and my Dad had told me the same when selling houses, just act as if you don’t care to a certain degree. Don’t look overly keen. Be interested in the guests but don’t look as if you are desperate for a sale.

Set up didn’t go to plan. My brain went to mush, I was so tired. Fabio and Fede were setting up my studio on Deck 5 while I was down on 3 with Stu. I made a few cock ups and Stu was rapidly losing patience, not that he had any to begin with. He’d gone for a snooze and woke up in a bad mood. 

When I turned off the power pack I forgot to release the power which is a must. Normally I do it automatically, today for some reason I didn’t. Stu came down on me – yet again. Telling him to get off my case didn’t go down to well and I got another Stuart lecture. “How long have you been here for Lou? You should know what to do by now.” He then turned to the others and asked if he was being unfair. No one answered. Too annoyed for words I told him where to go (not the best thing to do) and headed off to the lab to collect the camera bags. 

When I got back, Stu just looked at me as if waiting for me to say something or an apology. It didn’t come. I dropped everything off and headed passed him and back to my cabin. Again, it feels like I can’t get anything right. I’m tired and everything is just mounted on top of me and everyone else. Luci was asleep so I jumped into the shower and there were more than a few tears. I couldn’t help it.

Now I’m on Back Deck typing away, having down time and clearing my head before work at 17.15. I’m shooting the black background for the first time so I can’t afford to make a mistake. I want to get some great shots! To be able to do that, I need to calm it and sort myself out.

I’m finishing at 22.30 tonight so I’ll probably be heading straight to bed for an early night and possibly call Becks to see how she’s getting on depending on the time difference. I need it… We all do! What’s worse is we aren’t going to get a night off until Istanbul which is still about 15 days away. We didn’t have time to get off the ship today, tomorrow is a sea day, last day of the cruise so it’s going to be manic and then straight onto embarkation the following day. We won’t get any time off on shore for the next  3 days. 

Normally you don’t get days off so Istanbul is a little special for us as we get the night and morning off if we get the image count. At the moment we are working ourselves ragged to get the impossibly high targets that Image have sent us. 

Roll on Istanbul!

Down Time... Finally!

Down Time… Finally!

30^th May 2011

These past couple of days have merged into one. Since embarkation, eight days ago, we have been on the go, working pretty much nonstop. Getting down time is hard at the moment, again, not just for me, but for everyone. Tempers have been flaring at little but it’s to be expected. As this is the first proper chance to sit down and type, I’m just going to type a review of the past few days, rather than a new entry for every single day. I can’t even remember what I did on certain days – it’s crazy!

Naples was obviously great, as usual. I went out with Luci for something to eat – pizza, pasta and cheese of course! Every time we are heading to Naples we fast, practically starving ourselves. When we arrive, we binge on pizza, pasta and cheese. What else would you do in Naples? Luci showed me another place that she goes to and I have to admit, the food was better than the regular place we go to.

Beforehand I had gangway. Reuben is letting me dress up in the costumes more and more – I love it! The shooter and I always get great counts which is a bonus. This time, I was a sailor. 

Rolling out of bed at 6 was hard, I was shattered and hadn’t been sleeping well. Things have been getting to me and everything is mounting up and getting on top of me. I need to do something about it, relax a little. Easier said than done.

Anyway, the outfit was pretty ridiculous. It was way too bit for me and Hernan’s hat was slipping off my head. Taking the hat off, Stu later came over and told me what I looked like – an idiot. Thanks!

During my 15 minute break I tied my hair up and put my sunglasses on before heading out for my last stint. Stu’s outfit was by far the best – Italian pizza chef. He even had a silver platter with a photograph of a pizza selotaped to his hand. He certainly looked the part which was more than what could be said for me! Anyway, Fabio and Stu were teamed up and David was shooting me. Altogether we got a good image count.

Pizza Chef - Naples, Italy

Cousin IT Sailor - Naples, Italy

Naples Sailor with my favourite Canadian guest, Daniel

 After lunch with Luci we did a bit of shopping and had a mooch around the shops. I needed to get a pair of sandals/flip flops for Athens gangway in case I'm the Greek Goddess again. I managed to find a lovely Greek style pair of sandals for 15 euros. I could wear them with anything – result. Luci also found a large, golden wrist clamp bracelet for 6 euros. Well, that's the Greek Goddess props sorted.

Just before heading off to use the internet I saw Fabio and David. Luci went off to use the internet near the port while I stayed with the lads for a beer. All in all, it was a great day – it’s days like this, that I love my job!

Fabio, Naples (Italy)

The Dave

Beeeeeeeeer!

On the third day of the cruise we had our first formal night which went pretty smoothly. My manager gave me two different studios to shoot in, the first two sessions were on a backdrop. The final stint was up on one of the centrums on Deck 5. I love the promenade centrum. The photos look absolutely fantastic – I wish I could post some on here for everyone to see. Shooting Ressi didn’t go as bad as usual, I got a much higher count than normal so it’s a sign I’m improving.

Here come the Greeks! Athens gangway was a royal laugh!! Stu was the Greek God and teamed up again with Fabio. I was the Greek Goddess and teamed up with Luci. Luci had to keep popping off for training so Paco, the AMS, would stand in for her.

We were just cracking jokes and having a laugh the entire time on gangway. I was first on gangway and getting most of the shots. Stu then changed with me so he was first but it didn’t have the same effect. Stu put me first in line saying “it’s the tits – people are stopping to have their photo taken because you’re a girl”. Basically as I was a girl, the guys were coming over for their photo and the girlfriends and wives were sometimes reluctantly joining them. After they’d stopped to have their photo with me, it was easy to smudge them onto Stu and Fabio. In all fairness, although we didn’t hit the almost impossible target, we got approximately 900 shots. We nailed it!!

Everything in general was improving and I was feeling better about myself. Everyone on the team noticed there was a chance and that I was generally happier. 

My BM certainly noticed the change as he pulled me into the office later on that night. As I was in a better “state of mind” he felt he could talk to me and ask what was up. To be fair, he didn’t get much of a reply. I didn’t want to talk about any of it.

Anyway, I’d had two bad comments – not one, but two! One came from the Naples gangway where I was dressed up as a Sailor. Apparently, the lady who complained (an American) didn’t want her photo taken with me as I looked too tired, shattered. She also said my outfit was way too big and swamped me leaving her confused as to what I was supposed to be dressed up as. Someone dressed in white, standing next to a ship, saluting – what could I have been dressed up as? 

The second bad comment said “Louise the English photographer was very rude and unhelpful”. Who the guest was, or the occasion, no one knows. I was left, not only baffled but almost let down. I hadn’t been rude to anyone. The main problem I have is that most Americans do not (strangely enough) understand my accent or my sense of humour. Although I try not to be sarcastic like I am to the English, I do try to have a joke with them when they are in the studio. It stops the guests from being ridged and feeling uncomfortable. So that could have been the case. 

Another could have been, sometimes people try and walk through my studio when I’m taking portraits. It’s incredibly annoying but I do ask people to walk around the studio, some people do not like this at all. 

The last thing I can think of which is when I’m in the gallery. Guests cut the line and pretty much tell me to serve them while I’m serving someone else (and there’s an obvious queue behind them). I point out the queue and say “I’ll be with you in a few minutes but there is a queue and I’m currently helping this guest”. To me, it’s not rude but the manager said that certain people would see it as rude because I’m not putting them first. What am I supposed to do? 

Anyway, Reuben told me to buck my ideas up and that I’m doing a good job. All I needed to do was carry on working hard, improving and “not fuck up”. That was the advice I was given. Reuben said he didn’t want to say anything during the last cruise as I’d been down in case it affected me or my work in any way.

Kusadasi was the next stop. During the morning I was on tour at Ephesus. It was a lot shorter than the previous but I was still dreading it. Having said that, although there were problems, it went much better than expected.

The tour guide told me to stay at the back of the group and keep everyone together. I explained that I’d do my best to keep everyone together but my main job was to take photographs of the guests as I’m the ship’s photographer. His reply: “just stay at the back”.

A little while later one of the Ephesus “photographers” came over. I say “photographers” because they are simply given a camera, not knowing how to use it and take over exposed or ever completely burnt photos which they try to flog at the end of the tour – somehow they managed to sell a few.

The tour guide introduced him to the goup. “This is our photographer so if you guys want a photo, this is who you come to”. I wasn’t best pleased. I got a couple to stand together for a photo and the bugger stood beside me and took the picture. The couple then walked off. I’d missed my shot – I was shocked he did it but then why should have I expected anything else? They were like pappazzi! He did it again, but this time he got in the way of my shot, partially blocking me. That was it! I was pissed! 

Leaving my group and went and stood by the library. There were three groups coming from our ship so I stood and waited. When they arrived I started smudging quietly and getting the shots. The “photographer” didn’t look too impressed. Good!

Ephesus Library

Later on he was taking a photo of someone, I don’t even think they were from our ship but I walked straight in front of him, and pressed the shutter release button. Whether the photo came out with the correct exposure, I didn’t know or care. He looked at me with a face of thunder – now he knew how it felt and how annoying it was. I did my “cute smile” as Luci calls it: a little closed smile where I tilt my head to the side slightly, before walking off. Needless to say I didn’t have any further problems there. 

I carried on walking to the areas which caused the most interested and simply waited to pounce. A lot of people said no, but I did get lot of good shots.

Once back at the ship I explained what happened. Ritesh also went on the same tour and only came back with 6 shots. I came back with 45 – although it’s not great, we normally have a tough time on tours, especially Ephesus who have their own photographers. It was great poking fun at the AMP for getting less shots than a P1. His excuses were so lame, you couldn't help but see the funny side  – including the AMP.