--RETROSPECTIVE-1: The Last 5 Years--

Looking back over the last 5 years I still can't imagine why I didn't start this online journal earlier. I've always been keen to keep track of my adventures via photographs and I love to share my stories with others.

In fact it's been an intention of mine to create a scrapbook of my cruise ship memories for a while now. I suppose I kept reminding myself that it could wait since I would always have my photographs. But in reality, the memory of things will fade over time and little details are forgotten. Perhaps in the future I'll be able to read over this journal and remind myself things about about my travels that have slipped my mind.

I suppose the main reason I kept putting of the organisation of my travel records was because I'm really a master procrastinator. When I force myself to do something it always gets done but I can often be lazy and complacent at times.

I still look back on my time on ships are realise how lucky I am to have been able to do all the things I've done. I've used phrases like

"That was one of the best things I've ever done!" or "That was one of the best days of my life!"

so often that they seem to have lost all meaning. Not matter how exciting my days get I always find a way to surpass them sooner or later. I also don't anticipate that my adventures around the world will abate any time soon. I've got a lot of ideas in my head on what I would like to do for the next couple of years and I'm fortunate enough to have the financial means to do so.

I've been to so many countries in the last 5 years I still can't quite get my head around it. So far I've visited 6 out of 7 continents which I think is still rather satisfying. The list of places I've been is staggering. 60 countries and hundreds of cities, towns and other significant landmarks around the world. There are still other countries I want to visit but I have to admit the list is shrinking! As I said in my introduction, I also want to return to many of the places I have already gone to and this time explore them for longer and more in depth.

In total I've worked on board 8 different cruise ships at the time of writing. Eight ships and three different cruise companies: Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard Line and Princess Cruise Lines. They have all had their pros and cons and have had something that I miss when I'm not working on one.

I still remember how I felt when I was joining my first ship. I had already made my trip down to the American embassy in London to apply for my C1/D visa that would allow me to transit through the US to work on cruise ships. I remember getting my flight details and being told that I was going to New Orleans to join a ship that would be sailing around the Caribbean. Back then the idea of going to the USA was mid blowing for me! Until then I had never left the continent of Europe so the idea of crossing the Atlantic all the way to America seemed quite extraordinary. Nowadays the idea of taking a mere 12 hour journey to the US east coast seems like an insignificant hop across the pond. After all I have been on 2 world cruises (including one entire global circumnavigation) and my flight to join my current ship (Sun Princess) took 22 hours from London to Sydney not counting layover and check-in time!

I still don't allow most of the bad things on cruise ships to get me down despite the fact that more often than not I'll be playing music that I really don't like. For example: if I have to play "Memory" by Andrew Lloyd Webber one more F*!$ing time I'm going to break into him home and vomit all over him. Also if I hear one more cruise director or comedian tell the same toilet joke for the 986,000th time I'll probably die from internal hemorrhaging. But in all seriousness the duration of those things can be measured in minutes and seconds whereas the time I've spent recreating has lasted for hours or even days at a time!

The only thing about working on ships that really gets to me is that I meet lots of people, make friends and then they leave. There is always a chance of running into them on another ship but it's not high. Although it's possible to keep in contact via email it's just not the same as being able to meet as often as you would if they lived nearby. I am very appreciative of the wonderful internet phenomenon that is Facebook though. Through it I've been able to keep in touch with other much more easily.

I think that the most important thing for me to remember is that I've visited more places in the last 5 years that I ever thought I would in my whole life! Although I've only scratched the surface of some of the countries I've been to I've already picked out my favourites and I fully intend to return to many of them. Not only that but this job has given me plenty of spending money and it's given me an head-start in figuring out what to do and where to go when I return to a country I've already visited.

So even after 5 years I'm still mostly positive about this job and about life. Just don't ever play me a recording of anything by Andrew Lloyd Webber or you may end up with a baritone saxophone inserted firmly into your rectal cavity. And baritone saxophones are really really big!

- Dan H



The following list is all the countries I have been to in the last 5 years. I don't really expect anyone to read it through entirely. I just like the fact that it's a long list! Expect it to get much longer though. It's 60 countries as of right now and if you count subdivisions of the USA, Canada and Australia then it comes to 77 (and I think those really do count because Australia, Canada and the US are absolutely friggin' gargantuan countries!)

USA
Hawaii
Alaska
California
Louisiana
New York
Massachusetts
Maine
Rhode Island
Florida
New Jersey

Canada
Newfoundland
Quebec
Nova Scotia
British Colombia

Australia
Queensland
Northern Territory
New South Wales
Victoria
Western Australia
South Australia

United Kingdom (where I was born!)
Jamaica
Cayman Islands
Mexico
Dominica
Barbados
US Virgin Isles
Aruba
Puerto Rico
The Bahamas
Portugal
Spain
France
Belgium
Netherlands
Norway
Denmark
Sweden
Finland
Russia
Estonia
Poland
Germany
Italy
Vatican City
Greece
Malta
Gibraltar
Canary Islands
Egypt
Antigua
St. Kitts
Curacao
Bonaire
St. Vincent
Brazil
Uruguay
Chile
India
United Arab Emirates
New Zealand
Thailand
Malaysia
Singapore
Vietnam
Cambodia
Japan
South Korea
China
Fiji
New Caledonia
French Polynesia
Vanuatu
Tonga
Cook Islands
American Samoa
Western Samoa

And now for the big one! These are all the places I've been in the last 5 years. Either cities/towns or islands (such as in the south pacific where countries are split into several islands). I also count major landmarks such as wonders of the world. Up to 163 so far!

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Cozumel, Mexico
San Diego, California, USA
Acapulco, Mexico
Ixtapa, Mexico
Manzinillo, Mexico
La Paz, Mexico
Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada
Victoria, British Colombia, Canada
Whittier, Alaska, USA
Seward, Alaska, USA
Juneau, Alaska, USA
Ketchikan, Alaska, USA
Skagway, Alaska, USA
Hilo, Hawaii
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii
Kona, Hawaii
Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
San Juan, Puerto Rico
St. Thomas, US Virgin Isles
St. Johns, US Virgin Isles
Bridgetown, Barbados
Roseau, Dominica
Oranjestad, Aruba
Long Beach, California, USA
Puerta Vallarta, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
Princess Cays, Bahamas
Azores, Portugal
Lisbon, Portugal
Vigo, Spain
Le Havre, France
Paris, France
Brussels, Belgium
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Oslo, Norway
Copenhagen, Denmark
Stockholm, Sweden
Helsinki, Finland
St. Petersburg, Russia
Tallin, Estonia
Gdansk, Poland
Gdinya, Poland
Warnermunde, Germany
Hamburg, Germany
Barcelona, Spain
Cannes, France
Florence, Italy
Pisa, Italy
Civitavecchia, Italy
Rome, Italy
Vatican City
Gibraltar
New York, New York, USA
Bayone, New Jersey, USA
Sydney, Canada
Corner Brook, Canada
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Halifax, Canada
St. John, Canada
Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Southampton, England, UK
Dover, England, UK
Mahahual, Mexico
Basseterre, St. Kitts
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Montevideo, Uruguay
Santiago, Chile
San Francisco, California, USA
Cochin, India
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Athens, Greece
Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
Corfu, Greece
Trieste, Italy
Valletta, Malta
Newcastle, England, UK
South Queensferry, Scotland, UK
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Liverpool, England, UK
Zeebrugge, Belgium
Bruges, Belgium
Zakinthos, Greece
Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Naples, Italy
Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
Tenerife, Canary Islands
Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
Malaga, Spain
Alexandria, Egypt
Cairo, Egypt
La Coruna, Spain
st. Johns, Antigua
Willemstad, Curacao
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Kingstown, St. Vincent
Auckland, New Zealand
Sydney, Australia
Brisbane, Australia
Port Douglas, Australia
Whitsundays, Australia
Yorky's Knob, Australia
Cairns, Australia
Darwin, Australia
Broome, Australia
Exmouth, Australia
Fremantle, Australia
Perth, Australia
Bunbury, Australia
Albany, Australia
Adelaide, Australia
Melbourne, Australia
Burnie, Australia
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Cooktown, Australia
Townsville, Australia
Geraldton, Australia
The Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Lam Cheabang, Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand
Ko Samui, Thailand
Malacca, Malaysia
Phuket, Thailand
Langkawi, Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
Singapore
Penang, Malaysia
Port Kelang, Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Osaka, Japan
Kyoto, Japan
Nagasaki, Japan
Pusan, South Korea
Xingang, China
Great Wall of China, China
Shanghai, China
Hong Kong, China
Nha Trang, Vietnam
Suva, Fiji
Dravuni Island, Fiji
Vila, Vanuatu
Lifou, Vanuatu
Noumea, New Caledonia
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Vava'u Tonga
Raratonga, Cook Islands
Raiatea, French Polynesia
Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
Moorea, French Polynesia
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Pago Pago, American Samoa
Apia, Western Samoa
Niuafo'ou, Tonga
Savu Savu, Fiji
Lautoka, Fiji