DeckTales Podcast

A little something different today, as my guest Peter Knego is the first person on DeckTales who has NOT worked on ships.His enthusiasm for them however, has basically meant he's spent more time on ships over the years than some of my previous guests.Peter fell in love with the old ocean liners when he was young, and his obsession for them only grew over time.He was blogging about them before the word was invented, then he progressed into vlogging, where he started a YouTube channel which can be found at Peter Knego's MidShipCinema - YouTube, and a website for people who love old ships as much as he does, where the fixings and furnishings he salvaged from Indian scrapyards are up for sale.https://www.midshipcentury.comEnjoy!

Steve and I worked on a Carnival ship together back in the day, albeit different departments.He wished to remain anonymous for his own reasons, and so used a pseudonym and an on screen avatar for the duration of the call.This is a choice afforded to any guest who comes on the podcast, and if there are people still in the industry who would like to share some stories, then I strongly recommend you copy Steve's example. We caught up with one another over the things we remembered, the things we'd forgotten, and the things better left forgotten. Steve initially worked in the teens club onboard as a host, before he transitioned into a completely different role, where he drilled company policy into new and returning crew, by becoming a corporate trainer. Have a listen to hear some of his highs and lows from a period spanning about three years in total.Enjoy!

Allegra and I worked on the same ship over 15 years ago, and not having seen or spoken with her since like so many of my former colleagues, it was amazing to see and speak with her after so much time. She worked as a solo singer and musician, onboard a ship that many crew members have dubbed as being one of the rowdiest contracts on the seven seas. The Carnival Paradise which at that time ran a 3 day booze cruise from Long Beach C.A to Catalina, and Ensenada, Mexico.She informed me that was her one and only ship contract, how she found herself on board in the first place, why she never did another, what she's up to now and loads more.You can support her incredible talent at some of the following links.Enjoy!HOME | Allegra DuChaineHOME | My SiteAllegra DuChaine - YouTubeAllegra DuChaine (@allegraduchaine) • Instagram photos and videosAllegra Duchaine | Spotify

Andy was such a wonderful guest from start to finish, and was referred to me by previous guest on the show Mark Tiffin. He was on ships for around 8 years, and most of that time he worked as an entertainment host, but he transitioned into a cruise director for a brief spell, before eventually becoming a fly on guest performer.He is a talented vocalist and pianist, and consistently shoved two thousand dollars worth of entertainment down guests throats (his words not mine) in the form of an Elton John tribute act.During this episode Andy discussed his own personal highs and lows, how he made it though covid times being stuck onboard, how some of the crew really struggled with their mental health during that time, the various charter cruises he worked on, and loads more.Enjoy!

Sean reached out to me and offered himself up as a guest on the show, and as he pitched himself as having potentially one of the best jobs onboard ever, it's fair to say he piqued my interest.He worked for around 3 years on cruise ships within the broadcasting department, and as he didn't really have to do all that much work he was free to go on a fair amount of excursions which he shared with me in plenty of detail.He gave me insights into some of the particulars of his job, how a guest narrowly avoided dying on an excursion, what the captain discreetly needed him for and much more.Enjoy!

Loki was someone I personally reached out to and pestered to be on the show for some time. When I finally convinced him to be a guest after a couple months of persistence, I caught up with him while he was in the Caribbean awaiting his next ship to arrive.He is a man of many talents, primarily going from ship to ship as a fly on guest entertainer, goes by either Loki or Manuel Martinez, and his on stage persona for at least one of those pseudonyms hails from Cuba, (I'll let you figure out which one). We spoke about all things magic, cultural stereotypes, and a brief history of time...kind of.He has also established the magic of ministry agency. Which helps book talent on different types of gigs all around the world.Enjoy!

Snejina worked with me on my very first contract back in 2006, and she herself did about 8 years in the industry, completing her first year as a cabin steward, and the rest she worked within the various shops onboard.I had so much fun reminiscing with Snejina, and she had some really unique, interesting insights and stories from her time spent at sea over the years.She told me how she coped her whole career with severe sea sickness, a storm so bad she was walking on the walls, what horrors she uncovered in peoples cabins, the kinds of stupid questions she got from passengers and more.Enjoy!

Today I spoke with a former colleague who wished to remain anonymous, and so said just to refer to him as Tommy. All I can say is that we worked together on a Carnival Booze cruise back in 2010, and he did 10 months working as a guest services officer which was his one and only contract.Tommy told me about the training he received prior to going onboard, crazy types of guests he encountered during that contract, (which is ultimately why it was the only one he did), heart attack at sea, drug smugglers onboard, being detained at the air for being a suspected smuggler himself, and much more.Was great to catch up with another former shipmate after so many years.Enjoy!

In my attempts to connect with the broader podcasting network of creatives out there, I signed up to a conference call on meetup.com with a bunch of people all with their own shows.Among them, was none other than Mr Ant McGinley, a gentlemen who was good enough to come on the show, and share his own ship journey from over the years.He did just under 3 years with P&O, and a couple stints with Hurtigruten and Voyager. Ant told me the hilarious story of how he first got himself onboard, what tactics he employed to mentally overcome belligerent and foolish guests, he mentioned an occasion involving a teddy bear stuffed full of drugs and loads more.He has his own show called Wrestling with the Champ which can be found here Home https://wrestlingwiththechamp.com. Plus he is half the brains behind Podomedy, the podcast comedy network. Helping funny podcasters save time and money, which can be found here Podcast Comedy Network - Funny Podcasts Enjoy!