• The Ships Photographer

Contract 3 - Azura

A 249-day adventure by The Ships Photographer Read more
  • Trip start
    August 31, 2017

    Pearson Airport

    August 31, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Arrived at the airport, said goodbye to my parents and now waiting for my flight. I've never been at the airport before when it's really busy so having to wait in line to get through security and having a hard time finding a seat at Pearson was new. Today was also a little different because at the same terminal I am leaving from, a co-worker of my Dad's and a family friend is arriving back in Canada a couple hours before I leave. So my parents got to go to arrivals and visit with his family well they waited for him to arrive.

    A couple weeks ago I got a text from my Aunt that a package was being put together of Canada pins and flags for me to take with me. I wanted to say a huge thank you to Neil Ellis, MP for Bay of Quinte for all of them. They are packed in my suitcase headed to the UK and I look forward to passing them on during my travels.
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  • Central Bus Station, London

    September 1, 2017 in England ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Survived the very bumpy flight and now waiting at the bus station for my bus to Southampton. I can only sleep on a flight if I have the window seat so that I can lean against the wall. For this flight I was stuck in between two ladies so I was surprised that I at least got 20 minutes of sleep before they brought around the snack of spiced bread. Before that, for dinner was the choice of chicken or pasta. I went for the chicken, which was okay. Now I'm completely exhausted and very excited to get on the bus so I can have a nap. It takes two hours and fifteen to get to Southampton.Read more

  • Ibis Budget Hotel, Southampton

    September 1, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    It's only 1:19 and it's already been a very long day. I managed to sleep for an hour on the bus to Southampton. So I've at least got some sleep in the last 24 hours.

    I walked to the hotel, getting there around 10:30 to see if I can check in early or at least leave my suitcases there. There was no early check in but I got to ditch my suitcases, which felt great. Then it was just trying to fill in three and a half hours until I can check in. I went to McDonalds, got some stuff from Poundland (the uk version or a dollar store) and now I'm sitting outside the hotel with still over half an hour to go before I can check in.

    Once I finally do get into my hotel room all I'm going to do is sleep and relax until leave tomorrow to join the ship at 9am.
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  • First Day

    September 2, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Survived my first day. Ended up getting thrown in the deep end. Products and prices are different and I have no idea where things are stored. Yet I got left in the gallery by myself for a while. It ended up going okay though. Basically everyone who came up to the desk was looking for directions and they all wanted to get to places that people had asked about before. So I actually knew where to tell them to go. I'm also starting to find my way around. I can get to my cabin, the photo gallery and the mess. But not to the mess from the cabin. So if I want food I have to go all the way up to the gallery, walk to the back of the ship and then walk back down. Not the fastest way to get there but I can at least get there.

    Tonight three of the girls on the team and myself went to a restaurant called Glasshouse. One of them was a vegetarian but the rest of us had steak. It was so good! Now I am in need of some sleep. I start at 8:45am tomorrow and it's an hour forward tonight. So it's basically like starting at 7:45am. Good night.
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  • La Rochelle, France

    September 3, 2017 in France ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Got thrown into the deep end again last night. My first formal night and I got put on the busiest portrait. I was going crazy and was completely exhausted by the end of the night. It however was the joiners party in the crew bar so I headed there with the team and met up with some friends from my old ship as well.

    After a interesting drama filled night I had to get up early this morning for inductions (training) with two other photographers. Then four of us headed out to get some lunch. After wandering around for a very long time we decided on Le Canet. Which fit for one of the photographers who is vegetarian and myself who doesn't like seafood. Finding a place to eat that fit those categories was a challenge.

    Le Rochelle is really pretty but expensive. I would want to have more time to see more of the port. We didn't get to see much when we were starving just looking for food.

    We are now sitting in the restaurant waiting for our food. After this we are just headed back to the ship to get ready for work.
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  • Bilbao, Spain

    September 4, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Our trip back to the ship yesterday was not as easy as we thought it would be. After lunch we walked around for maybe 25 minutes thinking we had tons of time since it was almost 2 hours until we start work and only a half hour shuttle to the ship. When we got to the shuttle buses however, we could not see the end of the line of people waiting to get on the shuttle. When we started following the line we still could not find the end. We eventually did find find it and quickly messaged Chris our manager about the line. Letting him now we might be late and so he also knew when we did start trying to get back to the ship.

    We couldn't believe it when we were all the way through the line and getting on a shuttle bus in about 15 minutes. We then however ended up in a line again at the other end of the shuttle. Waiting to get through the port's security. Then after that, another line to get through the ship's security. In the end though we got on the ship and still had 20 minutes to get ready before we had to head to work.

    Today has been a lot more relaxing. I had to get up this morning for inductions again. This morning was also crew rounds though so I would have had to get up anyways. After inductions I couldn't decide whether to go out in the port or not. I was still completely exhausted but really wanted to go. But as soon as I was back at my cabin I was sound asleep, so my decision was made for me. I woke up about an hour ago feeling awake for the first time since I joined the ship and still had more then enough time to have a shower, work on my blog and edit my photos from yesterday. So in the end I'm happy I didn't go out. I needed the nap a bit more.
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  • La Coruna, Spain

    September 6, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    IPM (in port manning) today so I was not able to get off. I still had to get up to take Gangway photos for two hours in the morning but spent the rest of the day doing laundry and relaxing in the cabin. Before I opened the gallery by myself. Which meant I got to finish an hour early.Read more

  • St Peter Port, Guernsey

    September 8, 2017 in Guernsey ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Surprise sea day! Although it wan't really a surprise. We don't dock in St Peter Port and the water was to rough for the tender boats to go ashore. They had an idea it would be like this yesterday however. So we knew it might be a sea day instead of a port day. I was suppose to start work at 3pm but since it was a sea day my cabin mate Naz and I got a call at 10am to come into work. Then it was the last day to buy photos before the passengers leave tomorrow (aka photomania) so it was crazy busy. I survived my first photomania on Azura though. Now I'm in bed with very sore feet, not wanting to move and probably will just be going to sleep.Read more

  • Southampton, UK

    September 9, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    IPM again today but it means I don't have any IPMs for the upcoming Norway cruise. I slept in and then was on embarkation. After we had an hour break before I was in the restaurants taking photos for the night. We got off early at 9pm, so four of us went up to the planet bar. Which I had never been to before. It was busy though so we went to the Manhattan instead. A band called Soundwave was about to start so we stayed there. I got my favourite mocktail called a Mango Mule. After that it was bed time because it's an hour forward tonight.Read more

  • Stavanger, Norway

    September 11, 2017 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Had an interesting formal night last night. A woman threw up (multiple times) right beside my portrait so I had to improvise a bit with the way I was shooting. Then the captain's speech was late which pushed all our breaks back. Meaning my dinner was potatoes and chocolate. Yummy.

    The night ended on a good note however. I was just getting into bed when there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find James (one the photographers) with a bottle of alcohol-free champagne he had won in the crew bar. Since my cabin mate Naz and I don't drink he gave it to us. So that's sitting in the fridge waiting for a party night in the crew bar.

    Today I had to get up early for gangway. I was with one of the new to seas again. So I spent most of the gangway helping him with how he was calling the passengers in. As soon as that was done however I quickly got back on the ship and got changed to head to Starbucks for some food and wifi. That is where I now sit. Updating my phone and downloading some new music. Next we are going to wander around a bit, getting some photos before heading back to the ship to relax before starting work.
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  • Flaam, Norway

    September 12, 2017 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Had a great morning because I spent the entire morning sound asleep. I got up around noon when Chris our manager was knocking on our door because we had agreed the night before that we as well as James (another photographer) would go for lunch at a restaurant Chris had been to before. It was really cool. The building was like a viking lodge inside. The main floor was a bar and the top floor was the restaurant. They had skins on the benches, carvings everywhere. When we went up to the restaurant they directed us to our table by telling us it was the one beside the reindeer skin. Then the food was amazing. I had Chicken A La Munin (Pulled chicken served with Ceasar dressing, fresh salad, tomato, onion compote, cheddar and bacon on oven-baked Ægir bread with Parmesan), the guys had Pulled Pork SÆrmine (slow cooked pulled port marinated in Rallar Amber Ale served with fresh salad, tomato, onion, cheddar, jalapeno dressing and homemade coleslaw on Ægir bread). We all loved our food and ate WAY to much. I wasn't able to really get any photos inside because it was too dark. I just got a photo of the outside of the building.

    After lunch Chris headed back to the ship to plan our next cruise well James and I went for a walk. We were able to get some great pictures of the ship because we followed the water. It was really pretty. Next time I plan on walked up along the waterfall and getting some pictures there. I am now comfy in bed with 2 hours until I start work so it's time for a movie.
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  • Olden, Norway

    September 13, 2017 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Today is not a very exciting day. I had to get up for crew drills in the morning. Then the team went up to the passenger buffet for brunch. Now most of the team is headed to the sky-lift but I decided not to go because £30 is a bit to expensive for me right now. There's a cafe right beside where the ship docks that I decided to go to instead to use the wifi and get a hot chocolate. I end up here basically every time we are Olden. After walking around for a bit I always come for hot chocolate and wifi. I was sad to find out this time however that I couldn't get a hot chocolate. So I settled for a pepsi.
    After my hours worth of internet is used up I will be headed back to the ship to help my cabin mate Naz clean the cabin. She is getting ready to head home when we are back in Southampton. We are getting a new photographer named Marie who we think is a grade 2 photographer.
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  • Bergen, Norway

    September 14, 2017 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    I had set my alarm to get up to go out and get some pictures and get some subway for lunch but ended up sleeping through it. Leaving just enough time to relax for a bit on the ship before starting work. We had to start work early because it's a formal night and we had to come in to set up the portraits. Tonight is two of the photographers leavers parties and another one of their birthday's. So I probably needed the extra sleep anyways.Read more

  • Southampton, UK

    September 16, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today was an interesting day. I decided not to get off because I had embarks at 11:30 and was expecting a new cabin mate a little after 9. So I got up nice and early to be moved down to the bottom bunk and have everything ready for her when she got here. I then found out that she was not coming into my cabin after all and I have the cabin to myself! After having a sad afternoon or saying goodbye to my cabin mate Naz and the craziness of embarks I got the evening off. Normally even if you want all afternoon doing embarkation you still have to work in the evening. Today however, all 5 of us who did embarkation finished work for the day after the passenger drills. Which finished a bit before 5. During the passenger drills however I heard some interesting news. We had actually gotten two new photographers. One of which nobody had any idea he was coming. Not even our manager. He has no uniform and apparently doesn't speech English very well. A photographer Guil who was had a cabin to himself for a while suddenly had a cabin mate and Chris (the manager) is trying to piece a uniform together for him from bits of uniform he's getting from the other guys. I haven't really talked to him much yet but he seems nice.

    So after drills I got to just go back to my cabin. Video chat Jackson (the boyfriend) for almost an hour. Updating him on the cabin and team changes and then sleep. Getting up for a team meal at a restaurant called Beach House. I had potato skins (amazing), salmon (good) and fudge cake (amazing). Most of the team then headed to Manhattan a bar from some drinks where we listened to the band that was playing for a while.

    I'm now back in my cabin (with no cabin mate!!!) ready for a nice long sleep since I don't start work tomorrow until 12.
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  • Ibiza, Spain

    September 20, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Was suppose to be IPM today but traded with another photographer for her Santorini IPM because she really wanted to get off in Santorini. She also took all my gangways so I have no gangways this cruise. I however regretted my decision when I found out I am now the one who has to lock down the gallery with our manager for helicopter drills and this morning was one. So I spend the morning standing on the end of the gallery instead of getting off. After drills I quickly got off to get a few pictures and videos. It was lots of white and palm trees with little shops everywhere. It was really nice and the weather was perfect. We were docked with Costa Rivera and an Aida ship.Read more

  • Mykonos, Greece

    September 23, 2017 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today was amazing! I got to sleep in and then most of the team went out in port together and rented what they call Quad bikes which are actually ATVs. There weren’t too many of us who had their driving licence but it worked out in the end. We got four ATVs and three of them had two people on them. Right away our manager Chris claimed me as his “quad bike” buddy because he was one of the people who couldn’t drive. It was so much fun and Mykonos was so nice! We got to see so much more then we would have if we had just walked. We drove around the Island to a lighthouse and then worked our way back to where we had rented the ATVs. On the way to the lighthouse we lost one of the photographers who was on the bike on his own. He decided to go off on his own when we came to a challenging part of road because he didn’t want to wait. There was a VERY steep hill. We made it up fine and then stopped at the stop to make sure everyone else did as well. We turned around just in time to see the other two bikes start to roll backwards back down the hill. I walked back down the hill and drove the first bike up for them. Then walked all the way back down again to get the last bike up as well. Even though they had never drove ATVs before that was the only time they had trouble.

    After we returned the ATVs we went to get some lunch. I had some AMAZING pizza (Ham, cheese and tomato). Venice was the best pizza I had ever had but this was very close. Then some people headed to the beach and Chris and I explored a bit before heading back to the ship.

    I definitely enjoyed Mykonos and would love to go back. I highly recommend renting ATVs there as well. Three hours cost €25 then we put €15 of gas in it. Which was then split between the two of us.

    Tonight was very busy but also fun. It was tropical night so we were all going around all the different restaurants but it was also the start of the all out war between the photographers! We all got another photographer and a way we had to kill them. For example there is poison them where you have to put salt in their drink and get them to drink it. There’s freeze them to death which means you have to get an ice cube down their shirt 3 times. There’s crush them to death which means you have to hug them for 15 seconds without them breaking free. There’s sniper which means you have to get a photo of them without them knowing from a certain distance away out in port without them knowing. The one I got was gas them to death. Which means I had to spray my victim 3 separate times with either perfume or deodorant. Luckily my old cabin mate had tiny little bottles of perfume that she left behind so I had the perfect weapon. I was the only one to kill my first victim on the first day. So now I have to kill the person he was suppose to kill, the way he was suppose to kill him. Which means I am stocking up on salt packets because my next victim will be poisoned. I almost had him today as well but he hasn’t drank any of his water yet that he leaves in his locker. I’ll definitely get him tomorrow. I also now know who has me because of a failed murder attempt. Our manager Chris came up behind me and tried to get an ice cube down the back of my shirt. So he’s trying to freeze me to death. Now that I know that I will definitely be avoiding him tomorrow.
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  • Santorini, Greece

    September 25, 2017 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    IPM today so I was unable to get off. Another photographer was suppose to be IPM today but she really wanted to be able to get off. So I traded her IPMs so I could get off in Ibiza and she took all my gangways for this cruise as well. The team said it's really pretty but boring with nothing to do. Unless you go to the beach. So I was happy with my decision to trade IPMs. It did look nice from the ship though.Read more

  • Gibraltar, Gibraltar

    September 30, 2017 in Gibraltar ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    IPM again today. The photographer that I had traded IPMs with offered to take this IPM as well. I told her not to worry about it though. Gibraltar is usually my sleep and laundry day because I've done most things here. Most people just shop for cheap electronics.Read more

  • Southampton, UK

    October 3, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Today was a great day but at the same time very hard. We docked with Aurora so I got to meet up with my boyfriend Jackson in Southampton for a quick breakfast. Then go on Aurora with a visitor pass he had gotten me for a few hours until he had to start work. Leaving and saying goodbye again was definitely the hard part. We at least dock together one more time on the 20th before he heads home on leave in November. Then I’ll see him again we he joins here in February.Read more

  • Amsterdam, Netherlands

    October 6, 2017 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Today was suppose to be a sea day on our way to Le Havre but we were unable to sail until around 5pm. At 8:30am an announcement from the captain woke me up. It really caught my attention when he started the announcement with "Some of you might be wondering why we are still docked in Amsterdam" when we were suppose to sail at 1am. To get out of Amsterdam we have to go through a lock. The problem was that there was gale force winds up to 30 knots which is stronger then our side thrusters. So we wouldn't be able to make it through the lock until the wind died down.

    I ended up going into work anyways to do some more training on how to do all the different paperwork (which there is a LOT of). I was IPM today so I also had to open up the gallery early. Our manager Chris went out for subway though after the training and picked me up one as well. Which is probably all I would have done if I could have gotten off anyways. Training also included a free hot chocolate so I was happy.
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