Slightly different start to this cruise – catching the ferry from St Malo rather than Caen to avoid either getting up at stupid o’clock or staying overnight in a hotel near the ferry terminal. In fact the road to St Malo was much better than the one to Caen – much of it dualled and no wiggly bits, but the downside is a nine hour crossing. Anyway, usual routine in Portsmouth – collected by Paul Stickler and off for a curry before staying overnight at his house before joining Aurora. He does make the logistics so much easier, bless him.
Express boarding at Southampton, supervised by two jolly ladies who asked if we were the magician and his lovely assistant. Inside cabin as per usual and a letter inviting me to meet the Deputy Entertainment Manager to check over ‘the spiels’ as she calls them. Turns out that although both Paul and I have prepared six talks, she only wants five as the Headliners are performing a play on one of the sea days. We’ve worked with Karen before and I think she trusts us – last time I was on with her several Canadian ports were cancelled and I had to do three extra talks so I suppose it averages out.
I confess I was a bit stereotypical in my thinking but I imagined that on a Mediterranean cruise in October guests would be there to soak up some vitamin D before the winter but the theatre was pretty full for the first talk on illusions and it went well. (I was put on stage by one of the entertainment hosts as the Ents Manager was in a meeting. She asked me what to say, so I said “tell them I’m one of P&O’s best speakers” and she did, so there might have been a bit of priming… Well, the Ents Manager did say that in March.)
Then I discovered that my friend the Cuban magician was also on board till Malaga so we met up. He’s still catching up from having no work for two years, but it must be hard flying round the world all the time to pick up ships – it’s more of a hobby for me and a means to keep the little grey cells ticking over. Manuel Martinez (or Gary as I know him) and I intend to do a joint talk on the psychology of magic at some stage – magicians probably know more than psychologists about illusions…
I tried out a new talk about conspiracy theories which is quite demanding on the audience, and didn’t think it went well, but Paul said he thought it was good and suggested some tweaks. As it turned out, feedback was pretty good apart from the lady who complained that I hadn’t revealed who really did kill Diana. In fact, overall feedback on this cruise was probably the best I’ve ever had with loads of people taking the trouble to thank me (and Paul). A really interested and enthusiastic audience, so many thanks to them.
Paul and I didn’t bother being tour escorts on this trip – only two stops – and we simply got off for tapas and drink in Malaga and pizza and drink in Palermo. I was a bit surprised by the bit of Palermo we saw, pavements broken, several beggars – not what I’d expected but I guess the cruise ships do bring in some foreign currency.
As we were disembarking in Piraeus we found we were being joined for the flight back to Heathrow by the singer Tom Ball and his father-in-law. Apparently he won Britain’s Got Talent in 2022 – not really my scene (I admit I didn’t go to his show) but what a pleasant, polite and respectful young man he is.
Overnight at chez Stickler again before catching the ferry back to Caen. Madame Stickler was unimpressed with Paul’s gift of the P&O chocolates we found in our cabins but off for a Chinese before rejoining Brittany Ferries next day – I’m on first name terms with the crew, but not the Maitre d’ in the restaurant who thought I was in charge of a party of 50 American pensioners and asked me to tell them how the buffet worked. So I did, and they thought I was a translator working for Brittany Ferries. What a hoot.
Next trip is Southampton to Cape Town on QM2 – 15 sea days but only six talks. Might get that book written at last…
thehairypsychologist 