Interview with Captain John Scott

Captain John Scott was the Captain of the Eurodam. The Eurodam is the ship that we sailed on around the Caribbean and across the Atlantic Ocean. We saw the Captain walking around the ship and many times we saw him at the Explorers Cafe getting a cup of coffee. Whenever he saw me he would say “how is my sophisticated 9 year old today”. On the day before we arrived in Barcelona we saw the Captain having breakfast at the Lido Market. I asked if I could interview him and he said yes. He took us to the bridge and showed me all of the equipment used to run the ship. Then I interviewed him.

Katarina: What is your name?

Captain John Scott: My name is Captain John Scott.

Katarina: Where and when were you born?

Captain John Scott: I was born in New Zealand.

Katarina: Did you have any brothers or sisters?

Captain John Scott: Yes I have 1 younger brother.

Katarina: What was your favorite thing about school?

Captain John Scott: I didn’t really like school and I wasn’t a very good student, but if I had to pick a subject it would be Geography.

Katarina: What was your first job?

Captain John Scott: My first job was selling diving equipment in a sports shop and I got paid $12.50 a week, but I had to pay $0.50 tax.

Katarina: What is your favorite place to visit?

Captain John Scott: I would have to say New Zealand.

Katarina: Has your family ever lived on the ship with you?

Captain John Scott: Yes. We have a house in London, but my wife sails on the ship with me some times.

Katarina: Were did you go to high school?

Captain John Scott: I went to high school in Tokyo

Katarina: How many ships have you been on?

Captain John Scott: I’ve been on thousands of ships. I’ve been on ships for 36-37 years.

Katarina: How many ships have you been Captain on?

Captain John Scott: I’ve been Captain on 9 ships.

Our day in Cartagena

Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located on the Mediterranean coast in South-Eastern Spain. Cartagena has been inhabited for over 2200 years. It was founded around 227 BC by the Carthaginians. As far back as the 16th century it was one of the most important naval ports in Spain.

We had such a short time in Cartagena and it was our last day before reaching Barcelona so I really wanted to just stay on the boat. Mom kinda agreed with me, but Dad said No - so we go up and had the usual breakfast. But during breakfast, we saw the Captain. We talked to him for a little bit and told him about my blog and how I was interviewing people and asked if he could spare time for an interview. He said yes and gave us his private number to call after breakfast. We called him and he told us to meet him on Deck 8. He took us to the bridge - that is where they steer the ship - and he showed us some of the equipment. Then we did our interview. After the interview we walked in to Cartagena.

Cartagena had another Roman Theater and my Dad wanted to look at it, but my Mom and I wanted to go shopping. So we split up and then met back by the Roman Theater for chocolate and churros. We had two different kinds of chocolate and the churros were really good. Then it was time to get back onto the boat to sail to Barcelona.

Interview with Mari Graham

We had dinner with Mari one night and she told us a story about how she was booked on the Andrea Doria when she was 3. She switched ships and did not die. Her Mom, Dad, Grandma, and herself were all supposed to be on the ship and all her other relatives thought they were dead and had a memorial service for them. Because they did not get on the ship, I imagined that her Mom, Dad, Grandma and herself walked in and everybody thought they were just imagining things.

Katarina: What is your name?

Mari: My name is Mari Graham.

Katarina: Where and when were you born?

Mari: I was born in  Spain on April 5,1953.

Katarina: Did you have any brothers or sisters?

Mari: Yes I had 1 brother but he died when he was 1

Katarina: What was your favorite thing about school?

Mari: I don't have a favorite, but I do love learning!

Katarina: What was your first job?

Mari: My first job was working at a French restaurant when I was 14. The owners were my parents friends. My parents did not want me to get paid but their friends insisted so I got paid 75 cents per hour.  

Katarina: What is your favorite place to visit?

Mari: My favorite place to visit is a beach called Bay Biscay in Spain.

Katarina:How often do you visit spain?  

Mari: 3-6 times a year.

Katarina: Why did you not go on the Andrea Doria?

Mari: I do not know, but we went on the Roma the Andrea Doria's sister. I didn't know the story about being on the Andrea Doria until my parents told me when I was 12. It was like I was given a 2nd chance at life.

Katarina: How long have you been a teacher?

                                                                       

Mari: I have been a been a teacher for 13 years.

Our day in Malaga

Malaga is a city on the Costa del Sol in Spain. It is about 80 miles North of Africa. It was founded by the Phoenicians in 770 BC and named Malaka. From the 6th century BC it was under th rule of the Carthaginians. Then, from 218 BC, it was ruled by the Romans. It was named Malaca. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it was under Islamic domination as Malaqah for 800 years. In 1487, it again came under Christian rule.  The archaeological remains and monuments from the Phoenician, Roman, Arabic and Christian eras display a history of more than 3000 years.

We visited Malaga on April 8th. It was our third land stop during our Transatlantic cruise and the second time we have visited. The last time was in 2014 when we did a guided tour. We started with a Hop On Hop Off tour that took us around the city. We sat on the top of the bus and when we were driving around I looked out and saw Carol and Martin. The tour took us to Gibralfaro Castle at the top of the hill. There were amazing views. Dad and I hopped off the bus and explored the castle. We saw Carol and Martin again at the Castle. We got back on the bus and met Mom at the next stop where the Roman Theater was located. We went to lunch at Bottega del Pimpi and had a really good lunch. Then we walked across the street to the Roman Theater. When we were walking through the theater I saw a cat, it made me sad because I miss Pumpkin, my cat back home. We took some pictures and sat in the theater listening to music. Then we went shopping a bought some postcards. Then it was time to get back on the ship to travel to Cartegena.

Interview with Melodye Brant

Melodye is the Culinary Arts Center Host on the Eurodam. The Eurodam is the ship that we sailed on around the Caribbean and across the Atlantic Ocean. Melodye hosted most of the craft activities and any of the cooking activities in the Culinary Arts Center.

Katarina: What is your name?

Melodye: My name is Melodye Brant.

Katarina: Where and when were you born?

Melodye: I was born in Bartesville, Oklahoma on March 10 (age not given).

Katarina: Did you have any brothers or sisters?

Melodye: No, I'm an only child.

Katarina: What was your favorite thing about school?

Melodye: Probably English.

Katarina: What was your first job?

Melodye: Staffing service.

Katarina: What is your favorite place to visit?

Melodye: I can’t decide probably Spain, New Zealand and South East Asia.

Katarina: How long have you worked with Holland America Line?

Melodye: 1 1/2 years.

Katarina: What is it like to work on a cruise ship ?

Melodye: Work hard. Play hard. Long hours. But you get to travel.

                                                                                                                          

Katarina: Have you always been Culinary Host ?

Melodye : Yes I have.

Our day in Cadiz

Cadiz is an ancient port city in southwest Spain and is almost entirely surrounded by water. It was named Gadir when it was founded in 1100 BC by the Phoenicians. It was later controlled by the Carthaginians and then the Romans. In the early 16th century is was a launching point for the journey to the newly discovered lands of America. Cadiz was raided by Sir Francis Drake in the struggle to gain control of trade with the New World and also managed to withstand a siege by Napoleon’s army. In the early 19th century Cadiz was the center of Spain’s liberal movement and the country’s first Constitution was declared here in 1812.

We visited Cadiz on April 7th. It was our second land stop during our Transatlantic cruise. We started with a Hop On Hop Off tour that took us around the city. Part of the time, I listened to mine in German. We got off the bus at the Roman Theater and my dad took lots of pictures. Then we walked around trying to find the other side of the theater. We asked lots of people and no one knew where it was. We kept walking around until we finally found it. We took more pictures and watched a short video about the work they are doing.

We looked at a few shops and bought some postcards then we stopped for some chocolate and churros. My mom ordered 2 chocolates and 2 churros and we got a lot of churros. People kept coming by the table and asking us to give them money. Sometimes the restaurant guys would tell them to go away and other times they would just let them, which is very weird.

Interview with Ron Cameron

I met Ron one night at dinner. He was in the Navy for 22 year, he was a contractor for 15 years after that, and he has been on 110 cruises. Ron was the first person I interviewed for my blog.

Katarina: What is your name?

Ron: My name is Ron Cameron.

Katarina: Where and when were you born?

Ron: I was born in Los Angeles on April 26, 1935.

Katarina: Did you have any brothers or sisters?

Ron: Yes, I did. I have 1 brother who is 16 months older than me. My brother is a Cell Biologist named Ivan Cameron.

Katarina: What was your favorite thing about school?

Ron: I loved football and I was a football player and very athletic back then, but for something in the classroom I liked history.

Katarina: What was your first job?

Ron: My first job was stocking shelves at a Mom and Pop grocery store. I was paid $0.25 per hour. I was 13 years old.

Katarina: What is your favorite place to visit?

Ron: Well, I love Barcelona, but I lived in Hawaii for 3 years so I would have to say Hawaii. I can’t live there anymore because the prices are too high.

Katarina: I understand you have been on 110 cruises - do you have a favorite?

Ron: No. If I want to hang out with old people, I go on Holland America Line. If I want to hang out with young people I go on Carnival.

Katarina: Why did you choose the Navy? Did you like it?

Ron: My father was in the Navy. My Grandfather was in the Navy. My son was in the Navy. I wanted to go to sea and I loved the Navy.

Katarina: How many ships have you been on in the Navy?

Ron: Just guessing, 25. All the ships that I was on in the Navy were hot rods and they were 35 watts. What they did was protect submarines and could shoot from 23 miles. The ships had 370 men and were 370 feet long.

Our day in Funchal

Funchal is the largest city and the capital of Madeira, a Region of Portugal. The city has a population of 11,892, making it the 6th largest city in Portugal, and it has been the capital of Madeira for more than 5 centuries. Christopher Columbus was an early settler in Funchal.

On April 5th  we got off the ship and like that we were in FUNCHAL  it was very fun and hot. We went produce shopping for all sorts of PASSION FRUITS (like banana passion fruit). After we got GELATO!! - it was very yummy - and guess what flavor i got?  You are all probably thinking passion fruit, but i got STRAWBERRY. My dad got PASSION FRUIT. My mom got TIRAMISU. While we were sitting and enjoying our gelato we saw our trivia partners Carol and Martin and they recommended an open faced sandwich with grilled cheese with bacon on top so we just had to have it. We weren’t ready for lunch so we went to the public market to get some more passion fruit. Afterwards we went to the store to get... (if you’re thinking passion fruit, you are wrong) we got POSTCARDS!!!! Then we went to lunch and had the cheese and bacon sandwiches called Bolo do Caco. After lunch we wrote and sent the postcards. Then we got back on the ship AND WE MISSED TRIVIA!!!!! GRRRR... I am very mad  because we have NEVER missed trivia before. Tomorrow is another sea day. Our last sea day of this trip - BOOOO.

Cruising the Atlantic Ocean

Day 2  of the Transatlantic Holland America cruise. We started the day off with an omelette with cheese, onions, mushrooms, and bacon and a sticky bun, which tastes like a cinnamon bun. I also started some world-schooling on Math and Langauge Arts, so I am working very hard on making that fun for myself. After I finish world-schooling I get to do fun activies like Trivia. We did not win. We lost by 7 and I know you are probably thinking “Wow that is not a lot”, but the questions are really hard. We also watched a cooking demonstration of how to make chicken with smoked cumen which sounds pretty good to me. The show was boring, but at least we got the recipe.  Then we did some more Language Arts before we headed off to the Cabana for chcocolate dipped strawberries and champagne (don’t worry, I did not have any champagne). Afterwards we got dressed up for formal night and had a very scrumptious dinner.

Day 3 we got up at 8:30 and got the usual breakfast. Then Mom and I went to a craft class to make a recipe book with the recipes from Holland America Line. Man did they have cool recipes!  After, I did more world-schooling on a langauge arts seqence chart. Then we went down to deck 2 and watched J.T.,  the Cruise Director, and Amy, the Spa Manager, in CHEF WARS. It was a cook off making hamburgers. J.T. won. After that we went up to deck 9 to play ping-pong. While we were playing ping-pong we watched Crew vs Guests at volleyball in the water and the guests won. Then we went back to our Cabana and read for a bit before going to tea. The tea was very good, but the food was meh. The napkins were reeeeeally small. After that we went to Guest Services and got my dad’s coat and hat. My dad forgot to bring his hat and coat, so our friend shipped it to the Fort Lauderdale cruise terminal.  We went back to our cabin and chilled and blogged and read.

TO BE CONTINUED ...

Days 4-9 We were "at sea". Our days were the same - we got up and had the usual breakfast. We always tried o sit in the section where Nyoman was the server. He was very happy and always said HI to me.

After breakfast we did world schooling. Then we met up with our team for team trivia. Martin and Carol from Alabama and Rick and Sandra from North Carolina. We also met up with them to play other games like Scattergories, Euchre, Crazy Eights, Go Fish and RF.

This picture was taken on the day that we WON Team Trivia!!!!

Sometimes we went to afternoon tea and sometimes we played BINGO.

Most nights we had dinner in the dining room and my Dad always asked to sit with "nice, friendly people". We met some really interesting people at dinner.

One night we met a guy named Ron Cameron who has been in the Navy for 22 years and has also been on 110 cruises and a girl named Mari who was booked ont he Andrea Doria when she was 3 but she switched ships. I found these people so interesting that I decided to interview them for a separate blog post.

On another night, we had dinner with people from Germany and the other people were from Canada. We also had dinner with Mary from Canada. Mary told interesting stories. We met lots of people from Florida, too.

On the nights we didn't eat in the dining room we usually went to the buffet and brought the food back to the room and watched a movie. One night we watched Hotel Transylvania, one night we watched Minions, and on another night we watched When in Rome. We also watched an Indian film called Bride and Prejudice.

We made ribbon roses and cork place card holders with Melodye and mine turned out pretty good.

One night we went to Karaoke. I didn't sing, but our friend Rick sang.

We also went to the Chef Wars finale with Rick and Sandra and Martina nd Carol. It was very comical. Erwin, the Dining Room Manager, and JT, the Cruise Director, dressed up. Erwin was an Indonesian warrior and JT was his "wife". JT is a boy, so it was really funny.

On Day 10 we are finally back on land. We are in Funchal, Madiera, Portugal. My next blog post will be about Funchal.

TO BE CONTINUED...