Claim OwnershipDeck Tales: Secrets From The Sea. Behind the Scenes Stories from Cruise Ships and Crew Members from Maritime and Sea Life
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© Sam Catling
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DeckTales plunges you into the unbelievable reality of crew life! Join former cruise ship entertainer Sammy Catling as he collects the wildest, most hilarious sea stories from those who work on cruise ships, naval vessels, ferries and beyond. Ever wonder about the true secrets of ship life? We go beyond the brochures to expose the raw crew life and hidden corners of a maritime career. Hear from every kind of seafarer about the best, and often strangest, parts of cruise life and life at sea. This is the unfiltered, laugh-out-loud truth, but doesn’t shy away from the murkier depths of reality.
Inspired to start the podcast after the launch of his comedic memoir, Seems Like Smooth Sailing, Sam realised a simple truth: the people who live and breathe this industry have the best stories. The book covered the chaos, but Deck Tales seeks clarity! Subscribe now and prepare to be entertained by tales that truly prove things are rarely smooth sailing.
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41 Episodes
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#40 We round out the end of season 2 with another star from the world of cruise content creation, Mr Gary Bembridge.At the time of recording Gary has been on 124 cruises around the globe, and he has documented pretty much all of them.His mission is to help make it easier for others to book their cruises, by shining an impartial light on what the different lines offer, and objectively weighing up all the pros and cons.I learned all about his upbringing, his early career, how it set him up to succeed, and more!Hopefully you're enjoying DeckTales so far. If so, please do smash that like button, share your favourite episodes with your friends, and subscribe of course!I'm gonna take a break from posting for a while as I need to record and edit with a batch of new guests for the next series, and if you or someone you know would like to be a guest on the show, please don't hesitate to get in touch.I hope it's nothing but smooth sailing for you all out there.Ciao for nowSam -x-Recorded 19th June 2025Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest today is the wonderful Emma La Teace, or as she is perhaps better known across social media, Emma Cruises.She started her own ship vlogging and blogging journey nearly a decade ago, and a post of hers regarding the charity Mercy Ships caught my attention, so I got in touch to learn more.Alongside raising money for them with the help of a certain Captain Hudson, she has also been busy producing children's books, and recently just launched and co founded the company 'The Cruise Globe'The Cruise GlobeIt was great to be able to hear her story and how she got into cruising, and I'm so thankful not only for the wonderful work she has been doing, but for also agreeing to be a guest on the show.To see all of the work she has been doing over the years, she can be found here:- Emma CruisesEnjoy!Recorded 21st April 2025Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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!Recorded 7th April 2025Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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!Recorded 28th February 2025Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 | SpotifyRecorded 25th February 2025Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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!Recorded 15th February 2025Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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!Recorded 15th February 2025Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EP 33: 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 cruise 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!Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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!Recorded 1st November 2024Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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!Recorded January 31stGet Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EP 30: 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 PodcastsEnjoy!Recorded 23rd January 2025Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EP 29: Fergus and I worked together well over a decade ago for a brief period of time.He came aboard a ship I was working on as a videographer, and we became fast friends as Fergus is definitely good people.Instantly likeable, effortlessly cool, in many ways he reminds me of myself which is probably why we got on so well.Fergus reminded me of the time we and a few others formed a virile boyband, told me how he met the woman who brought him into the world whilst on an excursion, and revealed some of the questionable practices he was taught when disposing of certain photo lab chemicals.Enjoy!Recorded 2nd November 2024Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EP 28: I connected with Daniel over social media, and we chatted about his journey working on ships over the past 17 years.He's held quite a few various positions within the entertainment department, some of which he enjoyed more than others.There's been quite a lot of adventures during his time at sea, and it was interesting to hear how he's had to deal with a plethora of medical injuries, upstart fly-on divas, ridiculous guests and much more.Daniel was good to give me an insight into how ships are starting to get better internet onboard, and our chat took place just after he'd finished working for one cruise line, and was in the process of applying for the next.Enjoy!Recorded 13th January 2025Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EP 27: I worked with Tommy on my first ever cruise ship contract back in 2006, and I never told him this, but back then I used to think he was the coolest guy on board.He had those husky Brian Adams type vocals that melted knee caps everywhere he went, and to be fair to him he's still got it this day, as at one point during our recording he treated me to a little performance of a song he 'wrote' a long time ago.In this episode you can expect to hear the pair of us reminiscing about the good old days, how Tommy's own chaotic life eventually got him onboard ships, what events at sea triggered his philanthropic pursuits, how he inadvertently ripped off someone of notoriety's work, and much more.Enjoy!Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EP 26: Mark is one of those people I met back in the day only a couple of times, but I found him buried among my Facebook friends with mutual acquaintances throughout the cruise ship industry, and it was only after a short amount of time speaking with him, that all the memories I had of his comedy came flooding back to me.Mark is one of the most pleasant, affable, well mannered people I've had the pleasure of speaking to on DeckTales, and his act isn't much of an act, because he is like genuinely like that in real life.I got to hear all about how he started his journey as a comic, when he made the transition to cruise director, and how they basically made him Carnival's first ever fleet supervisor.He's been with the company over a lengthy period of time, so he's seen them go through a lot of changes over the years, and it was a lot of fun finding out all about it.Enjoy!Recorded 29th October 2024Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep 25: I connected with Steff through social media, whilst she was stranded ashore in her home country of the Dominican Republic, sandwiched between her first ever and second cruise ship contracts.She is the first person from the galley I've had the pleasure of speaking to on DeckTales, and she filled me in on all things such as how she managed to get herself onboard, how her first experience went, what she made of ship dating life, how she coped with a wardrobe malfunction mid service and much more.Enjoy!Recorded 19th October 2024Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EP 24: Mark and I connected over social media, and after a bit of back and forth he agreed to be a guest on the show.As he was the first person I've interviewed from the bridge, it was great to get an insight into what life as an officer is all about, and we discussed many things from his early days at Warsash Maritime academy, his long stint working on cargo ships, and how he eventually transitioned into cruises.It was an informative and fun chat with Mark, and I'm happy that he's now working for a cruises line that he's more than satisfied with...as he told me his previous employer was not exactly treating him fairly.Enjoy!Recorded 31st October 2024Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep23: Shane JacobikShane used to work for Carnival primarily as a dancer in the show team, and we were colleagues for a spell around 15 years ago, on a ship known as the Paradise.It was great to hear about his experiences from within the show team, as he went from ship to ship and witnessed various changes throughout his department over the years. Shane shared a couple of salacious stories with me, but was senisble enough not to overshare at the risk of damaging my sensitive little ears. (They are actually really small)He helped me dispell an urban myth, showed me what an Axolotl is, and told me all about what he’s up to these days over in Vegas. Enjoy! #behindthescenes #podcastclipsviral #decktales #BelowDeck #showteam #singer #legends #dancer #performer #newseason #lasvegasRecorded 20th October 2024Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EP 22: Ben has had an interesting mix of work when it comes to careers at sea, and at one point he was working behind the scenes back on land, producing some of the gameshows and quizzes I would later deliver onboard.I once met Ben many moons ago, when I came to re-audition for the company I started my ship journey with, so I reached out to him over Facebook to get him on the show.It was in many ways a very informative chat, as Ben is the first person I've had on DeckTales who has also worked on river cruises.He told me many things about that industry I never knew before, and being someone who used to research quizzes for a living, I assume most of what he told me was well researched.I'll let you be the judge.Enjoy!Recorded 5th August 2024Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EP 21: Jini worked as a show team member and band singer onboard ships for about a decade, and we worked together on one of my last contracts which was one of her first.She now works in advertising, but does still dabble in the arts from time to time with her ship soul mate SergioIt was so much fun to catch up with Jini after all these years, and because she was so kind to laugh at my jokes, I thought it’d be best to kick off the new season of DeckTales with her interview.Jini talked about the parallels between ship life and reality TV, the lecherous types of inappropriate guests she encountered onboard,stichin’ an bitchin’, how she met her partner and much more!Enjoy!Recorded 5th October 2024Get Your Copy Of 'Seems Like Smooth Sailing' here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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