About Me
Some people are shopaholics, some are chocaholics and some like me are cruiseaholics! Okay you got me I am also a slight chocoholic as well.
I guess my love affair for cruises began in the late 1970’s when I used to watch “The Love Boat”, which was an American TV show that was filmed on-board the very real Pacific Princess, which was owned at the time by Princess Cruises.
I remember the excitement as I would follow the lives of Captain Stubing and Julie the Cruise Director, as well as Isaac the Bar Tender and Gopher the Purser, and not forgetting Dr. Adam.
Who would have thought that less than a decade later I would be working on-board the famous “Pacific Princess” as a Junior Bar Stewardess.
Working on-board the Pacific Princess in the Starlight Lounge
During my second contract with Princess Cruises I met my husband on-board and we went back together for one more contract on-board the Regal Princess.
Me and my husband, Bruce, who I met on the original Royal Princess in 1992
After my time at sea I settled in Edinburgh for several years where I worked as a Conference & Banqueting Manager at The Caledonian Hotel on Princes Street. My first son, Conor, was born in Edinburgh and was followed by his sister, Ashley, almost 2 years later.
It was around this time that we decided to move back to my home town of Morecambe in order to be near my family, and it was here that I began my foray into the selling of cruise holidays with a local firm called Cruise Connections. During my 12 years here I learnt all about the many cruise lines that were available and loved the fact that no two days were the same. I also managed to fit in another two children with Logan arriving first followed by Frazer.
I have always been an avid supporter of the cruise industry and one of my greatest achievements to date was being chosen as the Royal Correspondent for the new Royal Princess. I was able to visit the ship in the shipyard in Monfalcone and see its amazing transformation into the beautiful ship she is today plus be part of history as the Duchess of Cambridge became the ships Godmother.
Fast forward just over 21 years and here are Bruce and I on the new Royal Princess at the inaugural ceremony and sailing
I have cruised extensively as a single traveller, a couple and as a family (6 berth cabins are my speciality!) so give me a call for all your cruising needs!
Qualifications
As new ships are christened every year and new destinations become available, it is important that as a Cruise Specialist I keep up to date with all new training courses.
As you can see most of my certificates are in the name of Julie however I am known as Molly at cruise.co.uk.
CLIA (Cruise Line International Association)
CLIA are the leading cruise training body in Europe, delivering award-winning training, seminars and events to the UK and Irish travel trade. They also operate the only official accreditation scheme in the UK and Ireland for cruise selling travel agents. Highest accreditation is a Master.
ACE-CLIA-Understanding Cruise 1
ACE-CLIA
ACE -CLIA -Ambassador
MSC Cruises
Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises – First Officer
- Princess Cruises – Staff Captain
Princess Cruises – Captain
Princess Cruise – Commodore
P & O Cruises
P & O Cruises – Commodore
Cunard
Cunard – Commodore
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean – Captain
Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises & Azamara Club Cruises
Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises & Royal Caribbean Cruises – Admiral
Silversea Cruises
Silversea Training Academy
All Discovery Cruising
Hebridean Island Cruises
Swan Hellenic
Voyages Of Discovery
MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises
Ships I have been on
Here are the ships I have visited or sailed on – if you would like more details or have a question regarding any of them please call me on 0330 303 8278 or email me [email protected].
Cunard, Queen Mary 2, 12th -15th December 2014
Royal Caribbean, Quantum of the Seas, 31st October – 2nd November 2014
Voyages of Discovery, Voyager, May 2014
Emerald Waterways, Emerald Sky, April 2014
Princess Cruises, Caribbean Princess, July 2013
Princess Cruises, Royal Princess, June 2013
Celebrity Cruises, Celebrity Infinity, May 2013
Princess Cruises, Royal Princess, March 2013 (visited in shipyard in Monfalcone)
Princess Cruises, Regal Princess, March 2013 ( as above and witnessed float out ceremony)
eWaterways, Royal Crown, March 2013
Cunard, Queen Elizabeth, June 2012
Cunard, Queen Victoria, June 2012
Royal Caribbean, Independence of the Seas, May 2012
Princess Cruses, Grand Princess, May 2012
Oceania Cruises, Marina, July 2011
Norwegian, Norwegian Epic, June 2011
Cunard, Queen Mary, May 2011
Celebrity Cruises, Celebrity Eclipse, May 2011
Royal Caribbean, Independence of the Seas, May 2010
Cruise & Maritime, Ocean Countess, May 2010
P & O Cruises, Azura, April 2010
P & O Cruise, Arcadia, May 2009
Hurtigruten, Midnatsol, March 2009
Holland America, Maasdam, July 2008
Carnival, Carnival Splendour, July 2008
Silversea, Prince Albert, June 2008
P & O Cruises, Ventura, April 2008
P & O Cruises, Artemis, August 2007
Royal Caribbean, Rhapsody of the Seas, October 2006
Norwegian, Norwegian Jewel, June 2006
P & O Cruises, Arcadia, April 2005
Ocean Village, Ocean Village, December 2003
P & O Cruises, Oceana, June 2003
Norwegian, Norwegian Dawn, November 2002
Royal Caribbean, Brilliance of the Seas, July 2002
Norwegian, Norwegian Sun, November 2001
Seabourn, Seabourn Pride, October 2001
Places I have visited
Having worked on-board cruise ships for many years I have travelled extensively and still continue to do so, with this in mind keep checking back for more updated places.
Africa
Bamburi Coast
Chale Island
Mombasa
Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia
Caribbean
Antigua
Aruba
Barbados
Bermuda
Bonaire
Curacao
Grand Cayman
Jamaica
Nassau
Princess Cays
San Juan
St Croix
St Kitts
St Lucia
St Maarten
St Thomas
Tortola
Mediterranean
Amsterdam
Antwerp
Barcelona
Bruges
Gibraltar
Gran Canaria
Hamburg
Honfleur
Le Havre
Lisbon
Marrakech
Monaco
Palma
Pisa
Rome
Tenerife
Venice
Mexican Riviera
Acapulco
Cozumel
Northern Europe & The Baltic
Bergen
Bronnoysund
Copenhagen
Helsinki
Oslo
St Petersburg
Stavanger
Stockholm
Svolvaer
Tromso
Trondheim
Panama Canal
Colon
Limon
South America & The Amazon
Boca Da Valeria
Buenos Aires
Caracas
Devils Island
Manaus
Montevideo
Recife
Rio De Janeiro
Sao Paulo
Santarem
Transatlantic
United States
Alexandria
Boston
Cape Canaveral
Charleston
Fort Lauderdale
Galveston
Glacier Bay
Houston
Juneau
Ketchikan
Key West
Los Angeles
Miami
New York
Newport
Philadelphia
Portland
Savannah
Sitka
Skagway
Washington DC
Whittier
Williamsburg