Buenos Dias from Vigo, it is the largest city in Galicia Spain. Vigo has the largest fishing port in Europe. It’s a port we visit many, many times and is very popular with our passengers, I really do like it. If I get a spare couple of hours, I get the boots and jeans on and hike up to the Castle, (El Castro) that dominates the city. There is a cafe up there that does a wicked creamy coffee with fresh croissants and is always full of locals. I just love sitting up there and people watching.
In the last year a large shopping centre has been built just outside of the passenger terminal which is very popular with passengers and the ship’s company! What I really like about Vigo is its authenticity, it is a working Spanish City and is not touristy at all which for me is its greatest charm. Being a fishing port it has some of the best seafood restaurants in Europe and they are always full of the locals. What better recommendation can that be?
I will try to get up to the castle today and should have some ‘blog shots’ for you of the ‘El Castro’ tomorrow.
Today I am going to tell you about the ‘unsung heroes’ of the entertainment department, they are our Entertainment Production Team. Without these nine gentlemen our entertainment on board would come to a grinding halt! We have a Production Manager who reports to myself but runs his team; we then have two Deputy Production Mangers, two Entertainment Technicians, a Senior Entertainment Assistant and three Entertainment Assistants. Their past experience ranges from working in theatres, opera houses, conference centres, musical theatre tours, rock and pop tours etc etc.
Between them all they operate and run the sound, lights, and stage for our Headliners Theatre Company Production Shows, cabarets, classical recitals, game shows, etc. They also take care of and are responsible for all the day to day events and activities, setting up for the guest speakers and any lecturers we have onboard, which can be dance, bridge, art, language, craft etc. They also build the sets for the production shows, move and set up for the bands on board, and run sound and lights for our sail away parties.
The Production Manager is responsible for our stock holding, all stage safety requirements, pyrotechnics and entertainment environmental issues.
The team take care of all our sports gear; quoits, shuffleboard, table tennis, golf equipment, deck tennis, carpet bowls, deck football, deck cricket and even deck hockey!!!
If we have new sets or costumes arriving for our production shows, these chaps get it on board and stow it away.
It is also their job at Christmas to get all the decorations onboard!
Their list of responsibilities is just about endless; so as you can see, without them we could not operate!
Production Manager Alan Watson and Deputy Production Manager ‘Mitch’ Mitcham in the control booth of the Theatre Royal, 6th November.
The Entertainment Production Team 8th December.
Left to right, Clifford D’Costa, Shan Osman, Mike Barry, Mitch Mitcham, Sandash Chavan, Alvito Pineiro, Prisco Rodrigues and Alan Watson.
Entertainment Technician Iggy Fernandes at the controls on 7th November during the Headliners Theatre Company Show, Fun Al Fresco.
Fun Al Fresco being performed by the Headliners Theatre Company on deck at the Riviera Pool Area 7th November.
I will have tales of the ‘Bay of Biscay’ tomorrow!
Adios
Nigel
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3 comments:
Hi Nigel,
Am really enjoying your blog! We visited Lisbon and Vigo this year on board Arcadia, travelled from Australia and had a fantastic experience in all of our ports over the 52 nights that we were on the ship.
Soon to travel on board Aurora, Australia to Southampton and then a back to back cruise,and you are giving us some alternatives to what we have already done in these ports.
I know that not too many people are commenting on your blog but I think that it is wonderful and you are doing a great job!
Hope that you continue on whatever ship you are on, you seem to be a wealth of wonderful stories and information and am enjoying every installation.
Thankyou!
Keith Brooks Gold card member .I read your blogs all the time. They are very good.A small error 8th December instead of 8th November.
kmb127@hotmail.co.uk
Thanks Nigel for all your blogs I am really enjoying them, we were on Oriana when you last visited Vigo we were very impressed with the new shopping centre. We went on a tour to La Toxa an island on the coast which was very interesting we saw all the Mussel barges. Also enjoyed eating the oysters in town. Please keep up the good work.
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