Hi Everyone,
My name is Alyn Baker and I am the Food & Beverage Director on board Pacific Dawn. I’m pleased to have been given the opportunity to join the team down under, and have the chance to visit some of Australia’s land marks. Sure enough, the Opera House is on my list.
This is not the first time I’ve been to Australia. I’ve visited it on my travels many moons ago when I was doing the world cruise on board the SS Canberra, the P&O Cruises ship that became famous for being transformed into a troop carrier for the Falklands war. Due to the age of the ship and new ships arriving, the Canberra was taken out of service a few years later.
Memories that stick in my mind on my visits to Sydney were the tour to Katoomba Zoo Park and actually holding a koala bear. As we traveled to the Zoo, we passed the 3 Sisters which were awesome. The ship used to dock at Cirular Quay facing the Opera House to the right and to the left was a short sprint to the Orient Hotel, which was a lovely small bar with “Do it your self BBQ concept” where you choose and pay for the meat then cook it yourself. I was in the Galley at the time working as a junior chef, and the Galley boys used to run across to the Orient between sittings at dinner whilst keeping an ear open for the ships horn as that was a sign that the ship was about to leave. So we would sprint back to avoid being in trouble. Another area we checked out was Kings Cross at night, but that’s another story.
I have 33 years experience in the hospitality trade, which is strange because I’m only 35 years old. Who am I kidding?
I have 12 years experience at sea operating on the 5 ships listed - Canberra, the original Sea Princess, Ocean Village, Ocean Village Two and of course, the Pacific Dawn. One of my most exciting challenges was to take Ocean Village Two out of her refit and on her maiden voyage as Hotel Manager.
I have children at home in the UK, a girl of 23 who is training to be an English teacher and a boy of 17 who is at college doing further studies. I doubt that they will follow my footsteps in the travel industry as they don’t have the ambitions to travel.
When I’m on vacation I like to spend the time with my Children, family and friends back home in the UK.
I look forward to meeting you on board.
Regards
Alyn
by Jane Herron on January 22, 2010 · 1 comment
Happy New Year to all our readers from the Officers and crew of the Pacific Dawn!
Well can you believe it, it’s the year 2010. Where has the time gone? It only seems a minute ago since we were all welcoming the millenium (I bet you all remember where you were) and stressing about the Y2K bug. So much has happened in those 10 years and we are so happy that our fleet of ships is growing year by year.
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The Pacific Dawn celebrated the New Year in great Ausi style with hundreds of people blowing their hooters at once and making a deafening sound. The celebrations started on Deck 5 and the atmosphere carried on all the way up the decks right to our magnificant Dome on deck 14 forward. The ships whistles blew at midnight and everyone turned to hug a friend. The atmosphere was amazing. Everyone put many hours into the preparation of New Year’s Eve from the bar staff polishing their glasses to the waiters bringing cheer to the dining room and for the musicians to learn lots of new songs to accompany the dynamic Hayden Smith in the Dome which was so well received. Everyone celebrated into the wee hours of the morning and the ship was very quiet an New Year’s Day when eventually around 10 o’clock weary sleepy faces appeared to go ashore and spend the New Year’s Day on the magical Mystery Island. How much more could you ask for? What a great start to the year.
Regards
Jane
Hotel Director
Hello Everybody,
I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me, but I’m back nice and refreshed after a long holiday to take over from Simon, who has moved to Pacific Jewel.
I had a great holiday. I went to Bonaire in the Caribbean with my sister for 10 days, took my nephew and niece along with my parents to Center Parcs in the Lake District where we did lots of biking and walking and of course spent lots of time with my mini Toby.
We have all been very busy since my return, both preparing Pacific Dawn for her new Brisbane base as well as getting ready for Santa! The lead up to Christmas was fantastic, but we had to also wrap over 1200 presents for children on the islands of Isle of Pines, Mystery Island, Lifou and Vila. It was a challenge, but we had great fun as the constant stream of little elves worked in my office for 5 days with Christmas music and festive cheer as we wrapped away. It was so incredible to see the children’s faces in the islands when we presented them with their presents. It made us all feel very humble for what we had in life.
Santa came aboard Pacific Dawn on the last tender boat departing Lifou. He was then escorted through the ship by Christmas elves and brought down into the Atrium where thunderous cheers of glee were heard from the over 300 children waiting in anticipation. It took him over two hours to pass presents to all the children on the ship. The atmosphere was tremendous and all the children grateful. The officers onboard also, as tradition with P&O Cruises, served the crew their Christmas lunch in the Crew Mess. We also sang Christmas carols for the passengers on Christmas Eve where everyone sung along with glowsticks lightening up the darkened theatre. A great Christmas was had by all!
I look forward to telling you about our New Year adventures, which look like a lot of fun.
Jane
Hotel Director
Hi Everyone,
The final 3 tasks of our 12 Days of Cruis’mas quiz are on the Pacific Jewel Blog
For Day 12: Spot the destinations.
On the twelfth day of Cruise’mas my true love gave to me – four mysterious destinations.
Guess all 4 destinations in the image for your chance to WIN a 3 night P&O Cruise for you and 3 friends.
Don’t know the answer? Join us on facebook and twitter for exclusive clues.
