subtitle: Around the world with Cruise Captain
Author: Hans Mateboer
Publisher/Format: Captains Publishing, Charlotte NC, trade pprbck 230 pgs
Subject: Cruise ship sailing
Setting: various ports of call
Genre: memoir a la sea stories
Source: my shelves (purchased from the author)
This was an thoroughly enjoyable read. As many of you know, my spouse is a retired Navy ship captain, so I am used to hearing "sea stories." However, his tales are always centered around those haze-grey vessels with guns, and rockets, etc. Captain Mateboer was the Captain on the cruise ship we sailed last summer. He and hubbie managed to trade a few sea stories, and he signed our copy of his adventures.
The book is written as a series of discrete vignettes-- perfect short 'sea stories': the adventures of a young boy yearning to go to sea, his early travels and employment aboard cargo ships; meeting his wife on a cruise; trying to dock a ship in a foreign port when the locals were on strike; mistaking passengers for terrorists; playing practical jokes on other crew members; putting sick passengers ashore; fending off lonely women; dealing with stowaways; entertaining both big wigs and treasured friends.
A different style of memoir, but one that was quite familiar in a cherished tradition.
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I have to think that a cruise ship captain might have more amusing stories that a navel captain..because I am not sure that the navy is all that funny. Maybe more interesting, but not as fun..lol
ReplyDeleteMr. Jenners has read pretty much every cruise book out there (including this one). I think he also wrote a cute kid's book called Peter the Cruise Ship (which we also have.)
ReplyDeleteIf you want more cruise book recommendations, I can ask my husband!