Working Vacations: Solo Piano Player for Cruises Around the World

By Bill Lorraine

When pianist Bill Lorraine got the opportunity to travel all over the world each summer with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, he decided to share every exciting moment in daily emails to his wife back in Key West, and these stories form the basis of this book. His descriptions of the ports he visited and life on the cruise ship are from the point of view of a savvy, educated traveler. "Working Vacations" offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to be a professional crewmember on a luxury cruise ship sailing to Europe's most exotic ports. Lorraine had access to all the same amenities as the passengers, including shore excursions to museums and tours to hard-to-reach tourist destinations like Pompeii, Italy and Ephesus, Turkey. He made it his mission to find the best and most authentic restaurants in each port he visited, and photograph the most interesting sights and local people. (Contains 110 color photographs)For ten summers, Key West pianist/composer Bill Lorraine enjoyed "Working Vacations" as a solo piano player aboard cruise ships. Lorraine's collected emails to his wife, artist Ann Lorraine, present his always sophisticated, often humorous travel insights.Wherever he traveled, his favorite activity was people watching, preferably from a sidewalk cafe and fortified with beer or wine.He expresses great respect for the vastness of the sea: "It is beautiful, dangerous, inspiring, desolate, breath-taking, all at once." Ultimately, Bill Lorraine's entertaining, informative, charming missives are a series of love notes to his beloved wife Ann. "Working Vacations" is a delicious read for both the active and arm chair traveler.Reviewed by George Fontana

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1546396837
• ISBN13: 9781546396833
• Release Date: June 2017
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.6" x 6.0"