Disney Cruise Ship For Liverpool.

[Red Lead Ted]

John, I was a cargo boat man threw and threw, Tramping around the Caribbean was heaven to me, I was always under the impression ESSO, Was to seaman Even The Skipper Skinned Out. But even so the Places i got to West Indies, Mexican Gulf, Eastern States, Caribbean Islands untouched by human hand in them days, South America, All cargo boats, That was just heading West, Places i have forgotten until i read them in a post on here, Ask me would i do it all again ABSOLUTELY........................ Terry.

[j.sabourn]

Tell me if I'm wrong , but think was only in Curacao once when a kid. Think we called there for bunkers or something. However have misty memorys of a campo there or believe it was there, it was like a compound with a guard on the gate and one sat at tables under parasols drinking beer. Cars used to draw up outside the gate and damsels used to get out and walk in. I assumed these were familys of the men driving the cars, but must have had no morals as were all too eager to go into the accommodation provided. Did I dream this or has anyone had a similar experience. JS

[john walker]

You are right about that campo it was a plaice of ilirepute I was taken there against my will on several occasions the plaice was called Campo Allegro or something similar or known as Happy Valley to others.

[Jim Brady]

Campo Allegro was set up by Shell as I understood it, it was an organised brothel for tankermen.The tanker I was on we ran in and out of Willemstad and Emmastad but never got to the camp.I think it was also called Happy Valley.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[cappy]

Tell me if I'm wrong , but think was only in Curacao once when a kid. Think we called there for bunkers or something. However have misty memorys of a campo there or believe it was there, it was like a compound with a guard on the gate and one sat at tables under parasols drinking beer. Cars used to draw up outside the gate and damsels used to get out and walk in. I assumed these were familys of the men driving the cars, but must have had no morals as were all too eager to go into the accommodation provided. Did I dream this or has anyone had a similar experience. JS

###happy valley was the name of it ..never went meself ..........honest ...cappy

[j.sabourn]

I only went for the beer as well Cappy. Think was too young on board for my tot at the weekend. If that was a house of ill repute maybe can sue someone for attempting to submit a juvenile to vile practices, that part I cant remember however, but whose to know. I really thought at the time all these cars drawing up were like social workers coming to entertain the poor seamen. The beer must have been free as I would not have had any money in any case. Cheers JS

[cappy]

I only went for the beer as well Cappy. Think was too young on board for my tot at the weekend. JS

...be careful you know what happened to pinnocchio........cappy

[Captain Kong]

*10,
Hi Johnny.
Yes ESSO was a good outfit to work for, I left 30 years ago last month and they are still paying me with a Non Contributory Pension, I can honestly say some men have become Millionaires, no crap. from the EXXON Shares they issued. My brother who is near ten years younger than me stayed on for another ten years after I left and he is a Millionaire through the share system, He bought a Brewery in Liverpool and just sold it last year, all started with ESSO money.
We have reunions every year and it is amazing how these ex seamen have got on.

As regards the runs when at sea, I first flew to San Francisco had a week in a hotel sailed to Guam in the Marianas stayed for a week, a few days in Singapore and then from the Gulf down to Adelaide and paid off, Brother and I stayed for a two week holiday in an hotel paid for by the agent [ ESSO] and then flew home. That was my first trip with them thought it was magic.
They always flew us out a week before joining to get acclimatised and rested before joining a ship. Stayed at some great places, The Hilton in Barbados, The Marriot in San Francisco, at the Heerengrat in Cape Town, in the Sherraton in Singapore, the International Hotel in Dubai, and many many other interesting places. Spent three months in Cape Town on a break down for repairs,
It was all there on offer waiting for you.
I had done all the Cargo ships to everywhere and tramping, so I was married and a family with a mortgage so I decided I needed something with security

Cheers
Brian

[j.sabourn]

#17.. Cappy everyone thinks it was his nose that grew it wasn't, it was another protuberance. His left foot. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

I see from the script the ship 'weighs' 88,000 tons!

The use of the word weight is in my opinion not correct. Ships are measured in cubic capacity tonnage, or can be done on water displacement.

It can give the uninformed the concept that somewhere there area giant pair of scales they weigh them on.

A ship may be describe as one of 88,000 tons but not that she weighs that amount.