Twenty-Five Years Before the Mast — A Cruise Director's Memoir

In Twenty-Five Years Before the Mast, Peter Longley reflects on his remarkable twenty-five-year career as a cruise director aboard some of the world’s most iconic luxury liners, including a decade on Cunard’s legendary Queen Elizabeth 2. Entering the industry in 1978, when cruising was still mostly for the rich and famous, Longley offers a captivating behind-the-scenes look at life aboard these floating cities.

From royal encounters and glittering gala evenings to storms at sea, strikes, and even murder, this memoir reveals the glamour, drama, and rapid transformation of the cruise industry. Blending history, humour, and vivid personal anecdotes, Longley charts the evolution of cruising—from the age of grand ocean voyages to today’s global mega-ship era.