A Liverpool DJ is cranking out the tunes on the high seas as he cruises around the British Isles onboard the luxurious Regal Princess ship.
Micky Houghton, 50, returned to performing regular DJ sets onboard the £600m cruise liner last month after spending almost two years working as a driver after the Covid-19 pandemic shut down his primary source of income.
He said: "I boarded a month ago, and it's surreal to finally be back. To be sailing down the River Mersey, playing the tunes of Cilla Black and The Beatles to 3,000 guests is quite amazing."
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Micky, a dad of five, started DJing onboard cruise ships in 2019 - but just a year into the job, his life was turned upside down by the outbreak of Covid-19.
He said: "I started in summer 2019 and it was amazing. We sailed all over the world; Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, San Francisco. It was as an unbelievable journey.
"Once the pandemic hit, we were in Australia. For four weeks we were stuck on the ship with no passengers, sailing around the South Pacific looking for somewhere we could land and get a flight home. The crew was from all over the world. The majority were from the Philippines.
"Eventually we got to Malaysia, which let us in. There was no stopping - it was literally off the boat, escorted to the airport by armed guards, and out.
"The world was in shut-down, there was no entertainment, the cruise industry stopped and I got a job as a driver."
Now back on track as a cruise ship DJ, Micky spends his nights entertaining the Regal Princess' 3,560 passengers.
The £600m ocean liner berthed at Liverpool's Cruise Terminal on the Pier Head on Thursday as part of its 12-day round trip, which sailed from Southampton on Monday, June 25. From there, she headed onto Belfast, Glasgow, Invergordon, Edinburgh and Paris.
Micky said: "In the daytime I'm free to do my own thing. When we're in port I can get off, if not I can catch up on other things or prepare music.
"I start at 8.30pm, when I'll do a family disco involving the kids. Then I'll move onto the central bar, where we do party nights - Beatles nights, Abba nights - right in the heart of the ship. Once that's finished, I'll go up to the club and finish the night off with a disco and bar that's open until late."
He said: "It's nice to be back sailing on the ship, because it's like I've come full circle. After sailing all around the world, I'm back sailing in my home city, Liverpool.
"There's such a diversity of ages onboard. We've got from 18 right up to 80. One minute you can be playing Pitbull or Drake, and the next a tango and a waltz. I try to do a bit for everyone."
Hailing from Huyton, he said the British Isles cruise gave him the chance to share his local knowledge with passengers at Liverpool - and promote his favourite team, Everton FC.
He said: "The job satisfaction is amazing. It's a happy place and it's pleasant just to chat with people from all over the world, especially when we're sailing into Liverpool where I can give them the low-down on places to go and give them a bit of first-hand knowledge.
"Contracts can have you at sea for three to six months at a time, so sailing in the UK is great, because we dock in Liverpool every two weeks and family can come on board. That way I'm able to keep in touch with them."
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