About Me
So, who is Doug Newman?
First and foremost, I’m a cruise ship, ocean liner and ferry enthusiast. I come from a family of cruise enthusiasts. I’ve been cruising since I was four years old, my dad’s been cruising since he was six… I’ve been surrounded by ships for a long time. So it should come as no surprise that I became a ship nut!
Today I’m lucky enough to be a freelance cruise travel writer. I decided I needed “a place of my own” on the Internet, even though I write for some wonderful online publications like Cruise Critic. This is the result.
In ‘real life’, aside from my writing, I study History at Stony Brook University, which is allegedly famous for some things, on Long Island, New York. (I was born in New York City and have lived in the area all my life.) Unsurprisingly, I’m especially interested in the history and architectural history of transport, travel and tourism, though I’m not studying much of it at the moment! More broadly, I am interested in modern history, from the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment onward. I am a proud member of maritime historical organizations like the Steamship Historical Society of America, the World Ship Society and the Ocean Liner Society, which I encourage everyone else with similar interests to join.
Some of my interests unrelated to work (ships and travel) or school (history) include photography, politics and current affairs. Really, I find most things interesting to varying degrees except math and sports. But my biggest passion is still ships and cruising. I like all kinds of ships and cruises, but I’m especially fond of small ships, old ships, or pretty much any kind of ship that’s a bit off the beaten trail. Carnival and Royal Caribbean are great, but if you want to get me really excited, don’t ask about Carnival Freedom or Liberty of the Seas, ask about Marco Polo! (Or don’t; I’ll talk about her for hours, so you’d better be ready for an earful!)
Anyhow, that’s probably more than you ever wanted to know about me, but I hope it gives you some idea of who I am and where I come from. I hope you enjoy this site and hope to see you out there on some ship someday!
If you want to chat, drop me a line using the Contact Me page. I’m always happy to hear from readers!
