James Leavey

James Leavey is the son of a German U-boat officer, grew up in London and now lives in Cowes.

He was the first person to write an advert for satellite TV in 1984, when he helped launch BT’s Firebird software – one of the UK’s most successful and influential games companies.

He has since written extensively on business, travel and leisure for over 100 publications including World Cruise Industry Review and is Britain’s most smoker-friendly journalist and broadcaster.

Editor of the world famous FOREST Guides to Smoking in London (and Scotland) and chief taster for Cigar Buyer magazine, he has smoked Havanas in voodoo ceremonies in Brazil, on stage at the Royal National Theatre in London, in Vienna’s sewers, in Dublin’s main prison, and on desert islands.

On his 60th birthday he christened the Churchill smoking lounge of Cunard’s Queen Victoria. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

He is also the former marketing and PR manager of Firebird publishing.

You can find out more about James at his personal website .

Read the latest entry from James every Friday. Subscribe today so you don’t miss a thing.

Posts by James Leavey:

• Granny takes a trip - 3rd Feb, 2012.
• Ole Blues Eyes takes a cruise (1 Comment) - 27th Jan, 2012.
• Snow man is an island - 20th Jan, 2012.
• Costa Concordia Incident - 16th Jan, 2012.
• Nip to Norway (2 Comments) - 6th Jan, 2012.
• Wassailing on New Year's Eve (2 Comments) - 30th Dec, 2011.
• Puss in Sea Boots - 23rd Dec, 2011.
• Bah! Humbug! A Dickens of a cruise - 16th Dec, 2011.
• Birthday blog from an ageing juvenile (1 Comment) - 9th Dec, 2011.
• Drop your cargo on a cruise - 2nd Dec, 2011.
• Wynken, Blynken and Nod cruise for Christmas (4 Comments) - 25th Nov, 2011.
• Istanbul, not Constantinople (2 Comments) - 18th Nov, 2011.
• Cruising goes to the dogs (2 Comments) - 11th Nov, 2011.
• Banging on about fireworks - 4th Nov, 2011.
• Cruising with the Count - 28th Oct, 2011.
• Julian and Sandy cruise Round the Horne (1 Comment) - 21st Oct, 2011.
• The ice bar cruiseth (2 Comments) - 14th Oct, 2011.
• Flirting with Florida? - 7th Oct, 2011.
• Cruise me to the church on time (3 Comments) - 30th Sep, 2011.
• North West to Alaska (1 Comment) - 23rd Sep, 2011.
• Be careful out there - 16th Sep, 2011.
• Jack Tar the Ripper (5 Comments) - 9th Sep, 2011.
• Pinch, punch, first cruise of the month - 2nd Sep, 2011.
• Strewth, Sheila, this must be Sydney (2 Comments) - 26th Aug, 2011.
• A flotilla of floating freaks - 19th Aug, 2011.
• Watch it, Matey (3 Comments) - 12th Aug, 2011.
• Splash, splash and away (3 Comments) - 5th Aug, 2011.
• Manners maketh a cruise - interesting (1 Comment) - 29th Jul, 2011.
• Get over it – on a cruise - 22nd Jul, 2011.
• Water, water everywhere – some with booze in it (2 Comments) - 15th Jul, 2011.
• What goes around... - 8th Jul, 2011.
• Belay that yarn and board a cruise vessel - 1st Jul, 2011.
• Smell my cruise (2 Comments) - 24th Jun, 2011.
• Take your time - for a cruise (1 Comment) - 17th Jun, 2011.
• The Good, the Cruise and the Ukulele (3 Comments) - 10th Jun, 2011.
• TV cruises for couch potatoes (2 Comments) - 3rd Jun, 2011.
• Saturday Night Cruise Fever (2 Comments) - 27th May, 2011.
• Don't forget to take your rubbish with you (1 Comment) - 20th May, 2011.
• I wanna wriggle to the Sargasso Sea (2 Comments) - 13th May, 2011.
• Ships that pass in the night (3 Comments) - 6th May, 2011.
• Meditate on a cruise (3 Comments) - 29th Apr, 2011.
• Easter bunnies take a cruise (1 Comment) - 22nd Apr, 2011.
• A nursery cruise (4 Comments) - 15th Apr, 2011.
• Spring for a cruise - 8th Apr, 2011.
• Let your fingers do the cruising - 1st Apr, 2011.
• The Magnificent Seven Sail (1 Comment) - 25th Mar, 2011.
• Five limericks for cruises on St Patrick's Day - 18th Mar, 2011.
• Put on a happy cruise - 11th Mar, 2011.
• Trains and boats and planes (2 Comments) - 4th Mar, 2011.
• Glad to be gray (4 Comments) - 25th Feb, 2011.
• Able hands promote ship's brands (5 Comments) - 18th Feb, 2011.
• Flag up a cruise (2 Comments) - 11th Feb, 2011.
• Got a sweet tooth? Take a flipping cruise (4 Comments) - 4th Feb, 2011.
• Be My Valentine Cruise (2 Comments) - 28th Jan, 2011.
• Books do furnish a ship (5 Comments) - 21st Jan, 2011.
• Booking the cooks for a cruise (4 Comments) - 14th Jan, 2011.
• Back to the future (1 Comment) - 7th Jan, 2011.
• Where are you sailing to, on New Year's Eve? (2 Comments) - 31st Dec, 2010.
• Mother Goose takes a cruise (3 Comments) - 24th Dec, 2010.
• Twas the cruise before Christmas (4 Comments) - 17th Dec, 2010.
• I saw cruise ships come sailing in (3 Comments) - 10th Dec, 2010.
• A muse on a cruise (4 Comments) - 3rd Dec, 2010.
• Green cruises save the waves (1 Comment) - 26th Nov, 2010.
• Chocolate cruises and dessert islands (4 Comments) - 19th Nov, 2010.
• Let's tune into a cruise (2 Comments) - 12th Nov, 2010.
• Coffee takes a cruise - 5th Nov, 2010.
• Trick or treat? Cthulu takes a cruise (1 Comment) - 29th Oct, 2010.
• Three Men In A Cruise Ship (To Say Nothing Of The Dog) (6 Comments) - 22nd Oct, 2010.
• A Century of Cruising (7 Comments) - 15th Oct, 2010.
• Watch this space, on a cruise (3 Comments) - 8th Oct, 2010.
• Islands in the Sun (3 Comments) - 1st Oct, 2010.
• Everest when you get to the top (3 Comments) - 24th Sep, 2010.
• Get a grip, for a longer cruise (4 Comments) - 17th Sep, 2010.
• Clear the decks, here comes the ship's comedian (5 Comments) - 10th Sep, 2010.
• The game of the name (7 Comments) - 3rd Sep, 2010.
• A vent at sea (7 Comments) - 27th Aug, 2010.
• My name is Harbra (2 Comments) - 20th Aug, 2010.
• Monkey see, monkey cruise (1 Comment) - 13th Aug, 2010.
• Playtime on a cruise (4 Comments) - 6th Aug, 2010.
• Cowes Week, in and out (5 Comments) - 30th Jul, 2010.
• It it's Tuesday it must be Naples (4 Comments) - 23rd Jul, 2010.
• Fun and games with Dick and Jane on a cruise (3 Comments) - 16th Jul, 2010.
• Cruising, for chavs and chavettes (17 Comments) - 9th Jul, 2010.
• Been there, seen that. Show me a cruise with a difference (4 Comments) - 2nd Jul, 2010.
• Seeing eye to eye on a cruise (1 Comment) - 25th Jun, 2010.
• All aboard The Luvvie Boat (6 Comments) - 18th Jun, 2010.
• Getting animated on a cruise (5 Comments) - 11th Jun, 2010.
• The Thames is no barrier to a cruise (9 Comments) - 4th Jun, 2010.
• Fork handles for the family (7 Comments) - 28th May, 2010.
• A cruise round the shipping forecast (5 Comments) - 21st May, 2010.
• Sherlock Holmes and the FIFA faffle (2 Comments) - 14th May, 2010.
• Shopping until you drop - anchor (2 Comments) - 7th May, 2010.
• Keep it in the family (8 Comments) - 30th Apr, 2010.
• Under the weather? Join the navy... (3 Comments) - 23rd Apr, 2010.
• Stay calm and carry on – on a cruise ship (4 Comments) - 16th Apr, 2010.
• Ready Steady - Yummy (1 Comment) - 9th Apr, 2010.
• Green Fingers Go Cruising (3 Comments) - 1st Apr, 2010.
• Havin a GR8 0-) crooz, M8E, wish u wur ere (3 Comments) - 26th Mar, 2010.
• When the going gets tough, the tough get cruising (3 Comments) - 19th Mar, 2010.
• Surf 'n' Sea - Internet Access on a Cruise Ship (8 Comments) - 12th Mar, 2010.
• Breakfast on a cruise ship (16 Comments) - 5th Mar, 2010.
• Flog it! And go on another cruise (1 Comment) - 26th Feb, 2010.
• What's opera? Dock! (2 Comments) - 19th Feb, 2010.
• New York, New York – so good you'll sail there twice (8 Comments) - 12th Feb, 2010.
• Disney Dream AquaDuck "Water Coaster" (3 Comments) - 5th Feb, 2010.
• Goldilocks and the Three Cruise Ships (6 Comments) - 29th Jan, 2010.
• Burns Night On A Cruise (2 Comments) - 22nd Jan, 2010.
• An Epic Adventure (7 Comments) - 15th Jan, 2010.
• Zen Cruising - Less Is More (2 Comments) - 8th Jan, 2010.
• Accentuate the positive – and have a Happy New Year - 1st Jan, 2010.
• Cinderella and the Magic Cruise Ship Part 2 - 25th Dec, 2009.
• Cinderella and the Magic Cruise Ship (4 Comments) - 18th Dec, 2009.
• A Fairy Tale Cruise for Christmas (3 Comments) - 11th Dec, 2009.
• The Guests Work For Cunard (5 Comments) - 4th Dec, 2009.
• Little goes Large at the Oasis of the Seas Naming Ceremony (15 Comments) - 27th Nov, 2009.
• Happy First Anniversary (3 Comments) - 20th Nov, 2009.
• I think, therefore I am – a 21st century cruise ship (2 Comments) - 13th Nov, 2009.
• Hold your own Olympics on Oasis of the Seas (9 Comments) - 6th Nov, 2009.
• A Ghost Cruise For Halloween (3 Comments) - 30th Oct, 2009.
• Cruising For Art's Sake (8 Comments) - 23rd Oct, 2009.
• Konnichiwa Tokyo (10 Comments) - 16th Oct, 2009.
• Outlaws Of The Waves (3 Comments) - 9th Oct, 2009.
• Scotch On The Rocks (11 Comments) - 2nd Oct, 2009.
• All Ashore Who's Going Ashore (4 Comments) - 25th Sep, 2009.
• X Factor Prepares To Board Strictly Come Dancing (4 Comments) - 18th Sep, 2009.
• A Cruise Round The Clichés (5 Comments) - 11th Sep, 2009.
• Shipboard to Blackboard (11 Comments) - 4th Sep, 2009.
• To Boldly Go Where Noah Has Gone Before (3 Comments) - 28th Aug, 2009.
• Watching Paint Dry With Goofy (6 Comments) - 21st Aug, 2009.
• Herfing in Hamburg – a Moveable Feast (5 Comments) - 14th Aug, 2009.
• The Next Giant Step For Mankind – Space Cruises (4 Comments) - 7th Aug, 2009.
• Cruising for Cowes (18 Comments) - 31st Jul, 2009.
• Read This. Then Wash Your Hands (1 Comment) - 24th Jul, 2009.
• Hairspray Meets Sea Spray (3 Comments) - 17th Jul, 2009.
• Busy Doing Nothing (3 Comments) - 10th Jul, 2009.
• Hola, Virgin, Take Me To Havana (5 Comments) - 3rd Jul, 2009.
• Dream Ships Can Come True (5 Comments) - 26th Jun, 2009.
• Racing For The Past (21 Comments) - 19th Jun, 2009.
• Santa Barbara: Between A Rock And A Hard Place (6 Comments) - 12th Jun, 2009.
• Watch The Birdies (7 Comments) - 5th Jun, 2009.
• I'll Cross That Bridge When I Come To It (6 Comments) - 29th May, 2009.
• Friends, Family & Whoopsy-Daisy (4 Comments) - 22nd May, 2009.
• Go To Blazes On A Cruise (3 Comments) - 15th May, 2009.
• Some Lines On Crossing The Line (6 Comments) - 8th May, 2009.
• Cats Ahoy (10 Comments) - 1st May, 2009.
• Don't Knock The Rock (3 Comments) - 24th Apr, 2009.
• The Long Goodbye And The Short Hello (3 Comments) - 17th Apr, 2009.
• My Easter Egg Is Cracked (5 Comments) - 10th Apr, 2009.
• To Insure Personal Service (8 Comments) - 3rd Apr, 2009.
• He Sells Sea Shares On The Sea Shore (11 Comments) - 1st Apr, 2009.
• Anywhere I Wander (5 Comments) - 27th Mar, 2009.
• Cruising Back To The Thirties And Forties (6 Comments) - 20th Mar, 2009.
• A Sight For Sore Eyes - At Sea (2 Comments) - 13th Mar, 2009.
• Cruise Fever (15 Comments) - 6th Mar, 2009.
• Betting On A Good Cruise (2 Comments) - 27th Feb, 2009.
• Belfast Bounces Back (4 Comments) - 20th Feb, 2009.
• I'll Take Romance (7 Comments) - 13th Feb, 2009.
• Dubai - Arabia's Magic Lamp (4 Comments) - 6th Feb, 2009.
• Upturning The Poseidon, And Other Disasters (3 Comments) - 30th Jan, 2009.
• Carry On Cruising, Doctor (3 Comments) - 23rd Jan, 2009.
• Tea At Sea - 16th Jan, 2009.
• Happiness Is A Happy Ship (2 Comments) - 9th Jan, 2009.
• In Search Of A Happy New Year - 2nd Jan, 2009.
• It's Virtually Christmas (3 Comments) - 22nd Dec, 2008.
• Take Your Partners – On A Cruise (3 Comments) - 11th Dec, 2008.
• Cruising For Trouble (5 Comments) - 4th Dec, 2008.
• Comedy At Sea (2 Comments) - 20th Nov, 2008.