On this first of two episodes of The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome David & Stephanie, a married couple that performs as an intimate musical duo—David plays the guitar and sings, and Stephanie sings. In October of 2022, David & Stephanie attained their longtime goal of their first contract as cruise ship performers. They were assigned to Carnival Elation. David is the creator of David Paige Music and is one of the hardest working independent artists in the business. Hailed as a truly gifted entertainer, the Chicago rock singer delivers a seamless blend of pop and rock with a 90’s twist. He was a finalist on VH1’s “Make a Band Famous”, has appeared on national TV, and has toured the United States from LA to New York – headlining venues like House of Blues in Chicago, The Mint in LA, and Bowery Electric in New York. He performs with his original band, The David Paige Band; an 80s and 90s cover band called The Student Body; and as David & Stephanie.
Stephanie is a classically trained vocalist with an impressive career, beginning with her first paid gigs at the age of eight. She eventually followed that passion out to New York to study musical theater at AMDA and worked as an actor and singer, with credits including an off-broadway musical, Mademoiselle Modiste. After college in Miami, Stephanie moved to chicago, where she has been performing consistently! She sings in a No Doubt tribute band called Don't Speak, and she sings and plays keyboards in the student body, the David Paige band, and of course sings in David & Stephanie.
Carnival Elation is the oldest, smallest ship in the Carnival fleet. Don’t take that as a slight however; near the end of their contract, Carnival Elation’s Hotel Manager informed the crew the Carnival Elation was selected as number one in guest satisfaction across the entire Carnival fleet. David & Stephanie loved that contract on Carnival Elation. But in the follow-up episode, OMG, wait until you hear where their next contract took them!
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Paul C. Thornton started writing at 58 years old incited by the task of delivering a father-of-the-bride speech at his daughter’s wedding. Told to talk about memories of Kina growing up; among Disney trips, high school sports, proms, and first boyfriends, Paul divulged the most powerful memory of all, when Kina was six and his life changed forever. At the end of the talk—as they say—"there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.” It was both liberating and cathartic to release secrets that had tortured Paul for 30 years. Needing to hold on to that feeling of release and empowerment, when he returned to his hotel Paul started his memoir, provocatively titled White Man’s Disease.
Paul’s just completed book, The Joy of Cruising Again, is his fourth; the third in The Joy of Cruising trilogy, and follow-up to the fun, upbeat, award-winning The Joy of Cruising, and Cruising Interrupted. The Joy of Cruising Again is the finale of the series but Paul won’t give up his passion. Besides continuing to cruise as much as possible, Paul hosts The Joy of Cruising Podcast, a weekly conversation with one of the dozens of passionate cruisers featured in the books and other global cruise personalities.
The cruise-themed books are a stark departure from Paul’s debut: White Man’s Disease, a memoir described as “gripping and inspiring” in the press release announcing it as the winner of the North Street Book Prize for Memoir and Creative Nonfiction about Paul’s harrowing brush with death, the journey of recovery from trauma, resilience and ultimately transformation. White Man’s Disease is at once poignant, sad, tragic, funny, and compelling. (And, if I could get a dollar for everyone who asks what White Man’s Disease means, I would be a wealthy man!) Despite their very different subjects, at the heart of White Man’s Disease and The Joy of Cruising Trilogy is passion and how passionate people do wondrous things. Paul just started a sequel to White Man’s Disease; a fun, and hopefully inspirational tale called Gracefully. In addition, he is planning a podcast series that deconstructs White Man’s Disease.
Paul is originally from Brooklyn and Long Island, New York. After serving in the US Army and simultaneously earning a bachelor's degree in business, he attained his MBA and then spent concurrently, 17 years in corporate management, and 23 years in small business ownership. After leaving corporate, he started a career in higher ed. He earned a doctorate, attained tenure as a business professor, and subsequently moved into administration in Dean or Executive Director positions before retiring in 2021.
Paul lives in Mooresville, North Carolina with his wife Cheryl and considers cruising with their children and grandchildren life’s ultimate escape. Paul longs to cruise as much as the people he writes about in The Joy of Cruising Trilogy.
