board the Royal Majesty .

But Mr. Dizon still thinks dodging bullets in civil wars is often easier than making money from snatching shots of passengers on the new St. George's cruise ship.

Working on a commission basis on the ship, the assistant ship's photographer has to use his arts of persuasion as well as his photographic skills to sell the shots.

And it is a far cry from his work in his home in the Phillipines where he was a freelance photographer working for Reuters news agency.

Mr. Dizon, 35, saw his photographs of civil wars and volcanic eruptions sent around the world.

And he has a scar to prove his involvement after a piece of shrapnel hit his leg during one revolt against Cory Aquino's government.

He said: "It was during one of the civil wars in the country. It put me in hospital for six months.'' But that is not his most vivid memory of covering the violence from his home country. He said: "We were covering the election in 1991 and I was in a crowd when I heard `brrrr, brrrr, brrrr,' the sound of tanks in the streets.

"The next thing I saw was a bodyguard close to me being hit by bullets from a machine gun. I just kept photographing as the bullets hit his body. I looked round to find the reporter and she was hiding.'' Mr. Dizon also found himself in a life-threatening situation when he helped to uncover a drug lord in the Phillipines.

"I was told that my life was in danger and I should get a bodyguard or go on a long vacation.'' Mr. Dizon was the first photographer on the scene when the volcano Mount Pinatubo erupted some years ago. His photographs were published in a book with proceeds, some thousands of dollars, going to the victims of the volcano.

Last year a friend told him of the job on the cruise ship but he was considering another offer from UNICEF. He said: "They wanted me to go to Vietnam to attempt to get pictures of the MIAs (Americans Missing In Action).

The money was very good, but they would not insure me. I said `no way' and took the job on the cruise ship.'' Nine months later he is still on the Royal Majesty and enjoying his trips to Bermuda -- although there is little time for relaxation working up to 16 hours a day.

FINDING PEACE -- Mr. Renel Dizon, assistant chief photographer on the Royal Majesty.