A brand new TV series lifts the veil on what goes on behind the scenes on Virgin Voyages cruises, from unusual passenger demands to the seasickness of the crew.
channel 5New reality show The Cruise offers an “unfiltered, energetic look” into the lives of the crew and passengers on Virgin Voyages, with the first episode diving into the £500million episode Scarlet Lady as she sets sail from Miami on a five-day Caribbean cruise.
The ship, which was launched last year, is 278 m (912 ft) long, has room for more than 2,770 passengers and a crew of 1,160 – and has engines, engineer David tells us, that produce power that “dem.” Equivalent to about 600 family cars”. .
Channel 5’s new reality show The Cruise is lifting the veil on what goes on behind the scenes on Virgin Voyages cruises, with Scarlet Lady (above) starring in the first episode
The new series offers an “unfiltered, energetic look” into the lives of the crew (pictured) and passengers on Virgin Voyages
The journey gets off to a shaky start when it is revealed that a departing passenger has “vandalized” one of the 78 “Rockstar” suites, breaking several marble tiles in the designer bathroom. It takes a team of 16 engineers and crew to fix it before guests board.
Then we learn that the second-in-command, the British Georgia, is suffering from seasickness – and the wind is coming.
Another shake ensues when two Rockstar Suite guests miss their dinner reservations. It is Montenegrin “rock star agent” Selma who comes to the rescue.
It has emerged that a departing passenger broke several marble tiles in the designer bathroom of one of the 78 “Rockstar” suites
We learn that the second-in-command, Britain’s Georgia (above), is suffering from seasickness – and there’s a strong wind blowing
Rockstar agents make VIP passengers “feel like Richard Branson.”
By the time passengers board the ship, these rock star agents already know their preferences – what they drink, where they like to eat, and how they like their service.
Selma reveals that she works seven days a week and can’t call it a day until she’s screened every single one of her VIP guests.
When she learns the guests have missed their dinner reservations, cameras follow her as she dashes through the corridors to find them before quickly securing them a table at one of the more than 20 restaurants on board.
A shake ensues as two Rockstar Suite guests (pictured right and center) miss their dinner reservations
The voyage is smoother for cruise newcomers Damien and Paul, who admit they were under the impression that cruises are all about blue-rins and buffet meals before boarding the Scarlet Lady.
They are also guests of the Rockstar Suites and discover that their tickets give them access to exclusive parts of the ship and special attention from the crew.
“We embarked as rock stars, we’ll disembark as divas,” says Damien.
Damien (left) and Paul (right), who are cruising for the first time, admit they were under the impression that cruising was all about blue rinse and buffet food before boarding the Scarlet Lady
In his Rockstar Suite, Damien shows off the full bar with a “complete set for making cocktails.”
One couple insists they need a green drink ‘because it’s St Patrick’s Day’ Above is the drop the courteous crew prepared for you
They give the cameras a tour of their £4,000 suite, showing off the turntable, bathrobes with the word ‘rock star’ written on the back and a full bar with a ‘full cocktail set’.
The TV show reveals how most of the ship’s meals are prepared on demand and that occasionally unusual customer requests have to be catered for – one couple insist they need a green drink ‘because it’s St Patrick’s Day’.
Viewers will also learn about the delights of the Razzle Dazzle Bar. Here, cameras capture crew member Ryan entertaining passengers on a pub crawl that includes curated cocktails and drinking games at four different bars, and with a “slumber party” under the stars on deck ends. “Sir Richard Branson outdid himself,” says one of the happy revelers.
“Sir Richard Branson outdid himself,” says one reveler during their voyage on the Scarlet Lady
Viewers learn about the delights of the pictured Razzle Dazzle bar, where crew member Ryan entertains passengers on a pub crawl
Above is one of the Rockstar Suites. Guests in these suites are assigned a “rock star agent” who makes VIP passengers “feel like Richard Branson.”
And the extravagant evening entertainment doesn’t stop there. At a ‘dance party’ show, where the main prop is a pink PVC whale named Nugget, Scottish stagehand Callum is put on ‘whale wiggle duty’, which means he stands behind the giant whale throughout the dance performance and wiggles it back and forth to entertain the crowds.
Commenting on the series, Shane Riley, Vice President of International Sales, said: “We are delighted to bring our UK fans a glimpse of life below decks. It’s rare to see the inner workings of a cruise ship or follow the crew past the sailors’ time on board. That’s what makes this series so unique and fun to watch.”
Watch The Cruise on Sunday 19th June at 9pm channel 5 in the UK or stream it on My5. For more information visit www.VirginVoyages.com.
