WRAP > Career > TV > This Show

Appearance on Holiday 2001 (2001)

Presenter:
Craig Doyle

Produced by:
Gary Broadhurst

Editor:
Janine Waddell

Broadcast by:
The BBC

"[??]" is used to indicate uncertain transcription phrases.

Doyle : "Cruising is one of the fastest growing areas in the travel market, so we sent EastEnders actress Wendy Richard to the Caribbean Sea to try it out."

(A map of the Caribbean area.)

WR (voice-over) : "The ship GTS Millennium makes a seven-night round trip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to cruise through the eastern Caribbean."

(A external fly-by shot of the cruise ship in port.)

WR (voice-over) : "Ninety-one thousand tons, less than a year old, 24 knots cruising speed, eleven passenger decks, space for nearly two thousand guests: well, it's not size that matters on Millennium; it's quality."

WR (in a whirlpool hot tub, with her hair pinned up) : "Although I have cruised before, this is my very first visit to the Caribbean, and I can't wait."

WR (reclining in a lounge chair on the deck) : "And with a member of the crew for every two passengers, you need never want for anything." (to steward handing her a tropical drink) "Oh my, thank you, Hernando."

WR (as she enters and walks thought a stateroom) : "That goes for the cabins, too. Compact little bathroom (lovely shower), air conditioning, TV, and . . ." (in a whisper) ". . . the mini-bar." (sitting with a bounce on the foot of the bed) " . . . And a lovely, lovely, comfy double bed. Smashing."

WR (out on the stateroom's balcony) : "And the best thing of all about this ship is, nearly all the cabins have an outside view, and over 70 percent their own private balcony."

WR (voice-over. entering a much larger, nicer room ) : "But if you strike it lucky on the lottery, upgrade to a grand suite like this, complete with personal butler, and more than a few luxurious benefits."

Butler (knocking on the door and ringing the doorbell) : "Miss Richard? May we have the suite back now please....?"

(With feigned annoyance at the interruption, Wendy looks up from the paperback she's reading -- which appears to be a copy of the new Penguin paperback edition of Gilda O'Neill's work My East End.)

WR (voice-over) : "The ship has the largest exercise and beauty spa at sea: all 25,000 square feet of it."

(In the next scene, Ms. Richard is luxuriating in a whirlpool "milk" bath.)

WR : "This must be the ultimate relaxation treatment.. This is the 'Cleopatra milk bath', and I have to say that it is wonderful."

WR (voice-over) : "But unlike Cleopatra, I'm not bathing in real milk; it's purely cosmetic."

(External view of the ship.)

WR (voice-over) : "The ship is state of the art, as I discovered on a special bridge visit with the captain."

WR (on the ship's bridge) : "That's all that's left of the ship's wheel, is it? It's like a toy car wheel."

(They chat further.)

WR (voice-over) : "By day five, we had already visited Puerto Rico and docked at Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic. With a casino, plenty of shops, an Internet cafe, and food available 24 hours a day, I was so busy on board, until we reached St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands."

(shot of St. Thomas' harbor.)

WR (voice-over) : "St. Thomas attracts rather a lot of cruise ships, which can mean around 8000 passengers heading straight for the duty-free shops."

(Wendy enters a souvenir shop and browses the jewelry counters. The next shot of her is on a very scenic overlook above the main harbor of St. Thomas.)

WR : "But up here at Paradise Point is where you get some of the best views of the island. If you have a head for heights, there's the cable car. Unfortunately, a cable car ride is not for me; I can't even wear high heels now. I have no head for heights at all."

WR (voice-over) : "The ship dock for as little as eight hours, so plan ahead. You can't go wrong with a visit to Magen's Bay, twenty minutes away."

(Wendy walking on a sandy beach.)

WR (voice-over) : "The beach is a mile long, and was once voted by National Geographic as one of the top ten most beautiful beaches in the world."

(Wendy, window shopping on the street in Nassau.)

WR (voice-over) : "By day seven, the ship arrives at its final destination: Nassau, in the Bahamas. It's busy, and once again there are hundreds of duty-free shops, but just a short boat ride takes you to smaller islands, like the Blue Lagoon."

(Beach panorama)

WR (sitting on the beach) : "Isn't this beach just divine? Look at those breakers. As far as I know, it's not classed in the top ten in the world, but it gets my vote any day. . ."

(Back on board, shots of restaurants and dance floors.)

WR (voice over) : "At night the ship is lively, there's dancing, five bars, and three restaurants, with menus devised by Michel Roux."

(Wendy seated at a table in the dining room.)

WR : "Here I am in one of the most elegant dining rooms afloat. Just look at these wonderful wood panels. They all came from the RMS Olympic, which was the sister ship to the Titanic. But look at the way the table is set out; it's magnificent. Beautiful silverware, crystal, fine bone china, and excellent wine."

(More evening scenes.)

WR (voice-over) : "You can dine morning, noon, or night in the Metropolitan Restaurant. On the last evening, I was granted a special invitation: dinner at the captain's table. But all eyes were on Lillie, who traveled from England to celebrate a very special birthday in style."

(a short feature on a fellow passenger celebrating afloat her 100th birthday!)

WR (walking down on the stairways, dressed as if she'd just come from dinner) : "I can understand why more and more Brits are taking to cruising. It's definitely the life on the ocean waves for me. And before you say "Oh, well, it's so expensive", remember that once you buy your cruise ticket, that includes all your food and of course all your entertainment. There's one thing for sure on this ship: there is no weakest link." (She winks) "Good-bye!"

(Doyle then discusses ticket and vacation cost data. He states the celebrity suite is more expensive, but notes it "does come with your own personal butler, and how would you get by without him?")