00:00Good afternoon, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers and also Chairman of the Festival of Chichester.
00:08And in both capacities, lovely to speak to Roger Malek.
00:11Now, Roger, you are speaking twice for this year's Festival of Chichester, Saturday, June the 28th at 2.30 and Friday, July the 4th at 6pm.
00:22Both events free, but book in advance.
00:24You are talking, you are extolling the virtues of going on a cruise.
00:29Now, you're saying popularity of cruising, growing all the time, no sign of abating.
00:34Why is it such a big thing, cruising? Why do people go? Why do people have a great time?
00:40Today, the traveller is looking for value for money.
00:44And what I would say to you, Phil, is there is no better holiday out there, value for money wise, than the cruise.
00:50And why? Because if you think about it, it is so many different holidays in one.
00:55Start by boarding in Southampton, for example. Your holiday might style there.
01:00But then think of everything that comes from there. First thing, you're going to have an evening meal.
01:05All your meals are included in your cruise price. So that's even before you look at the cabins.
01:10Cabin grades can be from inside cabins, ocean views, balconies, suites, whatever.
01:14All of this is incorporated in your cruise fare. You've also got the many entertainments on board, depending on which cruise line that you're on.
01:25Larger ships will tend to have the more grand ones, if you like.
01:29But there are very tastefully ones put together by the local crew as well.
01:33If you're on the smaller ones, sometimes cruise ships actually get local entertainment in when they call into port as well.
01:41All of these aspects are covered, whether you're travelling, you know, out of Southampton or whether you're doing a fly cruise.
01:48That will then include your flights to take you out there.
01:51Obviously, you're two weeks abroad or whatever it may be.
01:55But covering all these entities that I mentioned at the same time, where can you go, for example, West End show in London overnight and have a show for like £100 a night or £150 a night or whatever to cover all these wonderful aspects?
02:09Also, great opportunity to meet new people.
02:12That's a huge reason why certain segments of the market go and then they return time and time again.
02:18Clearly, so many reasons to go.
02:21But is the issue to an extent that there is almost too much choice, isn't there?
02:25How do you know you're getting the right cruise for you, that it's going to suit you?
02:29I think you would have to say, Phil, there you need the expertise.
02:33You need to go to the, if you like, agent or consultant that is going to have the right product for you.
02:41Important to be aware of things like size of ship.
02:44My cruise talk is going to be mainly focused, obviously, on the small ships, the river ships and the expedition ones.
02:50And these are a perfect way to travel on a cruise if you're not looking to be on one of these ships, which you've got multi-thousand people.
02:58So it's a bit more personal.
03:00It's a bit more individual.
03:01It's a bit more, you know, tranquil, but serene.
03:05And maybe one might call it living market.
03:08Cruise lines such as Oceania, fantastic cuisine.
03:11Been on that one very recently.
03:14There's Sea Dream, which is like a private yacht.
03:17There's the clipper lines, which are these high-mastered ships.
03:20There's literally those.
03:22Then there's the traditional ones that we all know about.
03:25Then there's tiny ones that cruise off Croatia on little weak packages, as it were.
03:31And then, of course, you've got to go to the smallest size of all, catamarans of 16 people that go to the Galapagos, for example.
03:39And, of course, never forgetting those of 100, 200 people, or maybe a few more that are going to do Antarctic and Arctic.
03:46So there is a world to discover out there.
03:51And to be honest, cruising is probably the best way in which to do it, I would say.
03:56Brilliant.
03:57And you will be helping people make all those choices in your two talks for the Festival of Rochester.
04:03That's exactly what I'm intending to do.
04:05And me and my team, and we look forward to greeting everybody that's going to come and join us.
04:09Fantastic.
04:10Brilliant.
04:11Great to speak to you.
04:12I'm sure the talks will go brilliantly.
04:15Bye.
04:17Bye.
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