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00:01For centuries, the call of the open sea has stirred the spirit of adventure.
00:07But today, the oceans welcome a new kind of voyager.
00:11One who sails, not in search of uncharted lands, but unparalleled luxury.
00:20It's not just a cruise ship, it's a floating gallery of art.
00:24For many of our guests, it's a realization of a childhood fantasy.
00:29Stunning, absolutely stunning.
00:31Cruise ships have reached new levels of opulence and decadence.
00:37The minute people step on board, you feel as though you have just stepped foot into another world.
00:42Cheers!
00:44There's over 2,000 square feet over two levels.
00:47The best caviar we have on board is $130 an ounce.
00:52Where every need is not only met, but anticipated.
00:57We serve fine dining.
00:59Our executive chefs, they are off the chart.
01:02Bryce, can I have two fish please?
01:05That is fabulous.
01:06That is very good.
01:07And the journey takes center stage.
01:10The destination is the ship itself.
01:12Cutting a swathe through the ocean.
01:25The Seven Seas' grandeur is one of the most luxurious cruise ships in the world.
01:31With voyages to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Europe, and transatlantic crossings, the ship combines luxury living with bold decor and refined style.
01:46The opulence and high-class elegance is evident across all 732 feet of this magnificent vessel.
01:55Once the guests board the ship, there is the wow effect.
02:00As soon as you enter the atrium and you see the spectacular chandelier and the marble and the design and the entrance.
02:07But like I tell the guests, it's just only the beginning.
02:10As everywhere you will go on board, any lounges and restaurants, you will find this touch of luxury.
02:17The ship hosts an exclusive multi-million pound art collection that's the envy of major galleries around the world.
02:27There are no less than 1600 pieces of mainly modern art on board.
02:33Among them, a cherry bonsai sculpture from the world-renowned glass art creators Savoy Studios.
02:42You can see here all the details, they have different shades of colours. Some are widely open, others are closed.
02:51The shimmering sculpture was created with custom-made bronze and hand-blown glass.
02:57It's absolutely stunning, particularly on this ship.
03:01People enjoy looking at different arts that they probably wouldn't get to see anywhere else.
03:07It's not just a cruise ship, it's a floating gallery of art.
03:11But the crowning glory of the ship's art collection is an iconic creation from one of the jewellery world's most historic and celebrated families, Fabergé.
03:28So I'm presenting to you our Fabergé egg. It's the only Fabergé eggs that reside at sea.
03:37It's very, very unique. And what I'm going to do here now is I'm going to open it as we do a weekly inspection of the egg.
03:47We have a policy on how to handle the Fabergé egg. So I have to wear the white glove every time. So very carefully.
04:04So here is our very special Fabergé egg.
04:08The outer shell has been skillfully crafted from 18-carat white gold and is decorated in a sea spray of pearls.
04:17It has been inspired by a cascading waterfall. And you can see the white pearls that represent the seas as well. We see the diamonds, the emerald, the enamel.
04:30Do you see the egg shaking a bit? Yes, I'm nervous. Yes, very much so.
04:37Having a piece of jewellery of this kind on board, yes, it adds a lot of value and luxury to the Seven Sea Grinder.
04:45It's a very beautiful piece of jewellery. I'm very proud to have it on board.
04:49And I will take it away and bring it to a safe place while we're going to do some cleaning of the box.
05:05The cruise liner's most exclusive suites, which can cost over £8,000 per night, come with a little extra.
05:14Their very own personal butler.
05:17We are in Grand Suite 902, and this is our top category suite.
05:25Meet Emmanuel, the ship's head butler.
05:28This morning he's making the final checks before a VIP guest arrives.
05:34We have the welcome champagne, and also the Grand Suite gets a welcome box of Leonidas chocolates.
05:42And a selection of welcome patifours from our exudative chef.
05:47For Emmanuel, no request is too much.
05:51It requires a great attention to detail.
05:54Guests expect a lot because they pay a huge amount of money.
05:58For the Grand Suite, we have one ounce complimentary caviar.
06:04And if one ounce doesn't satiate the palate, guests can peruse the decadent caviar menu.
06:10The best caviar we have on board is the Caspian Sea Ossetra.
06:15It's $130 an ounce, and most of our guests, they love to have it, along with a chilled bottle of champagne.
06:23In the top suite, the Regent's Suite, guests sleep on a 150,000-pound vividest bed, designed by the ultra-luxury brand Harstens.
06:40But the luxury in the bedrooms doesn't end there.
06:43We have a selection of different pillows that the guests can choose.
06:48Like a gel pillow, a water pillow, a memory foam pillow, and a buckwheat pillow.
06:53Ah, here I see something, Pichi.
07:08Silicon.
07:09Yeah, the silicon.
07:11On a ship where attention to detail is paramount, the crew are always on high alert for anything that could jeopardize their reputation for ultra-high perfection.
07:24As we're in a very, very luxury cruise line, we need to maintain the product as luxury as possible, and daily things may happen, like a shoe mark on the floor.
07:35It could be a scratch on a door.
07:40Oh, I see something here.
07:42I think we need to call the upholsters who have a mark.
07:46Attention to detail is something that we are very, very picky about, and we need to be.
07:51The clientele that we have on board is a high-hand clientele, and when they come on board our region cruise ships, they expect the highest services and standard in place.
08:07We want to guarantee that for them, when they come, they will find beautiful spaces, well organized, well taken care of, just like if you would be brand new for every guest that comes on board.
08:22All in place. Perfect.
08:28While cruising the world's oceans in lavish style is undeniably alluring, it's not everyone's idea of the perfect voyage.
08:36For those seeking a more curated journey on gentler waters, a river cruise offers the chance to slow down and immerse yourself in history and culture.
08:51Inside the elegant river cruise liner, SS Maria Teresa, named after the 18th century ruler of the Habsburg monarchy.
09:06Culture vultures blend luxury living with a taste of East European history and art on its journey up the Danube River.
09:14We have a lot of guests that they are really interested in the historic part of Europe. It's one of the reasons that our guests also choose our cruisers.
09:23The immersion in history and culture begins the moment guests step aboard.
09:35This is our entrance of our ship and our ships, all of the entrance makes a statement.
09:39And of course the super ship Maria Teresa is not an exception.
09:42You have the amazing painting of Maria Teresa.
09:45You have the wow factor.
09:47People enter, they see all of these mirrors.
09:50Wow, I can see myself everywhere. This is amazing.
09:55The mirrors alone are worth nearly £170,000 and the ship's interiors were inspired by Baroque architecture.
10:05The 16th to 18th century European style characterized by its dramatic, decorative and opulent expression.
10:13We have amazing marble staircase, brass handles handmade as well.
10:19And of course we could not forget our amazing Moreno glass chandelier.
10:24Worth over £15,000, it was handmade in Venice by master craftsmen.
10:30Specially made for our ship, completely exclusive. One off here, it's the centrepiece of our main lobby.
10:37The attention to detail when it comes to period charm is evident in the ship's spacious suites.
10:52We are now in grand suite of super ship Maria Teresa.
10:56The grand suite is described by being the most expensive and luxurious suite of our ship.
11:01And guests have the chance to have this amazing room with antique furniture.
11:07The grand suite costs nearly £10,000 a week, all inclusive, and comes with a private butler.
11:15It is superior to others because we do have a living room and we have a bedroom.
11:21The sleeping quarters feature a handcrafted bed from Savoy, the maker of the beds at London's historic hotel, the Savoy.
11:30While the cotton sheets have a luxurious 300 thread count.
11:35Here we have our luxury bathroom.
11:37The bathroom has been created with Onyx, a natural gemstone known for its extraordinary beauty.
11:46Onyx is a very special we use to show our luxury products.
11:52But it's not the interiors of the suite which are its most impressive feature.
11:57This is what they enjoy most, the view.
12:01The river Cousin, it's particularly beautiful because of this view changing every second.
12:07Every second you have a new picture in front of your window.
12:21While the guests enjoy a champagne welcome at the start of their voyage.
12:25Below deck, the butlers are receiving a last minute briefing.
12:33These people spend a lot of money to be with us, to enjoy and then to have fun.
12:39I'm expecting you to be at the top of your game.
12:42Do you have any questions so far?
12:43No questions.
12:44No questions?
12:45All right, off you go.
12:46Chop, chop.
12:47Thank you very much.
12:48As befits a ship steeped in so much history, there's even an old style welcome from the butlers to win the guests stamp of approval.
13:00We are writing letters to welcoming our guests on special way so they can feel valued and appreciated.
13:07We are having a boxing gun and a seal.
13:10This is how we treat our guests like royalty.
13:13The first time when they enter the room, this is the first thing that they're going to see.
13:17And this is how we start and end our cruise with them.
13:20If one was seeking a luxury cruise on an ocean liner whose name alone evokes history, prestige and royal ties, the Queen Mary, too, is just the ticket.
13:39The ship carries the proud legacy of Cunard, a company with nearly two centuries of luxury seafaring tradition and a long-standing connection to the British royal family.
13:56We've hosted royalty and we like to think that we also treat all our guests like royalty.
14:01A successor to the QE2, the world's only operational ocean liner, cost £460 million to build, carries nearly 2,700 guests and it's renowned for its style and elegance.
14:24There's a start point, an end point, but for me and for the guests, the destination is the ship itself.
14:43How's it going for the checklist? Good.
14:45The man entrusted with steering the luxury liner is making some last-minute checks.
14:513X, master, not long post, A's is on.
14:53It is a privilege, absolutely, and you do have to sometimes pinch yourself in the morning of being in command of such a majestic and iconic liner.
15:01This is the steering wheel. Sometimes people are quite surprised the steering wheel is quite small.
15:06But this is real power steering, of course. There's 76,000 horsepower at your fingertips here.
15:12We can maintain 28 to 30 knots, which is an extremely high speed for a ship, in almost any weather conditions across the North Atlantic,
15:19whereas most other ships will be left in our wake.
15:21Sailors always like tradition and one of the traditions we do have on board is the original telescope from the Queen Elizabeth from 1942,
15:29the Cunard liner, that came into service during the war.
15:32And this has been now carried by the flagship of the Cunard line ever since, as a good luck charm.
15:37And upholding tradition is something Captain Asim takes seriously, especially when it comes to the ship's VIP guest book.
15:47The first signature, I think, is one of the most important, and that was from her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II when she named the ship,
15:55accompanied by Prince Philip at the time on 8th of January 2004.
15:59And then the next day, Prince Edward came along.
16:02And it's not just royalty who stepped foot on the ship.
16:07So this is Ed Sheeran and then all the stars of The Greatest Showman, which was launched on board in New York.
16:13Everybody who boards the ocean liner gets to enjoy the luxury amenities.
16:21This morning, hotel manager Robert is making a final inspection to one of the ship's most opulent and expensive suites.
16:30We're in one of our Queen's Girl duplex suites. It's one of five. It has an interconnecting suite next door. All five can interconnect.
16:40The ship features some of the most spacious and luxurious apartments you'll find at sea,
16:45with this suite costing up to £2,000 per person per night.
16:51There's over 2,000 square feet of space over two levels. This is the main lounge area, and upstairs you have the bedroom area.
16:59The staff will also do their utmost to accommodate families who wish to socialise together in style.
17:07This is the adjoining duplex, which if you have a larger family, we can adjoin all the duplexes together, all five.
17:15We'll just put the final canopies there, and I think the room's almost ready.
17:22The Queen Mary II embodies regal tradition and royal heritage.
17:27While the Seven Seas Grandeur represents a new chapter, modern luxury reimagined for today's traveller.
17:37With a mere 774 guests on board a 224-metre cruise ship, one of the many luxuries the Grandeur offers is the copious space its lucky passengers get to enjoy.
17:53The fact that the ship is very spacious, and this is something I hear a lot from the guests.
17:59Even when we sail full, there is a lot of space on board.
18:02You will never see a guest lining up to go to a restaurant. There is space everywhere.
18:08You can find a place to relax, being with a crowd that doesn't happen on board our ships.
18:17Get your order, mango margarita.
18:20For you, madam. I'm Brazil.
18:21And a grand job.
18:23I'm grand job.
18:24Today, Londoners Charlotte and Joe are relaxing on the ship's spacious and elegant pool deck.
18:30Waking up in a new destination every day, you can't beat it. It's like a floating, luxurious hotel.
18:42Also aboard and on their first voyage on the ship are Mary and Paul from Devon.
18:48It's difficult to point out favourite bits because you just keep walking around the ship and it's just awesome all the way.
18:55You know, it's just all up to an amazing standard.
18:59I think it's the attention to everything that they've put into this ship.
19:04The decor, the furnishings, the standard of food.
19:09The cruise liner has a reputation for lavish luxury dining, where every meal is treated as a masterpiece.
19:20To ensure guests enjoy a range of sumptuous cuisine, there are no less than 80 chefs and seven restaurants on board.
19:30Part of the team that oversees the very best haute cuisine from around the world is the ship's food and beverage director.
19:40In this restaurant, we have a specific cuisine.
19:43We have a Pan-Asian restaurant, we have a French restaurant.
19:46We have an American steakhouse restaurant.
19:48We have an Italian restaurant and we have al fresco out by the pool deck.
19:52In the Compass Rose, we feature international cuisine.
19:55The Compass Rose offers a gourmet menu on a grand scale, making it the largest speciality restaurant at sea.
20:04But it's the style and opulence that leaves the strongest impression.
20:11The design of the restaurants represents enchanted forests.
20:16This beautiful pillar that represents the trees.
20:19And at night, you look out at the window, you see a reflection of the pillar and over and over and over.
20:26And it's really spectacular.
20:29The design is intended to evoke the feeling of dining beneath a canopy of trees.
20:35With intricate leaf patterns in the marble floor and hand-painted glass murals enhancing the effect.
20:42The opulence extends to the crockery, which has been designed by Versace.
20:49And the acoustics have been carefully curated to enable guests to dine in comfort.
20:57It's not a noisy restaurant.
20:59Even when full is 350 guests, the sound is very calm.
21:05In the dining room, our guests were expecting a lot from us.
21:12I think they found on board the experience they have been looking for.
21:19When it comes to after dinner entertainment, the ship is in a league of its own.
21:24While it is standard for cruise lines to host their own theatre,
21:27on this vessel, guests could be forgiven for thinking they've landed in New York's Broadway.
21:36The 470-seat Constellation Theatre is a magnificent two-deck, state-of-the-art complex
21:44with luxurious seating and performers and choreographers direct from the West End, Las Vegas and Broadway.
21:53Everybody's ready.
21:54We're going to do lift call afterwards.
21:55Lift call afterwards.
21:56And then all the notes are good.
21:57Fantastic.
21:59Today, cruise director Lorraine is overseeing a rehearsal for the night's performance.
22:05Our cast is in rehearsal for tonight's performance of Pasión, One Night in Buenos Aires.
22:10They're going through all of their notes for the vocalists,
22:13as well as the dance captain has already given notes to make sure that tonight's performance is impeccable for our guests.
22:18The spacious complex hosts high-budget productions that are transferred from the world's major theatres and uses cutting-edge technology to deliver super-high production values.
22:35We have huge LED walls that are behind here that give us even more visuals for our guests.
22:43Now, on a ship, space is a commodity, so we want to have as much visuals as possible with as least amount of props.
22:49So this allows us to give us a full effect for our guests visually in a show.
22:54I'm higher than the birds that fly from winter.
22:59We are so proud of our two-tiered theatres because it's a small ship.
23:02People often think it might just be small, but this is complete Broadway level.
23:06Never felt this good before.
23:21Good morning. Enjoy the sunshine?
23:23On board the majestic and regal ocean liner, the Queen Mary 2.
23:28All right, thank you. Enjoy there. You're not all.
23:30The captain is checking if the guest's voyage is ship-shape.
23:34Good morning, sir. How are you? All well.
23:37With its proud heritage and links to the British royal family,
23:41it's vital for the captain that his staff fulfil a two-century-old tradition
23:46of providing a gold standard service that's fit for a king.
23:51We are taking people in a way that we have done since 1840.
23:56And for so many guests, I think this is a bucket list item.
23:59Good morning. Enjoying the sunshine?
24:02Not a selfie of yourself?
24:04Oh, that's what I'm doing. It's just all me.
24:07Oh, thank you. Very checkered.
24:09The office and guest interaction is an integral part of the voyage experience,
24:13both for the guests and for us as the officers,
24:15and that was one thing that was instilled in us as soon as I joined Cunard Line
24:20and we actually went to finishing school after our cadetship
24:23and it was in effect trying to make the officer into a gentleman.
24:30Unsurprisingly, for a ship christened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,
24:36pampered pooches get the luxury treatment too.
24:40It's one of the few ships that allows pets on board,
24:43although sadly there appear to be no corgis on this cruise.
24:47It is another layer of luxury to have a dog kennel on a cruise ship,
24:51so I'm able to travel with my dog and come and see England.
24:56High five.
24:59In charge of keeping order is kennel master, Oliver.
25:03All right, Tim Kennels, let's go.
25:09While the dogs and cats are given a stretch by their owners.
25:13Come on, Miss Molly, this way.
25:15Okay, at the moment they are trying to get some proper exercise,
25:20stretching the legs.
25:22The kennel master is amazing.
25:24He really takes care of Molly and the other dogs
25:26while we're all, like, going around on the cruise.
25:30At the moment we have 14 dogs and two cats,
25:32but we have a maximum of 24 dogs.
25:34They've been enjoying ourselves on the boat.
25:37They love it. Absolutely love it.
25:40The care from Oliver is second to none.
25:43Unbelievable. We're so pleased.
25:45For the guests, it's vital that their pets
25:48also get to enjoy the VIP treatment.
25:52It's very luxurious.
25:54It's awesome. They're quite pampered, honestly.
25:56When they're on board, they are fed better than at home.
25:59She was fed really well. She got salmon every day.
26:02Oat cuisine is very much the order of the day on board the ship.
26:10Even the pet food is prepared by a top chef.
26:13We have to take care of our guests from the animal kingdom.
26:18So, all the best for them.
26:20If they require salmon, if they require filet steak
26:22or any other food, can be prepared on board.
26:26This evening, head chef Catalin is rustling up
26:29some handmade doggy treats.
26:31Special crunches, wheat and gluten-free for our pets.
26:35Rice flour, little bit of caramel powder,
26:38cinnamon, vanilla essence, water.
26:40We're going to mix everything.
26:43Because dogs are very loving animals,
26:45we have to give them heart-shaped cookies.
26:48Like everything we do, every single detail matters.
26:52Therefore, we need to brand the cookies.
26:55Now they're ready to go in the oven, 180 degrees for 12 minutes,
26:59and they're done.
27:00This is the finished product.
27:01And if the dogs, they don't like it,
27:03they can have a bone cookie for them to feel special.
27:06But I'm sure they're going to enjoy it.
27:11But it's not just the four-legged guests who dine in style.
27:15There are 360 fine wines on board from the best vineyards in the world.
27:20And the menu celebrates locally-sourced artisan ingredients.
27:33And for supper this evening, it's down to hotel manager Robert
27:38and food and beverage manager Glenn
27:41to ensure only perfection makes it to the plate.
27:44My job is to maintain the luxury dishes that we serve to our guests.
27:48So I like to taste as much as I can.
27:50I come to every tasting every day in every galley.
27:52It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.
27:54And I'm here to make sure that he does his job.
27:58Next up, one of the chef's signature dishes,
28:01roast saddle of lamb.
28:03So that's perfect.
28:05There's always a few challenges.
28:06Maybe less seasoning, maybe less salt.
28:07Maybe my tastes are not right.
28:08So if there's something we have to return back,
28:09we'll get a bit more of the chefs involved saying,
28:12what do you think is wrong?
28:13And then we'll try and correct it from there.
28:15Try the sauce.
28:16That is fabulous.
28:17That is very good.
28:19The Coquille Saint-Jacques is the next to face the taste test.
28:24Ah, very tasty.
28:25Yeah, it's very nice.
28:26And to Zers, now we'll try the souffle.
28:28But will the souffle rise to the occasion?
28:32It is fantastic.
28:33The taste is amazing.
28:35And you've got a slight crust on the top as this lovely.
28:37I can't find any photo in any of these feasts tonight.
28:41Good to go.
28:42That's another day you can stay.
28:49The luxury dining experience extends beyond the menu.
28:54There are eight different restaurants on the ship.
28:58And the most elegant of them is the Britannia,
29:02which spans two decks linked by a grand staircase.
29:06We're in the upper level of the Britannia restaurant.
29:09Rather opulent design, as you can see.
29:12This restaurant itself seats around 1,200 guests.
29:15We've got this lovely mural here.
29:17The 300 square foot tapestry is the centrepiece of the restaurant.
29:22And was designed by the Dutch artist Barbara Brokman.
29:25It's been woven especially for the ship.
29:28It's based on the original Queen Mary arriving in New York.
29:32The sheer volume of this restaurant could actually fit in Cunard's first ship, the Britannia, right inside it.
29:38On this most regal of ships, what could be more British than a spot of afternoon tea?
29:49At the timer, so just wait for the black soup.
29:51So we've got to wait three minutes now.
29:56Yes, that's right.
29:58It's sort of food.
30:00Oh, wow.
30:02But that's it.
30:04Sandwich?
30:05For Gina, who has come away with her mum and dad, Barbara and Jeremy.
30:10And fiancé Sam.
30:12This trip is a special treat to celebrate her 30th birthday.
30:19It looks like your ship's heart has got the memo.
30:23Beautiful, thank you.
30:26Oh, thank you.
30:31Oh, the birthday's been amazing, like a full circle experience.
30:35Yeah, to spend it with family.
30:37I don't get to see very often as well.
30:39It's been great.
30:41I said the food there, but we should miss that one.
30:44The cake is a really nice touch to finish off, a lovely afternoon.
30:47I think I'll have to go straight to the gym, but it's been lush.
30:51Yeah, it was fantastic.
30:52Really enjoyed the afternoon tea, traditional experience.
30:56You can't beat topping it off with some rose.
30:59Cheers.
31:09On the SS Maria Theresa cruise liner, where luxury living meets history and art,
31:14guests are granted exclusive access to highly sought-after cultural events.
31:20Today, the riverboat's art lovers are being treated to a private event in Vienna,
31:26solely for those on this voyage through Eastern Europe.
31:29We have a wonderful private experience, which is at Vienna's Art History Museum.
31:35It's a beautiful building in the museum quarter, and they open their doors for the public at 10 o'clock, right, in the morning,
31:41and it gets very, very busy and full of people.
31:44But our guests get to go before the building opens, so it's literally just for us.
31:48For Lisa, from Canada, the unprecedented access to art events and the chance to view masterpieces by Rubens, Klimt, and Vermeer is a major draw.
32:03I love art and culture. One of the beauties of this cruise is that they help us explore art and culture.
32:08If you look underneath here, there are no sketches at all.
32:20This is a stunning museum. It would be very unusual to be able to stand in front of a classic painting
32:28without anyone pushing or shoving or blocking your view, so this is very luxurious.
32:32Back on board, the guests are enjoying lavish fine dining.
32:51Can I have two fish, please?
32:53In one of the ship's four high-class dining rooms.
32:57One pasta. One spig medium. One onion pie, please.
33:03We serve fine dining, and it's not only well presented, but it's always really, really tasteful.
33:09Our executive chefs, they are off the chart.
33:15For Jed and his wife Kathy, who are from America, this cruise is a very special treat
33:22to celebrate a major milestone in his life.
33:24I've always had it on my bucket list to do the Danube, and my wife surprised me from my retirement,
33:30and booked this cruise, and I think it's just going to be a wonderful week and a half.
33:35With just 150 guests on such a large ship, many who are travelling alone appreciate how easy it is to socialise and make friends.
33:44I love the camaraderie. I've met already a whole bunch of new people. It's a great way to see the world, really.
33:52With a two-to-one guest-to-staff ratio, the service here feels far more personal than on most cruise ships.
33:59From the minute I walked on the ship, they make you feel special, and I think that is a sign of luxury.
34:07Up on deck, guests are enjoying the kind of up-close and personal views only available on a luxury river cruise.
34:15And for 50-year-old Deborah, the long journey from Australia has been worth it.
34:22Oh, it's extremely emotional. Look how gorgeous it is at night.
34:25So inspiring to make you want to travel even more.
34:28For Deborah and her daughters, Caitlin, Kimberly, and Kristen from New York, this trip is about reconnecting with her family history.
34:39My three daughters have taken me to where my roots are from, and Budapest, Hungary, Austria.
34:47You get to step back into some different eras and really feel this opulence all around you, and extreme luxury for sure.
34:58Cheers!
35:02This morning, excitement is mounting in anticipation of a strictly exclusive musical event in Vienna.
35:11We're going to see some Mozart in a private concert. I think we're all really, really excited for it.
35:19Private, only us, and getting to, like, experience some of the music of the destination.
35:24For Amy and Jess from Australia, the chance to attend a private Mozart concert in his home city is not to be missed.
35:34Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that you can't get everywhere. You just get to see the best things in the best way.
35:41It'll be something super different, and I've been looking forward to it all day.
35:44It's literally just for us, just for the guests from the Maria Theresa. And it's here in this amazing place. This is the Military History Museum.
36:00We have the concert taking place upstairs with a grand popola. There's a beautiful ceiling fresco, and we have an eight-piece orchestra that's a specialty for us.
36:10I believe that Vienna would be the center of classical music, and I just can't wait to hear the music tonight.
36:18It was so emotional and beautiful, and it was so cool that it was just us in here. It was private and exclusive, which is really special.
36:44The whole crews, they offer so many different things that are private, and it's just another really, really awesome experience.
36:57And with that, it's Goodnight Vienna.
37:01For centuries, the great clipper ships were the graceful giants of the oceans. Long, slender vessels with towering masts and billowing sails, embodying the spirit of adventure itself.
37:26Today, a cruise aboard a luxury modern clipper invites one to step back into that golden era and enjoy the timeless and romantic allure of travelling under sail.
37:39For many of our guests, it's a kind of realization of a childhood fantasy induced by reading books of a sailing adventure.
37:52They can experience the winds and the sea the way it used to be a hundred years back.
37:59Definitely a magical sensation of a sailing atoll ship.
38:03It's not just the deck of this luxury clipper that evokes nostalgia for the past.
38:16The minute people step on board, you feel as though you have just stepped foot into another world.
38:21There's a lot of nods here to the grand age of sail, where deep browns, rich mahogany's and the brass finishings really do make you feel as though you're on a ship from a hundred years ago.
38:33Even down to these columns here, the deep blues of the carpets, the leather finishings and the beautiful rosewood panelling.
38:41And the traditional decor and style extends to the guests' cabins.
38:47This is the main sleeping quarters. The sheets are luxurious, 300 thread count.
38:53We have portholes. We have the beautiful light fittings reminiscent of a hundred years ago.
38:58You've got the desk that you can sit at. You do feel like you've completely stepped back in time, so it is actually quite common that guests will write a letter home.
39:07This cabin, 40 metres squared in dimensions, and whilst a lot of the spectacle is up on the open deck, you want to feel that element of luxury when you're coming to sleep at night.
39:18As clippers are smaller and more agile than the huge cruise liners that dominate today's seas, they're able to sail into smaller harbours and ports.
39:28So the guests, just 227 on board this ship, get to enjoy some of the most hard to reach and stunning locations in the world.
39:41Today, the Royal Clipper, where sweets can cost nearly £12,000 per couple, is beginning its voyage from Venice around the Adriatic Sea.
39:51The front end will get pulled out, and we'll go round on that side.
39:56Oh, he's our dolphin.
39:58We shall see.
40:00For a tired couple, Mandy and Terry, the trip marks a very special milestone, Terry's 80th birthday.
40:08Cheers.
40:09Cheers.
40:10Happy birthday.
40:12Have a lovely day.
40:13I am doing, don't worry.
40:15There are worse places to spend your birthday.
40:18There are indeed, yeah.
40:20The trip is not the first time the couple have marked an important event on board.
40:25We got married on the ship and renewed our vows on the ship, you know, so...
40:30Eleven years later.
40:31We've got a lot of love and connection with the ship.
40:35Not only do clippers evoke the romantic age of sailing, but they also harness the wind's energy to provide up to 70% of the ship's power.
40:50It's a really sustainable way of cruising, relying on a completely abundant energy source, the wind.
40:57It's just going to be natural.
40:58But to help put the wind in the ship's 42 sails, it also requires some energy from the guests.
41:17Every evening, the guests can gather up on deck as the crew are pulling the sails manually.
41:24It's my favourite moment.
41:25It gives you goosebumps.
41:28It was very hard, wasn't it? I have to sit down in the end.
41:38It's dead emotional when you see the sails going up and you think, I'm on this ship.
41:46Penny and Mark have enjoyed cruises on clippers before, but it's their first time on this ship.
41:52It's a lot bigger than what we expected.
41:54But I'm just looking forward to getting off every day in little cities that we want to see and we know when they come back on board, we're part of the family.
42:04That's how they make you feel.
42:05Yeah.
42:06This morning, the ship has docked at Zadar in Croatia.
42:14The rims are so comfortable.
42:15Yeah, quiet.
42:16But it's just got that little bit of the rock.
42:19It just sways you to sleep, doesn't it?
42:20Yeah, yeah, yeah.
42:21Yeah.
42:22For sailors of old, climbing the rigging was part of daily life.
42:26A test of skill, balance and courage high above the deck.
42:31Today, on a modern clipper, passengers too can take to the mast, retracing those same steps into history and seeing the ship and the sea as generations of seafarers once did.
42:45This morning, 62-year-old Geoff from Nottingham, who's on his first ever clipper voyage with his wife Caroline, is facing his fears to fulfil a childhood dream.
42:58How's my hair?
42:59Good.
43:00It's good, yeah?
43:01Like this?
43:02Perfect.
43:03I'm not a big fan of heights.
43:04It's not the height, it's the falls.
43:07Oh.
43:08No, you didn't say like this, take this hand.
43:09Yeah.
43:10You say...
43:11This is perfect.
43:13It's perfect.
43:14Star Clippers provides quite a hands-on immersive experience in terms of the sailing element.
43:20You can steer the ship, help pull up the sails and you can climb up the mast.
43:25Today, it looks like it might be a bit windy, a bit creaky, but I'm sure it'll be absolutely fine.
43:35Go Geoff!
43:36Go Geoff!
43:37Come on Geoff!
43:38Come on!
43:39Come on!
43:42Careful!
43:44Keep going!
43:45Keep going!
43:48When they climb the mast, it's absolutely a great experience.
43:52Good so far.
43:54Getting to the crossover point.
43:57It's the feeling.
43:59The impression that you have is that you are dominating the sea.
44:03Okay.
44:09Woohoo!
44:11And the people are just amazed to live this experience.
44:16It's stunning.
44:17Absolutely stunning.
44:18You're in the middle of a sailing ship, a working sailing ship.
44:23I'm really proud of myself that I've actually got up there and done it.
44:27Success!
44:28See, I wasn't too old.
44:29On big ships, you have many technological things, let's say, like you can have a theatre, you can have a thousand things, but you're always inside.
44:42On creepers' ships, you live outside, you see the landscape, you see the ocean.
44:49But what goes up must come down.
44:51Careful!
44:52Hold on!
44:53Here comes the tricky bit.
44:54Come on, Jeff!
44:55Come on!
44:56I've got a pint ready!
44:57Thanks!
44:58A well-needed pint!
44:59Never mind seeing my beer, I've just seen my maker!
45:06Thank you!
45:11Thank you so much, so pleased to be on ground again!
45:19Well done!
45:20Thank you!
45:21Here's your pint, here's your pint!
45:22Well done!
45:23Cheers!
45:24The bit at the top when you switch over from sides is a little bit scary, but the view is amazing, the experience is amazing.
45:35I'll do it again.
45:46Safely back on deck, Jeff can spend the evening relaxing with his shipmates.
45:52Raise the glass.
45:53Too many crews to come together.
45:56So, cheers!
45:57Cheers!
45:58Cheers!
45:59Back on dry land next Monday, we're inside the world's most luxurious motorhomes at eight,
46:16and taking on the big players with a bargain revolution.
46:20Secrets of super cheap shopping, stream or watch Friday at eight.
46:23Next, we continue to piece together the picture as relationships teeter on the edge of implosion in summer water.
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