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Cruising to the Ends of the Earth (2026) Season 1 Episode 1
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00:00Some cruise ships venture beyond the expected
00:05to reach the very ends of the Earth.
00:08Welcome to the moon.
00:11Traversing frontiers,
00:13heading off the beaten track
00:16and traveling far, far into the wilderness.
00:23Encountering Japan's majestic Mount Fuji.
00:27Isn't that amazing?
00:30It's sacred shrines.
00:32Look at that.
00:33Wow.
00:35And dazzling cities.
00:39Uncovering the magnificent sweep of Alaska's frozen glaciers.
00:43Wow.
00:45The hidden nooks of South Korea.
00:50And the beauty of the ancient Mediterranean.
00:53This is stunning.
00:56Crossing continents.
00:58Almost.
01:00Into some of the most diverse destinations.
01:04I've never seen anything like it.
01:05In the world.
01:07This is going to be one of those things that stays with me for a long time.
01:12This time, in Alaska, husky dogs melt hearts.
01:17This is genuinely one of the best days of my life.
01:20Well, thank you.
01:22And in Japan, a low-hanging landmark proves a tall order.
01:27To pass under the bridge is always exciting for me.
01:37To pass under the bridge is always exciting for me.
01:40Yokohama, Japan's second largest city.
01:45One of the first Japanese ports to open to foreign trade in 1859.
01:50It soon became a major hub for innovation and western influence.
01:56On a clear day, the imposing 70-storey landmark tower offers stunning 360-degree panoramic views of both the city
02:05and Mount Fuji.
02:07The tallest mountain in the country at over 3,700 meters high.
02:17Located just 22 miles south of Tokyo, nearly 40,000 ships pass through Yokohama port each year.
02:27Modern day cruise ships first set sail in Japan in the 1980s.
02:32And today, the sparkling Diamond Princess is one of the most majestic liners traversing Japanese waters.
02:42Japan consists of four main islands and over 14,000 in total.
02:48This stately ship is about to depart on a grand 19-day voyage,
02:53taking in three of the country's largest islands.
02:57Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku.
03:00And crossing the Sea of Japan to the bustling city of Busan in South Korea.
03:08Built in Nagasaki, this immense vessel is an impressive 290 meters long and 37 and a half meters wide.
03:17A scale equivalent to 272 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
03:23Spread across a vast 18 decks are eight elegant dining rooms,
03:29serving international cuisine, including authentic Japanese sushi and ramen.
03:36The vast vessel also boasts four swimming pools, a casino,
03:41and a luxury wellness center with exotic Izumi baths,
03:47modeled on traditional Japanese onsen, the largest of their kind at sea.
03:57Preparing the ship to leave port...
04:00For today's departure, I will be the navigator.
04:03Remember to speak up if you are in doubt or you have any concerns.
04:06OK? Good.
04:07Our Italian captain, Marco Cataldi, along with second officer, James, from Wakefield.
04:14You see our bridge?
04:16And third officer, Charlie, from Stockton RTs.
04:20Working on a cruise ship, it's good fun.
04:22It's a job that allows me to travel all around the world.
04:25I've actually visited all seven continents, which is something that I can say is an achievement of mine.
04:31Japan as a country is really cool.
04:33Like, it's an experience I never thought I would have.
04:35The culture is very different to the UK, very different to Teesside, but I love it.
04:41Before Captain Cataldi can give the order to slip lines and put to sea,
04:46there's an important traditional Japanese ritual to perform.
04:50We now go to Deck Fabi Piazza as I am to attend the sake barrel ceremony.
04:57Sake is a traditional Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice.
05:02The ceremony involves cracking open a barrel of sake with a wooden hammer
05:07and sharing it with thousands of the ship's guests.
05:11Breaking the barrel represents new beginnings,
05:14and the sake shared with guests is believed to bring good fortune and prosperity.
05:20And considering that this is a typhoon season in Japan, we need it.
05:26I always enjoy, because I like to do the traditional ritual,
05:30so it's always nice to attend this event.
05:33Before conducting the ceremony, the captain and his fellow crew members
05:37must don Japanese robes.
05:39It says Nippon, which is Japan.
05:43Well, a very good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
05:47Welcome aboard Diamond Princess Kanichiwa!
05:52A lovely round of applause for Captain Marco Cataldi!
06:02Hirooshi!
06:02Now there's a very special word, Hiroshi, when we hit the barrel, right?
06:06So we say 3, 2, 1, Yoisho!
06:10Yoisho! Captain, are you ready?
06:12Are you ready, gentlemen?
06:14Here we go. Are you ready?
06:163, 2, 1, Yoisho!
06:23And everyone is going to receive a glass of sake.
06:28Cheers!
06:30Derek, Yvonne and daughter Kerry, from Northamptonshire,
06:33are getting acquainted with this local tradition.
06:36That's not why I was imagining it.
06:37It was alright, yeah.
06:41If you see me dancing on the ceiling.
06:44But the sake ceremony is not the only routine that needs to be carried out before the ship sets sail.
06:52At the entrance to the harbour is the impressive 860-metre-long Yokohama Bay Bridge.
06:59The structure, built in 1989, is 55 metres above sea level,
07:04roughly the same height as the tallest point on the Diamond Princess.
07:09Before it can reach open sea, the ship must squeeze beneath the bridge.
07:14But a mast towards the rear of the vessel is simply too tall to clear it safely.
07:18So it needs to be lowered.
07:20It sounds quite simple just lowering a mast, but it's quite a lot to go into because it's high up.
07:24We need to wear the safety harness.
07:26And then we have to use the winch to slacken the wire, so it's quite a big process.
07:30To reach the mast, which holds a navigation light,
07:34the crew must scale the ship's daunting 54-metre-tall funnel.
07:40It's quite a big ladder. It's a little bit far, but it's okay.
07:44We've got all our safety gear on, so we'll light up there now.
07:49Let James go first.
07:57So we're now at the top of the ship, we're at the funnel.
08:01To lower the mast, 3rd Officer Charlie must climb even higher to remove a locking pin that holds it in
08:07place.
08:08At the same time, 2nd Officer James slackens the support wires.
08:16Okay, lower in the wire.
08:18Okay, remove the pin.
08:19Pin removed.
08:20Pin removed.
08:21Going down.
08:23And 2nd Boson, Ramon, winds the telescopic mast down.
08:29But even with the mast down, it's still going to be a tall order navigating the vessel under the bridge
08:36with only minimal clearance.
08:43Nearly 5,000 miles away, at the bustling port of Seattle, the sixth largest in America, another vessel in the
08:53fleet, the Royal Princess, is also preparing to set sail.
08:59Seattle is situated at the northern end of the west coast of America, on the same latitude as Zurich.
09:05The city lies in the shadow of the 14,000-foot-high active volcano, Mount Rainier.
09:13And is famous for its iconic 600-foot-high space needle, an observation tower that opened in 1962 as a
09:21futuristic landmark, symbolizing the space age.
09:29In a few hours, this regal vessel, christened in Southampton in 2013 by the then Duchess of Cambridge, will be
09:39voyaging on an epic eight-day journey north, to the remote wilds of Alaska.
09:45Traveling to around 700 miles south of the Arctic Circle, to destinations including the capital Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Glacier
09:56Bay.
09:58Where, on board, over 4,000 guests will encounter breathtaking glaciers and spectacular wildlife, on their journey through the rugged
10:09and awe-inspiring landscape of America's last frontier.
10:18Among those who've signed up for this epic journey are a family from Preston in Lancashire.
10:23Mum Louise, who's travelling with her daughter Beth, and future son-in-law James.
10:29Look at the size of this. How on earth does that float?
10:35Also, one thing is, do they have a wheel?
10:38If they don't have a wheel, I'm very disappointed.
10:40Like a wooden one.
10:43I've never been on a cruise before. This is my first time on a ship of this size and stature.
10:49It's going to be a truly out-of-this-world experience for everyone.
10:53And eating my body weight in croissants is definitely on the to-do list.
10:58Do you know, I was expecting, like, a gantt plank.
11:00You know, like a single plank that you like, you should...
11:02What, like pirates?
11:04No.
11:05Going off the plank.
11:07That's walking the plank.
11:08I'm not scared of many things, but the sea scares me slightly.
11:12Getting on a ship and...
11:13And if it starts to go down, what the hell do you do?
11:18I mean, I can swim, but I can't swim that far.
11:24Looking out for them is Guest Services Director Amanda from New Jersey,
11:30who's been working on cruise ships for 13 years.
11:33I am absolutely obsessed with boats.
11:36I have been obsessed since I was little.
11:38My grandfather was a merchant mariner, so he was on boats.
11:42I grew up coming on cruises a couple of times a year,
11:45and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, and ended up on Guest Services.
11:51Hello, welcome.
11:54We have to make sure that the guests and the luggage are on board,
11:57so that we sail on time.
11:59So, I'm finding out if we have any late flights, any delayed buses,
12:03and that brings me to about, you know, halfway through my day.
12:06I will relax once the guests have a drink in their hand,
12:09then they start to have a good time,
12:11and that means that we've done our jobs,
12:13and Turnaround Day was a success.
12:14But until then, we keep going.
12:20With the royal princess being readied for departure,
12:23and thousands of guests excited to set sail,
12:27there's a snag for Amanda and the crew.
12:30They discovered that our people are missing.
12:35We have a bus with 50 guests that left the airport,
12:38and they have been in traffic for about an hour,
12:42and they still have about 20 minutes to go,
12:43and we are getting really close to sail away time,
12:46so we are going to check with the captain to see
12:48if we are going to wait for them or if we have to go.
12:50It's all up to captain now.
12:54Last minutes, not to go.
13:08In the northern Pacific Ocean, 17 miles south of Tokyo, is Yokohama.
13:15This dazzling city is famed for its sparkling waterfront skyline,
13:20and serves as a gateway for cruise ships to explore over 18,000 miles of Japan's coastline,
13:27the sixth longest in the world.
13:29Aboard the distinguished Diamond Princess,
13:32a navigation light mast has successfully been lowered,
13:36and the ship is ready to depart.
13:39In order to reach the open sea,
13:42Italian captain Marco Gattaldi and his team
13:45are now facing the daunting task of navigating this 18-deck super vessel
13:51under the low Yokohama Bay bridge that spans the harbor.
13:57I concur, the ship is committed for departure.
14:10I always like to sound the whistle.
14:21Excited for the voyage ahead
14:23is regular cruiser Matthew from Carmarthen,
14:26who is keen to capture every moment.
14:30I'm a photographer by trade, but whenever I'm on holiday,
14:34it's a bit of a busman's holiday, you know,
14:35so hopefully get some nice shots of the departure here.
14:39Joining Matthew on this adventure
14:40are his wife Louise and eight-year-old son George.
14:44I wouldn't say I'm married to my camera.
14:47Legally.
14:48But it is my bit on the side.
14:53Oh, we're leaving.
14:56We are indeed.
14:57There we go.
14:58Oh.
15:00Cheers.
15:02At the front of the ship,
15:04the navigation crew are preparing to conduct the tricky manoeuvre
15:07under the Yokohama Bay bridge.
15:10But it seems that today,
15:12the bridge isn't the only tricky obstacle in their path.
15:16Traffic outside,
15:18there's maybe three or four vessels coming from the outside.
15:21The harbor is bustling with smaller boats that they need to bypass
15:25before tackling the low-hanging landmark.
15:30Start to come to Istanbul now, okay?
15:36To pass under the bridge is always exciting for me
15:40because the clearance is just two meters.
15:44So if you think about two meters,
15:48two and a half, I mean, it's not that much.
15:52Just passing under the bridge.
15:55Okay, so we're increasing to 14 knots.
15:58Increasing to 14.
16:01Finally clear of the bridge,
16:03open ocean awaits as crew and guests begin an epic journey of discovery
16:08that will take in some of Asia's most stunning sights and experiences.
16:12Everything went well, so I'm very happy.
16:16Another adventure will begin.
16:23Worlds away, on the other side of the Pacific Ocean,
16:28is America's bustling port of Seattle.
16:32Still docked in port,
16:34the elegant royal princess should have set sail for the rugged wilderness of Alaska,
16:39but it's been delayed by stragglers held up in traffic.
16:44On a strict schedule,
16:46there's finally some good news for Guest Services Director Amanda.
16:54They're on board. We're good to go.
16:56Bravo. Very fast. Excellent.
16:58Strike it again with Zico.
17:00They're on board. We're good to go.
17:03Start thrusters.
17:06Testing.
17:09Heading to America's 49th state,
17:12this impressive vessel will be visiting destinations including Juneau,
17:17Ketchikan and Glacier Bay.
17:25We're literally going to Alaska.
17:27We're actually here right now.
17:29After all this planning.
17:31So surreal.
17:36With the Alaskan voyage finally underway.
17:44In Japan, the 290 meter long diamond princess has dropped anchor in the stunning city of Aomori.
17:53Located at the northern end of Honshu, the country's main island, Aomori is less than 350 miles from Russia.
18:03The 115,000 gross ton super vessels arrival coincides with the spectacular Nebutar festival.
18:11A globally famous celebration to mark the end of the busy summer farming season.
18:18An important part of Japanese culture, there are around 300,000 festivals held across the country each year.
18:26But Aomori Nebutar stands out from the crowd with its grand procession of illuminated floats, believed to chase away bad
18:35spirits, and its stunning nighttime firework display.
18:43For Carmarthen couple, Matthew and Louise, and their eight-year-old son George, the colourful and exciting celebrations are set
18:51to be the highlight of their adventure in Japan.
18:55Isn't it awesome?
18:56Yeah.
18:57Yeah.
18:57Oh, not too wet.
19:00We're visiting in August, which is when you tend to get the best of the summer festivals here.
19:07Aomori Nebutar festival is going to be a real feast for the senses, really looking forward to seeing it.
19:16Tour guide Yuko, who hails from near Yokohama, is on hand to introduce her country and culture to the Welsh
19:24family.
19:25I'm Louise.
19:26I'm Yuko, pleased to meet you.
19:27Matthew, pleased to meet you.
19:28And this is George.
19:30George.
19:34The Nebutar festival was originally intended to ward off sleepiness in the summer.
19:40In summertime, it's very, very hot.
19:43Nebutar means drowsy, sleepy.
19:46So Nebutar festival, yeah, to wrap up the spirit.
19:52Each year, around 20 paper floats take part in a daytime pageant.
19:57And the traveller's first stop is an opportunity to see the best ones from previous years.
20:06Oh, look at these.
20:08Wow.
20:09Isn't that amazing?
20:10Yeah.
20:11Yeah, it's good.
20:12Can you believe that's paper?
20:15These intricate displays of craftsmanship depict ancient warlords, historical stories, skulls and evil spirits.
20:24They are built with wire to create a sturdy frame and then covered with traditional Japanese washi paper.
20:31Each float can be up to nine metres across and five metres high and takes up to a year to
20:38design and build.
20:39Costing around £100,000.
20:47For professional photographer Matthew, being up close to these colossal creations is truly inspiring.
20:55They are absolutely extraordinary.
20:57I just can't get my head around the craftsmanship that goes into these because these are quite exquisite pieces of
21:05art here.
21:11Outside, the festival's daytime parade has kicked off, with 23 elaborate, intricately designed floats taking part.
21:21Well, look at that.
21:24Celebrating in Japan's typhoon season means rain is inevitable, but the locals have come prepared with nifty plastic ponchos to
21:33protect their months of hard work.
21:36It's a competitive procession in which the three floats deemed to be the finest will take part in a night
21:43-time lap of honour around Aomori Bay.
21:53As the parade passes through the city centre, the floats are accompanied by special Nebuta music bands and dancers known
22:01as Hanetos, who wear traditional Japanese kimonos and colourful Hanagasa Japanese flower hats.
22:16A bit different to what we're used to back home.
22:19You don't really get this on a rainy day in Commander.
22:26I love this one.
22:29Do you like the frog?
22:33I feel I've got a bit more...
22:34Energised?
22:35Yeah, energised.
22:36Who needs coffee?
22:37No.
22:37Oh, good.
22:38I'm gonna make one when I'm getting home.
22:41Gonna make a float?
22:42Yes.
22:42Okay.
22:43In search of some tips for George's next craft project, Yoko has arranged for the family to meet Yuki.
22:52He's a Nebutashi, or Nebuta master, who has designed and built one of the impressive floats in this year's parade.
23:01How long does this take to build?
23:03How long does this take to build?
23:07How long did you build this?
23:07About six months.
23:10Wow.
23:12Long time.
23:14Unfortunately, Yuki's float has been placed seventh, so won't be taking a lap of honour on the waterfront later tonight.
23:23I feel like dying.
23:26Well, we think you're number one.
23:28I think we're number one.
23:32You could feel the passion he had for it.
23:35And the fact that he was so upset, well, you know, you feel for him.
23:39Brings you hard.
23:40Yeah.
23:40So all of that, you know, six months of building, six months of designing, and it's gone in an instant.
23:47But with the heavy rain not letting up, not even the three winning floats are guaranteed their lap of honour
23:54this evening.
24:00Over 3,000 miles away, in the untamed wilds of Alaska,
24:07The magnificent royal princess has arrived at the remote city of Skagway.
24:14Located at the northern end of the Tyre Inlet, 86 miles from the state capital, Juneau, Skagway is a gold
24:21rush town frozen in time.
24:24In the late 1800s, it was the starting point for thousands of prospectors heading to Alaska's gold fields in search
24:32of untold riches.
24:33To the southeast lies Denver Glacier, stretching over eight miles across the coast mountains to the border with Canada.
24:43During the last ice age, the area was completely covered by a vast mass of glacial ice.
24:49Nowadays, only about 4% of the state is frozen.
24:57Amongst the excited guests eager to venture off the beaten track are Louise and her soon-to-be son-in
25:04-law James from Preston in Lancashire.
25:07They're travelling as a trio with James's fiancée, Beth, but today, Louise and James are heading off on a thrill
25:14-seeking adventure of their own to the top of a nearby glacier to meet a team of huskies.
25:21I'm really looking forward to it. It's so brittle.
25:25If it's in the views that we're getting from down here, I don't know what it's going to be like
25:28when we get up there.
25:29Yeah.
25:30It's a chance for the pair to get to know each other a bit more.
25:35It's an unexpected duo. I mean, that's the only best way to put it.
25:39We don't usually hang out in private like this.
25:41I'm willing to suffer for the day.
25:44That's just rude.
25:45You know I'm engaged to your daughter, right?
25:47Yeah, for now.
25:51And in the spirit of adventure, the dynamic duo are travelling up to the glacier in style.
26:00Yellow line, Louise. Yellow lines. In the yellow lines.
26:04I'm so excited.
26:07Are we good to go?
26:09There we go.
26:12How are you feeling, Louise?
26:14Nervous.
26:26In Skagway, in southeast Alaska, around 680 miles south of the Arctic Circle,
26:34Louise and her future son-in-law James are taking a seven-minute flight up to Denver Glacier,
26:40one of the 100,000 remaining in Alaska.
27:00It gives them the perfect opportunity to take in the stunning scenery of the Tongass National Forest,
27:06America's largest.
27:12So tired.
27:14At the summit, it's not just the local inhabitants eagerly awaiting their arrival.
27:19Dogs!
27:24And it seems the awe-inspiring scenery has left Louise falling for her future son-in-law's chance.
27:38The dramatic helicopter ride has made a big impression on the pair.
27:42There was one peak which was 5,000 feet in the air and you're sort of sat in here in
27:46this wobbly little container with one propeller keeping you up.
27:50Yeah.
27:51It's sort of like a heart-dropping moment.
27:53But I think just the sheer beauty of everything that was around you just really settled you.
27:58It's quite emotional, isn't it?
28:00Like, I don't know.
28:01It's a world to cry a bit.
28:03I don't really know how to describe it.
28:05It's just immense, beautiful, fantastic, and I've never seen anything like it.
28:14But the adventure has only just begun.
28:18The intrepid duo are determined to become acquainted with a pack of Alaskan Huskies and their owner Nathan.
28:25They own 21 sled dogs up here.
28:28And Alaskan Huskies basically just means they're super mutts, basically.
28:30And they truly are super mutts.
28:32These guys can run about 100 to 150 miles a day in the wintertime.
28:36And they can do that day after day.
28:38They don't need days off from that.
28:39So they really are truly amazing dogs.
28:42All right, y'all ready to go meet some dogs?
28:44Yeah, let's do it.
28:44All right, let's go out and meet some.
28:48Until the arrival of snowmobiles and airplanes in the 20th century,
28:52sled dogs were the primary form of transportation during the Alaskan winter.
28:58Today, they're used mainly for recreation and competitive racing.
29:02Their unique physiology, a combination of strong bones, lean muscle, and remarkable endurance,
29:09allows them to run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour and sustain that pace for nearly 100
29:14miles.
29:16This is a miracle.
29:18He is the biggest dog I own, and he's also one of my best dogs.
29:21He's also one of the sweetest dogs as well.
29:22He'll cuddle right into you.
29:24And this crazy one in the back is actually the oldest dog I own.
29:27She is 12 years old, and she still loves to run.
29:30So we get her out there for at least one or two, maybe sometimes three runs a day up here.
29:34And they're just so small in stature.
29:37They're just a lot of cackles, isn't it?
29:38Yeah, I know.
29:39Every tour I give you, at least one person who says these don't look like actual sliders.
29:42But these are the real deal.
29:43You're going to see when we hook them up, they're going to get really excited.
29:46Are y'all ready to watch them run?
29:48Yes, very much so.
29:51Depending on the trail, Nathan will harness between 4 and 16 dogs to pull his sled.
29:57This is genuinely one of the best days of my life.
30:01I love dogs.
30:03Should we take them all?
30:05We've got suitcases big enough.
30:06Can you rent one for like a week?
30:10Oh, look at them all.
30:10Here they come.
30:13Oh, they all look really happy.
30:18Wouldn't it be great if you could wake up at 1 and be that happy to go to work?
30:26Good job, guys.
30:29Yes, you did so well.
30:30You did so well.
30:31You did.
30:32You did.
30:33Good job.
30:33You did too.
30:34Good job.
30:50Good job.
30:51Good job.
30:54Good job.
30:55Good job.
30:56Good job.
30:56Good job.
30:56Oh, yes.
30:57The puppies will begin their training at around 6 months old, but won't become fully fledged
31:03sled dogs until they're at least 18 months.
31:07That's a beautiful dog, right?
31:08You have to guess.
31:11Pup, pup, pup, pup, pup, pup, pup.
31:13There you go.
31:13That's the one.
31:16One of the best days of my life, this.
31:19Don't bite me out.
31:20You know.
31:21Destroy the gutsy.
31:22Break them.
31:24Well, thank you.
31:32Five and a half thousand miles away, on the other side of the planet,
31:36another cruise ship in the fleet is making its way into a very different setting.
31:41The ancient Mediterranean.
31:44Over seven days, the dazzling Sun Princess will dock at historic sites in Crete, Athens, and Sicily in Italy.
31:56Guests can step back in time at the Palace of Gnosis, the heart of the Minoan civilization during the Bronze
32:03Age,
32:03and marvel at the Parthenon, crowning the Acropolis of Athens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back to the 5th
32:13century BC.
32:25At the helm of one of the fleet's newest and biggest flagship vessels, Sun Princess, is British Captain Craig Street,
32:37who's been working at sea for 35 years.
32:40I was originally born in Norfolk, in England, but I never really stayed there.
32:44I've grown up all my life and been raised in Edinburgh, in Scotland, and I live just south of Edinburgh,
32:49in the Scottish borders, near Gallashield, with my wife, who's Canadian.
32:54But being a captain isn't just about manoeuvring a 177,000 gross tonne ship.
33:01Good evening.
33:02It's also looking after the 1,600 crew and 4,300 guests on board.
33:10It's now time to turn our attention to the man at the hour. Would you please welcome to the stage
33:15the master of the Sun Princess, Captain Craig Street!
33:20Being able to travel the world and see different places to meet different people, you know, it's really great. It
33:26keeps everything fresh.
33:27Well, thank you very much indeed, ladies and gentlemen. Very good evening.
33:30There's a lot to see in the Mediterranean. We go to some great places, different countries, and some great history
33:35here as well, so great to be in the Med.
33:36Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
33:46Today, the ship has arrived at the port of Messina in Sicily.
33:51Excited to be exploring the sights of the awe-inspiring Mediterranean coastline are Claire and Guy, a married couple from
33:59Nottinghamshire.
34:00We met our 17 and a half guy, nearly 21, and we used to work together. I was his kitchen
34:07assistant, and he was a chef. And we fell in love. You know what to say, look at first sight.
34:12It was for me.
34:14Yeah, it was for me, totally.
34:17It was stunning. It's breathtaking. There's so much to see him do here, isn't there?
34:21Yeah, definitely. Our first cruise was last year. Really enjoyed it. We've got a little bit of a bug, so
34:28this year we've managed to get three cruises, so we're very lucky.
34:33Oh, my dad, oh my God, he would love this. Yeah, he would one day.
34:39My dad, Jim, James, he passed away last year in September. He was too poorly to go away, so I
34:46used to always send my dad video recordings so he could experience exactly where we were.
34:51For me to continue going to explore places and seeing different places, it's part of his legacy that he can
35:00live on through my experiences.
35:05And in Jim's memory, NHS nurse Claire and her husband Guy have been throwing themselves into the plethora of activities
35:14on offer.
35:14There's our clerk. What do you think to a guy? Fantastic. Really interested.
35:20Determined to experience even more, today they're scaling one of the most iconic sights in Sicily.
35:27Wow. That's amazing.
35:32They're embarking on a thrilling adventure up the 3,400 metre high Mount Etna, Europe's largest and most active volcano.
35:42Might be quite scary. We've got our trains on, we can run.
35:46Yeah, we can leg it.
35:49Morning. Morning.
35:52They'll be accompanied by local tour guide, Nuncio.
35:56Good morning, nice to meet you, Nuncio. How are you?
35:59Welcome to Sicily. Ready for Etna?
36:01Yes. So excited.
36:02Let's go. Let's go.
36:05Spanning 600 square miles at its base, the same size as Greater London,
36:10Mount Etna's height is constantly changing due to frequent eruptions and subsequent structural collapses.
36:19Okay, let's walk.
36:21Okay.
36:22Before pushing on towards the erupting summit, their first stop is the Silvestri Crasers,
36:29twin volcanic depressions carved into the mountainside nearly 2,000 metres above sea level.
36:36Welcome to the moon.
36:38Wow.
36:40This crater was an eruption of 1892. On Etna we have 300 lateral craters.
36:46Wow.
36:47The colour of the rocks differs depending on the composition of minerals and chemical reactions that took place during eruptions.
36:56Yellow, the oxidation of the sulphur. Red, iron, white, magnesium.
37:03Oh, did you hear that?
37:04Wow.
37:05You see? This is Etna's voice. Mama Etna called us.
37:10It's the explosive activity we have in this moment on the summit.
37:13It's amazing. You can hear the Mama Etna's voice.
37:16We can. It's really loud.
37:18Did you hear it? I did. That was really loud.
37:21I've never been anywhere like this. It's just far past my expectations.
37:26To hear the eruptions as well, that's just crazy.
37:29I've been thinking, shall I make a leg for it? It's a long way down.
37:34But as the exploding summit beckons,
37:39Claire and Guy will need to hold their nerve as they're about to ascend even higher.
37:56At the northern end of the island of Honshu, 360 miles north of Tokyo, is the Japanese city of Aomori.
38:06Home to the annual Nebuta festival.
38:10Earlier, rain had threatened to thwart tonight's celebrations.
38:14But the clouds have finally parted, meaning the nighttime parade is set to go ahead.
38:21Crew members don't always have the opportunity to disembark.
38:25But this evening, two members of the onboard activity team are seizing the opportunity.
38:31Olivia from Cheshire and her Argentinian boss, Christian.
38:36I can't believe that this is the first time we've actually got off the ship together in five months of
38:40working together.
38:4122-year-old Olivia has been working on board the ship for 12 months.
38:46If you'd have told me a year ago that I would be working in Japan with all of these kind
38:52of events that I'd never heard of six months ago,
38:55I would probably be laughing because it just sounds like the most insane dream.
39:01But it is what is happening, it's my reality and it's absolutely amazing.
39:08Look at the amount of people, my goodness.
39:12Some three million people flock to the festival from all over the world each year.
39:18I think when we all travel, we want to experience the places, but if we can experience the places with
39:26a person that you get along very well or a person you love or a friend of you, it is
39:32so much better to share the experience.
39:35Once again, Yuko is on hand to share her knowledge of the festival with Christian and Olivia.
39:44Yuko, can we have you in the middle so we can both hear your...
39:46Yes, you can sit in the middle and tell us about it.
39:48Yeah, okay, fine.
39:52You can see, one of them, it's only there.
39:58Look at that leaf, look at that.
40:02Chosen from 23 floats that took part in the daytime parade, the three winners are taking a lap of honour
40:08around Aomori Bay.
40:11And there is another one coming on now.
40:15Look at that, how beautiful.
40:18And we have a diamond princess in the back.
40:22The last one is the one, the grand prize.
40:26Yeah, it's the grand prize.
40:28Yeah, yeah, yeah.
40:29This one is the best.
40:30This is the best.
40:34The winning float is called Kaio, or Lord of the Sea.
40:39Although its designer, Mr. Hiru Takanami, will receive a small sum in cash, it's the honour and pride that's the
40:47real prize.
40:49With the parade over, the firework festivities can begin.
40:53Oh, fireworks!
41:00Oh, they're my favourite.
41:05And back on the ship, guest and professional photographer Matthew is keen to make the most of the festival finale.
41:14This fireworks display happens once a year, and I may never be here again on that day, so for me
41:21this is a proper once in a lifetime type shot.
41:24Gosh, I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself now.
41:27There it is.
41:30You tell from the smile on my face that it's going well.
41:36With 11,000 fireworks set off, the display is everything Matthew hopes it would be.
41:42And he has some special pictures to remind him of this magical moment.
41:48What about that one?
41:49That one's awesome.
41:49Oh, I think there's some big ones coming.
41:52I think this is the finale.
42:01Woo!
42:06Oh, look at that!
42:09Everywhere!
42:11Oh, that's really nice.
42:12Everywhere!
42:14That was so heartwarming.
42:17I think that whole experience was just absolutely beautiful.
42:22Yeah, this is going to be one of those things that, you know, stays with me for a long time.
42:32While it's night time in Aomori, 6,000 miles away in Sicily, the sun is shining.
42:40Revealing the lunar landscape and erupting lava of Mount Edna.
42:44Oh, wow.
42:46That is just amazing.
42:48A spectacle that has Nottinghamshire couple Guy and Claire utterly entranced.
42:54Do you make up today?
42:55Make up, no.
42:56Look, this is the same make up of Cleopatra.
42:59Mamma mia!
43:03Perfecto!
43:04Oh, lovely, thank you.
43:05Now you look like Troopatra.
43:07My name's Claire as well.
43:09I didn't expect to get made up today.
43:11I feel beautiful now.
43:13You too.
43:15Look even rosier now.
43:17Suits you.
43:18I'm going to tell your mum that you've been wearing makeup.
43:20Oh, don't tell her that.
43:23The most active stratovolcano in the world.
43:29Mount Edna's eruptions have been documented for thousands of years.
43:35Determined to live life to the full in memory of Claire's father, Jim.
43:40Claire and Guy board a 20-minute cable car to climb higher still towards the volcano summit's craters.
43:49Notorious for roaring to life and hurling out streams of molten lava, burning it over a thousand degrees Celsius in
43:56a fiery show of nature's raw power.
44:00This cable car was rebuilt after the eruption of 2001, 2002.
44:06But before, it was rebuilt another four times, so five in total.
44:10Maybe you come in a few years and you'll find number six.
44:13They're meeting local Giuseppe, who spent two decades passionately tracking Mount Edna's eruptions.
44:21There's a lava flow on the south flank and there's an eruption on top with gas bubble explosions.
44:28And we can see all the rock flying and also we can hear also this huge and loud explosion.
44:34Like now, for example, a huge bubble and now we will hear the sound.
44:39Let's wait one second.
44:41Five.
44:43Yes!
44:46Since being really young, I've been really interested in volcanoes and earthquakes.
44:51It's Mother Nature and it's unpredictable.
44:54I just find it really fascinating.
44:57Oh, wow!
44:59This is a bubble with sound for sure.
45:01Let's see, let's see, let's see.
45:03Wow, that was a big one.
45:04It's really loud.
45:05I'm just amazed that we've managed to get so close and to hear the eruptions.
45:12That was loud.
45:14That made me jump.
45:15We've had a few quite loud explosions and now I'm getting a bit nervous.
45:23If my dad was here now, oh, do you know, he'd love it.
45:30Yes, he would.
45:31Wow, that's him. That's a sign.
45:37I just love it.
45:38I was quite emotional that my dad was with me.
45:40It was as though he was there with me at the same time saying,
45:43Claire, I'm here.
45:44You enjoy yourself.
45:45Being here is just breathtaking.
45:48It's been brilliant, hasn't it?
45:50Yeah.
45:57Next time in South Korea.
45:59What on earth is that?
46:00Sausage.
46:01Local delights.
46:03Oh, wow.
46:05Stimulates the senses.
46:06Very tasty.
46:07Delicious, yeah.
46:08And in Alaska.
46:10Oh.
46:12A cool adventure.
46:13No pressure, Jacobs.
46:14Keep us in tune.
46:16Sends shivers up the spine.
46:18That's a precious morning I'll have a drink.
46:21Woo!
46:45halfway.
46:49Thanks, David.
46:51Tommy.atzile
46:51Hi! Here,
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