Ever been strolling down the high street only to catch a glimpse of a famous catwalk model hitting the shops? Dining at a fancy restaurant back to back with a legendary singer? Or holidaying in a hotel side by side one of Hollywood’s hottest starlets? For the celebrity lovers among us, there’s nothing quite as exciting as spotting a superstar! So when it comes to cruising is there any potential for rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous? Read on for the inside scoop…
Celebs love to cruise!
According to Cunard spokesman Michael Gallagher, the answer is yes! “Celebrities are attracted to Cunard, and Queen Mary 2 in particular, because some of them would rather travel by sea than air,” he explains. Thanks to ultra-luxurious facilities such as the Grills Experience, celebs can let their hair down in a private penthouse, restaurant and bar, without having to mingle too much with other passengers. With a previous star studded passenger list including Meryl Streep, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, George Harrison, Twiggy, Sharon Stone, Robbie Coltrane and Dame Julie Andrews, Gallagher definitely isn’t talking his line up!
Oasis rock star Liam Gallagher has been spotted on-board Silversea’s Silver Spirit, Girls Aloud starlet Kimberly Walsh loves to soak up the sun on the Crown Princess while Blue’s Duncan James famously cruised around the Mediterranean on the Ruby Princess. Some celebrities love hitting the high seas so much that they’ll charter out entire ships! Oprah Winfrey did just this in 2009 when she chartered the Norwegian Gem for a 10 day cruise attended by all 1700 of her employees, and their families. Oprah herself took up residence in one of the beautifully appointed Garden Villa suites. Only the best for the world’s most famous talk show host.
All aboard for celebrity endorsements
Of course, there are also the endorsed appearances, with celebrity chefs stealing most of the spotlight in 2015. From Marco Pierre White and Olly Smith to Mary Berry and Gary Rhodes, all the major lines seemed to have secured some serious culinary star power to grace the decks of this year’s itineraries. While you’ll generally have to fork out to attend classes and sessions with these well-known personalities, there is always the chance you’ll bump into them at the spa, the cocktail lounge or even the buffet!
Another form of at-sea celebrity is VIP speakers. Often they swap their star power for a complimentary cruise for two, reveals Peter Rushton, owner of Brighton-based guest lecturers and enrichment programs group, P&R Agency. Rushton maintains that “they love to socialise and participate,” with many signing up for two or three cruises every year. Former speakers include British politician and former diplomat Lord Ashdown, BBC Radio Four presenter John Humphrys, sports commentator Tony Gubba, famous explorer John Blashford-Snell, Liverpool striker David Fairclough, Coronation Street actor Bill Roach and newsreader Fiona Armstrong. Not exactly A-listers but celebrities all the same!
Free cruises in exchange for celebrity write-ups
Celebrity Cruises is milking the celebrity cruise infatuation for all its worth, offering free voyages to luminary names in exchange for public write ups. “We do it for marketing purposes and word does get around,” reveals a Princess spokesperson. “Princess has a bit of a name for working with celebrities. We look after them well.” So far it seems to be working, with Princess securing the likes of Strictly Come dancing judge Alesha Dixon and Loose Women’s Claire Sweeney.
Want to sail with the stars? Cruise 1st has incredible deals on an extensive range of celebrity endorsed suites. From Cunard’s high end Grills Experience to Norwegian Cruise Line’s gorgeous Garden Villas, the dedicated team of cruising experts is on-hand to dish out celebrity standard service to every customer. Call our friendly sales team now on 0808 2746 777.
Discover Your Perfect Cruise Today
Images sourced via Flickr Creative Commons. Credits: stereotyp-0815
