My uniform fits snugly. Hair is brushed, shoes polished – but it’s certainly not the best of starts.

‘Can you tell me where the nearest ladies’ washroom is, please?’ asks an American guest.

‘I’m awfully sorry, but I can’t.’

Thierry Altuna, the French cruise manager (Terry to the Anglophones), takes me to one side as we line up for the Captain’s welcome speech.

‘You have your badge on the wrong way,’ he says. ‘It should always be on the right-hand lapel of your jacket.’

I move to make the switch but the magnet on the inside of my shirt – which holds the badge in place – falls and ends up somewhere near the top of my trousers. Retrieving it will require a partial striptease.

So, badgeless, I stand next to Thierry and listen to the Captain as he thanks all 107 guests for choosing Uniworld at the start of this luxurious Rhone river cruise from Arles, in the south of France, to Lyon, on board the 135-metre S.S. Catherine, named after the actress Catherine Deneuve.

Sportingly, but with understandable apprehension, Uniworld has agreed to let me join the crew for what can best be described as work experience.

There are 51 other crew and we’re an international bunch, including 13 from Bulgaria, 11 from Romania, nine from France and just one from the UK. Two, if you count me.

Thierry then takes over from the Captain, holding the microphone like a seasoned pro – and if there’s one thing I’ve learnt about cruise managers, it’s that they love an audience.

Thierry asks all those from America to raise their hands (43 of them); then wants to know how many are from Britain (27 in total), and so on.

After which, he waxes lyrical for 30 minutes about the various excursions, during which a smartly dressed passenger with a bouffant perm sidles up to me and whispers: ‘He never mentioned Ireland, and there are five of us here, you know.’

‘Thanks for that, I’ll have a word,’ I tell her. This formidable woman turns out to be Eleanor Walsh, a widow from Dublin, who is here with four other widows, three of them in their 80s.

By day two I refer to this gang as the ‘Frightening Five’, because they prove to be the most demanding passengers on the ship. Or as the hotel manager, Alexandru Marinescu, puts it more tactfully: ‘They are the ladies who need special attention.’

First, Mrs Walsh complains to me that the walk from the airport terminal at Marseilles to the coach was far too long in the 42c heat; and, second, that bottles of water should have been given to everyone upon boarding the coach.

I report this back to Alexandru the next morning at the daily heads of department meeting and he jots it down in a notebook.

Also in his book goes a note about a particular guest from the U.S. He’s been seen at the front desk naked from the waist up.

‘He must be asked politely not to do this again,’ says Alexandru – although it’s not entirely clear who will do the asking. Mind you, topless from Texas is a novice compared with Jan and Bush Hanna from Knoxville, Tennessee.

It’s the couple’s 14th Uniworld trip and it comes as they are about to celebrate their 57th wedding anniversary.

As I replenish the Hannas’ glasses with water one evening, I ask them what they make of the political situation in America. ‘Let’s not mess about – we’re for Trump,’ says Mr Hanna.

‘Would you back him if he is running the country from prison?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Do you not think he’s brought politics into disrepute?’

‘No, sir.’

There’s been one other complaint during the first 24 hours. Apparently, the restaurant staff have not been coming round with wine fast enough.

I’m particularly mindful of this because, this evening, I shall be assisting the sommelier during the Gala Dinner.

But, first, I am on morning duty at the front desk with Adriana, from Croatia. I like her telephone manner and copy every word, just substituting my name for hers.

‘Thank you for calling the front desk. My name is Mark. How can I best assist you today, Mrs Rosenberg?’

I know it’s Mrs Rosenberg because her cabin number flashes up on one of three screens hidden from view. It’s just a matter of matching the name to the number.

She wants one breakfast tea, one yoghurt, one slice of brown toast and one poached egg delivered as soon as possible.

‘Within 30 minutes, Mrs Rosenberg. Thank you so much and have a wonderful day.’

There’s a strict hierarchy on cruise ships. The Captain is the big boss, of course, and on the S.S. Catherine we all answer to Captain Pascal Rech.

He’s been sailing on the Rhone river all his working life and this is his 18th year with Uniworld.

‘Every day is different and I never get bored,’ says Pascal, 55, who met his wife on a river cruise ship when she was working as a pastry chef.

I join him in what’s called ‘the wheelhouse’ (similar to the bridge of an ocean cruise ship) as we leave Avignon and head upstream in the direction of Viviers.

Amid all the technology and flashing lights there’s a sign that reads: ‘Work like a captain, play like a pirate.’

Second most senior in the pecking order is hotel manager Alexandru, 45, who is married with a 15-year-old daughter. He’s in charge of everything on board apart from piloting the ship.

I’m particularly grateful to him because he makes sure that my shift in the kitchen, working with ten chefs and three washer-uppers, with little room to move about, lasts no longer than is absolutely necessary.

I would also struggle to toil for long in the laundry room, where I am tasked with ironing guests’ clothes (bed linen is changed every three days) while simultaneously mopping my brow.

Uniworld has a fleet of 17 ships worldwide. The company is privately owned by the South African Tollman family, which also has in its portfolio the Red Carnation group of hotels.

Guests on this trip are paying anything from £3,000 to £8,000 per person for eight nights, all-inclusive, with as much alcohol as they want at any time of day or night. The long corridors display more than 460 works of art, including original paintings by Richard Scott and signed lithographs by Joan Miro and Pablo Picasso. But the pièce de résistance is the Murano glass horse in the lobby, which was specially commissioned and cost £200,000.

Crew are billeted on the lower deck, two per cabin – unless you are a department head in charge of a team, which warrants a single room – all with their own ensuite shower rooms.

Before the Gala Dinner, the captain asks me to line up at the door to the lounge and greet guests as they file in. I clink glasses with a few of them, which seems a little forward but I notice Pascal does it in a refined sort of way. Follow the leader.

Then I report to the Bulgarian sommelier, Nedko Nikolov, who places a white napkin over my left arm and says I should hold a bottle each of the red and the white wine in my left hand, before pouring with my right.

‘The labels must be clearly visible to the guests and never let the bottle touch the glass,’ he tells me.

All goes well until I reach a table where a group of Australians are seated.

‘Could you tell me the name of the vineyard where the white wine comes from?’ says a burly man who seems to be the leader of this group. ‘I need to get back to you on that,’ I tell him.

‘I think you should know,’ he says.

I seek out Nedko, who comes up with the name, and I return with it to the Aussie.

‘You’ve spilt a couple of drops on the table,’ he says.

The correct response to this would be to apologise and dab the drops with my napkin. I master the dabbing but not the apology.

‘You’re just smarting because the England football team knocked your lot out at the Women’s World Cup,’ I tell him.

It must be a sackable offence to speak to a guest in such a manner, but I move on quickly and there are no repercussions.

A highlight of the cruise is ‘Seventies Night’. Several guests have brought with them flower-power shirts and T-shirts; some of the men wear wigs in the style of John Lennon.

The ‘Frightening Five’ take to the dance floor with gusto – and then Alexandru suggests that I should join them. ‘You have my permission,’ he says. ‘But don’t go mad.’

Working on a cruise ship is hard work. But there’s also a lot of camaraderie and you pass through some wonderful scenery. The level of service from the crew has been exemplary.

Uniworld’s motto is: ‘You deserve the best.’ I can’t honestly claim that I have been the best, but I’ve got away with it – and stood no nonsense from a bellicose Australian, who may or may not report my insolence to the Captain.

British cruise missiles were used in the devastating bombardment of the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet earlier today in occupied Crimea.

The UK-provided Storm Shadow missiles struck Russia’s attack submarine, the Rostov-on-Don, and amphibious landing ship, the Minsk, in Sevastopol, the largest city in Crimea. The loss of the Rostov-on-Don is particularly significant as it has been used to launch Kalibr missiles at Ukrainian cities.

The strike is the first attack on a Russian submarine since the Second World War.

The overnight attack on the Black Sea fleet raises the prospect of Russia being forced to reduce its naval presence on the Crimean peninsula, which would be a huge blow to the Kremlin’s war effort.

The peninsula, seized by Russia in 2014, is becoming increasingly vulnerable as the West provides Ukraine with long-range missiles and its forces push back the Russian frontline.

Dramatic pictures showed huge flames rising from the Sevastopol dry dock where, according to the Kremlin, the vessels were being repaired.

The attack followed a raid on Russian radar systems, disabling part of the air defence systems around Sevastopol.

The attack – Ukraine’s biggest on the region since the start of the war – damaged a Russian submarine and a warship in a pre-dawn raid on the Sevastopol shipyard.

As many as ten missiles were fired at the facility, seven of which Russia claimed to have shot down. The strike set the shipyard ablaze and wounded at least 24.

New information from a Ukrainian and a Western source said that British Storm Shadow missiles, delivered to Ukraine this year, were used in the attack.

Footage appeared to show the large Russian landing ship, the Minsk, was damaged in the attack – previously believed to have been hit by a Storm Shadow.

The 367ft-long vessel was undergoing repairs in a shipyard at the time of the attack. 

A strategically important shipbuilding and repair yard was engulfed in flames and a power plant and other Black Sea naval facilities were also hit, it appeared.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukraine launched ten cruise missiles at the shipyard and three sea drones at Russian ships in the Black Sea. 

Seven missiles were shot down and all the sea drones have been destroyed, the military said, but some missiles damaged two ships being repaired in the shipyard, in addition to some buildings.

‘It was Storm Shadow,’ a source told Sky News. 

Ukraine’s RBC-Ukraine news outlet reported, citing unnamed sources in Ukrainian military intelligence, that an amphibious landing ship and a submarine were damaged in the attack.

Some Russian messaging app channels made the same claim. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials.

Kyiv almost never acknowledges responsibility for attacks on Crimea or Russian regions that have become regular in recent months.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, Moscow-appointed governor of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula, said on Telegram that 24 people were injured in the fire. He posted a photo of the blaze.

‘The Ukrainian armed forces launched a strike with ten cruise missiles at the S. Ordzhonikidze ship repair plant,’ Russia’s defence ministry said on Telegram.

Ukraine also ‘attempted an attack with three unmanned boats at a detachment of ships of the Black Sea fleet’ during a sea crossing, it added.

‘Air defence systems shot down seven cruise missiles, and the patrol ship Vasily Bykov destroyed all unmanned boats. As a result of being hit by enemy cruise missiles, two ships undergoing repairs were damaged.’ 

The Crimean peninsula, illegally annexed from Ukraine by Russia in 2014, has been a frequent target in the 18-month-old war.

The Sevastopol shipyard is of strategic importance to Russia as vessels in its Black Sea fleet – some already damaged in strikes – are being repaired there.

Russia’s vulnerability in the Black Sea was demonstrated early on in the war when Ukraine struck the fleet’s flagship vessel – the Moskva – with two missiles, ultimately causing it to sink. The true loss of life has never been revealed by Russia.

Kyiv has repeatedly said it plans to take back the Crimean peninsula.

The attack is the latest military embarrassment for the Russian President who today is meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in the Far East. 

The highly-anticipated meeting could see the two allies agree on a sanctions-busting arms deal to support Moscow‘s on-going invasion in Ukraine.

Its supply of munitions dwindling as it fights to fend off Kyiv’s counteroffensive.

Earlier today, the Russian warmonger shook hands enthusiastically with Kim as soon as he stepped out of his black limousine and said he was ‘very glad to see him’.

Kim, one of the few leaders who has stuck by the despot since his full-scale invasion of Ukraine began 19 months ago, told the Russian despot he was fighting a ‘sacred war’ with the West and their two countries would together battle with ‘imperialism’. 

The attack against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters came as Moscow launched drones against Ukraine’s Odesa region in the pre-dawn hours. 

Like Sevastopol, Odesa also sits on the Black Sea.

The attacks damaged port and civilian infrastructure in Odesa’s Izmail district and wounded six people, three seriously, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said.

Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 32 of 44 Shahed-type drones overnight, with most of them launched toward the southern parts of the Odesa district.

Disney has unveiled its latest cruise ship – with renderings revealing dazzling interiors.

Disney Treasure, Disney Cruise Line’s sixth ship, is slated to set sail from Florida on her inaugural cruise in December 2024.

The 4,000-passenger ship, which measures 1,119ft (341m) in length and weighs approximately 144,000 gross tons, is being constructed at Germany’s Meyer Werft shipyard. 

The vessel, a sister ship to Disney Wish, which launched last year, promises to ‘unlock the far-reaching realms of Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel and embrace dynamic tales from beloved Disney Parks attractions, through captivating and immersive experiences on the high seas’. A statement adds that Disney Treasure will ‘harness a design concept that calls upon the bold and heartwarming stories of beloved Disney characters’. 

First-of-its-kind features on board include a restaurant inspired by the film Coco, an Aladdin-themed ‘grand hall’ and a Zootopia-inspired sweet shop.  

The overriding theme of the ship is ‘adventure’, a decision made to ‘honour Walt Disney’s legendary passion for travel and exploration’.

This begins with the food offering. Unique to the ship is the aforementioned Plaza de Coco, the ‘world’s first theatrical dining experience’ themed around the 2017 hit Disney and Pixar animation Coco.

Detailing what to expect from the immersive restaurant experience, Disney says that the story of lead character Miguel and his family will continue where it left off on screen as they take diners on ‘colourful, music-filled journeys that celebrate family memories and togetherness’. Diners will enjoy ‘festive’ dinners with dishes that offer a ‘modern twist’ on traditional Mexican fare and a line-up of live entertainment. 

Another brand-new addition to the cruise line is Jumbeaux’s Sweets, a candy shop inspired by the ice cream parlour featured in Disney’s ‘Zootopia’.

For the adults on board, new to the cruise line is the Periscope Pub, a bar that’s inspired by the 1954 film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Here, ‘guests will dive into the mythical depths of uncharted oceans amidst the submarine-styled interiors and take a look at the watery world below through an intriguing glass ceiling’. Craft beers and light bites will be served.

Themed cocktails can be sipped at Skipper Society, another brand-new feature of the ship. This bar – complete with campground-style furnishings – is inspired by the Jungle Cruise boat ride attraction at Disney theme parks around the globe.

Many features echo those that are found on sister ship Disney Wish. For instance, Worlds of Marvel, Disney Cruise Line’s immersive Marvel-themed dining experience, which ‘celebrates favourite Avengers characters and stories’, is returning.

As is 1923, a restaurant named for the founding year of Walt Disney Animation Studios. It’s said to be ‘steeped in the glamour of Hollywood’s golden age’.

There are two adults-only eateries on board – Palo Steakhouse, offering ‘authentic Italian dining’, and Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement, said to ‘offer the most luxurious dining experience on board, featuring a gourmet menu crafted by three-Michelin-starred chef Arnaud Lallement’. 

The new ship will also feature ’24-hour room service, speciality treats, [and] gourmet cafes’, a statement reveals.

Beyond dinner and drinks, the vessel is chockablock with family-friendly entertainment venues that are said to immerse guests ‘in worlds both real and imagined, through interactive storytelling, character encounters and Broadway-style theatrical adaptations of inspiring Disney adventures’.

The Aladdin-themed Grand Hall – the ship’s ‘most prominent gathering space’ – will ‘host dedicated shows, character encounters and musical performances’.

Another new addition to the fleet will be Sarabi, a two-storey entertainment hub named after the lioness matriarch from The Lion King. The space, said to ‘evoke the natural beauty and openness of the savanna’, will be the setting for themed games such as ‘Family Time Game Show’ and ‘Villains Game Night’. 

Return features on board, meanwhile, include the Walt Disney Theatre, billed as an ‘opulent show palace that will come alive with original Broadway-style productions developed exclusively for Disney Cruise Line’. Shows include ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Disney Seas the Adventure’, which are both said to be ‘Disney Cruise Line fan-favourites’. 

Disney hints that there’ll be an all-new theatre show coming to Disney Treasure – but details of the production have yet to be released.

Just as they can aboard Disney Wish, guests can experience the Hero Zone sports venue and the Wonderland and Never Land Cinemas, where first-run films from Disney, Pixar and Marvel are screened. 

The Oceaneer Club – another return feature for kids and teens – is a ‘wonderland of immersive spaces’ that allows children to ‘enter the captivating worlds of [their] favourite Disney stories’.

It features the Marvel Super Hero Academy, where kids can train to become superheroes; Fairytale Hall, a collection of prince and princess-themed activity rooms; Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, where little ones discover the secrets of the ‘creative masterminds’ behind Disney theme parks; Star Wars: Cargo Bay, where children can be immersed in their own Star Wars story; and Mickey and Minnie Captain’s Deck, a maritime-themed playground.

On the upper decks of the ship guests will find an ‘expansive district themed to Mickey and friends’.

Herein lies the AquaMouse ride, a returning feature from Disney Wish. It has a brand-new theme aboard Disney Treasure, telling the story of the ‘Curse of the Golden Egg’, which ‘follows Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse on a zany misadventure into an ancient temple’. 

Describing the ride, Disney says: ‘Powerful jets will propel two-person ride vehicles through 760ft (231m) of winding tubes, offering breathtaking views of the ocean and the ship below.’

There’s also a Toy Story-themed district – just as there is aboard Disney Wish – designed for families with young children that will include a splash zone, wading pool, family waterslide and smoothie bar.

The Quiet Cove adult area is another return feature from Disney Wish. ‘This secluded adults-only district will feature a luxurious infinity pool, poolside bar and chic café,’ says Disney.

For even more rest and relaxation, adults can retreat to the Senses Spa, ‘a tranquil oasis offering indulgent spa and beauty treatments’.

For a workout, the Senses Fitness gym will offer ‘state-of-the-art exercise and wellness facilities’.

After action-packed days, guests will look forward to a good night’s sleep. A statement says the ‘luxurious accommodations aboard Disney Treasure will strike an inviting balance between modern design and nostalgic charm with a fresh, natural colour scheme and custom artwork that will entice guests to peer beyond their staterooms into fantastical worlds from heartwarming Disney adventures’.

It’s said that most of the ship’s 1,256 staterooms will offer an ocean view, and 70 per cent will feature a verandah space.

There are four different styles of ‘royal’ suites on board that are designed to ‘pay tribute to the faithful feline companions of daring Disney characters’. For instance, the Bagheera Royal Suites are inspired by the panther from The Jungle Book and the lush forests he calls home. 

The Rajah Royal Suites, meanwhile, are themed to Princess Jasmine’s protective tiger who dwells in the royal palace of Agrabah in Aladdin.

Those who splash out on the concierge experience will stay in ‘indulgent’ suites with interiors inspired by the ‘majestic grasslands Simba calls home in The Lion King’. They’ll also enjoy access to ‘an exclusive concierge lounge with a private sun deck that serves as the perfect place to relax, sip a cocktail and enjoy a variety of food and beverages throughout the day’.

Disney Treasure will embark on a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida, on December 21, 2024, followed by an inaugural season of itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club members can book a cruise from September 12, 2023, while bookings will open to all guests on September 20, 2023. For more information visit disneycruise.com.

As Steffan the Welsh tenor belts out Con Te Partiro (Time To Say Goodbye), Crystal Serenity eases out of Venice. There are cheers on the pool deck, anticipation in the air.

Painters are putting finishing touches around the stern, the hardwood planks of the promenade deck are being resealed and buffed, and on the putting green below me, the synthetic turf receives a last vacuuming.

This is a relaunch in every sense of the word. Eighteen months ago, the Crystal company’s Chinese owners went bust. Their ships were impounded in the Bahamas over unpaid bills and U.S. offices shut down.

Many believed that was the end of Crystal, until the bespoke tour operator Abercrombie & Kent pulled its name and ships back from the brink.

I’m on board for Serenity’s first outing since a comprehensive rebuild and in the interests of full disclosure, I’ve never been on a cruise before, being put off by the ‘floating care home’ jibes plus the prospect of being hemmed in with a lot of people I don’t know. But from the moment our Serenity butler Roland welcomes us to our verandah suite with an offer of champagne and canapes, I’m up for a rethink.

Founded in 1988, Crystal has always been at the top end of cruising, aspiring to the tag of ‘ultra-luxury’.

It has also had a remarkably loyal clientele, with 60 per cent of all passengers being returnees. The new owners hope to continue that tradition and build on what they describe as the ‘Crystal family’.

Launched by Julie Andrews in 2003, Serenity has been extensively remodelled and upgraded, with the overall capacity down from 1,040 passengers to 740.

This gives the common areas, lounges and restaurants a feeling of space and queues are non-existent. There’s a lot of competition at the top end of cruising. Our Sapphire verandah suite comes in at about £800 per person per night, with stops in Venice, Dubrovnik, Naples, Livorno and Marseilles.

Even so, many customers take two or three trips a year. One wealthy American — ‘Mama Lee’ Wachtstetter — lived on this ship for a decade, paying about £200,000 a year at current prices.

She wrote a book about the experience entitled: I May Be Homeless, But You Should See My Yacht.

Though my wife Isabel and I have nothing to compare this cruise with, everyone around us seems to be an expert. For Stewart Chiron, from Los Angeles, who styles himself The Cruise Guy in an influential U.S. blog, this is his 312th cruise. It says something that even he’s impressed. It’s not difficult to see why.

The accommodation is bright and subtle, with fine attention to detail. The beds, bathroom, shower and furnishings are all top quality and the verandah itself a perfect place to linger, with a book or a cocktail feeling the gentle roll of the Adriatic.

Of the three restaurants, my favourite is the Waterside, which provides traditional fine dining. There is also the Japanese-Peruvian Umi Uma with a menu ‘curated’ and cooked by Nobu chefs and Osteria d’Ovidio specialising in regional Italian dishes. On top of that there are less formal bistro, cafe and grill options — 11 eateries in total. And if you overdo it, there’s a well-equipped spa and gym to get your waistline back into some sort of shape.

Sitting in the ship’s cosy Palm Court, sipping a Manhattan to the crooning of a pretty decent Sinatra tribute act is especially enjoyable. With its low lights and deco-ish fittings, there are echoes of the cabaret room at New York’s Algonquin Hotel.

Excursions are mixed. The highlight is a grand evening in Naples listening to four fabulous Italian sopranos perform a medley of classical and modern standards in the courtyard of a medieval castle within sight of Mount Vesuvius.

On the coach there, our guide Antonia explains that Napoli (don’t call it Naples!) is without question the best and most colourful region of Italy.

‘We don’t mind the other Italians,’ she says magnanimously. ‘Except the Venetians, who are the enemy. They say we are lazy, don’t pay our taxes and only live for having a good time. We say, what’s wrong with that?’

Slightly less impressive is a desultory trip around old Dubrovnik, with an almost unintelligible guide and an over-long outing to a small Tuscan farm outside Livorno.

Of course, as Andrea, a travel writer from Nashville, puts it: ‘For most people, the ship is the destination.’ It’s interesting how easily even the most ardent class warrior can be seduced by a little luxury.

Think Angela Rayner sipping the bubbly at Glyndebourne or John Prescott’s Dorneywood croquet parties. My wife is a prime example. Isabel is proud of her working-class Mancunian roots and the fact her maternal grandad died while campaigning for Labour in the 1920s.

But give her a butler, a spoonful of caviar and glass of good champagne and it’s amazing how effortlessly she adapts to the good life.

It’s the world’s biggest cruise ship and tickets are selling by the boatload.

Royal Caribbean has revealed that Icon of the Seas has been the fastest-selling ship in a maiden season in the cruise line’s history, with only limited spaces available for its debut Caribbean voyage in January 2024, which will depart from Miami.

And with CEO Michael Bayley telling investors this year that Icon of the Seas – which has a capacity for 7,600 guests – is the ‘best-selling product in the history of the business’, the mood at Royal Caribbean is undoubtedly buoyant.

Royal Caribbean’s floating city has been filmed out on the open water for the first time as she underwent sea trials ahead of her public launch.

Icon of the Seas sailed hundreds of miles on the open sea before returning to the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, where she’s currently under construction.

Incredible video footage shows the colossal vessel, which is 1,198ft (365m) long and weighs 250,800 gross tonnes, gliding through the water, dwarfing the tug boats deployed to help steer her.

The camera also spins around the multi-coloured slides on the upper deck of the vessel. They are among some of the standout features on board, which will also include the first suspended infinity pool at sea and a three-storey family suite.

A third scene offers a close-up of the ship’s livery, while other clips show workers testing the ship’s key technical areas.

Carrying out the sea trials involved more than 2,000 specialists, four 37 to 67-tonne tugboats and more than 350 hours of work, Royal Caribbean reveals.

It notes that during the trials, preliminary tests were carried out on everything from the main engines and the hull to the ship’s brake system, steering and noise levels.

However, it says that Icon of the Seas passed its first sea trials’ with flying colours’, with its second sea trial due to take place later this year.

The latest construction update for the ship is that the ‘crew neighbourhood’ is being built. A space spread over four decks, it’s designed to be a ‘home away from home’ for the 2,350 crew members on board.

Icon of the Seas is taking the title of the world’s biggest cruise ship from another Royal Caribbean vessel, Wonder of the Seas, which is slightly smaller at 1,187ft (362m) long and a weight of 236,857 gross tonnes.

The ship’s three-storey family suite comes complete with its own white picket fence and mailbox. Other room options for guests include the ‘Surfside Family Suite’, with alcoves for kids ‘tucked away from the adults’, ‘Sunset Corner Suites’ and ‘Panoramic Ocean View’ quarters.

Once they’re out of bed, guests will find so many water features they may have trouble distinguishing the boat from the ocean.

For starters, Icon of the Seas will feature the largest waterpark at sea – called ‘Category 6’ – containing six ‘record-breaking’ slides: ‘Pressure Drop’ and its 66-degree incline – ‘the industry’s first open free-fall slide’; the 46ft- (14m) tall ‘Frightening Bolt’, the tallest drop slide at sea; ‘Storm Surge’ and ‘Hurricane Hunter’, the first family raft slides at sea – and ‘Storm Chasers’, which Royal Caribbean claims is ‘cruising’s first mat-racing duo’.

The waterpark will be on Thrill Island, which Royal Caribbean trumpets as a ‘lost island adventure where vacationers can test their limits and scale new heights’.

Icon of the Seas will also debut the line’s first swim-up bar at sea – called ‘Swim & Tonic’ – and ‘Royal Bay Pool’, the ‘largest pool at sea’. Both of these features will be on ‘Chill Island’.

The suspended infinity pool, meanwhile, will be in an area called The Hideaway and surrounded by a multi-level sun terrace with whirlpools.

Once guests have dried off they’re sure to be lured to ‘AquaDome’, a ‘transformational place unlike any other’ that’s perched at the top of the ship.

Royal Caribbean describes it as a ‘tranquil oasis by day’, where guests can enjoy a bite or drink while soaking up wraparound ocean views and gazing at an ‘awe-inspiring waterfall’.

By night, we’re told, the venue becomes ‘a vibrant place that’s great for a night out, complete with restaurants, bars and aqua shows’.

The vessel will sail seven-night Caribbean voyages throughout 2024. And in 2025? Another Icon-class ship will be launching. Watch this space.

Royal Caribbean said: ‘Since we revealed Icon of the Seas in October 2022, we have seen an incredible reaction. This interest contributed to the single largest bookings day and highest volume booking week in Royal Caribbean’s 54-year history when we opened Icon for sale. The ship has continued to be one of the strongest preforming in our fleet with sailings across its maiden season sold out. In fact, we have seen the one-of-a-kind Ultimate Family Townhouse sold across all of 2023.

‘With a more than 50-year history in building incredible ships and delivering memorable vacations to millions of guests, we are excited to officially welcome it to the fleet in January 2024.’

Visit royalcaribbean.com for more information.

The small matter of saving the world from potential annihilation appeared to be taking its toll on Wednesday as Tom Cruise promoted his latest blockbuster in South Korea. 

The Hollywood legend is currently working his way through a promotional tour on behalf of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – the seventh instalment in the long-running film franchise. 

But he looked ready to hang up the bullet proof vest and retire to bed during a press conference in Seoul, where he was joined by co-stars Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby and Pom Klementieff. 

The cast were accompanied by director James McQuarrie as they fielded questions about the forthcoming film, shot on location across England and mainland Europe at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.  

Cruise has used his considerable platform to urge people to head to the cinema this summer to catch films like Barbie, Oppenheimer and his latest Mission: Impossible offering. 

The actor took to Instagram to encourage people to see movies on the big screen despite the glorious weather, amid a challenging time for cinemas.

As well as paying tribute to Indiana Jones legend Harrison Ford as the fifth film hit screens, Cruise said he’s looking forward to Greta Gerwig’s Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling-starring live-action Barbie film and Christopher Nolan’s biographical thriller.

He wrote: This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters. These are just a few that we can’t wait to see on the big screen.

‘Congratulations, Harrison Ford, on 40 years of Indiana Jones and creating one of the most iconic characters in cinema history. You have given us countless hours of joy.

‘I love a double feature, and it doesn’t get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.’ 

The Hollywood star was seen in one picture in the post holding his Cineworld cinema ticket.

The cinema chain was hit particularly hard amid the COVID-19 pandemic and was facing closure, but it has been saved from bankruptcy.

Meanwhile, Cruise recently hailed Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is the perfect entry point into the franchise for newcomers.

The actor starred in the first ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie in 1996, and Tom believes the new film could help to attract new, younger viewers to the franchise.

He told Collider: ‘They could start with this film to see and understand that this is all real, all the action is real, it’s practical. This movie is an epic adventure. It’s so lush, filled with practical action and amazing locations.”

Cruise believes the new film has a “very engrossing story”.

The veteran actor also hailed the movie’s star-studded cast, which includes Hayley Atwell, Rebecca Ferguson and Simon Pegg.

He said: ‘[The movie has] submarines, it has the desert, it has Rome, beautiful locations in Abu Dhabi, Norway, a train that we built, action on the train, and a very engrossing story with a really beautiful cast, an amazing, very charismatic cast.

‘I think when you look at this movie, it really defines what I think about cinema and why because you look at this kind of cast, you look at a brilliant ensemble cast, and the kind of story is very engrossing.’ 

Pictured: Hurtigruten’s first-ever zero-emissions cruise ship, set to launch in 2030 with ‘AI manoeuvring’ and amazing 164ft-tall retractable sails covered in solar panels

By Ailbhe Macmahon For Mailonline

Updated: 09:10 EDT, 7 June 2023

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By Mail on Sunday Reporter

Updated: 06:52 EDT, 5 June 2023

The boat impounded by police after the deaths of two children in the sea next to Bournemouth pier continued with its 40-minute Channel pleasure cruise despite chaos in the sea around them, passengers revealed today.

The 78ft Dorset Belle was seized yesterday afternoon. The vessel, which operates hourly and can carry up to 80 people, is now under guard at Poole Harbour. 

Luke Owen was on board the cruiser at 4pm on Wednesday – revealing that lifeguards on the beach had warned people about riptides and not to swim close to the pier prior to the tragedy. A boy from Southampton, 17, and a girl from Buckinghamshire, 12, perished, and eight others had to be rescued.

Mr Owen said that as the Dorset Belle set off ‘everyone was on the beach’ – but within minutes ‘no one was on the beach. It was empty, everyone was just staring. I’m first thinking it was a shark attack’.

He said: ‘To be honest, to me it sounds like a terrible tragedy. It was said quite a few times about the rip tides the day before. And the lifeguards were advising people not to get close to the pier’.

A man aged in his 40s who was ‘on the water’ at the time was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter but has been released under investigation while police, Marine Accident Investigation Branch and Maritime and Coastguard Agency inquiries continue.

Mr Owen and his family set out from Bournemouth’s historic pier in the minutes before 10 people got into trouble in the water on Wednesday afternoon. 

The vessel had visited Bournemouth Pier at 4pm, just minutes before the first 999 calls were made. Detectives have said that no physical contact was made between the swimmers and any vessel or jet-ski and those involved had not been jumping off the pier.

Dorset Police are facing calls to clarify the circumstances that led to their deaths to end ‘wild speculation’. 

Luke Owen told the Mirror that he spoke to staff on the boat who said that one person was pulled from the water – and another was missing.

He said: ‘As he’s told me that, we looked up to the sea and the 17-year-old was being pulled out. The ambulance came across and collected him.

‘When it’s something like that it kind of hits you. Especially as I was with the family, my little one especially, I wanted to get out of there. My son’s 14 so he wanted to see what was going on so we looked briefly and police were saying for people to move.’

Heartbroken relatives of the 12-year-old girl who died in the Bournemouth beach tragedy have remembered the tragic youngster, with one claiming the child ‘showed me what love is’.

Tributes poured in for the girl, and the 17-year-old boy who also died, as police continue to probe a pleasure boat amid concerns that the pair got into difficulty in the water in the wake of a vessel.

It remains unclear what exactly caused the incident, which caused RNLI lifeguards to swarm into the sea after 10 people got into trouble, but a father of one of the teenagers who survived the horrific incident said it was a ‘rip tide’ that ‘took them out’.

The 78ft Dorset Belle was seized by Dorset Police yesterday afternoon. The vessel, which operates hourly and can carry up to 80 people, is now under guard at Poole Harbour, five miles away from where it usually operates off Bournemouth Pier.

And in a fresh statement last night, police officers reiterated there was no suggestion that jet skis had been involved or that the youngsters jumped off the pier, as they released a man in his 40s, who had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, under investigation.

The father of 18-year-old Lauren Tate, one of the eight survivors who spent a short time in hospital after the incident, said a rip tide appeared to have been involved in the tragedy.

‘We’ve seen stuff about boats and jet skis, but it wasn’t like that. She was just swimming in the sea with her friends when the rip tide took them out.

‘She was lucky to get pulled out by the coastguard and one of her friends was rescued by a paddleboarder’.

Lauren had attended college with the teenager who sadly died.

Nicola Holton, 43, and Stuart Clark, 42, were on the beach with their two children when the tragedy unfolded.

The couple said there had been an announcement about a ‘dangerous riptide’ made at 4pm. 

The cause of the undercurrent, which led to RNLI lifeguards swarming into the sea, still remains unclear as police officers continue their probe for a third day.

Others who were on the beach when the disaster occurred have praised the ‘magnificent’ young lifeguards for their heroic efforts.

Dr Rob Rosa, 48, a former GP and chief medical officer, had been on the promenade where he saw the young girl being rushed onto the beach.

He told the Telegraph: ‘These were young kids in their early twenties who have never seen anything like this and they were exceptional.

‘They cleared the beach, set a perimeter and shielded the bodies. They could have frozen, but they didn’t.’

Dr Rosa said the young lifeguards also had to marshal the crowds, as ‘hoards of people’ were running down with their cameras ‘trying to take photos’.

The lifeguards also tried to ‘shield’ young children from seeing the horror, the witness said.

The Dorset Belle still remains in Poole Harbour, and no one is currently allowed on board or able to touch the vessel.

On the day of the horrendous incident, the Dorset Belle reportedly had made numerous circuits around Bournemouth Pier according to the online tracker MarineTraffic. 

A number of boating restrictions are in place around the famous Dorset pier.

Vessels cannot go above speeds of six knots in an area which is clearly marked out by yellow buoys. Licensed commercial pleasure boats, however, are allowed to go in and out of the pier at certain scheduled times.

These boats are supposed to follow a designated shipping lane, according to Bournemouth’s Council website.  

A police source told The Times: ‘This vessel is under a police cordon. No one is permitted onboard or to touch the vessel.’ 

The seize of the boat comes after an MP claimed that Dorset Police were investigating whether wash from a vessel had impacted the young people getting into trouble.

Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West, raised concerns that a vessel may have created ‘conditions’ that made the water ‘more dangerous’.

The Conservative politician said: ‘It would seem not a far reach to draw a conclusion that while the vessel may not have physically touched the young people, perhaps it created the conditions which made being in the water more dangerous by the speed it was going.’

Two uniformed police officers were seen inspecting the tourist boat at 4.20pm, the paper reported. 

The boat, which can accommodate up to 80 guests, takes tours every hour on the hour between 11am and 5pm, showing tourists views of the Chines, Sandbanks, Studland and Old Harry Rocks. 

Today, MarineTraffic shows the popular tourist boat stationed at Poole Harbour – around five miles away from where it’s usually stationed at the pier.

Police vehicles surrounded the boat but the force did not provide any details when contacted by MailOnline this evening.  

Eight other children were hurt after getting into trouble in the water close to the beach and pier in Dorset packed with half-term holidaymakers and locals on Wednesday afternoon.

Detective Chief Superintendent Neil Corrigan pleaded with the public ‘not to speculate about the circumstances surrounding the incident’ in a bid to protect enquiries’ and ‘out of respect for the victims’ families’.

He urged those with footage to submit it to police officers rather than posting it online. 

Supt Corrigan added: ‘Early investigation indicates that there was no physical contact between a vessel and any swimmers at the time of the incident and there is no suggestion of people jumping from the pier or jet skis being involved.

‘We know that the beach was very busy when this incident occurred. I am urging anyone who saw what happened, or has any information that may assist our investigation, to please come forward.

‘Also, I urge anyone with relevant phone footage that may assist our enquiries to submit it to Dorset Police via the Major Incident Public Portal quoting Operation Marble rather than sharing it on social media.’

The detective chief did not reveal what he believed had caused the tragedy.  

‘I would like to sincerely thank the members of the public who went to help the people in trouble in the water. I am also very grateful for the wider beachgoers who cleared the beach really quickly and allowed the emergency services to do their work’, he said.

‘This incident sparked a multi-agency response from a range of emergency services, including the ambulance service, HM Coastguard, the RNLI, the fire service, BCP Council and Dorset Police. 

‘All these emergency responders came together to provide a really swift and well-coordinated response and did everything they could to save lives. I thank all of those responders for their professionalism and compassion in the face of this tragedy.’

Officers from Dorset police will continue with patrols over the next few days, with support from the local councils beach services and the RNLI. Anyone with concerns or information about the incident are urged to approach them. 

Councillor Vikki Slade, leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, said what happened in Bournemouth on Wednesday must have been a ‘terrifying’ experience.

She said: ‘Again I want to add our sincere condolences to the families of the children who lost their lives, and our thoughts are with the families of the young people that were in the water.

‘It must have been a really terrifying experience for everybody.

‘The services worked incredibly well together. Our staff on the beach all rallied round to support the emergency services.’

She said there are additional staff available for the public on the beach on Thursday and over the weekend, adding: ‘The beach is busy. We are making sure that the RNLI are very visible and that our teams are available there to support people and make sure that they feel safe on the beach.’

She said Bournemouth ‘remains a really fantastic place to visit’, adding that the incident needs to be investigated properly.

‘And we are confident with our partners that any lessons that need to be learned in the future will will be learned,’ she said.

Families arriving at the beach on Thursday spoke of their shock at the previous day’s events.

One woman, who did not want to be named, said: ‘It’s such a shame, people just come here to have fun, it’s a real tragedy.’

Eyewitness Howard Cohen, from London, said: ‘I could see a lot of commotion going on, there were a lot of ambulances, police and people rushing to the beach.

‘Later on they cleared the beach. It was just awful. At the time there was a lot of panic going on with the police and ambulance.’

Mackenzie Creech, 18, was with pals on the beach at the south coast holiday spot enjoying the sunshine when they heard shouts and screams from the pier.

He looked up and saw crowds pointing to someone in the water and rushed in with a pal to drag her onto the beach but sadly there was nothing they could do to save her.

The girl – who has not been named – died along with a 17-year-old boy in the incident which also left eight other children injured after it is believed they were dragged out to sea by a riptide after jumping from the pier.

Mackenzie told MailOnline: ‘Everything happened so quickly, one minute I was enjoying the beach with some friends and then the next we heard screaming and shouting.

‘We were on the other side of the pier but you could hear all this noise so we went over to see what was going on and people were pointing into the water.

‘I could see a body in the water, and just rushed in and scooped her up with someone else. She was face down when I got there and not moving.

‘She was in a bad way.

‘She was in a swimming costume but she didn’t appear to have any injuries on her. There were no cuts or bruises and I just knew it didn’t look good so I carried her onto the beach.

‘I put her down on the sand and by this time the emergency services had come over and they started doing CPR on her.

‘People were screaming and shouting and it was all really chaotic and then someone put some towels up as a screen while the paramedics worked on her.

‘I was hoping she would make it and I didn’t know she had passed away until I saw it on the news. I was gutted when I heard that and it’s upset me, it’s so sad something like this happened.’

Mackenzie, who is from Tilehurst near Reading and studying sport at college, added: ‘I don’t really know what happened. It was all a bit confusing.

‘People were saying they had been hit by a jet ski or a boat but there were definitely no injuries on the girl. There was no blood or cuts or anything like that.

‘What amazed me was the amount of people who were just filming everything on their phones when the emergency services were trying to do their work.

‘As I left a policeman took my details and said thanks for doing what I did but I just did what anyone would have done.’

Mackenzie’s father company director Robert Creech, told MailOnline: ‘He was very quick in his actions and was just trying to help.

‘When he told me about it, I could see he was upset and when we heard the poor girl had passed away, he was gutted.

‘It’s such a shame as all those involved are so young.

‘He had just gone down to the beach with his friends for half term and then this happened but I’m proud he did what he could to help. He’s a good lad.’

Another witness, Tom Saunders, told Sky News: ‘I was surfing on the west side with about four other people and we heard the lifeguard sirens going off, making announcements, and the beach got cleared either side.

‘Obviously we knew something had gone on and the helicopter was coming so we knew it was serious.

‘Unfortunately I saw someone receiving CPR. The lifeguards put up a screen so no-one could see but unfortunately from where we were we could.

‘The jet-skis were going round the pier looking for stuff, so me and three other surfers offered to help and actually paddled into the pier to have a look.

‘They said there were two people missing at the time, then after about half an hour they said everyone was accounted for and we just carried on.’

Earlier multiple witnesses said that people had been jumping from the pier.  The sand close to the pier had to be cleared so two air ambulances could land, but sadly the two schoolchildren later died in hospital. 

Witnesses described harrowing scenes as CPR was administered on the beach and some ‘idiots’ with phones were seen filming lifeguards trying to revive the two children.

Since 2004, Britain’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency has dealt with more than 200 incidents of tombstoning, including pier jumping, leading to at least 70 injuries and 20 deaths.

Yesterday police confirmed that no vessel is believed to have been in ‘physical contact’ with the children following speculation on social media they had been hit by a jet-ski or boat. But there have been claims that the tragedy may have been caused by the wash of a jet ski. 

MailOnline has asked Dorset Police to comment. But one local surfer said he witnessed three jetskiers ‘buzzing the pier’ close to the line on Tuesday, the day before the tragic incident. There has been an ongoing issue between jetskiers and water users around the area of the pier.

Nicola Holton, who was at the beach with her husband, said: ‘One lifeguard went to rescue two swimmers struggling but he couldn’t bring them in. He spotted another person struggling and a second lifeguard went out to them but there were multiple people in trouble.

‘The remaining lifeguard was trying to get everyone out of the water. The ambulance service came to the struggling person rescued by the second lifeguard. More lifeguards arrived to rescue another swimmer near the pier. My husband spotted another swimmer struggling. He ran to the lifeguards. The guard immediately went in and they picked him up on a jet ski. 

‘I will never ever get the image out of my head of him being brought out. They cleared the beach for the air ambulance. Then another was spotted and again brought to shore to be worked on. Absolutely horrible.

‘Loads of idiots ignoring lifeguard requests to get out of the water and clear the beach. People were running towards those having CPR filming on their phones.’

Paul Moyce, 61, said he believed those involved had been jumping into the sea off the pier.

He said: ‘I think they went off the end of the pier and went out too far. They must have got caught by the current. I lived here for 61 years and I’ve never seen anything like it.’

Nicola Holton, 43, and Stuart Clark, 42, were on the beach with their two children when the tragedy unfolded. They said the summertime scene turned into something from ‘a horror film.’

Mr Clark said: ‘As we walked to the east side of the pier there was at least one but probably a few jet skiers going across the right side of the pier.

‘We didn’t take too much notice of them at the time.

‘There were announcements throughout the afternoon telling people not to climb on the pier. After 2pm it seemed like people weren’t going near it.

‘The next announcement we got was at 4pm about a dangerous riptide in the water and it wasn’t soon after that we saw a couple of swimmers in trouble out to sea.

‘It got really chaotic when they brought a young man back to shore on a lifeguard jet ski. It was obvious he wasn’t alive. That’s when people started gathering around and the lifeguards were trying to clear the beach at the same time as helping the others in the water.

‘We saw the young girl get brought out too and there were no obvious injuries on her either. I just wanted to get my family off the beach with our belongings.’

Miss Holton said: ‘It was like a scene from a horror film. After an afternoon of lovely weather and the odd announcement to tell kids to stop climbing on the pier it looked like it had all settled down.

‘When we first spotted the swimmers in distress they were far out to the east side of the pier.

‘A lifeguard ran into the water with a surfboard and it seemed to take ages for him to get to them. There was an announcement to get out of the water and then the lifeguards started bringing people back to shore.

‘A few were taken to the lifeguard tent and then we saw the young man and girl brought out. We were packing up our things to leave as quickly as we could. It was just awful.

‘There were loads of idiots ignoring lifeguard requests to get out of the water and clear the beach. People were running towards those having CPR filming on their phones.’

The first person to reach the girl who died was an 18-year-old boy.

His father, Rob Creech, said yesterday: ‘My son was on the other side of the pier swimming with a few friends.

‘All of a sudden there were a lot of people on the pier shouting and screaming that there was somebody in the water. He swam to the other side of the pier and he found a young girl floating face down in the water.

‘The emergency services were just arriving at the beach so he was shouting to them and scooped her up to swim to shore. He managed to get her out onto the beach and the emergency services took it from there.’

There are yellow marker buoys 200m off the beach and water craft operating inside that area are restricted to speeds of 6 knots.

One local surfer said he witnessed three jetskiers ‘buzzing the pier’ close to the line on Tuesday, the day before the tragic incident.

Lawrence Hopgood said: ‘I was surfing the night before There were 3 jetskiers buzzing the pier and getting close to the line. A lifeguard went out on a jetski and spoke to them, then left.

‘The jetskiers didn’t leave but proceeded to do donuts near the surfers, whilst filming themselves.’

Lifeguards on the busy beach had rushed into the water by Bournemouth Pier after a group of people got into difficulty in the sea at about 4.30pm on Wednesday. It is believed that all of those involved were aged between 12 and 18. 

None of the other eight who were injured children were seriously harmed and they were treated at the scene by the ambulance service.

Emergency services were quickly at the scene and the teenage boy and girl were rushed to hospital after sustaining critical injuries.  

Speaking last night, Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns said: ‘I express my deep condolences to the family and friends of the two young people who tragically lost their lives in Bournemouth.

‘A dreadful event in circumstances when they were enjoying beautiful weather in our town. So sad.’

The MP added that the incident was a ‘salutary lesson’ that ‘danger is ever present’ on beaches and the ocean.

He went on to thank the life guards and air ambulance members ‘who we can take for granted’.  

Eeman Qamar, from Southampton, was on the beach with her mother and three-month-old baby.

She told the BBC that just after 4pm lifeguards began to tell people to clear the beach, saying there had been a major incident.

‘After about 20 minutes, the first air ambulance arrived and landed right in the middle of the beach,’ she said.

Ms Qamar continued: ‘The lifeguards started getting on jet skis and boats, searching the sea and about 20 minutes later the second air ambulance arrived and it took another hour-and-a-half for them to finish the whole search and rescue operation.’

A Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called to East Beach, Bournemouth at 4.39pm to support a multi-agency incident.

‘We have crews in attendance from Westbourne and Springbourne, together with a technical rescue team from Poole.’

A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: ‘We sent two air ambulances, six double-crewed land ambulances, one critical care car, two operations officers, one doctor, one hazardous area response team and one responding officer.’

HM Coastguard told MailOnline that ‘two people had been pulled from the water and passed into the care of the ambulance service’ and that ‘coastguards searched to make sure there were no other people missing and are satisfied there are not’.

Bus routes that would normally serve the Pier stops were diverted through the square. 

Anyone with information about what happened should contact Dorset Police on www.dorset.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55230083818. 

Alternatively, witnesses can contact independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling Freephone 0800 555 111.

To most cruisegoers, what goes on below deck is a mystery – but one cruise ship musician is lifting the veil on the experience.

Jack Nolan, a performer on Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady, is amassing an impressive TikTok following by sharing eye-opening videos about his life at sea, doing what he believes is ‘one of the best jobs in the world’. 

Taking his audience behind the scenes on the ship, the 32-year-old’s videos show him meeting Virgin Voyages’ boss Richard Branson, relaxing in his ‘teeny tiny’ windowless cabin and experiencing dramatic weather on a transatlantic crossing, with footage showing a huge waterspout whirling beside the vessel.

Speaking to MailOnline Travel, the British singer and musician reveals he has been working on cruise ships for the past seven years and was pleasantly surprised by ‘how fun they can be if you’re an outgoing person’.

In one video, the musician – who has garnered more than 54,000 TikTok followers to date – reveals how the ship’s performers rehearse for two weeks in a studio in Orlando before boarding the ship for a six-month season.

‘By far the best part is they put you up in a really sweet hotel,’ Jack says, filming the hotel’s hot tub and basketball courts. He adds: ‘It’s all paid for by the company. They even gave us a car to get around in.’

The performer says that the crew get ‘so much’ downtime in Orlando when they’re not rehearsing, giving them the opportunity to explore the city and check out its bars and restaurants.

On board Valiant Lady, Jack gives a tour of his single cabin, noting: ‘When you live in a tiny cabin with no porthole, there’s no natural sunlight, obviously, and it can really mess with your head if you spend too much time in there… it’s so small that I can touch almost every wall at the same time.’

He has a nifty trick for making the most of the space, using magnetic hooks – which stick when they’re thrown at the cabin’s metal walls – to hold up his belongings.

Jack also turns the camera on some of the areas where the crew spend their downtime, capturing the crew dining area and buffet, the laundry room and the crew gym, which is open twenty-four-seven and is free to use. ‘If you’ve tried lifting heavy weights on a moving ship, that part is not fun,’ he remarks.

The ‘secret’ sunbathing spot on the top deck that’s reserved for the crew is also captured, with Jack noting: ‘You can see most of the ship and you [get] some great views around you.’

The crew’s barber, Shandy, is shown cutting Jack’s hair in the crew stairwell. Jack also shows how the crew receive Amazon packages, getting them delivered to the ship’s home port so they can pick them up each weekend. ‘You can order pretty much whatever you want,’ he says. One of his recent purchases was a set of darts so he could play rounds of darts with his crewmates. 

The TikToker was surprised to see billionaire Branson mingling with the crew when he boarded the 2,770-passenger ship, which made its maiden voyage last year. He says in a video: ‘I’ve heard about his philosophies on “employees come first” but I was not expecting that one day he’d walk into the crew areas and into the crew mess. I felt lucky enough to get a two-second video selfie with him.’

Other clips capture the ‘eight straight rocky sea days’ of a transatlantic journey aboard Valiant Lady. Jack films ‘the wreckage’ left in the wake of the waterspout – tornadoes that travel over water – as it passed over the ship, leaving sun loungers upturned across the pool deck. ‘No one was injured,’ Jack notes. 

Jack breaks down how he spends his time at sea, explaining that as a musician, he only performs at night, so his days are free to disembark the ship and go exploring. 

One clip shows him enjoying Virgin Voyages’ privately owned beach club in the Bahamas while another captures him swimming in the sea in the South of France. ‘We’re really lucky to have that time off in port,’ he says, adding: ‘I feel very fortunate that as a musician on board, the hours are very favourable.’

Jack, who works on a cruise ship for 10 months of the year, reveals there’s a major financial incentive to working on a cruise ship – he ‘can easily save thousands each month because two of life’s biggest outgoings – rent and food – are totally free’. 

Other top perks, he reveals, include travel opportunities and the chance to meet people from all over the world. On top of that, as a musician, ‘getting to play music every day is a joy’, Jack admits. 

Reflecting on the low points to working in the cruising industry, he remarks: ‘The food on ships is of course free but can also be quite repetitive and boring.’ 

Another drawback is the Wi-Fi, which can be ‘slow’, though Jack notes that since Virgin Voyages installed Elon Musk’s Starlink, ‘it’s a little faster than it was’.

One of the most unusual things about his job, he reveals, is waking up in a new place each day. He also says that living where you work can take adjusting to. He says: ‘You’ll see managers in suits at work in the day but at night chilling with a beer at crew bar with everyone else.’

Being away at sea for such extended periods of time, there are lots of things that Jack misses, including his girlfriend, ‘good Wi-Fi’, his dog, home-cooked food and his family. He notes that he also misses ‘the freedom of not having to be back on board [the ship] at a specific time’.

And the reaction to his videos? It’s been ‘mostly positive’, Jack reveals, adding: ‘Many people [are] curious and interested about it… also many [have been] asking how to get a job on a ship!’

For more videos from Jack, follow him on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.