20 years ago, Jane McDonald rose to fame after being featured on the popular BBC documentary series, The Cruise, which aired in 1998. Prior to this, the celebrity presenter had toured Northern England as a singer and subsequently found work on a variety of cruise vessels including Fred. Olsen’s Black Prince and Pullmantur Cruises’ Horizon. It was Galaxy, owned by Celebrity Cruises at the time of filming, which provided the backdrop for the TV series. As many as 17 million viewers tuned in on a weekly basis to follow the day-to-day lives of Jane and her fellow crew members on board the ship.
Since her rise to fame, Jane McDonald has starred in many TV shows and even reignited her music career. After spending a significant amount of time away from cruising, Channel 5 offered a chance for the singer and celebrity presenter to return to the seas with a brand new series known as ‘Cruising with Jane McDonald’. Airing in February 2017, the first series of the show saw Jane McDonald travel on board four very different vessels including MSC Cruises’ MSC Divina, Uniworld’s S.S. Maria Theresa, Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam and Majestic Line’s Glen Tarsan.
The show proved to be a popular hit and Channel 5 has subsequently confirmed a second series, which is due to debut on Friday this week. Airing at 9pm, the first episode will focus on Avalon River Cruises’ Poetry II as she sails along the Rhone from Lyon to Provence. Other episodes in the series will see Jane McDonald circumnavigate Cuba on board Celestyal Cruises’ Celestyal Crystal, sail the Mediterranean on board MSC Cruises’ brand new MSC Meraviglia, and embark on her first Scandinavian voyage on Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Sky.
The cruise industry is a growing market and more and more holidaymakers are opting to swap their previous land-based holiday plans for a journey across the seas. Documentary series such as Channel 5’s ‘Cruising with Jane McDonald’ and ITV’s ‘The Cruise’ have worked wonders for the industry, promoting the cruise product and particularly appealing to holiday-makers who have either never embarked on a cruise or have never previously considered embarking on a cruise. These shows also outline the stars of the cruise ships, primarily those that will go the extra mile to overcome a particular challenge and those who form part of the on board entertainment.
The cruise industry continues to enjoy year-on-year growth, with more holiday makers seeing the value, security and overall appeal that a journey across the seas can provide. If you love cruising and are seeking a new and exciting business opportunity, you may be interested in the possibility to run your own franchise with GoCruise. For more information, contact us via the number above or complete an Online Enquiry Form.
