All language subtitles for Cruising.Paradise.Above.and.Below.Deck.S01E02.1080p.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-7VFr33104D_track3_[eng]

Hello, Star Princess! All aboard...

Dee-dee-dee-dee-dee!

...Star Princess... It's massive.
Shall we explore?

...where a young British...
Make some noise!

Big ship, big adventures.
...and international crew...

I'm so busy.
There's always adrenaline.

...work... That's one job ticked off
my list. On to the next.

...without ever leaving home.

LAUGHING

There's a sea view on every shift.

Waking up in a new place every day?
That doesn't happen to most people.

Life feels like a big dream at
the moment.

But it's not all plain sailing...

Belize is cancelled.

Who wants to swim back to the ship?

I'm being a grumpy leprechaun.

...for the hundreds of shipmates...

...and thousands of passengers...

Sun is out.

SCREAMING

...sailing the stunning Caribbean.

You're getting to see the world
for free and getting paid for it.

It's hard work, but it's
so rewarding at the same time.

Woo!

Launched five months ago,
Star Princess is the newest

and largest vessel
in the Princess Cruises' fleet.

On board, a 1,500-strong crew
with an average age of just 38...

How are you? Good, good? Hello.

Ah! I'm so busy.

...taking care of over 4,000 guests.

Who's here to have a good
time this week?!

CHEERING

Crew members can be

on shift seven days a week...

Squeeze through those legs.

Keep going.

Ciao, Chef. Oh,
that looks so good.

I'm going to sew some costumes
because I have

a lot of things which need fixing.

...regularly clocking up 12-hour
days.

It's been an early day for us all.

The ship is just over a week into

a 28-day voyage around the
sun-soaked Caribbean...

...twice calling
at awe-inspiring islands

in the east, and Central America
and Mexico in the west.

BELL RINGS

Today, it's dropped anchor

in Amber Cove
in the Dominican Republic.

Famed for its golden beaches,

it's the perfect stop-off
for a day ashore for the guests.

But on board, there's no
let-up for the crew.

Good morning, good morning!
How's it looking?

Pull it down, like, an inch.

Pull it down a tiny bit.
Yeah. At just 22,

Southport-born Melissa is one of
the crew's youngest members.

No fingerprints. As you can tell,

I'm a perfectionist,
so everything has to be perfect.

So being the events
and guest services supervisor,

I look
after all the events on board.

So we do weddings,
we do renewal of vows,

we do legal ceremonies,
we do symbolic ceremonies.

I'm going to take you
down to deck three now,

which is where the florist is.

It's hard work, but it's
so rewarding at the same time.

You're getting to see the world
for free and getting paid for it.

Good morning! Wow, they look
so beautiful.

You did a really good job.
The hardest part of living

and working at sea is being away
from my family for so long.

My mum is the most

amazing person I've ever met
in my life.

Her work ethic and her personality
is exactly the same as me.

When we're with each other,
we just bounce off each other.

She's me mum.

MELISSA LAUGHS

And it's not just Melissa

who works hard setting
up events on board.

This is your cruise director, Dan.
It's St Patrick's Day today,

meaning there'll be

various Paddy's Day events around
the ship.

Of all the celebrations,
St Patrick's Day is one of

the liveliest
in the ship's itinerary.

I'm from Irish heritage,

so I should know St Patrick's Day.

Oh, my word, this day is crazy.

Cruise director Dan from Essex is
in charge of the entire operation.

We try to celebrate it as best
as we can.

We put a load
of decorations out.

They're the cheesiest decorations
you've ever seen.

We do Irish quiz, Irish music,
Irish cake.

Anything that we can
to exploit this holiday,

we will do.

Oh, my gosh. Where's the end? Here.

27-year-old Amy from County Durham

has been working
at sea for the past four years.

I actually used to work

as a fitness instructor back
in the UK,

but I always knew that I wanted a
job where I could travel.

But I'd never really been on
a cruise ship.

I didn't really know too much
about them,

so it was my best friend.
She started to work on them first

and I was like,
"Yeah, OK, let's give it a try."

And I never look back.

I could pinch myself every day
that I get to do this.

As activity manager,
Amy's been tasked

with decorating O'Malley's,
an Irish pub on board.

I actually really quite like
St Patrick's Day.

It's a big thing in the UK as well.
I'm sticking it

more to my fingers, actually.
Do you want me to help you on that?

Do you mind? Oh. thank you.

Giving her a hand is 23-year-old
Mia from Hampshire.

Is it your first time doing St
Patrick's Day on board?

Yeah.

Well, I'm glad I didn't put you on
St Patrick's Day trivia.

Honestly, as soon
as the schedule came out,

I was like, "Thank goodness."

Luca is from Serbia and I

think he knows more about
St Patrick's Day than you.

Oh, dear. So this one's coming down?

With six separate venues on the ship
to decorate...

No, no, that one's going to go
up with that.

So it's like contrast.

...Dan has dropped
in to check on progress,

but time is tight.

I actually have to go back to my job
in a minute. I know,

but I'm vertically challenged,
so it's just quicker if you do it.

It now does look like Christmas.

Not St Patrick's Day.
Irish Christmas.

Are you going to match
these on each one?

Oh, my OCD is going to go crazy.
No. It's contemporary.

It's art, Dan.
I think the decoration in O'Malley's

is a perfect
example of how strong my team are.

You've just got to have the eye
for...

Contemporary art,
for St Paddy's Day.

Dan! Positive energy.

THEY LAUGH

They ordered me around

like I was not the cruise director,
and that's absolutely fine by me.

So if you tape them underneath,
they'll start to fall off.

If you tape them on top, they won't.
Yeah.

Can you say one thing
that's positive?

Well, no. Like, it's called gravity, right?

I like the fact
that they felt comfortable

enough around me to put me

in my place a little bit,
which sometimes I need.

LAUGHTER

While the activity team are prepping
for tonight's festivities...

at the front of the ship is
the 990-seat main theatre...

Welcome to... Hi. ..backstage.

The backstage.

...where the 16-strong entertainment
cast

practise their routines
almost daily.

We are doing a tech run of Meridian,

so we do a tech run of all our
production shows

before we do them in the arena.

So this is the little chaos
that ensues right before.

28-year-old
cast manager Emma from New Zealand

has been dancing
since the age of three.

I wanted to be a little
dancing princess,

so I started doing ballet
and I just never stopped.

Let's do this. Let's do it.

When I
first started working on board,

dancing in rough seas was one of
the hardest things to get used to.

Sometimes you'll jump
and then the floor will move from

under you,
so it's quite a surreal feeling.

At just 25,
assistant cast manager Cassie

from Kansas

has been performing professionally
for five years.

Countess Winsleigh. They've come

up with the most
iconically British names possible.

I started dancing when I was two.
For some reason,

I always, like,
wanted to do a cruise ship.

Then one day I sent an email

off to Princess
and a week later they were like,

"Here's the contract."
And I was like, "Oh!"

And I ended
up just really loving it.

Following in their footsteps

is fellow dancer,
25-year-old Lexie from Florida.

When I was 17, my dance studio went
on a cruise ship,

and we got to be the entertainment
for the night.

It was so cool. And then I was like,
"Try it out and see what happens."

So I auditioned and Princess said,
"Here you go."

I feel like it's going to sound

a bit cliche,
but dance is just an escape for me.

And they always say, like, it's not
a job if you love what you do.

And genuinely, I just truly love it.

There's no feeling
like being onstage

and watching people enjoy your craft
and making people smile.

I really, really love it.

Woohoo!

All good? Yes. All groovy.

After a busy morning,

some of the crew can finally snatch
some time for themselves.

Right...

Massage therapist Charlotte,
from Norfolk,

is a firm favourite with the
hard-working

crew members
in need of a fix.

Hello. How are you?

Oh, so good to see you.

And Melissa is the perfect
candidate.

So where's your main
area of concern?

I've got a little tweak in my
shoulder. OK. Oh, yeah. Have a
little look at it.

Oh, my goodness me. Yeah.
Working every day for six months,

it can take its toll
on your brain mentally,

um, and your body physically can get
a little bit exhausted.

So how's your day been?
Oh, it's been a bit crazy today.

6:00 start this morning.
Oh, my gosh.

Do you know what?
I don't remember the last

time I had a massage.
It's been so long. Yeah. You're a...

Your poor body's been screaming
for one, to be fair.

Oh, my God, that feels so good.

MELISSA LAUGHS

Melissa and Charlotte

have known each other
for five months.

But on a busy ship,

there's not much time
for a proper catch-up.

So what did you do
before you came on the ship?

So I've had my own company
for ten years.

No! Yeah. Really? Yeah.
I worked a lot

with disability through

to professional athletes,
so it was really good fun.

Did you do,
like, sports therapy? Yeah.

So I'm basically an injury
rehabilitation specialist.

Oh!

Two years ago,

36-year-old Charlotte came
to a crossroads in her life.

So I had a bit of bad luck, really.

I'd dated terrible choices of men.

And I came out of a really long-term

relationship
where it was very toxic.

And I ran away to London and I was

like, "I'm never going to date
anyone."

And then I lost my father,

unfortunately. Oh!
Oh, my goodness. Um...

Yeah, I lost my father.

And that was the worst thing
that ever happened to me.

He was like my best friend.
It was amazing.

And so I moved back to Norfolk and I
just still felt lost.

I kind of ran away to sea.

That's how I ended
up sort of...

And you never looked back.
Never looked back.

It was like a new chapter, a new,
fresh... breath of fresh air.

I feel
like I've fulfilled my purpose.

And I would recommend running away
to sea to anyone if you're lost.

Relax your head. Make it heavy.

CRACKING, MELISSA GASPS

Beautiful.

THEY LAUGH

Having run away to sea,
she developed her side hustle,

spinning a very different kind
of disc.

A lot of my friends
in Norwich were DJs

and it was one of those things
where I...

...I just had such a passion
and love for.

It picks up really, really quickly
and now - DJ Blondie!

After DJing at crew events
below deck,

Charlotte is now keen

to show off her talents to
the guests.

I hate you. But first, she'll need
to win over the big brass.

So I was thinking maybe asking Dan
if I could play the silent disco.

Oh! I think that'd be so much fun.
No way! Yes. That'd be so sick.

Because obviously we do
the silent discos for the crew.

Yeah. We do.
But why not do the guests?

So silent disco is basically
where you get two channels.

Each channel has a different DJ.

The idea is that you're competing
against each other to...

...to basically see who can win.

The guests are going to love it,
you know?

I think it'll be fun.

I need to pitch
the idea first and see what he says.

And charming
Dan isn't going to be easy.

Dan... being a grumpy leprechaun.

And this is why I'm going to leave
you to...

Have an Irish coffee.
You'll feel better.

Yeah.

But he is massively my superior.
I, uh...

I need to put on the charm
and be like, "So, Dan. Love me.

"I want to play."
So we'll see what happens.

Watch this space.

The brand-new star Princess is on
a grand

month-long voyage sailing around
the Caribbean.

The guests have been on board
for just over a week,

and today the ship has docked at

Amber Cove
in the Dominican Republic,

where guests can relax at
all-inclusive resorts

or sample the local culture
in brightly coloured streets.

Hello! Oh, it's nice and warm here,
innit? Oh, nice bit of sun.

After a busy morning, some of

the crew have finally found time
to disembark.

We're going out into Amber Cove
today.

We're going to the beach. Woohoo!

It'll be quite nice to just go
and touch my feet

in the sand for a little bit,
you know?

And it's a beautiful day.

I'm definitely ticking off some of
the things on my bucket list.

I'm only 22, so just to have
the opportunity

to see as many places in the world,

like the eagles in Alaska and
all of the,

um, culture in Mexico and all
of the wildlife in the Caribbean.

So I'm very fortunate for that.

Joining Melissa and Charlotte

ashore is guest services officer,
25-year-old Lewis from Glasgow.

I'm very excited for it.

It's very nice
for all of us just to get out,

relax a little bit, get some food

and have some time off ship together
as well.

Look at the beach.
Oh, my gosh. Guys, we made it.

Woo-woo! Freedom!

Look at the sand. I know. It's so
nice.

A big part of being on

the ships is you're constantly
at work, even when you're off duty.

So seeing the water and the sun

and spending time with my friends
that I care about,

yeah, it's really nice.

This beats being in the office,
doesn't it? Oh, much better.

Beats being in the spa, not going to
lie. When was the last time you got
off?

I actually... No,
I can't actually remember.

Oh, my God. Honestly,
it feels like a lifetime

we've been doing this contract,
doesn't it?

It's really important

to have friendships
and bonds on board with each other.

We're with each other
for upwards of six to seven months.

So if we start fighting, it's going
to be a little bit difficult.

I'm just glad I've got
my feet on solid ground,

you know,
instead of sailing all the time.

Yeah. Melissa,
we are very good friends on board.

We work very close together.
We're both in the UK,

so we get on very well
with our backgrounds

at home from things
like Percy Pigs.

It's things like that in common
that we know about and that we love.

I must say it's nice to, uh,

to actually spend time
with you guys.

I feel like I never see you ever.
It's always about work.

It's always about... I think as
well,

when we're all together,
you just kind of get it.

It's just you guys are kind
of like my home.

I miss you guys when I don't see
you. Do you know what it is?

It's the accent for me. Mm-hm.

Yeah. It's, like,
nice to hear a familiar accent

which reminds me of home.

And also as well, I find
when we all get together,

because we speak so fast,

nobody else understands
what we're talking about.

I haven't got a clue
what you're talking about

half the time.
THEY LAUGH

The crewmates on board, I can see it

in their faces
when I'm talking to them.

They're just smiling, like, "Yeah,
yeah."

And I'm like, "You don't know
what I'm saying, do you?

"You have no idea." It does
take me a minute.

I have to go, "What did he say,
Lewis?" What did he say?"

But he does the same with me.
So he's all right.

It's a two-way street.
I do miss the food at home,

though. I can't lie.
What's the first

thing you're going to eat
when you go home? Roast dinner.

Oh! Oh, God. Yeah.
My mum makes the best roast.

Oh, my God, I cannot wait.
Oh, my God.

Proper Yorkshire puds as well.
Oh, my God.

Yes, yes, yes.

Oh, I actually just...
Oh, I miss home.

SHE LAUGHS

Working on the cruise ships,

we are miles and miles away
from our friends and family.

And there's nothing...

...nothing better than seeing someone
from your own country.

You end
up becoming more than friends.

Having that immediate
support network. Like, they're

your friends
that you've literally met

four months ago and you're
completely close with now.

It's really important.

I miss my family and everything,
but I miss, like, the rain.

I miss, like, the dreary weather.
A cosy day

in the house, not feeling guilty,
you know? In the blankets.

Rain outside, watching a movie.
It's like therapy, this, guys. Yeah.

Can't ask
for anyone better to spend it with.

Oh, bless you. Love you, guys.
Love you.

But it's not just the Brits
who have bonded on board this ship.

Dancers Lexie, Cassie and Emma
have ventured

to brightly coloured
Umbrella Street.

OK.

The perfect spot to grab content
for their socials.

SHE LAUGHS

Go, Lexie! Oh, my God!

That is so fun.

Looks weird!

Growing up in New Zealand,

one of the coolest things
that really drew me

into working on board is
that I'm free to go

and explore whatever land we wake
up in.

Do you guys want to sit there?
Sit on the chairs.

Oh, cute. OK.

And so working on board
and being able

to come to all these
incredible places,

I'm still sort of amazed
that I get to do this all the time.

Just next to Umbrella Street
is another photo op.

Wow, this is so cool.
The paintings are really fun.

It's a million miles away from home
for Cassie.

When I'm on the ships, to think

that I came from this,
like, small farm town

and I was a small Kansas girl, as,

like, cliche as that sounds,
I guess, it's really,

really crazy to think that I've been

to 32 different countries
and I'm like, "Whoa!"

It's really cool.
Really, really cool.

Clink.

Look at the eyes.

So this is really nice. Yeah.
Like, the country and the

culture and... Yeah.
So much colour.

...around here. Yeah. Yeah.
It's just stunning.

We always say
when you get off the ship,

you have to go somewhere
where you can't see the ship.

So you really have
that time to relax

and just enjoy what's
in front of you,

rather than thinking

about going back on board
and going back to work.

I will say, though,
that the Caribbean,

I think, is the best itinerary
for weather.

Yeah. Oh, my gosh. Alaska.

I was so cold everywhere I went on
that trip.

I was like...
SHE WHIMPERS

I think it's important to get off
the ship with your friends

and to go and see things

because I think
when you're on board,

it's like a bubble.

We all live
in this, like, little town,

and you kind of forget
that other things exist.

So when you get on land,

you can kind of recalibrate
and refresh yourself.

With the ship heading to its next

exciting destination
in just over an hour...

We should probably get going.
OK. Yeah. Yeah.

...everyone needs to head back.

And as the vessel set sail,

on board, there's a fabulous evening
lined up.

We're going to be partying
all night.

St Patrick's Day

is getting under way,
and everyone's dressed to impress.

We're from Ireland.

In the UK, we celebrate it.

But the Americans?
They've commandeered this event.

St Patrick's Day is a sea
of green.

You walk into the arena
and everyone's wearing green.

The guests get involved.
St Patrick's Day is the one

they probably get involved
with more than any.

I saw some standout outfits
which, um,

would not be appropriate to talk
about on camera.

Not many cruise ships have an
Irish pub,

but O'Malley's on deck seven is

the perfect place
for this raucous event.

I can do a wee bit of an Irish jig,
you know?

LAUGHTER

Edinburgh newlyweds Ross and Vishal
are on their first cruise

TO mark ten years of being together.

They're travelling

with Ross's sister, Lisa,
and her husband, Paul.

Doesn't it look nice? Yeah.

Go for it. Go for it.

You've just got to down the first
one, apparently.

And for Ross, drinking a pint

of Guinness
is another new experience.

Oh...

Lovely. ..lovely.

THEY LAUGH

Is it really?

Any excuse for a drink.

I mean, we are Scottish,
but also...

Don't say it like that!

They're celebrating

with new friends Richard from
Cardiff and Mancunian Kieran,

mates who travel together
when the stars align.

How you doing? You having a good
St Patrick's Day?

I was actually meant to be going
with my ex.

We split up, so he was like my next
person to come, too.

And we've always enjoyed our
company, to be fair.

And we do like to party.

So he's the best person to come on
the cruise.

I was the infill.
I was second choice.

You were second choice, yeah.

I am having the best
St Patrick's Day.

I've got my green cocktail.

I've just tried my first Guinness.
You have not!

You've never had Guinness
before?

And I think it'll be my last.

THEY LAUGH

I'm loving your outfits.

Did you, like, pre-plan this,
because you are green,

top to bottom?

We just have a lot of green
in our wardrobe.

It just happens
to be our favourite colour.

We did not prepare.

The real question
is, have you got on green underwear?

I-I...

I'll not sure. It just so
happened

that we brought a lot of green
for this trip.

We didn't plan to come on looking
like a leprechaun.

Just sort of happened that way.
I had a bit of a panic

because I forgot it was
St Patrick's Day.

And then when I realised it was
St Patrick's Day,

I was, like,
tearing through my wardrobe.

I was like, "I've got nothing
green."

The best I've come up
with is I've got some green socks.

THEY LAUGH

The only thing I had was a green
pair of socks.

You kind of had a green top.

I kept buying green drinks all day.
We were like,

"Yeah, we're celebrating. Green
drinks."

To St Patrick's Day.

ALL: Cheers!

They may have raised their glasses
to Ireland.

All round, Baby Guinnesses!

But a whole new spicy adventure
awaits in Mexico.

After an action-packed few days,

the sun has risen
in another dream-filled destination.

Star Princess has sailed to

the tropical island of Cozumel
in Mexico.

On board, it's an early start
for 27-year-old

fitness instructor Caitlin
from Gravesend.

My daily fitness routine...
I always have to have breakfast

and a morning cup of tea
because I'm a Brit,

so we have lots of tea.

And then I'll be teaching
the morning classes.

Right arm is coming over the head.
Link the hands together.

You're going to feel it
stretch up the lat of that back.

We teach yoga, Pilates,

cycling classes, and we do
that every single day.

Caitlin's been working at sea
for three years,

leaving behind her parents

and identical twin sister
Anneliese in Kent.

Lovely. Nice to meet you.

See you later. Hardest part
of living on

a cruise ship for months at a time?
Probably the missing

out on family back at home,
I would say.

We could sometimes be here
for ten months.

So by the time

you've finished your contract,
nearly a whole year has passed by.

With family often far away,

friendships on board become key.

Ready, girls? Yeah. Let's go.

So let's just lay out some mats
and stuff.

Dancers Cassie and Lexie have been
on the ship for five months...

You've both done Pilates? Yes.
Awesome.

...and hit the gym

daily to keep themselves
performance ready.

Raise that glute.
Three, two... Perfect.

Other side. Ready.
Feel the burn? Woohoo!

There's a lot of discipline
that comes into being a dancer.

Because if you don't eat properly,

then you're going
to lose your muscle mass.

If you don't stretch every day,

you're going
to lose your flexibility.

You come forward,
pull back. Straight leg.

That's it. Come forward.
Having this kind of job,

I do feel very, very lucky.
I've seen lots of different places

I never thought I'd see
in the world.

So to be able
to experience it whilst doing

a job
that you love is amazing to do.

What got you into, like, wanting to
do PT on board?

I grew up with dance, like you
girls.

And then I went into
the gym industry

where I did, like, management of gym

and then I did
body-building competitions.

Oh, that's crazy. Let me... I was
going to say.

Let's see a picture. Let's see it.

Here.

GASPS

Stop.

Like, the tan just makes you look
so much bigger.

It always brings out
the muscular definition, doesn't it?

And do you know what I find really
funny? I tell the guests

I've done body-building
and they're like,

"You don't look like
you've done body-building."

I go, "This hides it."

Body-building is challenging,

of course, because you have
to be very disciplined.

It's a whole lifestyle.
But the end result,

once you see yourself onstage
and of course,

um, if you get a medal as well,
it's a very good achievement.

But after life on land, Caitlin was
up for a new challenge.

I was just kind of looking
at other jobs online

and it popped up "fitness at sea".

So I just applied for it,
see what it was.

And then here I am,
four ships later.

Oh. That's so cool, though.

My favourite thing about life on
a cruise ship is probably

the people that you meet

and the connections
that you build.

On land, things like... You've known
someone for two weeks. On board,

it may have only been two weeks, but
you... Known them your whole life.

It's just very different.

I feel like life on board
is hard sometimes within,

like, personal matters

or, like, relationship issues
and stuff like that.

And I feel like that's the thing
that people don't really

talk about a lot. See,
it's very nice when you have, like,

friendship groups
and stuff like that.

But it's also nice
if you have someone on board.

Caitlin's in a
year-long relationship

with crew manager Edgar from Mexico.

We managed
to get together on this contract,

so it's very nice, after a long day,

just have him to go
and chat about the day, like,

or if I am having
a bad day to have just a cuddle.

I just recently went through

a break-up with a guy
that I met on board,

and we had been together
for almost two years

and we saw each other when we could,

but it was just getting to a point
where it was like,

"Is this, like, worth it any more?"

You know? Because he was
from England and I'm from America.

And so the travelling was hard

and our times
off weren't aligning either.

And so, like, yeah, it was just
hard.

I was heartbroken,
and I still am heartbroken.

Um, but Lexie has been so great.

Lexie has definitely been...

She's probably
so sick of me talking about it.

But that's what I'm here for.

Cassie on board is probably one of
my closest friends,

and you become so close that you're
not really friends any more.

You are family.

And I was there from the time
that it happened until,

like, she kind of got back
up on her feet.

Lexie will listen to anything I have
to say,

and she reminds me every day that,
like,

it's going to be fine,
and I know it's going

to be fine now because of her
as well.

On deck seven,

massage therapist Charlotte
has her sights set on a personal

and professional challenge...

...DJing the ship's silent disco.

I would love to actually branch out
and play for the guests.

I think it would be really good fun
to just show us crew,

we have different talents,
and not just keep talents

locked behind the doors
in the crew areas.

Show the guests actually, yes,

I'm a massage therapist,
but I'm going to play your songs.

But first, there's a little hurdle
to jump in the form of the big boss,

cruise director
and head of entertainment Dan.

Hello. Hey.

I have a proposition for you. So...

OK.

So you know I am the resident DJ
for the crew?

Self-appointed.
Self-appointed, obviously.

I've had an idea.

Would it be possible to maybe do
a silent disco for the guests?

What do you think?

Uh, can you? Uh, yeah. Let's do
it. I've got all the music.

Um...

You'd have to bat against DJ Will, though.

Yeah? He's a nice guy.

He is a nice guy,
but he will take it very seriously.

Yeah. Good. I'm competitive.
You're competitive?

I'm going to kill him.
You're going to kill him?

All right. We don't need that.

Well, Charlotte loves DJing
for the team-mates.

I think she's always wanted
the opportunity to see

whether she could do it
for the guests as well.

But I think there's
always a concern.

Can she get over the nerves
of doing it in front of the guests?

You think you're good enough? Yes.

It's going to be different
equipment.

Yep. We'll have to look at
what you're playing playlist-wise.

What you play in the crew bar,
we can't always play upstairs.

We've got to just check with Will
as to what he's playing,

so we can make sure that we've got
two very separate channels.

Yeah. Well, out of respect,
I'm going to ask DJ Will

if he's happy. 100%. Then...

...um...

We're all about giving
opportunities, so let's do it.

Wonderful. Thank you. Appreciate it.
I'll let you know.

Cool. Thank you. All right.

I'm so excited
about potentially playing the gig.

But I'm saying "potentially" just
in case there's any complications.

But so far, so good.
We're going to smash it.

The crew on board Star Princess

are often away
from home for months on end.

So friendships
and relationships blossom.

Because we are spending
so much time together,

a lot of people do find their
partners on cruise ships.

Um, I'm still looking
for mine...

...but, you know.

SHE LAUGHS

Thank you. My best, best friend on
board is Edgar,

and we got together last contract.

We try to spend every day together.

Today, fitness instructor Caitlin is
making a beeline

for the shore with her partner,
crew manager Edgar.

EDGAR SIGHS CONTENTEDLY

Finally. This is beautiful, eh?

As Edgar is from Mexico,

Cozumel is the perfect
place to step ashore.

And there's just one
thing on his mind.

I'm really, really hungry.
So what are we eating today?

Finally going to try something
spicy?

No. I don't do spicy.

When I was a kid growing
up in the '70s, in Mexico,

and I kept seeing the cruise
ship coming in,

and my dream was like, "One of

"these days I'm going to sail away
on one of those."

And here I am, 24 years
since I joined the company.

I love it.

Ah. It's just nice to be here.

I really needed this.

It's been very, very busy.
The whole week, it's been very busy.

When me and Edgar first met
on our last contract,

he kept popping up in the gym,
and he kept just joking around

with me and the other fitness I
was working with at the time.

It was like, "I think he fancies
you."

And I said, "Me?! No. No way."

And I start talking to her

and talking
to her and getting along and, uh...

...and somehow we click.

After that contract, I left
and went home.

And then Edgar messaged me
and he said,

"Do you want to fly over
and see me again on the ship?"

So he flew me over to Alaska.
At that point,

I was like, "OK, this man's very,
very serious."

Ah! Burrito. Burrit...

THEY LAUGH

If our time off does match up,

then obviously that's
when we go out.

We don't get to do it as much

as we would like,
but when we do it, we cherish it.

Oh, you're going to love that one.

Wait. Pina colada and...? Yeah.
It's pineapple.

She is a very happy person.
She matches my craziness.

And when we come to each other,
we escape the stress of the work.

When we find each other, it's like,
this is our place, our area.

Cozumel is very colourful.
It is beautiful.

I think it's the perfect
way to see Mexico.

Our time

in Mexico is always try to go
and find something good to eat.

Please join us.
We heard amazing things about here.

Well, let's not disappoint anyone
today, mate.

We'll try somewhere
different every time.

And he will normally order for me.
So this is spicy?

Uh-oh. For me,
when it comes to spicy food,

I think, "Why am I crying
when I'm eating?"

No. You'll die.

HE COUGHS
It is spicy.

Me and Edgar are very opposite,

but we go very well together
and I like to have a laugh,

I like to have fun, and we just love

to learn
about each other's home life.

It's very different,

how he grew up to how I grew up.
Grew up right next to the ocean.

So for us, eating seafood,
it was every day.

It's actually... We
had a full fried fish for breakfast.

No, I'd never eat fish
for breakfast.

So what do you eat?
English breakfast.

Now we're talking bacon... OK.
Yes. I like that.

Secret to success of a relationship
on board?

Obviously, you're in each other's
space all the time here, right?

So it's kind of like straight away,
you're living together.

Never thought I'd be with a Mexican, no.

THEY LAUGH

It feels nice.
It feels quite beautiful.

And this was the first
time you said, "I love you."

Oh, you save it. Yeah!

So future for me and Edgar,
obviously it's just trying

to request to get on
the same ship again

and see where it goes.
Yeah, very exciting times ahead.

We can stay here for dinner.
No, we need to go back to the ship.

Do we? Yes.

Let's go. Let's go.

On board, Charlotte's also keen
to chat to her boyfriend, Gary,

who's currently working
on another ship.

Hello. How are you? I miss you.
I miss you, too. Yeah.

I came out of a really long-term
relationship, and then I was like,

"I'm never dating everyone ever
again." And then I just...

I met the most
wonderful chap on my first day

of embarking on my first-ever ship
in Hong Kong.

There was just something
about this gentleman.

He was, like, kind.
He was very patient.

You know, when he walked in a room,
everyone listened to him.

And I was like,
"This is the kind of man

"that has quite similar traits
to my father."

I was like, "I feel like my
direction in life is

"going in the right way."
So, yeah, I can't complain.

And it seems things
are just getting better

and better for Charlotte.

I asked Dan if I could DJ

for one of the guest events
and he said I could.

I'm so excited.
I'm a bit nervous, though.

Oh, no way! Yeah. I'm a bit nervous, though.

The only problem is
that they've just ordered

a whole load of new equipment,

and I think I might
be playing on that. Yeah.

So it's going to be interesting
to see whether my music choices fits

in with what the guests want
as well.

I'm sure you'll smash it.

I really wish I was
there to help support you,

and at least I'll be there
in about a month and a half now.

Not long to go. I know. Can't wait.

Compared to other people
who have relationships,

I'm very, very fortunate that I get
to see him on a regular basis.

So the longest that we've been apart
is three and a half months.

So when you think about it,

it's not actually that bad.
But I speak to him every day.

So, yeah, it's easy, easy, easy.

You never know. I might be a DJ
after this.

SHE LAUGHS

Exactly. Yes. Yeah, yeah.

Fingers crossed for you.
Love you. Have a good evening.

Love you, too. Bye-bye.

As Charlotte heads off to get ready

for tonight's silent disco,
down on deck seven,

preparations are under way.
Everyone's aware

of everything that's going on
with silent disco tonight, yeah?

Can you call her up because she

needs to put people on that now.

But as the silent disco is a
last-minute addition,

the team need to make activity
manager Amy aware.

It's one that's been added in, Amy.

It's because it's not... it's not in
the system.

Oh, God.

HE LAUGHS

It's full steam ahead
as Star Princess lifts anchor

in Mexico to continue its month-long

journey around the Caribbean.
After a relaxing day ashore,

there's even more fun
to be had on board for the guests.

Good evening, seafarers. This
is your cruise director, Dan.

Just stopping by to let you know of
some of the events you can

find this evening on board
Star Princess.

And it is a big one ahead. Tonight,
we do have a special bonus.

Silent disco
in the Dome from 11pm

to midnight is DJ Will versus
DJ Blondie, competing

in battle of the DJs - silent disco.

And massage therapist Charlotte is
raring to go.

Hopefully good vibes, good energy
and songs that everyone likes.

So, uh, I'm looking forward to it.
I'm really excited, actually.

Yeah. It's nice.
I love playing music.

It just kind
of gives me this internal calmness.

Silent discos have become

popular wherever
you are around the world,

whether it's on cruise ships
or on land.

People love it,
and you can't argue with that.

So we do it, you know, three or four
times a cruise and it packs out.

It's crazy.

I mean, look at this. Amazing.

She'll be battling it

out against rival DJ Will.
Hello. How you doing?

How you doing? Nice to see you.
Whenever you are ready.

Let me get set up.

But the brand-new equipment
is proving problematic.

This one here is not playing.
So if you see that the channel

is not coming through, no music.
NERVOUS LAUGHTER

Don't you just love a bit of drama?

So, uh, we're only coming through
one channel.

So there's meant to be two channels
and only one one's working,

so we've just had to reset
everything, so hopefully it'll work.

As Charlotte
struggles to get started...

...ten decks below, in the arena,

the dancers are about to begin
a performance of their own.

The entertainment team,
they create magic on this ship.

I could not be more lucky
to have this team.

They are remarkable human beings.

I wouldn't say

that I get nervous any more
doing any of the shows, really.

We've been doing them
for a long time now

and we spend a lot
of time rehearsing them,

but I still get excited to do it.

You still get that little feeling
when you're about to go onstage.

Places, everyone!

ANNOUNCER: Now, fair travellers,
take a deep breath of sea air

and let the winds
of imagination carry you away.

Meridian is one of the production
shows that we do on board,

and I would best describe it

as like bringing Bridgerton to
the modern world.

Um, it is a love story
that happens on board a ship.

It's not super serious.

So we get to be a bunch
of different characters in one show.

Away we go!

For myself, the biggest challenge
in Meridian, really

having to play not just
one character.

We have a few different scenes
where we have

to kind of embody these different
characters through dancing,

and not only through dancing,

but just through standing there
and reacting to

the actors onstage.

That was a real challenge for me,
to figure out how

to sort of act rather than have
to dance.

The, like, character that you have
to bring to it is so fun.

And we really put ourselves
into those characters as well.

And I think that's the funnest
thing, is you get

to show a little
bit of personality onstage, too.

I have five different characters

within the show, but each character
is a completely different character.

So when I first start the show,
I'm considered high society,

and then I go into it
and now I'm a sailor,

and then we go into another scene

and now I'm, like, one of
the waitstaff.

I think that the most
challenging thing

about Meridian is the set changes
and, like, the quick costume
changes.

We have to run down to deck six,
sprint

to the dressing room.
I have to get changed from a number,

and then grab all of our props

and everything
and sprint back onstage.

And then we have to pretend
like we're not out

of breath to be able to start
the next section.

On our costume,
I have, like, three pieces on

and a hat and shoes and socks,

and I have to run off
and I have to get all of those off

and put on another outfit
that's three pieces.

And then you come onstage
and you're like, "Ta-da!"

APPLAUSE

While the performers call it a day,

things are just getting started at
the silent disco.

We're only using the red
and the blue channels.

Is that OK?

Among the revellers are newlyweds
Ross and Vishal.

I am embarrassed to admit

this actually will not
be our first silent disco.

I have always maintained
that I would never do it.

I've always thought it was
very embarrassing,

but actually when you're in it,
you really get into it.

I was screaming. So I'm very much
looking forward to tonight.

But before the disco can start,

Charlotte needs to get the decks
working.

MUSIC SLOWS TO A STOP

Let's try line A.

Oh, there you go.
I think we're good to go.

Yeah. Working.

Are you ready? Let's go. Let's get
this open. OK.

Well, a very good evening,
Star Princess.

How are we doing tonight?

CHEERING

Well, please welcome DJ Blondie on
the red channel.

CHEERING

While Charlotte plays the red
channel,

DJ Will is on blue.

Oh, I can see the energy.

Blue party people out there.

Oh, blue is better.
Nah, she's losing me.

Losing me. If she's going to turn

the room red, Charlotte needs to
up her game.

CHARLOTTE: I need to find something
good. So much rock music.

I can't be playing that. Terrible.

Oh, this is a good song.

This is a good song.

Party people, this is DJ Blondie!

Come on, let's make some noise!

Go, red. Yes.

Slowly getting there.

I'm team red. Switch to red.

Yes! We're going red.

We're going red!

"Let's put another banger,"
and then next minute it exploded.

I had the crowd. It was amazing.

And I was like,
"This is my... this is my place.

"I'm meant to be here."

She's by far the better DJ.
She's doing this boy out of a job.

Come on!

The gig was unbelievable.

Honestly, I...I cannot tell you how
proud I am.

I mean, Will was smashing

it the whole way through.
He had blue, blue, blue, blue,

blue and then just right at the end,
smashed it.

It was amazing.

CHEERING

Let's give it up for DJ Blondie!

CHEERING

DJ Blondie in the house.
That was such a good party.

I would definitely give her the job.

Ah! It was amazing. I had the best
time.

Yeah, it was so good.

So happy. And beats being in the
spa. Don't tell my manager.

I'm gutted Dan's not here,

but I know he's going
to get some good feedback

and I've had some good feedback from
some of the party people.

So, yes, I hope...
I hope he lets me do it again.

I'm so... Oh! Buzzing! Buzzing!

Next time, Star Princess
heads to Belize...

Reluctantly,
I'm aborting the call into Belize.

...where bad weather causes problems.

Belize is cancelled.

And emotions run high
as the final curtain falls.

Sobbing like a baby.

THEY CHEER

Subtitles by Red Bee Media