Indonesia to Singapore The Cruise: A Life at Sea

Imagine you've embarked on the journey of a lifetime...

..a luxury cruise around the world.

I've done things and seen places that other people dream of seeing.

2,000 people are travelling some of the way...

..but 400 lucky souls have signed up

for the entire adventure.

Well, this for me is the culmination of a life's dream -

it sure makes your eyes water.

They'll be stopping at some of most beautiful

and exotic places around the globe.

I think it's the most amazing thing ever.

But this all-inclusive package offers much more than

sunshine and sightseeing.

On this global odyssey, the passengers have

their very own vicar.

Welcome, everyone, to this very special and very happy occasion.

The ship IS my parish, therefore I'm seeking to minister to

everyone on board whether they're believers or not.

Welcome to the Cruise.

Since leaving the UK, Balmoral has crossed

the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans,

sailed around Australia,

and is now heading to South East Asia.

The ship's resident Reverend is Colin Still.

'I've always enjoyed going on the sea,

'I had many trips before I started as a chaplain and, of course,'

I love travelling and that's the main thing,

is that it's extraordinary. What a wonderful world is out there,

with wonderful colours and people.

# It's fun to say at the Y-M-C-A

# It's fun to stay at the... #

He may be a man of the cloth,

but, on board, Colin's considered one of the entertainers.

Cruise ships provide a great range of entertainments, and if you

wanted to, you could fill every minute of the day with activities.

# And I did not... #

Sometimes passengers take part.

# ..for being hard of hearing...

# For I am a Pirate King

ALL: # Hurrah, hurrah for the Pirate King

# Hurrah for the Pirate King! #

But, this time around, choir mistress Sue Alderson

isn't producing a musical.

We are going to be doing something different on this leg.

We're going to do work for Colin's services for Easter.

'And we're going to do an arrangement of Walk in Jerusalem.'

I just wanted you to look at it,

if you don't mind, just to make sure that this is appropriate

and the kind of thing that you would like for Palm Sunday.

It's three parts. So it's harmony as well, so it's quite tricky.

The idea is that, um, Andy plays

the ukulele for one verse

and sings one verse, and then Anita will play some music which

links his playing with this choral arrangement.

# Walking in Jerusalem just like John

# Walking in Jerusalem just like John. #

Sue's drafted in Andy Starling to add something different.

Lovely, lovely, Andy. Lovely.

-We didn't get the notes right!

-It was fine.

'Well, I brought the ukulele on holiday with me

'just to pass time when we were at sea,

'and it just so happened that Sue was sunbathing out on the deck

'and I was practising the tune that she fancied doing with the choir.

'So, she then said,'

well, would I join the choir,

sing it as part of their Palm Sunday performance, so to say.

BOTH: # Ready, I wanna be ready

# Walking in Jerusalem just like John. #

-That's perfect.

-Yeah, once I've got it in my head...

'I wouldn't say I'm a strong believer.

'I'm a retired soldier so, yes,'

there have been situations where you definitely feel

that there is somebody looking after you and making sure

that everything works out in the end.

But I can't say I'm a churchgoing person.

I'd probably get struck down by lightning if I said that.

Most passengers prefer to have their entertainment laid on.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure

to introduce seasoned Scarlatti and Schubert

by the fabulous, talented Philip Lange.

'I started playing the piano at the age of seven taking

'formal lessons, and I was inspired, greatly inspired by

'Sir John Barbirolli when I went to a concert,

'conducting the Halle Orchestra.'

'And at that concert,'

after that concert, at the age of 13

I decided, yes, I want to be a professional musician.

'I enjoy cruise ships

'for the informality of it all.

'When I play on land, you come out, you bow,

'you play, you bow and off you go again.

'There's no interaction with your audience.

'But, on a cruise, you can really talk about the pieces

'that you're going to play, try and give the audience an insight,

'and I think a sense of humour is important,

'they love a few of my silly jokes and stories about the composers.'

That was a quiet number, wasn't it?

AUDIENCE LAUGHS

That's enough to make you all go to sleep, isn't it? Good afternoon!

'People stop me on the ship and say,'

"We really enjoyed your concert,"

and that to me, is the greatest accolade.

'And if I'm giving people pleasure, that gives me

'tremendous pleasure so I enjoy it very much.'

APPLAUSE

But even though Philip Lange loves entertaining,

it wasn't his only ambition.

When we were talking,

you did mention that you had offered yourself for ordination.

What sort of... How did you feel that God was calling you?

Well, faith had been important really from a young lad, I suppose.

I grew up as a Methodist.

I was made a member of the Methodist Church

when I was about 14.

And then, at 18, I, um...

started getting into church music,

and just, you know, love all the settings that there were.

And the liturgy, of course, I love the prayer book,

I completely fell in love with the language of the prayer book.

So, I think the combination of the language

and the music that the Anglican Church had to offer was

very special and I suppose my journey started there.

But my calling to ordination I think was...

I had a year in Paris as director of music at the British school,

as well as being head of music, I was also a resident tutor in the

boarding house, and this was my first time of doing pastoral work.

And I really wanted to do more of this and with my calling with that.

My ambition was to not be a parish priest, but to be a school chaplain.

I thought what a wonderful combination.

The Church's loss is Balmoral's gain.

I've been able to come to three of your recitals,

and I've so thoroughly enjoyed them.

I mean, clearly you have a wonderful gift,

and, so, in that respect...

surely you can feel that you're serving God through your gift,

-and in that way.

-Indeed.

I have regrets when I hear those wonderful

words of the Eucharist, I wish I was saying them.

The blessing of the Sacrament, I think, is very, very special,

but the Lord has given me a great gift in being able

to play the piano, and I'm delighted,

and flattered, shall I say, that

I can give people pleasure through my own music making.

Thankfully, he did find a vocation in his playing

because it's a gift that is much appreciated

by a very much wider audience than perhaps his ministry would've been.

APPLAUSE

Balmoral's sailing into Semarang,

the capital of Indonesia...

..which is reawakening memories of Colin's own calling to the Church.

I always enjoy steam trains and it takes me back to

when I was in my teens and I used to go for my summer holidays to

visit my uncle and aunt in Mid Wales.

It goes only one way.

Oh, I see, yes, OK.

While I was there on holiday, I used to go down to the signal box

and pull the levers, and when the Aberystwyth express

came through it was me that was letting it through.

It was all very exciting.

Number 11, we're all in this one? Good.

I'm going to come and sit next to you if that's all right.

TRAIN WHISTLES

It was lovely seeing all the paddy fields and the people

working in the fields, and it just reminded me of the time when

I was working in Borneo, and it was great to be reminded of that,

because I haven't been back since 1962.

TRAIN WHISTLES

Oh, wow.

Borneo was an important point in my life

because just prior to going to Borneo, whilst

I was in Germany, I felt that God was calling me

to the priesthood. And that was, strange enough, through a dream.

I dreamt that I was reading theology at Selwyn College, Cambridge.

And I talked to various people about it and shared my thoughts

with a bishop, and he said,

"Well, just push the door, go for it."

So that's why I applied to Selwyn College

and, as it turned out, they gave me a place and I started there in '64.

After leaving Java, Balmoral heads north towards

Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

Navigating the busy Mekong Delta requires careful concentration.

It's been really interesting first of all seeing the enormous

amount of shipping that is flying up and down the river,

and then all of this jungle or marshes that are around,

a pretty inhospitable area and, certainly, it makes you think about the troops

when they were fighting the war. It must have been absolutely hell.

To be at sea for four months is quite a long time

and now we've done ten weeks of that journey, particularly those

who are working on board, are feeling a bit tired

because it's a seven-day week

and life doesn't stop on board as it does in a parish at home.

I am missing home, but the weeks will just fly now,

I think these next six weeks will go really quickly.

And we've got some really exciting stops as well.

And passenger Christine Eldred would like it to go on for ever.

I am like a kid waking up on Christmas Day every day,

and this morning...

..I was up at half past four.

Every port, obviously, is different

and, even now, I've been on the ship for about two and a bit months

and I'm still like pinching myself sometimes, I'm like...

"Am I really here or am I going to wake up at home

"in Morton in Dorset?"

Christine's travelling on a tight budget,

sharing a cabin with Gillian Benjamin.

I didn't know Christine very well,

we'd kept in touch after we met

two years ago and when I said, "Come on, join me,"

she said, "Yes, please".

It's been brilliant.

We...you know, we get on so well

and we're not living in each other's pockets, we give each other space.

And I've seen it go so wrong in the past

with people trying to share,

that I think I'm very, very lucky.

Well, so much so that we've gone and booked again for next year.

So that says it all, doesn't it?

Going under that bridge was pretty awesome,

cos I was stood up underneath and the captain went on the whistle

you know, and the echo and I nearly had a heart attack.

I'm like, "Oh!" It really made me jump.

Oh, this trip has been just...

I can't think of a word really...spectacular.

Morning. Hello.

'We start a new choir today because

'about two thirds of my choir got off so'

I'm left with about 20 people from the choir before.

Good, good, good.

I'm going to go back here a bit.

OK.

Right.

'I got there early because I'm always there early

'and Sue was kind of looking a little bit worried

'because I didn't think she was expecting many people to come.

'She was pacing up and down'

like she was having a baby, well, not having a baby but,

do you know what I mean? She was very nervous.

And at sort of...

I looked at my watch and five minutes before the off,

kind of thing, there was

I was counting and there was like eight of us and I'm like,

"Oh, my God," and she was, you know, she looked really worried.

Then, all of a sudden, people came, and, in fact,

I think we got as many as we had in the last choir, which is fantastic.

Loads of new people.

Welcome. Is it Jean? Lovely. Excellent.

'Meeting a new choir is always exciting,

'you just don't know who is going to be there.

'It's always a challenge and I just love it.'

Do you sing alto or soprano?

Well, certainly not very high.

That's all right. Well, stay there then, OK.

'Everybody's totally different.

'I can't read music, and quite

'a few people that join the choir didn't think that they could sing.

'And you get a camaraderie where the people that'

can do it try and bring along the people that can't do it.

'So, it works really well.'

Yeah, Rosemary, are you singing with us

this time or just breathing with us?

I think you're singing with us the time, go in there.

OK, lovely.

Welcome, everyone - it's absolutely super to see

so many people here this afternoon.

It's very encouraging. It's a relief.

SHE LAUGHS

First of all, can I introduce to you Anita,

who is a passenger on board and is our fantastic pianist.

Without her, we could not have done the standard of the music

that we've performed while we've been on board.

So it is a huge thank you to Anita for all of that.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

'We will have two days, two rehearsals to perform at the service'

on Palm Sunday, which is this Sunday.

'It's all going to be a little bit tense because we're in Singapore,'

all that day, get back on at four, and the service is at five.

'It's going to be another challenge, but a challenge of a different kind.'

For one...

ALL: # For by and by, by and by... #

Excellent, well done. OK.

But by far the biggest challenge is feeding 1,500

hungry mouths three times a day.

The food is fab on this ship. Really nice.

And I've managed not to put on any weight, but it's very hard.

It's really lovely food and you can eat all day if you want.

Executive Chef Sara Sipek has to make it all happen.

Two small lamb, one lamb, one small vegetarian, one small pasta.

It seems nowadays that the food is the most important

thing about cruising, and people expect food 24 hours a day,

so without the galley team there'd be nothing for people to eat at all.

Sara's the first woman to make top chef in the company.

Working with so many men in the galley is fun

most of the time. It was difficult at the beginning.

I found a lot of resistance against the female

that we couldn't do it, but the funny thing is

they always say the woman's place is in the kitchen.

Nobody can tell me now

that I can't do it, that women can't do it.

Manjee, we need more cheese in the sauce.

The mealtime schedule must go like clockwork.

I have a fantastic team here - 89 male cooks,

and three females in the galley.

We have Indonesian chefs, Indian chefs, Filipino chefs, Thai as well.

They're also being taught different ways of eating and food

and they will cook me something from their countries,

different times for me to try, so I get to learn things as well.

Something wrong?

We need to put some more cream inside.

'We just had a tasting table, we do every night.'

Taste the sherry?

'The waiters have an opportunity to come and taste,

'they know exactly what to give the guests,

'and what kind of flavours the food has if the guests ask.

'And it's also a learning process for them too.'

This is a final reminder - the steaks are all temperatures.

The lamb, please ask the guests, medium or well done.

'When people complain that they put on weight I just laugh,

'I think it's great. I did have a guest a while ago who complained

'to me that her husband couldn't come for the formal night because his

'trousers didn't fit any more and she was upset that I laughed.'

It's funny. I think it's great because that means that they've

enjoyed the food and put on weight and had a good time.

Fixed dinner times mean that any change of schedule is a problem...

and it's the cruise director's job to deal with the fallout.

OK, guys, shh.

So Anthony's just got something he needs to inform us of

and then we will need to make a decision.

We've extended our stay in Singapore by three hours,

so we're staying till eight o'clock.

So, obviously, it means we can't... Unfortunately, we're not able

to change the timing of the service.

So we would obviously still love the service to go ahead as normal

and for your input to go ahead as normal,

but the service will have to remain at five o'clock because we can't change.

We can't alter the timings because of the dinner service.

I discussed a number of options with Colin

and, unfortunately, there's

nothing that seems to be any better than the situation that we are in.

We would love you to go ahead as normal,

but I understand if one or two of you

would rather spend a little bit more time ashore.

It depends on having to go and now discuss with husbands.

I know, I realise that. I realise that.

The sudden change of plan may scupper Sue's choir,

and lose some of Colin's congregation.

Can I ask one question?

Why can't we move this service to the following day?

I know it's Palm Sunday, right,

Palm Sunday service will take place.

'There was controversy because they said, "Well, why can't they do

"the church service on another day while we're at sea?"

'And everybody was saying that the Christians changed

'the day of Christmas to suit the Pagan mid-Winter ceremonies,'

so why couldn't they move Palm Sunday by a day.

'It is always possible to change a service. We've already done

'that a number of times, but because it's Holy Week and there are'

special services set aside for each of the days that we're at sea,

'people would be upset if we didn't have something tomorrow.'

Hopefully, we'll keep the nucleus of people to put on what I'm sure

will be another wonderful performance at the service tomorrow.

Some have arranged to meet family -

obviously they want to stay longer with family.

'So we will be reduced numbers, we'll just work round

'and we'll just go with what we've got.'

Can't be helped.

We haven't seen them for years

so if we've got more time with them...

Sorry about that, Sue.

What about you, Anita?

I don't know, because we have a tour at half past one, I think.

Well, they should be back shouldn't they?

-I hope so.

-All the tours...

When the tours are back at half past four,

which is OK.

Yeah, I'm sure they'll be back.

'I'm going to the Singapore Zoo tomorrow

'and I'm looking forward to this day'

more than any other day

cos I'm going to have breakfast with the orang-utans.

But I would've even forgone that to support Sue because

I think she's doing a fantastic job, and I think she's just amazing.

You are so loyal.

Um, on this occasion, I don't expect, um, your loyalty.

I would love it, and it would be nice if we had it,

but I don't expect it.

If you do want to, just so long as you let me know,

because I would need to know who is not going to be there.

Um...no blacklist.

THEY LAUGH

But...

'It was a bit of a disaster,

'with the disruption of being told that everything had changed.

'It set everybody off in'

a bit of a negative atmosphere.

'Then, all of a sudden, I was asked to come across and perform.'

-NERVOUSLY:

-# I... #

'Which I wasn't quite ready for...'

at that point so I hadn't psyched myself up to do it.

-NERVOUSLY:

-# I want to be ready to

# Walk in Jerusalem just like John. #

-Sorry about that.

-Don't worry, and then...

So then Anita, you'll just start us straight in.

That's a lovely link.

ALL FAINTLY: # Oh, by and by

# By and by... # Where are we? Come on.

Ready? Three, four.

'We've just got to get over these things, haven't we?'

There are setbacks all the time, and it's what

we do about it isn't it, really? Not the setback itself, so...

we'll keep saying...

..our prayers and hope for the best on Sunday.

# Oh, by and by, by and by

# Oh, by and by

# By and by

# By and by, by and by

# I'm ready

# To walk in Jerusalem

# Just like John. #

It's Palm Sunday in Singapore

and Colin's on escort duty again.

What will happen tonight I have no idea,

but the service will take place

and those that would like to come will be there,

and those who are staying longer

with their families and relatives,

well, that's their prerogative and I hope they have a good visit.

It's not ideal, but he's got Christine

and the orang-utans for company.

Singapore has a very successful programme in breeding orang-utans,

because they are really threatened in many parts of Indonesia.

Most of these orang-utans are from Sumatra,

as well as born as actually two sub-species.

# Now I'm the king of the swingers

# Oh, the jungle VIP

# I've reached the top and had to stop

# And that's what's bothering me... #

'Well, I enjoyed being with Christine at the zoo because she was

'so enthusiastic about every animal,

'but particularly with the orang-utans.

'I took a photograph of her being very close to them

'and she was just so excited.'

There was a tiny two-week-old baby, I was so close to him

and then I blew him a kiss...like that.

# Oh, oobee doo

# I wanna be like you

# I wanna walk like you

# Talk like you

# You'll see it's true

# An ape like me

# Can learn to be human... #

-Meerkats!

-Oh, yes, they're...yes!

COLIN LAUGHS

It was brilliantly laid out, and the way the animals could be seen

and yet they looked in their natural habitat,

it was just lovely to see so many animals in such a close proximity.

-TOUR GUIDE: We take special care of these...

-Oh, look at them!

So, what's your favourite so far?

Oh, that's an impossible question!

TOUR GUIDE: ..residents are the giant tortoise and Komodo dragon.

Although the tour's a diversion,

Colin can't stop worrying.

Well, I think it might be a bit of a walk.

'Well, it seems strange to be even thinking of the service tonight

'when we're in amongst all this amazing foliage and animals.'

You can see the flying fox taking off. Can you see the flying fox?

'My mind hasn't concentrated yet on Palm Sunday service,

'I'm not at all happy,

'but, unfortunately, we couldn't change the time,'

which is disappointing.

Would you like to make your way to the bus?

They'll be back at one.

I've got to get quickly in the shower, change,

put my lovely frocks on and go to choir,

cos we've got the Palm Sunday service which I'm really

looking forward to as well because I love the song we're singing

and it's just been the most amazing day.

Having breakfast with monkeys - fantastic.

Orang-utans, which are my favourite.

-Nice to see you.

-Thank you.

Colin's got back on time, but many of the congregation aren't...

and there's one glaring absentee.

Welcome to our Palm Sunday interdenominational church service.

We've got a slight hiccup in as much as our pianist has

not yet got back from one of the tours.

Without Anita, the choir decide they can't perform Walk In Jerusalem.

So we're going to start our service without a pianist,

which means we're going to try and sing unaccompanied.

# Ride on, ride on in majesty... #

I'm not all that keen on pitching notes...

so having to lead the singing was a bit of a challenge.

# Oh, glory, Lord on high... #

'Well, we had a good result in spite of the fact that

'Anita wasn't there, which was disappointing.

'And I think they just accept that you don't get

'perfection on a ship,'

all the time, and that you have to adapt,

and make the most of what you've got.

It won't be wasted - Colin has suggested that next Sunday

we do both of them.

It's tremendous the effort that you've put in,

and I thank you so much for your support.

And I'll see you tomorrow, usual time.

We'll start on the three rehearsals now for the next one,

so bags of time.

OK?

I think we'll all go for a drink now.

THEY LAUGH

We've now got three sea days that we can continue rehearsing the

one that we should've done today, and we'll do them on Easter Sunday.

Hopefully!

Unless there's a lifeboat drill or something else.

When we get to that bit, Anita, could you play it?

Will Anita show up for Easter?

Stop, stop, stop. I feel you're coming in just too soon.

Colin gets taken for a ride.

Thank you. Oh, I just loved it,

-it was really...something very special.

-Yeah.

And Balmoral sails into troubled waters.

We are taking all these precautions due to pirate activity in the area.

Everybody sit down, please.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd