Stars on board: Debbie McGee shares favourite cruise memories
For many years, Debbie and her late husband Paul Daniels took their magic show to sea – inspiring a lifetime's love for the joys of cruising.
Did you miss travelling during
the pandemic?
Oh, absolutely. I’m a traveller,
and of course I’ve travelled
my whole life for work. But I did finally get away last
October when I went sailing
in the Caribbean with some
friends. It wasn’t exactly a
cruise – just a three-cabin
catamaran – but I love all
ships so there was no way I was going to say no!
Can you remember the first
cruise you went on?
Oh yes – it was aboard the
QE2 when Paul and I were
invited for Prince Philip’s
80th birthday party. I didn’t know what to expect
from a cruise but we sailed
for five days and I loved it.
It really gave me the bug.
What surprised you?
We had a butler in our suite,
so we could ring for a cup of
tea the moment we woke up.
I’d never experienced that
before – I felt like the Queen!
Even in hotels with room
service, it’s just not the same
as having somebody who gets to know you, and whose
whole job is to look after you.
What do you love most about
a cruise holiday?
The fact that you only unpack
your suitcase once. It’s done
in no time, and then you wake
up in a different country.
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You and Paul used to do shows
on cruise ships. Was that fun?
We loved it. But what we
enjoyed just as much is how easily you can make friends
on a cruise ship. We both
liked meeting new people so
cruising was great for us. And
I’m still in touch with a couple
from Scotland who we met on
our very first cruise.
What is your happiest
cruising memory?
Any of our trips on the QE2 – an old fashioned, real ship
with such a wonderful history.
We often used to sail to New
York, and on one crossing the
captain told everyone that a
freak wave was expected
during the night, so we should
have dinner early, then go
straight to bed and stay there
until morning.
The wave hit at
about 2am, and when the ship
had settled, Paul looked out of the door and said, "Well,
nobody’s running up down the
corridors so we must be OK." Thankfully we were, although
later we were told that the
ship had lost several lifeboats.
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What has been your favourite
destination over the years?
I love going to the Caribbean because I like the sunshine
but I’ve enjoyed all of my
cruises, even going up to
the North Cape and around
the top of Europe.
What was your last voyage
before lockdown?
A Strictly cruise with P&O,
visiting Gibraltar, Spain, Italy
and Malta. It was amazing.
Do you have any cruise
packing tips?
I’m a terrible holiday packer
because I want to take
everything, so I often have to
unpack and start again. That's one of the reasons I like the
Caribbean, because you don’t
need so much kit. I’m terrible
with clothes but good with
gadgets – I have a list on my
computer of all the electronic
stuff I need to remember, like
phone chargers.
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Do you enjoy the food on
board ship?
Who doesn’t? I’ve had so
many fantastic meals on
cruise ships, but probably
my favourite was the
midnight chocolate buffet
on P&O’s Aurora – wow!
Where will you be travelling
this year?
I’m going to Turkey with a
bunch of friends this spring.
Four years ago I went with
nine friends from my village
and we loved everything
about it, so we’re doing the
same trip again.
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Which cruise destination is
currently on your wish list?
Although I like the sunshine,
I’ve never been to Alaska.
The pictures look amazing,
so I’d love to cruise there.
