Actress Linda Lusardi on fame at sea, pigging out and seasickness injections

Linda Lusardi, 63, has acted in Emmerdale and The Bill alongside other TV and films credits, but it's her husband's career that has taken her off to sea.

Spouse Samuel Kane, 53, is also an English actor and has spent many years performing on cruise ships.

Lucky Linda managed to hop onboard, too, and here spills the beans on what life is like on a cruise.

Can you remember the first cruise you went on?

I did go on a funny little cruise when I was about 25, but that was on a very small ship.

My husband is a guest entertainer singing on a lot of the Celebrity ships, so my first proper one was 12 years ago on Celebrity Eclipse. We flew to Florida then cruised around the Bahamas. It was bliss.

Have you missed travelling in the last couple of years?

Yes, I think everybody has missed having holidays but I’ve been very lucky as I've done a couple of jobs during lockdown that have allowed me to travel.

Sam and I were lucky enough to go on a test cruise a few months ago before the cruise ships were back properly to test them for safety.

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We went on a Saga ship up the coast from Southampton for four days and it was fantastic. Everybody had been double jabbed and tested for Covid before they got on the ship, so it was very safe.

The ship was absolutely spotless. It really felt like the safest place to go on holiday.

What do you love about cruising?

I think a lot of British holidaymakers think cruises are all full of old people, it's very staid, and the entertainment is boring, but it's not like that at all.

Especially the American ships – the guests onboard range from 40 to 70. And the entertainment is just world-class – the theatre in the American ships and all the Celebrity cruise lines are better equipped than the Palladium!

For people that haven't seen these ships, it's hard to comprehend the size of them – I always say it's like having two Harrods side-by-side.

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Have you taken your family on cruises?

We’ve all been on Carnival Cruise Lines which are very family orientated. We cruised a lot when our kids were young and they really enjoyed all the fun things onboard, like waterslides that children love.

What’s been your best cruise experience?

I love cruising somewhere hot when it’s winter in the UK. winter. One of my best cruise experiences was sailing around the Bahamas.

It's lovely to be walking on a sunny beach when two days before you were standing in the cold with the snow coming down trying to scrape the ice off of your car.

Have you had any bad experiences at sea?

I did get a bit sick going around the Bay of Biscay as the sea was a bit rough. I had to have an injection to stop being sick.

Sam had to perform that night and he was thrown from one end of the stage to the other but the show went on.

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Do get recognised when you travel?

A bit, but it's never a problem. Sometimes when Sam is on stage, he’ll tell people I’m on the ship with him, and then I’d get collared quite a lot afterwards. But you’re having a nice time and it's par for the course really, so I don't mind.

Are you good at packing for cruise trips?

I like to think I am, but I nearly always get it wrong. I say to myself that this is the size of your case I'm taking and I'm not taking any more.

Then more and more goes in, them some comes out – sometimes I end up starting again and packing twice!

What do you enjoy eating and drinking at sea?

I always try and pace myself through the day, which I do find easy as the salad bars are amazing, and there is so much choice – much more than you'd ever have in your own home.

I try to have a light breakfast then lunchtime maybe some nice salad or meats. That means I can pig out at night.

I like to try out the speciality restaurants onboard and have a drink too. It’s amazing how much weight you could put it on in one week so I like to keep an eye on what I am eating.

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What are your travel plans for 2022?

I have no idea – I never plan anything in my life. We've been invited to a wedding in America at some point, so we will definitely be going to Vegas. And I'm pretty sure we will go on another cruise.

What’s on your cruise bucket list?

A trip to Australia, as that's the only place I haven't really been and would like to see.

Find Linda's beauty site, Beauty Angels on Instagram @the.beautyangels