ITV cruising series gives boost to liner

ITV Alaska liner documentary leads to a surge in bookings for cruises.

“The first episode of ITV’s latest series of The Cruise documentary, set in Alaska, has led to a flurry of interest from viewers. The series is set on the 3,100-guest Star Princess and is the fourth to be filmed on a Princess Cruises ship.” – Princess Cruises

With more than 450 cruise ships around the world competing for passengers, offering a unique journey is a must. But taking a five-star luxury liner to the remote Alaskan seas means the captain and his crew must go the extra mile. Cruising between Vancouver in Canada and Anchorage in Alaska, the ITV series sees the crew battle navigational challenges and unpredictable weather, to deliver passengers the promise of a wilderness like nowhere else on Earth.

In the first episode which aired last Thursday, March 1st, the Star Princess was seen first in Vancouver ahead of a cruise north through the ‘Inland Passage’ and it seems the behind the scenes dramas mixed with the cruise offerings has lead to ITV viewers wanting to sample the liner for themselves.

The new series of ‘The Cruise: Voyage to Alaska‘ set sail with an average of 3.5 million viewers – peaking at 3.7 million – and a 16% share of viewing last week.  In turn, Princess Cruises reported a spike in interest to Alaska with bookings to the region more than doubling.

“The Cruise continues to go from strength-to-strength and we’re thrilled with the response to the first Alaska episode and previous Mediterranean series. Alaska is a stunning setting for the documentary and has clearly captured the imagination of viewers. From the scenery to the wildlife to the welcoming locals it really is a very special location and we feel proud to be able to share our 50 years of Alaska experience with ITV viewers.” – Tony Roberts, Princess Cruises’ vice president UK and Europe

Two further episodes of ‘The Cruise: Voyage To Alaska’ will air this week and next, on Thursday at 8.30pm on ITV, STV and UTV. The first outing aired in 2015 on the channel.