PAUL MERTON on the ALLURE Ch5 (UK)

[BMT]

Anyone else see this programme? What did you think?

 

He's very funny - and what a terrific ad for Royal Caribbean.

 

Only fly in the ointment for me, was 'orrible 'ernan (Capt. Hernan Zini to be exact!!).

 

Loved all the Rickys - and the Brits in the pub - not to mention the Belly Flop competition!!

 

I wonder whether they will show it on US TV.

[Cshgrand]

Yeah I am definitely going to check out the crazy Mexican tiger sanctuary!

Enjoying the whole series.

[blue toffee]

Forgot about it and only seen the last 10 mins although it seems as if he enjoyed himself

[Elizanessie]

I really enjoyed the show...I didn't think I would but oh boy I cant wait to get back onboard the Allure in a few weeks time....sadly the wonderful Captain Zini wont be onboard for our sailing this year.

[Grandma Gilly]

Quite enjoyed the programme. It was certainly a lot better than I had expected and he wasn't negative.

[Missus Makkem]

I know he had to be different but not sure he really wasnt taking the michael half the time.

The bit I did enjoy was seeing the school that royal Caribbean have built on Labadee.

[AnDeNo.UK]

I felt Paul Merton wasn't the right person for this programme. He came over as quite boring. IMHO. :(

[NorbertsNiece]

If you missed it, it's available online here. I thought the piece on Haiti was pertinent in stressing that RCCL fund a school and how important tourism is for the country.

[cinnamon]

I loved it. I think Paul was surprised at how much he enjoyed the ship in spite of himself. Pretty good PR for RCI methinks.

[Elizanessie]

The bit I did enjoy was seeing the school that royal Caribbean have built on Labadee.

 

I have to admit I had tears in my eyes when I saw the children and the school....that is the school that the International Critters from here on CC...took 40 huge boxes of school supplies to, last December when we were on the Allure Maiden Voyage.

 

I can't wait to get back there in a few weeks when we will be dropping off lots of Musical Instruments for the school that the Critters have collected this year.

 

Oh and the road to the school...is a lot rougher than you saw in the show.:eek:

[niko40]

I enjoyed the show we kept looking out for any staff we knew and how did he get the bridge tour he is not even a gold member yet lol:rolleyes:;):D

[peteukmcr]

I know he had to be different but not sure he really wasnt taking the michael half the time.

The bit I did enjoy was seeing the school that royal Caribbean have built on Labadee.

 

If you missed it, it's available online here. I thought the piece on Haiti was pertinent in stressing that RCCL fund a school and how important tourism is for the country.

This is the part I enjoyed the most and hope that others see that big corporations can make a difference, not just profit.

[BMT]

I really enjoyed the show...I didn't think I would but oh boy I cant wait to get back onboard the Allure in a few weeks time....sadly the wonderful Captain Zini wont be onboard for our sailing this year.

 

You like Zini? - no accounting for taste - hehehehe!! Easy on the eye - but of course, he is Argentinian:D:D Too conceited for my liking - but that is

RCIs fault of course.

 

Similar thing on Celebrity with Nick and Nack!!!

 

We are enjoying our cruising from Southampton now that we have sold-up in the US and live in Spain in the winter. No airport is a true blessing!! But sadly, next winter we will have to fly, as there are no cruises where we can disembark in Gibraltar.:eek: Cruise hopped a few weeks ago off the Q Elizabeth (not impressed) and straight onto the Eclipse at the next dock!! Very convenient.

 

How is the weather up your way?

[jackaboo]

I really enjoyed the show - the ship looks amazing and just HUUUUUGE.

I so want to go on Allure, the only thing putting me off was that the ship looked PACKED. People everywhere!

The customer services lady (Sam?) was very funny

[emdia43]

If you missed it, it's available online here. I thought the piece on Haiti was pertinent in stressing that RCCL fund a school and how important tourism is for the country.

 

 

We can't watch it in the US.....:(

[wales4ever]

Was looking forward to it, but was dissapointed with the show. No real depth to the show, didn't see a great deal of anything - the biggest item was the fat guys jumping into the pool???? The trips glossed over without showing much of anything. And Merton just embarrassing himself all the time.

 

A different presenter would have made so much more of the preogramme.

 

Not a patch on his previous travel shows.

[kernow]

I enjoyed the show but would have preferred it to be more focused on the ship, I'm not really a Paul Merton fan and he did seem a bit sarcastic towards a lot of the activities.

 

I agree the bit about the school in Haiti was good, what a shame we can't all get to see that sort of thing when we go to Labadee.

 

Julie

[welshrich]

I enjoyed the show we kept looking out for any staff we knew and how did he get the bridge tour he is not even a gold member yet lol:rolleyes:;):D

 

 

and he didnt hand over his seapass when he picked up his embarkation drink :D

[welshrich]

Forgot about it and only seen the last 10 mins although it seems as if he enjoyed himself

 

 

Its repeated on sunday night at 8.10pm

[Thejuggler]

"I agree the bit about the school in Haiti was good"

 

It wasn't, it was awful. They let Merton out of "prison beach", but only to show them what they wanted him to see. I wonder what life is like for those children once they take off their "specially provided for a C5 programme" RCI polo shirts?

 

"what a shame we can't all get to see that sort of thing when we go to Labadee"

 

Have you considered why this might be?

[Elizanessie]

"I wonder what life is like for those children once they take off their "specially provided for a C5 programme" RCI polo shirts?

 

Those RCI polo shirts are their everyday uniform and they have worn them every day since the school opened on 21st October 2010.

[Skipper Tim]

This was the first in a series of programmes where Paul Merton takes holidays he would never choose to this side of death. I am not sure whether the viewer is meant to laugh at how awful it all is or squirm at Merton's discomfort.

 

Certainly, if you don't like the idea of big cruise ships, then the programme did a fine hatchet job on the Allure, comparing her to a block of flats, showing tasteless activities and some mindless people. All the interesting things he got up to were not available to the regular cruise passenger: being allowed out of the 'cruise compound' at Haiti to visit the school, visiting the character in Jamaica, cycling around crew decks, dining on captain's table and taking the controls of the ship etc.

 

As far as Royal Caribbean are concerned, all publicity is ultimately good publicity and obviously all the stops had been pulled for Merton's TV sampling of their mass-market product. Channel 5 produced an programme of co-incidental interest to we cruise enthusiasts but I was left wondering if the programme makers had achieved what they set out to do. In a whole week of filming there should have been some better gems for a 30 minute programme than there were. If anything, I felt Merton was embarrassing rather than funny.

Edited October 20, 2011 by Skipper Tim

[uktraveller]

On the whole I enjoyed watching the program. Although it has confirmed what we already knew.......we have no interest whatsoever in sailing on any ship that big/with that many people!

[kimberley]

Butlins at seas came to mind!!!!! Have I really written that!

[Bobal]

Butlins at seas came to mind!!!!! Have I really written that!

 

Lol Kimberley (and hi :D) If any Americans are reading this thread you may now get the question (which I've seen on here before) asking what is a Butlin ;)

 

Having read all the way through the thread on adults taking kids places in character breakfasts etc http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1501655 I'm not sure about sailing on one of these mega-ships.