Whicker's World

This new series considers the buoyant upstairs-downstairs life experienced sailing around the Pacific in 80 days, with Alan Whicker aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 on her three-month winter voyage around the Pacific - the ultimate cruise. Here Whicker is dazzled by emeralds too enormous not to be real, surprised by the most pampered passenger, disappointed by the ship's wheel, swayed by South Sea islanders - and tempted into totally sinful behaviour...

The second of this series considers the upstairs-downstairs relationship of passengers and crew within their remote floating world. Upstairs, Whicker queues for a summit meeting with the President - and meets a multi-millionaire who only feels secure when on board. Downstairs, he talks to the extravagant man passengers love to hate, becomes involved in fights, happy events and £ 160,000-worth of caviare - and dares to discuss the one unmentionable subject ...

The third in this series goes ashore with the more adventurous cruisers. Whicker flies into the mountains of Papua-New Guinea for an eerie encounter with the Mudmen. On Bali he is stunned by beauty, walks into an ambush and minds his etiquette. After stocking-up in Singapore, the QE2 sails on to the sights and sensations of Thailand. For the passengers at Pattaya - orchids and elephants. For the crew -kisses and kicks. Then it's time for another sailor's farewell....

In the last of this series the QE2 reaches the two Chinas - Capitalist and Communist. At Hong Kong 2,000 workers swarm over the liner - and leave her whiter than white. At Qingdao in Red China the city almost comes to a halt as the cruisers disembark. Made-up children chant their doll-like welcomes to these 'visitors from another planet', while in the stadium before 20,000 Chinese the QE2 football team takes on Qingdao's best. Nigel Broackes , the man who in effect owns the QE2, talks about her future - and his passengers reflect upon their comfortable adventure ...