He has rowed across the Atlantic, swum with crocodiles and raced to the South Pole.
So imagine the surprised expressions of sunbathers on the top deck of their cruise ship when they looked up to see Ben Fogle hurtling past on the jogging track.
A town for explorers: Ben describes Positano as a place that “shows the great bravery of man to settle here”.
The writer and broadcaster, famous for his extreme adventures, admits that he never expected to find himself on a cruise either.
But as part of his new role as ‘destination expert’ for Celebrity Cruises, he has just made a flying visit to the Mediterranean aboard Celebrity Silhouette to research the ‘Ben Fogle Inspired’ shore excursions on offer next year.
‘I had always viewed cruise ships from a distance and thought they were not for people like me,’ admits Ben. ‘I thought they were for a much older demographic and the ship was the destination and the ports merely incidental.’
So Ben was delighted to find himself in three very different places – Malta, Sicily and Naples – in just three days, and from this experience he now believes it is possible to combine a cruise with independent travel.
‘I now see the ship as a moving hotel that lets you make the most of time at sea but you can maximise your shore time too,’ he says.
One of Ben’s ideas, yet to be thrashed out with Celebrity’s expeditions team, would be group runs straight off the ship and out through the ports, led by a fitness instructor. ‘Or wouldn’t it be good to take a bike ride right off the beaten track to a hidden cove and then go for a swim?’ he enthuses.
‘There are other experts who know far more about Naples or Malta or Rome than I do. What I hope to do is help people explore a destination, to find that one unique place where they can immerse themselves in the culture or landscape. It’s all about immersion.’
All at sea: You might not expect to find Ben Fogle on a cruise ship, but he loved his first experience
So while he was in Naples, instead of following the crowds to Pompeii, Ben struck off along the Amalfi Coast to somewhere he’d never been: the colourful town of Positano.
‘Looking down at it from the road, with houses clinging to the hillside for dear life, it shows the great bravery of man to settle here,’ says Ben.
‘Cars are banned and it’s like walking through a rabbit warren with steep corridors and hidden courtyards down to the beach and the turquoise sea.’
In the Sicilian port of Catania, he joined the locals in the vibrant market, feasting his eyes on the home-grown fruit, and lapping up the atmosphere as fishmongers vociferously vied for trade.
Back on board, Ben enjoyed finding his own space and solitude despite sharing the ship with 3,000 other passengers. ‘I retreated into one of the alcoves on the lawn and I didn’t see another person,’ he says.
Ben was also pleasantly surprised to find far more variety of restaurants than the wall-to-wall buffets he had expected. ‘I was especially impressed with the health-conscious menus on board – I love to feel good about myself on holiday,’ he says.
Next May, Ben will be on a cruise aboard Celebrity Eclipse to Scandinavia, a region he knows well, joining passengers on the excursions he’s inspired.
And he hopes to persuade his wife Marina to come too with their young children – Ludo and Iona.
‘A cruise is a great family holiday because you all come home relaxed. With the children happily settled in the kids’ clubs for an hour or two, we could both steal some time to ourselves.
‘Marina would love the spa and I’d lie in a hammock on the lawn reading a book.’
Travel Facts
Celebrity Cruises (www.celebrity cruises.co.uk, 0845 456 0523) offers a 12-night cruise aboard Celebrity Silhouette to the Adriatic. It costs from £1,576 per person including return flights from Gatwick, meals and entertainment. It departs Venice and ports of call include Split, Dubrovnik, Valletta and Naples. Price is based on departures on May 29, 2014.
