Turning your passion into an adventure!

Pam Rhodes is the very familiar face of BBCTV`s ‘SONGS OF PRAISE’, presenting programmes from tiny country churches to huge outside broadcasts. She’s met everyone from The Pope to Dolly Parton, but her heart is in the sensitive interviews for which she’s well-known as those she meets share their stories. It’s no surprise she loves hymns old and new, always ready with a story about the writer that connects to our everyday lives, as listeners to her Premier Christian Radio series, HEARTS AND HYMNS, know well. She’s also a regular contributor on Radio 2’s ‘PAUSE FOR THOUGHT’. Apart from that, every week she’s on the road presenting events as varied as the huge ‘BATTLE PROMS’ concerts at stately homes throughout the summer months, to church and community gatherings great and small. As a mainstream author of more than twenty popular novels and factual books, Pam’s writing style is down-to-earth, funny and touching. Her trilogy, THE DUNBRIDGE CHRONICLES’ about a new young curate in a Bedfordshire country town, proved so popular that she added another book to the series, ‘SAINTS AND SAILORS’ – the story of a Pilgrimage cruise around the British Isles, where passengers travel together in the footsteps of the Celtic saints with funny and often moving experiences many of us experience on a cruise just like this one!

Dave Bilbrough is a multi-award-winning international song writer and recording artiste and has released over 20 albums. Dave Bilbrough `s well-known hymn, Abba Father became a giant step into international music-writing recognition and at age 19 he was performing at The Royal Albert Hall. Now, several decades and numerous albums later, he is recognised as one of Britain’s foremost worship leaders and songwriters. With a wide appeal, his songs have become a staple part of many a church’s musical repertoire. Dave is also an author and his travels have taken him around the world. He has enjoyed appearances on national television and radio including hosting a special advent series for BBC1 and a two-year judge for BBC Radio’s nationwide song-writing competition. Dave sees his role as a calling rather than a career and enjoys using his skills to encourage others and he will be joined by his wife, Pat for some special musical events on board.

Chris Gidney is your host for the themed cruise and has spent a lifetime as entertainer, producer and author, working with numerous artistes from Frank Sinatra to Sir Cliff Richard. Chris was the Founder and Director of showbiz charity `Christians in Entertainment` 45 years ago! Chris comes from a show business family and at age nine formed a comedy double-act with his father. Chris joined London’s West-End in 1980 to enjoy twelve consecutive London productions before moving to BBC Television and authoring 28 commercially published books and several Pantomimes. Chris created That’s Entertainment Productions’ specialising in family entertainment for the commercial theatre. Chris has enjoyed creating and producing more than fifty themed cruises over the past few years which have taken him around the world. “I am thrilled to be presenting and interviewing some talented performers on this special Christian cruise,” says Chris. “I know that we shall have a lot of fellowship and fun together enjoying time spent with Pam, Dave and Pat, hearing about their careers in the spotlight and what inspires them personally. I`m sure that there will be some extra surprises along the way as we enjoy this special Easter journey together.”

Tim Vine is one of the funniest comic talents of his time, winning the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival. Best known for his BAFTA award winning BBC TV Series The Sketch Show, his other recent appearances include sitcom Not Going Out, Comic Relief, Celebrity Mastermind, Countdown, Total Wipeout and even Neighbour’s. Tim has written several best-selling joke books and appeared with his brother Jeremy on the celebrity version of ITV1’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire and he is a regular guest on BBCTV’s Live at the Apollo. Vine broke the Guinness World Record for the most jokes told in an hour with 499, beating the previous record of 362, and was recently voted as number 36 in Channel 4’s ‘100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians’. Alongside his worldwide appearances and sell-out stage tours, his musical talent includes the guitar, piano and drums.

From Las Vegas to the West End John Archer is one of the most highly esteemed comedy magicians today. John is a comedian, magician, actor, singer, musician, writer, didgeridoist! Recent winner of the ‘Magic Circle Stage Magician of the Year with a Gold Star’ John is highly respected by his showbiz peers, “I’d recommend him unreservedly – says Derren Brown. Multi award winning Archer was awarded the Ken Dodd President’s Trophy for Best New Magical Comedy Entertainer; British Magical Champion of Comedy; The Carlton Comedy Award for outstanding use of comedy and magic and the Senator Crandall Award for Comedy at Abbot’s convention in the United States. He appeared on the hidden camera series Undercover Magic, and writes for television. John appeared on the ITV show ‘Fool Us’ hosted by Jonathan Ross and was the first magician on the programme to fool Penn & Teller. John recently appeared in the 13-part series for CBBC, Help My Supply Teacher Is Magic and a second series won a BAFTA in the Entertainment Category at The Children’s BAFTA’s and was a semi-finalist in ITV’s ‘Britain’s Got Talent’.

Chris Gidney  is your host for the themed cruise and has spent a lifetime as entertainer, producer and author, working with numerous artistes from Frank Sinatra to Sir Cliff Richard. Chris was the Founder and Director of showbiz charity `Christians in Entertainment` 45 years ago! Chris comes from a show business family and at age nine formed a comedy double-act with his father. Chris joined London’s West-End in 1980 to enjoy twelve consecutive London productions before moving to BBC Television and authoring 28 commercially published books and several Pantomimes. Chris created That’s Entertainment Productions’ specialising in family entertainment for the commercial theatre. Chris has enjoyed creating and producing more than fifty themed cruises over the past few years which have taken him around the world.