Ross Kemp – who’s known for his gritty, hard hitting documentaries – can be seen as you’ve never seen him before as a film crew followed him onboard Marella’s Explorer 2 cruise ship.
The former East Ender was recruited to test Marella’s brand new ‘Smiletinerary’ programme*, which sees him enjoying a new Smiletox facial treatment, taking part in a ‘Jumpga’ workout class and feasting on smile-giving food and drink.
This comes as Marella research found that Brits are smiling less than ever in 2019 due to increased work stress (71%), money worries (74%), political uncertainty (56%) and social media anxiety (47%).
With research showing that smiling more can add years to your life*, the cruise company was prompted to curate its ‘Smiletinerary’ (smile itinerary), which acts as a ‘tick list’ for customers, encouraging them to take part in as many smile-giving activities as possible.
Kemp was the first to trial the ‘Smiletinerary’ to see if it works on even the toughest of customers. Hilarious scenarios include Ross enjoying a Smiletox facial treatment, designed to relax the muscles in the face and inspire the biggest smiles, as well as other activities such as a spot of mini-golf and relaxing in the Champneys spa.
Research from Marella also identified the things that help to put a smile on our faces – with a random act of kindness (68%), sunshine (63%), and going on holiday (62%) all topping the list (see more below).
Inspired by the findings, Marella’s ‘Smiletinerary’ – which can now be found on Marella’s Explorer ships – provides guests with suggestions of activities to try out whilst on board to inspire the biggest and best smiles, including smile-inducing food and drink.
Ross Kemp said: “This was my first Marella cruise and needless to say quite different from my usual trips abroad. When I got the call from Marella asking me to put their new “Smiletinerary” programme to the test I admit I was a little surprised. However, after experiencing their new Smiletox treatment, dining in the fabulous restaurants onboard and taking part in a smile-giving Jumpga workout to name just a few things, I couldn’t help but crack a smile…or two.”
