Each week at 101 Holidays we interview one of the people behind the UK’s finest travel companies. This week we turn the spotlight on Philip Price, head of brand marketing at P&O Cruises. Philip is a keen golfer and sailor and lives in Southampton with his wife, Liz, and their two daughters, aged 12 and 14.
• Where are you planning to go on holiday this year, and why?
We always aim to get some time as a family on one of the P&O Cruises ships. This year we spent May half-term on a 7-night cruise in the Norwegian Fjords. We are also going to a friend’s villa in the Algarve, inland of Alvor, near Lagos. It’s easy to get to, we love the area, the beaches are world-class and the people are still so welcoming. No holiday there would be complete without a visit to Chicken George’s restaurant. The only thing on the menu?… you guessed it.
• What is your favourite bolthole in the UK, and why?
It’s a beach hut on the beautiful sand spit at Mudeford in Dorset. We were very lucky that my parents have owned one for some time – they sell for ridiculous amounts of money now. The location is amazing, with Christchurch harbour on one side, the Needles and Isle of Wight on the other, and it’s so peaceful – no roads or electricity, just you, the hut and your boat, which is of course essential for catching mackerel for the barbie. Paradise.
• If you could spend a long weekend in any city abroad, which would you pick, and why?
Sydney. The outdoor lifestyle, combined with an appreciation of great food and wine is pretty unbeatable. There is such a relaxed air of confidence about the place, it’s hard to not enjoy it.
• Please tell us three items that are always found in your luggage.
A white shirt, (normally linen), a Blackberry and amber cufflinks, because you never know what occasion might arise.
• What one thing would most improve people’s overall holiday experience?
Take out the whole airport experience. There’s nothing quite like leaving for far-flung destinations from the port of Southampton. It takes so much stress out of the whole affair, especially for families.
• What has been your worst holiday experience?
As a student in London, 3 friends and I were given free flights to Cologne by a travel agent we got to know in the local pub in Lancaster Gate. This was on the condition that we distributed some marketing material for his fledgling agency in Cologne which we duly tried to do, but unwittingly got caught up in a nasty neo-Nazi demonstration right outside the splendid cathedral – and we all ended up rather the worse for wear.
• Tell us your favourite hotel: in the UK; in mainland Europe; in the rest of the world.
My favourite hotel in the UK is the Greenway In Cheltenham, which is beautiful, serene and unpretentious. Liz and I held our daughters’ christenings there. In Europe it has to the Danieli (pictured, top left) in Venice, which is highly pretentious, but just a stone’s throw from St Marks Square. Part of the hotel dates back to the 14th Century and the rooms are exquisite. For this you can forgive a rather disappointing restaurant. And for the rest of the world I think it would be the Andaman (pictured, top right) in Langkawi – a remarkable setting and an unforgettable spa.
• What is the most exciting project your company is working on right now?
The introduction of Azura, our new superliner built and designed exclusively for the British market and due to be with us in early April 2010. We are going “back to the future” with Azura and imbuing her with everything that is associated with an authentic and luxurious holiday at sea – open decks, elegant dining rooms, an atrium with a dance floor and a theatre for classic West End style shows.
• Thank you, Philip.
Tags: P&O Cruises