I love dressing for dinner – but you won’t see me in a boring tuxedo

WHY I LOVE CRUISING...

THE first cruise I went on was to celebrate my wife Sandra’s 50th birthday. We flew to Miami for five nights aboard a Royal Caribbean ship visiting Key West, Mexico and Belize. It was 2007 and the ship seemed huge, much larger than life. It was as if they had created a village on board, with everything from waterfalls to tennis courts, shops and a vast choice of restaurants.

We took our daughter Abigail, who was eight, and it was a great way to enjoy time together. That was a wonderful first experience of cruising, but then I discovered life on board Saga ships and I keep coming back.

I’m on board Spirit Of Adventure several times a year giving exercise classes, called The Fizzical. They are for everyone, no matter what your age or ability, and when you get 150 people all moving it is a real feelgood vibe.

I love dressing up, which is a great cruising tradition. Formal nights set cruising apart from other holidays, and should be preserved.

No one should ignore the dress code, but I don’t like being dressed as a penguin. I go colourful – brightly coloured jackets, multi-coloured

SUITS HIM: Mr Motivator and wife Sandra. Above: Dubrovnik ties, always a hat. I believe everyone should get dressed up in the evenings on a cruise, whether it is a formal evening or not. Another cruise tradition I adore is the quizzes – joining forces with others – and I love the way it gives you a snapshot of different places you could go back to for a longer holiday. In the Caribbean, a Saga cruise took me to Dominica for the first time – it is really rustic, giving you a feel for how things used to be. And on a Mediterranean cruise, Dubrovnik was like a trip back in time.

I am looking forward to a cruise to West Africa this year. As we get older it is so important to experience different cultures and try new things – and a cruise is a great way to see the world.