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Business Traveller

How to Relax

Aired August 08, 2004 - 19:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


RICHARD QUEST, HOST: You work so many months of the year. Your life spirals out of control. It's hard to keep your head above water. So on this month's CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER, it's time to escape on the Queen Mary 2.
Hello and welcome to CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER. I'm Richard Quest aboard the Queen Mary. It is August and time for a break, and we're abroad the newest, the largest, the most expensive ocean liner in the world. It is, of course, the QM2.

Join us for this six-day voyage from South Hampton to New York as we show you how to whittle away the worries of work and learn to relax.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(voice-over): We'll show you the skills you need to truly unwind, and if you haven't got the time or the money for that all out cruise, what day spas can offer the business traveler in need of a rest.

Plus, ON THE ROAD with Peter De Savary. He's a man who's made it his business to help us escape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

We left South Hampton a short time ago and I'm doing my best to switch off, but you know the problem. How do you go from mega-work mode to total relaxation in a short period of time? One way, of course, go on a cruise. Better still, take an ocean liner. This is no cruise, it's a crossing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): January 2004 and a new luxury ocean liner is born.

QUEEN ELIZABETH, QUEEN OF ENGLAND: I name this ship Queen Mary 2. May God bless her and all who sale in her.

QUEST: The Queen Mary 2 set sail on her maiden crossing earlier this year, from South Hampton to New York, tracing the same path followed by ships in years gone by.

It was an era of elegance, opulence and splendor. The age before the jet. The ocean liner was the only way to cross. The 19th century witnessed an explosion in ship-building technology and sparked a race to build the most luxurious and the fastest liners in the world. Hollywood stars, politicians and royalty alike crossed the high seas onboard some of the greatest ships ever built, including the original Queen Mary.

Today's Queen Mary 2 remains a symbol of that prestige and grandeur. Add to that a bit of fun.

(on camera): There's singing and dancing. In fact, there's everything that you could want to keep you entertained.

(voice-over): What sets the Queen Mary 2 apart from her counterparts is her sheer size. She is the largest passenger ship ever built, standing as high as a 23 story building. At 345 meters in length, that's over 3-1/2 times as long as Big Ben is tall. 45 meters longer than the Eiffel Tower's height, going from one end of the ship to the other is a very long walk.

(on camera): There are 1,300 cabins and staterooms, miles and miles of corridors, and acres of carpet.

(voice-over): There are nearly 2,600 passengers onboard with me and maintaining the ship is a daunting task, which is why there are 1,300 crew members tending to the every need, whether it's at the pool, in the spa, at the planetarium, even that karaoke bar.

And when it comes to dinner, everything is on a huge scale. There's the butcher, the baker, the salad maker; 200 catering staff will serve passengers and crew. There are a lot of meals, 13,000 to 14,000 prepared every single day.

KARL WINKLER, EXECUTIVE CHEF, QM2: And then to make this stuff, and now this stuff reduces then to a concentration.

QUEST (on camera): So you don't little cubes? No little cubes?

WINKLER: No. No little cubes here.

QUEST: But it would be quicker with little cubes.

(voice-over): From the kitchens to the restaurants, the passengers and the crew, there is only one man in charge. The master, Captain Paul Wright, who began his career over 35 years ago.

PAUL WRIGHT, CAPTAIN, QM2: I've been at sea since I was 17 years old and I've been on all sorts of different ships, ranging from cargo ships, tankers, container ships, even hovercraft.

QUEST: Nowadays, he doesn't battle the helm but he does sit high up on the bridge along with his officers who steer the ship with very complicated gadgets and computers.

(on camera): What's your favorite button of all of these? What button? What's your favorite one?

WRIGHT: They're always very nice. We've got loads of power on here. We can make the ship move sideways against a 29, 30 knot wind. So that's my.

QUEST: That's your favorite one.

(voice-over): Operating the ship is not Captain Wright's only task.

WRIGHT: My primary responsibility is the safety of the ship and the people onboard, obviously, but there are a lot of social duties as well on the ship, which we all have to take very seriously.

QUEST: To be the commander of the Queen Mary 2, a city at sea. A testament to the art and craftsmanship not only of today's builders but to the liners of the past.

(on camera): You could say being at sea is enforced relaxation. And it seems to be starting to work. It's day two of my cruise and that could have a lot to do with Audrey (ph) (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and the Canyon Ranch Spa onboard, because if you're driven in your work, you're going to have to learn how to relax, and that's also hard work.

(voice-over): Because taking time off can be the hardest thing in the world for those who are used to working around the clock.

LIZ TUCKER, CONSULTANT: If you have a very busy and stimulating life, the only way that you can keep that going is through relaxation.

QUEST: The problem is, you need to dedicate as much effort to relaxing as you do to working.

KEVIN FERRERIA, CANYON RANCH SPA: It's very important to plan your vacation. You'd be surprised, just the psychological aspect of knowing there is time out, how that will encourage you to work harder as well.

QUEST: And if your working life is on the road, then all of this talk of relaxing and going away sounds like a horror or a foreign world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've always traveled with a laptop. Always checked e-mails, voicemails.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a workaholic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So it's extremely difficult for me.

QUEST: Have no fear. Help is at hand.

FERRERIA: In order to relax, you need to start somewhere. Small steps made every day will make a very big difference in the long run, even something as small as just breathing deeply every day. Take 10 really deep breaths in and out. You'll be amazed at how reenergized you'll feel with that.

QUEST: Deep breaths. Sounds easy enough.

FERRERIA: Secondly, take the time to do a little bit of physical exercise. The benefits and the amount of energy that it will give you is phenomenal. On a daily basis, a little commitment. You'll change your life.

QUEST: Exercise. Maybe I'll go for a swim.

FERRERIA: If possible, get a massage. It's absolutely fantastic. It has a physiological affect with the endorphins kicking in, which are the happy hormones, the relaxation hormones.

QUEST: Well, I suppose.

Now, whether it's a massage or lying by the pool or even reading a book, finding what will make you relax is the answer. And yet even here at sea it isn't easy.

(on camera): As much as I'd like to think that I've got the hang of this relaxation business, the truth is, today's ships also have computers onboard, and with that comes Internet access. Now I have to learn how to handle the desire to send and receive e-mail and work on holiday.

(voice-over): Let's face it, for many of us it is simply not practical to cut ourselves off from work completely, because solving small problems now means they don't become big problems later. And you don't want paperwork to pileup at the office while you're away.

TUCKER: Set aside small times during that holiday where you can do things like make phone calls, so rather than sort of thinking all day I must phone the office, I must phone the office, just set a regular time at, say, 6:00 in the evening, that's when you phone the office up.

QUEST: Just don't let it dominate the holiday. After all, we spend so much of the year working, we've earned the right to just say no.

(on camera): Chilling out and switching off. We've all got our own personal ways in which we go about it.

I'd like to have your thoughts. Send me an e-mail. Do you find it difficult to take a vacation? What tricks do you use when it is time to go on holiday and switch off? The usual e-mail address, Quest@cnn.com. And please, there's a whole host of interesting business travel information on our Web site. The address, edition@cnn.com.

And when we come back after the break, what day spas can offer the business traveler in need of a rest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My ultimate form of relaxation is exercise, number one, and then reading.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: This is the life. Nothing to do as we steam across the Atlantic except gorge myself on breakfast, lunch and dinner, to say nothing of afternoon tea. And talking of which, where is my afternoon tea.

Hello, Rita. I'll have a cup of your finest, and some of those nice sandwiches and a couple of fairy cakes from Sheila, right on command.

This is the way to relax if you've got time. But, of course, if you haven't got six days to steam the Atlantic, there are other ways you can unwind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD BENJAMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Richard, you get to go to all of these great places for BUSINESS TRAVELLER and where do I get to go? Six blocks from the office, here in London.

(voice-over): But I'm making the most of it at (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Lake Day Spa in Central London.

Being time-poor is a common complaint and my mission is to find ways to relax on the run.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. I'm just going to give your skin a really good, deep cleans.

BENJAMIN: I'm told early-morning starts and a young baby have taken their toll on my skin, so it's treated with a rehydrating face mask here at the refinery.

Day spas are springing up in cities around the world, places for executives who can't make their escape further afield or have little more than an hour to spare.

LUCY WAKEFIELD: If you try to create a balance in your life, it's not always that easy. People have to sort of learn to say no, to let go and realize that if they could invest some time in themselves, they'll actually be more productive, they'll be more healthy, more relaxed and be able to get on with their day.

BENJAMIN: But what if you're always on the move?

Pampering services at airport lounges may be an easier option for you. They allow you to make use of those spare few hours before a flight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a relaxing blend of lavender and ylang- ylang. I'm just going to touch some on the touch points there for you.

BENJAMIN: Mike Galyean is flying from London Gatwick to Orland, Florida with Virgin Atlantic. He's making the most of his long facilities.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want you to take some deep breaths in for me.

BENJAMIN: Ahead of him, more than nine hours stuck in the cabin.

MIKE GALYEAN, BUSINESSMAN: A lot of the seats on the different airlines are made different, for different bodies, and you get -- you need to really -- I get headaches in the lower back of my head, and so something like this relieves that tension.

BENJAMIN: But if you're a workaholic and can't resist checking messages and e-mails in the business lounge, relaxation services are offered in the air.

HELEN CAIN, VIRGIN ATLANTIC: Most of our passengers tend to be business travelers, so when they get on they tend to be quite stressed because they've either just come from a meeting or they're traveling to a meeting. They're people that generally don't have any time to make time for treatments or luxuries such as that, so it's an ideal situation onboard.

BENJAMIN: So whether it's airport-based or a city sanctuary, a quick fix or a longer treatment, the point is to take a little time to keep your body and mind in top shape.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: If your idea of course of being on a cruise is to learn something new, it might be bridge, it might be a game, it might be ballroom dancing.

You lead.

One-two-three. One-two-three.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very good. Try it again, but now with a (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

QUEST: Oh, will you stop it.

And coming up after the break, on the dance floor, on the road with Peter De Savary, the king of clubs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have my own small airplane and I can go up and fly for an hour or so, and I got my head cleared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: Dressing up and going out. We all love to do it when we're on holiday and, of course, it takes a great deal of effort to put all of this on, but we do like to put our best face on to the world.

It also takes a lot of people to help us enjoy ourselves. Now one man who should know something about this is Peter De Savary. He's made it his business to ensure we unwind.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER DE SAVARY, OWNER, BOVEY CASTLE: Hello. How are you, Richard? All right? Good.

(voice-over): The essence of what I do is to try to give people a lifestyle of incomparable quality and sort of discreetness, but at the same time give them a time of good fun.

(on camera): I've spent since 1976 in the hospitality business one way or another and it's been in several countries over many years.

We've probably invested close to $60 million here at Bovey Castle. It took me five years finally to acquire it, and I did that last year, and we've now completely refurbished it.

It's something that the whole family can enjoy, from golf to fishing to tennis to horse riding to falconry, a spa, all the sort of activities that can happen in the countryside.

I'm going to Germany. On Monday I'm going to America. The following week I'm going to Abaco, in the Bahamas, where our new project will open at Christmas. I cross the Atlantic at least once every month so I'm always on the move.

I notice a lot when I travel around to other places in the world I pick up good ideas. Other people do things slightly differently and I very often see something and go well, that's a good idea, we could do that there.

I don't plan my days very well. I sort of roll with the punches and sense and feel what's going on and other people make demands on my time, and that really leads me to what I have to do.

I don't really know the difference between work and so-called relaxation. I just live life from when I wake up to when I go to bed. To be honest, I'm having fun. My adrenaline is going every day. I'm on an adventure. I'll go anywhere if it sounds interesting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: So we arrive in New York in the grand old tradition.

And that's CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER for this month. I'm Richard Quest, aboard the Queen Mary 2.

Wherever your travels may take you, I hope it's profitable. I'll see you next month.

END

TO ORDER VIDEOTAPES AND TRANSCRIPTS OF CNN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMING, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE THE SECURE ONLINE ORDER FROM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired August 8, 2004 - 19:30:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICHARD QUEST, HOST: You work so many months of the year. Your life spirals out of control. It's hard to keep your head above water. So on this month's CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER, it's time to escape on the Queen Mary 2.
Hello and welcome to CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER. I'm Richard Quest aboard the Queen Mary. It is August and time for a break, and we're abroad the newest, the largest, the most expensive ocean liner in the world. It is, of course, the QM2.

Join us for this six-day voyage from South Hampton to New York as we show you how to whittle away the worries of work and learn to relax.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(voice-over): We'll show you the skills you need to truly unwind, and if you haven't got the time or the money for that all out cruise, what day spas can offer the business traveler in need of a rest.

Plus, ON THE ROAD with Peter De Savary. He's a man who's made it his business to help us escape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

We left South Hampton a short time ago and I'm doing my best to switch off, but you know the problem. How do you go from mega-work mode to total relaxation in a short period of time? One way, of course, go on a cruise. Better still, take an ocean liner. This is no cruise, it's a crossing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): January 2004 and a new luxury ocean liner is born.

QUEEN ELIZABETH, QUEEN OF ENGLAND: I name this ship Queen Mary 2. May God bless her and all who sale in her.

QUEST: The Queen Mary 2 set sail on her maiden crossing earlier this year, from South Hampton to New York, tracing the same path followed by ships in years gone by.

It was an era of elegance, opulence and splendor. The age before the jet. The ocean liner was the only way to cross. The 19th century witnessed an explosion in ship-building technology and sparked a race to build the most luxurious and the fastest liners in the world. Hollywood stars, politicians and royalty alike crossed the high seas onboard some of the greatest ships ever built, including the original Queen Mary.

Today's Queen Mary 2 remains a symbol of that prestige and grandeur. Add to that a bit of fun.

(on camera): There's singing and dancing. In fact, there's everything that you could want to keep you entertained.

(voice-over): What sets the Queen Mary 2 apart from her counterparts is her sheer size. She is the largest passenger ship ever built, standing as high as a 23 story building. At 345 meters in length, that's over 3-1/2 times as long as Big Ben is tall. 45 meters longer than the Eiffel Tower's height, going from one end of the ship to the other is a very long walk.

(on camera): There are 1,300 cabins and staterooms, miles and miles of corridors, and acres of carpet.

(voice-over): There are nearly 2,600 passengers onboard with me and maintaining the ship is a daunting task, which is why there are 1,300 crew members tending to the every need, whether it's at the pool, in the spa, at the planetarium, even that karaoke bar.

And when it comes to dinner, everything is on a huge scale. There's the butcher, the baker, the salad maker; 200 catering staff will serve passengers and crew. There are a lot of meals, 13,000 to 14,000 prepared every single day.

KARL WINKLER, EXECUTIVE CHEF, QM2: And then to make this stuff, and now this stuff reduces then to a concentration.

QUEST (on camera): So you don't little cubes? No little cubes?

WINKLER: No. No little cubes here.

QUEST: But it would be quicker with little cubes.

(voice-over): From the kitchens to the restaurants, the passengers and the crew, there is only one man in charge. The master, Captain Paul Wright, who began his career over 35 years ago.

PAUL WRIGHT, CAPTAIN, QM2: I've been at sea since I was 17 years old and I've been on all sorts of different ships, ranging from cargo ships, tankers, container ships, even hovercraft.

QUEST: Nowadays, he doesn't battle the helm but he does sit high up on the bridge along with his officers who steer the ship with very complicated gadgets and computers.

(on camera): What's your favorite button of all of these? What button? What's your favorite one?

WRIGHT: They're always very nice. We've got loads of power on here. We can make the ship move sideways against a 29, 30 knot wind. So that's my.

QUEST: That's your favorite one.

(voice-over): Operating the ship is not Captain Wright's only task.

WRIGHT: My primary responsibility is the safety of the ship and the people onboard, obviously, but there are a lot of social duties as well on the ship, which we all have to take very seriously.

QUEST: To be the commander of the Queen Mary 2, a city at sea. A testament to the art and craftsmanship not only of today's builders but to the liners of the past.

(on camera): You could say being at sea is enforced relaxation. And it seems to be starting to work. It's day two of my cruise and that could have a lot to do with Audrey (ph) (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and the Canyon Ranch Spa onboard, because if you're driven in your work, you're going to have to learn how to relax, and that's also hard work.

(voice-over): Because taking time off can be the hardest thing in the world for those who are used to working around the clock.

LIZ TUCKER, CONSULTANT: If you have a very busy and stimulating life, the only way that you can keep that going is through relaxation.

QUEST: The problem is, you need to dedicate as much effort to relaxing as you do to working.

KEVIN FERRERIA, CANYON RANCH SPA: It's very important to plan your vacation. You'd be surprised, just the psychological aspect of knowing there is time out, how that will encourage you to work harder as well.

QUEST: And if your working life is on the road, then all of this talk of relaxing and going away sounds like a horror or a foreign world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've always traveled with a laptop. Always checked e-mails, voicemails.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a workaholic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So it's extremely difficult for me.

QUEST: Have no fear. Help is at hand.

FERRERIA: In order to relax, you need to start somewhere. Small steps made every day will make a very big difference in the long run, even something as small as just breathing deeply every day. Take 10 really deep breaths in and out. You'll be amazed at how reenergized you'll feel with that.

QUEST: Deep breaths. Sounds easy enough.

FERRERIA: Secondly, take the time to do a little bit of physical exercise. The benefits and the amount of energy that it will give you is phenomenal. On a daily basis, a little commitment. You'll change your life.

QUEST: Exercise. Maybe I'll go for a swim.

FERRERIA: If possible, get a massage. It's absolutely fantastic. It has a physiological affect with the endorphins kicking in, which are the happy hormones, the relaxation hormones.

QUEST: Well, I suppose.

Now, whether it's a massage or lying by the pool or even reading a book, finding what will make you relax is the answer. And yet even here at sea it isn't easy.

(on camera): As much as I'd like to think that I've got the hang of this relaxation business, the truth is, today's ships also have computers onboard, and with that comes Internet access. Now I have to learn how to handle the desire to send and receive e-mail and work on holiday.

(voice-over): Let's face it, for many of us it is simply not practical to cut ourselves off from work completely, because solving small problems now means they don't become big problems later. And you don't want paperwork to pileup at the office while you're away.

TUCKER: Set aside small times during that holiday where you can do things like make phone calls, so rather than sort of thinking all day I must phone the office, I must phone the office, just set a regular time at, say, 6:00 in the evening, that's when you phone the office up.

QUEST: Just don't let it dominate the holiday. After all, we spend so much of the year working, we've earned the right to just say no.

(on camera): Chilling out and switching off. We've all got our own personal ways in which we go about it.

I'd like to have your thoughts. Send me an e-mail. Do you find it difficult to take a vacation? What tricks do you use when it is time to go on holiday and switch off? The usual e-mail address, Quest@cnn.com. And please, there's a whole host of interesting business travel information on our Web site. The address, edition@cnn.com.

And when we come back after the break, what day spas can offer the business traveler in need of a rest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My ultimate form of relaxation is exercise, number one, and then reading.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: This is the life. Nothing to do as we steam across the Atlantic except gorge myself on breakfast, lunch and dinner, to say nothing of afternoon tea. And talking of which, where is my afternoon tea.

Hello, Rita. I'll have a cup of your finest, and some of those nice sandwiches and a couple of fairy cakes from Sheila, right on command.

This is the way to relax if you've got time. But, of course, if you haven't got six days to steam the Atlantic, there are other ways you can unwind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD BENJAMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Richard, you get to go to all of these great places for BUSINESS TRAVELLER and where do I get to go? Six blocks from the office, here in London.

(voice-over): But I'm making the most of it at (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Lake Day Spa in Central London.

Being time-poor is a common complaint and my mission is to find ways to relax on the run.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. I'm just going to give your skin a really good, deep cleans.

BENJAMIN: I'm told early-morning starts and a young baby have taken their toll on my skin, so it's treated with a rehydrating face mask here at the refinery.

Day spas are springing up in cities around the world, places for executives who can't make their escape further afield or have little more than an hour to spare.

LUCY WAKEFIELD: If you try to create a balance in your life, it's not always that easy. People have to sort of learn to say no, to let go and realize that if they could invest some time in themselves, they'll actually be more productive, they'll be more healthy, more relaxed and be able to get on with their day.

BENJAMIN: But what if you're always on the move?

Pampering services at airport lounges may be an easier option for you. They allow you to make use of those spare few hours before a flight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a relaxing blend of lavender and ylang- ylang. I'm just going to touch some on the touch points there for you.

BENJAMIN: Mike Galyean is flying from London Gatwick to Orland, Florida with Virgin Atlantic. He's making the most of his long facilities.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want you to take some deep breaths in for me.

BENJAMIN: Ahead of him, more than nine hours stuck in the cabin.

MIKE GALYEAN, BUSINESSMAN: A lot of the seats on the different airlines are made different, for different bodies, and you get -- you need to really -- I get headaches in the lower back of my head, and so something like this relieves that tension.

BENJAMIN: But if you're a workaholic and can't resist checking messages and e-mails in the business lounge, relaxation services are offered in the air.

HELEN CAIN, VIRGIN ATLANTIC: Most of our passengers tend to be business travelers, so when they get on they tend to be quite stressed because they've either just come from a meeting or they're traveling to a meeting. They're people that generally don't have any time to make time for treatments or luxuries such as that, so it's an ideal situation onboard.

BENJAMIN: So whether it's airport-based or a city sanctuary, a quick fix or a longer treatment, the point is to take a little time to keep your body and mind in top shape.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: If your idea of course of being on a cruise is to learn something new, it might be bridge, it might be a game, it might be ballroom dancing.

You lead.

One-two-three. One-two-three.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very good. Try it again, but now with a (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

QUEST: Oh, will you stop it.

And coming up after the break, on the dance floor, on the road with Peter De Savary, the king of clubs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have my own small airplane and I can go up and fly for an hour or so, and I got my head cleared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUEST: Dressing up and going out. We all love to do it when we're on holiday and, of course, it takes a great deal of effort to put all of this on, but we do like to put our best face on to the world.

It also takes a lot of people to help us enjoy ourselves. Now one man who should know something about this is Peter De Savary. He's made it his business to ensure we unwind.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER DE SAVARY, OWNER, BOVEY CASTLE: Hello. How are you, Richard? All right? Good.

(voice-over): The essence of what I do is to try to give people a lifestyle of incomparable quality and sort of discreetness, but at the same time give them a time of good fun.

(on camera): I've spent since 1976 in the hospitality business one way or another and it's been in several countries over many years.

We've probably invested close to $60 million here at Bovey Castle. It took me five years finally to acquire it, and I did that last year, and we've now completely refurbished it.

It's something that the whole family can enjoy, from golf to fishing to tennis to horse riding to falconry, a spa, all the sort of activities that can happen in the countryside.

I'm going to Germany. On Monday I'm going to America. The following week I'm going to Abaco, in the Bahamas, where our new project will open at Christmas. I cross the Atlantic at least once every month so I'm always on the move.

I notice a lot when I travel around to other places in the world I pick up good ideas. Other people do things slightly differently and I very often see something and go well, that's a good idea, we could do that there.

I don't plan my days very well. I sort of roll with the punches and sense and feel what's going on and other people make demands on my time, and that really leads me to what I have to do.

I don't really know the difference between work and so-called relaxation. I just live life from when I wake up to when I go to bed. To be honest, I'm having fun. My adrenaline is going every day. I'm on an adventure. I'll go anywhere if it sounds interesting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: So we arrive in New York in the grand old tradition.

And that's CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER for this month. I'm Richard Quest, aboard the Queen Mary 2.

Wherever your travels may take you, I hope it's profitable. I'll see you next month.

END

TO ORDER VIDEOTAPES AND TRANSCRIPTS OF CNN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMING, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE THE SECURE ONLINE ORDER FROM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com