Life at sea with a cruise ship vicar "I sat with her and prepared her for what was to come," says Revd Still, recounting the dead-of-night rescue operation for the terminally ill cancer patient who had arrived on board with two carrier bags of drugs. These things always seem to happen at night. We had to get her in the cradle and then the rescue crew had to winch her up in the dark. Taking a ship off course is not a decision to be taken likely. "It's an enormous responsibility for the captain," says Still. But it's nice to know that one person counts. From lawn-keeper and kennel master to florist, choirmaster/mistress, celebrity cake-baker (we'll meet Balmoral's tonight as she drills singers for a rendition of Pirates of Penzance) and chaplain at sea - a whole host of protagonists help make a cruise ship tick. A sprightly 78-year-old, Still volunteers for the Mission to Seafarers [missiontoseafarers.org], the world's largest charitable port-based welfare service. As well as supporting crews in 260 ports, the Mission supplies sea chaplains for cruise lines including Fred Olsen, Thomson Cruise Lines, Carnival and Celebrity Cruises. Identifiable to his sea-going flock by his clerical collar (except when he is sunbathing, he tells The Telegraph) the charming Revd still is never off-duty. As well as meeting the needs of the spiritual there's his daily drop-in Chaplain's Corner, his close liaison with the medical centre, daily services (open to all religious denominations) to orchestrate and detailed reports to prepare for the Mission.Even vicars are mired in admin. There was no respite from filming either, even when he fell foul of a cold virus doing the rounds. "They even filmed me ill in bed, taking my tablets," he says, chirpily. But they were a lovely bunch. In return for his round-the-clock ministering Still receives bed and board and the occasional opportunity to satisfy his wanderlust - on this particular cruise Angkor Wat, Costa Rica, the Panama Canal and French Polynesia, among other exotic locations. The cruise also gave Still the opportunity to visit Mission teams in Colombo, Brisbane, Madeira and Funchal. In Tasmania a colleague took him to see the devastating effects of countryside bushfires. Filming on board brought its own unique challenges - the bangs and clangs of a 43,537-tonne vessel being one. "You'd be giving it your all and then a lift would ping and we'd have to start all over again," he says. And what happens when a "code alpha" medical emergency interjects a Valentine's Day service? You'll have to tune in and find out. The Cruise: A Life at Sea airs on Tuesdays at 8.30pm on BBC2