What the hell is Owen Wilson doing on a cruise ship?

Fans of Wedding Crashers and Midnight in Paris will be more encapsulated in cruising than ever.

P&O Cruises has enlisted Hollywood hero Owen Wilson to showcase its two latest ships, Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden, which will join the cruise line’s fleet in November this year.

And leaving behind the glitz of Tinseltown, Wilson is now the star of three short films, titled The Conspicuous Awakening of Owen Wilson.

Directed by Tom Dey (Shanghai Noon; Failure to Launch), each film shows Wilson enjoying the ships’ great features, through a series of dream-like and humorous flashbacks.

P&O Cruises’ head of marketing and distribution, Simon Cheng said it was a joy to watch Wilson channel his inner ‘cruiseling’.

“Hollywood, like Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden, exudes style and sophistication so it was to Hollywood we looked to help launch these ships,” he said.

“We wanted the right star – someone easy going and lots of fun, just like the experience Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden will offer. In Owen we found our perfect partner.”

The stylised content series begins with Wilson emerging from a deep slumber, disorientated and unclear of his whereabouts, whilst nestled in the lap of a beautiful Australian ‘cruiseling.’

As the narrative unfolds, Wilson begins to piece together his recent on-board experiences, shown through a succession of kooky and surreal flash back sequences, demonstrating that being on a P&O cruise is Like No Place On Earth.

Wilson’s performance is complimented throughout by the presence of an array of Aussie admirers, including a cocktail waitress from Tangalooma.

Each instalment is set against a backdrop of some of the key features on both ships, opening in The Blue Room – an opulent and intimate space with rich velvet and chrome furnishings reminiscent of a New Orleans “speakeasy.” Playing everything from Funk to Blues and Jazz to RnB, it will be the live music hub of the ships.

Film two takes place on the pool deck whilst the action in the third and final offering centres around the Pan-Asian inspired Dragon Lady restaurant and the The Oasis – the adults-only area of the ship.

Films one and two will launch today at www.befreeowen.com.au, while the third and final film will be released in the same way tomorrow, Wednesday, September 16.

Watch both Part 1 and Part 2 below:

Part 1

Part 2

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au