A Cruise TV Show Guide
The programs filmed on ships, what each one really shows, and how to watch like a planner.
Get a Real Cruise QuoteThe right cruise TV show can tell you more about life on board than any brochure. Here is a fact-checked guide to the best-known programs, what each one actually shows, and how to watch with a traveler’s eye.
Docuseries Filmed on Real Ships
| Show | Where it aired | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| The Cruise (1998) | BBC, UK | A fly-on-the-wall docu-soap aboard a cruise ship; it turned crew singer Jane McDonald into a household name in Britain |
| The Cruise (from 2014) | ITV, UK | Series filmed on Princess Cruises ships, beginning with Royal Princess and later including Majestic Princess in Asia and Australia |
| Cruising with Jane McDonald (from 2017) | Channel 5, UK | A presenter-led travel series sampling different ships and itineraries; it won a BAFTA |
These programs follow the working day of officers, entertainers, chefs and housekeepers, which makes them a good preview for first-time cruisers. They are edited for television, so the crises are bigger and the queues shorter than in real life, but the rhythm of a cruise day comes through.
Documentaries About Cruises Gone Wrong
The most-watched recent example is Netflix’s Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, released on June 24, 2025. It retells the 2013 voyage of Carnival Triumph, when an engine-room fire knocked out power and the ship drifted for days with failed toilets and no air conditioning. The film uses passenger video and interviews with guests and crew. The ship was refurbished and renamed Carnival Sunrise in 2019.
Documentaries like this are compelling precisely because such events are rare. If one has left you uneasy, Cruising Is Safe explains how ship safety, health and emergency rules work today.
Scripted and Reality Shows People Mix Up With Cruising
The Love Boat
The ABC comedy (1977–1986) was set on Princess Cruises’ Pacific Princess and is often credited with making cruise vacations feel mainstream in America.
Below Deck
A Bravo reality franchise on private charter superyachts — a very different trip from a cruise ship, with a handful of guests and a crew of a dozen or so.
Travel-host series
Many TV travel programs feature a cruise episode. Treat them as a postcard: good for scenery, light on cost and logistics.
Watching a Cruise TV Show Like a Planner
Pause on the moments that matter for your own trip: the cabin types shown, the size of the pool deck on a sea day, how passengers board tenders, the dress in the dining room. Notice which line and ship you are watching and when it was filmed — ships are refurbished and itineraries change, so a show from a few years ago may not match today.
If a series makes you want to sail on the ship you saw, our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise can tell you where that ship sails now and what a cabin like the one on screen would cost on your dates.
Cruise TV Show FAQ
Is Below Deck filmed on a cruise ship?
No. Below Deck follows the crew of private charter superyachts, which carry a small number of guests. It shows yacht service culture, not life on a cruise ship with thousands of passengers.
What was the “Poop Cruise” documentary about?
Netflix’s Trainwreck: Poop Cruise (June 2025) revisits the 2013 Carnival Triumph, which lost power after an engine-room fire and drifted for days with failed plumbing and air conditioning. The ship was later refurbished and renamed Carnival Sunrise.
Want to Sail the Ship You Saw on TV?
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