The cruise blues are real. Whether you’ve just returned from a cruise, or you feel like one is just out of reach, it’s common to feel a bit sad that you’re not onboard a ship right now. But there’s a quick fix – cruise TV shows.
From behind-the-scenes documentaries to shipboard dramas and classic travel series, these shows let you sail away from your sofa, even if just for a little while. And yeah, it’s not quite the real thing, but it’s something – it can help. Plus if you love cruising, they’re just really interesting.
And the best part? There really is something for everyone – as this list shows.
1. Cruising to the Ends of the Earth
Where to watch it now: Channel 4
Number of seasons: 1
Debuting on 26th April 2026, Cruising to the Ends of the Earth is a new eight-part Channel 4 series that follows voyages with Princess Cruises across destinations including Alaska, the Mediterranean, Japan and South Korea.
Filmed aboard four ships in the fleet, the show combines behind-the-scenes insights into life on board with destination-focused storytelling, highlighting both the crew who keep operations running smoothly and the experiences awaiting guests ashore.
Narrated by Greg Wise, it offers a modern look at cruising, from daily ship operations to cultural excursions in some of the world’s most scenic regions.
2. The Cruise
Where to watch it now: BBC iPlayer
Number of seasons: 1
First aired in 1998 and widely considered to be one of the original ‘docusoaps’ – a documentary filmed to be dramatic and episodic – The Cruise charted the maiden voyage of the Celebrity Cruises ship Galaxy, which has since been sold to Marella Cruises and sails as Marella Explorer.
The 12-episode series showed the ship sailing around the Caribbean and made stars out of some of the crew featured on board, especially Jane McDonald, the cruise ship singer who was enjoying her first headline booking.
There was a short follow-up series, called Return to…The Cruise that reflected on the original series from Jane’s perspective. There are 5 episodes of that show also available, but it consists of a lot of clips of the original.
3. The Cruise
Where to watch it now: My5 Player
Number of seasons: 1
Another series entitled ‘The Cruise’, this one is more recent and focuses on Virgin Voyages, specifically The Scarlet Lady cruise ship. It has 8 episodes, all focusing on different parts of cruise life on this modern ship.
There’s a look at the no-kids policy of Virgin Voyages in one episode, and one that’s dedicated to how ships manage to turn around all of the supplies they need and get them to the right departments onboard during port days.
To confuse matters, there is a third TV series called The Cruise that was shown on ITV, which focused on Princess Cruises. That’s no longer available on the ITV Hub, unfortunately, which is a shame as it had six seasons.
4. Cruising with Jane McDonald
Where to watch it now: My5 Player
Number of seasons: 7
The same Jane McDonald that starred as a slightly nervous cruise ship singer in BBC One’s The Cruise is now one of Britain’s most prominent cruise ship travel show hosts. She has 7 series of her own show under her belt, where she travels the whole world on various ships for different cruise lines.
There is more of a focus on the destination with these series – episodes are titled based on where the ships are sailing too, and it’s more of a traditional travel show that follows Jane visiting landmarks and destinations.
But you do still get to see some parts of the cruising experience as part of the show, as Jane shares her expert knowledge of the cruise industry and chats to various members of the crew.
5. Cruising with Susan Calman
Where to watch it now: My5 Player
Number of seasons: 3
There’s not a lot to say about this show, as it simply picks up the mantle of ‘Cruising with Jane McDonald’ and puts Susan Calman into the host position instead. Calman is an established stand-up comedian and panel show guest who boosted her popularity with an impressive run on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017.
Similar to the Jane McDonald series, there’s a closer focus on the destinations with this show, as you get to see Susan sailing around the Mediterranean on Regal Princess, with later shows focussing on ports around the Caribbean and into the Panama Canal with a cruise on the Holland America ship Eurodam.
6. Jane McDonald: Cruising…
Where to watch it now: My5 Player
Number of seasons: 1
A spin-off from Jane McDonald’s ‘Cruising With’ series, she also starred as the host of a series of one-off specials focussing on different destinations. These included a mix of clips from the earlier series, all packaged together with Jane’s reflections on the key destinations for cruising.
There are 8 specials, each one running for around 100-120 minutes, including Cruising the Med, Cruising Scandinavia, Cruising USA and also Christmas Cruising.
So if you have a particular destination that you love and you just want to focus on that, you can enjoy an in-depth special dedicated to that region.
7. World’s Greatest Cruises
Where to watch it now: Prime Video
Number of seasons: 2
If you love discovering new cruise destinations, World’s Greatest Cruises could give you plenty of ideas for your next holiday. Presented by travel expert Lynn Elmhirst, this documentary series explores cruising all around the world, from Alaska’s wildlife-filled waters to the rivers of Europe and the coast of South America.
It’s not just about the ships, either. You’ll discover local food, fascinating cultures and unusual experiences you might never have considered booking a cruise for. With two seasons of episodes lasting around 25 minutes each, it’s an easy series to dip into when you fancy a little cruise inspiration.
8. Cruising Paradise: Above & Below Deck
Where to watch it now: Channel 4 Online
Number of seasons: 1
Ever wondered what cruise ship crew members get up to when they’re not looking after passengers?
Cruising Paradise: Above & Below Deck gives you a glimpse into both sides of cruise ship life, following passengers enjoying their holidays and the hardworking crew making everything happen behind the scenes. The series features ships from Princess Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, including Star Princess sailing around the Caribbean.
There’s plenty of sunshine and sightseeing, but also crew friendships, romances, demanding working days and the occasional problem that threatens to disrupt everyone’s plans. First broadcast in July 2026, it’s a fun watch if you enjoy seeing what really goes on aboard a cruise ship, rather than just the bits passengers usually experience.
9. Mighty Ships
Where to watch it now: Prime Video (Discovery+ Pass required)
Number of seasons: 10
Mighty Ships is a documentary series that has been running since 2008, which looks at some of the biggest and most impressive ships in the world, how they were built, their crew and how they operate day-to-day.
The series is not dedicated to cruise ships, so there are episodes on all manner of impressive vessels. But a handful of episodes do look at cruise ships.
In particular, look out for:
- The original one-off special, looking at Queen Mary 2
- Season 3 Episode 5, looking at Oasis of the Seas
- Season 5 Episode 1, looking at Norwegian Epic
- Season 5 Episode 3, looking at Le Boreal
- Season 6 Episode 3, looking at Crystal Serenity
- Season 7 Episodes 1 & 2 looking at Norwegian Breakaway
- Season 8 Episode 1, looking at Quantum of the Seas
- Season 9 Episode 6, looking at MS Fram
- Season 10 Episode 4, looking at MSC Meraviglia
Episodes last for 45 minutes and go into great detail about the ships themselves, rather than the destinations they sail to. You’ll need to buy a Discovery+ pass on Prime Video in order to watch the series now.
10. Mighty Cruise Ships
Where to watch it now: Prime Video (Discovery+ Pass required)
Number of seasons: 4
Following the success of Mighty Ships, a spin-off series called Mighty Cruise Ships was first shown in 2014 on the Discovery Channel. There were 26 episodes in total – 6 in each of the first three seasons, and 8 in the final season.
Every episode followed a similar structure to the normal Mighty Ships series, looking at one ship in great detail. Many of the most famous cruise lines in the world were featured, with in-depth looks at Symphony of the Seas for Royal Caribbean, Sky Princess for Princess Cruises, and Carnival Vista for Carnival, among others.
But some smaller ships were also included too, including Royal Clipper for Star Clippers, the MS Roald Amundsen for Hurtigruten Expeditions (HX), and Kristina Cruises’ MS Ocean Endeavour, so it’s a fantastic series for seeing a full breadth of cruise ships.
11. The Love Boat
Where to watch it now: Paramount+
Number of seasons: 9
No list of cruise TV shows can be put together without mentioning the most famous fictional show set on a cruise ship. The Love Boat ran from 1977 until 1986 with 9 seasons and 5 specials, and it was a comedy-drama that followed various crew members on the ship.
Filmed on the Princess Cruises ship Pacific Princess, the fun show offers a lot of twists and turns but also gives you a view of what life is like on a cruise ship – even if it is heavily dramatised. You get to see a lot of the ship (and her sister, Island Princess, which was sometimes used).
The Love Boat characters are so loveable, and you get to enjoy the theme tune, which is a classic.
Suggested read: The Untold Story of the Love Boat Actress Behind Cruise Director Julie McCoy
12. The Good Ship Murder
Where to watch it now: My5
Number of seasons: 3
The Good Ship Murder is a TV show first introduced in 2023. A crime drama series, it’s set on a luxury Mediterranean cruise ship – specifically the MSC Virtuosa.
Each week, a detective-turned-cabaret singer solves a new murder onboard with the help of the First Officer.
There are three seasons to enjoy so far – it’s pretty good!
13. Cruise 1st TV
Where to watch it now: Sky Channel 675 / Virgin Media 758
Number of seasons: n/a
Not really a TV show per say, this is instead a TV channel available on Sky that is dedicated to cruising and, in particular, cruise deals.
Whether you want to book with Cruise 1st or just watch the channel to get an idea of the deals available, and then go to your preferred travel agent, that’s up to you. But it is good for getting inspired for your next cruise.
Also recommended: YouTube
I’ve not included this on the list as it is definitely not a TV show, but it’s worth mentioning that YouTube has thousands of videos all about life on a cruise ship. You can see official videos from cruise lines that showcase different ships, or travel vlogs from experts, or just keep up with your favourite cruise lovers on their own cruise adventures.
