The Cruise: Shanghai to Sydney

Series overview
The Cruise returns with a brand new six-part documentary series travelling through Asia, Australia and New Zealand - following the lives of almost 5,000 passengers and crew.

Set on board the Majestic Princess - the biggest, newest and most luxurious ship in the fleet - during her maiden voyage from Shanghai to Sydney, the ship visits destinations exotic and familiar from the Asian megacities of Hong Kong and Singapore to the stunning coastal scenery and fjords of New Zealand and the iconic Sydney harbour.

Passengers are expecting the holiday of a lifetime, but the captain and 1,500 crew have their work cut out facing the navigational challenges of chaotic harbours teeming with boats, perilously low bridges and the highly unpredictable typhoon season weather – as well as surviving a legendary party to mark crossing the equator.

Familiar faces include Geordie hotel engineer Scott, while there’s a host of new characters including charismatic Italian captain Dino, fastidious hotel general manager Jasper, unflappable Scottish food and beverage manager Karen and the charming Cynthia – deft diffuser of any passenger complaint.

Episode 1
In the first episode the captain and his team have to manoeuvre under a tight suspension bridge on the way out of one of the world’s busiest ports - Busan in South Korea. It’s a tough call with only metres to spare between the billion dollar ship and the bridge.

Food and beverage manager Karen is pushed to the limit when typhoon rains, a load of spilt milk all over the quayside and a rising tide threaten to stop her loading all the provisions on board in time.

Scott returns with momentous news – since he last appeared in the show, he has married the girlfriend he met on board and they’re expecting a baby. At the end of his contract he’ll be going home for the birth of his new baby daughter. But first there’s a tricky musical manoeuvre to complete with a new piano – with swells of up to six metres expected Scott and his team will need to fix it to the floor to avoid a tuneless collision.   

Meanwhile, in the world of on-board entertainment, assistant cruise directors Robbie and Sandra are desperate to impress their new department director Mark – hatching competing plans for passenger activities from treasure hunts to improvisation workshops to put themselves ahead of the game in the race for promotion. But when they’re called to work together for a German Bierfest under the watchful eye of their boss, can they put their rivalries aside?

And twentysomething Australian Truckers Jess and Kent, who say they accidentally booked the cruise while under the influence, discover they’re the youngest guests on board and Kent enlists the help of Cynthia in guest services to try and make Jess’s birthday one she’ll never forget. But when he produces a box from the on board jewellers, is she expecting a bit more than Kent can deliver?