Ten Books about Cruising and Ten Movies about Cruising

Cruise Confidential

Author: Brian David Bruns

Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir

Places Featured: Cruise Ship

Brian David Bruns, a software developer, followed his girlfriend to a job on Carnival Cruises–and what he thought would be a fun way to see the world and make some money turned out to be something very different. Cruises are usually seen as a symbol of luxury with decadent meals, fancy entertainment, and relaxing spas…that isn’t quite what it’s like for the crewmembers and Brian lets you in on what life is really like for them. It’s funny, a bit “bro-ish”, and definitely insightful.

A Cruise to Murder

Author: Dawn Brookes

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Mediterranean

Rookie police officer Rachel Prince is broken-hearted after her fiance left her, so her best friend convinces her that a cruise around the Mediterranean is just what she needs. It is a dream vacation…until there’s a mysterious death on board and Rachel has to figure out which one of the other passengers is responsible.

Note from Jen: I’m reading this one right now and will keep you posted on my thoughts!

Death on the Nile

Author: Agatha Christie

Genre: Crime/Mystery

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Egypt

The murder mystery queen, Agatha Christie, is known for writing stories that coincide with adventures all over the world and one of her most popular stories (partly thanks to the movies mentioned below) follows a group of friends and family on a luxury cruise down the Nile River. The cruise loses its luxuriousness, though, when the beautiful Linnet Ridgeway is found murdered. Don’t worry, though, famous French detective Hercules Poirot will get to the bottom of it.

Note from Jen: To “prepare” for the 2022 movie, I re-read the book by listening to the audio version (see my review on IG) and really enjoyed it. It’s a classic whodunnit!

Displacement: A Travelogue

Author: Lucy Knisley

Genre: Non-fiction, Graphic, Biography/Memoir

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Caribbean

Graphic novels have been making a comeback lately (especially for adults) and Lucy Knisley, a cartoonist for the New York Times, has actually made a collection of graphic memoirs telling stories of her life through beautiful watercolors that are much more than cartoons. In this installment, Lucy goes on a cruise of the Caribbean with her 90+ year-old grandparents. Not quite knowing what to expect, she ends up learning a lot about her grandparents, her history, and herself.

The Joy of Cruising: Passionate Cruisers, Fascinating Stories

Author: Paul C. Thornton

Genre: Nonfiction, Short Stories

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Several

As a young man, Paul C. Thornton discovered he enjoyed “floating all-inclusive resorts” even though he wasn’t a water person, so he continued to cruise throughout his life, exploring different cruise lines, different ships, and different destinations. He also soon realized he wasn’t the only one who enjoyed cruises, so he set about finding others who share his passion, trying to get to the bottom of why they enjoy it so much. The Joy of Cruising explores travelers from all walks of life and why they feel themselves pulled to the water. (He’s also recently published a sequel–aptly named Cruising Interrupted–about how the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 affected cruise travel then and forever.)

Shipped

Author: Angie Hockman

Genre: Fiction, Romance

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Galapagos

Henley Evans is a marketing manager for a cruise line who is up for a promotion to the job of her dreams…and is competing against her nemesis Graeme Crawford-Collins for the job. The person who comes up with the best marketing proposal for boosting bookings to the Galapagos Islands gets the job, so the two enemies find themselves cruising to the Galapagos and exploring the islands together, which, of course leads to more than just a promotion…

Starboard Secrets: A Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery Novel

Author: Hope Callaghan

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Places Featured: Cruise Ship

In Starboard Secrets, the first in a popular cozy mystery series that currently has 24 books, we’re introduced to Millie Sanders. Millie’s life has just fallen apart–her husband of 35 years has left her for another woman (who just happens to be Millie’s “friend”). In an effort to rediscover and redefine her life, Millie ends up as the assistant director on the Siren of Seas. Not only does she find herself learning about life on a cruise ship, but she also soon finds herself involved in an investigation when a dead body is discovered on the ship

The Unsinkable Greta James

Author: Jennifer E. Smith

Genre: Fiction, Self-Discovery/Change

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Alaska

Conrad James and his wife had planned to celebrate their fortieth anniversary on a cruise to Alaska…and then she died unexpectedly. Greta James, their daughter, is a musician whose breakdown on stage has gone viral and sent Greta into a downward spiral and she hasn’t played any music since. Greta agrees to accompany her father on the cruise he was supposed to be taking with her mother in hopes of supporting each other and sharing their grief. Ben Wilder, a historian who is also struggling to figure out his life, is also on the ship. Alaska’s stunning scenery and life on the ship help all of them figure out what they really need.

Note from Jen: I love a good self-discovery journey and I love a good adventure story–and it’s even better when the two combine. (Have you seen my list of self-discovery books that feature travel?) So, I really enjoyed this book and consider it one of my favorite reads in 2022.

The Woman in Cabin 10

Author: Ruth Ware

Genre: Crime/Mystery, Thriller

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, North Sea

Lo Blacklock is a travel journalist who finds herself on the assignment of her dreams: a luxury cruise to see the sights of the North Sea. The cruise is just what she wanted: delicious food, beautiful scenery, and interesting guests…until a storm comes and Lo seems to witness a woman being thrown overboard. The ship sails on, though, because all passengers are accounted for. Lo doesn’t know what to do and sets her sights on finding the truth.

Note from Jen: A friend gave me this book while we were traveling a couple years ago and it was the first book I’d read by Ruth Ware. Pretty soon after finishing it, I devoured all of the books she’d written (and anxiously wait for new ones to come out), but The Woman in Cabin 10 is still my favorite one.

You Belong to Me

Author: Mary Higgins Clark

Genre: Crime/Mystery, Thriller

Places Featured: Cruise Ship

The other more recent queen of mystery is Mary Higgins Clark and she, too, has written a popular book that involves a cruise ship. Dr. Susan Chandler, a radio psychologist, is exploring women victims when the case of Regina Clausen, a famous financial analyst who disappeared four years ago while on a cruise in the Far East, piques her interest. She wants to get to the bottom of the case before the person responsible comes after her.

Shall We Dance (1937)

Rating: Not Rated

Genre: Musical/Comedy

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Transatlantic

This movie doesn’t completely take place on a cruise, but it’s part of the story and it’s an excuse for me to list a Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers classic, so here it is. Fred Astaire is an American dancer who has created an on-screen persona (Petrov, a temperamental Russian) for his ballet career. Ginger Rogers is a famous tap dancer and Petrov falls in love with her after seeing her picture. There are publicity stunts, awkward meetings, and a transatlantic cruise as the two eventually dance their way into each other’s hearts. (There’s a fun scene in the boiler room of the ship where there just happens to be a band, singing, and of course, dancing.)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Rating: Not Rated

Genre: Musical/Comedy

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Transatlantic

Another classic movie (thanks to the iconic Marilyn Monroe) with scenes that take place on a transatlantic cruise–Lorelei and Dorothy are showgirls and best friends looking for love. Lorelei is planning to marry Gus in France, so the girls board a ship to take them to Paris. A private detective (hired by Gus’s father) follows them and reports back on the ladies’ flirtations, suspected gold digger intentions, and a missing tiara while on the ship. They land in Paris and after some speeches, mistaken identities, and money discussions (and the song Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend), there is a happy ending.

An Affair to Remember (1957)

Rating: Not Rated

Genre: Drama, Romance

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Transatlantic

Nickie Ferrante (Cary Grant) and Terry McKay (Deborah Kerr) meet and fall in love while on the SS Constitution traveling from Europe to New York City. They’re both engaged to others, though, so when they land in New York City they agree to end their relationships and meet back at the top of the Empire State Building in six months. Unfortunately, on the day they are supposed to meet, Terry is paralyzed in a car accident and never makes it to meet Nickie. They do see each other later and although Terry tries to hide her disability, Nickie wants to renew their relationship…

Ship of Fools (1965)

Rating: Not Rated

Genre: Drama

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Transatlantic

This dramatic movie, based on a book of the same name by Katherine Anne Porter, is about a group of passengers on a ship on its way to Germany from Mexico in 1933…just as the Nazis are beginning their reign of terror. The passengers on the ship include a countess from Cuba, a German businessman, an American couple, and a large group of displaced workers being deported back to Spain. The ensemble movie won a lot of awards and is praised for revealing just how complicated things were back then–the ship is “a microcosm of 1930s society.”

Table for Five (1983)

Rating: PG

Genre: Drama

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Mediterranean

Jon Voigt plays J.P. Tannen, a former professional golfer living in California and estranged from his three children, who live with their mother and stepfather in New York. In an effort to reconnect with his children, J.P. decides to take his children on a Mediterranean cruise. He spends more time looking for a companion than he does with his children…until a tragedy forces him to really think about what he wants.

Out to Sea (1997)

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Romance/Comedy

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Mexico

While it isn’t their most famous work, Out to Sea is still a funny movie starring one of Hollywood’s most successful pairings: Walther Matthau and Jack Lemmon. The two men–one a gambler who needs to make some money and one a widower–find themselves on a luxury Mexican cruise…where they must work as dance hosts to pay for their trip. Neither are dancers, but both do their best and manage to make some special connections with some of the ladies on board.

Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Action/Romance

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Caribbean

In this action thriller, Sandra Bullock reprises her role from the original Speed movie, but, in this one, she is paired with Jason Patric. The couple are on a luxury cruise around the Caribbean when the ship is taken over by a hijacker played by Willem Dafoe. Of course the couple have to help save the day before the ship crashes into an oil tanker. It’s definitely not the type of movie you watch for the realistic plot or stellar writing, but if you’re looking for an enjoyable escape, this can help.

Like Father (2018)

Rating: R

Genre: Dramedy

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Caribbean

This is another movie that’s a bit predictable and didn’t exactly win any awards, but it has a stellar cast (Kristen Bell, Seth Rogen, and Kelsey Grammer) and is a sweet story about a workaholic woman left at the altar in New York who invites her estranged father to join her on her pre-booked honeymoon cruise to the Caribbean. It’s awkward and challenging as the two get to know each other, but there are some adventures and some lessons and it ends well.

Amazon Queen (2021)

Rating: R

Genre: Action/Adventure

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Amazon

A group of passengers are enjoying a cruise up the Amazon River when the ship is taken over by a group of hijackers looking for lost treasure deep in the jungle. Don’t expect great acting or tantalizing dialogue (the reviews are actually pretty bad…), but there will be some great images from the Amazon and an underlying story about the deforestation of the rainforest.

Death on the Nile (2022)

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Mystery/Crime

Places Featured: Cruise Ship, Egypt

Based on Agatha Christie’s mystery novel mentioned above, Death on the Nile is an ensemble movie about a murder on a cruise ship. (There’s also a version from 1978, but the cinematography in this one is fantastic.) Kenneth Branagh reprises his role from 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express as Hercule Poirot who is on the case–he will study each passenger as many have a motive for wanting Linnet dead and find the culprit.

Note from Jen: As is often the case, the movie is quite different from the book (lots of new/adapted characters), but at least they didn’t change the murder plot. The scenery and opulence is just stunning…especially gorgeous on the big screen. The music is fun and, of course, it’s always enjoyable to following along with Hercule Poirot as he closely examines the details to find the culprits.⁠