Synopsis

CRUISE SHIPS, once a playground only for the rich and famous, are now accessible to any traveler who has the desire to spend time aboard a floating resort sailing from one exotic port to another. It's about being pampered and coddled, dined, wined and entertained in the most luxurious of environments, and we go behind the scenes to see how it is all done.

Sail on the $450 million dollar Grand Princess, the largest and most expensive ship on the water today. With a staff of 1,100 to take care of its 2,600 passengers, this 109,000-ton ship has it all...the perfect floating city. See how they bring provisions aboard from 550 pounds of pineapples to 18,000 rolls of toilet paper. We take you into the bowels of the hull to explore territory never seen before: the extensive wine cellar, the anchor room, the carpentry supply room.

Hear from a leading cruise ship designer from the Disney Line, master sailors like the Captain of The Grand Princess, as well as beginners who have no idea what to expect from their first cruise ever. Explore the romantic tragedy of the Titanic, and the elegance and stability of today's most advanced cruise ships. Get an inside look at the illusions these ships create to stimulate passengers to relax, enjoy, spend money and fall in love. Investigate alternative ships, from those for the sophisticated traveler (lobster and champagne), to ones catering to the traveling family (hot dogs and Hi-C), to a variety of theme cruises. Take a peek at the future of cruising - cutting-edge visions like floating sports arenas and time-share condominiums - that designers and architects believe will push cruising into a new category of event vacationing.