
World's Biggest Cruise Ships: The Hidden Workings of Sea Titans
Five feature-length episodes go below deck on the largest passenger ships afloat. On the Symphony of the Seas, a crew of 2,200 keeps more than 5,500 passengers moving between French and Italian ports. The Aida Nova segment follows a seven-day run to the Canary Islands and Madeira aboard the first large liner powered purely by liquefied natural gas. MSC's Meraviglia threads tight Mediterranean harbors while running a Cirque du Soleil show and a new water park, and the Norwegian Joy handles Alaska's Inside Passage with its captain navigating narrow channels. The final episode follows the Sky Princess through the Western Caribbean with 3,500 guests aboard, as the crew fights strong winds, twisting waterways, and a mid-voyage pump malfunction. Across all five ships, the camera spends as much time in engine rooms, bridge stations, and galleys as on the pool decks, following officers, engineers, and hospitality staff through the logistics of keeping a floating small city running on schedule.