Plot

Australians are the most avid cruise-goers in the world. On average almost 1.5 million Aussie holiday makers take a cruise every year. It's part of an industry worth US$150 billion globally, employing over a million people catering to 32 million passengers. In Australia it contributes $5 billion to the local economy, generating more than 20,000 jobs.

That was until March this year. Now over 300 ghost ships swing on their anchors around the world with skeleton crews. The coronavirus pandemic is estimated to be costing the industry $60 million a day as cruise ships - some costing more than a billion dollars to build - lie idle.

Modern cruising has a colourful history full of romance and adventure that harks back to the glory days of ocean travel. It's also had its disasters; from tragic sinkings to environmental scandals and mass outbreaks of norovirus, more commonly known as gastro. But the cruise industry has never faced a crisis like COVID-19.

The industry's reputation is in tatters as "no sail" orders have been enforced around the world. Thousands of passengers contracted COVID-19 on cruises, and at least 100 died. Ships like the Diamond Princess, Grand Princess and Ruby Princess - which had the largest individual death toll of 28 - have become notorious for COVID-19 outbreaks and are now the subject of government enquiries and law suits from angry passengers. Even an expedition cruise to the Antarctic aboard the Greg Mortimer wasn't safe from COVID-19 with 60% of passengers contracting the virus.

The cruising industry is desperate to get back on the water - and there's no shortage of demand from cruise starved passengers. But when can cruising resume and how safe will it be? Critics warn that if the cruise lines get it wrong the whole industry could go under. The stakes are incredibly high.

Cruising: The Biggest Storm investigates the massive cruise industry. It's a story of tropical dreams, adventure and an arms race to build bigger and better ships.

The golden age of ocean liners saw celebrities and the mega rich travel the high seas. Ballgowns, tiaras and precious jewels were required luggage as the likes of Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and even Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth criss-crossed the world.

The 1960s jet age heralded a massive loss of business for the great ocean liners. But from disaster came opportunity. In the early 1970s Israeli businessman Ted Arison converted an ocean liner into a cheap and cheerful cruise ship plying the Florida to Bahamas route. Arison's "fun ships" were wildly successful and Carnival Cruises was born. Carnival has since become the world's largest travel leisure company devouring iconic companies like P&O and Cunard and is now worth $25 billion.

As the long-running television hit, The Love Boat, launched cruising into popular culture, cruise lines scrambled to build bigger and better ships. This year Carnival Cruises was set to launch the most advanced cruise ship ever built. The $1.5 billion 180,000 tonne Mardi Gras will carry 6,650 passengers and 1,745 crew. Powered by LPG it also boasts the world's first roller coaster at sea. But it's now floating at dock in a ship-building yard in Finland with an uncertain launch date sometime in 2021.

The cruise industry has survived disasters before. Famous tragedies have become part of maritime folklore; from the Titanic, to the torpedoing of the Lusitania in WW1 and the sinking of the Costa Concordia in 2012. The industry has experienced shocking outbreaks of gastro, weathered a string of environmental scandals and headline-grabbing crimes at sea. There's also heavy criticism of a largely unregulated industry that hides behind flags of convenience, pays little tax and is often a law unto itself. Despite all that cruising has boomed.

Cruising: The Biggest Storm features evocative archival footage and showcases the world's most spectacular mega-ships. While celebrating the romance of modern ocean cruising, the history of disasters is laid bare. Interviews with insiders, whistleblowers, experts and ordinary travellers will help flesh out the ultimate question:

Is this the end of cruising as we know it?