The Cruise was a big hit when it was shown on the BBC back in 1998. At first glance it was a documentary on board the cruise ship Galaxy, its passengers, crew, entertainers and other staff.
However The Cruise was more than a documentary and heralded what is now known as the Docusoap, that has the seriousness of documentary with the frivolity of soaps.
Its really a mixture of reality TV, setup scenes in the wrapper of a documentary. Many viewers were enthralled by the ongoing lives on board the Galaxy, it made a star of the singer Jane McDonald as viewers got caught up with the lives of the participants. McDonald came across as someone viewers could relate to, whereas the ship's American DJ/entertainer came across as rather full on and over the top.
I guess it was not much of a fly in the wall documentary, it was frothy and entertaining.
