Many movies have cruise themes, and watching them can make you want to tell everyone, “Bon voyage!” and set sail. If you like to watch movies and enjoy the water, don’t miss out. Grab some popcorn, sunscreen, and your favorite beach towel, and get ready to binge on these six films.
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1. Speed 2: Cruise Control
Whether you are planning your 2023 Caribbean Cruise and need to get in the mood or just dreaming, this 1997 movie with Sandra Bullock will surely help. Bullock plays Annie, a woman who wants some downtime on her cruise with her boyfriend. However, a ship worker, played by Willem Dafoe, interrupts her vacation by planning to wreck the ship into an oil tanker. Annie’s boyfriend is determined to stop the crash.
2. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
You may recognize the title of this movie as one with Marylin Monroe. Released in 1953, it is based on the 1949 musical. One interesting fact about this movie is that Jane Russell, who starred in it, was paid much more than Marilyn Monroe because she was more well-known then. Monroe and Russell have fantastic on-screen chemistry as they play showgirls and best friends traveling to Paris on a cruise. Monroe’s character, Lorelei, is engaged to a wealthy man who can provide her with all the material wealth she wants. Her friend, Russell’s character Dorothy, goes for a man’s looks instead of his wallet. Lorelei is being followed by a private investigator her future father-in-law hired because he suspects she is a gold digger.
3. Table for Five
This 1983 flick starring Jon Voight is about a recently divorced man who takes his children on a cruise to the Mediterranean. He reserves an extra chair at their dinner table each night, hoping that a female companion may join them. However, he realizes that connecting with his children is the ultimate goal of this trip on the high seas. The film was made on what was considered the largest cruise ship in the Western Hemisphere at that time. Kevin Costner also appears in the movie with the understated credit of “newlywed husband.”
4. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
Are you ready to embark with your family on a cruise? Introduce the kids to live aboard a ship with this fun, family-friendly movie from 2011. With voice actors including Matthew Gray Gubler and Amy Poehler, this movie is sure to please fans of all ages. David Seville, played by Jason Lee, and his furry comrades go on a cruise en route to the International Music Awards. After getting into trouble, the captain orders them to stay in their room. Naturally, it proves to be a task next to impossible. Most of them end up at the casino. As the chipmunks find more adventures and Dave tries to corral them, the group ends up off the ship and on an island. Many shenanigans follow.
5. Out to Sea
What’s not to love about a movie starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau? These stars are on a cruise allegedly as dance instructors. Matthau plays Charlie, a fun-loving character. He talks his widower brother-in-law, Herb, played by Lemmon, into going on a cruise to meet wealthy widows. This movie was released in 1997. These actors had a friendship in real life. They starred in many films together, and their on-screen chemistry is hard to beat.
6. Friday the 13th Park VII: Jason Takes Manhattan
Movies of all genres can take place on a cruise ship. This film proves that a slasher film can, too. Despite the title, most of the movie’s plot is aboard a cruise ship. The plot centers around a group of high-school graduates on a cruise together. As you may expect, this movie has plenty of gore and doesn’t have a happy ending.
Regardless of your favorite movie genre or era, you will indeed find a cruise-themed film that suits your tastes.
