Let’s get ready for the cruise, shall we? There are many ways to prepare, but this one is going to involve hard core research obtained through movies. Okay, not hard core research. Rather, I’m just compiling some movies that feature cruises that are meant to get you excited for life on the sea. Some involve a little death and mayhem though, so maybe don’t plan entirely based on these movies. Instead, just enjoy them and focus on the food, entertainment, and scenery aboard the ships. With that, I present you ten movies to get you ready for cruising (in no particular order):

1. An Affair to Remember (1957) – I love love love this movie. I am literally Suzy in this clip retelling what happens. Seriously. Tears every single time. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr star in this highly acclaimed love story about a man and woman who meet and fall in love on a cruise from Europe to New York. Both engaged, they make a promise to meet up six months later at the top of the Empire State Building. But will fate bring them together or keep them apart? This is simply a must-see movie in my opinion. Cruise or not, you should watch this flick, so absolutely include it on your pre-cruise watchlist. Just have some tissues nearby as you watch.
2. Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) – Let’s not pretend this is even remotely as good as the first movie. Keanu isn’t in it. The story isn’t as great. Blah blah blah. Whatever. Sandra Bullock returns as Annie. She and Jack broke up and now she’s with another dude – Alex, a hot shot SWAT team member no less. They head off on a Caribbean cruise aboard the luxury cruise ship Seabourn Legend, now Windstar Cruises’ Star Legend. Unfortunately, a disgruntled cruise ship worker (Willem Dafoe) sets the ship on course to collide with an oil tanker. It’s a fun movie that brings some of cruise life (like fruity drinks on the deck) to life quite nicely. I’d say include this on your pre-cruise watchlist but then remember not to judge people on your own cruise who bring their golf clubs. You’ll understand.
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011) – This is the third live-action movie featuring the Chipmunks. In this movie, the Chipmunks, the Chipettes, and Dave go on a cruise vacation aboard Carnival Dream. Of course, they’re the Chipmunks, so chaos ensues as they get into mischief and cause trouble doing their thing. Their antics get them relegated to their rooms, but that’s never going to fly. Speaking of flying, Alvin does a little makeshift parasailing while on the cruise, but that results in him and the others going overboard. Dave, of course, goes after them and ultimately the group winds up stranded on a mostly deserted island in the Pacific. The plot further unfolds from there, but we’re now off the ship so I’ll stop. While on the ship, there are many exterior shots as well as cabin shots aboard the ship, all of which were apparently filmed during an actual weeklong Caribbean cruise. The movie didn’t get great reviews, but I’m a fan of the Chipmunks (especially Simon) so I have to include this among my recommended pre-cruise movies.  
4. Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018) – Ok, another kids movie, but that’s okay. I like them so they’re not only for kids. Plus, it’s good to have a cartoon in the mix, right? Yes. I say so. In this animated comedy (the third installment of the Hotel Transylvania franchise – what’s with third movies being on cruises?), Dracula and his family head off on a summer vacation aboard the Legacy. Almost instantly, Drac falls for the cruise ship’s captain, Ericka, but she’s Trouble with a capital-T because she’s the great-granddaughter of Dracula’s arch-nemesis Professor Abraham Van Helsing. Uh oh. You get it all with this movie – a love story, a Kraken, and the macarena playing a pivotal role. Plus, this movie showcases all the joys of cruising, from the “all you can eat buffet” to entertaining pool games. You really can’t go wrong so I say include this movie in your pre-cruise watchlist.
5. Romance on the High Seas (1948) – This is a cute musical featuring Doris Day as the female protagonist. Michael and Elvira are a married couple who suspect one another of infidelity. They’re supposed to go on a romantic anniversary cruise to Rio de Janeiro but Michael cancels at the last minute for work and encourages Elvira to go alone. Elvira agrees but decides instead to hire a random girl, Georgia, to take her place on the cruise so she can stay behind and spy on her husband since clearly he must be sneaking around on her. Suspicious of her willingness to go alone, Michael also suspects Elvira of naughtiness, so he hires a private investigator, Peter, to go on the cruise to spy on her. Oh, what shenanigans! Of course, Georgia is radiant, and Peter soon falls for her, but he believes she is Elvira so that’s not going to work. The plot is pretty standard as far as musicals are concerned. If you enjoy musicals (which I do) and don’t mind when songs get stuck in your head (as they might), then definitely include this movie on your pre-cruise list.
6. Out to Sea (1997) – This comedy features one of the best comedy duos of all time – Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. (Yes, I’m serious. I love these guys.) They epitomize the grumpy old men / odd couple vibe (two movies they did, actually) and this movie is a perfect reflection of their comedic genius. The guys are retired friends / brothers-in-law. Charlie (Matthau) is a compulsive gambler who suckers Herb (Lemmon) into joining him on what he thinks is an all-expenses-paid luxury cruise aboard a Holland America cruise ship. In actuality, Charlie has signed them up to work on the ship as dance hosts and they’ll be sharing a tiny, cramped room with no window. Oh, and Charlie can’t dance. The movie proceeds as you might expect and there are love interests from some lovely widows aboard the cruise that add to the movie’s charm. Apparently, ship scenes were filmed onboard the ship then known as Westerdam (now called something else) during an actual sailing, which is fun. It’s a cute flick, and worth the watch.
7. Herbie Goes Bananas (1980) – It’s that lovable old car! I remember watching these movies as a kid, and this one features a cruise ship (for part of it at least). Pete and his friend D.J. arrive in Puerto Vallarta to pick up a race car Pete inherited from his uncle. That race car is, of course, Herbie, the VW Beetle that recently (in a previous movie) won the Trans-France Race (a fictional version of the Monte Carlo Rally). Upon arrival to Mexico, the pair is pickpocketed by a little boy named Paco, who also happens to pickpocket from criminals who are planning to steal gold from some forgotten Inca ruins. While the criminals are chasing Paco (because the wallet he stole contains the map to the gold), Herbie saves him from being caught by having Paco hide in his hood. While hiding there, Herbie is loaded on the Sun Princess cruise ship bound for Rio de Janeiro to compete in another race there. Herbie, per usual for Herbie, causes some friendly mayhem on board the ship, including ruining a costume party while he saves Paco yet again. While much of the movie takes place off the ship, enough occurs on the cruise that I count it as one worthy of inclusion on the list. We see elegant dining rooms, ship cargo areas, and random ship areas. Suspend your belief with this movie, and just remember this came long before Cars so give it some respect!
8. Titanic (1997) – Okay, yes, this is a strange one to include considering it sinks. Oh, sorry, spoiler alert: it sinks. And who wants to plan for a cruise by watching a cruise ship crash and sink, killing most of the passengers and crew aboard her? Probably not most people. But I’m not most people and I’m including this on the list because it really is a great movie. Plus, you get some great shots of the ship and life at sea, from fine dining to entertainment. So, I’m including it here and that’s all I have to say about that.
9. Poseidon (2006) – Another disaster movie but a good one. Instead of an iceberg or terrorist on board, this one features a rogue wave that wreaks havoc on the RMS Poseidon during her transatlantic crossing. Kurt Russell stars in this remake of the 1972 movie, The Poseidon Adventure (which was based on a novel of the same name). On New Year’s Eve, a rogue wave strikes and capsizes the ship. We soon see the ship upside down, with people essentially trapped in an air bubble within the ship. The story follows a group of individuals as they make their way to the bow of the ship, where they believe they have the best chance of survival and rescue. The movie is exciting, and prior to the catastrophe you see a lot of ship life, from the casino to dining to the musical entertainment. And since it’s New Year’s Eve, you see each of these elements in an even more spectacular way. After the disaster, we see the ship upside down, which is fun to see people navigating chandeliers and whatnot as they further escape danger. I’d say include this on your pre-cruise list, but don’t get too worried about big waves while you’re on your real-life adventure.
10. Like Father (2018) – This is a father-daughter bonding movie set at sea, starring Kristen Bell and Kelsy Grammer. The movie kicks off with Rachel (Bell) at her wedding when the groom basically calls the wedding off because it’s clear Rachel is a workaholic who cares more about her job than him. Rachel’s estranged father (Grammer) sees the whole thing and, blah blah blah, they decide to go on the two-week honeymoon cruise together. Weird, yes, but go with it. Anyway, the movie follows the two as they rediscover one another and the important things in life (which, as it turns out, isn’t nonstop work). As for the cruise, we see the duo all over the huge Royal Caribbean cruise ship, including their balcony of their honeymoon suite.  Indeed, it almost feels like a commercial for the cruise line with the floating bar, an on-board surfing thing, an adult-only area, the delectable food, and some excursions highlighted for us. We see all over the interior and witness fun cruise activities from karaoke to The Newlywed Game. It’s a good way to see what might be in store on a cruise. Just don’t expect a ton from the storyline itself other than the message that we shouldn’t focus too much on our work to the exclusion of the rest of our life. Amen to that.

With that, I will now let you go watch some movies. Enjoy!