What makes this series unique is that it is filmed on board the luxury cruise ship MSC Virtuosa. Some of the actual guests on the ship agreed to be on the show. The ship is elegant with several pools, bars, and lounges. The show could be a video ad for the Virtuosa, except for the murders, which mostly occur on excursions away from the actual ship.

“The Good Ship Murder” stars Shayne Ward as Jack Grayling, a former detective who is now a renowned singing star and the singer on the ship. He sings the fan-favorite opening theme song and ends each episode with a song in one of the lounges.

Ward was the winner of “The X Factor” in 2005. This series is a way for him to showcase his singing and acting talents together. Ward previously co-starred in the hit British series “Coronation Street” from 2015-2021.

The ship’s First Officer Kate Woods (Catherine Tyldesley) also co-starred in “Corronation Street” from 2006 – 2018. Grayling and Woods have an on-again/off-again somewhat romance. They are friends, most of the time, and Kate becomes his amateur co-detective when he delves into the murders of the guests. She finds helping him solve crimes exhilarating but gets annoyed when it interferes with her actual job.

This season has a new captain (James Barriscale) who is tasked with selecting the Staff Captain. Spoiler alert – His selection of Piers (Geoffrey Breton) surprises both Jack and Kate as she was up for the job. The selection also proves to be awkward for Kate due to her previous relationship with him. Last season she broke off their engagement because of her growing feelings for Jack. This is an on-board soap opera.

The first episode in this second season is a Christmas themed story. The guests are upset when Santa isn’t there so Jack and Kate go ashore to look for a Santa amid the Christmas market in Dubrovnik. They find one but he doesn’t last long. [Text Wrapping Break][Text Wrapping Break]From there the ship sets sail to Rome where Jack is surprised when his daughter shows up on the ship and tries to put a damper on his budding relationship with Kate. And yes, there is a murder to solve in Rome.

The cruise next visits Gran Canaria where some on-board relationships have potential repercussions. Jack and Kate still have feelings for each other, however Piers wants to rekindle his romance with her. It is all mixed up, to say the least.

There are several more stops on this cruise and several more murders to solve. And when one of their own gets arrested for a murder, Jack and Kate go into overdrive to help clear their friend and colleague.

The ports-of-call are briefly highlighted, however there is not too much scenery to enjoy as the murders and situations take precedence over the travel aspect of the show.

Providing some fun on the cruise as well as the series is Zak Douglas who plays Jamil Al-Rashid, a purser on board who also has his eyes and ears on the passengers and gives Jack some interesting tidbits along the way. Jamil is a jack of all trades. Sometimes he is a bartender, sometimes he is polishing the railings, and sometimes he is just assisting guests. He can do it all.

There are eight episodes in this season, each taking place in a different port of call, and each dealing with not only on-board relationships but also murders. Jack was and is a good detective and manages to get to the bottom of the mysteries, while at the same time entertaining the passengers with his singing talent.

Viewers might want to check out Shayne Ward online to listen to some of his recordings. The theme song for the series, “Going on an Adventure” is a fun, catchy, upbeat song and is available to listen to on YouTube. It was written especially for the show and begins each episode getting viewers ready for the adventure to come, aboard the ship with the passengers, crew, and the many situations that arise.

“The Good Ship Murder” streams on BritBox which is also available through Prime Video. The series has already been renewed for a third season.