This show is absolute tripe. Predictable, ridiculous, cliched, with acting at a level seen in village halls across the country. But it is quite watchable because its a very easy watch with nice scenery, and a good bit of humour along with the lightweight drama. You'll work out who the murderer is in every case way before our two onboard sleuths do!
Most of the main actors are basically soap opera level. You're not going to see any of them getting an Oscar put it that way. Claire Sweeney kind of stands out as quite good, because she seems to play her role with tongue firmly in cheek which adds a bit more humour to proceedings.
The worst performance comes from Catherine Tyldesley who plays First Mate Kate. She just comes across as very wooden and delivers her lines with no emotion or conviction. Also I'm not sure where her character is from because the accent she puts on for this veers from Made in Chelsea to Coronation Street and back again!
Apparently this show is "based on an idea Ben Frow had" or something like that according to the opening credits. I can just visualise the meeting he had with other Channel 5 management members for that..
I can't imagine this show cost an awful lot to make seeing as though no studio sets were needed (thanks to being on an enormous yet seemingly mostly empty cruise ship) and all the land-based scenes were shot on Malta which seems to be Channel 5's favourite stand in for any European location their shows "based on ideas by Ben Frow" seem to take place.
If you like lightweight, predictable, sunny drama then this is a good watch. It even makes Channel 5's other lightweight sleuthing series The Madame Blanc Mysteries look like an episode of Cracker.
Its good in a so bad its good kind of way.