For the first time in history, the growth of the cruising industry has surpassed the mainstream holiday market. From the fanciest private yachts whisking us away to faraway lands to mammoth five-star liners. When cruising goes right, it can be the trip of a lifetime. But when it goes horribly wrong, it can be cataclysmic.

Highlights include the first-time cruiser who regretted taking to the seas when his 60,000-tonne liner lost control, putting thousands of lives in peril, and spectacularly crashing into a pier and a tourist boat in Venice. Some sightseers find themselves under attack from a group of hungry mammals, when a whale-watching trip suddenly gets too close for comfort. And it is Mayday at sea, as a luxury yacht is struck by lightning.