The Good Ship Murder filming locations: where was Channel 5 drama filmed, is it set on a real cruise liner?

New Channel 5 drama series The Good Ship Murder, which stars X Factor winner Shayne Ward as a former detective turned cruise boat singer, looks like an advert for luxury cruise travel.

The series follows Ward’s character Jack Grayling as he is distracted from his dream of becoming a singing superstar when a series of murders take place on his cruise, prompting him to investigate.

Grayling is joined by the ship’s First Officer Kate Woods, played by Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley, and together they hope to get to the bottom of the killings.

Viewers are likely to be distracted from the plot of the show by its luxurious and exotic setting, with the action taking place across the Mediterranean and within the confines of a gorgeous cruise ship. 

Where was The Good Ship Murder filmed?

The Good Ship Murder was filmed on a real luxury cruise ship, the MSC Virtuosa, first launched in 2021.

The 331 metre long ship has a crew of 1,700 with 2,444 cabins over 14 decks which can accommodate up to 6,300 passengers. By contrast, the Titanic has a maximum capacity of 3,335 people including both passengers and crew.

MSC Virtuosa cost around €800 million and often sails from Southampton for cruises around the British Isles and Mediterranean. The series was filmed during British school holidays and the ship was full of regular passengers during production.

As a result, many of the extras on the series are paying passengers who decided to take part in the production.

The series shows off the splendour of the luxury cruise ship, which boasts 21 bars, five swimming pools, oh, and a humanoid robotic bartender. Specific parts of the ship that feature in the series include the Carousel Lounge to the MSC Yacht Club.

Each episode is set in a different location ranging from Lisbon, Portugal Valencia and Barcelona, Spain, Le Havre, France Casablanca, Morocco, and Valletta, Malta.

Most of the production actually took place in Malta, where the Virtuosa is registered. Series star Shayne Ward said that producers tried to double up locations where possible by making one country look like another.

When is The Good Ship Murder on TV?

The Good Ship Murder is airing on Fridays on Channel 5 at 9pm and will be repeated the following Thursday at 10pm. Episodes are available to watch on My5 shortly after they have first aired. There are eight episodes in the series.