The sun-drenched islands of Bond films, Ripley's palatial Italian hideaways, Succession 's ultra-luxury living in the Big Apple: We're all fascinated by screen locations - so much so that many of us now plan our holidays around them.
Understandably, it's a move that the entire travel industry is getting behind - and now cruise lines are getting in on the action, with companies like Mundy Cruising (mundycruising.co.uk) launching entire collections dedicated to passengers' favorite filming locations. many of which are much easier to reach by ship.
Want to walk around the ramparts as seen in Game of Thrones? Enter Valletta or Dubrovnik in a stately manner by sea. Feel like channeling your inner Meryl Streep, Mom Mia-style? The Greek islands of Skopelos and Skiathos are easily accessible on a cruise. And although the BBC's premise is Death in paradise It can be a little unsettling; being able to visit dreamy Caribbean islands like Guadeloupe means we are a captivated audience.
"It's called 'set-jetting,'" says Edwina Lonsdale, director of Mundy Cruising. "We have people who draw inspiration from places they have seen in a TV series or film and want to visit these destinations as part of their travels. It does not attempt to replicate what people have seen, but rather draws on elements of excitement, nostalgia or breathtaking natural landscapes and weaves them into an extraordinary journey to make it even more memorable."
Seduced? Book your starring role on one of these set-jetting cruises...
Inspired by...Ripley
Patricia Highsmith's anti-hero set up shop in the small town of Atrani, perched on a cliff, just a few minutes' walk from beautiful Amalfi. While it is possible to get there by land (as long as you can tolerate the endless winding roads along the cliffs), what could be more glamorous than arriving by yacht? Seadream (0800 058481; seadream.com) has a seven-day Rome return cruise from £6,495 pp, including flights, an overnight stay to Amalfi and Sorrento, plus time in Ponza, Capri and Bonifacio. Departure on August 29, 2026.
Inspired by... Drive to Survive
Now in its sixth season, Netflix's Formula 1: drive to survive has won over F1 superfans and skeptics alike with its oh-so-glamorous Grand Prix venues. Windstar (0808 258 7943; windstarcruises.com) visits the Prix du Monde in Monaco, the jewel of the F1 calendar, on the five-masted motor sailing yacht Wind Surf. The seven-night crossing from Barcelona to Rome (from £7,807pp) includes premium seats for Saturday's time trials and Sunday's final and a Prix du Monde-themed cocktail reception and dinner, plus calls to Palamós, Sanary-sur -Mer, Cannes and Portoferraio. Departure on May 20, 2025.
Inspired by... The White Lotus
As almost everyone who doesn't live under a rock knows by now: the second season of HBO drama The White Lotus was filmed in the beautiful Sicilian city of Taormina. An exclusive Mundy Cruising package (020 7399 7670; mundycruising.co.uk) combines a three-night pre-cruise stay with a 10-night sail aboard the elegant tall ship Sea Cloud II (from £9,555 pp), including three nights at San Domenico Palace, then sailing from Catania to Otranto and Bari, plus the Croatian towns of Vis, Rovinj and Sibenik, as well as an overnight stay in Dubrovnik. Departure on May 18, 2025.
Inspired by... Emily in Paris
Essentially a love letter to Paris, this series follows wide-eyed marketing manager Emily (Lily Collins) as she wanders the French capital against an often clichéd, but nevertheless fantastical, set of backdrops. See the City of Lights in appropriate style with Croisi Europe (01756 691 269; croisieurope.co.uk), which offers a four-day prestigious Paris Major Must See Sites river cruise from £640pp, including an overnight cruise of Paris and visits to the Eiffel Tower, the Tuileries Gardens and the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district. Departure on July 30, 2024.
Inspired by...Break Point
Breaking point follows top tennis stars on and off the court at global tournaments and Grand Slams, and you can join the thrill of ATP Masters tennis on one of Seabourn's two special Mediterranean cruises (0344 338 8615; seabourn.com). The seven-night trip from Barcelona to Rome is guided by British tennis legend Sue Barker and costs from £5,299 pp, including flights, with stops in Port-Vendres, Toulon, Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Monte Carlo (overnight) and Porto Venere , with tickets to the Monte Carlo Masters. Departure on April 5, 2025.
Inspired by... Pirates of the Caribbean
The first episode of the pirates of the Caribbean franchise saw Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) nonchalantly sail into the crystal clear waters of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Fortunately, negotiating with pirates is not on the agenda during a luxury Caribbean cruise. Scenic (0161 516 0016; Scenic.co.uk) has the 13-day Island Odyssey: Bahamas to the Grenadines cruise (from £6,068pp), which takes you into exclusive ports that other cruise lines can't access, including the British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, the Tobago Cays and Barbados. Departure on October 24, 2024.
Inspired by... Race around the world
As the title suggests, Race around the world has taken in the delights of some of the most magical places in the world, from London to Singapore, Mexico City to Argentina, western to eastern Canada, and - perhaps most spectacular of all - Japan to Indonesia. The participants' accommodation was generally far from luxurious, but the sights along the way were priceless. Viking (0800 298 9700; vikingcruises.co.uk) has the stunning 29-day South East Asia Horizons cruise (from £13,890 pp), including flights from the UK, plus nine days to explore Japan and Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Cambodia to visit and Thailand. Departure on October 7, 2024.
