Plot Synopsis

Each one-hour episode of MONSTER SHIPS focuses on a different large vessel, highlighting how it operates when crossing dangerous waters. These monsters face everything the oceans can throw at them but how does something so massive actually work? This series reveals the specialist engineering and technological features that enable these leviathans of the seas to get the job done. And it introduces the hard-working crews that in harsh and challenging environments accomplish what sometimes seems like the impossible.

The series opener features an in-depth look at the The Wallenius Wilhelmsen Thermopylae, a 656 feet long cargo ship. This monster of a vehicle carrier is one of the biggest ships ever built. It is the first of a new generation of deep-sea, long-haul vessels that can travel 39,145 miles without stopping to refuel. Other ships featured this season include the Crown Princess cruise ship that sails to the Caribbean from Florida; the Royal Clipper, which is the Guinness Book of World Record holder as the largest square-rigged ship on the planet; and the Pacific Orca, a wind turbine installation vessel.