How Grand Voyages Got Below Deck: An Interview With Producer Stacey Parks

Grand Voyages, a three-episode cruise documentary series from Media Sparks Entertainment, arrived on Prime Video in the United States and United Kingdom on August 1, 2026. Season 1 opens aboard Uniworld’s S.S. La Venezia in the Venetian Lagoon, crosses to Holland America Line’s Rotterdam in the Norwegian fjords, and closes on the Riverside Ravel along France’s Rhône and Saône rivers. What sets it apart from most cruise television is where the cameras go: below deck, into working galleys during dinner service, and into the daily routines of the crew.

Over more than 50 sailings, I’ve watched a lot of cruise content, and most of it falls into one of two camps: postcard scenery or manufactured “below deck” drama. So I wanted to know how co-creator and producer Stacey Parks landed somewhere in between. Parks spent more than 20 years in film and streaming production, including producing The Upgrade for Bravo’s digital platform, and she’s a committed cruiser herself, with more than 35 ocean, river, and expedition sailings across 60-plus countries. Her camera team is just two people, shooting almost entirely handheld around officer schedules and passenger flow. On the 2,800-guest Rotterdam, that meant two people documenting an operation built to feed and house a small town.

Season 2 is already in production, adding the series’ first yacht and expedition episodes aboard Windstar‘s Star Legend and HX’s hybrid-powered MS Roald Amundsen in Alaska. I spoke with Parks by email about how she earned access from cruise lines, how her team keeps the edit from reading like a brochure, and why she thinks hosted travel shows have run their course. Her answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

CruiseNews: You’ve visited over 60 countries and sailed on more than 35 ocean, river, and expedition cruises. What was the spark, or specific voyage, that turned you into a dedicated cruiser?

Stacey Parks: The first time I cruised the Med followed by the Holy Land I was struck by the idea that I could indulge my passion of seeing the world and do it by sea, was really a lightbulb moment for me. That right there turned me into a cruise lifer!

CN: With over 20 years in film and streaming production, including previously producing The Upgrade for Bravo’s digital platform, when did you realize that the cruise world was ripe for a true, behind-the-scenes documentary series?

SP: I’m an avid consumer of cruise content on YouTube and have been devouring cruise vlogs (including yours!) for years, and watched as they’ve gained in popularity and exposure. Over time, my own ideas on the genre started to percolate and I convinced my partner that we should bring our own signature voice and style of filmmaking to cruise content. Soon after my ideas started to develop and by a confluence of events we found ourselves with a break between projects and we decided to go for it.

CN: When you’re stepping on board purely as a guest, no cameras, no production crew, what is your personal go-to cruise style or favorite spot on a ship?

SP: My personal go-to cruise style involves enjoying unstructured time at sea, relaxing on my balcony and walking the open decks (who doesn’t love a great full wrap around deck!)…. hitting the gym in the late afternoon, a great pre-dinner cocktail ritual, and early morning coffee watching the ocean while the ship is at it’s most quiet and peaceful state.

CN: Most travel shows either focus on scenic destinations or lean into exaggerated ‘below deck’ drama. How did you and co-creator Jennifer Scully pitch Grand Voyages as something different?

SP: The truth is since we hadn’t made anything in cruise yet, we didn’t know how it would go shooting on live sailings nor what the final results would be in the edit – so for the first series, we just went with our instincts, learned and adapted after each one, and spent a lot of time in Post crafting story and ultimately making the show that we would want to watch ourselves. Grand Voyages represents the show that I always wanted to watch but could never find… so I made it myself 🙂

CN: What did the actual conversation with cruise line executives look like when you asked for below deck and bridge access? Was it an easy sell once they heard the concept, or did you have to work to earn that trust?

SP: Some conversations were easier than others but I definitely leaned on my experience and credentials as a Film and TV Producer to earn trust and convince them to take a leap with us.

CN: Venice is one of the most debated cruise destinations in the world . What made starting Season 1 in the Venetian Lagoon the right story to tell, and how did filming a lagoon-bound ship differ from traditional river sailing?

SP: Honestly it was just how the timing worked out but once the Venice itinerary came on my radar, I couldn’t unsee it! It is so unique and ironically my first ever river cruise wasn’t even on a river lol – so I didn’t know any different until I took my second river cruise on the Riverside Ravel on the Rhone. But looking back, there was so much story to tell with how Uniworld custom built the SS La Venezia for the destination and the absolutely unique access and experiences they offered, it was a gift to be able to shoot that for our pilot episode.

CN: Handling an intimate riverboat is one thing, but running a production crew on a 2,800-guest ocean liner is another. What was the most eye-opening operational challenge your team encountered filming in high-traffic spaces like the bridge, engine room, or galleys?

SP: The most eye opening part of shooting on the Rotterdam was witnessing how they deliver such a premium experience at scale. The scope and scale of what goes on below deck to deliver the premium experience they are known for blew me away. Also how lovely and professional each and every crew member was… it was like, they had all been camera trained and were perfectly hospitable and polished from senior officers down to the line cooks, waiters, and even our stateroom attendant Jin (who makes an on-camera appearance!)

CN: This episode showcases Riverside’s ultra-luxury touches, like white-glove butler service and local culinary sourcing. How do you approach capturing that level of subtle, high-touch luxury on camera without making the segment feel like a brand promo?

SP: We actually spent a lot of time in the edit reworking things to intentionally avoid looking like a corporate promo. The truth is, the quiet luxury Riverside exudes speaks for itself – so we mined the footage to find the moments and craft sequences that we thought could do it justice, without feeling forced or like a brochure. Also that ship is so gorgeous and luxurious and all the little extra touches (like room service dinner in our suite, hand crafted cappuccinos delivered to us in room every morning by our butler, and next level food and wine selections) – focusing on all that hopefully let their brand of ultra-luxury shine through.

CN: Ship corridors, galley walkways, and bridge access points aren’t built for bulky film rigs. What specific camera bodies, lenses, and stabilization gear did your crew rely on to stay nimble in those spaces?

SP: We’re a stealth camera team of two and due to the tight spaces, having to move quickly (think grab and go!), all while remaining low key and not disturbing passenger flow – we stick with a small rig of two Sony DSLR’s and simple lens kit, DJI lapel mics, a tripod for talking head videos, and couple smaller tripods/sticks for iPhone shooting. But almost everything is hand held because there simply isn’t time to set up shots, get to locations early enough to prep, light, etc. – we’re working around officer and crew availabilities and sometimes on last minute notice so have to be ready to grab cameras and go at any time while making the best of natural light and quick composing of shots.

CN: Beyond the gear itself, what were the biggest spatial or logistical hurdles working around an active ship’s crew who still had a vessel to run?

SP: See above but the biggest logistical challenges are usually down to time bc we’re working around officer and crew schedules and then responding to new opportunities as they pop up around the ship and creating story on the fly. Definitely doing a lot of thinking on our feet, adjusting on the fly to evolving schedules, crew availability, and passenger flow.

CN: In unscripted documentary work, things don’t always go according to plan: weather shifts, itineraries change, or live operations intervene. Was there a moment during Season 1 where a sudden change actually led to a better scene?

SP: On the HAL Rotterdam we hadn’t planned on all the access we ultimately were able to shoot and being able to capture live operations below deck dinner service as it’s being prepared for example, absolutely made for better scenes throughout that episode.

CN: You’re already in production for Season 2, set to debut in Q1 2027, featuring yachting on the Windstar Star Legend and expedition cruising on HX’s hybrid-powered MS Roald Amundsen in Alaska. What new storytelling dimensions do small-ship yachting and polar expedition travel open up?

SP: So much! Sailing on Windstar it’s such an intimate experience so we spent a lot more time with the crew on that one, getting to know them, even dining together which is something unique Windstar does – the officers will dine with passengers in the main dining room. It’s really lovely. Also Windstar sailings emphasize destination immersion so we spent a lot more time shooting in port and even did a few days of pre-shooting in Porto and Lisbon before even getting on board. That was new for us and now we will do that before every shoot if we’re able. With HX, that was our first expedition cruise (even as passengers) and even though it was my fourth time in Alaska, sailing there on an expedition cruise is a totally different experience. Not only different ports but daily zodiac excursions and wildlife viewing up close – we did bring a bigger lens on that sailing to capture the wildlife and also ended up using iPhone and a DJI action cam out on the zodiacs and kayaks for ease of filming in the elements.

CN: As streaming platforms and Connected TV (CTV) continue to dominate home entertainment, how do you see travel television evolving to keep modern viewers engaged?”

SP: I’m a big proponent of less polished, more ‘real’ travel shows and less ‘hosted’ and formulaic formats which seem boring and unoriginal to me anymore. I believe long form documentary storytelling is fantastic way to connect with modern viewers on their TV’s, create stronger relationships with audiences, and build trust in the brands we’re collaborating with. Our retention rate is very high for these episodes and it proves my suspicion that audiences are craving real and intimate storytelling in the cruise space.

Season 1 of Grand Voyages is streaming now on Prime Video in the U.S. and U.K. Season 2, featuring Windstar’s Star Legend and HX’s MS Roald Amundsen, is slated for the first quarter of 2027.

What stuck with me most from Stacey’s answers is how much of the Rotterdam episode came from access nobody planned for. The galley in the middle of service is the part of a ship most passengers never see, and after more than 50 sailings, it’s still the part I find most interesting. The real test comes in Season 2, where a small yacht and a polar expedition ship leave far fewer places for a two-person crew to fade into the background. I look forward to binge watching season 2!