Mighty Ships

Mighty Ships
Mighty Ships logo
GenreDocumentary
Created byExploration Production Inc.
Discovery Channel
Narrated byBarbara Budd
Anthony Green
Music byGreg Johnston[1]
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons10
No. of episodes62[2] (list of episodes)
Production
Running time45 minutes
Original release
NetworkDiscovery Channel Canada
Release27 July 2008 (2008-07-27) –
5 June 2016 (2016-06-05)

Mighty Ships is a documentary television program produced by Exploration Production Inc. in Canada and aired on Discovery Channel Canada and also broadcast around the world.[3] Each episode of the series follows a particular sea-going vessel and provides an insight into the ship and its crew.

The first episode of the tenth season,[4] featuring the Faroes' largest ferry ship, MS Norröna, was first broadcast in Canada on 3 December 2017.[5] The second episode, first aired on 10 December 2017, featured MSC Oscar, the largest container ship in the world.[6]

Mighty Cruise Ships is a spin-off series focusing on cruise ships which began to air in late 2014.

Series overview

A typical episode follows the crew of a particular vessel as it prepares to embark upon a voyage and concludes at the end of the journey or once a particular job has been completed. The operational capabilities and technical aspects of the ship feature heavily in the series, whilst members of the ship's crew provide an insight into life at sea and provide a human perspective. The series also makes use of computer-generated animation to show scenes which would otherwise be unobtainable, such as underwater operations.[7]

The series was started after the success of a one-off special on the Discovery Channel entitled Inside Queen Mary 2.[3] The series has featured an extensive range of different types of marine vessels, with cruise ships, an aircraft carrier, fishing boats, dredgers and various types of cargo ships, naval and specialist ships being shown.

In a first for the series, season 7 includes a double-length episode about the maiden voyage of cruise ship Norwegian Breakaway and its construction and sea trials. Season 7 also includes a compilation episode showing vessels from the first six seasons.

The show's mixture of technical insight and human stories has proved popular with audiences.[8]

Mighty Planes is a spin-off series in the same format but featuring aircraft rather than ships.[8] Other later series in the franchise have included Mighty Trains and The Mightiest.

Episodes

One-off special

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel type Vessel operator Narrated by Original air date
11"Inside Queen Mary 2"Ocean LinerCunard LineBarbara Budd2008 (2008)
The world's largest ocean liner prepares to set sail on a five-night voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from New York City to Southampton, United Kingdom. Whilst providing entertainment and 16,000 meals a day to passengers, the crew must deal with bad weather and an infectious virus requiring passengers to be quarantined.

Season 1

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel type Vessel operator Narrated by Original air date
21"Emma Maersk"Container ShipMaersk LineBarbara Budd22 July 2008 (2008-07-22)[9]
Container ship Emma Maersk battles the threat of piracy and monsoons as she transports her cargo from Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia, through the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Suez Canal and Mediterranean Sea to Algeciras, Spain.
32"Becrux"Livestock carrierSiba ShipsBarbara Budd29 July 2008 (2008-07-29)[9]
Livestock carrier MV Becrux carries 16,000 cattle from Darwin, Australia to Jakarta, Indonesia. The crew ensure they are not at risk from piracy whilst also maintaining the welfare and condition of their animals.
43"Faust"Car CarrierWallenius Wilhelmsen LogisticsBarbara Budd5 August 2008 (2008-08-05)[9]
One of the largest car carriers in the world makes a winter Atlantic crossing between Southampton, UK and Newark, New Jersey, United States.
54"Henry Larsen"IcebreakerCanadian Coast GuardBarbara Budd12 August 2008 (2008-08-12)
Off the coast of Newfoundland, Canadian Coastguard icebreaker CCGS Henry Larsen patrols the frozen seas, assists the ferry Beaumont Hamel to navigate through the ice fields on its journey from Fogo Island and rescues cargo vessels which become trapped by ice.
65"Paul R. Tregurtha"Lake FreighterInterlake Steamship Co.Barbara Budd19 August 2008 (2008-08-19)
The bulk carrier Paul R. Tregurtha, largest freighter on the Great Lakes, has a difficult first journey of the season from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin to Superior, Wisconsin, through ice-choked waters, to pick up coal destined for Detroit, Michigan.
76"Tyco Resolute"Cable LayerTyco TelecommunicationsBarbara Budd26 August 2008 (2008-08-26)
Off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Tyco Resolute lays fibre optic cable to connect the country into PAC-1, a major subsea telecommunications cable running between Panama and California.

Season 2

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel Type Vessel Operator Narrated by Original air date
81"MV Resolution"Turbine Installation VesselMPI Offshore LtdBarbara Budd28 August 2009 (2009-08-28)
The first ever purpose built vessel for constructing wind turbines, MV Resolution, docks at Belfast, Northern Ireland to collect turbine components before setting sail for the Robin Rigg Wind Farm in the Solway Firth to assist with its construction.
92"Peace in Africa"DredgerDe BeersBarbara Budd2009 (2009)
In the Southern Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of South Africa, the world's largest offshore mining vessel, MV Peace in Africa, searches for diamonds using its sub-sea crawler.
103"Akamalik"Factory TrawlerRoyal GreenlandBarbara Budd2009 (2009)
Factory trawler of Royal Greenland fleet, Akamalik, sets sails from Sisimiut to the shrimping grounds of the North Atlantic Ocean as the lives of the crew are put at risk in the freezing winter weather.
114"USS Nimitz"SupercarrierUS NavyBarbara Budd10 August 2009 (2009-08-10)
Nuclear powered supercarrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and her 75 aircraft and 5000 crew, train from three months off the coast of Southern California, as she prepares for deployment to the Arabian Sea as part of the war in Afghanistan.
125"HDMS Absalon"Flexible Support ShipRoyal Danish NavyBarbara Budd2009 (2009)
Danish warship HDMS Absalon [L16] leads Combined Task Force 150 in its fight against Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
136"MV Fairplayer"Heavy-Lift ShipJumbo ShippingBarbara Budd2009 (2009)
On her maiden voyage, the MV Fairplayer transports 4000 tonnes of oil refinery components from Ortona, Italy to a refinery in Port Arthur, Texas.

Season 3

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel Type Vessel Operator Narrated by Original air date
141"G.O. Sars"Research VesselNorwegian Institute of Marine ResearchBarbara Budd2010 (2010)
G.O. Sars sets sail from Tromsø, Norway on a research voyage to the Arctic Ocean to examine a subsea volcano and hydrothermal vent field,with the aim of discovering new lifeforms.
152"Africa Mercy"Hospital ShipMercy ShipsAnthony Green2010 (2010)
Floating hospital Africa Mercy sails from Tenerife bound for Lomé, Togo on the west coast of Africa. On arrival the medical staff provide treatments to Togolese patients both on-board the ship and within clinics set-up onshore, whilst mechanics ensure the ship remains serviceable.[10]
163"Cristóbal Colón"DredgerJan De Nul GroupBarbara Budd2010 (2010)
The world's first super dredger provides 2.5 million cubic metres of sand for the construction of a new port at Cuxhaven on the mouth of the Elbe River in Germany.
174"USS Kentucky"Ballistic Missile SubmarineUS NavyBarbara Budd2010 (2010)
USS Kentucky (SSBN-737) departs Bangor, Washington state on a highly classified 70-day mission in the Pacific Ocean. One of the largest submarines ever built, she forms part of the United States' strategic nuclear deterrent.
185"Oasis of the Seas[11]"Cruise ShipRoyal Caribbean InternationalAnthony Green2010 (2010)
The largest cruise ship ever built prepares to set sail on her maiden voyage from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her 5400 passengers are taken on a seven-day Caribbean cruise which includes stops in the US Virgin Islands, St. Maarten and the Bahamas.
196"MV Solitaire"Pipe-Laying ShipAllseas GroupBarbara Budd2010 (2010)
In the Ormen Lange Gas Field, located 120 miles off the west coast of Norway, MV Solitaire lays pipeline to connect a new gas well into the existing subsea pipe network.

Season 4

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel Type Vessel Operator Narrated by Original air date
201"MV Beluga Bremen"Cargo ShipBeluga ShippingBarbara Budd2011 (2011)
On her maiden voyage, super heavy lifter Beluga Bremen transports Beluga Shipping's largest ever load – mining equipment bound for a gold mine in the Dominican Republic. After careful loading in Kuantan, Malaysia and picking up a further load in Shanghai, she sets sail across the Pacific Ocean.
212"USNS Robert E. Peary"Cargo ShipUS NavyBarbara Budd2011 (2011)
223"DSV Skandi Arctic"Diving Support VesselDOF SubseaBarbara Budd2011 (2011)
234"MV Stena Britannica"ROPAX FerryStena LineBarbara Budd2011 (2011)
245"USCGC Bertholf"National Security CutterUS Coast GuardBarbara Budd2011 (2011)
256"CCGS Amundsen"Icebreaker and Arctic Research VesselCanadian Coast GuardBarbara Budd2011 (2011)

Season 5

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel Type Vessel Operator Narrated by Original air date
261"Norwegian Epic"Cruise ShipNorwegian Cruise LineBarbara Budd20 July 2011 (2011-07-20)[12]
272"North Star"Roll-on/Roll-off Cargo ShipTOTE Maritime AlaskaBarbara Budd2011 (2011)
283"Le Boréal"Cruise ShipCompagnie du PonantBarbara Budd2011 (2011)
294"FPSO Maersk Peregrino"Floating Production Storage and Offloading VesselMaersk FPSOAnthony Green2011 (2011)
305"Umiak I"Icebreaking Bulk CarrierFednav GroupBarbara Budd2011 (2011)
316"USS Gravely"Guided Missile DestroyerUS NavyBarbara Budd2011 (2011)

Season 6

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel type Vessel operator Narrated by Original air date
321"MV Stornes"Fallpipe vesselVan OordBarbara Budd2012 (2012)
332"USNS Grasp"Salvage shipUS NavyBarbara Budd2012 (2012)
343"Crystal Serenity"Cruise shipCrystal CruisesBarbara Budd2012 (2012)
354"USS New York"Amphibious Transport DockUS NavyBarbara Budd2012 (2012)
365"Northern Eagle"Fishing TrawlerAmerican SeafoodsBarbara Budd2012 (2012)
376"Neptune"Jackup VesselGeoSea NVBarbara Budd2012 (2012)

Season 7

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel type Vessel operator Narrated by Original air date
381"Norwegian Breakaway: The Build"Cruise ShipNorwegian Cruise LineBarbara Budd10 November 2013 (2013-11-10)[13]
392"Norwegian Breakaway: The Voyage"Cruise ShipNorwegian Cruise LineBarbara Budd10 November 2013 (2013-11-10)[13]
403"Wind Surf"Motor Sailing Yacht and Cruise ShipWindstar CruisesAnthony Green15 November 2013 (2013-11-15)[13]
During an eight-day Mediterranean cruise Wind Surf's three hundred passengers depart from Venice and call at the Croatian ports of Rovinj, Split and Dubrovnik, Kotor in Montenegro and Messina in Sicily, before arriving at her final destination of Rome.
414"MV Avataq"Cargo ShipNEASBarbara Budd22 November 2013 (2013-11-22)[13]
Avataq is on a 3500km journey to provide essential supplies to the community of Kuujjuaq in Canada's near-Arctic.
425"Ibn Battuta"Cutter Suction DredgerJan De Nul GroupBarbara Budd29 November 2013 (2013-11-29)[13]
436"Stemat Spirit"Cable Laying VesselStemat Marine ServicesBarbara Budd6 December 2013 (2013-12-06)[13]
447"Best of Mighty Ships"VariousVariousBarbara Budd13 December 2013 (2013-12-13)[13]

Season 8[14]

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel type Vessel operator Narrated by Original air date
451"Quantum of the Seas"Cruise ShipRoyal Caribbean InternationalBarbara Budd19 July 2015 (2015-07-19)[14]
462"Hawk"Semi-submersible heavy-lift shipOffshore Heavy TransportBarbara Budd19 July 2015 (2015-07-19)[14]
473"Happy Star"Heavy-Lift ShipBig Lift ShippingBarbara Budd26 July 2015 (2015-07-26)[14]
484"Algoma Equinox"Lake FreighterAlgoma Central MarineBarbara Budd2 August 2015 (2015-08-02)[14]
495"HDMS Peter Willemoes"FrigateRoyal Danish NavyBarbara Budd9 August 2015 (2015-08-09)[14]
506"Maersk Interceptor"Jackup RigMaersk DrillingTBA16 August 2015 (2015-08-16)[14]

Season 9

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel type Vessel operator Narrated by Original air date
511"North Sea Giant"Subsea Construction VesselNorth Sea ShippingBarbara Budd
One of the world’s largest subsea construction vessels sets out to build a massive natural gas compression station – 300 metres underwater.
522"Tonsberg"Roll-on/roll-off Transport VesselWilh. WilhelmsenBarbara Budd8 May 2016 (2016-05-08)
The world’s largest roll-on/roll-off vessel races against the clock to load and transport luxury cars, SUVs and construction equipment across the Atlantic Ocean.
533"USNS Comfort"Hospital ShipUnited States NavyBarbara Budd15 May 2016 (2016-05-15)
US Navy hospital ship travels from Colombia and through the Panama Canal on a mission of mercy to the tiny Caribbean island of Dominica.
544"Northern Leader "Longline Fishing VesselAlaskan LeaderBarbara Budd22 May 2016 (2016-05-22)
Alaska’s biggest longline fishing ship battles high waves and hurricane-force winds to bring home a massive catch of cod.
555"Maersk Viking"Drill ShipMaerskBarbara Budd29 May 2016 (2016-05-29)
One of the world’s most advanced drill ships builds an oil well more than 2000 metres below the waterline in the Gulf of Mexico.
566"Fram"Expedition Cruise ShipHurtigruten GroupBarbara Budd5 June 2016 (2016-06-05)
The world’s most adventurous cruise ship fights through the ice-choked fjords of Greenland to visit a spectacular collection of wildlife and icebergs.

Season 10

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel type Vessel operator Narrated by Original air date
571"MV Karadeniz Powership Yasin Bey"PowershipKarpowershipBarbara Budd7 January 2018 (2018-01-07)
582"MSC Oscar"Container shipMediterranean Shipping CompanyBarbara Budd10 December 2017 (2017-12-10)
593"MS Norröna"FerrySmyril LineBarbara Budd3 December 2017 (2017-12-03)
604"MSC Meraviglia"Cruise ShipMSC CruisesTBA17 December 2017 (2017-12-17)
615"Sapura 3500"Pipe-Laying ShipSapura EnergyTBA14 August 2018 (2018-08-14)
626"Edda Freya"Subsea Construction VesselDeepOceanTBA14 August 2018 (2018-08-14)

Mighty Cruise Ships

Mighty Cruise Ships[15] is a spin-off series in a similar style, with each episode about the operations and voyages of a different cruise ship. It was first broadcast in Canada during late 2014, and its final episode before being cancelled was on 12th January 2021.

Season 1

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel type Vessel operator Narrated by Original air date
11"Paul Gauguin"Cruise ShipPaul Gauguin CruisesShauna MacDonald9 November 2014 (2014-11-09)
22"Le Soléal"Cruise ShipCompagnie du PonantShauna MacDonald16 November 2014 (2014-11-16)
33"Azamara Journey"Cruise ShipAzamara Club CruisesShauna MacDonald23 November 2014 (2014-11-23)
44"Celebrity Solstice"Cruise ShipCelebrity CruisesShauna MacDonald30 November 2014 (2014-11-30)
55"Stella Australis"Cruise ShipAustralisShauna Macdonald7 December 2014 (2014-12-07)
66"Marco Polo"Cruise ShipCruise & Maritime VoyagesShauna MacDonald14 December 2014 (2014-12-14)

Season 2

A second season of Mighty Cruise Ships aired on the Discovery Channel and repeated on the quest channel in the UK. Ships featured on this series included Carnival Vista, Royal Clipper, MV Viking Sea, MS Europa 2, MS Ocean Endeavour, MSC Divina.

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel type Vessel operator Narrated by Original air date
7 1 "Carnival Vista" Cruise ship Carnival Cruise Line Shauna MacDonald 12 February 2017
8 2 "Royal Clipper" Cruise ship Star Clippers Shauna MacDonald 19 February 2017
9 3 "MV Viking Sea" Cruise ship Viking Ocean Cruises Shauna MacDonald 26 February 2017
10 4 "MS Europa 2" Cruise ship Hapag-Lloyd Shauna MacDonald 5 March 2017
11 5 "MS Ocean Endeavour" Cruise ship Kristina Cruises Shauna MacDonald 12 March 2017
12 6 "MSC Divina" Cruise ship MSC Cruises Shauna MacDonald 19 March 2017

Season 3

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel type Vessel operator Narrated by Original air date
13 1 MS Koningsdam Cruise ship Holland America Line Shauna Macdonald 31 March 2019
14 2 Viking Long Ships Cruise ship Viking River Cruises Shauna Macdonald 7 April 2019
15 3 Regal Princess Cruise ship Princess Cruises Shauna Macdonald 14 April 2019
16 4 MV Viking Star Cruise ship Viking Ocean Cruises Shauna Macdonald 21 April 2019
17 5 Symphony of the Seas Cruise ship Royal Caribbean International Shauna Macdonald 28 April 2019
18 6 MS Marina Cruise ship Oceania Cruises Shauna Macdonald 5 May 2019

Season 4

No.
in series 		No.
in season 		Title Vessel type Vessel operator Narrated by Original air date
19 1 Seven Seas Explorer Cruise ship Regent Seven Seas Cruises Shauna Macdonald 25 November 2020
20 2 AIDAnova Cruise ship AIDA Cruises Shauna Macdonald 1 December 2020
21 3 Diamond Princess Cruise ship Princess Cruises Shauna Macdonald 8 December 2020
22 4 MS Nieuw Statendam Cruise ship Holland America Line Shauna Macdonald 15 December 2020
23 5 Costa Diadema Cruise ship Costa Cruises Shauna Macdonald 22 December 2020
24 6 Norwegian Joy Cruise ship Norwegian Cruise Line Shauna Macdonald 29 December 2020
25 7 MS Roald Amundsen Cruise ship Hurtigruten Shauna Macdonald 5 January 2021
26 8 Sky Princess Cruise ship Princess Cruises Shauna Macdonald 12 January 2021

Broadcasters

Country Network(s) Notes
Canada Canada Discovery Channel Canada
Asia Pacific Discovery HD World All season including spin off
Australia Seven Network
7mate
United Kingdom Quest
United States HD Theater
Smithsonian Channel
The Netherlands Discovery Channel The Netherlands
Belgium Discovery Channel Belgium
Spain La Sexta HD

References

  1. ^ "2011-15: Mighty Ships – TV Series documentary (3 episodes)". Greg Johnston. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Mighty Ships: Episode List". Discovery Channel Canada. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  3. ^ a b "DiscoveryHD: Mighty Ships". Discovery Channel Canada. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  4. ^ "Discovery | Watch TV Online | Catch up on Full Episodes".
  5. ^ "Discovery | Watch TV Online | Catch up on Full Episodes".
  6. ^ "Maritime news – VesselFinder".
  7. ^ "Mighty Ships – Episode Animations". ZeroFractal. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2013 – via Vimeo.
  8. ^ a b Claire Afan, Emily. "Mighty Ships, Planes take off worldwide". playback.ca. Brunico Communications Ltd. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  9. ^ a b c "Mighty Ships". DiscoveryHD.ca. CTV Global Media. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  10. ^ "Discovery Channel Highlights Africa Mercy in Mighty Ships Program". mercy.ships.ca. Mercy Ships. Archived from the original on 21 November 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  11. ^ "Oasis of the Seas to be Featured Discovery Canada". Cruise Talk Central. Empire Cruise and Travel LLC. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  12. ^ "Stinson: All hands on tech for Mighty Ships". National Post. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g "Seventh Heaven! Discovery's Worldwide Hit MIGHTY SHIPS Drops Anchor for Season 7, Nov. 10". Bell Media Press Room. Bell Media. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g "Anchors Aweigh! Discovery's Canadian-Produced Mega Hit MIGHTY SHIPS Sets Sail for Season 8, July 19". bellmedia.ca. Bell Media. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  15. ^ "The Ultimate VIP Experience: MIGHTY CRUISE SHIPS Sets Sail on the Vacation of a Lifetime, November 9". bellmediapr.ca. Bell Media. Retrieved 26 October 2014.