There are few experiences more liberating than pleasure-seeking on a cruise ship. As the anchors are raised, so the inhibitions are dropped. As a veteran travel writer with more than 200 voyages under his belt, DC Wishart can fairly claim to have seen it all. This saucily comic romp across the dance floors, through the bars and between the cabin sheets is a vividly authentic account of the cruising and schmoozing lifestyle. But there is more to Girl on the Gangway than that. Wishart's tale has a sombre undercurrent. Cathy Robertson's Vietnam War pilot husband is still, after ten years, officially "Missing in Action." Is he alive? As she embarks on a cruise ship that will free her from the goldfish bowl that is home, she wonders if she will ever find the man she has never stopped loving. Or will she finally feel free to succumb to her handsome new suitor on the high seas? Written with the savvy insights of one of the world's top cruise writers, this is a wonderful read to take to any deck chair.