Cruise of Deception
Encyclopedia
The Cruise of Deception was a major cliffhanger
and resolution storyline on the daytime drama Days of our Lives
. Billed as a "miniseries
" by NBC
advertisements, it aired from June 7 until July 16, 1990.
The story included several of the show's most popular characters trapped aboard a cruise ship with a vengeful Ernesto Toscano, played by veteran character actor Charles Cioffi. The miniseries acted as the climax of several stories that had been developing previously to it and the launching pad of several more, some of which played out through most of the 1990s.
A storyline of this magnitude had not been developed for the series before this time, and even today it is remembered as one of the most ballyhooed ratings events in the show's history. In 2005, SOAPnet
named the Cruise of Deception one of the 40 most memorable moments in Days history.
. His main purpose in putting together the cruise was to exact revenge on all of his supposed enemies at once. Invited on the cruise were Isabella Toscano
(Staci Greason
), John Black (believed to be Roman Brady
) (Drake Hogestyn
), Bo Brady
(Peter Reckell
), Hope Brady (Kristian Alfonso
), Jack Deveraux
(Matthew Ashford
), Jennifer Horton
(Melissa Brennan Reeves), Julie Williams
(Susan Seaforth Hayes
), and Ernesto's #1 enemy Victor Kiriakis
(John Aniston
). Ernesto used his love of magic tricks to deceive and terrorize his passengers.
Several key events that transpired during the cruise and subsequent trek to Ernesto's island included: the performance of Ernesto's play "Fatal Passion," in which Victor nearly murdered Roman/John; Jack and Jennifer revealing that Isabella was really Victor's daughter, not Ernesto's, after an affair with Ernesto's wife; Roman/John and Isabella realizing they are in love with each other; Ernesto planting a bomb on board the Loretta; everyone washing ashore on his island; Jack and Jennifer, the show's "supercouple
" at the time, making love for the first time; Ernesto slowly poisoning Isabella for accidentally murdering her half-sister Marina earlier in the series; Victor and Julie's first kiss; and Bo double-crossing Ernesto, which in turn led to the shocking climactic ending to the storyline: Hope and Ernesto's supposed deaths during one of Ernesto's "magic tricks" in an explosion while inside a cage suspended over a vat of acid.
Following their rescue from Ernesto's island, the shipwrecked characters return to the show's hometown of Salem, USA to cope with Hope's "death" and move on with their lives following the life-changing events of the story. Eventually, actress Kristian Alfonso returned to the show four years later, and it was learned that Hope was in fact switched at the last moment before the explosion with an imposter, Greta von Amberg
. Ernesto's fate was never revealed.
The show even changed its opening credits for the first time in its history to correspond to the storyline. At the half-way point of the famous hourglass opening, the shot faded to that of a dark, ominous-looking ocean, and the words "Cruise of Deception" scrolled into place as "Days of Our Lives" appeared in smaller lettering below it. An announcer intoned, "The story continues on 'Cruise of Deception.'"
NBC promoted the story heavily to lure kids home from school to watch the show during their summer vacation. Ratings rose due to the storyline, but then the ratings retreated, something that would not markedly change for at least the next three years.
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
and resolution storyline on the daytime drama Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
. Billed as a "miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
" by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
advertisements, it aired from June 7 until July 16, 1990.
The story included several of the show's most popular characters trapped aboard a cruise ship with a vengeful Ernesto Toscano, played by veteran character actor Charles Cioffi. The miniseries acted as the climax of several stories that had been developing previously to it and the launching pad of several more, some of which played out through most of the 1990s.
A storyline of this magnitude had not been developed for the series before this time, and even today it is remembered as one of the most ballyhooed ratings events in the show's history. In 2005, SOAPnet
SOAPnet
SOAPnet is an American cable television channel that broadcasts current and past soap operas and primetime dramas, along with some original programming. The channel launched on January 20, 2000, and is owned by Disney-ABC Television Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
named the Cruise of Deception one of the 40 most memorable moments in Days history.
Plot summary
The story took place aboard the Loretta, an ocean liner commandeered by vengeful Ernesto, and Ernesto's island located somewhere in the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. His main purpose in putting together the cruise was to exact revenge on all of his supposed enemies at once. Invited on the cruise were Isabella Toscano
Isabella Toscano
Isabella Beatrice Black was a fictional character on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives. Originally appearing in 1989, Isabella was portrayed by Staci Greason in both the character's three-year run as well as in subsequent episodes when Isabella appeared as a ghost.-Character history and...
(Staci Greason
Staci Greason
Staci Greason is an American actress. She starred on the soap opera Days of our Lives from 1989 to 1992 as the character Isabella Toscano Black.-External links:...
), John Black (believed to be Roman Brady
Roman Brady
Roman Augustus Brady is a fictional character on the television drama Days of our Lives. Roman was played by Wayne Northrop from 1981 to 1984 and 1991 to 1994, and has been played by Josh Taylor since 1997, with a brief hiatus in early 2004, when he was a victim of the show's now-infamous serial...
) (Drake Hogestyn
Drake Hogestyn
Drake Hogestyn is an American actor best known for his long running role as John Black on the American soap opera Days of our Lives.-Early life:...
), Bo Brady
Bo Brady
Beauregard Aurelius "Bo" Brady is a fictional character on the NBC Soap Opera, Days of our Lives, the youngest of the series' Brady family. Created under head-writer Margaret DePreist, the role was originated by actor Peter Reckell on May 2, 1983. Robert Kelker-Kelly briefly stepped into the role...
(Peter Reckell
Peter Reckell
Peter Paul Reckell is an American actor. He is best known for playing Bo Brady, a role he originated in 1983 on the NBC drama Days of our Lives....
), Hope Brady (Kristian Alfonso
Kristian Alfonso
Kristian-Joy Alfonso is a long-time American dramatic actress, former figure skater and fashion model. She is best known for playing Hope Williams Brady, which she has played since 1983 on the long-running NBC dramatic serial Days of our Lives.- Early career :She began her career as a figure...
), Jack Deveraux
Jack Deveraux
Jack Harcourt Deveraux, Sr. is a fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives. He is the most prominent member of the Johnson family and is most famously played by Matthew Ashford. After a four-year absence, the character has recently returned to "Salem" to reconnect with his estranged...
(Matthew Ashford
Matthew Ashford
Matthew Nile Ashford is an American actor best known for the long running role of Jack Deveraux on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives.-Personal life:...
), Jennifer Horton
Jennifer Horton
Jennifer Rose Horton is a fictional character on the NBC daytime drama, Days of our Lives, a long running dramatic serial about working class life in the fictional town of Salem. Jennifer was created by scriptwriter Pat Falken Smith, and executive producer Betty Corday...
(Melissa Brennan Reeves), Julie Williams
Julie Olson Williams
Julie Williams is a fictional character on the NBC daytime drama, Days of our Lives, a long running serial about working class life in the ficitonal town of Salem. The character of Julie was introduced as a 16-year-old when the show premiered in 1965, with 22-year-old Charla Doherty being the...
(Susan Seaforth Hayes
Susan Seaforth Hayes
Susan Seaforth Hayes is an American dramatic actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Julie Williams on the long-running NBC drama Days of our Lives, and her intermittent portrayal of JoAnna Manning on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless...
), and Ernesto's #1 enemy Victor Kiriakis
Victor Kiriakis
Victor Kiriakis I is a fictional character on NBC's Days of our Lives. The role has been portrayed by John Aniston since 1985. His time on the show has been 1985 to 1997, 1998 to present with a brief storyline driven absence in 2004 when his character was "killed off" but found alive on the island...
(John Aniston
John Aniston
John Anthony Aniston is a Greek-American actor and the father of actress Jennifer Aniston. He is best known for his role as Victor Kiriakis on the NBC daytime drama Days of our Lives, which he originated in July 1985 and has played continually since then.-Early life:Aniston was born Yannis...
). Ernesto used his love of magic tricks to deceive and terrorize his passengers.
Several key events that transpired during the cruise and subsequent trek to Ernesto's island included: the performance of Ernesto's play "Fatal Passion," in which Victor nearly murdered Roman/John; Jack and Jennifer revealing that Isabella was really Victor's daughter, not Ernesto's, after an affair with Ernesto's wife; Roman/John and Isabella realizing they are in love with each other; Ernesto planting a bomb on board the Loretta; everyone washing ashore on his island; Jack and Jennifer, the show's "supercouple
Supercouple
A supercouple or super couple is a popular or financially wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or even obsessive fashion...
" at the time, making love for the first time; Ernesto slowly poisoning Isabella for accidentally murdering her half-sister Marina earlier in the series; Victor and Julie's first kiss; and Bo double-crossing Ernesto, which in turn led to the shocking climactic ending to the storyline: Hope and Ernesto's supposed deaths during one of Ernesto's "magic tricks" in an explosion while inside a cage suspended over a vat of acid.
Following their rescue from Ernesto's island, the shipwrecked characters return to the show's hometown of Salem, USA to cope with Hope's "death" and move on with their lives following the life-changing events of the story. Eventually, actress Kristian Alfonso returned to the show four years later, and it was learned that Hope was in fact switched at the last moment before the explosion with an imposter, Greta von Amberg
Greta Von Amberg
Greta von Amberg is a fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives. She was portrayed by Julianne Morris from 1998-2002.- Childhood :...
. Ernesto's fate was never revealed.
Story Chapters
Based on the NBC promos that were broadcast during the storyline, the Cruise of Deception was divided into the following chapters:- Days 1-3: The Lady Vanishes
- Days 4-5: A Dance of Death
- Days 6-8: A Shot Is Fired
- Days 9-10: A Warning Is Issued
- Days 11-12: The Secret's Out
- Day 13: Overboard
- Days 14-18: A Magic Moment
- Days 19-21: A Daring Rescue
- Days 22-30: A Deal With The Devil
Effect on the series
The show itself prospered from the Cruise of Deception. In late 1989, its ratings were in a freefall and its popularity was on the wane. Former executive producer Al Rabin, who had helmed Days of our Lives during the popular mid-1980s period, was lured out of retirement to restructure the show. He, along with then-head writers Anne M. Schoettle and Richard J. Allen, concocted the Cruise of Deception.The show even changed its opening credits for the first time in its history to correspond to the storyline. At the half-way point of the famous hourglass opening, the shot faded to that of a dark, ominous-looking ocean, and the words "Cruise of Deception" scrolled into place as "Days of Our Lives" appeared in smaller lettering below it. An announcer intoned, "The story continues on 'Cruise of Deception.'"
NBC promoted the story heavily to lure kids home from school to watch the show during their summer vacation. Ratings rose due to the storyline, but then the ratings retreated, something that would not markedly change for at least the next three years.