Author Alexander Flint has taken over a dozen luxury cruises, and based on those experiences, particularly a 109-day around-the-world cruise, he has written a harrowing report called Dark Ship. During that long cruise, Flint's ship spent several days in Chinese ports. Months later, COVID-19 was a pandemic. Was the sickness that ran rampant through Flint's ship, and that he fell ill to three times, this coronavirus? Throughout Dark Ship, Flint explores cruise lines' often substandard level of care; for example, the book's first chapter, "The Floating Petri Dish," details dangerous cleaning practices Flint witnessed directly. With Dark Ship, Flint hopes to educate and warn future cruise passengers and encourage cruise management to improve their business practices.