A poet once wrote that in spring a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of love. It also seems that when spring comes round on the cinema calendar, everybody's fancy turns to thoughts of a Carry on. in the spring of 1959, Carry On Nurse had the nation as much in stitches as the films' side-splitting patients. A year later, Carry On Constable lampooned the Force and cased a gale force of mirth to sweep the country. Twelve months later, Carry On Regardless , about the Helping Hands Agency, had us all helpless with laughter.

And now, another year later, Carry On Cruising is launched to take us on the liveliest pleasure cruise of the year. The sixth in the series, this is the first in colour and this is certainly an asset to the film with its story of a Mediterranean voyage and its calls ashore at romantic places.

What a cruise it turns out to be - and what a crew! The captain of the vessel (Sid James) wants all to be smooth sailing, for he has hopes of being given command of the company's new, crack Transatlantic liner. But instead of his usual crew, he finds himself landed with replacements, an incompetent complement of nautical nitwits. Suffice it to say that they're played by Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor Jimmy Thompson, Lance Percival and Cyril Chamberlain.

The ship really begins to roll when they're let loose among the passengers, especially two ladies desperate for romance (Liz Frazer and Dilys Laye), a twittering little spinster (Esma Cannon) on her (old) maiden voyage, and a perpetual drunk (Ronnie Stevens). Their hectic adventures aboard are interspersed with hilarious antics ashore as the ship calls at such countries as Spain, Italy and North Africa. By the time they're back in English waters, it's all been something of a cook's tour.

To guarantee a cruise of maximum merriment, producer Peter Rogers and director Gerald Thomas have signed on a roster of rib-ticklers who have helped make other Carry Ons the most successful comedy series in film history. Kenneth Connor has appeared in all six. Cruising is Kenneth Williams' fourth. It is the third time for Sidney James, as it is for little Esma Cannon. For Liz Fraser and Jimmy Thompson, this film marks their second Carry On caper, while Lance Percival is making his first appearance in this famous series.

Associated British confidently expects that every man will do his duty - and take his wife, family, or girlfriend to the pictures to see Carry On Cruising.