“We’ve been here for an hour. I hope everyone knows that if someone tries to cut me I’ll punch them,” Marc Sebastian, a New Yorker, tells onlookers.
A shout erupts from the crowd. “Please do not yell at me,” warns Cathy, a retired school teacher.
“Oh we’re not going to have anyone yelling. It’s not our fault you didn’t get here early enough,” interjects Sebastian, in a bid to back up the retiree.
It’s not a dramatic row in a soap opera, it’s real life on board the Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas cruise ship, after passengers heard over the loudspeaker that their day trip to see penguins on the Falkland Islands has been cancelled due to poor weather conditions.
The ship is currently just weeks into a nine-month-long trip dubbed the “ultimate world cruise”, that will start and end in Miami while visiting 150 destinations across seven continents.
At the same time, millions of social media users are going along — virtually — for the ride, after it became an unexpected hit on TikTok.
Beginning their voyage on December 10, a number of guests — now called “cast members” — have taken to the social media app to share videos of the cruise which have quickly become a viral hit, with influencers now clamouring to spend time on board.
No sooner had clips of the cruise reached millions of views than rumours started to emerge of swinging, fears of wine shortages and a possible Covid-19 case on board.
Some guests have fully embraced the online obsession with the cruise, including Mike and Nancy from Michigan who introduced themselves on TikTok as “new characters”. In a recent video posted to their new-found audience, the husband and wife “spill the tea” on the new revelation that some types of red wine are running low on board.
“They’ve told us that we’ve gone through more wine than they’ve ever anticipated and that includes three pallets of the Oberon red,” Mike said in a video. “They’re hoping to get restocked, trying in all different ports. They tried to restock in Barbados. That didn’t work.”
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Meanwhile, Adita, a fellow passenger, posted a public denial that she is a swinger after viewers speculated that the pineapple poster on the front door to her cabin was an indicator of her and her husband’s sexual preferences.
“Sorry to disappoint you, we are not swingers, but we do like pineapples,” the retiree said as she sported jewellery adorned with pineapples, in a video viewed over 600,000 times.
After travelling through the south Atlantic Ocean on January 2, videos circulated online showing flooding on the ship’s decks and as well as inside in hallways and the gym. Nadine Bower, another guest, told viewers that she had to move rooms after her cabin flooded.
“My room was one of the ones that did flood today. I had to wait until this evening to get the blowers because they were drying out the more severe areas on the higher decks,” Bower, from New Zealand, said.
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There has also been rampant speculation online that violence and instability along the Suez canal and Red Sea will force the cruise to divert from its planned route, or even cause it to finish early.
As viral clips of the cruise continue to take the internet by storm, update accounts on TikTok are providing viewers with the latest drama onboard, while some viewers have made bingo cards akin to storylines in a soap opera. Among the dramatic predictions include a stowaway, an impromptu wedding and a STI outbreak.
“Someone’s pregnant. Turns out someone has found out that they are with child on board and they are going to have to get off,” one account dramatically revealed.
As the online obsession with drama aboard the ship continues to reach millions via TikTok, a new generation has tapped into cruises. Many influencers who post updates about the global journey have also been attempting to get tickets to board the ship and give viewers an inside review.
As real life blurs with TikTok, Sebastian, 33, initially an avid watcher of the cruise videos, boarded the ship as a passenger on January 7, after publishing firm Atria Books sponsored his ticket.
During his time on board Sebastian has said he will give viewers “a completely honest, transparent review” of his time on board. Recently he was thrown out of one of the ship’s lounges, which was reserved for Royal Caribbean’s pinnacle members — the highest tier of the company’s loyalty program.
In a video to his 1.6 million followers, Sebastian says: “Now to whomever was watching me live on land and decided to spend the $8 to call guest services on the ship and narc on me being in the lounge despite me being a guest of someone which resulted in security coming and escorting me out — solitary confinement.”
Other passengers on board include Amike Oosthuizen, 26, a content creator from South Africa. She told The Times: “I think people are really interested as there has not really been so many people on a world cruise that have documented it and posted it on social media.”
The Gen Z influencer typically posts day-in-the-life videos showcasing her time in different ports, as well as make-up and skincare videos. “I try to stay very positive in my content, I don’t try to focus on drama because that is honestly just not me and what I’m here for.”
Brandee Lake, 46, an avid traveller who is onboard with her sister Shannon and their parents, said the popularity of the cruise “has been a surprise” for many of the passengers on board, but everyone was “still trying to create authentically”.
“I think it’s the closest thing to a real reality show that people could ever see and we just happen to be here and it’s not a reality show but the outside world sees it that way … a lot of people have made a big brother reference,” she added.
Cruises have long been sold as a go to travel option for those aged over 50, however with influencers taking the ship by storm, the holiday is now appealing to a new, younger audience.
The average age on board a cruise currently stands at 56, according to Statista. Yet as millions of Gen Z viewers watch a youthful group of content creators make the most of the voyage, it is thought that its online popularity could attract a younger demographic to try out a holiday that has traditionally been the preserve of the 50 plus.
The cruise’s popularity could shift empty rooms as it continues to make its way across the world. Tickets for the full nine-month stay started at £47,000 per person for an interior cabin with no balcony or windows and climb to £92,000 for a junior suite. Shorter segments of the voyage are still on sale for those who want to travel for a few weeks, rather than months.
For British fans, the ship will anchor in Southampton on July 26 as part of its global journey, before making its way across Europe and docking for the final time on September 10 in Miami.
Royal Caribbean has been contacted for comment.
Guide to the cruise cast members
Joe Martucci, 67, from Florida
Travelling with his wife, Martucci’s account @spendingyourkidsmoney sees him provide daily updates of the cruise running from weather conditions to what they got up to on land. Beginning each of his videos with a cheeky “Hi kids” the Florida man started posting videos of his time on board after his four children suggested it.
Angie Linderman, 37, from Oregon
Linderman was motivated to go on the global cruise after her mother passed away in 2021 and medical tests revealed she had the BRCA2 gene mutation. Last year she underwent a preventative double mastectomy, including reconstruction surgery. Also on board as she travels around the world are her brother, sister-in-law and their three children.
Marc Sebastian, 33, from New York
Arriving on board several weeks after the ship’s departure from Miami, Sebastian has promised to show viewers a real review of the cruise. His daily updates and live streams have featured interviews with other “cast members” and added a dose of drama to the voyage.
Brandee Lake, 46, from Michigan
Lake has already visited upwards of 80 countries and will be checking off dozens more as the ship circumnavigates the globe. She runs a podcast along with her sister Shannon. The pair are travelling with their parents. “There is not any room to get homesick because I have all the people I’m closest with right here with me,” Brandee said.
Amike Oosthuizen, 26, from Cape Town, South Africa
On board with her videographer husband, Oosthuizen has provided viewers with clips of her workouts and food reviews. The South African has said she will be working remotely while on the ship and is providing a Gen Z insight into cruises which have typically been aimed at older generations.
Brooklyn Schwetje, graduate student at University of Alabama
Travelling with her sister Madison and her parents, the masters student is documenting her life on board as well as squeezing in some time to study on days when the boat is at sea. Her daily updates showcase cruise announcements, on board entertainment and picturesque scenery from the ship.