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A traveler aboard Royal Caribbean’s nine-month cruise alleges that there is a topic that passengers are prohibited from discussing while on board.
Marc Sebastian, known for his popular TikTok page, has been posting a collection of videos chronicling his adventures on a cruise that began on December 10, 2023. The nine-month voyage will conclude on September 10, 2024, when the ship docks in Miami, Florida.
On January 22nd, Sebastian posted a video on his TikTok where he discussed his experiences and insights on cruising. Having spent 18 nights on the Serenade of the Seas, he shared some of the things he has learned so far. The video begins with his first observation, stating that passengers are not allowed to discuss the Titanic, which famously sank in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg.
When discussing his confusion over the supposed rule, he also recounted how his peers reacted with shock when he mentioned the Titanic. “I mentioned during lunch with a group of people that our ship is only 100 feet longer than the Titanic,” he recalled. “And let me tell you, there was a collective gasp and silence as utensils clattered and waiters looked on in surprise.”
Sebastian became aware of the rule on the ship after his friend quietly reminded him, “Discussion of the Titanic is prohibited.”
He jokingly mentioned that he was unaware of the restriction on using the word, stating: “It’s not like it was in the damn manual. Not that I bothered to read the manual, obviously.”
As of January 23rd, Sebastian’s TikTok video has become widely popular with over 2.6 million views. In the comment section, numerous individuals ridiculed the purported regulation about what topics can be discussed among passengers during a flight.
“I apologize if I’m discussing a boat, specifically the Titanic and OceanGate,” wrote one person, mentioning OceanGate’s Titan submersible. The submersible suffered a “catastrophic implosion” while submerged in June 2023, resulting in the death of all five individuals on board.
One person said, “I constantly bring up the Titanic in conversation.” Another person wrote, “My mom told me that mentioning the Titanic on a cruise is like yelling ‘bomb’ at an airport.”
In other parts of the video, the influencer stated additional statements about cruises, mentioning that “ships have godmothers”. He specifically mentioned Whoopi Goldberg as the “godmother” of the Serenade of the Seas and even shared a photograph of her on a wall.
“Hey there, we need to have a conversation,” he joked, mentioning Goldberg. “I feel like I should fill you in on what’s happening on this ship. Being an EGOT recipient, I don’t think this is the best ship for you.”
He proceeded to extend the joke in the caption by stating, “Someone should call Whoopi and tell her I have some juicy gossip.”
The Independent has reached out to Sebastian and Royal Caribbean for a statement.
In December of 2023, the highly popular Ultimate World Cruise gained widespread attention on social media as passengers shared their experiences on the ship. According to Royal Caribbean’s schedule, the voyage spans 274 nights and includes stops at various destinations such as Aruba, Barbados, Japan, Italy, Greece, Spain, Denmark, Germany, and France. The cruise also offers the chance for passengers to connect with similar adventurers while exploring all seven continents, as stated on Royal Caribbean’s official website.
From the beginning of the journey, individuals have been making jokes about potential situations that could occur on the cruise. One such individual is Kara, also known as @whimsysoul on TikTok. She shared a “Ultimate Bingo Card” for the next year of the cruise, inviting others who are also along for this “nine months TikTok reality show” to join in. The Bingo Card includes spaces such as “someone leaves the cruise early”, “staff member dates a passenger”, “getting a lobster-like sunburn”, “passengers being sponsored by brands”, and “a small mystery to solve”.
At the beginning of this month, the cruise became popular once more as travelers posted footage of a flood that occurred on board. Adita, a passenger, shared a video on TikTok on January 2nd showing one deck of the ship flooded with water on the carpeted floors.
The video captured the significant flow of water pouring onto the ship’s exterior deck. Despite the flooding, the passenger continued to navigate through the ship’s levels and descended a set of carpeted stairs. The footage was shared on a day when the cruise was en route to South America.
The Independent was informed by a Royal Caribbean spokesperson that on January 2nd, while en route to Montevideo, Uruguay, the Serenade of the Seas encountered severe winds and rain. As a result, one set of elevators and six rooms were affected by the rain. The onboard team is currently handling the necessary cleanup and elevator maintenance. The Serenade continued its scheduled journey and arrived in Montevideo on Thursday.
The most affordable room option on the Ultimate World Cruise, according to Royal Caribbean’s website, is $59,999 per person for an interior stateroom. Prices for other room options are even higher, with the junior suite starting at $117,599 per person.
Source: independent.co.uk
