The viral nine-month cruise is ending. Here’s what it was really like on board

Francesca Street, CNN

(CNN) — Within weeks of Royal Caribbean’s nine-month-long world cruise mounting sail successful December 2023, nan voyage unexpectedly became nan halfway of a societal media storm.

The imaginable of 9 months connected a two-decades-old ship, sailing to much than 60 destinations pinch hundreds of strangers, captured nan public’s imagination arsenic passengers began posting connected TikTok. It sounded much for illustration nan premise for a reality show than nan travel of a lifetime.

For a infinitesimal it felt for illustration everyone – moreover if they were antecedently oblivious to world cruises – was talking astir nan nine-month cruise and its “real life reality show” potential.

Social media followers waited to spot really this social-experiment-at-sea unfurled. Would location beryllium romance, conflict, drama, twists and turns? “Anything tin happen,” is really 1 societal media personification ND, who was pursuing on from land, put it to CNN Travel backmost successful January. 

Nine months later, nan voyage – dubbed nan Ultimate World Cruise by Royal Caribbean – is yet wrapping up, reaching its past port, Miami, connected September 10. To people nan voyage’s end, CNN Travel caught up pinch those connected committee to find retired what it was for illustration to walk 9 months surviving astatine oversea pinch nan world watching on astatine home.

Passengers’ perspective

The passengers chronicling nan nine-month cruise connected TikTok ranged from a fiftysomething widowed solo traveler named Anthony McWilliams – who aimed to animate followers to unrecorded life to its fullest, to a 26-year-old South African influencer called Amike Oosthuizen – who could ever beryllium relied connected for a glamorous return connected life astatine sea.

Also successful nan operation was lovable boomer mates Joe and Audrey Martucci, caller to societal media and posting nether nan grip @spendingourkidsmoney (this is simply a joke, Joe Martucci stresses to CNN Travel, there’s still plentifulness of money near for nan kids). Fortysomething sisters Brandee Lake and Shannon Marie Lake demonstrated really to unrecorded pinch an big related and not spell operation crazy, while a Gen Z traveler known arsenic Little Rat Brain posted chaotic, wry dispatches from sea.

Former NASA worker Bobbi Waterman and her partner Tam, posting @tam.and.bobbi, gained fans for candidly talking astir walking arsenic an LGBTQ+ mates and Bobbi’s experiences arsenic a trans woman. American traveler Angie Linderman garnered attraction aft she said movingly astir her way to nan Ultimate World Cruise, which included nan untimely decease of her parents and nan find that Linderman lives pinch nan BRCA gene, making her much susceptible to bosom crab and ovarian cancer.

For those looking for a down nan scenes glimpse astatine life connected board, Royal Caribbean crewmember Julian Mendoza AKA @cooljul1 produced “day successful nan life” videos connected board, while performer Daniele Salvatore Arbisi erstwhile managed to get nan ship’s skipper to came connected his relationship @singing.sailor.

Each personification offered a different position connected nan cruise. These aggregate points of position possibly partially explains nan voyage’s virality – location was personification for everyone to subordinate to, and location was imaginable for clashing personalities.

“You’re putting each of these group connected a vessel for 9 months and erstwhile they’re connected nan ocean, erstwhile they’re sailing, there’s nary escape,” says British societal media personification Beth Anne Fletcher, who chronicled nan cruise – mostly from onshore – connected her ain TikTok account, @livingmy_bethlife. 

‘What play is going to happen?’

Fletcher wasn’t amazed by nan viral entreaty of nan cruise.

“If you’re willing successful recreation and you’re besides willing successful psychology and people, what much could you want?” Fletcher tells CNN Travel.

“They’re each location together, but they’re going to spot nan world arsenic well. It’s almost for illustration (reality TV show) “Below Deck,” but a nine-month episode.”

Still, for galore of nan passengers, nan early societal media furore was surreal and unexpected. Joe Martucci didn’t cognize really to spell TikTok earlier he posted his first video, spurred connected by his kids. Even travelers for illustration Oosthuizen, who had a pre-established TikTok presence, were shocked.

“I honestly did not deliberation it would detonate arsenic much,” Oosthuizen told CNN Travel backmost successful January.

Over nan first period astatine sea, nan viral fame reverberated done nan ship.

“Soon, we had billions of group watching america and saying, ‘What play is going to happen?’” recalls nan rider known arsenic Little Rat Brain – aliases LRB for short – a 24-year-old American who has asked for her existent sanction not to beryllium included successful this article for privateness reasons.

LRB, speaking to CNN Travel connected nan eve of nan cruise’s end, says she understands it seemed for illustration nan “perfect setup for a reality TV show.”

“It’s a batch of group successful a mini area wherever beautiful overmuch everything is free,” she says. (Technically thing was free – nan 9 period cruise costs anyplace from $59,999 to $117,599 per personification – but unlimited onboard nutrient and drinks was included successful that sum)

“Any nutrient you want… All nan intoxicant you could perchance want… You really person nary responsibilities…” LRB continues.

In nan end, those astatine location waiting for shocking dispatches from nan Ultimate World Cruise were mostly near wanting.

Headlines announced astatine slightest 1 on-board death, but aged passengers passing distant from earthy causes is somewhat expected connected a months-long voyage. The vessel besides rerouted from clip to clip owed to world events, protests and utmost upwind events – but it’s not different for itineraries planned years successful beforehand to shift.

While those connected committee were occasionally irritated by 1 another, nan group who predicted, arsenic LRB recalls, “that there’s decidedly going to beryllium divorces, someone’s going to get thrown overboard,” were seemingly incorrect (although divorce rumors were rife throughout nan 9 months).

Inevitably, societal media liking successful nan cruise diminished arsenic nan weeks rolled connected – aft all, thing stays viral for 9 months.

“We decidedly did spot nan liking dice off,” says rider Anthony McWilliams, adding that immoderate travelers “took a deed emotionally” erstwhile their engagement dropped.

There was TikTok-based play excessively – Amike Oosthuizen says her relationship was banned and past deleted.

“They said I was trading counterfeit goods, which I was not trading astatine all,” she tells CNN Travel. Oosthuizen group up different account, which ne'er rather reached nan dizzying heights of nan six million-plus group who watched her early video chronicling nan Serenade of nan Seas crossing nan treacherous Drake Passage.

For galore travelers, nan diminution successful online scrutiny was a relief.

“The attraction benignant of evened retired arsenic nan travel went on, which I deliberation was bully arsenic it allowed immoderate of nan unit aliases power astir nan travel to normalize, and allowed maine to attraction much connected this experience,” rider Angie Linderman tells CNN Travel.

Still, moreover 9 months in, Linderman still saw group observe her societal media for nan first time.

“I still person group who are uncovering my page and reaching retired because they besides person BRCA aliases person besides mislaid a genitor and want to link pinch personification other who has that shared experience,” she says.

While immoderate TikTok users dropped off, others tracked nan nine-month cruise to its end, surviving vicariously done nan passengers arsenic they explored nan globe.

“We had group messaging america to say, ‘Thank you truthful overmuch for taking maine on connected this journey,’” says Audrey Martucci, of @spendingourkidsmoney, who recalls a surreal infinitesimal erstwhile she and her hubby were recognized by fans successful Halifax, Canada.

“I person group that person been on for nan full 9 months,” says McWilliams. “But past there’s besides immoderate group that are like, ‘Oh, we thought y’all were dead.’”

Forming connections

Fletcher, pursuing on connected land, responded to nan ebbing nationalist liking by posting less recaps arsenic nan months went on.

But, arsenic she switched to posting astir existent reality tv shows, Fletcher continued to enactment up to day pinch those connected board, gradually building relationships pinch passengers, realizing “these group are conscionable connected their vacation, having a bully time.”

When nan Serenade of nan Seas docked successful Southampton, successful nan UK, immoderate of nan passengers and unit invited Fletcher connected board.

“It was specified a surreal day, because we person been talking astir these group for this long, and past to really walk clip pinch them, it was for illustration being pinch aged friends,” says Fletcher.

She peculiarly bonded pinch Joe and Audrey Martucci, dubbed “Cruise Mom and Dad” by their followers. The mates lived up to their moniker, welcoming Fletcher wholeheartedly.

“It was for illustration gathering 1 of our kids,” says Joe, of their time together successful Southampton.

“Beth Anne’s 1 of those group we will support successful touch with, astir apt forever,” says Audrey. “She’s specified a typical person, and we’re gladsome to beryllium her friend.”

For Joe and Audrey, befriending a British TikToker immoderate 20 years their inferior – who wasn’t moreover connected committee nan vessel – was 1 of galore unexpected, typical connections they made complete nan past 9 months.

Many of nan passengers mention nan friendships and organization arsenic integral to their acquisition connected committee nan Serenade of nan Seas. McWilliams calls chap passengers Brandee and Shannon Lake his “sisters” and says he besides bonded pinch Fletcher, arsenic good societal media personification ND – who went from pursuing nan cruise from afar connected her relationship @nchimad to joining nan voyage for a week.

“The older you get, nan little apt you are to make these kinds of friendships,” McWilliams says. “We’re really fortunate.”

Little Rat Brain says it’s been nosy to beryllium portion of a “supportive, imaginative organization connected board” – moreover if she jokes nan cacophony of camera phones occasionally gave “Truman Show” vibes.

Brandee Lake says she connected pinch different group connected committee successful different ways – from shared emotion of escapade excursions aliases art, to nan older travelers she sees arsenic her “ship aunties and uncles.”

What unites everyone connected board, Lake says, is “the underlying thread of this awesome experience.”

It’s an acquisition Lake suggests will “be difficult to talk astir to group erstwhile we get disconnected nan ship.”

The group besides helped 1 different done trickier times together too. While surviving a imperishable picnic mightiness sound appealing, nan travelers opportunity it wasn’t ever easy.

Joe and Audrey Martucci accent that while they “couldn’t inquire for a amended travel and a amended opportunity” they did “get a small tired being connected vacation.” They missed their kids and struggled being acold distant arsenic awesome life events played retired connected land.

“Nine months is simply a agelong time,” says Joe. “I wouldn’t do a nine-month consecutive cruise again. It’s conscionable measurement excessively agelong distant from family, distant from everyone and we started to consciousness burned out.”

“We couldn’t really drawback up pinch sleep,” says Audrey, of nan nonstop quality of nan itinerary, earlier adding: “We do recognize really first world problems this sounds.”

The mates says they yet regained a consciousness of equilibrium by taking clip disconnected and slower days erstwhile needed. Sometimes they’d skip Royal Caribbean-run excursions to “just rotation successful nan wild” astir a destination.

Preparing for nan end

Many of nan passengers were predicting a civilization daze aft stepping disconnected nan Serenade of nan Seas for nan last time.

“It was liberating to springiness up everything earlier I came,” says Lake, who abandoned her California rental lease to unrecorded retired of a suitcase for 9 months. “Now I’m like, ‘Oh, shoot.’”

Passengers were capable to support connections pinch loved ones connected onshore via regular video calls and moreover nan occasional vessel visit, but opportunity long-distance relationships were tricky to maintain.

“These kinds of experiences, I think, sometimes prune your friendships astatine home,” says Lake. “Some will enactment beardown and support aft – immoderate mightiness autumn away.”

“At immoderate points it was benignant of difficult,” agrees LRB. “Because friends would beryllium texting, ‘Oh, I had a sucky time astatine work,’ and meantime you’re like, ‘I saw nan Great Wall of China, aliases I snorkeled connected nan Great Barrier Reef.’ Sometimes it did consciousness for illustration a spot of a disconnect.”

Passengers besides adopted different approaches to staying connected apical of world news and existent events.

For Oosthuizen, arsenic nan months unfurled and she saw much and much of nan globe, she felt for illustration she developed “a world perspective.”

“It was truthful educational, seeing different cultures, seeing really different group get by,” says Oosthuizen. “I wouldn’t opportunity I felt removed connected nan cruise.”

Joe Martucci adds: “You can’t spell distant for 9 months and instrumentality your caput successful nan soil for illustration an ostrich and say, ‘Yeah, I’ll interest astir it erstwhile I get home.’ Because nan world keeps changing truthful fast.’”

But Brandee Lake says she made a conscious prime to disengage and enactment successful a “bubble.” Consequently, she recovered a caller cruise extremity disconnected successful New York City a spot of a shock.

“We haven’t been successful nan US since February, since we stopped successful LA,” she says. “It’s overmuch different now, because it’s precocious predetermination season.”

Some of nan American travelers connected committee opportunity nan ambiance connected committee has go much tense arsenic nan US predetermination approaches.

“I’m waking up to realizing that a mates of nan group that I genuinely attraction astir person different governmental views than me, and that has been thing to navigate, a situation to navigate,” says McWilliams.

And while there’s a consciousness of fellowship connected board, people not everyone gets on.

“There is of people a mini group of group that I will beryllium wholly good ne'er interacting pinch again,” says Linderman. “But that is really it goes, sometimes you don’t link aliases click pinch everyone.”

Travelers surviving successful adjacent quarters pinch family members besides developed conflict coping mechanisms complete nan past 9 months.

“With families, you each cognize erstwhile you push each other’s buttons sometimes,” says Lake, who traveled pinch her parents arsenic good arsenic her sister. “You conscionable person to locomotion distant and past travel back.”

Little Rat Brain, who shared a windowless interior compartment pinch her mother, insists this wasn’t nan look for disaster it mightiness sound. LRB conscionable took clip to herself erstwhile she needed it.

Many of nan travelers stress that much than anything, they were grateful to acquisition this travel pinch their loved ones.

“Especially pinch my parents,” says Lake. “You conscionable deliberation really fortunate that they’re here.”

There were besides changeless caller faces successful nan mix, arsenic immoderate passengers joined nan travel for shorter voyages.

Among nan short haulers was American TikTok influencer Marc Sebastian, who sewage sponsored to subordinate nan cruise for a short stint, promising to “cause chaos” on board.

This chaos ne'er seemed to peculiarly materialize. Instead, McWilliams spotted Sebastian getting affectional arsenic he admired nan icebergs of Antarctica.

“That makes consciousness that he gets it. He understands,” McWilliams recalls thinking.

A travel of a lifetime

As nan cruise comes to an end, nan travelers are reflecting connected everything they’ve seen and trying to process nan past 9 months.

Lake says picking conscionable 1 item is almost impossible, but nan ship’s play successful Antarctica was peculiarly special. Her prime is echoed by Little Rat Brain:

“The h2o was perfectly flat, and it was a mirrored reflection of these gigantic icebergs and location were conscionable truthful galore different shades of white, and it was perfectly incredible,” LRB recalls.

Meanwhile Angie Linderman speaks fondly of catching a train crossed India, arsenic good arsenic a extremity disconnected successful Portofino, Italy, wherever she went “swimming successful nan h2o each time connected this mini small formation pinch nan colorful houses supra america clinging to nan hills.”

Linderman says she will clasp onto nan emotion of watching “the sunrise complete nan falls astatine Iguazu Falls” aliases marveling astatine “the Great Wall of China astatine nighttime pinch only my chap cruisers around.”

Sea days were besides special, Linderman says, particularly “the countless nights dancing successful nan Vortex Lounge aliases astatine a silent disco aliases movie nighttime pinch friends.”

The TikTok-famous passengers are now considering really to pivot their online presences. Some person income coming successful from societal media (“Not capable to unrecorded on, by immoderate means,” stresses Little Rat Brain. “But it’s capable to spell retired to meal pinch friends erstwhile I get back.”) But they propose their main information to proceed posting is to link pinch now-loyal followers.

Many of nan passengers person early travels planned, which they intend to chronicle connected TikTok. Meanwhile Linderman has upcoming room to region her ovaries and says she will beryllium “sharing that travel online” pinch her supportive societal media community.

There’s besides talk of a reunion cruise, albeit for a overmuch shorter stint, which will apt beryllium chronicled online.

While location are upcoming world cruises connected nan sky – specified arsenic four-month voyages tally by MSC Cruises and Princess Cruises – there’s thing rather arsenic agelong arsenic nan Ultimate World Cruise connected nan sky correct now for nan awesome cruise lines.

Royal Caribbean hasn’t responded to CNN’s petition for remark astir immoderate plans for early nine-month cruises.

As for Beth Anne Fletcher, her interest’s been piqued by the prospective three-year cruise that’s presently stuck successful Belfast, Northern Ireland, operated by start-up Villa Vie Cruises – but she’s not seen overmuch societal media contented stem from that vessel truthful far.

“I don’t deliberation anything’s ever going to person nan virality of nan nine-month cruise,” Fletcher says.

“I’m not really judge if it will ever hap again,” agrees Little Rat Brain. “We conscionable benignant of conscionable had a cleanable large wind situation, while, luckily, we haven’t sailed done immoderate cleanable storms. So I’ll return it.”

“Everything’s been arsenic good arsenic you tin expect, for 9 months surviving connected a very mini vessel pinch nan aforesaid people,” LRB says. “Incredible memories that will past a lifetime.”