(Image via royalcaribbeanincentives.com)
Editor: Alexandra D’Eon
Email: adeon@umassd.edu
In December of 2023, the Royal Caribbean Cruise line departed from Miami, FL, on a nine-month voyage worldwide. The concept of living on a cruise ship for nine months seems like the perfect plot for a reality TV show. The potential for drama, romances, divorces- or even deaths, captured the attention of social media.
The epic voyage docked on September 10th, 2024, and the passengers returned home. So what really happened on the nine month cruise?
As to be expected on such a long journey, and with the median age of the passengers being 65, there were two deaths on board Symphony of the Seas. Their causes of death were not published, but it was likely of natural causes.
With all of the attention that was drawn to Symphony of the Seas several influencers emerged on TikTok during the duration of their trip.
One passenger who shared their experience on TikTok was Anthony McWilliams, who traveled alone after losing his wife; his videos showed his experiences on the cruise and the onboard activities he enjoyed. His videos encouraged his viewers to get out there and see the world.
A fan favorite on social media was a lovely older couple, Joe and Audrey Martucci, who stirred up a bit of controversy with their TikTok handle, @Spendingourkidsmoney.
Some were not privy to the humor in their account’s name and had to clarify, stating, “There’s still plenty of money left for the kids.”
They shared their day to day lives aboard the Symphony of the Seas and their travels; their TikTok audience was captivated by the adorable couple as they shared their journey around the world.
As for drama aboard the ship, there were a few incidents.
Two other wannabe influencers aboard the ship took things too far. One creator, whose name is unknown, filmed a video in the hallway of the ship claiming that they witnessed a body being removed from a cabin. These claims are allegedly false and the creator took down the video.
Anthony McWilliams also reported to The New York Post that one passenger onboard had too many drinks one night and posted a TikTok making racial comments about minorities. McWilliam’s is quoted saying about that incident, “I don’t think he had a very good time on the boat after that.”
Those of us at home were so invested in the idea of being stuck on a ship for nine months that we didn’t think to ask, what does it take to afford such a trip?
Brandee Lake uprooted her life in California to take the voyage, selling her house and quitting her job. She was joined with her family, including her sister Shannon, whom she filmed TikToks with, sharing their experience as sisters living together on a ship and the ups and downs that comes with it.
(Video via TikTok @Iambrandeelake, Brandee Lake celebrates with the kitchen staff on board as they arrive in Africa)
The average cost for such a trip is between $59,999-$117,599, and Brandee is not the only one who sold her assets to take the once in a lifetime adventure.
For some, the trip became somewhat tedious. In fact, some passengers looked forward to being at sea rather than docked at a port.
Passenger Adita Larson told USA Today, that during the duration of the trip the passengers became “exhausted.” The prospect of traveling to country after country for months on end does sound enlightening at first, but the reality was spending weeks docked in one place, and for some passengers, it became boring or underwhelming.
While most of us were sure that the passengers would not be able to survive nine months stuck together on a boat, many of them are already planning their next trip. It seems the nine month cruise has only encouraged them to seek out more adventures at sea.
However many shared the sentiment that, “nine months is too long for a cruise.”