Is TikTok Turning A Real-Life 9-Month Cruise Into The Next Must-See Series?

Whether you love spending days aboard a floating city of excess or think cruises are passe, you probably wouldn’t expect one to provide captivating content for Gen Z-dominated TikTok. But when the cruise in question lasts nearly a year and involves a constantly changing cast of characters, it has all the makings of a social media reality show.

Off to a rocky start

The concept of ultra-long cruises isn’t altogether new, but there have been some issues in the past. Most notably, a company called Life at Sea Cruises promised to launch a massive yacht for a whopping three-year voyage … but it canceled plans at the last minute and was forced to admit it didn’t even have a ship!

Then, established cruise line Royal Caribbean stepped in with its plan for a shorter nine-month cruise.

The Love Boat 2024?

Just like the sitcom “The Love Boat,” this ship has developed quite a following due to the large cast of revolving characters. The difference is that these are real people actually participating in their dream vacation.

Whether they’re looking for attention or just post videos that users find interesting, there’s no shortage of viral content recorded aboard the ship.

And some popular TikTokers are even figuring out ways to join the adventure, like Marc Sebastian, who was able to find a sponsor to foot the bill for his 18-day stay on the ship.

The world is watching

We’re about a month into the cruise, and it’s still a popular topic of discussion on social media — and traditional media (even the “Today” show featured a segment recently).

As the ship makes stops in dozens of ports around the world, you can expect a lot more unintentional drama, comedy, and maybe even romance to play out on what’s become known as “CruiseTok.”

Chris Agee January 12th, 2024

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