cruise 9 months

All four corners, one epic voyage.

The Ultimate World Cruise

The most epic world cruise ever to set sail.

Get ready to see the world in a whole new light — introducing the Ultimate World Cruise onboard Serenade of the Seas®. You can spend 274 nights bonding with like-minded explorers over global discoveries across all seven continents. Or pick a corner of the globe and explore every inch of it on one of four Ultimate World Cruise℠ segments — each an immersive voyage of 60+ nights. Connect with countless distinct cultures, soak up the most spectacular landscapes on Earth, and marvel at World Wonders that showcase mankind’s boundless imagination.

Or call your local travel advisor . For more information, call the Ultimate World Cruise Contact Line at 800-423-2100.

Dive deeper into the world's wonders

Ultimate world cruise.

Visit 150+ destinations and 8 World Wonders, across 7 continents and 60+ countries. The Ultimate World Cruise features four distinct segments that traverse the globe in one incredible journey.

Dec 10th – Feb 11th

Ultimate Americas Cruise

Feb 11th - May 9th

Ultimate Asia Pacific Cruise

May 9th - July 10th

Ultimate Africa & Southern Europe Cruise

July 10th - Sep 10th

Ultimate Europe & Beyond Cruise

Chichén Itzá, Cozumel, Mexico

Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Iguazu Falls, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Machu Picchu, Lima, Peru

Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Australia

Great Wall of China, Beijing, China

The Taj Mahal, Cochin, India

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Berlin, Germany

Copenhagen, Denmark

New York, New York

Dec 10th 2023 – Feb 11th 2024

Venture across Three Continents

36 Destinations, 64 Nights

Arica, Chile

Your once-in-a-lifetime journey begins December 2023, embarking from in Miami on the first segment of the Ultimate World Cruise℠ — the Ultimate Americas Cruise. Go from postcard-perfect Caribbean shores—including the ABC islands —to viewing abundant wildlife like sea lions, penguins and whales roaming glacier-studded Antarctica as you round Cape Horn. Along the way, discover World Wonders in South America, including man-made marvels and extraordinary natural phenomena.

Take in the largest Art Deco sculpture in the world, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. Behold the largest waterfall system on the planet, Iguazú Falls near Buenos Aires. And explore Machu Picchu, one of the most iconic symbols of Peru’s ancient Inca heritage. Then sail up to the Yucatàn Peninsula to discover hidden coves and dramatic rock formations along Land’s End in Cabo San Lucas before exploring Ensenada.

Feb 11th 2024 - May 9th 2024

Far East. Down Under. And up for anything

40 Destinations, 87 nights

Taj Mahal, India

Venture miles from ordinary in Australia and Asia on this leg of the Ultimate World Cruise SM . Explore Hawaii and discover the crystal-clear waters of Mo’orea and Tahiti in unspoiled French Polynesia. Set out for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef — the only living thing on the planet that’s visible from space. Trek from pristine natural beauty in Bali to one of the most iconic man-made World Wonders, the Great Wall of China. And discover the unparalleled culture and modern architecture of Tokyo, then take in one of the most breathtaking sights in the world — The Taj Mahal.

May 9th 2024 - July 10th 2024

Beauty beyond belief

Ultimate Africa & Med Cruise

39 Destinations, 63 Nights

Walvis Bay Sandwich Harbour

Explore the orange sand dunes of the world’s oldest desert in Namibia. Bask in the beauty of idyllic beaches in Cape Town. And hike mist-topped rainforests along the Ivory Coast. Plus, go back in time as you wander through the Colosseum in Rome and get lost in the Venetian-style streets of Corfu.

Then your journey continues to even more destinations known for their storied history — like the fortified walls of Split, Croatia and the cobblestoned streets of Barcelona, Cannes and Provence.

July 10th 2024 - September 10th 2024

Set a course for the north

40 Destinations, 63 Nights

Blue Lagoon, Iceland

The final leg of the Ultimate World Cruise is an immersive cultural exploration starting in the Med heading north. Discover Barcelona’s brilliant architecture, including Gaudi’s Sagrada Família. Savor flavors across continents — like a dinner of tagine and mint tea in Morocco.

Go from taking in fjords in Norway to biking through Copenhagen. Finally, experience another natural marvel — the other-worldly geothermal seawater at The Blue Lagoon in Iceland before stopping in New York and Perfect Day at CocoCay on your way back to Miami.

Amenities Included in your entire adventure

Join us for the entire Ultimate World Cruise, you’ll enjoy exclusive perks and amenities — all included in your adventure. So you can complement back-to-back discoveries onshore with all your favorite comforts onboard, plus thoughtful touches to elevate every moment.

*New World Wonders Shore Excursions included for Crown & Anchor® Society Platinum members & above

Business Class Airfare

Premium Transportation Between Airport, Hotel and Ship

Pre-cruise Hotel & Gala

New World Wonders Shore Excursion*

Deluxe Beverage Package

Wash & Fold Laundry Service

VOOM Surf & Stream

A World Wandering Fleet Favorite

Designed with acres of glass offering panoramic vistas of sea, sky and land, Serenade of the Seas® is the perfect ship for scenery-scoping. Take in captivating views of Norway’s majestic fjords, gaze at glaciers in Antarctica, and soak up the sun and the sights while cruising through French Polynesia. In between adventures onshore, you can unwind poolside or tee off on the mini golf green. Settle in for dazzling entertainment or dance until dawn beneath the stars. And with top-notch restaurants onboard, every meal turns into a global taste-tour that’s as immersive as your Ultimate World Cruise.

Sign-up & stay tuned For Ultimate World Cruise Updates

Machu Picchu, Peru

Email Address

Country/Location

Sign-up to receive information about or special offers and deals. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more details about how we use your information, view our Privacy Policy.

Cruise Details & Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ultimate World Cruise?

The Ultimate World Cruise is a never-before-offered Royal Caribbean adventure that takes you on a 274-night journey around the world from December 10, 2023 – September 10, 2024. The adventure begins and ends in Miami, Florida, visiting all 7 continents, 65 countries, 150 ports of call, with 16 overnights and 8 World Wonders. More than 40 of the ports you’ll visit are either rarely available on our other itineraries or brand new to Royal Caribbean, so get ready for the exploration of a lifetime. Book The Ultimate World Cruise early to ensure the best accommodation throughout the entire voyage.

What is the starting price for the Ultimate World Cruise and its 4 individual segments?

Ultimate World Cruise Starting Price

Considering all that’s included in your 274-night Ultimate World Cruise fare, you’ll enjoy an incredible value. No matter which stateroom you choose, your fare includes Ultimate World Cruise complimentary amenities like business class airfare, pre-cruise hotel and gala, Deluxe Beverage Package, gratuities, VOOM internet package, wash and fold laundry service, and more.

*Taxes, fees, and port expenses of $4,667 USD per person are additional and are subject to change at any time. All starting prices listed are per person, in USD, cruise only, based on double occupancy and are subject to change at any time.

Ultimate World Cruise Segments Starting Price

Considering all that’s included in your Ultimate Cruise segment fare, you’ll enjoy an incredible value. No matter which stateroom you choose, your fare includes Ultimate Cruise segment complimentary amenities like Deluxe Beverage Package, gratuities, VOOM internet package, and wash and fold laundry service.

*Taxes, fees, and port expenses are additional and are subject to change at any time. All starting prices listed are per person, in USD, cruise only, based on double occupancy and are subject to change at any time.

What are the 8 World Wonders the Ultimate World Cruise and the four Ultimate Cruise segments will visit, and on what dates?

Ultimate Americas Cruise: December 10, 2023 – February 11, 2024

Chichen Itza: via Cozumel Dec 13, 2023

Christ the Redeemer: via Rio de Janeiro Dec 31, 2023

Iguazu Falls: via Buenos Aires Jan 5, 2024

Machu Picchu: via Lima Jan 29-30, 2024

Ultimate Asia Pacific Cruise: February 11, 2024 – May 9, 2024

Great Barrier Reef: via Airlie Beach and Cairns March 13-14, 2024

Great Wall of China: via Beijing April 7-8, 2024

Taj Mahal: via Cochin May 1, 2024

Ultimate Africa & Med Cruise: May 9, 2024 – July 10, 2024

Colosseum: via Rome July 1, 2024

Ultimate Europe & Beyond Cruise: July 10, 2024 – September 10, 2024

There are no World Wonders visited during this Ultimate Cruise segment.

What benefits are included when booking the Ultimate World Cruise or one of the four Ultimate Cruise segments?

Guests who join us for the entire Ultimate World Cruise will receive the following inclusions:

Embarkation Amenities

Round-trip business class airfare

Pre-cruise hotel and gala

Premium transfers between airport, hotel and ship

Onboard Amenities

Deluxe Beverage Package for entire voyage

VOOM Wi-Fi internet for entire voyage

Gratuities for entire voyage

Wash and fold laundry service

Our Crown & Anchor Society guests who hold Platinum status and above will also receive the exclusive benefit of included excursions to the 7 New World Wonders.

Guests who join us for one of the four Ultimate Cruise segments will receive the following inclusions:

Deluxe Beverage Package for entire segment

VOOM Wi-Fi for entire segment

Gratuities for entire segment

Wash and fold laundry service for entire segment

Will I receive the same stateroom for the entire duration of my Ultimate World Cruise or Ultimate Cruise segment?

Our Ultimate World Cruise team will ensure that you get the same stateroom for the entirety of the cruise when purchased within the exclusive booking window through November 2021. If you are purchasing your Ultimate World Cruise after the Ultimate Cruise segments have opened for sale, our team will work with you to make every effort to secure the same stateroom for your entire time onboard, based on the remaining available inventory.

What is the payment schedule for the Ultimate World Cruise and the four Ultimate Cruise segments?

To reserve a stateroom on the Ultimate World Cruise or one of the four Ultimate Cruise segments a non-refundable deposit is required. Final payment must be received by Royal Caribbean 180 days prior to cruise departure. For bookings created within 180 days prior to cruise departure, final payment must be received within 48 hours of booking.

How long do I have to place my deposit for the Ultimate World Cruise or one of the four Ultimate Cruise segments?

If outside of final payment, our Ultimate World Cruise and Ultimate Cruise segment guests are able to place a two-week hold to lock in their preferred stateroom and price before deposit is required. Your deposit must be placed within the two-week offer period to secure your selected stateroom.

Are there travel insurance options available on the Ultimate World Cruise or the four Ultimate Cruise segments?

There are travel insurance options available to guests who meet certain qualifications. For more information, please call 800-423-2100 or contact your Travel Advisor.

Why are the Ultimate World Cruise and the four Ultimate Cruise segments only offered as nonrefundable?

Our Ultimate World Cruise and the four Ultimate Cruise segments are a unique adventure that has never before been offered by Royal Caribbean and we want to ensure that our guests who are committed to sharing this experience with us receive priority placement. To preserve this unique experience, all sailings onboard Serenade of the Seas from December 10, 2023 – September 10, 2024, will be offered as exclusively nonrefundable.

Explore More

Royal Caribbean's New Cruise Will Visit 65 Countries in 9 Months

Guests will be able to tour iconic destinations on all seven continents

Caitlin Morton is a freelance writer based in Kansas City. Her work has appeared in Condé Nast Traveler, Vogue, and many other publications.

Courtesy of Royal Caribbean

After the past couple of years stuck at home, most people are more than ready to jump back into travel—ideally visiting as many places as possible, as soon as possible. Enter Royal Caribbean International. The company just unveiled its Ultimate World Cruise , an epic 274-night sailing that visits all seven continents, including over 150 destinations in 65 countries. It sounds like the perfect way to cross off half your bucket list in one fell swoop.

The cruise will depart from Miami on Dec. 10, 2023, and last until Sept. 10, 2024. That should give you plenty of time to start pinching those pennies—tickets start at $61,000 for an interior stateroom and go up to $112,000 for a junior suite. The price covers business class airfare and accommodations at a five-star hotel before setting sail.

You also have the option to tag along for just one of the journey's four legs, each of which explores a different part of the world: Antarctica and the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and Europe's Capitals of Culture. As for the ports of call, you can plan on visiting pretty much every famous tourist attraction on the planet. We're talking the Great Barrier Reef, Pyramids of Giza, Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu, and Iceland's Blue Lagoon—and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Oh yeah, you'll visit some icebergs, too.

"This is the world cruise of world cruises," said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. "To travelers asking themselves where they should go next, we say everywhere."

The all-encompassing itinerary is the main draw here, but guests should expect to have a pretty great time on the actual ship itself, Serenade of the Seas. According to the ship's website , onboard amenities include a mini-golf course, rock climbing wall, full-service spa, pool with a retractable glass roof, and a theater hosting everything from Broadway shows to stand-up comics. Guests can choose from nearly 20 restaurants and bars, then enjoy the scenery from the ship's panoramic, multi-story windows.

Bookings for the full Ultimate World Cruise can be made by phone now. The only thing left to do is pray you win the lottery in the next 26 months.

Where to Go in 2021: 10 Future Trips You Can Start Planning Now

After Months of Silence, CDC Finally Releases Next Steps For Return Of U.S. Cruises

Maps of Countries With Cruise Ports of Call

Disney's New Cruise Ship Is Setting Sail In June 2022—See Inside

13 New Ocean Cruise Ships in 2018

The Best Cruise Lines for Couples

Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship: Oasis of the Seas

What to Expect If You’re Going on a Cruise This Winter

Most Popular Family Cruise Lines

One Week in Egypt: The Ultimate Itinerary

The Best Alaska Cruises

Mediterranean Cruise Maps

The 10 Most Romantic Adventure Trips You Can Take

Where to Go in 2023: The Most Exciting Destinations to Explore This Year

Why Cruising Solo Is Worth it

8 Disney Cruise Hacks for Grown-Ups

Target’s version of 'The Tortured Poets Department' contains two special poems: Read and shop them here

• TODAY Plaza
• Share this —

• Watch Full Episodes
• Read With Jenna
• Inspirational
• Relationships
• TODAY Table
• Newsletters
• Start TODAY
• Shop TODAY Awards
• Citi Concert Series
• Listen All Day

Follow today

More Brands

• On The Show

Passenger dies during 9-month Royal Caribbean world cruise

The viral nine-month Royal Caribbean cruise has experienced a death on the high seas.

“A guest sailing onboard Serenade of the Seas has sadly passed away,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson shared in a statement to NBC News Feb. 13.

The spokesperson did not share details regarding the passenger’s identity or the circumstances of their death.

“We are actively providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones at this time. Out of the privacy of the guest and their family, we have nothing further to share at this time,” the statement concluded.

The 9-month-long cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise captured the attention of social media towards the end of last year.

On Dec. 10, Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise kicked off its round-the-world tour. TikTok's obsession with the voyage and its partakers quickly followed suit. The hashtag #RoyalCaribbeanUltimateWorldCruise has already accumulated nearly 100 million views on the platform, and with the cruise liner ending its voyage on Sept. 10, 2024, that number has plenty of time to continue to climb.

A corner of TikTok has been closely tracking activity on the cruise ship, called Serenade of the Seas, with many users pointing out that so much can happen within the span that it’s at sea, including new relationships, falling outs, pregnancy, death and more.

“Can you imagine the type of drama that is gonna happen on that boat?” user @nchimad on TikTok said in a video posted soon after the trip set sail. “If something big goes down, I want to hear from different people, different angles, perspectives.”

TikTok is turning the 9-month-long cruise ship into an official reality TV show.

Read on for everything we know.

What is the 9-month cruise all over TikTok?

Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise is a 274-night trip that began on Dec. 10, 2023, when it left from Miami and is expected to come to an end in the same place on Sept. 10, 2024.

Passengers are currently staying on Serenade of the Seas, a ship that had its maiden voyage in 2003 .

Serenade of the Seas will tour the world in four segments: the Americas, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Mediterranean and "Europe and beyond."

Ticket rates are based on a range of 1,073 staterooms and the full 274-night trip ran from $53,999 per person to $117,599 per person. Tickets for different legs of the trip are still available to book.

Why is the 9-month cruise all over TikTok?

TikTok users h ave become highly invested in the cr uise 's passengers, likening them to a cast of characters that would typically appear on a reality show.

For people tracking the day-to-day lives of cruise ship passengers, many have predicted that the 9-month trip has the potential for drama equivalent to or even larger than a reality TV series production. After all, the footage being streamed on TikTok is created and edited by real people, not a major network.

“I made an Ultimate World Cruise Bingo card for anyone else who is buckling in for this nine months TikTok reality show,” user @whimsysoul shared in a video posted shortly after the ship’s voyage began.

Her curated game of predicted events includes “minor mystery to solve,” “stowaway,” “podcast following the trip,” “2nd COVID outbreak” and “staff dates passenger.”

Some users following the events of the cruise ship appear to be ogling the voyage with a sense of suspicion and a sobering dose of reality. After all, the voyage's 9-month set up brings back memories of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine.

As user @megseestheworld notes , the entire experience reminds her of an episode of "Suite Life on Deck" when the sea days repeat themselves, a similar vibe to the movie "Groundhog Day."

"I think that's what it would start to feel like, with all those sea days, like I couldn't do it," she says in the clip.

"But then on the flip side, when they get to Europe in the last segment of the cruise, like the last part of the itinerary, it's almost too intense," she continues. "I think I counted at some points, they're going 18 days in port with no sea days, and the last segment means that you're probably six months into this cruise, you're probably going to be really tired? I don't know, I'd be tired."

What has happened so far on the 9-month cruise?

Month 1 highlights — december to january.

• First scheduled port is canceled: Passengers experienced their first canceled scheduled port on Devil's Island due to inclement weather, but TikToker Angie Linderman shrugged it off in her video as something to be expected while on the high seas.
• Minor flooding on deck: There was some minor flooding. Video captured on board the cruise showed that on deck 12 of the ship, water spread across the floor carpets and small streams flowed down the corridor.
• Seeing Antarctica from a distance: After sailing through the trepidatious conditions of the Drake Passage, passengers weren't able to step foot on Antarctica due to it being a protected area. The TikToker known as Little Rat Brain expressed her disappointment with a video about the visit , writing, "Not stepping foot on Antarctica.” According to the TikToker, passengers were able to see an up-close slab of ice extracted from the area that was brought on the ship.
• Influencer joins the cruise and stirs up drama: On Jan. 6, fashion influencer Marc Sebastian announced that he received sponsorship from Atria Books, a part of Simon & Schuster, to track and stir up the drama on board for 18 nights out of the 274-day trip. In his next-day post, Sebastian revealed his tense-filled interaction with a member of the cruise’s Pinnacle Club when he let out a curse word. 

Who are the TikTokers on the ship?

While the exact number of current passengers on Serenade of the Seas, which can hold up to 2,476 guests, is unknown, recent footage from traveler @brooklynschwetje shows a cruise meeting when it was revealed 1,093 membership passengers were on board.

A select few passengers have been consistently posting on TikTok since the voyage began, and the list includes but isn't limited to: @aa.kenney , @ iambrandeelake , @angielinderman , @brooklynschwetje , @madisonschwetje , @amike_oosthuizen , @little_rat_brain , @drjennytravels , @spendingourkidsmoney and @livingphase2 .

Some of these users, many deeming themselves as The Ultimate Real World Cruise cast, have started to hang out with each other on the ship and post content together.

Alé Kenney and Andrew Kenney, @aa.kenney

Alé and Andrew Kenney will celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary during the Ultimate World Cruise tour.

Speaking to TODAY.com, 29-year-old Alé Kenney says that the cruise isn’t just a massive voyage made up of TikTokers and Generation Z.

"I would say the majority, like the overwhelming majority of passengers, are retirees (or seniors)," she explains, summarizing that number as being at least 90% of the passengers.

According to the Kenneys, the two decided to hop on board the Serenade of the Seas after her father died two years ago.

"My dad got sick and passed away, and he was only 57," she explains.

"We just kind of started running numbers and processing and thinking about it," Andrew Kenney adds. "We were like, 'Well, we can do it. We don't have a mortgage right now. We don't have kids yet.' We're just in a season of life where we could actually take nine months off and see the world."

The Kenneys told TODAY Dec. 27 that when they first came on board, they had 200 followers, and that today, they now have 90K followers.

The couple declined to share what they do for work and whether they will work during the trip.

Brandee Lake @ iambrandeelake , Shannon Lake @swankalamode

Brandee Lake, 46, and her 42-year-old sister, Shannon, decided to join their retired parents on their trip.

“I’m like, you’re not leaving us behind. I don’t really know what you think is going on here,” Shannon Lake quips in their interview with TODAY.com

Brandee Lake worked in marketing and advertisement and lived in Los Angeles, California, before the trip. Shannon Lake runs her own consulting business and plans to work remotely from the ship while making up her own hours.

The sisters say they'll share the same cabin during their 9 months on the trip, and that they don't expect to butt heads too much with each other or their parents, since they're close and quarantined together during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Users have expressed interest in following the Lake sisters in particular to see their perspective of traveling the world and taking part in a cruise as Black women.

"We definitely are the youngest Black people on the boat," Brandee Lake explains.

"I think that's why my TikTok skyrocketed so fast, because I was the first Black person that people were seeing post that was actually on the ship," Shannon Lake adds.

During their joint interview, the sisters agreed in unison that the people and staff for the "most part are amazing."

"So friendly, so kind so much energy," Brandee Lake says, quashing any drama that users have attempted to stir up so far. "Our people at dinner are like family already, you know, we have people who we don't even interact with normally (who) are like family already. And of course, the staff itself is quite diverse."

She echoed these statements in separate interview that aired on TODAY Dec. 27, saying that the passengers are "one growing family" and that "everything has been great."

Though both sisters note that within days of setting sail, they did experience a loaded bump: “Apparently it seemed far fetched to some that a Black woman (and family) could be a guest on the once in a lifetime experience,” Brandee Lake wrote alongside a recent video she shared on her TikTok.

Soon after the post began to circulate, she says the cruise’s hotel director made a point to greet her at dinner.

"I think (TikTok users who watched the post) were tagging Royal Caribbean like 'you need to fix this,'" Brandee Lake explains. "They did at least take the time to come to me and you know, ask how everything's going now."

The Lake sisters tell TODAY.com that other than this, they've yet to encounter any reality television-worthy bits of drama to mark on a Bingo card, but they do have a podcast where they plan on sharing their journey with followers.

Angie Linderman, @angielinderman

Linderman tells TODAY.com that when she first boarded Serenade of the Seas, she had less than 100 followers. Now she has over 115K followers.

"I think that it is surprising out there to people that there's so many on the younger side who are on the cruise," she explained. "I think that's really resonating with people or gathering their attention, maybe."

For Linderman, she wants to use her new platform to share with others why she signed up for the cruise in the first place. Linderman has the BRCA2 gene , which means she is at a higher risk for certain cancers .

"That is something that has kind of helped to impact my desire to travel," she explains. "Retirement age is not a guarantee. And so (there is) an emphasis on just doing all of the things I can do now while I'm healthy, while I'm able, instead of putting them off in hopes that I can do them later, when in reality that may not happen."

Linderman says that she left her cozy three-bedroom home in Oregon to tour the world for nine months in her current 250-square-foot balcony stateroom.

To prepare for the 9-month voyage, she arranged for a friend to stay at her home with her dog and reduced the hours of her job in marketing. For the next several months, she'll work remotely and will be taking advantage of the various stops and sights the voyage will have to offer.

Where is The Ultimate World Cruise going?

The Serenade of the Seas' Ultimate World Tour has an extensive itinerary that promises to take its passengers to 11 Wonders of the World and 65 countries in 274 nights flat. The destinations are broken down into four travel segments. Check out the four segments and their stretches below:

Ultimate Americas Cruise 

• 64 nights from Dec. 10, 2023, to Feb. 11, 2024
• 36 destinations, including Cozumel, Mexico; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Los Angeles, California
• 4 Wonders, including Iguazú Falls and Machu Picchu

Ultimate Asia Pacific Cruise 

• 87 nights from Feb. 11, 2024, to May 9, 2024
• 40 destinations, including Kailua-Kona, Hawaii; Manila, Philippines; and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• 3 Wonders, including the Great Barrier Reef and the Taj Mahal

Ultimate Middle East and Med Pacific Cruise 

• 63 nights from May 9, 2024, to July 10, 2024
• 44 destinations, including Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Alexandria, Egypt; Rhodes, Greece; Barcelona, Spain; and Provence, France
• 4 Wonders, including the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Temple of Artemis

Ultimate Europe and Beyond Cruise 

• 63 nights from July 10, 2024, to Sept. 10, 2024
• 40 destinations, including Casablanca, Morocco; Paris, France; Bruges, Belgium; and Nuuk, Greenland

Alex Portée is a senior trending reporter at TODAY Digital and is based in Los Angeles.

• Newsletters

Site search

• Israel-Hamas war
• 2024 election
• Solar eclipse
• Supreme Court
• All explainers
• Future Perfect

Filed under:

• Internet Culture

The nine-month cruise that took over TikTok

On the high seas, it’s content creators versus the other passengers.

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Twitter
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: The nine-month cruise that took over TikTok

On December 10, the Serenade of the Seas departed the Miami harbor. It is not a normal cruise: On board were hundreds of passengers who, for the ensuing nine months, will live aboard the ship as it travels to 150 ports of call, 60 countries, and seven continents. “All four corners, one epic voyage,” reads Royal Caribbean’s marketing materials for “The Ultimate World Cruise,” where prices range from around $54,000 to $117,000 per person.

Sign up for the Vox Culture newslett er

Each week we’ll send you the very best from the Vox Culture team, plus a special internet culture edition by Rebecca Jennings on Wednesdays. Sign up here .

There have been round-the-world cruises before, the first almost exactly 100 years ago . There has not, however, been a world cruise that has captivated the internet as this one has, creating what many people online are referring to as its own real-time “reality show.” More than a dozen passengers and crew members have begun documenting their travels via TikTok and posting updates from the ship, while a handful of loyal recap accounts distill all the information into bite-size news updates. A few of the passengers came aboard with existing followings, like South African influencer Amike Oosthuizen , whose mother was a cast member on The Real Housewives of Pretoria, or University of Alabama graduate student Brooklyn Schwetje , who was already posting travel content prior to the cruise. For the most part, though, those who started posting about their journeys on the cruise watched their TikTok follower counts jump from basically zero to more than 100,000 in the span of a few weeks. On #cruisetok, the passengers are characters, the updates are “plot,” and the actual destinations are simply backgrounds on which to project the maximum amount of drama. As of January 22, videos hashtagged with #ultimateworldcruise have garnered a combined more than 340 million views.

@whimsysoul Ultimate World Cruise Bingo Card!!! who's playing with me? ️ #ultimateworldcruise #royalcaribbean #worldcruise #cruise #bingo #travel #whimsysoul ♬ original sound - Kara • Bingo Girl

It began just as the Serenade of the Seas embarked on its journey in December, when multiple videos about the cruise went viral. Among them: a video called “ things that stress me out the 9mo cruise, ” in which the poster listed everything from “alcoholism” to “serial killers” as potential threats, and a bingo card that included both a first and a second Covid outbreak, a pirate takeover, a wedding, mass STDs, a mental breakdown, and, naturally, a podcast upon return. One creator started a series called “Ship Happens” where she meticulously documents everything that happens on the boat, such as when a scheduled stop at the Falkland Islands was canceled due to rough seas or when the passengers spotted some whales ; another has christened herself the “ Sea Tea Director .”

This, obviously, is sort of an uncanny way to discuss regular people who are simply living their lives and going on a (yes, very extravagant) vacation. But it is an increasingly familiar one, as TikTok continues to determine what millions of people are looking at, and when. The Ultimate World Cruise’s closest relative might be the annual ritual of Bama Rush, where every August since 2021 , first-year students at the University of Alabama show off their outfits on TikTok for different sorority recruitment events. After a handful of those videos went viral, the women in them became brief celebrities , as did the people commenting on the phenomenon. Whether they were telling their own inside stories of Bama Rush, sharing which girls they were “rooting for,” or wondering how they ended up watching these videos to begin with, once the topic took off, more and more people started fighting for a sliver of that attention. The result was a media frenzy that lasted for about two weeks before the algorithm moved on.

Because what said algorithm constantly seeks is novelty with a healthy dose of timeliness, precisely what a nine-month cruise can best provide. Consider Joe Martucci, a 67-year-old retired CFO from St. Cloud, Florida, who boarded the cruise as a retirement celebration along with his wife, Audrey. “I was sending videos to my children, and they said, ‘Hey, Dad, put these on TikTok so we can let our friends see them too.’ I didn’t know ‘their friends’ were 90,000 people,” he tells me over video chat while the ship is docked in Ushuaia, at the southern tip of Argentina. His first cruise post , under the account @spendingourkidsmoney , hit 1.5 million views, and within weeks, fellow passengers started coming up to him to say they saw him online. Because he begins all his videos with, “Hey, kids!” his followers have come to see him like their own dad (sample comment: “just know that you’re also healing a little piece for those of us that never had a dad. enjoy your vaca, love you guys! - daughter”).

@spendingourkidsmoney #royalcaribbean #cruising #explore #WorldCruise #UltimateWorldCruise #UWC #Serenadeoftheseas #cruise #travel ♬ original sound - joe

He says he’s honored by the sentiment and it’s the reason he keeps it up. People are so charmed by Martucci that they’ve scheduled a meetup with him when the ship arrives at Southampton, England, on July 26 (after a TikTok of his itinerary revealed that he planned to shop at Primark that day, fans decided they would come along).

Or consider 23-year-old Little Rat Brain , who grew her account to nearly 150,000 followers and is a “fan favorite” on the cruise. (Little Rat Brain keeps her identity private from the internet and goes only by her username.) She posts funny, sometimes surreal, chaotically edited videos of what it’s like to live on a ship, even though she’d never used social media much before the trip. While she says she never aimed to get famous, she understands why people are fascinated. “We’re a very small group of people on an enclosed ship that you can’t leave,” she said. “And alcoholic drinks are free. It’s a perfect setup for drama.”

The problem, or so it would seem to the TikTokers recapping what’s going on on the ship, is that the stars of their reality show aren’t really posting much drama. There’s a pretty obvious explanation why, per Little Rat Brain: “I don’t think many people will create drama because they don’t want to put their vacation at risk. Like, you have to go to the buffet at breakfast and someone could be staring at you. They could be sitting next to you on the bus ride for an excursion for two hours. You cannot escape everyone who’s on this cruise.” Instead, the TikTokers on board have leaned into the absurdity, hosting a meetup where all the “cast members” get together and introduce themselves in a talk show format, even referring to themselves as “characters.” So far, most of the content has been deliberately anodyne.

That doesn’t mean there haven’t been the kind of hiccups you’d expect on a nine-month cruise. There was, at one point, a flood (it’s fine now). One cruiser was temporarily banned from reboarding the boat for 12 days after he took an unauthorized trip to Brazil. Some guests were upset at the difference in treatment for Royal Caribbean loyalty program members versus regular passengers (which is … the point of joining a loyalty program). The originally scheduled stops in Russia , Ukraine, and Israel were relocated, for obvious reasons. One guest was accused of being a swinger because she had a pineapple decoration on her cabin door (“Sorry to disappoint you,” she said in a response video ).

When I asked if anyone was flirting or hooking up, Little Rat Brain says she attended one of Royal Caribbean’s singles’ mixers but promptly left because no one else showed up. “Literally no one. I walked in, looked around, walked out to double-check I was in the right location, and went back up, got a drink, sat there for two minutes, and was like, I’m leaving. Love Island is not happening.” Perhaps most tragic, the ship briefly ran out of red wine; they’ve since stocked up.

@little_rat_brain The way i would have loved to be on that boat!!! Also there was no announcement that it was on board?? . #ultimateworldcruise2023 #9monthcruise #9monthcruisetok #ultimateworldcruise #antartica ♬ original sound - Little Rat Brain

The bulk of the intrigue is the meta-drama between the TikTokers on the ship and the non-TikTokers. The real shit is going down in private Facebook groups, of which the cruise has at least five. Apparently, many of the non-TikTokers are becoming annoyed about the amount of filming on board and don’t want their faces included in background shots. While the TikTokers I spoke to say they’re very aware not to post anything with other people on camera, Martucci says that tensions have spilled over onto the ship. “I saw an incident the other day where some guy went off on someone and said, ‘Are you one of those TikTokers? Don’t you point that camera toward me! I’ll be mad if you point that camera toward me!’” Martucci says. “I felt sorry for the kid. He wasn’t pointing the camera at him.”

Then came the arrival of a TikToker who had zero problem making enemies on board. After model and influencer Marc Sebastian made a video pleading for someone to pay for him to go on the cruise — “I’ll go cause chaos, I’ll wreak havoc, and I’ll record everything” — Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, took him up on the offer and booked him an 18-night leg beginning January 5. (The deal: He’d read one of the eight books they sent him and post about it.) Within days, he’d become Enemy No. 1 for a certain segment of cruisers, like the people who yelled at him for swearing or the lengthy hate threads in one of the Facebook groups. At one point, he was escorted out of an exclusive lounge area for club members after livestreaming when one of his viewers called the ship to rat him out.

One would imagine Royal Caribbean isn’t pleased with his presence either — he’s been calling out the company for their low worker pay while also making the experience of actually being on the ship seem … kind of miserable .

That the social media spectacle of the Ultimate World Cruise has spilled offscreen and onto the actual boat is maybe more interesting than the understandable highs and lows of living at sea with hundreds of other people. Americans have always taken a special liking to cruises; ever since the birth of the industry in the 1970s, there’s been an enormous market, perhaps because cruise companies have gamified vacation in the form of points and loyalty rewards, or perhaps because Americans love all-you-can-eat buffets and also the freedom from having to make any decisions. Cruises are indeed getting longer , though mishaps can certainly occur — just ask the would-be passengers who are now suing the three-year cruise that was abruptly canceled mere days before it was scheduled to depart.

It’s no wonder, then, that the passengers aboard such a voyage would become objects of fascination for those of us without the means or desire to be on such a vacation, or why the TikTok algorithm has boosted so many of their videos. The Ultimate World Cruise falls perfectly into the platform’s recipe for viral gold: niche with universal appeal, timely, and a little bit controversial. Yet now, the cruise TikTokers are becoming objects of fascination — and frustration — for their own fellow passengers. Those I spoke to said that since they went viral, more people from the ship are opening TikTok accounts in the hopes that they too might become one of its “main characters.” Even though Sebastian is, by my count, the only influencer who’s done a sponsored content deal on the ship so far, it doesn’t mean that more brand money couldn’t be infiltrating the cruise soon.

As for the TikTokers on the boat themselves, most of them view their newfound attention as funny happenstance — as long as it isn’t too mean. “We have some that we really love,” says Jenny Hunnicutt, a 34-year-old who’s running her writing consulting agency from the boat, of the drama recappers. “The positivity has outweighed any negativity.” As long as the other half of the ship doesn’t mutiny against the TikTokers, hopefully that will stay the case.

This column was first published in the Vox Culture newsletter. Sign up here so you don’t miss the next one, plus get newsletter exclusives.

Will you support Vox today?

We believe that everyone deserves to understand the world that they live in. That kind of knowledge helps create better citizens, neighbors, friends, parents, and stewards of this planet. Producing deeply researched, explanatory journalism takes resources. You can support this mission by making a financial gift to Vox today. Will you join us?

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via

Next Up In Culture

Sign up for the newsletter today, explained.

Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day.

Thanks for signing up!

Check your inbox for a welcome email.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

What the Supreme Court case on tent encampments could mean for homeless people

Will AI mean the end of liberal democracy?

Israel and Iran’s conflict enters a new, dangerous phase

Trump’s jury doesn’t have to like him to be fair to him

What’s behind the latest right-wing revolt against Mike Johnson

Taylor Swift seems sick of being everyone’s best friend

• Entertainment
• internet culture

Why a 9-Month-Long World Cruise Is TikTok’s Latest Obsession

T ikTok is the perfect place to develop niche obsessions and find communities of like-minded content creators and consumers. And sometimes, those obsessions find their way out of their niche online spaces when they get popular, get shared across other platforms, and create discourse, causing audience sizes to balloon. From the #BamaRush craze of 2021, which saw the Alabama Sorority Rush take over the internet and even lead to a documentary on Max , to the private chefs of TikTok, who kick off each summer as they make their way to the Hamptons and give their followers a look into the world of the rich (and what they eat), the habits of others, especially when they do something unusual, consistently draw in viewers. The internet’s latest obsession is a nine-month world-spanning cruise that set sail on Dec. 10.

The Royal Caribbean Ultimate World Cruise, taking place on the Serenade of the Seas ship, is set to take passengers to over 60 countries across all seven continents. There are four legs of the cruise: The Americas (Dec. 10 to Feb. 11), Asia Pacific (Feb. 11 to May 9), the Middle East and the Mediterranean (May 9 to July 10), and Europe & Beyond (July 10 to Sept. 10), according to the Royal Caribbean website . People can opt to join any part of the tour, or stay for the whole thing, and the cheapest option for interested parties starts at $59,999 per person, with the more expensive options going for $117,999 per person.

@spendingourkidsmoney #royalcaribbean #cruising #explore #WorldCruise #UltimateWorldCruise #UWC #Serenadeoftheseas #cruise #travel ♬ original sound - Cruisemum&dad

Serenade of the Seas is attracting a lot of social media attention; the hashtag #UltimateWorldCruise has over 155 million views, and #WorldCruise has over 128.9 million. The content is coming from land and sea, turning the voyage into, as one creator put it, a “nine-month-long reality show.” On the cruise ship, creators have gone viral on TikTok for broadcasting their day-to-day lives, showing their rooms , and talking about spending their kids’ inheritance on a great trip. Just as popular are videos on TikTok from creators who aren't on the cruise, but simply commenting on the journey .

More From TIME

One creator, @whimsysoul shared a virtual bingo card for those invested in following updates from the cruise ship. Some of the spots include “staff dates passenger,” “pirate takeover,” and “minor mystery to solve.”

One creator, who is on the ship, with the username @nchimad appointed herself the “Sea Tea Director” and has promised to post about any drama that is sure to come up on the nine-month voyage. In her Dec. 14 video, she pointed out that the price of admission also comes with a deluxe unlimited beverage package.

@nchimad I’m staying on cruisetok for the next nine months😂 I want to see everything!! #royalcaribbeancruise #9monthcruise #whewchile #oceano #fyp #foryourpage ♬ original sound - ✨ND✨

Another concern creators have brought up is a potential COVID-19 outbreak on the ship. According to @nchimad, an anonymous source tipped her off to a positive case on the cruise on Dec. 22, but it doesn’t seem to have created an outbreak (which is also on the bingo card).

@nchimad #greenscreen 🚨SEA TEA ALERT🚨 Shout out to my “TeaNonymous Crew” FIRST KNOWN POSITIVE COVID TEST ON ROYAL CARIBBEAN ULTIMATE WORLD CRUISE! Follow me for all “SeaTea”! #royalcaribbean #ultimateworldcruise #covid #cruisetok #fyp #foryou ♬ Npsy Hussle Type Beat (Remastered 2023) - liuslz

So far, most passengers seem to be enjoying their time on the cruise, according to their videos. However, Black TikTok creator Brandee Lake shared in a video that she dealt with microaggressions from passengers and the crew while on the ship, saying that she was mistaken for an employee on the ship and that she was asked how she could afford the cruise.

“If I get asked if I work on this ship one more time,” Lake says in the video. “It’s gonna be a long nine months." Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to TIME's request for comment.

@iambrandeelake The first few days definitely had some bumps... Apparently it seemed far fetched to some that a Black woman (and family) could be a guest on the once in a lifetime experience. #ultimateworldcruise #serenadeoftheseas #aroundtheworldcruise #RoyalCaribbean #melaninatsea #blackworldcruiser ♬ original sound - Brandee Lake

In Lake's most recent videos, she has posted general updates from the ship.

As the cruise ship makes its way toward Antarctica, TikTok creators and influencers are planning lots more content. One TikToker, Marc Sebastian, says he will be joining the ship for a couple of days to scope out the drama and interact with the passengers to report back to his followers.

@marcsebastianf if anyone says anything about my pimple i stg YOU trh preparing for a cruise to antarctica in 6 days and lets see your skin!!! special shoutout to @Kara • San Francisco for the bingo card #ultimateworldcruise #worldcruise #royalcaribbean #cruise #serenadeoftheseas #Uwc #target #vlog #antarctica #haul ♬ original sound - Marc Sebastian

More Must-Reads From TIME

• The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
• The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
• 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
• What's the Deal With the Bitcoin Halving?
• If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
• The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
• Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
• Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time

Write to Moises Mendez II at [email protected]

Matador Original Series

Passengers Open Up About What It’s Like to Go on a 9-Month Cruise Around the World

H ow would you define a reality TV show? Probably as a group of strangers thrown together in a luxurious or foreign locale, engaging in various activities where romance, conflict, and hysterics could ensue. By that definition, cruises are a reality show without the cameras, which makes Royal Caribbean’s nine-month Ultimate World Cruise the perfect reality show. Oh, and thanks to iPhones and TikTok, the cameras are there too.

What exactly does a nine-month cruise look like?

The Ultimate World Cruise is a nine-month voyage around the world, which left Miami on December 10, 2023, and is slated to return on September 10, 2024. Taking place on the Serenade of the Seas, the cruise will tour the Americas, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Mediterranean, and Europe. And yes, that even includes Antarctica. Passengers can choose to board for the full nine months, or simply join for one of the various legs. Obviously, the full nine months will set passengers back a hefty sum, ranging from $54,000 to $117,000 per person.

The cruise differs from a typical seven-night voyage in several crucial ways. Mainly – you’re not just on a short-lived vacation with your fellow passengers. You’ve essentially moved into a floating apartment building with them for almost a full year. You’re also putting your real life, relationships, and potentially careers, on hold. So what kind of person takes a trip like this? Who can just depart from their everyday responsibilities for a 9-month jaunt around the world? Surprisingly, it’s not just retirees and millionaires.

@little_rat_brain Might have froze myself half to death but my paint did stay on the table during arts and craft, so there’s that . #ultimateworldcruise2023 #9monthcruise #9monthcruisetok #ultimateworldcruise #drakeshake #drakepassage #9monthcruisedrama #ultimateworldcruisebingo ♬ Feeling Good – Michael Bublé

Several passengers have been documenting their voyages on a day-to-day basis and sharing their videos on TikTok. Now, people are following their journey like they’d follow a reality show. According to these passengers-turned-social-media-reality stars, here’s what it’s like to live on a cruise for nine months.

Who takes a nine-month cruise, anyway?

As it turns out, you don’t need to be a millionaire with a ton of savings in the bank and absolutely zero responsibilities back home. This is the age of remote work, and the era of taking some time off the 9-5 grind to find yourself.

“My husband and I have always dreamed of traveling the world,” Jenny Hunnicutt , one of the cruise’s passengers, tells Matador Network . “The day that Royal Caribbean announced that it was doing the longest world cruise ever, we gave them a call with a list of questions. One by one they answered our questions and the next thing we knew we were putting down a deposit!”

@drjennytravels I hope everyone had a very happy new year! 🍾 Cheers to 2024! #drjennytravels #ultimateworldcruise #worldcruisetok #cruisetok #uwc #royalcaribbean #Serenadeoftheseas #royalcaribbeanworldcruise #9monthcruisetok #9monthcruise ♬ original sound – drjennytravels

Jenny and her husband didn’t exactly leave behind a traditional lifestyle, either. It’s actually not as hard as you think to take off for several months, assuming you’ve set yourself up the right way professionally and lifestyle-wise.

“In 2021 I went completely remote in my business, sold everything, bought an RV, and started traveling the US,” she says. “For this world cruise, we left the RV stored in Las Vegas and are planning to return to it when we finish the 9 months at sea.”

For little_rat_brain , another passenger, the cruise functioned as a little life intermission, while also serving her travel goals.

“I’m an artist, so my schedule is flexible,” she says. “I was in between major milestones and the timing worked out. Not only was this the only cruise that would allow me to see so many different places across the world and meet so many new people, but it was also the fact that I would only have to unpack once.”

And though she does have a house to consider, she’s not exactly letting it fall into disrepair during her stint at sea. Relatives are caring for her house.

As you might expect, however, longer cruises like this typically appeal to an older demographic – people who have the time and means for a longer getaway.

“While the people on this ship come from a wide variety of demographics,” says passengers Nancy and Mike , “as you can imagine, many of the people on board are retired, simply because of the length of this adventure. Life is short and we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Our children are all grown and married, and our grandchildren won’t remember we were ever gone, so this really seemed like the best time.”

@livingphase2 #livingphase2 #royalcarribeancruise #royalcaribbean #royalcaribbeanworldcruise #worldcruisers #ultimateworldcruise #secondphaseoflife #uwc #rainjacket ♬ original sound – MikeandNancyLP2

And all they needed to keep their business back home running smoothly? WiFi.

“We own our own business and have a general manager running it while we are away,” they say. “We have internet so we have contact with our business regularly. Our bills are paid online, and we have a housesitter managing our home while we are away.”

What life is like onboard

Life aboard a nine-month cruise is quite different from your typical week-long voyage. On shorter cruises, you might make “vacation friends” who you hang with for a couple days and vow to stay in touch, only to inevitably lose contact three months later. You might get to know a few crew member’s names just as the cruise is drawing to a close. On a nine-month cruise, your fellow passengers aren’t just incidental travel companions bound together by proximity, they’re like neighbors in adjacent apartments in a floating shared community. They’re not just people you might run into at dinner once or twice during the week, they’re semi-permanent fixtures of your world for nine months, with whom you’ll have the time to form actual relationships.

@little_rat_brain Another bingo card down . #ultimateworldcruise2023 #9monthcruisetok #ultimateworldcruisebingo #northsea ♬ It's Five O'Clock Somewhere – Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett

According to little_rat_brain, “for the past 26 nights I’ve had dinner with seven other people, and over time, we have become so interconnected. Not only do we look for each other at the different activities, but we’ve already made plans to meet up once the cruise ends and visit each other across the world.”

More like this

Trending now, 10 things i loved (and hated) about my first big-ship cruise, the cheapest ways to get your laundry done during a cruise, this cruise line started its own traveler book club, and you can join for free, this world cruise to 140 countries will set you back as much as $839,999, at $89 a day, this 3.5-year cruise is cheaper than living in most us cities, discover matador, adventure travel, train travel, national parks, beaches and islands, ski and snow.

Ultimate World Cruise journey goes viral as social media users track 9-month trip

The hashtag #ultimateworldcruise has garnered over 150 million views on TikTok.

As vacation-goers around the world settle back into daily life after exciting holiday excursions, one group of ambitious adventure seekers is just getting started.

Royal Caribbean's nine-month cruise, known as The Ultimate World Cruise, left Miami on Dec. 10 for a massive global excursion that has gone viral on TikTok, as passengers share their unique experiences with the rest of the world.

Since embarking on the high seas three weeks ago, the hashtag #ultimateworldcruise has garnered over 150 million views on TikTok, with videos from passengers giving followers a behind-the-scenes look at the 274-day circumnavigational adventure.

MORE: Cruise lines offering longer journeys and new experiences despite setbacks

"They're enjoying coming along for the trip through our eyes and getting to see places that they wouldn't normally see," said passenger Audrey Martucci, whose TikTok account -- which she runs with her husband Joe -- has skyrocketed to 71,000 followers since the couple first started posting videos from their trip.

The Martuccis have even been dubbed the trip's unofficial "mom and dad" by their followers.

"We get some comments back to us sometimes on our TikTok that have really touched our heart, where someone says, 'I've lost track, I lost touch with family,'" said Joe Martucci. "They say, 'You make me feel like part of a family again.'"

The day-to-day routines -- and tribulations -- of world cruise passengers have fascinated TikTok users, who appear to be invested in the trip.

MORE: 3-year cruise canceled weeks before setting sail, prompting passenger backlash

Beyond the firsthand accounts from the passengers, videos from onlookers reacting to the cruise's daily events have also gained attention on TikTok, with some garnering millions of views.

The marathon cruise is expected to make stops in seven continents, 65 countries, and over 150 ports of call before finally docking back at the trip's origin port in Miami. For passengers unable to commit to nine months of international travel, the cruise also offered four separate segmented trips ranging from 63 nights to 87 nights, depending on the segment.

According to the Royal Caribbean website, the cheapest booking option for the Ultimate World Cruise is the Interior Stateroom, which is priced at $59,999 per person. The most expensive option listed is the Junior Stateroom, which is priced at $117,599 per person, with customers encouraged to call Royal Caribbean for pricing on "other suite categories."

MORE: Cruise passengers speak out after Bahamas voyage reroutes to Boston

The vessel completing the tall task is the Serenade of the Seas, which has a guest capacity of 2,146 in 1,073 rooms, according to the cruise line's website. Some amenities onboard the ship include panoramic views, a mini-golf green and a variety of cuisines.

Related Stories

Man dies after setting himself on fire near court

• Apr 20, 9:00 AM

Vehicle crashes into building leaving 2 dead

• Apr 20, 9:20 PM

OJ Simpson dies at 76

• Apr 11, 6:32 PM

Despite most passenger TikTok videos showing smooth sailing on the voyage so far, a logistical mix-up did temporarily impact one Ultimate World Cruise passenger.

Passenger Anthony Antoine told ABC News he was forced to stay behind in Brazil for a few days after a complication with Brazilian law, which he said did not allow him to onboard in the country. He was able to onboard in Uruguay later on.

"My family is like, 'Oh, poor Anthony, got stuck in Brazil!'" said Antoine.

The nine-month cruise is surprisingly not the longest voyage planned in the world of cruising. A 3.5-year trip is in the works from Villa Vie Residences, which plans to depart England in May of 2024 and complete its trip in West Palm Beach, Florida, in December 2027.

Life At Sea Cruises had a three year cruise planned, but postponed the trip in November, weeks before the ship was set to depart on its maiden voyage, after delays and logistical challenges involving the ship itself.

Such long voyages may not be for everyone. But according to Joe Martucci, the nine months afforded by The Ultimate World Cruise means he and his wife can take things at their own pace.

"On a seven-day cruise, you're so afraid you're gonna miss something -- but on this one, we just feel like we have all the time in the world," he said.

Related Topics

'American Idol' alum Mandisa dies

• Apr 19, 3:49 PM

Houses passes billions in foreign aid

• Apr 20, 4:30 PM

ABC News Live

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

TikTok’s nine-month cruise: what is it and and why can’t I stop watching?

A cruise trip advertised as the longest in the world has become its own reality show, with passengers regularly going viral for their video diaries. But is anything actually … happening?

Patrick, I do not pretend to understand the arcane machinations behind my TikTok algorithm, but lately it has been delivering me video after video of people sailing the world in a nine-month cruise. They are all on the same cruise and there is the same quiet desperation behind each of their vacant gazes. What is happening?

What is HAPPENING, Michael, is essentially a social experiment being broadcast in real time, and some of us absolutely cannot get enough of it.

The Royal Caribbean Ultimate World Cruise is a nine-month cruise taking place on a ship called the Serenade of the Seas, which aims to travel to more than 60 countries across all seven continents – and which is being advertised as the world’s longest cruise. We don’t know the official number of passengers on board, though one TikToker reports that it’s around 1,000. Most are just normal cruise types, but some began documenting it on TikTok – basically just explaining what they do in a day, and showing their viewers the rooms, the meals, the other passengers – and despite that sounding like the worst reality television premise you’ve ever heard, it started going mega viral.

Two months in and we now have a boat full of influencers who are trapped together on the high seas: a place where people famously love to go mad and get obsessed with hunting huge sexy whales. Nothing much has really happened yet, but it’s a perfect recipe for disaster; a guarantee of a horrible mari-time.

How did this start? And who are the main characters?

Like most things on TikTok ( Bama Rush , sea shanties ) we will never know the exact science behind how it became a massive phenomenon – but one of the first passengers to go viral was @ angielinderman , who posted a video explaining that she decided to join the cruise after both her parents died of cancer. She found out she also had an elevated risk of cancer, she says, so she spent her inheritance on a cruise ticket. She now has almost 180,000 followers.

This article includes content provided by TikTok. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue' .

Most of the content is day-in-the-life style videos and confessionals, like the TikToks made by sisters @ swankalamode and @ iambrandeelake (who have close to 300,000 followers between them) as well as South African creator @ amike_oosthuizen (275,000 followers), who was already an influencer before the cruise. There’s also @ little_rat_brain (139,000 followers), an anonymous passenger who makes short comedy skits on board, as well as smaller accounts such as @ singing.sailor , a crew member working as a performer and posting to his 7,000 followers.

Being on board a boat for nine months sounds like an antiquated punishment. But people are actually paying for this right?

Yes, and it is NOT CHEAP. People can opt to join any part of the tour, or stay for the whole thing; the cheapest option for the whole nine months starts at $US59,999 per person – and goes all the way up to $US117,999. One couple, who self-describe as a “cruise mum and dad”, started an account while on board called @ SpendingOurKidsMoney . They’ve accrued close to 90,000 followers.

But the interesting thing is how … janky it all looks. A lot of the facilities are giving university dorm common room. In fact, after the cruise started to blow up, TikTok influencer Marc Sebastian begged to be sent on board, and was finally sponsored by a publishing company to go on for 18 nights. His review? “ I hate it here. ”

He captioned a video touring his room by writing: “For 18 nights? fine. But for 9 months? No can do babe.”

He also claimed the showers are small with inconsistent hot water, the travel excursions to see penguins are often cancelled, and there’s music blaring everywhere, constantly. Nightmare.

So to reiterate: currently on board is a dubious melange of old, rich cruisers, digital nomads, and influencers, which is almost exactly the plot of Triangle of Sadness. Has there been any actual drama so far?

No, but everyone is prepared for it. It’s like we’re in the opening scenes of the disaster movie at the moment, where everyone is still bright and happy, we’re meeting all the characters, and scientists keep finding weird things that nobody is paying attention to.

We have had a lot of gossip however, which could turn into real drama – one account claimed that a passenger has Covid and is in fact hiding it, which could lead to another Ruby Princess style plague vessel.

Another recent video is sharing a rumour that the cruise could be ending much sooner than anticipated, due to conflicts in the Middle East – however a representative from Royal Caribbean confirmed that the plan is to continue the trip as scheduled.

Of course a lack of anything big happening hasn’t stopped an entire ecosystem of gossip, commentary and criticism from TikTok users marooned on the land. The people on board have become characters in a soap opera, and those watching are writing the storylines.

It very much feels like getting halfway through a season of Real Housewives when nothing is happening but everyone is talking in pointed whispers as if something is happening. Why are we still so invested?

I’d guess it’s a combo of factors. There’s something truly intoxicating about watching rich people eat it while trapped on big boats – think Below Deck and Triangle of Sadness – and big boats themselves have become main characters in the wake of Covid cruises and that one that got stuck .

On top of that, people are sick of how curated and produced reality TV is these days, and there’s potential for real and true chaos on this trip. It’s like putting a bunch of bats and spiders and eggs and fireworks into a box and shaking it. Something will happen. And we’ll be watching.

• Explain it to me quickly

Most viewed

After a double mastectomy, this inspiring TikToker embarked on a 9-month world cruise

"Transformative Experiences” is a seven-part series focusing on how travel can change the lives of those open to the experiences that new places can bring. If you'd like to contribute to our future reporting and share your experience as a source, you can click here to fill out this quick form .

The world's longest cruise, as some have called it, set sail just a little over a week ago.

With 650 guests on board, Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise departed from Miami on Dec. 10. The 274-day itinerary was scheduled to stop in more than 60 countries, including Antarctica, China, Oman, Spain, Mexico and French Polynesia.

One passenger, Angie Linderman, has been chronicling her journey on the world cruise on TikTok as @angielinderman – and viewers are loving it. Since she boarded the Serenade of the Seas, her followers climbed from 100 to more than 103,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.

This cruise has "felt like the light at the end of the tunnel” for the Oregon-based social media manager.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

This past year has been a whirlwind for Linderman, who had a preventative double mastectomy, including reconstruction surgery. In 2021, she learned she inherited the BRCA2 gene mutation , which put her at a higher risk of developing breast, ovarian and skin cancer.

Being proactive in taking all the preventative measures possible was also spurred by her mother's death the same year as her diagnosis.

Linderman’s mother died from breast cancer at age 65 in August 2021. Her father died at 65 from prostate cancer in 2013.

Her genetic predisposition made her aware that for some people, "someday may never happen, (so) I should do all the things I want to do now," Linderman said.

Native-led travel: You won't see America the same way after this travel experience

Deciding to carpe diem

It struck Linderman how her parents died around the age people usually retire and finally take the time to cross items off their bucket lists.

Now in her mid-30s, there was no time like the present to see the world. "I’ve always really loved to travel and always wanted that to be how I spend my time and money," she said.

Enter the world cruise. 

At first, she joked about it with her brother and sister-in-law, but it became a reality in August 2022 when she contacted a travel agent to finalize the booking.

Yes, cruise prices are up: Here's why cheap sailings may be harder to find

When she had her double mastectomy, Linderman said, she didn't feel like herself, and the trip became something to look forward to, like celebrating the new year in Rio de Janeiro. "I'm going to buy the craziest, most disco ball-y kind of dress to celebrate," she promised herself at the time.

"It was nice to have those moments when I was recovering and not myself to know this trip was happening and to be looking forward to all those experiences."

Although she has traveled extensively and lived abroad, Linderman went on her first cruise after booking the world cruise and surprisingly enjoyed herself. 

"I always thought cruising for retirees or people with kids because of the many activities onboard," she said, but she liked how she could see different countries without having to pack her bags and move to a new hostel each day.

"It's nuts to see the itinerary," she said. "I’m so excited. There are places I maybe wouldn’t have to traveled to as a female solo traveler." To her, the cruise option makes visiting these places "more doable" and removes the hassle of figuring out logistics.

Getting ready to live on a ship for nine months

"This is more of a marathon than a sprint," Linderman said of the nine months she's spending in a cabin. On Tuesday afternoon, the ship is sailing from Bonaire to Barbados.

Because Linderman's brother and his family of five are on board as well, she calls herself "a hybrid solo traveler." But one of the reasons she chose such a long cruise was to find community. 

"You'll make friends, you'll make these connections with people as opposed to a seven-day or 10-day cruise where you just smile at people." She already has met several fellow solo travelers and attends a women's knitting group that meets every sea day, and several parties.

Finding community: How cruises create space for LGBTQ+ travelers at sea

Thankfully, living in a small cabin is familiar to Linderman. About a decade ago, she lived in West Africa with Mercy Ships , a nonprofit that offers free medical care from a hospital ship. Although she lived on the ship, it was always docked. Regardless, it gave her a sense of what it could be like on a ship 24/7.

Still, Linderman doesn't want to burn out on such a long trip and still anticipates those "low" days that happen in regular life on land.

"It's balancing normal life things when you’re in a cool spot and trying to balance how to make the most time when you’re in a new place," Linderman said. She said she wouldn't force herself to be the first person to disembark and the last to return to the ship.

She's focused on building "good habits and good routines," including going to the gym in the morning and working on sea days. Right before Thanksgiving, she gave notice to her job to reduce her hours and work remotely.

"I don't view this as a 9-month vacation. This is my life."

Sharing her journey

Linderman started posting TikToks in February, sharing her BRCA2 journey as "a way to process" and encouraging others to do genetic testing. Not knowing many others who also had the genetic mutation, she also posted for others going through something similar to have someone to relate to.

On Nov. 7, she posted her first cruise-related TikTok sailing around the Northeast, and from there, her videos took off. Her views went from several thousand to more than 4.5 million .

"It is mind-blowing," she said.

Though she knew people would be interested in a trip as intriguing as a 274-day-long world cruise, Linderman "never anticipated this level of interest."

She said she has gotten a plethora of responses from "women who are BRCA-positive women" and "people who have lost people to cancer as well."

"We don't wait for things. We do them now ... we do all the things we want to enjoy now."

Has a life event inspired you to travel? How so?

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission

Everyone Worth Following on the 9-Month Cruise

If you spent your holiday break mindlessly scrolling through TikTok in order to avoid your mother’s questions about your job/romantic life/plans for the future, then you probably know about the nine-month cruise. If not, you’re in for a treat. Get ready to learn about a group of people whose dads have not explained the plot of The Wager to them.

What is the nine-month cruise?

Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like. On the Royal Caribbean website , the cruise — officially called the Ultimate World Cruise — is advertised as “the most epic cruise to ever set sail.” (The Taylor Swift cruise would like a word.) The people who have booked the entire voyage will be on the ship for 274 nights and travel to over 60 countries including Antarctica. If spending most of the year on a boat eating buffet food doesn’t sound appealing, you can just go for one of the trip’s “segments,” which still entails being on the ship for months at a time. Wrapping your head around what you might do on a cruise for nine months can be hard, but thankfully there are plenty of “day in my life” videos that can help you out.

@angielinderman Day 5; At Sea on @Royal Caribbean’s 9-month Ultimate Workd Cruise. It was more of a relaxing day, starting to feel more routines in the ship which I need. #RoyalCaribbean #crusing #explore #solotravler #worldCruise #UltimateWorldCruise #UWC #SerenadeOfTheSeas #cruise #travel #9monthcruise ♬ original sound - Angie

@amike_oosthuizen Spend a day with us in Brazil!! 🇧🇷🩷 #SAMA28 #cruise #travel #worldcruise #ultimateworldcruise #ultimateworldcruise2023 #royalcaribbean #foryou #foryoupage #cruisetok #fyp #viral #brazil ♬ original sound - Amike Oosthuizen

How much does a nine-month cruise cost?

It ain’t cheap, I’ll tell you that much. Assuming you’re going for the full cruise, the cheapest option is an interior stateroom that costs $59,999 per person. If you were to ball out for a junior suite, you’d be paying $117,599 per person. There is a loophole, though. You can get on the cruise for free if you go viral for saying you want to go on the cruise. So far, this has only happened to TikToker Marc Sebastian, who is going on the cruise for a couple weeks courtesy of a brand that has not yet been revealed. My guess is Dramamine.

@marcsebastianf #stitch with @Marc Sebastian next time on survivor #ultimateworldcruise #worldcruise #royalcaribbean #realitytv #cruise #serenadeoftheseas #Uwc #royalcarribeancruise #drakepassage #antarctica ♬ original sound - Marc Sebastian

Who should I be following?

There are two different ways you can go about this. You could either follow the people who are actually on the ship, or you could follow the people who are following all the people who are on the ship. Of the latter group, the most in-depth reportage is coming from @livingmy_bethlife , who has turned the cruise into a reality show that she’s calling “Ship Happens.”

@livingmy_bethlife The main cast of our unintentional soap opera on the seas HAVE MET! Also… two new characters unlocked 🔐 #9monthcruise #cruisetok #royalcaribbeancruise #shiphappens #livingmybethlife @Nadine Bower @Lindsay @drjennytravels @joe @Amike Oosthuizen @Little Rat Brain @Andrew & Ale Kenney @Brooklyn Schwetje @Brandee Lake @Shannon Marie @Madison Schwetje ♬ original sound - Beth Anne

There’s also @whimsysoul , who has created a bingo card for the cruise that already has more checked off than you might imagine.

@whimsysoul Replying to @Abigail G got inside tea on this! @Marc Sebastian is heading to the world cruise for a brand partnership and it's gonna be SO FUN to watch!! 🍿 👀 Make sure you're all following him since this like nothing we've seen before. What brand do we think it is? 🤔 I honestly think this could change the industry & way some brands approach content partnerships in the future so I'm soooo keen to see what unfolds on the Ultimate World Cruise #ultimateworldcruise #bingo #royalcaribbean #ultimateworldcruisebingo #whimsysoul #marcsebastianf #cruise #cruisetok #brandpartnerships #influencermarketing ♬ original sound - Kara • San Francisco

My personal favorite is @yourdatingtipbestie , who has been doing weekly recaps of what’s happening on the cruise.

@yourdatingtipbestie ICYMI!! Here is this weeks recap of everything that has happened since the last video! Tried to condense as much as i could. 🥹 #worldcruise2023 #worldcruise #ultimateworldcruise #lifeatsea #royalcaribbean #cruisetok #cruiseshiplife #cruiser #cruiseship #worldcruisebingo @Kisha Peart #greenscreen ♬ original sound - Kisha Peart

If you’re looking for a more boots-on-the-ground situation, you are in luck. A plethora of people on the cruise have realized that there is content to be made on the ship, and they’re starting to link up. The most prolific creator so far has been @amike_oosthuizen , a South African influencer with more than 200,000 followers.

@amike_oosthuizen A look into the shops & activities on board! 🚢🛍️🏓✨ #cruise #travel #pickleball #shop #rockclimbing #SAMA28 #cruisetok #travel #worldcruise #ultimateworldcruise #ultimateworldcruise2023 #royalcaribbean #foryoupage #viral #fun ♬ Rio de Janeiro - Carlos Henrique Lima & H Music

If you are tired of well-produced, professional influencers and just want a boomer’s version of what the cruise is like, I must recommend Joe of @spendingourkidsmoney .

@spendingourkidsmoney #royalcaribbean #cruising #explore #WorldCruise #UltimateWorldCruise #UWC #Serenadeoftheseas #cruise #travel ♬ original sound - joe

And if you’re looking for a kind of upstairs-downstairs flavor to your cruise content, you must follow the people who work on the cruise, such as @cooljul1 .

@cooljul1 Ultimate world cruise CREW DAY OFF EDITION :) #ultimateworldcruise #worldcruise #crewlife #cruiseship #royalcarribean #royalcaribbean #serenadeoftheseas ♬ original sound - Julian Mendoza

So … is there drama?

God, everybody wishes. The closest thing to drama is that some people are saying that pinnacle members — people with the highest loyalty status with Royal Caribbean — are being treated better than the regular people onboard. This has not gotten much traction, presumably because that’s the point of a loyalty program.

There was briefly a moment where we thought there might be swingers on the ship, when a woman and her husband put a pineapple (a symbol used by swingers to flag other swingers) on their door. Unfortunately, the woman just “liked pineapples.” For what it’s worth, there are definitely swingers on the ship who just aren’t posting TikToks.

@aditaml2759 We’re not swingers, but we do love our Pineapples 🍍 #ultimateworldcruise2023 #ultimateworldcruise #royalcaribbeanultimateworldcruise #pineapples ♬ original sound - Adita

But fear not, we have many more months to go. The cruise is currently in the honeymoon phase, in which a Belgian waffle for breakfast every morning still sounds like a good idea and the crossing of the Drake Passage is yet to come. Give it a few months and I’m sure something wild will happen. I think I’ll be putting my money on “old couple splits up” or “mystery illness rips through the ship.” In any case, I will be tuned in.

• wait what is happening on tiktok?

The Cut Shop

Most viewed stories.

• In Defense of Annette Bening’s Face
• Is Taylor Swift Really Still Beefing With Kim Kardashian?
• The Best, Worst, and Weirdest Lyrics on The Tortured Poets Department
• Steel Yourself for Saturday’s Jupiter-Uranus Conjunction
• Why Does Everyone Hate My Dog?
• Every Easter Egg on Taylor Swift’s Tortured Poets Department

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

• Lower case letters (a-z)
• Upper case letters (A-Z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

A passenger on Royal Caribbean's 9-month ultimate cruise said she prepared by first taking a 'test cruise' in the same room

• Angie Linderman is on Royal Caribbean's nine-month Ultimate World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas.
• Linderman said that prior to booking, she had never been on a cruise.
• To prepare, she booked a practice cruise and stayed in the exact same room she's living in now.

Familiarity set in when Angie Linderman stepped inside her cabin on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas for the Ultimate World Cruise , a nine-month sailing to 65 countries.

The tan carpet with blue swirls was instantly recognizable under her feet, and the mattress and linens felt just as soft as she remembered.

The room was familiar because a little more than a month earlier, Linderman, who's recording her adventure on her TikTok account @angielinderman , slept in the exact same stateroom on another cruise to prepare for the journey.

Linderman was inspired by her brother's family to book the nine-month cruise

The idea to board a nine-month cruise came about in the summer of 2022. Linderman's sister-in-law heard about the journey and pitched it to the family.

While Linderman's sister-in-law, brother, and their children weighed the pros and cons of going, Linderman was also intrigued, even though she had never vacationed on a cruise before, she told Business Insider.

"I want to go. This sounds amazing,'" Linderman, 38, recalled saying.

The idea for a nine-month cruise started as a lofty dream that Linderman and her brother's family joked about that summer.

But by the end of August, the idea had become a reality, she said. Linderman booked a solo room on the ship, and her brother's family reserved a cabin, too.

@angielinderman Ultimate World Cruise Q&A or really FAQ since i dont know how to do a Q&A on here. Help! I tried to andwer as many as I could that I know a lot of people have, but let me kniw what else you want to know about what its like on @Royal Caribbean’s Ultiamte World Cruise. #RoyalCaribbean #crusing #explore #solotravler #worldCruise #UltimateWorldCruise #UWC #SerenadeOfTheSeas #cruise #travel #solofemaletraveler #cruiseship #cruisetok ♬ original sound - Angie

Linderman said the cruise, which starts at $60,000, was possible after receiving money from her parents' life-insurance plans. In the span of eight years, both of Linderman's parents died from cancer.

The trip was not only financially possible because of her parents, but their passing served as her reminder that "retirement is not guaranteed to any of us," Linderman said.

She said that after booking her spot on the Ultimate World Cruise, she found a friend who would house-sit for her in Portland, Oregon, while she was away. And with a contracted remote job, she was able to reduce her hours to 10 a week while sailing.

To prepare for the world cruise, Linderman took a 'test cruise' on the same ship

Linderman said that as December 10 — the start of the world cruise — approached, she started preparing.

Unlike many of the other passengers on board the world cruise, Linderman had zero experience on massive vacation ships. She had, however, spent two years volunteering in West Africa with Mercy Ships, a nonprofit that operates floating hospitals.

Related stories

There, she said, she lived with a small group for 10-month stretches, ate at the same dining hall every night, and lived in a small space.

She realized that to prepare for this wholly different experience, she wanted to do one key thing: take a vacation cruise.

Linderman said she planned what she called her "test cruise." Her travel agent booked her on a sailing in October on the Serenade of the Seas. Not only was it the same ship, but she was also able to choose to stay in the same exact room she had reserved for the Ultimate World Cruise.

Her first cruise was much shorter, sailing in and out of Boston to Saint John, Canada, and Portland, Maine.

The initial cruise gave her a visual of what nine months on board could look like. She found places on the ship she loved, developed a better understanding of her room, and learned the ins and outs of vacationing on a ship, she said.

Linderman remembered thinking after the cruise, "OK, I can do this."

Staying in the same room allowed Linderman to plan how she wanted to design and organize the space for the Ultimate Cruise

For the nine-month cruise, each passenger was allowed to bring six bags on board.

Linderman said her test cruise allowed her to visualize how she would store items such as toiletries and clothes for the next nine months. During that first sailing, she packed a tape measure, which she said she used to plan out storage for her closet, the bathroom, and the bedroom area.

"It made packing easier since I then knew what I needed and how I could make it all fit," she said. "I would look at a space and measure it, then get on Amazon to find a solution that would work."

The test cruise also helped Linderman realize she wanted elements to make her cabin homey. For example, she said she packed a throw blanket and twinkle lights, as well as a small fan near her bed to create airflow.

Linderman said she wasn't sure she would've packed some of these items if she hadn't done the test cruise.

@angielinderman Take a more in-depth look at my cabin and what I have done to make it feel like home for the next 9 months on @Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas. #RoyalCaribbean #crusing #explore #solotravler #worldCruise #UltimateWorldCruise #UWC #SerenadeOfTheSeas #cruise #travel ♬ original sound - Angie

When the nine-month cruise finally started, Linderman got to her room, where she had five large suitcases, a carry-on bag, a backpack, and a weekender bag waiting to be unpacked.

She recalled that when she started to put the items away, she thought, "OK, how do I win this game of Tetris."

Thankfully, she said, the practice cruise left her prepared with a mental map of how she wanted to organize the space.

Looking back, Linderman said it was really this first cruise that set her up for success.

"I couldn't imagine having not done it," she said.

Watch: This is what it takes to be a cruise ship performer

• Main content

Here's What the 9-Month Cruise Taking Over TikTok Is Really Like

We talked to tiktokers aboard the cruise and, yes, they answered all of our burning questions..

Published on 12/21/2023 at 4:37 PM

If you've been scrolling through TikTok in the last week, you've likely been served up video content around the nine-month-long Royal Caribbean voyage that departed on December 10. About 15 people onboard the ship have become documentarians of the experience, which has quickly captured public imagination. Case in point, the hashtag #9monthcruise has already racked up over 14 million views on the social platform.

In addition to ongoing vlogs from the cruisers themselves, there are already endless videos dedicated to "fan theories" hypothesizing what could go wrong, what drama is happening below decks, and the overall logistical maze that comes with embarking on a nine-month cruise. From all of this speculation, some of these TikTokers have even been fan-casted in a White Lotus: Nine Month Cruise fantasy show by other overly invested, non-cruising TikTokers.

Putting all the collective conjecture aside, we had to wonder what was actually happening aboard Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas. To get to the bottom of this, Thrillist spoke with two of the TikTok stars aboard the cruise line's Ultimate World Cruise, Angie Linderman ( @angielinderman ) and the woman only known as Little Rat Brain ( @little_rat_brain ). Truthfully, that's how she is known to the world outside of the cruise, as her family has requested that she does not share her name for privacy reasons. For brevity, she'll be referred to as LRB throughout this story.

By the time we spoke, Linderman and LRB had already been to six stops in nine days, including a visit to the Chichen Itza ruins . So, we asked them some of our most burning questions about life at sea.

The first question: Why?

Some of the preparations for the nine-month cruise—which costs between $59,999 and $117,599 per person, depending on accommodations, plus taxes and fees—were very routine and similar, especially for two people who are accustomed to traveling. "Prior to this cruise, I'd already been to all seven continents," Linderman says. "I've been lucky enough to be able to travel. I've lived abroad a few times. Travel is how I like to spend my time and money."

For LRB, her family made a goal in her early childhood to visit all seven continents and all 50 states. They've been working toward that goal ever since—this cruise is going to get them to the finish line. Both Linderman and LRB set up autopay for their bills and found trusted people to live in their homes while they were on the cruise. Linderman has a dog, and she has friends and family helping out with his care while he lives with the person staying in her home while she’s away.

Linderman also had to make sure to set up a slew of doctor appointments so that she could stay on top of a medical condition. While there are doctors and dentists onboard the ship, she created a plan with her medical providers that accommodated the cruise itinerary. LRB's family arranged to pick up nine-month prescriptions they could pack onboard—there is a ship pharmacy too, but the prescriptions wouldn't have been insured if they went that route. They also picked up large sizes of Tylenol and vitamins before their departure.

For the lighter but still important logistics of packing, LRB says that her family took a very precise approach. "Our trip route follows the sun. We left the Northern Hemisphere just before the start of winter and are sailing south to the start of summer, so theoretically, we should have fairly similar temperature ranges at all of the ports," LRB explains. This approach allowed her family to avoid packing cold-weather clothing "which allowed for more space to pack for theme nights, sea days, and still be able to squeeze in gym wear."

One situation that has raised questions among the armchair cruisers on TikTok is the visa process for cruise guests. There are more than 60 countries on the itinerary, and each will require different visas for entry. Passengers are also of many nationalities, so Royal Caribbean wasn't able to dispatch a one-size-fits-all guide for guests. "Could they have done more? Probably, but could they have done less? Also yes," Linderman summarizes.

Instead it's been a lot of learning as you go. LRB notes that Royal Caribbean suggested a company that could file visas for guests, but that her family opted to file the paperwork themselves.

"There was definitely a learning curve with the first visa, but we eventually created a document with all the required information to have when filling the rest of them out," LRB explains. "It was quite exciting to receive each email stating that our visa was granted to visit another country."

What's it like aboard the ship?

LRB describes the first 24 hours on the Royal Caribbean ship as a "whirlwind experience."

"When we got onboard, our luggage was already in our rooms, so arriving at our cabin had the same feeling and excitement of moving into a dorm room," LRB says. "I would say the first 24 hours, for us personally, were really spent finding a space for every packing cube, bottle of sunscreen and my art supplies. However, less than 16 hours after sailing, we were standing on the beach of our first country."

After the excitement of the first day, reality set in. They were aboard a ship for nine months, in a new routine, with a constantly changing yet also stagnant environment, with a bunch of new people to meet. Some of their fellow passengers would be there for the entire nine months, but others would only be traveling in segments. The trip itself is made of 17 existing Royal Caribbean routes, each a couple of weeks long. So every few weeks, there will be a cohort of new passengers to get to know.

For Linderman and LRB, they've already met and sought out other people in their age group. Given the nature of the cruise, a lot of people aboard are in older demographic groups. But it was easy to find and befriend each, especially with how quickly TikTok amplified their content. The day we spoke, Linderman and LRB joined the other TikTokers on board to make a few very videos of themselves together.

Being aboard the ship so far has felt much like any other cruise. Like they say in Love Island , it's early days. But Linderman is going in knowing that this can’t simply be a nine-month vacation.

"I've been telling myself it's not vacation for nine months because if I was on vacation, I'd have a glass of wine at lunch and I'd have a cocktail at dinner," Linderman says. "I can't do that for nine months every day. So I don't really view it as nine months of vacation. I view this as nine months of life, but getting to do life in very cool places with new people."

Instead, Linderman has figured out a system to maintain a balance. Ship days are like home days: Go to the gym, eat healthy ("salads for lunch and dinner"), go to bed early, and tend to general life administration. Shore days will have more of a vacation vibe. "I want to enjoy the ninth month as much as I did the first month," Linderman says. "And so I know that I need to be pacing myself, just keeping it in perspective."

What do they think of TikTok's predictions?

On TikTok, users are predicting that a nine-month cruise will be a breeding ground for drama: unplanned pregnancies, cheating, betrayals, Real Housewives -style confrontations. Both LRB and Linderman have seen some of the TikToks, but LRB and Linderman aren't so convinced that real life will mirror the dramatic social media takes.

"There is always a possibility for drama, since drama is a part of every community and we are a very, very small community, in a unique situation," LRB says.

Mostly, all the speculation has been a form of entertainment, though Linderman found the White Lotus casting, in particular, a bit troubling.

"I hope there's no murder," Linderman says. "It's incredibly fascinating to watch from this side. But no, I don't see the drama popping off like people do. I don't know. I hope I'm not wrong. I hope it's not full of drama."

What's the best part of ship life?

TikTok drama aside, both LRB and Linderman had plenty to say when asked about the upside of life at sea so far.

For Linderman, the highlight has been spending quality time with her family members—her nieces, nephews, brother, and sister-in-law—who don't live near each other. LRB has enjoyed making connections with people on the ship, an experience that has been seamless.

"If you notice and compliment someone's necklace [in the hallway], it easily leads to a conversation because we all have the time to stop and chat," LRB says. "We are not dashing to the store or late for a meeting. We are all experiencing the same things, so it doesn't matter if you're eight or 80, you have a foundation to start a connection."

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram , TikTok , Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest , and YouTube .

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

9-Month Cruise Passenger Reveals Details of 2 Options Cruisers Will Vote On After Forced Rerouting (Exclusive)

Passenger Brandee Lake tells PEOPLE those aboard Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise are lobbying for each option — but for her, it's an easy decision

Courtesy Brandee Lake; Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty

After being presented with a major itinerary change, passengers on the 9-Month cruise will vote on what to do — and cruiser Brandee Lake is sharing the breakdown of both options.

The Brannon Files  podcaster and Royal Caribbean Ultimate World Cruise guest chatted with PEOPLE amid news that the voyage, which kicked off in December 2023, would be switching up its itinerary to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal amid continued unrest in the Middle East.

Lake, 46, said in a phone call from Honolulu on Monday that there are two route options that have to decide between with a vote.

The first is "Immersive Africa," which "includes more of mainland Africa" like Senegal and Ghana, plus islands including the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mauritius.

However, it would sacrifice planned stops at the pyramids in Egypt, as well as in Turkey and a more extensive stop in Greece.

The second option is a route that will put passengers closer to the original itinerary more quickly. It includes the aforementioned stops in Egypt, Turkey, and Greece, but sacrifices "more sub-Saharan Africa," Lake explains.

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Royal Caribbean shared in a statement with PEOPLE earlier this month that the around-the-world voyage aboard the  Serenade of the Seas , which has  gained a huge following on TikTok , may face itinerary adjustments that would be announced later in February.

"The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority, and we are monitoring what is taking place in and around the Red Sea," a spokesperson for the company said in a statement on Feb. 9.

They added, "In looking ahead at potential itinerary adjustments, we are currently reviewing alternatives for  Serenade of the Seas , which is currently scheduled to transit the Suez Canal in May. Our guests and travel partners will receive an update from us in mid-February."

The cruise line confirmed to PEOPLE on Friday that it has decided to cancel the nine-month voyage's original itinerary through the Red Sea and Suez Canal to keep its passengers and crew members safe, though they did not reveal details of the two potential new routes at the time.

Courtesy Brandee Lake

Lake and her fellow passengers, who are currently on their way to the Oceania and Asia portion of their trip, had a deadline of Feb. 20 to submit any questions about the reroute options. Voting will commence on Monday, with a decision announced Tuesday.

And while passengers are lobbying for what they feel would be the best choice, for Lake, there is "only one choice — which I think should've been [included] in the first place to really see the whole world, which is to include more of mainland Africa."

She also tells PEOPLE that adding to her vote, is the fact that the pyramids are not an included World Wonder experience — meaning passengers would have to pay an additional fee for that excursion — and that a lot could change in terms of political conflict in the region in the next few months.

"[Egypt is] still [part of] the Middle East region. And between now and May is a very long time, seeing that it's unrest there," Lake says. "Option two is not very guaranteed."

And while she allows that "nothing's guaranteed in the world we live in," Lake adds, "You could choose option two and then we could be midway down the speedy route, skipped all these ports in Africa we could have gone to and then still end up not being able to go [to Egypt]."

The trip is set to conclude on Sept. 10, 2024 after the Mediterranean and European segments. In total, the sailing's original itinerary was set to cover 11 world wonders and travel to more than 60 countries in 274 days. Prices for the full experience ranged from $53,999 per person to $117,599 per person.

Related Articles

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Credit card rates
• Balance transfer credit cards
• Business credit cards
• Cash back credit cards
• Rewards credit cards
• Travel credit cards
• Checking accounts
• Online checking accounts
• High-yield savings accounts
• Money market accounts
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Car insurance
• Home buying
• Options pit
• Investment ideas
• Research reports
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Passenger dies during 9-month Royal Caribbean world cruise

The viral nine-month Royal Caribbean cruise has experienced a death on the high seas.

“A guest sailing onboard Serenade of the Seas has sadly passed away,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson shared in a statement to NBC News Feb. 13.

The spokesperson did not share details regarding the passenger’s identity or the circumstances of their death.

“We are actively providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones at this time. Out of the privacy of the guest and their family, we have nothing further to share at this time,” the statement concluded.

The 9-month-long cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise captured the attention of social media towards the end of last year.

On Dec. 10, Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise kicked off its round-the-world tour. TikTok's obsession with the voyage and its partakers quickly followed suit. The hashtag #RoyalCaribbeanUltimateWorldCruise has already accumulated nearly 100 million views on the platform, and with the cruise liner ending its voyage on Sept. 10, 2024, that number has plenty of time to continue to climb.

A corner of TikTok has been closely tracking activity on the cruise ship, called Serenade of the Seas, with many users pointing out that so much can happen within the span that it’s at sea, including new relationships, falling outs, pregnancy, death and more.

“Can you imagine the type of drama that is gonna happen on that boat?” user @nchimad on TikTok said in a video posted soon after the trip set sail. “If something big goes down, I want to hear from different people, different angles, perspectives.”

TikTok is turning the 9-month-long cruise ship into an official reality TV show.

Read on for everything we know.

What is the 9-month cruise all over TikTok?

Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise is a 274-night trip that began on Dec. 10, 2023, when it left from Miami and is expected to come to an end in the same place on Sept. 10, 2024.

Passengers are currently staying on Serenade of the Seas, a ship that had its maiden voyage in 2003 .

Serenade of the Seas will tour the world in four segments: the Americas, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Mediterranean and "Europe and beyond."

Ticket rates are based on a range of 1,073 staterooms and the full 274-night trip ran from $53,999 per person to $117,599 per person. Tickets for different legs of the trip are still available to book.

Why is the 9-month cruise all over TikTok?

TikTok users h ave become highly invested in the cr uise 's passengers, likening them to a cast of characters that would typically appear on a reality show.

For people tracking the day-to-day lives of cruise ship passengers, many have predicted that the 9-month trip has the potential for drama equivalent to or even larger than a reality TV series production. After all, the footage being streamed on TikTok is created and edited by real people, not a major network.

“I made an Ultimate World Cruise Bingo card for anyone else who is buckling in for this nine months TikTok reality show,” user @whimsysoul shared in a video posted shortly after the ship’s voyage began.

Her curated game of predicted events includes “minor mystery to solve,” “stowaway,” “podcast following the trip,” “2nd COVID outbreak” and “staff dates passenger.”

Some users following the events of the cruise ship appear to be ogling the voyage with a sense of suspicion and a sobering dose of reality. After all, the voyage's 9-month set up brings back memories of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine.

As user @megseestheworld notes , the entire experience reminds her of an episode of "Suite Life on Deck" when the sea days repeat themselves, a similar vibe to the movie "Groundhog Day."

"I think that's what it would start to feel like, with all those sea days, like I couldn't do it," she says in the clip.

"But then on the flip side, when they get to Europe in the last segment of the cruise, like the last part of the itinerary, it's almost too intense," she continues. "I think I counted at some points, they're going 18 days in port with no sea days, and the last segment means that you're probably six months into this cruise, you're probably going to be really tired? I don't know, I'd be tired."

What has happened so far on the 9-month cruise?

Month 1 highlights — december to january.

First scheduled port is canceled: Passengers experienced their first canceled scheduled port on Devil's Island due to inclement weather, but TikToker Angie Linderman shrugged it off in her video as something to be expected while on the high seas.

Minor flooding on deck: There was some minor flooding. Video captured on board the cruise showed that on deck 12 of the ship, water spread across the floor carpets and small streams flowed down the corridor.

Seeing Antarctica from a distance: After sailing through the trepidatious conditions of the Drake Passage, passengers weren't able to step foot on Antarctica due to it being a protected area. The TikToker known as Little Rat Brain expressed her disappointment with a video about the visit , writing, "Not stepping foot on Antarctica.” According to the TikToker, passengers were able to see an up-close slab of ice extracted from the area that was brought on the ship.

Influencer joins the cruise and stirs up drama: On Jan. 6, fashion influencer Marc Sebastian announced that he received sponsorship from Atria Books, a part of Simon & Schuster, to track and stir up the drama on board for 18 nights out of the 274-day trip. In his next-day post, Sebastian revealed his tense-filled interaction with a member of the cruise’s Pinnacle Club when he let out a curse word.

Who are the TikTokers on the ship?

While the exact number of current passengers on Serenade of the Seas, which can hold up to 2,476 guests, is unknown, recent footage from traveler @brooklynschwetje shows a cruise meeting when it was revealed 1,093 membership passengers were on board.

A select few passengers have been consistently posting on TikTok since the voyage began, and the list includes but isn't limited to: @aa.kenney , @ iambrandeelake , @angielinderman , @brooklynschwetje , @madisonschwetje , @amike_oosthuizen , @little_rat_brain , @drjennytravels , @spendingourkidsmoney and @livingphase2 .

Some of these users, many deeming themselves as The Ultimate Real World Cruise cast, have started to hang out with each other on the ship and post content together.

Alé Kenney and Andrew Kenney, @aa.kenney

Alé and Andrew Kenney will celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary during the Ultimate World Cruise tour.

Speaking to TODAY.com, 29-year-old Alé Kenney says that the cruise isn’t just a massive voyage made up of TikTokers and Generation Z.

"I would say the majority, like the overwhelming majority of passengers, are retirees (or seniors)," she explains, summarizing that number as being at least 90% of the passengers.

According to the Kenneys, the two decided to hop on board the Serenade of the Seas after her father died two years ago.

"My dad got sick and passed away, and he was only 57," she explains.

"We just kind of started running numbers and processing and thinking about it," Andrew Kenney adds. "We were like, 'Well, we can do it. We don't have a mortgage right now. We don't have kids yet.' We're just in a season of life where we could actually take nine months off and see the world."

The Kenneys told TODAY Dec. 27 that when they first came on board, they had 200 followers, and that today, they now have 90K followers.

The couple declined to share what they do for work and whether they will work during the trip.

Brandee Lake @ iambrandeelake , Shannon Lake @swankalamode

Brandee Lake, 46, and her 42-year-old sister, Shannon, decided to join their retired parents on their trip.

“I’m like, you’re not leaving us behind. I don’t really know what you think is going on here,” Shannon Lake quips in their interview with TODAY.com

Brandee Lake worked in marketing and advertisement and lived in Los Angeles, California, before the trip. Shannon Lake runs her own consulting business and plans to work remotely from the ship while making up her own hours.

The sisters say they'll share the same cabin during their 9 months on the trip, and that they don't expect to butt heads too much with each other or their parents, since they're close and quarantined together during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Users have expressed interest in following the Lake sisters in particular to see their perspective of traveling the world and taking part in a cruise as Black women.

"We definitely are the youngest Black people on the boat," Brandee Lake explains.

"I think that's why my TikTok skyrocketed so fast, because I was the first Black person that people were seeing post that was actually on the ship," Shannon Lake adds.

During their joint interview, the sisters agreed in unison that the people and staff for the "most part are amazing."

"So friendly, so kind so much energy," Brandee Lake says, quashing any drama that users have attempted to stir up so far. "Our people at dinner are like family already, you know, we have people who we don't even interact with normally (who) are like family already. And of course, the staff itself is quite diverse."

She echoed these statements in separate interview that aired on TODAY Dec. 27, saying that the passengers are "one growing family" and that "everything has been great."

Though both sisters note that within days of setting sail, they did experience a loaded bump: “Apparently it seemed far fetched to some that a Black woman (and family) could be a guest on the once in a lifetime experience,” Brandee Lake wrote alongside a recent video she shared on her TikTok.

Soon after the post began to circulate, she says the cruise’s hotel director made a point to greet her at dinner.

"I think (TikTok users who watched the post) were tagging Royal Caribbean like 'you need to fix this,'" Brandee Lake explains. "They did at least take the time to come to me and you know, ask how everything's going now."

The Lake sisters tell TODAY.com that other than this, they've yet to encounter any reality television-worthy bits of drama to mark on a Bingo card, but they do have a podcast where they plan on sharing their journey with followers.

Angie Linderman, @angielinderman

Linderman tells TODAY.com that when she first boarded Serenade of the Seas, she had less than 100 followers. Now she has over 115K followers.

"I think that it is surprising out there to people that there's so many on the younger side who are on the cruise," she explained. "I think that's really resonating with people or gathering their attention, maybe."

For Linderman, she wants to use her new platform to share with others why she signed up for the cruise in the first place. Linderman has the BRCA2 gene , which means she is at a higher risk for certain cancers .

"That is something that has kind of helped to impact my desire to travel," she explains. "Retirement age is not a guarantee. And so (there is) an emphasis on just doing all of the things I can do now while I'm healthy, while I'm able, instead of putting them off in hopes that I can do them later, when in reality that may not happen."

Linderman says that she left her cozy three-bedroom home in Oregon to tour the world for nine months in her current 250-square-foot balcony stateroom.

To prepare for the 9-month voyage, she arranged for a friend to stay at her home with her dog and reduced the hours of her job in marketing. For the next several months, she'll work remotely and will be taking advantage of the various stops and sights the voyage will have to offer.

Where is The Ultimate World Cruise going?

The Serenade of the Seas' Ultimate World Tour has an extensive itinerary that promises to take its passengers to 11 Wonders of the World and 65 countries in 274 nights flat. The destinations are broken down into four travel segments. Check out the four segments and their stretches below:

Ultimate Americas Cruise

64 nights from Dec. 10, 2023, to Feb. 11, 2024

36 destinations, including Cozumel, Mexico; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Los Angeles, California

4 Wonders, including Iguazú Falls and Machu Picchu

Ultimate Asia Pacific Cruise

87 nights from Feb. 11, 2024, to May 9, 2024

40 destinations, including Kailua-Kona, Hawaii; Manila, Philippines; and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

3 Wonders, including the Great Barrier Reef and the Taj Mahal

Ultimate Middle East and Med Pacific Cruise

63 nights from May 9, 2024, to July 10, 2024

44 destinations, including Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Alexandria, Egypt; Rhodes, Greece; Barcelona, Spain; and Provence, France

4 Wonders, including the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Temple of Artemis

Ultimate Europe and Beyond Cruise

63 nights from July 10, 2024, to Sept. 10, 2024

40 destinations, including Casablanca, Morocco; Paris, France; Bruges, Belgium; and Nuuk, Greenland

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

Recommended Stories

Ryan garcia drops devin haney 3 times en route to stunning upset.

The 25-year-old labeled "mentally fragile" by many delivered the upset for the ages.

WNBA Draft winners and losers: As you may have guessed, the Fever did pretty well. The Liberty? Perhaps not

Here are five franchises who stood out, for better or for worse.

Dave McCarty, player on 2004 Red Sox championship team, dies 1 week after team's reunion

The Red Sox were already mourning the loss of Tim Wakefield from that 2004 team.

Yankees' Nestor Cortés told by MLB his pump-fake pitch is illegal

Cortés' attempt didn't fool Andrés Giménez, who fouled off the pitch.

Boban Marjanović hilariously misses free throws on purpose to give Clippers fans free chicken

Boban Marjanović is a man of the people.

Robert Kraft reportedly warned Falcons owner Arthur Blank not to trust Bill Belichick during head coach interviews

Bill Belichick's former boss Robert Kraft reportedly tanked his chances of getting hired as the Falcons head coach.

A rare 'devil comet' will reach peak brightness this weekend. Here's how you can see it.

On Sunday, the rare devil comet will reach its closest point to the sun, creating an illuminating sky show. Here is how skygazers can watch it.

Arch Manning puts on a show in Texas' spring game, throwing for 3 touchdowns

Arch Manning gave Texas football fans an enticing look at the future, throwing for 355 yards and three touchdowns in the Longhorns' Orange-White spring game.

2024 Shelby Super Snake upgrades the Mustang with insane power and plenty of carbon fiber

Shelby's new Super Snake is a super-limited, one-year-only build that takes the Mustang to a whole new level of performance.

Commanders hosted 4 top QB prospects at once, and Jayden Daniels' agent wasn't happy

The Commanders had an unusual visit with multiple QB prospects.

NBA playoffs: Predictions for Knicks-Sixers, Nuggets-Lakers and every first-round series

Our NBA experts make their predictions for every first-round series in the playoffs.

Former Rams and Eagles QB Roman Gabriel, 1969 NFL MVP, dies at 83

Former Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Roman Gabriel died at the age of 83. He was the NFL MVP in 1969.

2024 Masters payouts: How much did Scottie Scheffler earn for his win at Augusta National?

The Masters has a record $20 million purse this year.

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Review: Cool, capable, family friendly, perhaps too pricey

Everything we know about the all-new 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, including its price, fuel economy, hybrid power specs and more.

Pirates phenom Paul Skenes still has 'steps he needs to take' after comically dominant start to season

Skenes has struck out 27 in 12 2/3 scoreless innings pitched at Triple-A so far this season.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: A little something for every lineup in our latest pickups

Fantasy baseball analyst Andy Behrens offers up a series of pickups to assist every manager, starting with a duo of Rockies ahead of a Colorado homestand.

How Victor Wembanyama's rookie season ranks in NBA history

Victor Wembanyama's rookie NBA season is finished. The San Antonio Spurs will sit him in Sunday's regular-season finale. Where does his first season rank among the league's greats?

Early MLB season evaluations, which teams are up and which are down, Jack Leiter debut

Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman give their early season assessment of all thirty MLB teams at the three week mark, as well as discuss the long-awaited debut of Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter.

NBA playoffs: Knicks take Game 1 while Sixers avoid disaster with Joel Embiid injury

Embiid returned from knee surgery less than three weeks ago.

The world isn’t as messed up as you might think

Americans are in a gloomy mood, but new research points out that a lot of imortant things are going right.

Waymo will launch paid robotaxi service in Los Angeles on Wednesday

Tech startup Waymo said Tuesday that it would begin offering paid robotaxi rides in Los Angeles beginning Wednesday, as the nation’s experiment with self-driving car technology picks up steam. 

Waymo, a spinoff of Google, had announced details for its service in Los Angeles in January as it sought state regulatory approval and local support. Within the last year, Waymo has offered free "tour" rides in Los Angeles, and last month, it received regulatory approval to expand to a paid service, despite pushback from the Teamsters union and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. Waymo previewed the project in a blog post in 2022.

Waymo said Tuesday that more than 50,000 people were on its waitlist to use the service. The company did not say how many users it would allow to fully use the app starting Wednesday. Last month, the company said it was starting with a Los Angeles fleet of fewer than 50 cars covering a 63-square-mile area from Santa Monica to downtown L.A. Los Angeles County has a population of 9.7 million people. 

The service works similarly to other ride-hailing smartphone apps such as Flywheel, Lyft and Uber, except that Waymo’s vehicles have no human drivers present. Riders follow instructions on the app and through the vehicle’s sound system, though Waymo workers can assist remotely. 

Robotaxis are getting more buzz as the technology advances in fits and starts. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Friday that Tesla would reveal a robotaxi product in August, though he gave no details. Cruise, a General Motors subsidiary that paused its robotaxi service last year after one of its vehicles failed to detect a pedestrian underneath it, said Tuesday that it would reintroduce human-driven vehicles in select cities, including Phoenix, as a step back toward driverless operations. 

Various China-based tech startups are also testing self-driving cars on California roads, drawing scrutiny from lawmakers. 

But for now, Waymo’s only competition is traditional, human-driven car services. 

Waymo’s expansion to Los Angeles will bring autonomous for-profit taxis to the nation’s second-largest city — and to a city long synonymous with car travel. Waymo already operates commercial robotaxi services in San Francisco and Phoenix. 

Chris Ludwick, Waymo’s product management director, called the Los Angeles move a milestone. 

“The reception from Angelenos so far has been exceptional, and we look forward to welcoming more riders into our service over time,” he said in a statement. 

Waymo said it informed its test riders about the change Monday in an email, which someone also posted to Reddit. 

Robotaxis have faced criticism on multiple fronts, from the threat they pose to drivers’ jobs to the mistakes they’ve made blocking city buses or emergency vehicles. Under California law, driverless cars can’t be given traffic tickets, and they could make traffic congestion worse . 

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation said the Waymo expansion was happening too soon, without enough local oversight of autonomous vehicle operations, but in an order last month state officials said that those concerns were unfounded. 

Supporters of robotaxis have countered that human drivers have a terrible safety record , with traffic deaths topping 40,000 a year in the U.S. Waymo has not reported a death or serious injury from its technology, and Waymo vehicles appear to be generally more observant of traffic laws than human drivers are, according to journalists who have ridden in them. 

In San Francisco, the futuristic nature of driverless vehicles has become a tourist attraction. 

Opponents of autonomous taxi expansions, including the Teamsters, have vowed to slow down the growth of companies such as Waymo. A bill pending in the California Senate would give cities and counties authority over robotaxi services — a power that currently resides with state government agencies. A hearing on that bill is scheduled for next week. 

David Ingram covers tech for NBC News.