The viral nine-month world cruise is over. But was it worth £42,000?
It was billed as the trip of a lifetime - and for the price passengers paid, you’d hope they enjoyed themselves.
Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise, a round-the-globe nine-month odyssey on board the 293m Serenade of the Seas, became an unlikely TikTok viral hit at the start of the year, thanks to its unprecedented scale - and potential for drama on board.
Taking in 60 countries in 274 days, the first few weeks of the cruisers’ journey saw the trip blow up on social media thanks to footage of rough seas, wine shortages, sky-high Wi-Fi charges, changes of route due to political unrest, and even the death of a guest. The passengers themselves even became TikTok stars, gaining huge followings online from viewers back on dry land desperate for gossip.
Around 650 passengers spent the entire nine months (and presumably, their entire life savings) completing the full itinerary. With prices for the full trip having started at an eye-watering $53,999 (£42,462), it’s no surprise the epic voyage became one of 2024’s biggest viral sensations.
Now permanently back on terra firma after the cruise ended on 10 September with its final stop in Miami, Yahoo News UK caught up with a handful of travellers who finished the whole trip to ask them some key questions - including if they thought it was worth the money.
How did you prepare for a world cruise which lasted nine months?
Jenny Hunnicutt, 34, from Florida, was one of many passengers who booked the trip with her husband more than two years before it set off. She was also one of a number of minor TikTok celebrities on board, gaining 167,000 followers in the early months of the journey. Hunnicutt, who also holds a doctorate in health and rehab sciences, said planning ahead was key to making the most of a nine-month holiday.
"While Royal Caribbean coordinated efforts to support acquiring medicine while on board, I organized mine without Royal Caribbean knowing that they were an option if I ran into any issues."
"We bought some magnetic shelves because they don't give you a lot of storage space. They normally expect people to be on a ship for a week, maybe two weeks."
"Other than that, we were just super excited."
"I prepared by thinking about what I would need for the cruise and eliminating even more to make it down to three bags. I travelled with three checked luggage, one rolling carry-on and one backpack."
What was it like making friends on a cruise ship for nine months?
While there was the option for guests to only book certain legs of the cruise, meaning hundreds came and went along the global journey, the core group of travellers completing the entire journey would be stuck with each other for 274 days.
'Anthony Antoine' McWilliams, 54, boarded the Serenade of the Seas alone - but said many of the passengers became friends for life thanks to their close proximity... and shared love of documenting the journey on TikTok.
"We've even started a podcast together that hopefully we will continue, even if it's just an excuse for us to do a Zoom call together."
"We plan on seeing them on a regular basis. We've been texting with them because we do miss them. We spent nine months with them, and all of a sudden they weren't at breakfast this morning."
"In the very beginning, one thing that really brought us together, me and the fellow TikTokers, was when this cruise blew up online and went viral."
"Some of us had not even met in person yet, so we started this group chat and said, “Hey, let's meet, maybe make some content together”, and I'm telling you that bonded us so strongly from the beginning, just going viral together was such a surreal experience, so cool."
“But being thrusted into this experience with a group of others on the same journey, it became so easy to make friends and truly bond with each other.”
“The comraderies were surprising for me and happened early in the experience.”
“There's a small group that we will be friends with forever. There's a small group that we avoid like the plague because they're racist, or they're homophobic or transphobic, or just loud, obnoxious people.”
What was the most memorable sight or location on the cruise?
While the Serenade of the Seas checked in at more than 60 locations, a handful of sights were repeatedly mentioned as the most jaw-dropping experiences on the cruise.
Here's where our group of passengers listed as the most spectacular scenery they visited.
"It's honestly in its own category. It was just so amazing."
“I also loved Moorea. The water on the beach was phenomenal. It was just straight out of a movie like it's something I only thought I would see in a movie.”
Tam: “It looked like it was CGI.”
Bobbi: “Somebody said, ‘create a beautiful tropical island in paradise’, and they came up with Moorea, and it was incredible. We've seen a lot of places around the world that have been beautiful. We have enjoyed seeing all that and got a sense of how people live in different parts of the world.”
“The other one was we loved was in Argentina, because we went on an excursion where they opened Iguazu Falls in the morning just for us, and we got to see the sunrise over the falls. It's just so beautiful.”
What was the hardest part about being on a cruise for nine months?
Leaving your home, family and friends back on dry land for nine months obviously doesn't come without its drawbacks. We asked the group what the most challenging element was about being on the cruise ship for so long.
For Joe Matucci, who embarked on the cruise with wife Audrey - both experienced cruisers - but still said upon completion that 'nothing can prepare you for a nine-month cruise'. Here's what the rest of our interviewees said they missed most.
“We have four grandchildren, three granddaughters, and then this grandson was born when we were in La Serena Chile, and not being able to be there for our daughter was that was kind of probably one of the hardest part.”
“So not only do we have our core group of world cruisers, but we also had people coming and going from the cruise.”
“On the one hand, that was amazing as my parents got to come, but on the other hand, the vibe was constantly changing, and the vibe on the ship was often catered toward vacation. So that was super fun, but a 9-month ‘vacation vibe’ is exhausting.”
“But because of the diversity of the crowds coming in, you get people that you know are mean to children, are racist, aggressive, homophobic, transphobic people.”
"That was the hardest thing to be on the cruise with , and I think missing our puppy back home.”
Was the nine-month cruise worth the money?
Our group of hardy travellers were almost unanimous in stating that the nine-month cruise delivered in its enormous boarding ticket price. Former NASA employee Bobbi Waterman and her partner Tam, from Florida, who gained a substantial following for posting about their experience on board as an LGBTQ+ couple, got a 10% discount for booking early and insisted it was '100% worth it.'
Here's what the rest of the group said when we asked them about the cruise's value for money.
Tam: “100% worth it.”
What advice would you give to anyone embarking on a similar cruise?
Passengers who completed the entire cruise will no doubt have learned a significant amount about travelling from their unique experience. Brandee Lake, a 46-year-old podcaster who completed the journey with her sister Shannon and parents, said the best approach before embarking on a similar cruise is to 'pack less'.
See the other words of advice our passengers gave to would-be cruisers below.
“Because then you go into it with a different mindset, right? You go into it like, ‘Yes, I'm here. I'm gonna have a little vacation, but I'm also going to envision living in this place for 9 months’, or however long it may be.”
Bobbi: “I bought this dress from Mauritius, so we picked things up. So we bought way too much for what we needed. So pack less and be prepared.”
