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But as soon as it left its Miami dock, interest in the journey blossomed on TikTok — from simple fascination into an insatiable desire to know the goings on of the ship. Users on the app drove up demand for any video about the world cruise, turning passengers and crew into TikTok personalities seemingly overnight. His hatred of these things and his rather colorful descriptions of them obviously rankles dedicated cruisers, people who have entwined at least parts of their identity in being high-sea explorers on mega-sized cruise ships. What they see as bucket-list travel experiences, Marc Sebastian has seen as a nightmare.
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Hashtags using the phrase #9monthcruise have upwards of 200 million views, with thousands of video additions from both cruise passengers and rubberneckers alike. It’s also sparking questions about whether a cruise supposed to last the next nine months can keep TikTok’s collective attention — and whether that’s something passengers even want in the first place. While many passengers onboard the nine-month cruise have seen their social media followings skyrocket, few have received quite as much attention as Marc Sebastian (@marcsebastianf). His controversial videos have not only stirred up debates in the comment section on TikTok, but also drew attention from major news outlets. Throughout his time on the ship, Sebastian is hosting a book club and reading “The Last One,” a thriller novel by the famed author Will Dean, which takes place on a cruise ship. Fans voted on books for him to read before his departure, and “The Last One” won by a landslide.
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Kisha Peart, one of the at-home cruise commentators, told NPR that she originally started posting to share her insights as a former cruise ship employee. But the actress and waitress says she now spends hours a day researching, recording and editing TikToks — and doesn't plan to stop anytime soon. The "cruise influencers" have also gained a lot, chiefly, hundreds of thousands of social media followers each. But most of them couldn't have predicted they would go viral overnight — let alone have to add "film and post daily TikToks" to their vacation to-do lists. Dozens of passengers on board the Royal Caribbean's nine-month "Ultimate World Cruise" have gone viral on TikTok since it set sail in December. A TikTok user named Christine who goes by @dutchworld_americangirl stitched one of Marc’s videos, slamming him for his shit-stirring ways.
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“We hope seeing Marc, who is not normally a reader, pick up a book in real time, will inspire others to start reading too.” Encouraging casual reading in nonreaders, rather than catering to the already-converted, seems to be the goal. He started making daily videos to send to their four adult children, who live all over the world. They encouraged him to start posting them on TikTok, which Martucci suspects has something to do with his tendency to mispronounce words. He set up an account called @spendingourkidsinheritance, which he emphasizes is a joke. Jenny Honeycutt (aka @drjennytravels), a 34-year-old writing consultant and full-time traveler, spent time with Sebastian on board.

We spoke with TikToker Marc Sebastian about his viral critiques of the Ultimate World Cruise.
But it’s important to note that she is not actually on the world cruise, but that she lives on a different cruise ship full-time as the wife of a staff chief cruise ship engineer. He first gained traction two days after the boat set sail, going viral on TikTok for suggesting that someone had to send a camera crew on the Ultimate World Cruise to document all the ~drama~. You see, some people — called the Pinnacle Members — are staying on board for the entire nine months, have paid upfront and have little pins they wear proudly to show for it. While others — referred to as “segmenters” — only stick around for certain legs of the trip which can be booked individually.
Trends come and go in a literal blink of an eye these days, but with creative strategies and storytelling, Marc kept millions of viewers tuning in to his channel every day to watch his journey to Antarctica on the cruise. A passenger onboard a nine-month world cruise has given a sneak peek inside one of the ship's cabins where holidaymakers will live throughout the epic sailing. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry. Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines. We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports.Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. Although Marc Sebastian will no longer be sharing his cruise saga from on board Serenade of the Seas, there is no sign that the appetite for cruise drama has diminished on TikTok.

He told NPR later that same day that some five other TikTokers on board the cruise had rushed to their room to help them change their password and set up two-factor authentication. The passengers had learned about the hack from a TikTok posted by one of the cruise commentators on shore. She says she spends two to three hours a day editing her footage into videos, and has already been approached by brands for potential partnerships. Most of these companies are offering excursions at upcoming ports, since she can't receive packages on the ship. Social media users are effectively "opening the door to plot lines that create reality around the people who are just on the ship to enjoy themselves," Cohen added. The risk is that people at home or on board might change their behavior or even manufacture drama for views.
How 'the Andy Cohen of the 9-month cruise' took over TikTok - The Washington Post
How 'the Andy Cohen of the 9-month cruise' took over TikTok.
Posted: Fri, 19 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Hiding rubber ducks is a relatively new tradition among die-hard cruisers
Among both TikTokers and the civilian passengers of the cruise, the big question of whether interest in the journey will extend for nine months seems easily dismissed. All of the creators who spoke to Rolling Stone seemed acutely aware that their followings might slow as the cruise continues. The daily recaps continue, and even as Sebastian left the ship this week, another influencer, Christian Hull, has already announced he’ll be joining the boat soon.
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"And this is their vacation. This is their life story. And they need to be able to enjoy their life's dream." Martucci described the cruise as "a floating city of 2,000 people," and said he didn't feel anyone was intentionally trying to cause drama on board. In fact, he said Wednesday, the response to his account being hacked demonstrated how "we all look after each other."
Marc is far from the only cruise passenger to shed light on their time aboard the ship. The voyage has become a viral sensation, with cruisers turning it into a self-shot reality TV show obsessed over by millions. Marketed as “the most epic world cruise ever to set sail,” the Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas ship left port in December to take its passengers to all seven continents, 11 world wonders, and 60 countries throughout its nine-month journey.
Marc Sebastian Talks About the Ultimate World Cruise - TIME
Marc Sebastian Talks About the Ultimate World Cruise.
Posted: Mon, 05 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
On December 20, Sebastian posted a video conveying his desperation to secure passage on the Serenade and broadcast its goings-on. “If you pay for one section, I will cause chaos, I will wreak havoc—and I’ll report everything.” The plea has since garnered more than 7.5 million views. "The majority of these humans that are on here aren't previously known influencers. They're becoming that," said Cohen, the former reality TV producer. "So it is one of those things where creating drama ... could create adverse results." Peart, at home in New York City, acknowledged that she has played a role in hyping up the reality TV aspect of the cruise, by putting people in the spotlight and adding "a little pizzazz onto what's already out there." But she says it's not malicious, and all in good fun. "Sometimes it's just nice being with the other creators and just chatting and catching up and not pulling your phone out and recording everything," she said.
"So I think people have a fear of this taking away from this adventure that it is." Some memorable moments included him getting scolded for profanity, forming alliances for (boat) tenders, getting kicked out of a members-only lounge and the reservation incident. Many posted that they wished reality TV cameras would come on board to document it all. Sebastian, a 33-year-old content creator based in Los Angeles, was one of them.
The ethical questions about consent and personal privacy have begun to develop on the boat. Beth Anne, a 36-year-old creator, tells Rolling Stone that as dozens of unaffiliated accounts have sprung up recapping or breaking down events on the ship daily, TikTok creators on shore have also had to develop their own ethical guidance for what content they decided to share. Beth started “Ship Happens” on TikTok, where she does daily clips dissecting rumors and videos from the ship.
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