Viral Royal Caribbean nine-month world cruise forced to reroute over Red Sea attacks

The nine-month world cruise that has gone viral on TikTok has been forced to change its itinerary due to fighting in the Red Sea.

Royal Caribbean International’s Ultimate World Cruise is 11 weeks into its epic journey, and has people avidly waiting for the latest onboard dramas.

And it has now emerged that the hundreds of passengers on board the Serenade of the Seas will be rerouted, because Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been attacking ships in the stretch of water in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

In a statement to USA Today, a cruise spokesperson said: “In keeping with the adventurous spirit of our guests, we are engaging them for their thoughts and preference between two alternative itineraries that will take them on an epic adventure to Africa.”

However, it appears that some passengers on the cruise have been left out of the meetings. Joshua Terry posted a video in which he said he’d made it into a meeting but was unable to vote on any of the decisions. In another video, Terry spoke to a customer service advisor who told him that only the ‘nine-month cruisers’ would be able to weigh-in on decisions regarding the itinerary changes.

People have been offered a refund if they decide not to continue their journey, and the company said those who remain will receive some form of compensation.

With prices for the full trip starting at $53,999 (£42,462) per person, refunds could be setting the company back tons of money. The lavish cruise gripped the attention of many, with the #UltimateWorldCruise hashtag generating more than 400 million views on the app so far.

When the Ultimate World Cruise first departed from Miami, Florida, in December, it was expected to make 150 stops in 65 countries; it is unclear if this will still be the case. The Royal Caribbean has not responded to Yahoo News’s request for comment.

More than 1,000 holidaymakers boarded Royal Caribbean’s vast ‘Serenade of the Seas’ cruise ship before Christmas, few realised their trip would become TikTok's newest viral obsession.

With prices for the full trip starting at $53,999 (£42,462) per person, it's little surprise the journey has gripped so many, with the #UltimateWorldCruise hashtag generating more than 400 million views on the app so far.

From passengers posting their daily routines to viewers back on land picking their favourite couples and the various goings-on in between, the world's longest cruise is being referred to as 'a nine-month TikTok reality show'.

So what's happened since the journey started? And which passengers are finding unlikely fame from their exploits on the giant cruise liner? Yahoo News UK provides updates on what has happened so far...

Rough seas and flooding onboard

During the leg from Brazil to Uruguay on 2 January, passengers were met with a severe storm that caused flooding on the ship. The ship has 13 decks, and the storm led to elevators being out of use, guests having to move rooms, sheets of water on the gym floor and a flooded sundeck area. TikToker Adita Larson, 64, captured water streaming onto the top deck.

The adverse conditions didn't affect all passengers, however - with footage emerging on TikTok of resolute guests working out on the cruise liner's gym treadmills despite the soaking floor and mild chaos. One poster commented: "This ship is tough. Can weather the storm!" In a follow-up video, Adita said that the weather had improved and that everything on her deck was "almost dry".

Given the flooding which has already occurred on the Serenade of the Seas, there has been understandable trepidation from passengers as their cruise approaches the Drake Passage, a body of water connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, known for its choppy waters.

Influencers on board have posted footage of the large waves as the cruise navigated the treacherous route on its way to Antarctica, while one TikToker onboard said the winds 'were unlike anything I've stood (in), and I've studied multiple hurricane-force winds.'

The ship has several decks off-limits to passengers and seasick bags have been provided at every stairwell and lift. Royal Caribbean also told passengers on the cruise they would be tackling the Drake Passage sooner than expected, due to better conditions forecasted before the time they were meant to go.

In audio captured by one TikToker, passengers are told: “By reversing our itinerary, the passage time of Drake Passage will be reduced to 22 hours with four to five metres swell from our starboard side. I'm not claiming it will be a smooth ride but a lot better than the previously explained option.”

A wedding and an engagement

Some of the passengers onboard have experienced major life events while on the nine month cruise. Shannon Marie, an American passenger and podcaster, decided to update her 91,000 TikTok followers on her life during a recent Royal Caribbean stop in Los Angeles. While standing at the top of a hill, Marie said: “Hey all, you've been checking those bingo cards, you thought that somebody might get engaged. And guess who it is? Boom”, before displaying a flashy engagement ring.

While her followers were quick to offer congratulations, Shannon, 30, has given few details about her partner - only confirming that they weren't on the cruise with her, but that they would be reunited in L.A. She doesn’t intend to get married on the cruise, as she doesn’t have a date yet. In a reply to a follower, she said: “Lol don’t even have a date picked out. Just living in the moment. ”

One couple, however, do appear to have got married on board, after flowers were spotted by another passenger on the Royal Caribbean liner.

Joshua Terry posted a video the day before Valentine’s Day and said he asked a member of staff after seeing fresh flowers on the cruise. “Apparently these flowers are for the wedding tonight.” Royal Caribbean allow people to get married on the cruise as long it takes place on international waters and the captain can perform the ceremony. Couples who wish to have their special day on the cruise have to apply 90 days before the date they want to get married. The wedding package costs range from £1,550 to £4,450, not including additional fees for the marriage license.

A tragic passing

A passenger on the Ultimate World Cruise has died, Royal Caribbean recently announced in a statement.

The company said earlier this week: "A guest sailing on board Serenade of the Seas has sadly passed away." No other circumstances about the death were given, although a fellow passenger posted a now-deleted TikTok stating the traveller in question was an elderly woman. This has not been confirmed and Yahoo News UK has reached out to Royal Caribbean for further comment. The tragic passing is reportedly the first death on the nine-month world cruise.

Cruise clout

For some passengers, posting their cruise journey has seen their number of TikTok followers rocket. Users are already hugely invested in the couples, families, characters and creators onboard, with posters commenting that 'World CruiseTok' is 'better than Netflix'. Friendships are forming as travellers get to know their fellow shipmates and a number of passengers are becoming breakout stars.

One popular cast member is Joe Martucci, a 67-year-old retiree from Florida who'd never used TikTok before, but whose first video has now been watched half a million times. Posting from the cruise under the handle, @spendingourkidsmoney, he was encouraged to join the app by his four children, and now dubs himself, along with his wife, 'Cruise mum and dad'.

Dozens of accounts providing "tea" (gossip) have also cropped up on TikTok, updating viewers on the daily dramas aboard the ship. One TikToker has taken this a stage further, producing a bingo card of likely events from aboard Serenade of the Seas, including 'mass STIs', 'podcast following the trip', and 'passenger wedding'. Others have speculated about the possibility of a 'cruise baby' being born aboard the voyage, given its nine-month duration.

Don't mention the Titanic

One passenger has noted an unwritten rule on board — that you should avoid mentioning the Titanic.

Marc Sebastian, an influencer who gained popularity through his videos about the Serenade of the Seas, eventually earned himself an 18-night stay on the giant vessel - but appeared to offend staff on board when he compared the cruise ship to the doomed 1912 liner. Sebastian had been invited onto the cruise after he posted a TikTok video that gained seven million views which had called for a reality show onboard. A book publisher eventually paid for his 18-night stay and he’s been documenting his travels ever since.

Sebastian announced on 28 December he'd been offered a stay on the cruise, where he'd promised to 'cause chaos, reek havoc, and film everything'. During the start of his trip, however, he did encounter some tension when he tried to film on board. In his video marking the end of the cruise, Sebastian said he mentioned a Titanic fact while having lunch. He said: “I brought up to an entire room of people having lunch that our ship is only 100 feet longer than the Titanic.”

After onlookers gasped and the room went silent, a fellow cruiser told him that you ‘aren’t supposed to talk about the Titanic’. Sebastian added: “It wasn't like that was in the f****** handbook, not that I read the handbook clearly.” Sebastian posted a total of 28 videos on TikTok while aboard the ship.

Visa problems

Some people on the cruise received a letter that could signal the end of their time aboard the ship. In the letter, affected passengers were told their visa information for New Zealand was missing and they needed to provide it by Friday, February 2nd, which at the time was only the next day. The Serenade of the Seas is expected to get to New Zealand in March. Those who aren’t able to get a visa in time will have to leave the ship when it gets to Los Angeles.

Joshua Terry, a Canadian national on the cruise, has been posting TikTok’s about the matter and showed the letter people received on a livestream. He said the issue is predominantly affecting Chinese tourists and called out fans of the cruise focusing on the “tea”. Terry said: “What you guys are focusing on is sometimes the wrong things like no one is ever covered the Chinese tour groups around 100, so people don't speak much English.”

Since then the deadline has apparently been extended by a couple of days, and there are now Chinese translators available on the cruise at designated times. The visa application process for New Zealand has a fast turnaround time but the catch is that people have to be on land in order to apply.