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Once again, the gauche goings-on of the woozily wealthy have taken center stage.
This time around, we're hitting the high seas, from the comfort and safety of home, thanks to a slew of TikToks documenting the nine-month journey of passengers on Royal Caribbean’s The Ultimate World Cruise. As its name implies, this daunting trek is not only Ultimate, but it’s also a World-minded outing.
Per Royal Caribbean, the voyage launched in December and gives presumably well-to-do travelers the opportunity to spend 274 nights with “like-minded explorers” as they visit more than 60 countries across seven continents. The full nine-month trip started at just under $60,000 per person for the Interior Stateroom, while those who forked over more than $117,000 are given the Junior Suite treatment. Shorter (and cheaper) travel options are also available, including the Ultimate Americas and Ultimate Asia Pacific cruises.
But it's hard to say whether Royal Caribbean could have expected the intense fandom spurred by passengers' videos (not to mention reality TV-inspired edits) in recent days. The mania, as it were, received quite the boost following reports of the ship running into severe weather. Videos seemingly showed flooding aboard the vessel, an image that can't help but call to mind elements of Ruben Östlund's Palme d'Or-winning comedy Triangle of Sadness.
In a statement to USA Today, a Royal Caribbean rep confirmed “heavy wind and rain” had impacted a set of elevators and several rooms on the boat, thus requiring “minor cleanup and elevator repairs."
Through a growing library of TikTok and other social media-shared videos, the story of the Ultimate World Cruise continues to expand, essentially giving those in search of such a thing a reality show, of sorts, that’s playing out in real time.
The 274-night trip aboard the Serenade of the Seas ship is set to wrap in September. Later this month, Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, previously billed as the "biggest ship to ever set sail," will officially begin welcoming travelers.
