Not even the new edition of Big Brother nor the palace intrigues of the new government: the reality show of the moment emerged unexpectedly and is lived for TikTok. Every day millions of people follow everyday life of a group of passengers who embarked on a cruise without ever imagining that they would become celebrities from day to night, bringing them unexpected fame but also countless headaches.
It all started a little over a month ago, when Serenade of the Seas, the most impressive bet of its kind. Promoted as “the most epic cruise in history,” its plan is to travel through 60 countries and also Antarctica over nine months.
Its almost 2,400 crew members don’t have much in common with each other. more than the economic capacity to face tickets that start in 60 thousand dollars and spend almost an entire year away from their jobs. And, as it is already an established habit, most of them share photos and videos on their social networks thinking about their families and friends.
With an insatiable nose for the viral, Tik Tok’s algorithms began putting videos of the cruise in the “For You” section.
However, curiosity about this coexistence – with genuine questions about the food offered or the medical benefits – gave rise to an unprecedented experiment because some accounts began to create summaries and make comments. Englishman Beth Fletcher, for example, has an account about reality shows from her country, but she started doing contents about the cruise.
“The idea of sailing for nine months blew my mind and I think this could be not just another reality show but the best one ever,” he told The New York Times. With an insatiable nose for the viral, TikTok’s algorithms began to put these videos in the precious “For you” section. Today the clips with the hashtag #ultimateworldcruise have more than 500 million views and there are several accounts that follow Fletcher’s path.
“I still can’t get used to the idea that my life is interesting to anyone,” confessed with great honesty Brandee Lake, a teenager who travels with her parents and her sister and who ended up being interviewed by the BBC because her count exceeded 180 thousand followers almost overnight. Joe Martucci, for his part, is a 67-year-old retiree. who opened his TikTok account when his children asked him to do so after seeing the impact of the trip. Today it has half a million views.
But not everyone is happy, because while for many people becoming effortlessly famous may be a dream, Few can stand to have their vacations become the center of attention. A recent theory that swinging couples use a pineapple as a way to identify themselves, for example, caused problems for many passengers. And, as happens in every reality show, there are not always conflicts and they have to be manufactured.
Serenade of the Seas It sailed from Miami on December 10 and still has almost 8 months to go. In one of the most popular videos, uA commentator made bets on what was going to happen: a marriage, a pregnancy, a sexual scandal and even a pirate assault. Only time will tell if these forecasts come true: the live broadcast of its crew members will inform us instantly.