Sebastian initially did not identify the sponsor, but he did describe it as an "unexpected and big" brand. "I'm not sure how you would fit nine months of clothes in here," he remarked. He shot the video while sailing through the Drake Passage, which is between South America and Antarctica. "This is the view when you first walk in," Marc said before panning round to an amazing ocean view through his window.
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Man on extravagant 9-month Royal Caribbean world cruise gives shocking room tour that leaves people screaming - UNILAD
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Several influencers told NPR they think Sebastian's novel partnership with Atria Books could help usher in a change with how brand partnerships work. She said the TikTokers on board have gotten together several times — including once at a private dining experience at Royal Caribbean's invitation — to make videos, bond about their love of travel and sometimes vent about the negative comments. Sebastian told NPR towards the end of his time on board that while he arrived ready to play the part of a villain — including packing an "evil"-looking long red coat — he wasn't serious about causing drama. That's something most of the nine-month cruisers are acutely aware of and trying to avoid, several passengers told NPR. Nine months on a cruise ship is just the kind of "social incubator" that's so central to reality TV, said Jamie Cohen, a media studies professor at Queens College who began his career as a reality television producer. Onlookers wondered about the practicalities of life on board the cruise, which was first announced in late 2021 and starts around $59,999.
TikToker on Royal Caribbean's extravagant 9-month world cruise says he 'hates it here' - UNILAD
TikToker on Royal Caribbean's extravagant 9-month world cruise says he 'hates it here'.
Posted: Wed, 17 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
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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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I didn’t,” Sebastian said in the viral TikTok, which now has 4 million views. TikToker Marc Sebastian has been sharing his experience on Royal Caribbean’s nine-month Ultimate World Cruise and took to the platform to share a list of things he learned about cruising during his 18 nights onboard. Marc has been documenting his experiences on the cruise on TikTok and offered a glimpse inside his room, from the views to the features - and it seems he's not been left overly impressed. As soon as he disembarks from Serenade of the Seas, Sebastian will be in search of the next moment to craft his very specific narrative web around. Among the offers for partnerships and projects flooding his inbox, he's already gotten offers from two other cruises, both of which he's turned down. "My responsibility is to tell the story about how I feel about what it's like to be on the nine-month cruise. And if you're thinking that I'm putting on misinformation, that's bullshit," Sebastian said.
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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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His critiques of the ship, such as complaining about the music and food at the ship’s Windjammer cafe, have made him an Everyman to TikTok audiences around the globe. Unlike some other cruise and travel influencers onboard, he has no allegiance to the cruise line, allowing him to speak freely and humorously about his experiences. He says if he monetized his content, he could’ve made around $15,000 to $20,000 based on the views his videos have now received. “That’s a lot of money, but that was a short-term goal, and I had a long-term vision,” he says. The only thing he made was incredible content and some friends along the way, he adds, half in jest.
He promised to update his followers with the "tea" she had revealed to him in the next video, including details about how much the most expensive suite costs. Sebastian said people on the ship were giving him "dirty looks" because he had his phone out a lot. "Marc brought so many interactive and engaging ideas about how to incorporate our books into his travels. And, of course, what better companion for a long journey than a good book." A representative for Atria Books told Business Insider that when Sebastian put out the call for a brand to partner with, "we jumped at the chance to be a part of this viral moment." That brand was the publishing company Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. The fad became so popular that there are now entire Facebook groups dedicated to sharing photos of rubber ducks discovered on cruises and their hiding places.
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One of those TikTok users was Marc Sebastian, a model and influencer with 1.6 million followers. For Sebastian, the 18 days on the Royal Caribbean cruise have opened his eyes to the blurry lines of promotion and entertainment. As one of several creators posting about the ship, whether the videos are positive or negative, he’s giving Royal Caribbean free promotion.
Sebastian announced that he would be boarding the cruise in Antarctica in partnership with Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. Sebastian admitted that his cruise friend Nadine had to whisper and tell him not to talk about the Titanic. It seems Sebastian has plenty of time to get acquainted with his fellow passengers as the #RoyalCaribbeanUltimateWorldCruise is sailing until Sept. 10, 2024. After getting out of bed and meeting up with other passengers for an excursion, Sebastian filmed himself stating that he and two others had come together to form an alliance on the ship. No can do babe,” Sebastian captioned a TikTok of himself giving a room tour last week.
She says that while she began making the videos because she needed a replacement for her favorite reality show, she’s more than aware that these are people — not characters. In fact, most of the drama that TikTok so desires seems to primarily stem from the app’s intrusion into the ship in the first place. Little Rat Brain (LRB), who has asked to only be identified by her handle, grew her TikTok following by documenting the trip, which she is on with her mother.
"You're just angry that I have found something that you really love and that you think is great and someone doesn't like it." Even as I laughed at his monologue describing the tyranny of Windjammer, I was like, yeah I could see how this would maybe make someone who has made it a part of their identity to love Royal Caribbean feel a certain type of way. Aside from his many detractors, though, there are plenty of people eating up his content. Many commenters thank him for his honest reviews and eagerly await his next post. While around 700 of the passengers currently on board will be staying for the duration of the cruise, some are only joining the ship for shorter segments, which is what Marc Sebastian did. His sponsors shelled out $8,500 (USD) for the influencer to join the cruise for the South American and Antarctic segment.
His videos have racked up an impressive amount of views, with his experience of the Drake Passage -- the body of water between South America and Antarctica -- being seen over 9 million times. "A lot of people use their retirement money. A lot of people had parents or grandparents pass away, and they're using their life insurance policy to make sure that they can travel the world," Sebastian told Thrillist. The TikToker also discovered the phenomenon of cruising ducks, which is a scavenger hunt many passengers and crew members play where rubber ducks are hidden around the cruise ship for others to find and keep, or to find and re-hide. Prior to embarking on The Ultimate World Cruise, Marc Sebastian wasn’t an avid cruise influencer on social media. Most of his videos consist of product reviews and funny videos related to current trends and pop culture.
"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.
After his pitch went viral on TikTok in December 2023, Sebastian was contacted by the publishing company Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, which offered to send him on the cruise for 18 nights. Within days, Atria Books, a publishing imprint under Simon & Schuster, suggested a partnership. Sebastian pitched his marketing scheme to the Atria team on Christmas Eve, and the publisher pulled all hands on deck to get Sebastian an 18-day ticket on the cruise for the ship’s Antarctic portion of the voyage. For example, he says, the company invited a group of influencers to the Chef’s Table, which was supposed to be seen as a thank you, but Sebastian says they all had to agree to post a video about the meal, which defeats the purpose of a free meal. “You’re not giving them a ‘Thank You,’ you’re giving them work to do,” he says.
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