Don't Say This Word on a Cruise Ship, Warns a Passenger Whose Major Faux Pas Shocked Other Travelers and Crew TikTok influencer Marc Sebastian learned the hard way that some words are better left on the shore.
By Amanda Breen
Key Takeaways
- Sebastian was on a sponsored 18-night trip on Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise.
- Comparing the ship's size to the Titanic's at lunch elicited gasps and awkward silence.
Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise, which set sail in December, is well underway — but some passengers are still learning proper etiquette on board.
Marc Sebastian, an influencer and passenger on the cruise whose 18-night stint on the Serenade of the Seas was sponsored by Atria Books, found out that some words are best left ashore, according to a TikTok video he posted detailing his faux pas.
JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER | Getty Images
Sebastian boasts 1.7 million followers on TikTok, with his cruise-focused videos garnering 600,000 viewers per clip on average, and some hitting the 2 million mark, per People.
Sebastian's voyage took an awkward turn during a casual lunchtime conversation, he recalls in the video. He compared the ship's size to the ill-fated Titanic's — noting it's "only 100 feet longer" — and was met with collective distress. "Utensils dropped," he says. "Waiters gasped. It's dead silent."
@marcsebastianf someone get whoopi on the line girl i have some goss for her #ultimateworldcruise #worldcruise #serenadeoftheseas #cruisetok #cruise #9monthcruise #titanic ♬ original sound - Marc Sebastian
It was then that a fellow passenger quietly informed him of the unspoken rule: discussions of the historic ocean liner are off-limits.
The full cruise, which promises to visit more than 60 countries over the course of 274 days, costs between $53,999 to $117,599 per person, plus taxes and fees, per Royal Caribbean's website.
Related: I Went on a $4,800 Ultra-Luxury Cruise. This Is What Makes That Price Worth It.
Sebastian also divulged other cruise insights. Apparently, "cruise ships have godmothers." The celebrity godmother for his ship? Whoopi Goldberg. He was also surprised to discover that seawater fills the cruise swimming pools.
