The cruise initially was a major source of public fascination, especially as the cruisers on board the ship started sharing their experience on TikTok. At one point, there was speculative casting for an IRL White Lotus-style fantasy series. But, with the exception of influencer Marc Sebastian stirring up some commotion among Royal Caribbean fans back in January, there really hasn't been much onboard drama. At least that's what Brandee Lake, one of the cruise's nine-month passengers, explained to Thrillist over the phone on the three-month anniversary of the cruise's launch.
"It's funny, I feel like that's kind of why I guess people have 'lost interest in us.' All of us, I think, aren't posting for that, but just to really just document our travels," Lake said. "There is no drama."
This vibe can be felt in a lot of the content posted on TikTok—most of the cruisers are simply posting about ship life and different ports and activities they are getting to do. The three months at sea, Lake said, have really just brought the Serenade of the Seas "cast" closer together.
"I say, if anything, we're probably closer now because we actually know each other as people, not just as TikTokers," Lake continued. "And most of us are people we would've chosen to be friends with anyway."
Life on the ship is pretty routine during sailing days. Here’s what Lake shared about her time aboard the ship so far:
Thrillist: How does the time pass while cruising for three months?
Brandee Lake: There's days when I'm like, "Oh, my gosh, I can't believe it's been three months." And there's other days where it's like, "Oh, my gosh, I can't believe it's been three months." I know that sounds like the same thing, but there's some days that it seems like it's been a while and there's other days that are like, "Oh, my gosh, it's going by too quickly." But I'd say it feels more like it's going by too quickly.
What has been your favorite stop during the Ultimate World Cruise?
I think it's a growing sentiment—none of us can get over the beauty of Antarctica. Antarctica was something that was just so special and different. Our ship was too big, so we weren't allowed to get off, but still, the beauty and splendor. You didn't have to get off to really feel it.
What's the biggest difference between life on the cruise and life on land?
The difference from life on land is that you're very catered to, right? You don't want for anything really. You think of it and it's there. You can get it or get access to it. I mean, I like to think that I live a very blessed life on land as well… the fact of not having to worry about anything is what's different from living on land. Everything is already taken care of.
What do you miss about life on land? Do you miss doing some of those little things, like chores?
Girl, no, not at all. Cooking, yes. But to me, cooking in the kitchen is my happy place. So, to me, that's some of my outlet on land, so I do miss cooking. That's probably what I would say is my biggest miss because I'm not going to say complaint or regret, because I would be in no position to complain or regret about anything, having such a blessing to be on this journey, but I miss cooking.
Does it feel like you're on vacation still, or does it feel like something else?
Vacation probably ended... Let me look at these ports. I would say vacation probably ended around... Well, actually, I'd say probably once we started this next segment. The first two months or so, December through February, I would still say might've been vacation-ish, leaning into real life. And now, starting the second segment into the Asias is when I think all of us have kind of... And I can't really speak for other people, but for the most part, the sentiment that I feel is we're all now like, "Okay, this is regular. We got to find some routines and things."
Have you gotten tired of the food yet?
I'd say three months in, I've learned how to remix some of the menu. I'm not sick of it, and I'm going to say that for a few different reasons. Again, I feel like that would be super first-world arrogant American to say that I am sick of it because at home, how many different things do I actually cook? Although I told you I miss cooking, which I do do, I do not change my menu every 14 days. You eat a lot of the same stuff at home. Are there some days when I feel like it's rich? Sometimes it is a little rich.
Are you getting close with the staff on board, since you’ve been with them for so long?
So, that's one thing. I told you that there's no drama or no complaints. I do have a complaint. It's getting ready to be staff change time, and it's really making me sad. We've become really tight and close with them, but there are a lot who are getting off in Brisbane. There's I think about 90 of them changing over, including our room attendant, Yerri, who was like family. The staff is on six-, seven-month contracts and not all of them started when we started—some of them were already working on this ship. I'm sure whoever they bring, we will also love. But right now, it feels very personal and I'm about to lose some family members and that nobody is going to be as good as they have been.
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