Cruise passenger reveals the one word you should never say on a ship — and we totally get why

Cruises are meant for spending time at sea away from the stress and noise of everyday life and relaxing without inhibitions. But turns out that even on a trip, people need to be careful about things that they shouldn't do or say. TikToker Marc Sebastian learned this the hard way during his incredible journey on Royal Caribbean’s nine-month Ultimate World Cruise. As he spent 18 nights on board, he discovered a surprising rule, which was never to mention the “Titanic.” He shared this with his followers on TikTok, alongside other interesting facts he picked up on his voyage.

In a viral TikTok video with millions of views, Sebastian said, “You’re not supposed to talk about the 'Titanic'. Who knew that? I didn’t. I brought up to an entire room of people having lunch that our ship was only 100 feet longer than the Titanic. When I tell you that — utensils dropped, waiters gasped, it’s dead silent.” As reported by the New York Post, he revealed that his friend Nadine had to secretly lean in and warn him not to mention the term Titanic. That isn't surprising considering that it’s hard to think of a more heartbreaking topic than the tragedy that claimed nearly 1,500 lives at sea.

He added, “Well, it wasn’t like that was in the f–king handbook. Not that I read the handbook, clearly." Several users in the comment section reacted to this discovery. One TikTok user, @unathemermaid1, commented, “It is considered extremely bad luck to mention a sunken vessel on another one out at sea.” However, another person, @bethika6, wrote, “How can you NOT talk about the Titanic? LOL, I get being superstitious, but I'm not superstitious, so I'm like, COME ONNNNN.” Narrating another experience, @foforealrex commented, “Our cruise had a photo backdrop of the iconic stairs with the clock scene from Titanic, so I guess they didn’t read the handbook either.”

Sebastian’s cruise experience also had its fair share of chaos. From getting kicked out of the Pinnacle members' lounge during a live stream to picking a chunk of ice from an Antarctic iceberg that was brought aboard, he certainly didn’t hold back. He even found himself in a few tense showdowns with some high-profile passengers. In one of his final posts before leaving the ship, Sebastian humorously described the Serenade of the Seas as a floating retirement home with a Cheesecake Factory attached, as reported by People Magazine. Unfortunately, his voyage often waded into troubled waters and almost every planned excursion was scrapped at the last minute due to bad weather.

Meanwhile, Sebastian disclosed several other intriguing secrets about the cruise, such as the fact that Whoopi Goldberg was given the pleasure of being the godmother on his ship and that all cruise ships have one. He went on to reveal that cruise ships use seawater to fill their pools and that there was a rubber duck scavenger hunt aboard. This trip, which lasted for 274 nights, cost between $53,999 and $117,599 per person. The journey covered 11 global wonders in over 60 nations before it ended on September 10, 2024.