As Cyndi Lauper sang in her 1983 hit, “girls just want to have fun.” That’s exactly what life-long friends Christine “Aka” Aikens and Kym Nadeau did on their recent 80s cruise to the Bahamas onboard Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas.
The pair have traveled together since they were in middle school decades ago, but the excitement from being onboard the nostalgic sailing – paired with some alcoholic beverages – made the dynamic duo the life of the party.
When Aka’s adult daughter Leah Aikens received a rather surprising video of her mother’s shenanigans on a shore excursion, she had to share the clip on her TikTok (@healthandleah) – where the video quickly went viral.
Since its posting on March 27, 2024, the video has been viewed over 600,000 times and received over 100 comments from amused TikTokers.
@healthandleah another one of their adventures in the Bahamas 🤣 #mommemes #momlife #cruisetiktok #cruisevacation #sailinglife
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When Leah asked her mom if she and Nadeau were enjoying their cruise, she certainly wasn’t expecting a video of her mom jokingly claiming that she had been kidnapped on a shore excursion in the Bahamas.
“We may or may not be being kidnapped. We were told to lay flat. Our belongings have been taken…” Aka says while on a sailing excursion. “Not to mention we’re three margaritas in.”
“The boat almost capsized. Thank God I saved my phone,” Aka added in a subsequent clip.
In reality, no kidnapping occurred and the good humored ladies were perfectly safe. The crew operating the excursion had simply taken extra precautions, such as protecting belongings below deck, because the ocean was a bit rougher than expected during the outing.
A TikTok video posted by Leah on April 7, 2024, confirmed that her mother and her traveling companion did indeed make it back onboard the Voyager-class vessel.
@healthandleah Replying to @CruiseGirls uploading the original
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The clip was captured while the buzzed duo was out and about at approximately 3:00 a.m. local time, insisting that “everyone was looking at them.” While the pair enjoyed their perceived moment in the spotlight, Nadeau revealed later that no one was actually paying attention to them.
Royal Caribbean’s Themed Cruises
The 80s cruise that Aka and Nadeau sailed on is part of a long-standing tradition offered by Royal Caribbean. The 7-night sailing enjoyed by the old friends was the eighth time that this themed voyage has been offered.
Mariner of the Seas, which can carry up to 4,000 passengers, embarked from Port Canaveral, Florida, on February 29, 2024, and called on Aruba and Curaçao throughout the journey.
Royal Caribbean has confirmed that musical cruise will be back in 2025, this time operated by Explorer of the Seas out of Miami, Florida, on March 2, 2025. Over the course of 7-nights, the Voyager-class ship will call on Nassau, Bahamas; San Juan Puerto, Rico; and Labadee, Haiti.
As with the 2024 sailing, cruisers will get to enjoy a fun slate of activities onboard, such as trivia and karaoke, and a lineup of over 50 concerts and special events – many of which feature icons from the 80s.
But 80s cruises aren’t the only themed sailings offered by Royal Caribbean, with many of the special sailings catered to the older adults.
This makes sense, considering the average cruise passenger age is 47 years old, with travel by sea traditionally holding appeal for the 65+ crowd.
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Also on the horizon in 2025 is a 90s cruise onboard Serenade of the Seas embarking on January 31, 2025 and a 4-day Comic-Con Cruise beginning on February 5, 2025, also onboard Serenade of the Seas.
At the end of February 2025, a 7-night Star Trek cruise will embark from Miami, Florida, onboard Explorer of the Seas. The voyage is already 98% sold out, with trekkies looking forward to co-mingling with some of the cast, such as Kate Mulgrew, Robert Picardo, and Ethan Phillips, as well as cosplay opportunities.
The final themed sailing of 2025 is the 6th annual Old School Cruise, which is so popular there is currently a waitlist to snag a cabin onboard the 3-night concert cruise from Los Angeles, California, to Ensenada, Mexico.
The sailing, which will be operated by Navigator of the Seas from May 2-5, 2025, is officially the biggest concert cruise event ever – and will feature musical legends like the Commodores, S.O.S Band, ZAPP, Sister Sledge, Peaches & Herb, and the Original Lakeside, among others.
