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Sounds Like A Cult

The Cult of Cruise Ships

Sounds Like A Cult

Studio71

Society & Culture, Religion & Spirituality, Education

3.94.4K Ratings

🗓️ 22 July 2025

⏱️ 61 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Ahoy, Culties! This week we’re resurfacing one of our most popular episodes from last summer: The Cult of Cruise Ships. While we cook up some fresh new episodes for you (we see you, Labubu), we’re revisiting this sea-sickeningly good deep dive into the bizarre, floating world of loyalty tiers, all-you-can-eat  shrimp, and high-seas herd mentality. But wait! Don’t set sail just yet. We’ve added a brand new intro with some juicy updates: from Carnival’s controversial new loyalty program to Netflix’s Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, the cruise cult has only gotten wilder since this episode first aired. So grab your towel animal, your lanyard, and your Dramamine… and let’s get back on board. Subscribe to Sounds Like A Cult on Youtube!Follow us on IG @soundslikeacultpod, @amanda_montell, @reesaronii, @chelseaxcharles. Thank you to our sponsors! Head to ⁠https://www.squarespace.com/CULT⁠ to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CULT Start paying rent through Bilt and take advantage of your Neighborhood Benefits™ by going to ⁠https://joinbilt.com/CULT Please consider donating to those affected by ICE activity in the LA Area. Team SLAC are donating to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, an LA-based immigrant rights organization providing legal services, policy advocacy, and direct aid to those most impacted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

The views expressed on this episode, as with all episodes of Sounds Like a Cult, are solely host opinions and quoted allegations.

0:06.7

The content here should not be taken as indisputable fact. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only.

0:12.5

Hey, occulties. I thought this would be a fun, semantic rerun to air in the middle of summer.

0:18.7

To tide, ha ha, ha, over, as Chelsea Reese and I get our

0:23.8

little duckies in a row for some extremely exciting and highly requested episodes we have

0:29.5

coming up in the next few weeks, including the cults of Love Island, La Boo Boo, the cult of

0:35.8

Duolingo. We've got some really good ones down the pipeline, but didn't

0:40.5

want to leave you hanging as we get ourselves situated and pre-recorded and edited and all

0:45.9

the podcast-y things. So before we dive back into this summary episode on the cult of cruise ship,

0:52.7

sorry, there's going to be some punning in this little update.

0:55.6

I wanted to drop in with some latest news from the high seas because the cruise cult is truly

1:02.1

thriving in 2025 and has somehow gotten even cultier since last year. This cult of cruise ships episode

1:07.8

is truly one of my favorites we've ever done, and I hope these

1:12.1

updates give you as much of a cackle as they gave me. Number one on the docket has to do with

1:18.5

one of the biggest cruise lines loyalty programs. Loyal cruisers are more passionate and dedicated

1:24.8

and primed for sacrifice than kind of any vacationer I'm familiar

1:30.0

with making this next update feel all the more manipulative. Basically, here's what happened.

1:35.3

Carnival Cruise Line recently overhauled their loyalty, very important fun person, V-I-F-P-T-M program,

1:43.3

okay? It's literally called their very important fun

1:46.2

person program, which is just, it makes me chortle. And let's just say this new hierarchy is giving

1:51.7

Scientology's C-org just with more margaritas in a buffet. This is the latest. The new Carnival

1:57.9

reward system shifts from Cruise Night counting to spend base tiers with points and stars.

...

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