Royal Caribbean Gives Thrill Seekers a Shot at Winning World
Adventure Squads Instabrag for the Top Prize.
In keeping with Royal Caribbean’s legacy of innovation on the high seas, the international cruise line recently launched an exciting social media contest on Instagram. Its mission? Find “The World’s Most Adventurous Squad.”
Inspiring the gung-ho adventurer and wanderlust in us all, Royal Caribbean will reward one squad of thrill-seekers, made up of up to four like-minded friends, with the experience of a lifetime. And we’ll know who the top squad is in just two weeks. Beyond bragging rights, each lucky team member will win three cruises to anywhere that Royal Caribbean sails!
In late March, squads began competing in the contest’s opening round of five challenges chronicled on social media. With themes like “Thrills and Chills” and “Epic Eats,” these challenges ran through April. Royal Caribbean then selected one winning squad for each challenge.
If you’ve been following the big event on social (#AdventureSquad), you’ll know that the five-finalists were just announced, picked from 3,000+ competing teams who entered the contest.
Meet the Final Five who know firsthand how adventure is always better with friends:
Cousins of the Caribbean, Winners of the Thrills and Chills Challenge — These competitive cousins are former collegiate athletes, game-changers, and open-minded wanderlusters.
Hawaii Koa, Winners of the Hidden Gems Challenge — Instagram ‘Pros and Bros’ are self-proclaimed ‘surf & snow animals’ that believe life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
Bangarang, Winners of the Epic Eats Challenge — This globetrotting team collectively has sampled many of the world’s wonders and believe, ‘You gotta risk it to get the biscuit.’
Seas the Day, Winners of the Culture Capture Challenge — Calling themselves ‘a couple of couples,’ this crew enthusiastically seeks out the adrenaline rush of serious adventure travel.
Skallywags, Winners of the Air Land and Sea Challenge — Having brains, muscle, and moxie, these outdoorsy outliers know how to beat attitude with gratitude and plenty of altitude.
Starting next week from May 27–June 3, the remaining tier of the Adventure Squad contest begins. The Final Five will embark on the newest ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet, Harmony of the Seas, for a seven-day sailing. Beginning in Labadee, Haiti—Royal Caribbean’s private island destination—squad mettle will be tested as teams careen down Dragon’s Breath Flight Line, the world’s longest overwater zip line measuring 2,600+ feet, and soar at speeds up to 50mph. A sail to Haiti’s remote Amiga Island, surrounded by white-sand beaches and crystal blue waters, culminates in a kayaking and wave-jet surfing adventure to round out the day.
Next, competitors sail to Falmouth, Jamaica, where they’ll raft their way down three miles of the Martha Brae River on handmade vessels of bamboo. Later, crews get to sample some of the best jerk chicken and pork in Jamaica that’s cooked over the pimento tree wood pits of Scotchie’s Restaurant in Montego Bay. Exploring the exhilarating waterfalls and secret cave of Jamaica’s Blue Hole as well as off-roading on ATVs through the island’s jungle terrain is also on the adrenaline-pumping itinerary. But no worries, squad members get to shake off hard-earned road dust with a refreshing cliff-dive into azure waters.
The final port-of-call will take the eager travelers to the island of Cozumel, Mexico, where they’ll hop a plane to explore the intriguing archaeological Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. Once there, underground limestone caverns of some of the country’s many cenotes (cey-NO’-tays) await their inspection. The group will then be treated to restorative handmade tortillas at a private Cozumel taqueria.
Harmony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s most state-of-the-art ship, will serve as part of the competition itself. While onboard, Squads will zip line sixteen stories up, ride one of the ship’s two FlowRider surf simulators, rock climb, navigate a ten-story slide down the Ultimate Abyss, as well as sample cuisine from Jamie’s Italian and Japanese hibachi restaurant Izumi—two of the ship’s most noteworthy specialty restaurants. Between stops at each island and throughout the competition’s last week, the five squads will take turns overseeing Royal Caribbean’s social media channels onboard, attempting to prove their team is undoubtedly the most adventurous, able to best capture the most extreme and action-packed moments of the sail.
Ultimate Bragging Rights
At the end of this impressive expedition, all five teams will gather in Harmony’s outdoor AquaTheater to hear which group is crowned “The World’s Most Adventurous Squad.” Each winning squad member will be awarded with three Royal Caribbean cruises, which offers an opportunity to head anywhere the cruise line visits around the world, which amounts to more than 250 destinations. Now, that’s some kind of adventure.
