What to Know
Now that JoJo Siwa‘s cruise has returned to shore (yes, a JoJo-themed cruise is a real thing that happened), fans are sharing their experiences, and they’re not all good. While people have had plenty to share about the cruise itself, there’s one thing above all others that is raising all kinds of eyebrows, considering the cost of the vacation: the items in the goody bags. JoJo may have really cheaped out on this one…
JoJo’s cruise set sail on June 12.
The cruise was sold out when the Royal Caribbean ship sailed away from Port Canaveral in Florida on June 12, packed with fans of the former Dance Moms star. It wasn’t a bargain, either; everyone on board paid between $1,300 and $2,275 per person. For that price, they got all of the normal cruise amenities, including food and their cabin, along with plenty of JoJo-themed activities, including dance classes, a concert, and a meet and greet with the star herself.
Fans were also able to add a “swag bag” as an extra for $52.75, and apparently, the contents left a lot to be desired.
The goody bag items were a bit questionable.
@benoftheweek i went on the jojo siwa cruise and all i got was this hantavirus!
♬ original sound – Benjamin De Almeida
As Buzzfeed reported, one fan who was on the ship named Ben — who actually might have been there just for the plot, rather than a deep dedication to all things JoJo Siwa — gave us all a peek into the experience in a TikTok video, and boy, do people have questions.
After he claimed that everything in the swag bag was “AI generated” and showed a closer look at the items, his commenters seemed to agree with him. Judging by the artwork on these items, like the passport everyone got to keep track of their activities, it does look like AI played a part in creating the designs.
“The AI merch is diabolical,” one person commented on the video.
Another wrote, “The AI generated gift bag is crazy.”
Considering the prices that people paid to be there — and the fact that the swag bag required an extra $52 and didn’t come free with the cruise — it is a little ridiculous that it wasn’t higher quality. Are people really clamoring to have a generic lip balm with a very basic JoJo logo on it?
JoJo doesn’t seem bothered in the least by the backlash.
There’s no word on how involved JoJo herself was in the creation of the merch, but if she’s aware of the viral swag bag backlash, she’s not letting on.
So far, all of her Instagram posts about the cruise show nothing but good times. Obviously, a weird swag bag isn’t going to make or break a cruise, but come on — she can do better!
READ NEXT: JoJo Siwa Calls Out Mom for Releasing ‘Embarrassing’ Audition Tape
