Two quick news stories for you today.
The first comes from Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas.
Allegedly, Ben Murphy, an Australian TV host and magician, was attacked mid show by an apparent jealous partner of his volunteer female assistant during his March 1st show.
Murphy was performing a card trick where he and the female volunteer each had a folded play card sticking out of their mouths and “kissed.” During the tapping of the cards is where Murphy would “swap” the cards to the other person’s mouth. When watching the video Murphy posted to his TikTok account, you see his eyes widen just before he can remove the card from his mouth. A member of the crowd—presumably the woman’s partner—rushes the stage and pushes Murphy to the crowd.
Murphy posted on TikTok, “My assault on board. Entertainment, comedy, and magic are NOT contact sports. This guest should not have been allowed to enjoy the rest of his cruise.”
Suffering from “blurry vision” Murphy saw the onboard medical team and was advised to see a neurologist, but no further action was taken until a week later when officials finally took his statement.
“Statements should have been taken by the witness that day,” Murphy said. “How they said there were no witnesses to this baffles me.”
Royal Caribbean has not issued a statement in the ongoing investigation.
The second story comes from Cunard’s Queen Mary 2.
On March 9, 2023, International DJ Day, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 introduced the silent disco to their fleet’s largest nightclub, G32, on select evenings. The cruise line has also added a live DJ and party band to the venue. There will also be silent discos aboard the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria.
If you have never taken part in a silent disco the idea involves guests wearing wireless headphones and dancing to music that can only be heard in the listeners headphones. Silent disco allows guests to listen to the music they want, switch between genres and control their own volume.
With this new concept in dancing, the cruise line can transform any area of the ship, such as the Grand Lobby or any deck, into a party.