In a recent survey conducted by the Gannett Company, owners of USA Today, interest in a Paranormal and psychic themed cruise was voted into second place, only beaten by the ever popular “Cougar” themed cruise. The unscientific poll indicated that the paranormal is something people would be interested in immersing themselves in even when away on vacation, and would in fact pay thousands to do so.
Themed cruises are the latest travel fad sweeping the vacation and tourism industry. With the popularity of shows such as Paranormal State and the enduring legacy of programs such as Unsolved Mysteries combined with the inconvenience of three hour waiting times at airports, it’s easy to see that people these days are more interested in learning about EVP than dealing with the FAA. Will the cruise remain true to its cause of exploring the paranormal, or will the leisurely atmosphere confound any meaningful mediumship aboard the vessel?
Paranormal Cruises will typically feature guest speakers from the ghostly community, including (for example) expert on demonology Bishop James Long and some celebrities from the overwhelmingly populated Sci-Fi Channel ghost reality shows. The speakers aren’t expected to make any extraordinary announcements, but they will be generally providing an introduction to the paranormal to those who are newly interested in the subject. It seems the target audience for this cruise will likely be those who enjoy documenting ghost hunts and hearing stories of the paranormal. As far as cruises go, the paranormal cruise is likely one of the most interesting, but its closest competition is a cruise homage to Elvis Presley that will no doubt be populated with its fair share of Elvis impersonators.
Of course the most obvious question that comes to mind when discussing a paranormal cruise, will it be going anywhere near the Bermuda Triangle? So far, sources indicate it’s expected to make a stop in Puerto Rico and pass right through the legendary “Devil’s” Triangle. Perhaps there will then be some level of paranormal activity on deck? Suffice to say with the number of psychics and mediums concentrated in one place in a long thought to be paranormal area such as this, something interesting may happen.
Is this the 21st century’s interpretation of the spiritualist movement? In many ways the paranormal seems to feed into the same spiritual desires many people have who are not religious, but still wish to make contact with their departed relatives or wish to think about what life after death is like. The notion that death is the end has never been a popular one, and fails to make sense to many of our sensibilities. Those who crave continuity in life cannot help but feel there’s something more to our existence. Where does the flame go when the candle is extinguished? No doubt this cruise will have many people hungry for answers as the paranormal becomes more popular in a world where meditation and spirituality is often ignored.