9-Month Cruise Passenger Is 'Praying for the Best' as Ship Approaches Treacherous Drake Passage (Exclusive)

Brandee Lake on Royal Caribbean’s 9-month Ultimate World Cruise.Photo:Courtesy Brandee Lake Courtesy Brandee Lake Brandee Lakeis taking the same approach to the Drake Passage as she has since embarking on theUltimate World Cruiseexactly one month ago: What will be will be. TheBrannon Filespodcaster, 46, has been making waves alongside otherTikTokinfluencers onboard Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas for its nine-month global voyage. And in an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE, Lake addressed the impending trek toward Antarctica through the Drake Passage, known for its unpredictable and often treacherous conditions.

9-Month Cruise Passenger Reveals Details of 2 Options Cruisers Will Vote On After Forced Rerouting (Exclusive)

Photo:Courtesy Brandee Lake; Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Courtesy Brandee Lake; Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty After being presented with a major itinerary change, passengers on the 9-Month cruise will vote on what to do — and cruiserBrandee Lakeis sharing the breakdown of both options. TheBrannon Filespodcaster and Royal CaribbeanUltimate World Cruiseguest chatted with PEOPLE amid news that the voyage, which kicked off in December 2023, would be switching up its itinerary toavoid the Red Sea and Suez Canalamid continued unrest in the Middle East.

9-Month Cruise Passengers Officially Pick New Route After Middle East Unrest Canceled Plans: See the Winner

Photo:Peter Bischoff/Getty Peter Bischoff/Getty The passengers on theSerenade of the Seashave selected their new route after a tumultuous few weeks of uncertainty. After Royal Caribbean announced earlier this month that its viral9-month cruisewould be forced toreroute due to the ongoing unrestin the Red Sea and Suez Canal, its passengers had a vote on what to do instead. “We’re going to Africa!” cruise passenger and podcaster Brandee Lake confirmed in a TikTok post Thursday.

9-Month-Old Girl Severely Burned by Water Spilled on Her at Daycare: 'Every Parent's Worst Nightmare'

A 9-month-old North Carolina girl is in the ICU after her family says she was severely burned at her daycare last month. The Concord Children’s Academysaid in a statement on FacebookTuesday that the “medical emergency” happened in an infant classroom on Feb. 28. “A precious member of our CCA family was burned with water from a bottle warmer,” the center said. The sheriff’s office told PEOPLE that “there is no indication anything about the injuries sustained was criminal.

9-Year-Old Boy Dies After Crawling Underneath School Bus to Retrieve Football

The child’s aunt told reporters Tuesday night that the child was attempting to retrieve a football when the incident occurred,FOX affiliate WOFLreported. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Florida Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. In astatement, Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr.