TikTok has become a prominent source of shopping and travel information.
That's good if you're looking for interesting places to eat, previews of places you plan to visit, and insider info on your trip.
It's not, of course, a fully reliable medium, as not everyone on social media knows what they're talking about. You can find some great advice and amazing access or you can be led astray and end up making bad decisions.
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One trend that has become popular on TikTok is the #dupe trend. That has generally been applied to shopping.
"First of all, the word 'dupe' is a shorter form of 'duplicate,' and in the context of TikTok it refers to users sharing their findings of affordable alternatives or knock-off versions of popular brands or products," Certilogo writes. "There are thousands of dupes videos on TikTok, showing products of various types, from clothing to cosmetics."
Now, Royal Caribbean's (RCL) Celebrity Cruises has jumped on the #dupe trend and adapted it for cruisers.
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Image souce: Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises explains what a #dupe destination is
It's easy to see how #dupe applies to clothes, accessories and cosmetics. In many cases, the most expensive brands aren't the best quality brands, so knocking them off (or even improving upon them) isn't that hard.
When applying the trend to cruises, Celebrity has a different model.
"The #dupe trend has taken TikTok by storm, racking up 227k posts globally where users share their favorite inexpensive alternatives to popular products," the cruise line said in a news release. "Now, Celebrity Cruises has begun to see the trend take over travel, with people looking for the ultimate 'Destination Dupes' — locations that are a little lesser-known but just as charming as the iconic destinations we know and love."
The cruise line has chosen to highlight stops that are not as common and not as well known by comparing them with better-known locations.
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Celebrity Cruises offers #dupe destinations
Celebrity has put a number of its ships in Europe for at least part of the year, including its newest flagship, Celebrity Ascent. Since its ships, even its biggest ones, are smaller than Royal Caribbean's largest ships, more ports are open to the brand.
"With European travel on everyone’s mind, here are a few of our favorite dupes, all of which can be enjoyed on some of Celebrity Cruises’ 70 European itineraries," the cruise line shared.
- La Coruña, Spain (Dupe for Barcelona): La Coruña is a charming and affordable alternative destination boasting coastal beauty, rich cultural heritage, and architectural landmarks like the Tower of Hercules, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Did we mention La Coruña’s renowned gastronomy?
- Cork, Ireland (Dupe for Dublin): Cork offers a charming small-town atmosphere with vibrant nightlife, cultural attractions, and rich history, similar to Dublin but more affordable and intimate. Known as Ireland’s “foodie capital,” it features many of the country's oldest restaurants and bars and is a throw from landmarks like Blarney Castle.
- Alesund, Norway (Dupe for Venice): Known as "the Venice of Norway," Alesund offers a Scandinavian twist with its Art Nouveau architecture, colorful cityscape, and canals linking seven islands. Nestled among fjords and mountains, Alesund is ideal for travelers seeking coastal beauty with a Nordic touch.
Many European cities that aren't as well known share some of the same features, even the same basic city structures, as better-known destinations.
Visiting these lesser-known destinations (or dupes, as Celebrity is selling them) offers many of the same sites with smaller crowds and more authentic interactions with the local populace.
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