The Amazing Race Eclipse will be a competitive-based game that will have a unique series of challenges and activities, based on the popular television reality show that has aired in many countries throughout the world. The Amazing Race Eclipse will take place onboard the Celebrity Cruises Eclipse Transatlantic sailing of April 19, 2014. Using land and sea opportunities, the game will consist of various challenges and activities that will test mental agility, stamina, and teamwork.
Teams
There will be a maximum of six teams participating with each team having no more than six players. Each team will have a designated color to identify their team and each team member will receive a souvenir lanyard that will be worn throughout the game. Some challenges and activities will require all members of the team to participate while others may require only one or two team members to participate while the remaining players may spectate and cheer on their teammates.
Route Cards
Riddles sealed within a special envelope will be provided to the teams at various times and places throughout the game. Each team member will need to read the riddle and work together with their teammates to decipher the riddle and determine where to go for their challenge. When they arrive at the correct location, they will find a challenge or activity to accomplish with detailed instructions that must be followed in order to successfully complete the challenge or activity. Route cards will be issued at designated locations (during designated times) or may be delivered to the team captains’ staterooms based on the challenges and activities scheduled for each day. Competitive timing will begin and end at the actual challenge location. Teams will not be penalized time used to transition between challenges.
Challenges/Activities
Teams will be given specific challenges and activities to be completed that may involve one or more team member’s participation. Each team member will be required to be present throughout the challenge unless otherwise noted in the Route Card. Most challenges and activities can be done in the normal attire of the day but some teams may choose to wear alternative clothing, based on the challenges presented. In the event of a day where participants may get wet during a challenge, a notification will be included in the daily Route Card that will inform the team to be prepared for a challenge that may involve water. If a team is not prepared for the challenge upon arriving, they may lose valuable time in the completion of their challenge. Challenges that may get participants wet will be rare and all teams will be given advanced notice.
Competition Timing
Game Marshalls will be at each challenge location and will monitor the activity and score the team with the time taken to accomplish the challenge. Competition time will begin once the team has been presented with the rules for the challenge, selected the participants, and those participants begin the challenge. Competition time will be stopped when the challenge has been completed according to the instructions. Once the team has completed a challenge successfully, they will be presented with a new Route Card for their next challenge location. In order to prevent inconveniences for the ship’s crew, public room operations, and challenge backups, each team will have a uniquely designated route of play that their Route Cards will lead them on. (For example: Team Red and Team Blue would start in Location A while Team Orange and Team Green start at Location B and Team Purple and Team Yellow would start at Location C.) Each team will complete all challenges for the day in a different order but all teams will conclude at the designated “Pit Stop” once all challenges are completed. Once all teams have made their way to the Pit Stop, the Team Captains will present each received challenge card and route cards to the Game Marshall. Times will be tabulated and each team’s running time will be displayed. Each day’s challenge times will continue to accrue until the final Pit Stop where a winner will be determined.
Road Block
Road Blocks are challenges that require the team to select one or two players to participate while the others may offer moral support and encouragement but may not participate themselves. When receiving a Road Block at the completion of a previous task, the team will be presented with a cryptic question that will be used to guide the team in deciding who will participate in the next challenge. The selected team member(s) will then be able to read the task instructions and proceed with the challenge. Once the participating team member(s) have been determined, they will not be able to alter that decision. Doing so would cause a time penalty. When the Road Block challenge is complete, the team will receive their next clue and move on. Team member(s) selected to compete may not participate in consecutive Road Blocks.
Detour
When receiving a Detour at the completion of a previous challenge, the team must choose between two tasks for their next challenge (each with its own pros and cons). Teams are given several details about both tasks. Typically, one task is less physically demanding than the other but is tedious or requires some amount of time or thinking to complete, while the other is usually more physically demanding. Depending on the team’s ability, the physical task may take less time to complete. A team may choose to switch tasks as many times as they wish with no penalty other than the time lost in attempting the tasks and traveling between task locations. Unless otherwise instructed, teams can work together to finish a Detour challenge. Once a team has completed one of the tasks, they are given the clue to their next location. If a team does not complete a Detour, they will get a 1-hour penalty.
Fast-Forward (Advantage)
At the beginning of the Amazing Race Eclipse, each team will be presented with a “Fast Forward” card that can be used at any one time throughout the game as an advantage that may improve their overall score. The Fast Forward is used to bypass a challenge that appears undesirable, timely or too difficult to accomplish. Fast Forward cards that were left unused in the game will not be accepted after the final challenge on the last day of the game. The Fast Forward can save teams great amounts of challenge time and when used strategically, may offer the team advantages over their competitors.
U-Turn (Disadvantage)
During the game, a team may receive a U-Turn Card, which can be used to force another team to complete a special challenge on the final day of the game. If an opposing team is presented with multiple U-Turn cards, they must complete the special challenge as many times as they have received cards with a maximum of three times. The time required to complete these special challenges will accumulate and be added to the teams’ final scores. U-Turn cards that were left unused in the game will not be accepted after the first challenge on the last day of the game.
Bonus Tasks
During the game, teams may be presented with Bonus Opportunities that may result in advantages in the game. All teams will receive the same quantity of these Bonus Tasks and will be given ample notification to complete the tasks. The time that it takes to complete these tasks will not count against the team’s time measurement and are completely optional. The team will decide if they wish to participate in the task and may not substitute these tasks. If a team completes the task, they will receive the Bonus Task reward that may be used as an advantage in the game. These challenges may require more time to complete and may have a small cost associated. These challenges may not be marshalled and may require teams to provide proof of completion at the next Pit Stop. Other Bonus Tasks may involve interactions with local port citizens or ship crew members in order to complete the task. These individuals may be responsible for providing the team with their reward for task completion. More details will be provided at the time of challenge notification.
Pit Stop
At the completion of all tasks on each day, the teams will gather for the Pit Stop where they will receive the Route Card for the next game day (may not be consecutive days). Each team will arrive at the Pit Stop and present their challenge cards and route cards from throughout the current day. The challenge completion times will be calculated and displayed to include the current day’s total challenge time and a running total of all challenge times to date. All team members must report together at the Pit Stop. If any team members are missing or the team has lost a challenge card, that team will be penalized in the form of added challenge time.
Concessions will be made for any participant that requires assistance.
These game rules are still a draft and may have additions, deletions, and changes made to them. For more information, please see the game organizer or Game Marshalls once onboard.