Actor B.J. Britt has quickly become one of Hallmark Channel’s most visible stars, from co-starring with Tyler Hynes and Jonathan Bennett in “The Groomsmen” trilogy to joyfully appearing at fan events across the U.S.
So when longtime Hallmark star Kristoffer Polaha had to back out of the upcoming Cruising With Friends fan getaway due to a filming conflict with his new TV series, organizers asked Britt to step in, knowing he’d be a perfect choice to sail and bond with fans during the early January trip from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico. Britt is pumped to join previously-confirmed Hallmark hunk Victor Webster and newly-added Hallmark actress Taylor Cole, as well as about 200 fans, for the five-day cruise.
“There’s only one problem,” Britt told EntertainmentNow on September 30, 2025. “I can’t swim yet. Can’t even look at the water or I start to sweat.”
B.J. Britt, Taylor Cole & Victor Webster Will Kick Off 2026 With About 200 Fans Sailing to Mexico
GettyBritt did sail on one of Hallmark’s first-ever Christmas Cruises in the fall of 2024, so he knows he’s capable of surviving — and enjoying — a few days at sea. To avoid anxiety about being surrounded by the ocean, his trick was to stay so busy that he never even looked at the water.
He recalled, “When I did the first cruise, I was like, ‘Yeah! Let’s do this!’ on the outside, but in the back of my mind, I was going, ‘I don’t know about this.’ So I did all the things. You can put stuff on your wrist to make you not get sea sick, and something behind your ear. And I go nowhere near the water. I don’t even want to see it or I’ll remember that I can’t swim!”
Luckily, there will be plenty to keep Britt distracted as he kicks off 2026 aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas ship, from games to dinners to chatting with fans. Sailing from January 4 to 8, the ship can accomodate up to 200 Hallmark fans, while the sold-out Hallmark Christmas Cruise that Britt will also be part of in November will have over 3,000 Hallmarkies onboard.
The smaller group will make it easier to have meaningful interactions with fans, Britt told EntertainmentNow, insisting that his goal is to learn and remember all 200 fans’ names — and “maybe even the name of their firstborn child!”
B.J. Britt May Get Matched Up With a Fan in Cruise Version of ‘The Dating Game’
Britt, who will co-star with Tamera Mowry-Housley in November’s “Tidings for the Season,” told EntertainmentNow he’d heard rumors of Polaha’s previous plan to host a Cruising With Friends version of “The Dating Game,” matching up fans with Webster, one of Hallmark’s most eligible bachelors.
Now that Britt is along for the ride, too, that makes two Hallmark bachelors who could play, with Cole hosting the game show.
Laughing at the thought of being matched up with a fan that way, Britt quipped, “As long as they’re under 102 and can swim, I’m good with it!”
In fact, Britt said he wishes he could sit and hear the stories of every fan he meets, because he’s continually amazed by Hallmarkies’ “generous hearts” and “the stuff so many have gone through.”
“There’s so many wonderful stories that you hear — beautiful stories, heavy stories,” he marveled, noting that after his first big event with Hallmark fans, Christmas Con 2024 in New Jersey, he was “bawling” as he left, so touched by the connection between himself, the fans, and his fellow Hallmark actors.
“I love, love, love interacting with everybody,” Britt said, but admitted he still has a hard time accepting that people would show up to events — and even a cruise — specifically to meet him.
“I don’t get it yet,” Britt told EntertainmentNow. “My parents raised me to be humble, to be very appreciative and grateful because (my life) could be different. It could easily be the other way, so I never take any of it for granted. Being grateful anybody wants to meet me or likes my movies keeps me grounded.”
The “Cruising With Friends” five-day excursion has a limited number of openings left. Interested fans can register online to receive full details from Expedia Cruises.
Yes! I’m excited to see BJ on this cruise with Victor Webster, & Taylor Cole since he wasn’t on HMC #2 2024 and I wasn’t able to book this year’s cruise. I’ve been on two consecutive cruises with this company. 2024’s Andrew Walker & Kristoffer Polaha and this year’s with Jen Lilley, Marcus Rosner, & Jesse Hutch. It’s a much smaller group compared to Hallmark’s cruises which allows for more opportunities to spend time with the actors.