The USS Nightmare has been a staple of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky haunt scene for decades – and for good reason. It’s a triple threat of unique location, fitting lore and effective execution. Four or five years ago, an optional “RIP” experience was introduced, not only enhancing the haunt with hands-on interaction, but additional, exclusive experiences as well. Upon the initial offering, this RIP experience, which included small puzzles, escape rooms and questionable drink offerings was a homerun. This year, even more has been crammed into the RIP experience – but is it too much?
First and foremost, as with past years, I’ll start right off and say the haunt as a whole is largely unchanged. I mean, it’s a boat so configurational changes are limited. I get it. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the static spaces must too remain the same. All of the main rooms/cabins/facilities that we have passed through in years past were the same we found ourselves in once again this year. This isn’t to say there weren’t improvements. For example, one of the first RIP experiences encountered is the vampire initiation. In the past, your party was crammed into what essentially felt like a closet where the “blood” was offered for drinking. A much more spacious and appropriately decorated room is now the venue for this experience. Previously, the electricity re-direction puzzle was in the middle of a primary walkway which could create a traffic jam for the non-RIP guests while attempting to solve it. This has been moved to the side to alleviate any potential bottleneck.
It was at this point were unfortunately our RIP experience started it’s decline. As always, we failed to properly re-route the electricity and our punishment was a mark (a stamp). I began to offer my hand in full anticipation of it when suddenly the large ink brand was coming straight towards my face – and just like that, I was now marked on my forehead. Personally, I didn’t care. However, upon getting home, I did care when I found out that a standard ink pad has been used – not washable ink. Even worse, after washing my face it resembled more of a bruise as the shape of the stamp itself had lost its definition. This was not thought through.
One of the most welcome RIP additions has been the mini-escape room about half way through the haunt. It’s still a nice additional perk, so if you have yet to experience it, check it out. This year however, I noticed that the poster on the wall with the directions to follow had been made to look as if it was water damaged making much of the text illegible. Having solved the puzzle numerous times now, I vaguely remembered what we needed to do, however, had this been my first go-through I’m not so sure there would have been any chance of success since some vital information needed is very hard to read or assess on the poster. Perhaps it’s just my failing memory but it sure seems before that it was not in this condition in the past. We also solved the room in record time. I think it may be time to switch things up to refresh the challenge.
One of the new additions to the RIP experience was room where one or two members of your group can be transformed into clowns. This was somewhat awkward for us. Emily was chosen first and she played along. She was hastily face painted and then asked to check herself in the mirror, within which a delayed clown animation appeared (trust me, I’m not running anything here). Next it was someone else’s turn. Paul was selected and he flat-out refused. This is where it got awkward. The clown makeup artist wouldn’t take no for an answer….nor would Paul accept. Just like that a standoff began and silence ensued for what felt like 10 seconds. Finally, the actress switched gears, selected me and I played along. I got my quick makeover and then she asked me to check myself in the mirror….as if I didn’t know what was going to happen, just having witnessed the very same effect on Emily. So I unsurprisingly received the same clown animation in the mirror (which doesn’t feel to execute as soon as it should) and having met all my obligations we were FINALLY able to keep moving. I hate to say it, but this part really felt unnecessary and not in context with the rest of the haunt. There’s literally nothing scary about it; it’s just a mis-paced stop in the haunt that felt like it had no purpose. At least the makeup washed off.
The rest of the haunt what status quo. We hit a conga line in the last stretch after the last puzzle room and it felt like there were some challenges trying to balance the normal flow traffic with reintegrating the RIPers in with them. The RIP experience offered four snacks – two drinks and two bites. The doctor’s pill offering seemed to be new (don’t trust the jellybeans), which is fine but in the kitchen the piece of “people” (jerky) that I hate was extremely spicey. It was either ultra peppered or doused in something – and there’s nothing around to wash it down with. My recommendation here would be – if you’re going to encourage people to eat something, keep it bland. Not everyone has a tolerance for heat.
The actors were a mixed bag. Few had substantial speaking roles. Most were stationed to a certain area and while some played along well in their area, some just took the startle approach just trying to get a reaction. I was honestly most impressed with the small kids in the family quarters. This may be the first time I saw actual children working in this haunt and they were intense. I’m not used to a 7-year-old boy say he wants to chop my face off in just a normal, matter-of-fact way. Those kids had some real energy and really stood out so kudos to them.
I walked away only being able to really summarize the whole experience as “ok”. At one point we were squirted multiple times in the face by a nurse or doctor with syringes. Even after making it blatantly obvious we were seriously annoyed by it, he kept doing it. It really brought the vibe to a screeching halt and it was right before we were put in the decontamination chamber so we’re now standing in this room, waiting for this fog to engulf us, mildly irritated at this actor who seemed to have a complete inability to read people. The whole experience had some good parts, some frustrating parts and a lot of mediocre recycling of years past. I think the USS Nightmare still had a good grasp on making the RIP experience worth the upgrade but more isn’t necessarily better. They seem to have lost focus on what its purpose was in the new additions. The clown area always felt a little out of place to begin with so the make up experience feels way out of left field.
I’d love to see this haunt go through some substantial refreshing and bring quality over quantity to the RIP experience. It would certainly be a shame to remember The USS Nightmare are the The USS Annoyance.
First and foremost, as with past years, I’ll start right off and say the haunt as a whole is largely unchanged. I mean, it’s a boat so configurational changes are limited. I get it. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the static spaces must too remain the same. All of the main rooms/cabins/facilities that we have passed through in years past were the same we found ourselves in once again this year. This isn’t to say there weren’t improvements. For example, one of the first RIP experiences encountered is the vampire initiation. In the past, your party was crammed into what essentially felt like a closet where the “blood” was offered for drinking. A much more spacious and appropriately decorated room is now the venue for this experience. Previously, the electricity re-direction puzzle was in the middle of a primary walkway which could create a traffic jam for the non-RIP guests while attempting to solve it. This has been moved to the side to alleviate any potential bottleneck.
It was at this point were unfortunately our RIP experience started it’s decline. As always, we failed to properly re-route the electricity and our punishment was a mark (a stamp). I began to offer my hand in full anticipation of it when suddenly the large ink brand was coming straight towards my face – and just like that, I was now marked on my forehead. Personally, I didn’t care. However, upon getting home, I did care when I found out that a standard ink pad has been used – not washable ink. Even worse, after washing my face it resembled more of a bruise as the shape of the stamp itself had lost its definition. This was not thought through.
One of the most welcome RIP additions has been the mini-escape room about half way through the haunt. It’s still a nice additional perk, so if you have yet to experience it, check it out. This year however, I noticed that the poster on the wall with the directions to follow had been made to look as if it was water damaged making much of the text illegible. Having solved the puzzle numerous times now, I vaguely remembered what we needed to do, however, had this been my first go-through I’m not so sure there would have been any chance of success since some vital information needed is very hard to read or assess on the poster. Perhaps it’s just my failing memory but it sure seems before that it was not in this condition in the past. We also solved the room in record time. I think it may be time to switch things up to refresh the challenge.
One of the new additions to the RIP experience was room where one or two members of your group can be transformed into clowns. This was somewhat awkward for us. Emily was chosen first and she played along. She was hastily face painted and then asked to check herself in the mirror, within which a delayed clown animation appeared (trust me, I’m not running anything here). Next it was someone else’s turn. Paul was selected and he flat-out refused. This is where it got awkward. The clown makeup artist wouldn’t take no for an answer….nor would Paul accept. Just like that a standoff began and silence ensued for what felt like 10 seconds. Finally, the actress switched gears, selected me and I played along. I got my quick makeover and then she asked me to check myself in the mirror….as if I didn’t know what was going to happen, just having witnessed the very same effect on Emily. So I unsurprisingly received the same clown animation in the mirror (which doesn’t feel to execute as soon as it should) and having met all my obligations we were FINALLY able to keep moving. I hate to say it, but this part really felt unnecessary and not in context with the rest of the haunt. There’s literally nothing scary about it; it’s just a mis-paced stop in the haunt that felt like it had no purpose. At least the makeup washed off.
The rest of the haunt what status quo. We hit a conga line in the last stretch after the last puzzle room and it felt like there were some challenges trying to balance the normal flow traffic with reintegrating the RIPers in with them. The RIP experience offered four snacks – two drinks and two bites. The doctor’s pill offering seemed to be new (don’t trust the jellybeans), which is fine but in the kitchen the piece of “people” (jerky) that I hate was extremely spicey. It was either ultra peppered or doused in something – and there’s nothing around to wash it down with. My recommendation here would be – if you’re going to encourage people to eat something, keep it bland. Not everyone has a tolerance for heat.
The actors were a mixed bag. Few had substantial speaking roles. Most were stationed to a certain area and while some played along well in their area, some just took the startle approach just trying to get a reaction. I was honestly most impressed with the small kids in the family quarters. This may be the first time I saw actual children working in this haunt and they were intense. I’m not used to a 7-year-old boy say he wants to chop my face off in just a normal, matter-of-fact way. Those kids had some real energy and really stood out so kudos to them.
I walked away only being able to really summarize the whole experience as “ok”. At one point we were squirted multiple times in the face by a nurse or doctor with syringes. Even after making it blatantly obvious we were seriously annoyed by it, he kept doing it. It really brought the vibe to a screeching halt and it was right before we were put in the decontamination chamber so we’re now standing in this room, waiting for this fog to engulf us, mildly irritated at this actor who seemed to have a complete inability to read people. The whole experience had some good parts, some frustrating parts and a lot of mediocre recycling of years past. I think the USS Nightmare still had a good grasp on making the RIP experience worth the upgrade but more isn’t necessarily better. They seem to have lost focus on what its purpose was in the new additions. The clown area always felt a little out of place to begin with so the make up experience feels way out of left field.
I’d love to see this haunt go through some substantial refreshing and bring quality over quantity to the RIP experience. It would certainly be a shame to remember The USS Nightmare are the The USS Annoyance.
You ever have one of those days where something happens and it just flips your mood completely and it takes you a while to get past it? Well that can apply to haunt experiences as well, and unfortunately USS Nightmare flipped my mood this year.
We usually go for Nightmare's RIP experience, which adds touch, some side-shows, and a few other pieces to the haunt. It's an add-on that usually gives an extra bit of chaos that we typically enjoy. One of the side-experiences that's included is a puzzle game (that I believe is un-winnable), and in years past when you lost, the host would put a stamp on your hand showing that you failed. Well for some reason this year the host decided to stamp our foreheads instead. With actual ink from an ink pad- that doesn't wipe off. Combine that with 2 spots where someone sprays water right into your eyes, another where they draw all over your face with clown make-up, and no place to clean all of that stuff off afterward, and it took the experience from scary and exciting to frustrating and annoying.
I typically really enjoy going to USS Nightmare. They have a really good combination of quality and location that's mostly unmatched in this area. This year something just happened to strike a nerve that flipped things upside-down for me.
We usually go for Nightmare's RIP experience, which adds touch, some side-shows, and a few other pieces to the haunt. It's an add-on that usually gives an extra bit of chaos that we typically enjoy. One of the side-experiences that's included is a puzzle game (that I believe is un-winnable), and in years past when you lost, the host would put a stamp on your hand showing that you failed. Well for some reason this year the host decided to stamp our foreheads instead. With actual ink from an ink pad- that doesn't wipe off. Combine that with 2 spots where someone sprays water right into your eyes, another where they draw all over your face with clown make-up, and no place to clean all of that stuff off afterward, and it took the experience from scary and exciting to frustrating and annoying.
I typically really enjoy going to USS Nightmare. They have a really good combination of quality and location that's mostly unmatched in this area. This year something just happened to strike a nerve that flipped things upside-down for me.
Like a true ghost ship, USS Nightmare is frightening at first sight. While old and decrepit on the outside, the ghosts and ghouls maintain their home with more than blood and guts of their nightly visitors. Their RIP experience gives you the opportunity to play with the inhabitants of the ship, while taking you through private the other poor souls miss out on. With RIP, you run with vampires, gamble with your soul, and solve puzzles to save your friends.
Expect to leave USS Nightmare’s RIP experience covered with something. We were inked, painted by clowns, and shot with various liquids throughout the night. My face scared several people by the time were made it out. USS Nightmare has a high turnout during the haunt season. There is almost always a line. They do their best to keep timing, but our group experienced runover with other guests as we tried to escape the ship of nightmares.
Overall, USS Nightmare is a fun haunt that people always enjoy year after year. They have a great location, setup, and team making this one of the top haunts in the city of Cincinnati.
Expect to leave USS Nightmare’s RIP experience covered with something. We were inked, painted by clowns, and shot with various liquids throughout the night. My face scared several people by the time were made it out. USS Nightmare has a high turnout during the haunt season. There is almost always a line. They do their best to keep timing, but our group experienced runover with other guests as we tried to escape the ship of nightmares.
Overall, USS Nightmare is a fun haunt that people always enjoy year after year. They have a great location, setup, and team making this one of the top haunts in the city of Cincinnati.
The Uss Nightmare has been haunting the Ohio river since 1998 and returns this year as one of the premier must see haunted attractions in the tri-state area. The old dredge formerly known as the William S. Mitchell, has a shocking history of being nearly destroyed years ago when a bridge, collapsed the upper level smokestacks during a particularly high river situation in 1933. After this event, the William S Mitchell was put up for sale and purchased by B&B riverboats in 1995 and in 1998 turned into the haunted attraction that it is known for today.
One of the first things you see when you enter the bowels of the Uss Nightmare are animated portraits of the old riverboat captains who warn you about the scares and shocks you may encounter within the boat. The animatronics are one of the highlights of the boat, and one of our favorites was The Impaler, a 13 foot monster the crew called fluffy. This monster startled you with a loud unexpected roar as you walk by. In addition, The USS Nightmare has introduced many new props and scenes this year, including a walking corpse, some cool CGI holograms, and old school additions like a two headed Frankenstein, werewolf, and a guy spinning around on some thing called psycho vision. If you are brave enough and fortunate enough to do the RIP tour, you will spend close to an hour participating a fully immersive experience, where you will be required to solve a variety of puzzles to escape, drink “blood“, eat a pill which tastes similar to rotten eggs, and gets sprayed with water in various locations. The water was not one of my favorite parts of the tour, but it did lend to the immersive affect.
There is also an old urban legend about a woman in red who caused the boat to crash. I’ve heard the story told over and over again, but this is the first year they’ve actually had the woman in red in the crew’s bunk screaming she didn’t crash the boat. This is a great play on the urban legend and helps to bring the story to life.
They were also other experiences along the way for the RIP Tour participants, such as having your face painted like a clown or your head stamped with ink, being sacrificed or put into a room with decontamination fog, or put into a cage and left behind and separated from your group.
Hats off to the excellent job done by the actors and make up people as the Uss nightmare continues to be one of the scariest and most entertaining haunt experiences in the tri-state area.
Warning! The old rusty boat can be a very scary experience at night, so not for the faint of heart. Prepared to have the ship scared out of you!
One of the first things you see when you enter the bowels of the Uss Nightmare are animated portraits of the old riverboat captains who warn you about the scares and shocks you may encounter within the boat. The animatronics are one of the highlights of the boat, and one of our favorites was The Impaler, a 13 foot monster the crew called fluffy. This monster startled you with a loud unexpected roar as you walk by. In addition, The USS Nightmare has introduced many new props and scenes this year, including a walking corpse, some cool CGI holograms, and old school additions like a two headed Frankenstein, werewolf, and a guy spinning around on some thing called psycho vision. If you are brave enough and fortunate enough to do the RIP tour, you will spend close to an hour participating a fully immersive experience, where you will be required to solve a variety of puzzles to escape, drink “blood“, eat a pill which tastes similar to rotten eggs, and gets sprayed with water in various locations. The water was not one of my favorite parts of the tour, but it did lend to the immersive affect.
There is also an old urban legend about a woman in red who caused the boat to crash. I’ve heard the story told over and over again, but this is the first year they’ve actually had the woman in red in the crew’s bunk screaming she didn’t crash the boat. This is a great play on the urban legend and helps to bring the story to life.
They were also other experiences along the way for the RIP Tour participants, such as having your face painted like a clown or your head stamped with ink, being sacrificed or put into a room with decontamination fog, or put into a cage and left behind and separated from your group.
Hats off to the excellent job done by the actors and make up people as the Uss nightmare continues to be one of the scariest and most entertaining haunt experiences in the tri-state area.
Warning! The old rusty boat can be a very scary experience at night, so not for the faint of heart. Prepared to have the ship scared out of you!
The USS Nightmare, a long-standing haunt in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area, provides a mix of scares and lore within the setting of an old haunted boat. With the addition of the RIP experience, visitors are led through various challenges, interactions, and immersive elements, including puzzles, spooky drinks, and unsettling encounters. However, certain aspects of the experience fell short this year, including unnecessary and uncomfortable interactions such as face stamping and forced clown makeovers. The haunt's static spaces and recurring elements, although providing familiarity, lack the refreshing changes that could enhance the overall experience. Additionally, some of the actor interactions were inconsistent, with some impressing with their intensity while others relied solely on startle tactics.
Despite its drawbacks, the USS Nightmare maintains its reputation as one of the top haunts in the area, offering a thrilling and engaging experience for haunt enthusiasts. With its unique setting and dedicated team, the haunt continues to draw large crowds, providing an overall enjoyable haunt experience that keeps visitors coming back year after year. However, to maintain its status and improve visitor satisfaction, the USS Nightmare should focus on refining the RIP experience, introducing refreshing changes, and ensuring that all interactions align with the haunt's overall theme and purpose. |
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