Heavy/Getty Hallmark stars Kristoffer Polaha and Andrew Walker at the premiere of Polaha's movie "Shift" in December 2023
When Hallmark stars Andrew Walker and Kristoffer Polaha need to get their fans’ attention, they know just what to do: take off their shirts.
In advance of their upcoming fan cruise, which sets sail on January 8, 2024, the duo played up their status as unofficial “Hunks of Hallmark” to film a tongue-in-cheek social media video. The actors filmed their parts separately, but both appear shirtless — with Walker in a backward baseball cap and Polaha in a straw sunhat — to promote a new virtual option available to those who can’t attend the trip.
In order to offer daily, exclusive content from the cruise ship for fans back home, Walker and Polaha have teamed up with “Deck the Hallmark” podcaster Brandon Gray, who also appears in the video, laughably struggling to remove his own shirt.
“We were talking about a fun way to promote the virtual pass, and obviously I was doing the Lord’s work and threw out a shirtless video idea,” Gray joked to Heavy. “The boys were awesome and so of course they went for it.”
“I did write the script and I would like that to be reflected on my forthcoming IMDb page,” he quipped.
Here’s what you need to know:
Virtual Pass Will Provide Daily Exclusive Content From the Cruise Ship
Coordinated by Expedia Cruises, Walker and Polaha will spend four days with fans aboard the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas ship, which departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 8. The ship will sail to the Bahamas and back, returning on January 12.
Attendance was capped at 250 fans to ensure everyone gets time with the actors, Walker told Heavy when the cruise was first announced in July. But for those who can’t be there in-person, the new $25 virtual pass will grant them access to live and exclusive content from the ship.
According to Gray, fans who purchase the virtual pass will get to join “a private Facebook page where the guys will upload exclusive pics and videos, and also go live daily.” In addition, highlight reels from the cruise will be uploaded daily, he said. Anyone without a Facebook account will receive the recorded content via email each day.
Hallmarkies were both amused by and smitten with Walker and Polaha’s shirtless promo, with many commenting that they’d already rushed to purchase a pass.
One wrote, “So good 🤣 hilarious start to all the fun! Wish I could be there, but sure do appreciate this option.”
Another commented, “This just made my day!! I am definitely getting the pass!!! And Brandon is absolutely hilarious.”
Someone else wrote, “I still don’t think I am supposed to see the Hallmark Hunks shirtless. 😍 I don’t mind, but…😮😮”
Even Hallmark actress Erin Cahill weighed in, writing, “Bahaha!! Omg this is epic! 🤣🙌”
The promo isn’t the first time Hallmark fans have seen Walker shirtless recently; he appeared in the opening scene of his hit 2022 movie “Three Wise Men and a Baby” flexing in the mirror, much to the delight of many viewers.
Andrew Walker & Kristoffer Polaha Have Fun Activities Planned for Live & Virtual Participants
Heavy/Expedia CruisesDetails on Andrew Walker and Kristoffer Polaha’s “Mystery At Sea” cruise
In early 2022, Walker participated in a similar cruise with actor Paul Greene. Once the new cruise with Polaha was announced, Walker told Heavy, “I’m so excited to be doing this with Kris. He’s the perfect guy to be accompanying me. He’s so talented, fun loving, with such a devoted fan base.”
Walker said at the time that he and Polaha were excited to spend quality time with fans onboard the ship, including “eating dinner with everyone every night, we’ll both be playing games, karaoke, doing excursions with fans, photo ops.” They also plan to spend time with fans during a day trip to Royal Caribbean’s private island, CocoCay.
According to Southern Living, Polaha will be bring his wife and kids along, so fans will get a bonus concert from his eldest son and aspiring musician Caleb. Walker, meanwhile, plans to bring his dad on the cruise, as he did on the first one last year.
Walker said there will also be panel discussions, during which he and Polaha share some of their personal stories about their work, and a Q&A session, much of which Gray plans to record and send to virtual pass holders.
The January 8 cruise is the first opportunity of the year for fans to set sail with their favorite Hallmark stars. Last summer, Hallmark announced its first-ever fan cruises, which will take place in November with a yet-to-be-named roster of actors. Both cruises sold out within hours.